So my fondest memories of Beach Nan were of her baking or giving cooking advice.
I always looked forward to her banana cakes with lemon icing. She told me she made them from scratch. How impressive is that! However she had a dark side too, one day while rifling through her pantry I found a plain home brand cake mix. I asked her what it was for, and she said that she used it for the banana cakes. I was shocked and reminded her that she had told me she made them from scratch. To which she replied, “I am too old to go to all of that trouble, and you never knew the difference!”.
When Casey and I purchased the Bed & Breakfast I let her know I was going to be making scones. She informed me the secret to good scones is, “not mucking around with the dough, just mix it and get them in the oven”. It was sage advice, every morning for the past three years I have made scones using Beach Nan’s advice. They turn out so well that repeat guests ask whether I will be making them.
A few years ago when she was at Sandringham Gardens, I visited and she pointed out my slightly portly waistline. Her advice was to do leg lifts every morning, which at that point she still did. She explained that was how she stayed in such great shape.
So basically Beach Nan taught me how to be a better cook with advice on how to keep a great figure while eating all that good food. Well I am still portly, so I suppose I better start taking her advice.