Always keep a box of Bisquick in your kitchen. That was the advice my Grandmother Ross gave me as she prepared dinner one day. I don’t remember what she was making, but I remember this suggestion. This morning, I was running short of ideas when I spied a box of Bisquick. I gathered up some basic staples and whipped up some cheddar biscuits and a coffee cake. I thought of Nana as I baked. Ruth Brown Ross wasn’t a gourmet cook; I’d describe her as more of a Depression Era cook. She made delicious apple pies, stuffed peppers, ham and bean soup, meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, vegetable soup, and chili. The good stuff. In 1937, she married Vance Ross of Clarksville, Pa. when she was very young. At the time, she knew how to cook one thing: scalloped potatoes with some onions and a slice of ham on top. Her young husband grew weary of potatoes and ham, so he rolled up his sleeves and taught her how to make an apple pie. After that, she made it all the time. If you want to make the Bisquick bi
Family Stories from Southwestern Pennsylvania & Ohio