Ms. Shirley Granger was born in Hungerford, Texas in the 1930s. She and her siblings grew up in a strongly religious household where family values shaped her many experiences with cooking and family interaction. As a child, she and her sister Marva lived for two years with an aunt in Los Angeles. Upon their return to Wharton County, the girls had to readjust to Texas schooling which did not offer as many opportunities as the school they attended in Los Angeles. Ms. Granger, always interested in art, pursued her education first at Wharton Junior College, then later at Texas Southern University. Her first teaching job was in Port Arthur, Texas where she lived for twelve years. She later moved to Houston where she was taught at Fonwood Elementary School for a substantial amount of time. Throughout Ms. Granger’s life cooking played an integral part. In this interview, she discusses some of her favorite dishes including jelly cakes, tea cakes and sweet potato pies.