Nimkique’s Fry Bread

Happy Thursday my loves! If you’re a daily reader of my blog, you totally know what’s coming today! One of my family recipes!

Last Thursday, my dad and I spent the whole day cooking, taking pictures so I could share a few new recipes with all of you.  One of the many things we made that day was my Great Grandma’s fry bread.

You may or may not know this about me, but my family is Native American. Let me get a few questions out of the way right off the bat… No. I’m not a tribal member. No. I did not get my college paid for. And No. I don’t dance at pow wows. Yes. I do have a great appreciation for nature. Yes. I do love the customs and traditions of my ancestors. And Yes. I do truly believe there is no better way to eat a taco than with freshly made fry bread.

My Great Great Grandpa, Alex Sams. 

Another thing you might know if you’ve been here awhile, is that last February, my family lost one of its most spirited, feisty, funny monarchs. My Great Grandma Jean was the kind of lady who didn’t take sh*t from anyone. She was fiercely loyal, and would do anything for those she loved the most. She would tell you exactly what she was thinking while munching on crackers and bar cheese. And she always had the wittiest comeback waiting while playing cards around the kitchen table.

My Great Grandma Jean and I, Christmas 2016. 

My Great Grandma grew up in a place called Indian Village. They were very poor, and lived in a small shack with dirt floors. They made their own clothes, grew their own food, hunted, and bartered for other goods. She was a loud and boisterous child. And that my friends, earned her the name Nimkique. Nimkique (pronounced Nim-Key-Quay) is Ojibway for Thunder Woman.

My Grandpa and Granny Sams with their sweet little babies. My Great Grandma Jean is the twin on the right 🙂 

In the last year of her life, she moved in with my Grandma and Grandpa, and we are so thankful for that. We got to spend so much time with her that we normally wouldn’t have. She told us stories, made us laugh until our stomachs hurt, and she always reminded us that no matter how bad things might seem, your family will always be there to pull you up. 

Saying goodbye to someone is never easy. But their legacies live on forever. While my Grandma might not be here anymore, we still have her memories, her treasures, and her recipes. So today… I’m going to share one of her very special recipe’s with you. (PS- I know that if she was still here today, she would be absolutely TICKLED that she was the star of my blog post!)

In our family, we love Fry Bread! It’s only a few ingredients, it’s simple to make, and it’s always delicious no matter how you eat it. (We’ll get to that later!)

What You’ll Need…
4 Cups Flour (plus a little extra for your hands)
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Powdered Milk
1 1/2 Cups Warm Water
1 Cup Shortening (We use Crisco)

Directions

1. Start by combing flour, baking powder, salt and powdered milk in a bowl. Mix well.
2. Mix in warm water to form dough.
3. Cover your hands with extra flour, and knead the dough by hand until soft, but not sticky.
4. Cover your dough with a cloth and let stand for 15 minutes.
5. Shape dough into balls, then flatten by patting and stretching.
6. melt shortening in a cast iron skillet. When hot, add 1 disk of dough.
7. Fry on one side until golden brown, then flip, and continue frying until golden brown all over.

We always set them on a plate to cool. And that’s it! So simple right? And I promise you… it’s so delicious! Now, fry bread is great no matter how you eat it. But we like to use it as a base for some seriously amazing eats.

Fry Bread Tacos are BY FAR the best way to eat fry bread. Use your piece of bread as a taco shell, and load it up with all your favorite ingredients. And be prepared to never want to eat a taco any other way, ever again. Disclaimer… you won’t be able to fold it up like a normal taco. I usually eat it with a fork

Dessert Fry Bread is my Mom’s favorite way to eat fry bread. It honestly tastes like an elephant ear from the Carnival! All you have to do is top your warm fry bread with butter, cinnamon, and sugar!

Sweet Fry Bread. Butter + Fresh Maple Syrup + Fry Bread = Almost better than a pancake.

Pigs in Fry Bread… think Pigs in a Blanket on ‘roids. Wrap your hot dogs (or lil’ smokies) in fry bread dough, and fry it up. You’ll be obsessed!

Ugh. Now I’m craving some fry bread… maybe I can convince Trev it’s super healthy for us? HAHA

I hope you all have a super wonderful weekend! I can’t wait to sit around and just relax with my boys.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to watch last week’s SNL. I hear one of my celeb crushes is the musical guest!

Xx.
Savannah