Katrina I am so happy you mentioned your Grandmother Louise, and mentioned this blog.  You are inspiring me to keep going with this project.

Here is a picture of Sue (Sack) Ernst, and Louise (McCormick) Trask in the front yard of the Sack family home at 3702 Tennyson.  The picture was taken around 1932 it looks like Sue is around 5 or 6 years old and Louise would have been a year younger. 

Sue remembers that both Hugh and Louise spent a lot of time at Granddad and Grandma Sack's house when they were growing up.  You can see Elitch's and the old Wild Cat Roller Coaster in the back ground.  Did you know that Granddad (John) Sack helped build the Wild Cat, and that Elitch's owned  the house on Tennyson?  

 

This is how I remember my Grandma, with her ever present cigarette.

Grandma Piper's Tamale Pie

* The first time I published this post, I made a couple big errors in this recipe. Focus and attention to detail are not two of my strong points! 

Birthday celebrations were always important in our home, and every year my Grandma Piper would ask us what special dish we would like to have for our birthday dinner. I always picked the same dinner every year, my grandma's "Tamale Pie". She would prepare the dish early in the day and the heavenly aroma of the onion and garlic sautéing in butter would drift though the house, and soon I would be counting the minutes until dinner time. Today, this is still one of my favorite dishes, and always brings memories of Grandma Piper right into my kitchen.

Grandma Piper's "Tamale Pie"
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic
1 can diced tomatoes (12 oz)
1 can niblet corn drained
2 cans pitted black olives
1 package chili seasoning (I'm a wimp so I only use 1/2 package)
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup milk
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 to 2 lbs ground beef browned and drained
1 tsp. salt

In a large pot sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and
translucent; add ground beef and continue cooking until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomatoes, corn, and 2 cups of water; bring to a boil.
Slowly stir in corn meal, milk, eggs, olives and chili seasoning and salt; mix well and
simmer for 15 min. while stiring occasionally. Pour mixture into 2 oven proof
casserole dishes and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
optional: remove from oven and top with 1 cup grated cheddar cheese.