My mother had this crock for as long as I can remember. She kept it in the old, white, kitchen cupboard with a flour sifter on one side and a bread drawer on the other. The crock was used to mix up the dough for her biscuits. It holds eight quarts. Momma was the champion when it came to making those big, fat, buttermilk biscuits and she would make a lot of them at one time. We thought her cold biscuits with blackberry jam and fresh butter was a treat and would eat them for a snack like kids today eat chips. I can remember neighborhood children knocking on our door and asking my mother if she had any cold biscuits they could have and momma would always give them a biscuit with jam or jelly.
I use the crock to mix up cakes from scratch and to mix the dough for my sourdough bread.
When my children were small and we lived on the farm, I used to make my bread all the time. Several months ago, I started making it again. My starter is made with instant mashed potato flakes and I feed it every five days and then make the bread. If interested you can find my recipe for the starter and the bread on my recipe blog Recipes From A Southern Country Cook. There is nothing like hot sourdough bread straight from the oven with butter. It is also wonderful toasted for sandwiches.
I have very much enjoyed making bread for my family once again and also give it away as gifts to friends. 
I always think of momma when I get the crock down off the top of my refrigerator every five days.
I have several things that belonged to her but for some reason "the crock" just seems like a part of her that remains close to my heart.
Hopefully, one day my girls will continue the tradition of bread making in one form or another and the crock will be passed to another generation. My son already has a smaller one just like mine that belonged to momma.
I think we all have things that have been passed to us from friends or relatives that mean a great deal to us or bring back memories.
I would love to hear about something that is special to you.
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26 comments:
Judy, I use to always make sourdough bread. But stopped as I did not need 3 loaves and was busy with other projects. May start again and give Jamie and a neighbor a loaf. Just seems I have been busy with gardening projects with my move.
Your email will not go through for me. If you want to share again.
Hi Judy, I have so many things that are special to me, but the first one that came to my mind is a wooden churn that belonged to my Great Grandmother. It is made from cherry wood and has copper bands around it. I also have her wooden bowl she used for making bread. It is hued from a log. Maybe someday I will put a picture of those two things on my blog. They mean a lot to me...thanks for making me remember.
I don't have anything from my family. My aunt Ruth took everything when she was in charge of funerals and now my cousin Pat has all those things that have special memories.
Hi Judy, I have clicked to become a follower of your blog too.. It's funny 'cos I always check out your site whenever I key in 'cos as well as enjoying your blog entries I love your music... As far as your Crock goes have you thought about how you're gonna split it between the girls.... hmmmm....
My favourite thing I got after my Mum died was her engagement ring, I had it remodelled and had the diamonds reset into the new frame. The ring was originally a 2 stone diamond bypass ring. For one of my birthdays Rob bought an old ring that I had admired at an antique market with a blue stone... It wasn't a real gem but that didn't matter to me I just loved the blue colour. It only cost about £25 but I just loved the colour - It didn't even fit my finger only went onto my pinkie... but I didn't care -- the funny thing was I wondered if the jeweller would be able to make a frame for it and so that it could join the two diamonds which had belonged to my Mum. I had a word with the jeweller and he made me a setting for the three stones.
When he had done it he was sooo pleased with how it turned out that he brought out a ring he had in his safe and asked me what I thought - do you know they both looked as good as one another and the other ring had been valued at £7,500 not bad eh ? It means the world to me though because of my Mum's part of the ring being joined with the blue stoned ring that Rob had bought me. The blue stoned ring from the antique market fools everyone - they all think it's a good quality Ceylon Sapphire or a Tanzanite and I must admit I don't disagree with them. I think it's hilarious when I'm checking out jewellery (I'm a jewellery fanatic you see) and the jewellery assistant grabs my hand and is all googoo at my ring hehe..
So between my ring and the first Heubach Porcellain 'Baby' I got when my Aunt died that about covers an 'things' that I own that really mean something to me... Gosh I haven't half taked on in this comment - sorry ! Cheers Kate x.
Hi again Judy, I meant to mention in my comment that I have tagged you with questions that are shown on my blog today and among the friends on tomorrow's blog too...
Cheers, Kate x.
Hi Judy. My grandma has passed down to me her wonderful cake recipes and her Pyrex mixing bowls that she bought in the 1950's. I always think of her when I use the bowls and I'm always nervous when she tastes the cakes I bake. She insists that the cakes taste just like hers. There must be magic in the bowls!
I just happened upon your blog through some other blog. I have tried to make sourdough bread unsuccessfully twice so far. I am going to try your recipe and report on my success.
Nice to have found you.
Bhavana
I love the bowl. also I love home made bread.
My mother had a crock bowl. Wonder where it is. Perhaps my daughter has it. I like this post a lot. Hope you'll do more of this king of post. I'm getting sick of posting political stuff, think I'll go back to posting things like this. I enjoy them myself. I love all your pretty blue kitchen dishes and cookware.
Judy just rereading your post and looking for your email. Is it not there anymore?
I have my mothers iron skillets. I would take nothing for them. I have my grandmothers small iron flat skillet that she made cornbread for one on it. Have a big platter that was my greatgrandmother's. But I am almost afraid to use it.
Again, thank you for your caring comments to me.
Judy, I will continue on. I have my greatgrandmothers clock that my grandmother learned to tell time on, also her sewing basket, and a clock that was in my mothers bedroom on her dresser. Also have my grandmother's trunk Story that her parents carried it on a covered wagon. Guess that is all of my old treasures. I keep pointing them out to my children.
At the moment do not know if they will mean as much to one of them as they do me. Maybe a grandchild will fall in love with them.
Alway enjoy your blog and your recipes! When my kids were growing up I baked all our bread, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls etc. Some of my fondest memories are of the kids "helping" me with the baking.
Judy, I made the starter today for the sourdough bread. I've been wanting to do that again. I'm glad I came upon your recipe.
Hello Judy, Love the looks of your blog - you've done something different or is it that I have not noticed before????
I was given a bowl like yours by a widowed friend. Mine doesn't look quiet as nice, and I really wonder if mine isn't hand made. I still use it. it is in good condition except that it does show age. I'd love to have it appraised by someone who knows about crocks and such. There is no sentimental value to me, as I hardly knew her. I'm glad she chose me to receive it for sure. She died a couple years ago at 80, and it was her grandmothers. When I can get my camera to working with me, I'll post the picture sometimes.
Keep up the good work.
I used to love the old Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding, both as a child and when my family became adults and moved away from home. Each Sunday they would come for Sunday lunch and it was great to have the entire family sat around the table.Then my youngest son moved to Spain and one link of the family was missing,but he was never forgotten, Life for me is full of happy memories and no one can take them away,
YVONNE.
Hi again Judy, I have just read your new additions to your sidebar they are hilarious... that's set me up for the day - got a load of packing to do etc. for our week away. Cheers for now.. Love the music - " When the roll is called up yonder I'll be there " Opps another one I know yayyy! " can't turn it off now! " Just you walk with me .......... Great !
byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..... let it beeee ! "
I love making bread, but it never lasts more than half an hour in our house!
Judy, the picture of your sourdough bread makes my mouth water. I wish you could transmit the smell of it baking through the internet!
I have so many items from loved ones that are dear to me (one of the reasons our little doublewide is so stuffed!) One of my favorites is my Mama's copper-bottomed Revere Ware cooking pans. She always used those to cook vegetables, make oatmeal, etc. So I do, too, and think of her when I do it. As soon as my children graduate and have their own places, I plan to pass them on to them and hope they'll remember all the things I cooked for them and how much I love them. I could go on and on talking about my most beloved and cherished items from those I love, but I've taken up too much space already!
As always, I loved your post.
Hi Judy,
My favorite things are the hand written recipes stuffed into cookbooks by my Mom and my Grandma.Also the notes in the margins.
I found this quite a while ago...so true...No one who cooks, cook alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.
By the way...I think that I have the same bowl.
I can just smell that sourdough bread! Yum!
I think I treasure my mom's paintbrushes and art supplies, as she was my muse, but I also have a lovely bisque pitcher that she gave me before she died. It had belonged to her grandmother..
Oh Judy....that bread has me starving to make some. And I just left Maribeth's website with good intentions of joining Weight Watchers...she has done so well.
Looks like you have spruced up for fall and it is lovely and warm.
The thing I've inherited that means so much is my grandmother's china cabinet and there is a big glass bowl with a red lip that my mother used frequently. They both bring back many memories. Loved reading yours and thanks for wishing to hear about our things.
Mom,
You know that Anne and I will be very proud to have your crock one day. We will cherish the memories that you have while making new ones of our own. I love you, love you, love you!
Leigh
Believe me Mom, you make amazing biscuits as well. I will be honored to make bread in your mothers crock. Love you very much.
-Anne
Judy, I added your recipe link to our site at: http://www.zoinkies.com/recipes/
I am going to try to get my daughter, the family cook, to make your sour dough bread. Sounds delicious.
I love this post!!
I have several items that were my Gramillo's. Gramillo was my dad's mom and the best grandma ever.
Every item I have of hers is precious to me.
I especially love one of her glass pie plates that she etched her name on the bottom to be sure it would be returned to her at potlucks. I run my fingers over her name on the bottom of that plate and I nearly cry every time. That pie plate is a treasure of mine much like your momma's crock is to you.
I have mixing bowls that were my Mom's. Some things I have passed on to my nieces and nephews since I don't have children of my own.
I have Mom and Dad's big cast iron skillet! Perfect for frying chicken!
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