Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Fall Festivities


Yesterday we went apple picking. This is a great outdoor activity with a toddler to be sure. We went to Honey Pot Orchard, where you not only can pick your own apples, but you can take a hayride, pet some animals, buy some cider donuts, cider and pumpkins and go home just in time to take a 4 hour nap. If you are the toddler. The mama spent that time going through the box of recipes she has that used to belong to her paternal grandmother, Ella, looking for recipes that involve, well, APPLES.

These recipes date from somewhere in the 1940's to the mid 1980's. My grandmother died in 1988 I believe. She was in her 80th year. So she lived through things like two world wars, the flu pandemic of 1918 during which her father, a doctor, died, and of course the depression. So she was a frugal woman. Her collection of recipes are fascinating. There are many that were cut from newspapers. There are more that are either handwritten or typed out, on a variety of pieces of paper. Pieces of envelope, index cards that appear to have been used at one time for tracking information about fire insurance coverage, stationary from the insurance company, from Illinois University, a long, thin piece of brown paper that was probably used to wrap closed meat from the butcher and a page from Field and Stream magazine, among others. It is almost as interesting to see what the recipes were written on as to see what the recipes themselves are.

But the recipes are interesting too. I have found multiple occurrences of recipes with the words chiffon, escalloped or delight in the title. In my quest to find apple recipes, I have collected 4 apple crisp recipes, 3 apple pie recipes, and 3 apple cake recipes. There is one recipe that has the word "GOOD" written up near the title. I will have to be sure to try that one. There are a few casserole and salad recipes that have me a bit puzzled. Not everything will be put to the test.

A friend of mine recently told me that German Chocolate Cake is not German at all. It was named for the baking chocolate, German's Baking Chocolate. Someone at the company came up with the recipe, and from that point on it was referred to as German's Chocolate Cake. And now I have the recipe, which is on a label from German's Chocolate, which my grandmother saved. And I now have the recipe for Tangy Southern French Dressing that my Aunt Sharon introduced into our family decades ago. I have been wondering about the recipe recently, and there it is!

The one recipe of Ella's that is probably most revered in our family is the jelly filled cookie recipe. I have had it for a long time, but have never tried to make them. My biggest problem is a lack of an adequate cookie cutter. This cookie is like a popover or tart. It is a soft sugar cookie, but you fill it with jam or jelly, strawberry or raspberry is my preference, and fold it over before baking. Grandma always cut them out with this large cutter with a wavy edge. I have not found one of adequate size. I might resort to using a can, like a large crushed tomato can.

I think for easiness sake, apple crisp is on the menu first, and then a pie later in the week. I do love fall!


PUMPKINS!

Picking apples.

6 comments:

dubiousma said...

what a little cut pie! I love this time of year....mulled apple cider...pumpkin coffee....the smells, the crispness. Northeast living at its best.

Audubon Ron said...

Great fall shots. My fall looks like a mud bog.

Jodi Anderson said...

This must be the *orange* post that you referenced at The Women's Colony! I'll be sure to add your link on Monday.

I am ashamed to admit that I didn't take advantage of apple season in any way, shape, or form. This year has been flying by, and it wasn't until the last week or so that I realized how far into the year it is. I will make it a point to get out to the orchard soon.

Dproudmama said...

And we have some fall here. We can tell as the rains have started. Color is lovely too if not on the scale of NE. Love the pics as always. Thanks.

Emily said...

Here via TWC.

The shot of your little guy next to the pumpkins, the look on his face...so cute!

Cutie Judy said...

It sounds like your Grandmaothe used a biscuit cutter to make those cookies.

Nice Blog!