Well, I was pretty sure I knew, at least from what I could remember, that she was a relative on my Mom’s side, but recently I received a cool confirmation while attending the Memorial Service for my last, living relative from my Mom’s era, my dear Aunt Vera who passed away at over 96 years old.
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| My Aunt Vera with my brother Rick and I |
Most of my family knew I had begun “legal” production of Sadie’s Dressing during this past year, thanks to the amazing PA Department of Agriculture. So it was probably no surprise when I brought two cases to the dinner held after the Memorial Service as gifts for most of my family. The discussion began and soon my cousin’s daughter chimed in that she had heard the story of who Sadie was, directly from my mom, Katie. In fact, she didn’t know Sadie’s was called Sadie’s, she only knew it as Aunt Katie’s!
Are you confused yet?
Anyway, the story goes that Sadie was my grandmother Sara’s mother, so she would have been my Great Grandmother and her name was Sadie. Word has it that she was quite the cook, and if she was anything like my grandmother, wahoo!
My brother Rick and I would walk home from school everyday and wait at my Nanny, Sara’s home, until my mom could pick us up after work and take us home. It was not uncommon to walk into her house and find clothes lines strung everywhere with home made egg noodles drying on the lines from her all-day egg noodle production. Her egg noodles were to die for, as was her delicious Chicken Corn Soup with rivels that I try hard to duplicate! Yum!
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| Nanny, my cousin Jeff, myself, Pappy, and Rick |
It was also not uncommon to ‘assist’ as she chopped the head off of a chicken in the back yard. Those were the days. And if you’ve seen the movie Leap Year, you may have witnessed Matthew Goode doing the same to a chicken, with his bare hands, as Amy Adams character freaks out. Later in the movie when Matthew asks, “Where did you think chickens came from?”, her reply was hilariously, “from the freezer section.”
For sure, those where the days...
When I first realised that Sadie’s Dressing had its own following in my Mom’s church back in Yeagertown, Pennsylvania, and it actually dawned on me that there was a dressing besides Ranch, (this is for you, Rick!), I stood up and took notice. And when I finally asked Mom for the recipe so that I could make it here in Shippensburg, it became legendary!
Everyone whom I had the occasion to serve Sadie’s to, begged for more. Then begged for the recipe. Like I said, it was in demand. During a church event, one of the ministers challenged me to produce it, and I was inspired. But after attending a seminar on home businesses etc., I dropped the ball. For every other thing I had my fingers in at the time, I couldn’t see any possible way that I could do what needed done to make it happen, it seemed too big of a task. Plus, one of the instructors at the seminar told us that the preliminary test to be able to produce it could cost up to $900.00. Holy cow! At that time, that sounded like a million, and I immediately put my vision, hope and dream on the shelf and pushed it way to the back!
Fast forward to the inception of the Cumberland Shop. I was doing a lot of dreaming and it didn’t take long for me to reach back up on that shelf and drag that Sadie’s dream off and begin to investigate. Our churches representative from the Dept. of Ag literally walked me thru the process, (Thank you, Channing!) I got all the paperwork filled out and submitted and next I had to take Sadie’s to a recognized laboratory. The final PH test would verify that Sadie’s could be sealed without heat, and sit on a grocery shelf, until opened, without refrigeration! I had my credit card ready, come heaven or high water and no matter what it cost, I was getting this test done. I filled out some forms, handed the clerk the Sadie’s and he said, “That will be 9 dollars!!!!!!!!!!” That’s a far cry from 900!!!!! I looked at my friend and we both laughed. She had been at the seminar with me and heard them say the 900 dollar price tag for the test. What a riot!
I know my steps are ordered by the Lord, so I rest in the fact that His timing is best for every step I take. No worries. Even for Sadie’s production!
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| A dream come true...some of the first bottles of Sadie's produced & ready to share with the world! |
It’s hard to describe the taste. It’s sweet and sour with a mini-zing, and it is delicious and can be used on way more than salad. I have a friend who told me the lettuce in her fridge is jealous because she uses it on so much other stuff! LOL!
I invite you to join the Sadie’s Fan Club. It’s growing and growing....
So, I make Sadie’s because it’s delicious, but I make Sadie’s because I inherited this recipe, and I hope it lives on for many generations and I want to keep sharing about it as long as I can. Now you know who Sadie is; she’s my Great Grandmother, and I’m hoping to make her famous. - Nancy A. Hudson, Owner of Katie’s Creations, producer of Sadie’s Dressing, President of The Cumberland Shop.
