From Our Table: Our community

By Joanne Smith on July 30, 2019.

I hope you are all continuing to enjoy our beautiful summer weather. My son Levi was home for a visit from Edmonton last week. They have had a lot of rain there and he was so happy to come down to our land of sunshine and warmth. He spent as much time as possible outside collecting his vitamin D.

I’ve mentioned many times how much I enjoy our community. The weather is great and the people in the community are even greater. I didn’t grow up in Medicine Hat but many of my friends did. It always astounds me how many people were raised here, went away for a few years to school, to travel or work but then came back to their hometown to raise their families. That to me says a lot about the community. And I do agree it is a wonderful place to raise a family.

One of the first families we met when we moved to Medicine Hat was the Taylor family. They were very kind to us and Lorne, a previous MLA that many of you will remember, and Lyle were very positive mentors in my husband Kent’s starting business and his life. Our children were also extremely fortunate to grow up learning to swim in Lorne and Lois’ private swimming pool which they graciously let us use whenever we wanted. It was wonderful!

Recently our community lost an amazing matriarch, Agnes Taylor. She was Lorne’s, Lyle’s and their sister Linda’s mother. She was also the grandmother of nine amazing women, many of who are now valuable members of our community. Mrs. Taylor was one of the classiest women I’ve ever seen. She was always extremely well put together with her hair and make-up done beautifully, dressy outfits paired with her favorite jewellery. Even at 97 in Chinook she always looked so well put together. She was an amazing lady.

I’m not sure if many of you will remember but I’ve actually used quite a few of Mrs. Taylor’s recipes in my column over the years. You see she was a great cook and an even better baker. Her home was often full of people and of course a bottomless cookie jar.

To honour this wonderful woman’s legacy, who was key part of our community and leaves a lasting legacy of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, I’d like to share a couple of her recipes. They are taken from one of my all time favourite cookbooks. Appropriately it is from our community, “Treasured Recipes – Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of First Assembly of God.” Agnes and her husband Jim were one of the founding members of the church and did many positive things for our community through it.

Thanks for all the recipes, Mrs. Taylor.

Joanne Smith is a registered dietitian.

Gingersnaps by Agnes Taylor

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup margarine

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups flour

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

Mix all together and roll into walnut-sized balls. Roll in white sugar and put on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F until flat and slightly cracked on top.

Peach Dessert by Agnes Taylor

1-2 layer size white cake mix

1/2 cup toasted coconut

1/2 cup butter or Parkay margarine

Combine cake mix, coconut and butter to form crumbs. Press lightly in 9×13 inch pan. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes.

1 large can peaches

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup Dairy sour cream

1 egg slightly beaten

Arrange peach slices over crust. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over peaches. Blend sour cream and egg; pour over all. Bake at 350 F until set (about 10 minutes). Serve with soft ice cream.

**Sometimes it takes more peaches to cover crust.

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