Being a young mother during the Great Depression, she had to make do with resources close at hand. Foods like doughnuts and pies require shortening but my grandmother used lard. Have you ever tasted lard? Sure, try a spoonful! I'd recommend against trying it plain, but my oh my did it ever elevate the flavor of those doughnuts to blissful deliciousness! They weren't fancied up with any glaze; they were simple and plain. And delicious, in case you missed that fact.
Being a child of nine or ten years old, I wasn't cognizant of how many were made. I just knew they either popped into my mouth or into a clear plastic freezer bag for later consumption. Later?? But..baked goods are so much better in the NOW. Nevertheless the filled bags were stored in the old chest freezer in the kitchen cellar. The farmhouse was old and upon opening the cellar door, the air reminded of that fact. It wasn't unpleasant but rather a comfortable, homey scent. The wooden stairs were wellworn and shiny with use--to the point where the edges were rounded. I was usually accompanied by one of the current cats..one I recall the most was named Smoky because of his gray coat.