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| A snow scene from the 1920s |
It
had finally stopped snowing, but there was a LOT of SNOW. The men of the
community were gradually clearing the roads – however they did that – in hopes
that the mailman could get through, if not today, then tomorrow. The mailman
was their link with the outside world and was even a lifeline for some folks.
Eventually someone would need provisions or even emergency supplies.
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| Grandpa Jack and Dick |
In
fact, from this end of the ridge to halfway to Nezperce, everyone knew everyone
else. They knew who lived alone or who was infirm. Luckily, the phone lines
were open, and calls were made to be sure that everyone was all right.
Christmas
Eve was just a week away, and Ina felt the panic begin to rise. She still had
cards and letters to write, packages to wrap, and boxes to fill for mailing,
but with Sadie at home all day, it was difficult to find quiet time. And then,
what else did she need to do? She’d better make a list.
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| A mid-century gift suggestion |
“Gram,
what can I do now? Could we bake cookies, Gram?” asked Sadie. “Here’s a recipe.”
“Oh
yes,” thought Ina to herself. “That infernal cookbook would pop up again just
when I have other things to do.”
But
Ina knew that being confined to the house was hard on Sadie, and this year was
about making a fun farmhouse Christmas for the little girl. So, she prepared
cocoa for three – Jack was ready for his morning break – and as they sat at the
table, Sadie read the recipe aloud.
“That’s
called a shortbread cookie,” said Ina, “and I’m happy to make shortbreads but would
prefer to use my own recipe.” (This was totally predictable.)
After lunch, they commenced to mix the cookies. The modern convenience of a stand mixer was not a possibility for Ina's powerless home, so she had to cream the butter and sugar
by hand, as had been done by strong arms for decades. Next, she mixed the flour and cornstarch into the butter mixture. The dough
was dry, so Ina added a tablespoon of rich cream. “Yum,” said Sadie.
Sadie
washed her hands then (and Ina did, too), and they rolled the dough into balls.
Then Sadie was allowed to dip the tops in red and green sugar and flatten the balls
with a fork. But if it were today, Kathy would add a cup of M&Ms, which
weren’t widely available until after WWII. During the war, M&Ms were provided
only to the government for the soldiers – you know, because “the milk chocolate
melts in your mouth, not in your hand.” KW
6 comments:
Mmm, shortbread cookies! Wise choice.
Absolutely! -- that sweet butter melt-in-your mouth goodness.
And make some divinity and fudge to go with the cookies. Yumm!
As you'll see in the next post, I don't think Ina was into that kind of baking. But take heart! Ethel is coming.
Our mother loved to make spritz and shortbread cookies. We also had sugar and ginger cookie cutter cookies, but Mother didn't continue that once I left home. She made her fruitcake early in November and was always looking for a "better" recipe. She preferred just enough batter to hold the fruit together. And of course, she made divinity, and Hallie and I are certified divinity makers, having learned from Mother. However, Hallie said, "This is nothing but egg white, sugar, and corn syrup," and we haven't made divinity since.
Daddy made the fudge -- both chocolate and vanilla. I have never found his vanilla fudge recipe, and I liked it best. But there again, you have to pay attention or the mixture will scorch.
Oh...I have no disdain over divinity. I was probably just amazed that you could take those three things and have it change so much in structure and texture. Magic! It is quite a bit of work and it is SO sweet. I have to be careful with my sweets.
You can have more sweets on hand if you have more eaters. When your group is smaller it's better to have desserts and just a few treats. As my mother-in-law once observed, you really don't need much when it comes to goodies. But my mother loved a table laden with beautiful cookies, candy, and fruitcake and making them is a talent. I can see her now, twisting the handle of the cookie press. It was hard!
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