FORGETFULNESS

At Mike’s follow-up appointment on Tuesday (Jan. 28), another long-arm cast was applied to keep the wrist immobile – and keep him from doing too much. He’s getting along well but has pain from time to time. Meanwhile, he does as much for himself as he can. I button his buttons and carry in wood a few sticks at a time.

Mike’s glasses weren’t found at the surgery center, so I realized it would be up to us (me) to find them. If Mike had rejected wearing the glasses as we left there after surgery, what would he have done with them, I asked myself. What about a shirt or jacket pocket? I hated to admit I couldn’t remember what he wore, and he said he couldn’t either, but he had checked the pocket of the jacket he thought he had worn. Aha! He didn't wear that jacket. I went immediately to another jacket, and sure enough – there they were in the pocket!

Now, as February approaches, if I could just find the fabric for the quilt I was going to make in January. My philosophy is that at some point you just have to quit searching, calm down, and follow your leads. It will eventually turn up.

My little reward, a sewing journal, came yesterday. I shopped many project planners and even downloadable designs before landing on this pretty book. It has room to detail 50 projects, and I hope it not only helps to focus me but also to prevent the repetition of projects, which can certainly happen. You’d think it wouldn’t. You’d think my memory would say, “I’ve made this before,” but it doesn’t always – not any more. 

This book was designed by Amanda Kastner. The quote on the cover is from Jane Austen: "Dress is at all times a frivolous distinction." KW

GOOD EATS

Not a pretty book

I’m amazed that organizational fundraiser cookbooks, composed of recipes submitted by the members, have been around for so long. Good Eats is the name of a cookbook published by the Rebekah Assembly of Idaho in 1929, the year my mother and her first husband were married. I don’t remember her using it, but it’s well-worn and falling apart, so obviously she had used it and quite a lot. Perhaps it was the only cookbook she had when she started married life. And filed inside its pages are various clipped recipes. It’s another treasure trove of vintage cooking.

As I looked through Good Eats, several simple recipes took my eye.

DELICIOUS DESSERT

Whip cream, add peanut brittle ground and pour over angel food cake.

HEAVENLY DELIGHT

1 pt. of whipped cream, 1 t vanilla, 1 sponge cake crumbled, 1 20-cent can maraschino cherries, 50-cents worth of English walnuts, chopped. Mix cake, cherries, and nuts, and last the whipped cream. Pack in freezer for 4 hours, without turning crank, and serve on slice of pineapple.

PINEAPPLE TAPIOCA

Soak 1 cup of pearl tapioca overnight. In the morning drain and put it in a double boiler with 1 ½ c hot water, ½ t salt, 1 c sugar, ½ can shredded pineapple, the juice of 1 lemon and 1 large orange. Cook until clear, fold in the stiffly-beaten whites of 2 eggs, cook 2 minutes longer and serve cold, with or without cream, as preferred.

Or – you could just add an 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained, to prepared tapioca pudding. Chop up some maraschino cherries and add those, too, if you like. KW

APPLE BROWN BETTY (UPDATED)

Mike only needs occasional help with his activities of daily living, but he does have pain now. With respect to the tribulation that all of us suffer from time to time, I won’t carry on about this. Even as we faced this surgery with trepidation, we were grateful it wasn’t something worse. But, at risk of sounding like a brat, I do think I deserve a reward. I’m looking for one. It only needs to be a day-brightener (or two?) delivered to the mailbox.

Returning to my study of vintage family recipes, yesterday I made apple brown betty using the previously posted recipe. I made crumbs of three stale hamburger buns and then I added a cup of purchased dry crumbs. For the apples, I used two Granny Smiths and one Gala. I cut back the brown sugar to one cup and left out the salt. A half cup of liquid didn’t seem like quite enough, and it needed to bake quite a bit longer in order to soften the apples.

Kathy’s Updated Apple Brown Betty Casserole

2 c soft bread crumbs

1 c dry bread crumbs

4 c chopped tart apples

1 c brown sugar

2 T melted butter

1 t cinnamon

¾ c boiling water (or apple juice)

Mix butter, sugar, cinnamon, and bread crumbs.

Grease a 2 qt. casserole dish.

Layer the crumbs and apples, beginning and ending with a crumb layer.

Dot with butter

Pour at least ½ cup boiling water over the pudding.

Cover and bake 40 minutes at 375. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer until apples are softened and top layer is crisp. 

Maybe you remember Peggy Hill of King of the Hill. Peggy’s signature dish was her old family recipe for apple brown betty. Any feast, barbecue, or potluck was an excuse for her to bake her apple brown betty, which was greeted with silence by everyone else. Out of curiosity, I googled “Peggy Hill’s Apple Brown Betty,” and sure enough! – a recipe came up (here). I chose to use the one from Mother’s collection, and we thought it was delicious! KW