INA'S CHRISTMAS MEMORIES, DAY 13

“Donuts and coffee never hurt anyone,” as Ina says, undoubtedly tongue in cheek. She struggled to keep her weight down, but obviously she looked forward to donuts and coffee at Christmas.

The subject of donuts came up on the previous post, including a question as to what type of donuts they were. That sent me to the recipe boxes to see what I could find.

Unfortunately, I can’t find Grandma Ina’s recipe. I suspect it’s at the farm. And that tells you that I’m rather haphazard in my care of these things. But anyway, I think they were cake donuts rather than raised donuts. And I think she rolled them and then used a cutter (like a cookie or biscuit cutter) with a hole in the middle.

Here’s a recipe from Ina’s daughter Pearl:

Pearl’s Sour Milk Donuts

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup sour milk

2 eggs

½ tsp soda

2 tsp baking powder

Flour to make a soft dough

Roll out less than ½ inch thick

2 generous tbsp melted butter (or, to use the measurement standard of the day – twice the size of a “walnut”)

Season with nutmeg.

The method isn’t provided because, of course, everyone knows it. And does the melted butter go into the dough or the frying pan?

 

And just for the fun of it, here’s a recipe I found in Ina’s box, probably from the early ‘50s:

Mrs. Lester’s Raised Doughnuts

1 cup yeast mixture -- ?

½ cup hot water

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter (ample)

2 eggs

Cinnamon

Don’t mix as stiff as bread, but let rise just the same as bread. Let rise once, knead down; let rise again. Cut out and let them rise amply twice their size. Put upper side down to cook first.

My guess is that Ina just cooked the donuts in plenty of fat, probably lard, in a frying pan. KW

INA'S CHRISTMAS MEMORIES, 1937 (DAY 12)

 As usual, I had treats on the tree for all, mostly sugared popcorn as they all voted it best for before dinner consumption. – Ina, 1935

Ina is busy today. First, she had attended Sunday school where Bertha presented a well-thought-out program on the wisemen and their gifts to the Christ child. Back at home, Ina made quick work of dinner and set to work on her cards and letters. Ina wrote long personal letters to family members and friends. That’s what we did back in the day.

 

So, since Ina is busy, let’s talk about popcorn some more. Years ago, I made Karo Krazy Krunch using the following recipe. I think it probably appeared in Karo ads in the ‘70s, but I got it from my sister Nina (1937-1984) The stuff was to die for in my estimation. I was my own best customer! Then one thing and another came to pass and add years to the mix and suddenly eating popcorn wasn’t such a good idea. (Maybe it never was.) I haven’t made it in years, but what I wouldn’t give for a clump or two this holiday season!

Karo Krazy Krunch

2 qts popped corn

1 1/3 c pecans

2/3 c almonds

1 1/3 c sugar

1 c butter

1 tsp vanilla

½ c light Karo syrup

Mix popped corn and nuts on a cookie sheet. Combine sugar, butter, and Karo in a 1 ½ qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes or until mixture turns a light caramel color. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour over popped corn and nuts, mix to coat well. Spread to dry. Break apart, store in tightly covered container. Makes about 2 pounds.

Note: Nina made 1 ½ times the recipe of syrup for about 3 gallons of popped corn. Cover and heat in oven at 200 degrees for an hour.

INA'S CHRISMAS MEMORIES, 1937 (DAY 11)

 

Well, to continue and go on, after one late dinner I made donuts for I must have fresh donuts for Christmas, and you know “doughnuts and coffee never hurt anyone.” – Ina, 1934

None of Ina’s children came home for Christmas in 1934, and she worked on for that special celebration despite her loneliness. “I got my letters and cards and boxes off in good season and had the last week mostly to make a dress for my niece Ruth,” she tells us. “Bertha told me not to try to do it before Christmas, but I wanted to. The dress and the collar I made, unknown to them all, were my gifts to Ruth. She came down different days and did my work up so I’d have more daylight to sew. One day she did my washing besides. On Sunday both nieces, Ruth and Doris, helped me decorate the house with boughs and trim the tree. They enjoyed it and so did I.

In the evening, when I was alone again, I fell upon the boxes of gifts received from my children. Ethel’s was tied with green string and I cut this off to tie on packages, being foolish about green string for my tree packages. . . The packages were all so pretty and I had a great time hanging them on and under the tree.” 

Real time update: 

We noticed it's going to be cold on Russell Ridge next week, so Mike and I -- and Bess, of course -- hopped into the big old pick-up and headed to the farm to winterize the house. Mission accomplished. We will spend Christmas in town this year. 

While we were there, the temp was 36 and the wind shrieked and howled around the house with occasional flurries of snow. An inch or two of snow remained on the ground. There will likely be more. KW

INA'S CHRISTMAS MEMORIES, DAY 10

“I wish you’d come home for Christmas. Couldn’t you have arranged it?” – Ina, 1934

Let’s face it, Ina. Vance just doesn’t want to come home for Christmas, and I can tell you that he’s NOT going to do it.

Vance at the piano at his home in Raymond, WA, 1937

Vance cared very much about his mother, but I think that Christmas on the farm wasn’t his idea of a good time. He preferred to celebrate with friends, and they loved having him. For one thing, he provided a strong piano accompaniment for their carol singing. Let’s not be down on him, though. Many people prefer not to go home for Christmas, for whatever reason.

Some people bake traditional cookies for Christmas, but for Ina and Jack, the central goodie is popcorn. Ina says, “That evening [of the 23^rd], after all was cleared away, Dad popped two kettlefuls of lovely corn and we sugared one and put toffy [it’s toffee, not taffy] over the other. We heaped a large platter with balls till Dad said, ‘Oh, that’s enough,’ for he wanted some left to eat. Well, I sent him off to the living room to eat and read. Then I prepared my dressing and sweet potatoes for the morrow and put my buns to rise, for I’d baked lite bread and roasted beef too. At last, I repaired to my seat before the fire with a pan of sugared corn, nuts and candy and filled eleven little Christmas boxes for the tree.”

Through comments on other posts, I was led to discover that the word I had read as “taffy” was probably “toffee,” and I suspect Ina used some variation of the standard corn syrup coating. For that recipe, I turned to the Karo website (here).

As for the sugared popcorn, Emeril Lagasse provides a recipe (here), basically just sugar and water with a bit of butter, cooked until thickened. These days, we’d probably just buy a package of “sweet and salty” microwave popcorn and call it good.

Naturally, recipes abound for popcorn coatings today, but I feel certain Ina kept it simple. KW

INA'S CHRISTMAS MEMORIES, DAY 9

 

Already the ninth of December! “How time does fly,” thought Ina to herself. (Or is it Kathy that laments the speedy passage of time?)

Ina was glad to leave her reminiscences of that stressful Christmas of 1933, but 1934 also had its trials. In October, Shirley had gone to Idaho Falls for an extended visit with Earle (Ina’s son / Shirley’s brother) and Bernice. The hope was that she would find a job. Ina knew there was no future for Shirley on the farm and insisted she get away. And Ina might also have thought that a break in Shirley’s developing relationship with Henry would be a good idea. Henry had fine qualities but was poor as a church mouse.

“It was the first Christmas I ever spent without the voice of one of my children in the house,” said Ina, “but I stood all the Christmas doings just fine. There were children to the right of me and children to the left of me, north, south, east and west, and they charged the lonely Christmas idea with such skill and loyalty that it was dispelled as a mist before the sun. We had a lovely time, not only that day but beforehand.”

It was disappointing, though, that the effects of the Depression continued. Daughter Pearl, living on a farm in Alberta, said she couldn’t send presents because they had nothing to sell. Ina was grateful that Pearl and family had plenty to eat – vegetables, fruit, beef and pork, milk and butter – just no money. And Ethel and Ernest, having moved to Minneapolis, were strapped and also unable to send gifts.

And you know, Ina was a bit peeved when her children said they couldn’t send gifts. After all, she never had money for gifts, and yet, she put on her thinking cap and came up with something she could do for her loved ones and even her neighbors. Why couldn’t her children? Didn’t she always set an example of giving from the storehouse? And her sister Bertha, too! She didn’t have anything to do with, and yet she gave lard, mincemeat, jams and jellies, baked goods, and chickens.

As for her part, Ina forgot to tell anyone it would be a skimpy Christmas and sent her customary gifts, always somethings from nothings. KW

INA'S CHRISTMAS MEMORIES, 1937 (DAY 8)

 

And here, daughter Myrtle describes her trip from Portland to the family farm on Russell Ridge at Christmas 1933, traveling from Portland to Lewiston by train. In retrospect, Ina admitted to herself that the trip had been difficult and perhaps Myrtle shouldn’t have come, but she was grateful to have had her anyway.

Here’s what Myrtle had to say about that Christmas and her trip home:

“The tree was and is a beauty. It was piled full at the foot with gifts, besides the table. A huge Christmas was had by all. It’s a great treat to be at home and to have had Christmas here. We took pictures of the tree with all the presents, then took a picture of the wreckage for fun.

We all talk at once and repeat. I’m slightly “mingled up,” but enjoying the raving. Now that Christmas is over, the house seems so large and orderly! It felt strange to see the clear floor and not have to step over things.

The train was five hours late into Lewiston and we used all the tracks north and south bank, but still I got in in plenty of time to catch the stage to Orofino. Ed Ingram came for me and we had a hard time making it in from the highway. Six inches of snow on top of soft roads. A heavy mantle of snow blanketed the trees. I got a picture of the house before the snow began to go, but we will have more, I hope.

And then Ina recalled how bad the weather had been as the snows of December disappeared in a January rain. They heard dreadful reports from California over the radio – 12 inches of rain in 30 hours, lives lost, damage to houses, bridges, roads, etc. “We never had such work before at that time of year,” said Ina to herself. KW

May everything for your own “best good” come to you during 1933. – Ina

[I think Ina knew that “everything for your own ‘best good’” wasn’t necessarily what one would like. Sometimes we learn our lessons the hard way.]

Today was ironing day, and with Jack’s help in stoking the wood cook stove, Ina wasted no time in getting right to it. The kitchen was a cozy place to work during the cold months. It was such a dark day that they lit the kerosene lamp on the sconce.

And as Ina ironed, smoothing away all the wrinkles, she began to reminisce again, now moving on to 1933. The summer of ‘33 had been wonderful. Granddaughter Shirley Jean, 7 years old, had come to spend a month with Gram and Gramps. What fun they had had! And then in July, their eldest daughter Pearl and Al had come from their farm in northern Alberta with 13-year-old Stanley. Remember that wonderful Fourth of July picnic? Ina was right in her element with visiting family, including both her grandchildren, to care for.

Pearl & Ethel; Stan and Shirley Jean

“Ah! But the Christmas of ‘33 was a trial,” thought Ina to herself. The weather had been terrible – a regional snow blanketed the Pacific Northwest. Vance was supposed to come home for Christmas, but in the end he didn’t, and Ina had been greatly disappointed. On the other hand, daughter Myrtle (Lynn) had managed to make it home from Portland, though it was difficult. Ina pushed the uncomfortable memories out of her thought and proceeded to think of Christmas itself.

“Well, we had the usual frugal Christmas with gifts piled around the tree and on the library table, etc., also hung a pair of stockings on Shirley’s door. We were afraid we’d have a black Christmas but Sunday it began snowing and Christmas morning we had nearly 6 inches and a lovely snow falling. Henry Shockley was working here, and so we casually asked him back for Sunday afternoon to help decorate house and tree. He’s lively and talks and laughs readily and so filled a gap partly.

“On the whole Christmas Eve went off pleasantly. I made my pumpkin pies for Christmas dinner and in the evening, Dad popped two kettlefuls of corn and I put molasses and sugar taffy over it. Very good! We heard part of A Christmas Carol over the radio and various good music. Christmas morning, June’s arrived in force, and we had a lively day and a good dinner (though not lavish), and I ate my fill according to a previous promise to myself. In the evening, we lit the tree and had more radio, more popcorn balls, more nuts and candy.” KW

[The tradition of “A Christmas Carol” on radio continues today, or you can find it in old-time radio podcasts.]