“There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood…”
Every week my fourth-grade teacher passed out our poetry sheets, printed in fragrant purple, from the mimeograph machine. Though I disliked memorization, many of the poems, like this one—”A Vagabond Song” by Bliss Carman—have stuck with me for years.
I particularly loved the autumn verses, and the idea that fall was “native to my blood” resonated with me. My mother was born in October, as were several of her nine siblings. According to her, their farmer father always hoped the new baby would wait to arrive until after the potatoes had been harvested.
Autumn certainly seemed native to her blood. Though she was a dedicated and hardworking homemaker, the siren song of the changing leaves called to her, and off she went to walk the hills. The beauty simply overwhelmed her. “I just lose my mind,” she used to say, and so do I.
I think of my mother often, but especially in the fall, when the air is crisp, and the leaves are turning. This year, she’s felt especially near, as an extended quarantine has given me time to go through several boxes of her things I’d been waiting to sort.
Besides all the wonderful old photos, I discovered a stash of her recipes, which had gone missing many years ago, as her memory began to fail. Mom was a legendary baker, and many people in our rural community looked forward to the gift of her cookies. She was always generous about sharing her recipes, so in honor of her October birthday, I’d like to share a family favorite.
Grandma’s Molasses Cookies are perfect fall treats, soft and chewy, which fill the kitchen with a delicious, spicy aroma. “Grandma” was Mom’s mother-in-law, my grandmother. Mom always insisted Grandma’s were better, but we certainly could never tell the difference. Enjoy!
Grandma's Molasses Cookies
1 c shortening
1 c molasses
1 c sugar
4-3/4 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp cloves, 2 tsp ginger, ¼ tsp salt
1 rounded tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda, dissolved in ½ c milk
2 eggs
Cream shortening and sugar, add molasses and eggs—beat well. Dissolve soda in milk. Sift flour, spices, and baking powder, and add alternately with milk. Roll dough ¼” thick on floured board. Cut into rounds and bake at 350⁰ till brown. (My mother used to add a light sugar glaze when the cookies had cooled, but sometimes she sprinkled the cookies with sugar before baking and pressed a walnut piece in the center.)
Susan Kimmel Wright is a child of the Appalachian Mountains. A former lawyer, Susan has published three children’s mystery novels and is a prolific contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Please watch for her first cozy mystery for adult readers, Mabel Gets the Ax, currently set for 2021 release by Mountain Brook Ink. Susan can generally be found nose deep in a book, out in the woods with her dogs, or online at links below. Please stop by.
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