World Baking Day

While the rest of her tow-headed siblings and cousins were following around the farmers, you could find Shannon in the Farmhouse.  And more specifically, you could find her in the kitchen with her Grandmother.

Generation 7 know her as Grandma, but you might know her as Marjorie Shipman Barstow.  Grandma baked for therapy and cooked for love.  The farmers made the Farmhouse a regular stop for a slice of pie.  The grandchildren buzzed around the kitchen hoping to be offered a chocolate chip cookie.

Grandma kept a diary of her life beginning at age 13.  The entries recount her daily routines, doing the wash, mopping the floors, visiting with family, baking cookies, pies, or cakes.  In October of 1994 she notes that she’s made 10,000 cookies so far – just in that year.

Shannon acted as sous chef and eager student.  Grandma rarely had her recipes written down, so Shannon paid special attention to ingredients and methods.

As a teen, Grandma invited Shannon up to learn her apple pie recipe.  She encouraged her granddaughter to enter the pie into the 3 County Fair.

Shannon won the blue ribbon at the fair with her grandmother’s apple pie recipe.

Grandma was thrilled!

Today, Shannon continues to prepare Grandma Barstow’s chocolate chip cookies, apple pies, and other family recipes at Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery.

Marjorie Shipman Barstow passed away in March 2017, but her love and legacy lives on in Shannon’s kitchen.  And we finally got those recipes down on paper to live on for generations to come!