- Have y'all ever made a promise
to one of your grandchildren
and you find yourself just all
the time forgetting about it?
(Paula laughing)
- Uh.
- Have you ever done that,
have you ever forgotten to make a promise
that you made to your grandchildren?
- I don't have grandchildren.
- Oh you don't?
(Paula laughing)
Y'all, this is John Reed.
John, now I have to figure
out which number you are
in the birth chain.
Okay--
- Mom--
- Jack, Maddie,
Sully?
- Yes.
- Was Sully next?
Or Henry?
No, Henry was next.
And then Sully, and then you.
- Bennett.
- Bennett--
- [Man] He should be number five.
- (laughs) I think he's
number five, y'all.
For a while I thought I was
never gonna have grandchildren
and all of a sudden they
started spitting 'em out,
like, "(laughs) When
are y'all gonna stop?"
So we're up to number 11 now.
So you're right in the middle
of the 11 grandchildren.
- Mm-hmm.
- Mm-hmm.
And this is Michelle's youngest son.
And he was going through my recipe drawer
where I just keep random recipes,
and he said, "What is this, Guinea?"
and I said, "Oh, John,
"it's a soda that somebody
from Texas sent to me,
"and they sent a recipe along with it,"
and this has been, really,
a good, long while ago.
And I said, "I don't
know where the recipe is,
"it would take me an hour to
dig it outta that drawer,"
so I just went on my computer
and I found us a recipe
for the Big Red Texas cake.
So, we're gonna take this Big Red,
and we're gonna make that cake,
as I promised you one
day that we would, right?
- Mm-hmm.
- And I'm keeping my promise (laughs).
Okay, so this is,
he just got through whipping
up some heavy cream.
We beat up like a cup with
a fourth of a cup of sugar,
'cause we like our fresh cream sweet.
So we gonna sit that to the side.
Now, John, what I need for you to do,
and I'll do a few just to show you,
we are gonna just poke holes in it.
- That's weird, but okay.
- Okay, you got it (laughs)?
You'll be good at poking holes,
and you don't have to rush.
You know, you can take your time.
They also call this cake
a poke cake in Texas.
And I've got some poke cake recipes, but,
okay, well what are we
gonna do about the rest?
We've got to get all the way around it,
until we meet in the middle.
Do you wanna take over doing this?
You see what I'm sayin'?
We gonna do the whole cake,
We gonna poke the whole cake,
because we got some good
stuff to go in there.
- Did it.
- You did it?
You durn sure did it.
You durn sure did it, boy.
All right, there's you a crumb--
- Yeah!
- And me a crumb.
(John laughing)
Your crumb fell.
(Paula laughing)
- That's yummy.
- That is so yummy.
All right, so, I had to,
because I didn't have time
to take everything
outta that drawer of junk.
- This is just
making me hungry.
- It's making you hungry?
(John laughing)
Well we're gonna
eat very soon.
All right, so now it tells us
to boil one cup of water
for the strawberry Jell-O--
- Okay.
- Allow to dissolve, and
then take it off the heat,
then add one can of Big Red soda
with the Jell-O.
All right, so we gonna
bring this to a boil.
(oven knob clicking)
And we're gonna open our Jell-O.
And we're gonna pour that in,
and we're gonna stir
that until it dissolves.
(package rattling)
But I just want,
wait, wait, wait.
Wait, wait, wait just one second,
it's not boiling yet.
- Is this powder?
- It's powder.
Yeah, so it'll go everywhere,
so how about if I get it started for ya?
But the water's got to boil--
(package ripping)
(laughs) You scare me.
Okay, the water's got to boil.
All right, let's see
which spoon we wanna--
- I made Jell-O with my mom before.
- What does that say?
- Michelle.
- No, it says Michael!
- Michael?
- That's your Poppa's spoon (laughs).
Somebody--
- Who's Bobby?
- Your Uncle Bobby!
- Oh!
(Paula laughing)
- And what does that one say?
- Paula.
- That's me.
- Wait this is, I think, oh.
- Yep, that's Poppa's.
- But Bobby's my uncle.
- Uh-huh.
- Why is your kid on that--
- Uncle Jamie is missing.
I was on a show one time
and for a gift they
gave me a set of spoons,
a set of four.
(Paula laughing)
- So do I pour it whenever it's done?
- It's not boiling yet.
We got to make sure that
it's at a full boil,
because we want this to dissolve nicely.
And if it's not boiling,
it might not be able to
dissolve that Jell-O--
- Mm-hmm.
- Like it should.
- It's steaming.
- If we touched it, it'd burn us,
but, okay, now you see
it starting to boil?
- It'd burn our skin off?
- Starting to boil,
oo, it'd pull our skin
straight off of us--
- I know.
- And I would cry.
- 'Course!
Even my dad would cry!
- (laughs) Even your dad would cry?
- (laughs) Yes!
- I bet he would!
Okay, I'm gonna cut that off.
So you just pour your Jell-O
into there.
- Wow, it looks cool.
- Doesn't that look cool?
- Yes.
- I bet it looks like that
Big Red soda's gonna look
when we open it.
- What if
the camera just got dropped in?
- Huh?
- What if the camera
accidentally just got dropped in?
- Our phone?
- Yes.
- Oh, we'd cry.
(people laughing)
We'd cry about that, too.
Okay, so stir on that a little bit,
and I'm gonna get us a ladle.
- Wait, this feels so hot on my hand,
but it's not gonna be--
- Just don't,
just be careful, I don't want
you to sling it on yourself.
(spoon clanking)
All right, do you want to
open the can of Big Red?
- Yes.
- I didn't turn that off!
Okay, well there you go.
I'm gonna, don't touch that, now,
because it's hot, okay?
- Of course it's hot.
- Of course it's hot (laughs)!
(soda can spewing)
(John exclaiming)
Ah!
- Oh.
- [Paula] Yay!
That's all right, that's all right.
- Do I pour it in?
- [Paula] Pour it in!
(drink sloshing)
- It looks even cooler.
(Paula laughing)
- [Paula] That kinda looks
like magic, doesn't it?
- (laughs) It does.
(Paula laughing)
- [Paula] You wanna save
yourself a little sip
and see if you think you gonna like it?
- Mm!
- [Paula] Is it good?
- Mm-hmm.
- All right, well, look,
look what you left for me to step in.
(Paula laughing)
(John laughing)
All right stand right there
and I'm gonna get you a paper towel, okay?
- All right.
(can clanging)
- And if you would get
that up for Guinea, please.
(John humming)
Oh, you learned the lazy man's way!
(John laughing)
(Paula laughing)
- [John] That's how my mom does it.
- That's how I do it too (laughs), John!
(John patting)
All right so, John,
thank you, baby.
So, it says now,
"Boil one cup of water for
the strawberry Jell-O,"
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
"Add one can of Big Red coke.
"Pour this mixture into the
cake evenly with a ladle."
okay?
- Mm-hmm.
- And see, that's why we
poked the holes in it,
so that
all this stuff can get all in there.
- Oo!
- So you just wanna take your ladle--
- That looks cool!
- Doesn't it look cool?
- How cool will it get?
- It's gonna get so much
more cooler (laughs).
(John laughing)
- Wow.
- Okay, there you go.
(ladle scrapping)
Here you go, and try to evenly do it,
you know, not just in one spot.
(ladle clanking)
- Oh my gosh.
- Okay, now go around the edges.
(ladle clanking)
And these edges over here, too.
- It dripped.
- Uh-huh, a little drip, a little drip.
(laughs) Oh gosh, this
is gonna be so good!
- Yeah!
- It's gonna be wet.
It's gonna be so moist.
Yes!
All right, you know what,
I think I might need to
stir this a little bit more.
(ladle clanking)
Let me stir it just a
little bit more, John.
You know Guinea's eyes
are gettin' so bad!
(John sniffing)
- I actually smelled my way into the cake
until I found the cake.
(Paula laughing)
- All right now, pour
some on this edge, baby.
And down there.
(ladle clanking)
Yeah.
(whispers) And all down there.
See where it's still kind of brown?
(ladle clanking)
(Paula laughing)
- Is that all of the holes?
- That's all the holes!
(ladle clanking)
- So we just dump the rest?
- All right, yeah, do
more down on that end,
I think this end has gotten more than--
- (hums) All right, is that it?
- Okay, can I help you just one second,
'cause you're gettin' low.
(ladle scraping)
(pot clanking)
Okay, here you go.
(liquid splashing)
That's the last of it.
I'm gonna come over here
and just do right along that edge, okay?
- Mm-kay.
- Where maybe we didn't get some.
(pot and ladle clanking)
- Hmm, now I don't know if it's--
- All right, we still got another step.
- It looks yummy.
(Paula laughing)
- Okay, so we are ready to
put the icing on the cake.
- Mm-kay.
- Okay?
Now if you'll hold that over that bowl--
- Is that Jell-O?
- It's a Jell-O pudding,
it's a instant Jell-O pudding.
(paper ripping)
- I might like this (laughs).
- Well, you got to go down,
see where that line is right there?
- Yeah.
- You have to tear below that.
(package ripping)
(John exclaiming)
There you go (laughs),
did you get some up your nose?
- Mm-hmm.
- All right,
now we're gonna add--
- Do you use this?
- No baby, we're gonna use this.
- Okay.
- All right, we're gonna
add two cups of cold milk.
(milk sloshing)
- It looks yellow.
- Uh-huh, it does.
- And it smells good.
- Doesn't it smell good?
All right, now you take your mixer.
- Mm, and do it--
(mixer whirring)
- And we're gonna
just mix that up real good.
And it doesn't take instant
pudding long to set up, John,
it sets up real quick.
(mixer whirring)
Alright, are you tall enough that your arm
will kinda stand up in it (laughs)?
There you go, that's good.
- Hey I just got it
on my face.
- I know it,
huh?
- Just got on my face.
- It got on your face (laughs)?
Is it still gettin' on your face?
I feel it!
It's gettin' on my hand,
let me cut it down a little bit.
(mixer clacking)
- I think it's still on my face.
- (laughs) Oh, that's all right,
'cause that's where it's going.
Okay.
(John exclaiming)
Let's see if that's enough,
your arm's give out, isn't it?
- Stuff's going everywhere.
- That should be good enough,
I know, I could feel it when
I had my hand over your face.
(laughs) I could feel it
hittin' my hands (laughs).
(beaters clanging)
All right,
so what we gonna do next,
as soon as this,
would you like to go sit
that in the sink, baby?
- Yes.
- Right over there,
and we'll walk right over--
- Wow, it is
- freezing cold.
- Okay.
It's freezing cold?
- Freezing!
- So it'll just take a
couple of minutes for this to
(spoon clanking)
set up.
(John banging)
And then--
Oh, thank you, John, you--
(water splashing)
That's great,
you're rinsing the milk out of it.
Good boy!
So, John--
- Yes?
- We are gonna
take our whipped cream,
remember you making
the fresh whipped cream
with the sugar in it?
- Yes.
- When this sets up just a minute,
we are gonna fold in our
whip cream into our pudding,
and then we're gonna pour
that all on top of that cake.
And you know what the hardest
part of this is gonna be?
- What?
Eating it?
'Cause I love eating it.
- No,
that's gonna be easy.
(John laughing)
The hard part is gonna
be waiting the six hours
that it (laughs) has to sit!
- Mm-hmm.
- Can you do that?
- Yes!
- (laughs) Well we don't,
we might can fudge on that.
You know, and make it--
- Well it looks good!
- It does look delicious,
and I think it'll be worth the wait.
What are you doing?
(Paula laughing)
- Well, I just
kinda like doing that.
- Tell everybody what grade you're in.
- First grade.
- First grade.
And you go to--
- I'm seven.
- You're seven.
And where do you go to school?
Tell everybody where you go to school.
- Saint Andrew's.
- Saint Andrew's, it's a
great school, isn't it?
- Mm-hmm.
- Yes ma'am.
- Yes ma'am.
- (laughs) You're a sweet boy!
All right, see?
You see it's getting thick, John?
- Yes.
Looks like eggs.
- It does look like eggs, doesn't it?
- Mm-hmm.
- Well why don't you dab a
piece of that on your finger
and see if it tastes like eggs.
- Tastes good.
- Doesn't taste like eggs, does it?
- Tastes nothing like eggs.
(John smacking)
- (laughs) But it's good.
All right, you think that's stiff enough
or you think we ought to wait?
- I think that's stiff enough.
- Oh, you do?
Well, I think--
- 'Cause it's good enough.
- I think we ought to wait
just a couple of more minutes.
- Okay, then that's gonna be--
- Okay.
- A couple minutes
into two hours.
- It'll fly by,
it'll go by like that (snaps).
Two minutes.
- All right, two seconds.
- (laughs) Two minutes.
- 'Kay?
- The hardest part is
going to be doing nothing.
- (laughs) Oh, you know what?
I think you'll find something to do.
- Mm-hmm.
- Mm-hmm.
What do you think you'll do
while we're waiting?
- I don't know.
- You have a pretty good idea, right?
- How do I have a good idea
when I didn't even have an idea yet?
(Paula laughing)
(woman laughing)
- Because I feel like
you'll think of a good idea.
- Huh, still makes no sense.
- [Paula] It makes no sense?
- Yes.
- A lot of things in life
don't make any sense,
sonny boy (laughs).
(bowl clanging)
All right, here we go.
Now, John, look at me,
we are gonna fold these
two things together,
and I don't mean just get in there
and do 'em like that, I mean fold.
So you bring your rubber
spatula down and over,
down and over,
and down and over,
just like that,
and that's called folding.
- That's hard for me to
fold when I normally fold--
- It's hard for you to fold?
- I fold clothes, not like that.
- Oh (laughs)!
(people laughing)
Well, thank goodness we're
not having to fold clothes
right this minute.
- Yeah.
My legs hurt from standing a lot.
- Your legs, wait, wait, wait, wait!
Say that again!
- My legs hurt from the standing.
- Are you already tired of workin'?
- Uh-uh.
(Paula laughing)
(woman laughing)
My legs are tired of working.
- You know what?
- 'Cause my legs walk every day.
- When your Guinea started
in the restaurant business,
I thought my legs were gonna quit on me,
'cause I usually, an average
workday was 16 hours.
And oo, my golly!
That will tear your legs up!
But as you get older, your
legs will get stronger.
- I thought when you get
older, your legs get tireder.
- Well (laughs),
(people laughing)
well, when you get a certain point, yes.
Yes.
- So you're basically saying
it's kind of, like a middle?
- Yeah, yeah.
Like when you're 30, oo, you're so strong!
And then 40 comes along and
you're still very strong.
- Hey, that rhymed.
- And then 50 comes along
and then you think, "Hmm."
And then 60 comes along and you think,
"Ouch, I'm gonna have to
stay in the bed today."
(people laughing)
And then 70 comes along,
and (laughs) you think you might
need to just wear a hospital
gown all the time (laughs).
- When you're at 80 you have gray hair.
- Yes, when you're 80 you have gray hair.
And look at Great-Great.
- Hmm?
- Great-Great is fixing to be,
next Thursday, she'll be 91 years old.
- Whoa!
- And, what you think
that might feel like?
- I don't,
tiring?
- Tiring?
(people laughing)
Well Great-Great is very, very strong,
but she is having some
problems with her back
and her legs, now.
Because things like that
just happen with age.
Okay, John, run your
finger over that, son,
and see what you think.
- Mm!
(Paula laughing)
(smacks) Ah!
(Paula laughing)
Even though I don't like,
what is it called?
(person exclaiming)
- I don't know!
(woman explaining)
Pudding?
- [Woman] Cake!
- [John] What's it called?
- Cake?
- [Woman] Cake.
(person laughing)
- Even though
I don't like cake,
this cake is actually pretty good.
- When did you quit liking cake?!
Because every time you come to my house--
- That's because you bake really good.
- Oh (laughs)!
- [Henry] You stopped
liking it three years ago.
- And you're famous,
how good your stuff is.
- I'm famous 'cause it's so good?
- Yes!
(Paula laughing)
- Well, you're gonna love this cake,
you and Henry
are gonna eat this up!
Look at that.
All right, you wanna get this last
(spatula banging)
part out?
- Sure.
- Of the bowl?
Okay, there you go.
- It looks like that's enough.
- Okay, there you go,
you wanna put this last bit on?
- Mm-hmm!
- Okay.
And just spread it into the cake.
- That was easy.
- (whispers) Yes!
- What is this part for?
- What part, baby?
- This part.
- This part?
It's to do like this with,
just make sure your icing
is good and spread out.
And then I'm gonna go like that
and get all of the goody off of it,
and make sure it gets on our cake.
Now you know what?
- What?
- I've gotta,
would you like that?
- Mm-hmm.
(Paula laughing)
Mm!
- Here, I think I might can
get you a little bit more.
You know what, John?
- What?
- I am so glad that you reminded me--
- Mm!
- That I had promised to
make this cake (laughs)--
- Mm.
- With you.
'Cause I've had so much fun.
(hands clapping)
Will you come back to
see me and cook again?
- [John] Mm-hmm!
- [Paula] Well, I love ya!
- [John] I love you, too.
- And I thank you.
So, we're gonna put your cake,
your Big Texas
Red--
- Yummy Coke cake.
- Huh?
- Yummy cake.
- Yes (laughs).
Your Big Red Texas cake.
- Hey, big--
- I love the people of Texas,
I love Texas folks.
- Big Texas yummy.
- Tell us the verdict!
- Well, this is the cake.
- Mm-hmm!
- When only cheating.
- [Paula] (laughs) Oh, you talking about
the hours that it was supposed to sit?
- [John] Yes.
- Well, I wanna know what it tastes like.
How do you like it?
- It's so good!
- Well would you share
it with your brother?
- Mm-hmm!
- [Paula] Yay, Henry (laughs).
Okay.
John's a sharer!
- He shared with me.
(water splashing)
- Your brother's a sharer,
isn't that good?
- And I'm a sharer,
I shared my (indistinct) with him.
- Yes you are a sharer.
- I want, is there any
strawberries that I can put on it?
- Yeah!
Right here, I'll take one of these off.
How about that?
- Sounds a lot better with strawberries.
- This is a pretty cake, y'all.
- It tastes like strawberries.
- It does, doesn't it?
- Mm-hmm!
- Maybe the strawberry--
- Look, see how pretty it is?
- Maybe the strawberry juice
(laughs) soaked into it.
- I know it, and look at
that, that's just pure wet.
My kinda cake (laughs)!
- I'm looking for water.
- All right, there you go, big Hen.
- That's perfect.
- Can I get some (indistinct)?
- Wait, let me get
your strawberry!
- Mom!
- I can't get it out!
- [John] Mom?
- That's the one John pressed down in it,
(laughs) he didn't wanna come out.
There you go!
My favorite job (laughs).
