Tuesday, December 21, 2010

THE FORD FAMILY OF FINE . . . RECIPES

As we became teen-agers, we took an active part in Christmas. My brother and I went out on the hill and brought home a tree. I helped decorate it and we began putting it in a day or two ahead of Christmas Eve. Dorothy Portfors Dobson, c. 1990

My maternal grandfather was in the right place at the right time when he entered a partnership to operate a Ford garage. And when he retired, my uncle and partners continued the business. So, the car my parents drove was always a Ford. I considered myself a member in good standing of "The Ford Family" until I married Mike, who loves Mopars. But let's not digress here.

There was a little magazine for Ford owners called "Ford Times," and my parents had a subscription compliments of Portfors-Johnson Ford. I also remember that it was a pretty good little magazine and my parents read it. The articles were interesting, and each magazine had several recipes from a renowned eating establishment somewhere along the highways of the world. According to Wikipedia, Ford Times was published continually on a monthly basis from April 1908 to 1996.

Mother found her recipe for Praline Ice Cream Pie in a Ford Times magazine and it became a traditional Christmas dessert at our Christmas Eve buffet.Oh yes! We had dessert. Did you think the goodie buffet would be enough for dessert? No, following a buffet of sliced turkey and ham, dressing, rolls, and various salads and side dishes, we had dessert -- usually a variety of pies -- followed by the goodie buffet of holiday cookies, candies, and fruitcake.

PRALINE ICE CREAM PIE
Heat 1/2 cup brown sugar until it reaches the point where it begins to turn brown (darker). Mix with 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1 oz. melted butter. Add 4 oz. (1/2 cup) crushed pecans and 2 tsps. vanilla. In a separate bowl whip 1 1/2 qts. of vanilla ice cream and then mix until well blended with the brown sugar mixture (praline). Place in a deep 9-inch baked pie shell and top with meringue. Brown quickly under broiler.

Mother decided the ice cream pie was just fine without the meringue and didn't bother with it.
 
Here's a card that speaks to an understated Christmas. The warmth of the scene is completely natural -- the snow, the light from the house, the open door. It could almost be a winter note card rather than a Christmas card. Inside the card is unusual, too, with the printed greeting on the left and the plain page on the right. I don't believe I've ever seen that before. KW

5 comments:

Chris said...

As a continuing member of the Ford family, I can attest to the popularity of the Ford Times in our home as I grew up. Even I read it! It was a good little magazine. And I still love my Fords--we have three here at the Resort.

Hallie said...

I've been trying and trying and I just can't make out the word before "come on over". I really like the handwriting, and I'm perplexed that I'm unable to make out that word. A little help?

Kathy said...

I struggled with that word, too, but I think it's "better." "Better come on over," reads the phrase.

Mom and Pop Saling were the parents of my dad's good friends, Russ and Frances Saling.

You are a good and loyal Ford family member, Chris.

I have one issue of Ford Times in my collection and also Vol. 2 of Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Eating Places, 1954.

debdog42 said...

We had always had Fords until L.J. bought a Dodge diesel pickup several years ago. So now we have one Ford and one Dodge. I get a Ford magazine but don't know what the name of it is.

That praline pie was good stuff!

Leah said...

Praline Ice Cream pie seems like the west's answer to the south's pecan pie. Sounds yummy!