More Goodies

Grandma Valentine raised 8 children, 4 girls and then 4 boys. I don't know when the picture above was taken but it shows Dad with all four of his sisters and his brother Tom. The inset is Uncle Bill who died a few years earlier. His other brother, Uncle Burr, died in World War II. From left to right they are Uncle Tom (Richard Thomas, Aunt Viola, Aunt Helen, Aunt Bonnie, Aunt Tress, Dad. I always thought it was interesting that Grandma's four sons had the same names as Eleanor of Aquitaine's sons --- William, Henry, Richard and John. All she was missing was Geoffrey...

Grandma Valentine’s Applesauce Fruit Cake
By itself this is a delicious, moist cake but it is also the base for the most wonderful fruitcakes. My mother never liked fruitcake until she tasted the fruitcakes that Grandma Valentine made from this recipe. It is best to make them in September and then soak a teatowel in rum and brandy, wrap the cake in it and place in a sealed tin. Check now and then to re-moisten the towel if needed. By Christmas you will have a treasure.

Basic cake:
Combine: ½ cup margarine, 1 cup sugar, 1 beaten egg, 1 cup apple sauce, 1 ½ cup flour, 1/4 tstp salt, 1 tsp each baking soda and cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cloves. Stir well and pour into loaf pan. Bake at 350̊ for an hour.
Fruitcake: Add ½ cup each of raisins, walnuts or pecans, sliced candied cherries, and candied fruit. Add ½ tsp grated orange peel.

Anne’s Cherry-Nut Pound Cake
Our sister Anne is an amazing cook. This is from her:
Blend together 3/4 cup margarine and 4 whole fresh eggs.
Beat in:
1 cup sugar
3 cups flour
1 ½ cups milk
1 large package vanilla pudding mix
½ tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Spoon half the batter into a tube pan. Spoon in the contents of a can of cherry pie filling. Spoon in the remaining in batter. Bake at 375̊ for 1 hour. Cool before removing from pan. Dust with powdered sugar.

My Rhubarb Crisp
Rhubarb is my favorite thing! I use it for all sorts of recipes but this is probably the best thing I make with it. When Lisa visits she still gives me gentle hints that it is about time for me to make it again. I bet Garrison Keillor would LOVE this.
Chop rhubarb into ½" pieces and toss lightly with flour to coat. Place in a casserole dish to within 1 1/2"of the top. Sprinkle with 2 cups of sugar mixed with ½ cup flour. Dot with a few pats of butter.

Crumble together 1 cup raw uncooked oatmeal, 1 stick of butter and 1'2 cup brown sugar, ½ tsp salt. Crumble over the top of the rhubarb and bake at 350̊. Apples may be used to fill the dish if there is not a lot of rhubarb.

Best Carrot Cake
This is the most delicious carrot cake I’ve ever tasted. The recipe was invented from a number of other recipes:
Preheat oven to 350̊ and grease two round cake pans or 1 flat sheet pan. Dust with flour. Combine:
4 eggs, 2 ½ cups flour, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp salt.
When batter is well mixed fold in: 2 cups grated fresh carrots, ½ cup golden raisins, ½ cup chopped walnuts, ½ cup well-drained crushed pineapple.
Fill pan 2/3 full as this raises quite a bit. Bake one hour until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
Blend 6 oz. Softened cream cheese, 1 stick soft butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, ½ tsp vanilla. When creamy stir in 1 cup chopped walnuts. Use this to frost the cooled cake.

Patty’s Peanut Butter Custard Pie
I’ve known Patty all my life. Our mothers used to walk us in our carriages together. This is an unbelievable treat and shows up in Each Angel Burns when Gabe tastes it and decides if anything ever happens to Maggie, the woman he loves, he’ll track down the girl who made this pie and marry her.
Cream together 1 cup smooth, natural peanut butter a 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat on low speed with a mixer. Add 1 ½ cups sugar a 1 tsp salt. Gradually beat them into the peanut butter mix. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat in 2 eggs. Reduce speed to low and add 1 ½ cups milk. Beat until smooth and creamy. It will be a little runny. Pour into a 9" unbaked pie shell and bake at 350̊ until set when pie is gently shaken - about 45-50 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

My Potato Spice Cake
I am very partial to spice cake. This is about the best I’ve ever tasted. It is very moist and spicy.
Cream together with mixer or in the food processor:
1 ½ cups sugar, 1 cup cold mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup margarine, 1 tsp salt. Add 1 tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; add ½ tsp each ground allspice and ginger.
Stir in 3 eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup nuts (optional)
Pour into a tube pan and bake at 350̊ for 50 minutes

More About Bread

My mother was an outstanding breadmaker. She learned from Grandma Valentine (below, right) but there were great breadmakers on both sides of the family. Here are more recipes:

Meisel's Rye Bread
Meisel's rye bread was long considered the very best rye bread in St. Marys. Their store was a little white building on South St. Marys Street. There was a bell that jingles when you came in the door and a whole counter full of the most amazing penny candy. I used Meisel's as the model for Darling's Store in Each Angel Burns. There were two ladies who worked in Meisel's. They wore white aprons over flowered dresses, hairnets and big, clunky black shoes. I used to love to go there for a loaf of bread and some penny candy. When the store closed Miss Rose Ebrel was getting on in years and she gave the recipe for their rye bread to my mother because she said she didn't know who else to give it to. My mother was thrilled until a local ladies guild put out a cookbook and there was the recipe in the book. Apparently Miss Rose gave the recipe to everyone. Here it is:
Melt 1/2 tsp sugar in 1/4 cup warm water. Crumble in 1/2 cale yeast and set aside to work.
Mix together 2 1/2 cups rye four, 7 1/2 cups white flour, 2 1/2 tblsp salt, and 2 1/2 tblsp caraway seeds. Knead in 1 1/2 tblsp lard. Add 1 quart warm water. Knead in the yeast once it has begun to proof (bubble). Knead until the dough comes away from the bowl clean. Cover with a tea towel and set aside to raise.
When the bread is double in size, knead down and divide into four sections. Shape into long loaves and slit across the top three times on the diagonal. Bake at 350° until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Rub tops with shortening.

Gram's Pumpkin Bread
Mix:
3 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp soda, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp nutmeg, 3 cups white flour
Make a well and add:
1 cup oil, 2 cups mashed pumpkin, 1 cup chopped nuts, 4 beaten eggs, scant 2/3 cupwater.
Mix well and pour into greased tin cans or loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Mom's Zucchini Bread
This is soooo good!
Mix:
2 cups sugar, 1 cup oil, 3 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 4 eggs, 1 cup chopped nuts, 1 cup raisins, 2 cups grated and drained zucchini, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp baking powder.
Stir well and pour into 3 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Aunt Bonnie's Carrot Bread
Mix together:
4 eggs, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups oil, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 1/4 tsp baking soda.
Beat together then fold in 2 cups shredded carrots. Bake in 2 loaf pans for one hour at 350°.

Gram's Cranberry Bread
Combine:
2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp soda, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 cup shortening, 3/4 cup orange juice, 1 tblsp grated orange rind, 1 egg, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
Mix then fold in 2 cups chopped fresh cranberries. Bake in 2 loaf pans at 350° degrees for an hour. Let sit overnight before serving.

Florence's Banana Bread
Florence was Gram's friend who lived upstairs.
Mix:
3/4 cup sugar, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup shortening, 2 eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 cup mashed bananas, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt
Bake at 350° for 1 hour in two loaf pans.

Getting Pickled

My Dad was interested in photography for quite a few years and he loved to take photos and have them made into slides. After he died I asked if I could have the slides and I have been going through them and scanning some for this blog. I came across the one below right and thought it was perfect for this entry. It was taken out at Uncle Gus’s camp at one of the many, many picnics we had there over the years. That’s Mom when she was probably in her late thirties and that’s a big jar of pickled eggs that she has just placed on the table. She made pickled eggs all the time and I still make them. They are wonderful and a good, protein-rich snack.

Pickled Eggs
Boil a dozen eggs (or more if you have a jar that can hold them). Peel them and pack in a large glass jar. In a saucepan mix:
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 large onion sliced
1 cup of juice from a can of red beets
2-3 cloves (optional)
Simmer until the sugar is melted and the onions are just slightly tender. Pour over the eggs and add the beets if there is room. Store at least 48 hours before serving. You can keep them unrefrigerated for a couple days but refrigerate for longer storage — if they last that long.

Penn State Pickles
I graduated from Penn State but I don’t know where this recipe came from. I’ll bet the agricultural extension office. Mom made them pretty often and they are delicious.
Wash and cut the ends off 4 lbs. Of pickles. Cut into bite-sized chunks. In a saucepan combine:
1 quart vinegar
1 tblsp mustard seeds
3 tblsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
the cucumbers
Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Drain and discard the syrup. Pack the pickles into jars. In a sauce pan combine:
3 3/4 cups sugar
2 1/4 tsp celery seed
1 tblsp allspice
3 3/4 cups vinegar
Simmer 5 minutes. Pour over the pickles and process 5 minutes.

Pickled Peaches
I used to make these to give in jars as Christmas presents. In The Old Mermaid’s Tale, Clair’s mother makes them for her husband.
Scald and remove the skin from 7 or 8 slightly green peaches. Cut them into quarters and remove the seed. Stick a clove into each segment. Combine:
1 pound white sugar
1 cup white vinegar
½ cup water
2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
Boil 5 minutes and then add the peaches a few at a time until they are cooked. Spoon them into hot, sterile jars and process 15 minutes. Let stand a few weeks before serving

Beth’s Pickled Mushrooms
Beth (left) is our youngest sister. She always loved these.
Cut a thin slice off the bottom of a pound of small, fresh mushrooms. Dissolve a tblsp of salt in a quart of water and add the mushrooms. Soak 10 minutes and then drain. In a saucepan combine:
1/3 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 small chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
½ tsp peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt.
Bring to a boil and add mushrooms. Return to boil and then simmer 5 minutes. Cool completely then store in the refrigerator 2-3 days before serving.

Mom’s Best Dill Pickles
Mom got this recipe from a teacher at Elk County Christian High School where she worked and all of us attended high school. She says they are the very best pickles she has ever tasted or made.
Boil together:
3 quarts water
1 quart vinegar
½ cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp alum
Pack 20 to 24 small cucumbers into glass jars. Add 2 cloves of garlic and a head of dill to each jar. Pour the hot brine to fill the jars. Seal and process.

Pickled Pub Onions
Remove the skins from 2 pounds of small onions (about the size of a walnut). With a sharp knife slice off the root end and cut an X across it (this helps the onions hold together while cooking.) Press a whole clove into about half of the onions. In a saucepan combine:
1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
Bring to a boil and add the onions. Simmer for 2-3 minutes but no longer. Remove onions and let them drain. Reduce the brine to 1 cup and add 1/d cup dried currants. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 1 cup of a good, hearty red wine or port, if you prefer. Pack onions in glass jars and pour the wine sauce over them. Chill for 3-4 days before serving.

Some Soups

Aunt Tressie’s Nibblies
Aunt Tressie (below, right) was Dad’s older sister. She and Uncle John lived in Emporium and we often went to their house to watch parades. This recipe was sent to me by Mary, their daughter. They are little egg dumplings. In The Old mermaid’s Tale Clair talks about making “Spatzel”, this is pretty much the same thing.
With a fork mix together:
1 ½ generous cups of flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3 whole eggs
When well blended, drop the dough from a fork into boiling chicken soup. If you like you can add grated carrots to the soup about 10 minutes before the dumplings.

Mom’s Whopper Soup
I have no idea where the name “whopper” came from. Actually, these are Mom’s version of spatzels. She made this all the time and we all loved it. It was a standard on Christmas Eve.
Make a big pot of homemade vegetable soup. Mom made it with beef cooked until it fell from the bone and then potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, cabbage, corn and tomatoes. When the soup is simmering and the vegetables are ready it is time to make the whoppers. Mix:
2 c. flour
2 t. salt
2 eggs
1 t. baking soda
Mix well and drop by teaspoonsful into the boiling soup. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Sauerkraut Soup
I used to make this for our Christmas Eve dinners. My mother absolutely loved this.
Boil 1 plump chicken in 6 cups water. Remove chicken to cool and set aside 1 cup of the broth.
Add:
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup sliced carrot
1 cup chopped onion
4 chicken bouillon cubes
Simmer until tender.
Reduce heat and stir in 1 1/2 cup whipping cream. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to soup. In small saucepan melt 1/4 cup butter and stir in 1/4 cup flour to make a roux. Blend in reserved liquid. Heat until thick, add to soup while whisking. Add in 2 cups rinsed sauerkraut. Heat through. Add salt and pepper.

Mom’s Homemade Egg Noodles
Break a dozen eggs into a bowl and beat until frothy. Add 3 tblsp salt. Start folding in flour a little at a time until the dough becomes stiff enough to roll out. Divide the dough into balls about the size of an apple. Roll out on a floured board until 1/4" thick and cut into narrow strips. You can either roll the dough up and slice off ½" noodles or use a pizza cutter to cut strips. Toss lightly and hang up to dry. Mom would balance a broom between the backs of two chairs and hang the noodles up.

Add to rapidly boiling chicken broth.

Mary Cuneo Brophy’s Hearty Lentil Soup
Mary (left in 1952) is Aunt Tressie and Uncle John’s daughter. She lives in Williamsport, PA where she teaches music.
Saute 1 pound ham cut into small pieces and 1 large onion chopped up in a little butter until the onion is tender. Add a 29 oz. Jar of spaghetti sauce with sausage and peppers and 2 jars full of water. Add 1 pound dried lentils. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 2 ½ hours until the lentils are very tender. This is a very thick soup. You can reduce the amount of lentils if you like a thinner soup.

Easy Delicious Sweet Potato Soup
This is the easiest thing in the world to make and has a surprise ingredient.
Peel and slice 2 large sweet potatoes. Place in 1 quart of chicken stock and simmer until tender. When potatoes are tender put them in a blender with some of the stock and blend until liquified. Add 2 tblspns natural, unsweetened peanut bitter and stir well. Add white pepper and salt to taste. This is also good with sliced, sauted kielbasa added or leftover ham.

Potatoes

Potatoes, being relatively cheap and quite hearty, are a mainstay of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. Here are a collection of assorted potato recipes from the cookbook.

Gram’s Potato Pancakes
In St. Marys a popular summer event is Potato Pancake Dinners. The big one, held at the Sportsmen’s Club every year, includes mountains of potatoes shredded and fried up. Long tables are set up and bowls of stewed tomatoes, creamed corn, and cottage cheese are served along with maple syrup, apple sauce and pickles to accompany the pancakes. Frosty pitchers of Straub’s beer make the rounds. A good time is generally had by all. The picture below right was taken in Bavaria --- have no idea what year --- but the woman on the far right is Maria Eckert who was Gram's grandmother on her mother's side. As a girl she danced with a group of other traditional dancers.
Grate 1 large potato per person to be served. Mix with:
1 egg
½ cup flour
½ tsp salt
Mix well.
Heat oil in a heavy frying pan and when it is very hot drop the mixture in by the spoonful. Flatten out. When crispy on one side, flip and fry until golden.

Gram’s Cottage Potatoes
Gram made these all the time and they are delicious — almost a meal.
Cook 9 potatoes and dice along with 1 green pepper, 1 large sweet onion and toss together. Add a small jar of drained pimentos. Place half the mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish. Make a layer of American or cheddar cheese. Add a layer of croutons. Add the rest of the mixture and another layer of cheese. Fill the dish about halfway with milk. Add more croutons and bake at 350̊ for one hour.

Cheesy Potato Casserole
Scrub or peel as many potatoes as you wish and slice them thin. Place in a casserole dish alternating layers with sliced, sweet onions. Mix together 1 can cream of celery soup, a can of milk, and a cup of grated cheese (you can mix cheese to use up what you have). Pour over the potatoes and bake at 300̊ for an hour or until potatoes are tender.

Great-Aunt Mary’s Hot German Potato Salad
This is the recipe that Mom uses. There is a funny story that goes with this. Mom was always making huge pans of this to take to parties, picnics, Lisa’s wedding, or any occasion that warranted this treat. She had this huge square pan that held a ton of it and she would put it in the oven for 3 hours. One Sunday morning she wanted to go to Mass so she put the potatoes in the oven and left a note on the stove that said “Please stir the potatoes in an hour” for whoever was around. When she got home from church she checked her potatoes and was shocked to see the pan full of what looked like mashed potatoes. Turns out she should have said WHO should stir the potatoes because EVERYBODY — Dad, Jack, Wayne, Anne, me, probably Lisa, Chris, Matt and Beth, too had ALL stirred the potatoes. Oh well, it still tasted good.
In a large roasting pan put ½ peck of sliced and peeled potatoes and 1 large sweet onion peeled (more to taste). Sprinkle with ½ pound of sliced bacon pieces.
Mix together ½ cup sugar, 2 tblsp salt, 1 ½ cup vinegar, and 2 to 3 cups of water. Pour over the potatoes and sprinkle them with dried or fresh parsley. Stir well and place in a 350̊ oven for 3 hours. Stir once every hour. For the last half hour you can top with a pound of sliced weiners. Feeds a crowd!

Raw Potato Dumplings
Gram made these sometimes to go with leftover roast or turkey when there was lots of gravy to be used up. This is a real old country recipe.
Grate 7-8 raw, peeled potatoes and 1 small grated onion. Add some dried parsley, salt and pepper and 2 eggs. Tear up half a loaf of white bread and work it into the potato mixture by hand until the mixture holds together by the handful. Bring a large kettle of water with a little salt to a rapid boil. Shape the potato dough into balls. Roll in flour and drop into the boiling water. Let cook 45 minutes.

If you have more dumplings than you need the next day you can slice them and fry them in butter with sliced onions. Very delicious!

You can also make little meatballs from ground pork and saute them in a pan then shape the potato mixture around them before you roll them in flour and drop them in the water.

Oven-Browned Potatoes
This is one of my favorite recipes for potatoes.
Peel 4-5 potatoes and slice them very thin. Grease the bottom of a jelly roll pan with butter. Sprinkle the butter with salt, pepper and onion powder. Spread the potatoes over this and then add another two layers of potatoes. Heat the oven to 425̊. Bake until the bottom is crusty brown and the top is tender. Serve with side of sour cream sprinkled with chives.