"I'd Still Like to Go to Grandma's House for Christmas"

This morning I was enjoying some special cooking time in my kitchen. It was a chilly morning, and our "kids" (The Newlyweds) were coming over for lunch...

So I decided to make a pot of "Hobo Stew" (See recipe below)

And as I was working in the kitchen, I thought it would be a good time to start listening to some Christmas music, so I pulled out some favorite cd's and started singing along...

And then one of the songs on the "Joy to the World" CD with the Gaither Homecoming Friends was

"I'd Still Like to Go to Grandma's House for Christmas"

You can listen along here:

"Oh I'd still like to go to Grandma's house for Christmas
I can hear those happy Christmas carols ringing in my ear
Oh I'd still like to go to Grandma's house for Christmas
She always sang a happy song, Christmas was a happy time of year
I still remember going through her front door Christmas day
I'd see a proud and peaceful smile on her tired and wrinkled face
I still can smell those pumpkin pies a'coolin' by the stove
But the thing that I remember was when Grandma'd squeeze me close

With all the family gathered, we were sure to have a crowd
My uncles talked about hunting and my aunts just talked real loud
But that didn't bother Grandma, she was glad we all were there
She was queen on Christmas, crowned with silver in her hair

But now she's gone and we all spend our Christmases at home
You see, all the aunts and uncles have grandkids of their own
Lord, let our homes be filled with love and joy like Grandma knew
'Cause I know she'll have a merry Christmas celebrating there with You

Oh I'd still like to go Grandma's house for Christmas
I can hear the angels singing, I hear Grandma loud and clear
Oh I'd still like to go to Grandma's house for Christmas
She's there singing a happy song, Grandma's home for Christmas this year"

And of course I started thinking about my sweet mother-in-law, "Nanny", who loved to listen and sing along to gospel music all the time, and who will be celebrating Christmas in Heaven for the first time this year:

And I really started missing her...Because ever since we moved to this house she was a frequent "guest", most every weekend for about six years, as most of you know. She would spend the weekdays with her other son and his family, and then we would meet 1/2 way and bring her home to our house for the weekends, usually Friday-Monday.  This continued until she finally reached a point where she needed more complete care, and she went to live in a very nice nursing home for the last year of her life.  But during her days here, we made lots of memories together...and many of them were in this kitchen together.

While she was able, she used to help me any way she could...drying dishes and putting them away, helping mix up cookies and watching how I baked things...she loved being here in the kitchen with me, and I enjoyed her company.  I often wish she was still here to chat with while I'm cooking.

 She loved peanut butter cookies...and of course had to sample the results:

Here she is all decked out in her Christmas top, with a necklace that had little twinkling Christmas bulbs on it. She loved showing that off!

And here's a flashback to when our three sons were little and we loved going to "Grandma's House for Christmas"....You can see they were all very excited to be together!!!  (Don't you love that fancy tree?)  Now, looking at this picture, I just realized that "Nanny" is standing behind our son Matthew, with her arms wrapped around his waist, and they are both probably making a very loud noise...and then also Granddaddy is sitting down there on the floor in the front...and now they are all up there in heaven together, where it's Christmas every day!!!

 "Oh I'd still like to go Grandma's house for Christmas

I can hear the angels singing, I hear Grandma loud and clear

Oh I'd still like to go to Grandma's house for Christmas

She's there singing a happy song, Grandma's home for Christmas this year"

Vivian Ruth Martin Steiner, "Nanny", 7/23/1923-8/13/2018  

Here's the Recipe for Hobo Stew:  (Nanny loved this too!)

Hobo Stew

Cook a couple of slices of bacon, chopped into smaller pieces, in the bottom of a large soup kettle or dutch oven.

Brown 2 lbs. ground chuck in the pot, and drain off fat.

Add 1 medium chopped onion to the meat and cover and cook until onion is tender

Add 1 can diced stewed tomatoes (I used the ones with green pepper & onion added)

Add approximately 3 cups of water to the pot, cover and let simmer while you chop up the next ingredients:

Add four medium, peeled and cut potatoes

Add four or five peeled and sliced carrots

Add two cups of chopped cabbage.

Add salt and pepper and garlic powder to season.

If needed, add more water, cover and let cook until all vegetables are tender.

(All ingredients can be added according to how much you want to make! This will make a nice dutch oven pot full of stew)

Serve with fresh, hot cornbread. We like to crumble our corn bread onto the stew.

We used to make this in Girl Scouts, and would put all ingredients in a large metal coffee can, cover tightly with foil, and bury under the coals of our campfire and let it cook all day. It would be delicious for supper!