Today’s recipe is a tribute to my mother, Betty. I have mentioned mama a lot over the years. Mama was the best cook I have ever known, and my opinion on that has not changed.
I lost my mama two weeks ago. We knew the time was nearing, but nothing ever really prepares you for the loss of a parent. Especially the last parent. When I lost my dad almost 19 years ago, it was the worse hurt I had ever felt. However, I still had mama. Now, a grown woman with a house of my own, grown children, and even a grandchild, I can’t wrap my head around never going “home” again.
After the days of holding mama’s hand and caring for her, after the plans were made and the funeral was over, and after we packed up and got ready to head home, I sat on her couch alone in the living room. I had been in there so many times with her, and it finally hit me that I would never make the drive home again with her waiting on me to get there. I would not make the drive back to my house, trying to remember to call her to let her know I made it safely home. Losing my mama was not the saddest day of my life. But, that day, on her couch, realizing that my life would never be the same, was the saddest day of my life.
I was so blessed to have her! We spoke daily, sometimes several times a day. Mama was my biggest cheerleader. She loved me when nobody else did. I will miss all of that much more than I ever imagined.
I write this today from mama’s kitchen table. My brother and I have been tackling some dreaded tasks. I made this recipe for the first time today. Mama made this often over the years. So, it was fitting; I made it in her kitchen. Mama always served this warm with vanilla ice cream, and that’s exactly how we had it today.
Mama's Apple Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- CRUST:
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup shortening
- pinch salt
- 2 cups sifted all purpose flour
- 5 peeled and sliced apples mama always used greenish Golden Delicious;
Instructions
- Mix together sugar, water, cornstarch and vanilla in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool.
- Mix together oatmeal, brown sugar, shortening, salt, flour and cinnamon. Reserve about 1 - 1 1/2 cups and set aside.
- Press remaining oat mixture in bottom and up sides of a 9 x 13-inch dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the apples, evenly, to the crust.
- Pour the sugar/water mixture evenly over the apples.
- Sprinkle with reserved oatmeal mixture.
- Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hours. Cover with foil if it starts to get too brown.
