October 2009 Host:  Emily

                                                                                                   

Little Heathens Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish

Summary

This is Mildred Kalish’s memoir of her childhood on an Iowan farm during the Great depression. Although her lifestyle was frugal and she and her family had to endure severe conditions (e.g. Iowan blizzards), the author doesn’t dwell on the negatives. She shares happy memories of her childhood such as making head cheese and the adventures she shared with her siblings. Her days as a preteen were filled with work made harder since they lacked electricity and running water. These chores included doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, and caring for the farm animals, but she also regales us with stories of outhouse tipping and domesticating raccoons that she slept with (they did help to keep her feet warm). The thriftiness and independence the author learned as a child continued to be part of her adult life. Like a piece of good fiction, this book is rich in detail yet maintains historical truthfulness.

Discussion

-We all enjoyed the book - for some it brought back memories. The author’s simple and straightforward telling of her childhood in Iowa made for an easy and engaging read. She also drew us into her story with her frank sense of humor. This is probably one of the best and honest descriptions of 1930s farm life in Iowa.

-This book included a number of recipes from the era which some of us made - they were quite tasty - and made us feel an appreciation for their cooking skills when they had so little to work with. Some of us also brought dishes passed down within our own families - again very good food. This further underscored the importance of handing down recipes and memories to future generations as each generation changes in different ways.

Menu

Hot Apple Cider

Rolls

Porcupines

Green Bean Casserole

Scalloped Corn

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Hickory Nut Cake

Applesauce Cake

                                                                Hot Apple Cider

Ingredients

-2 quarts apple cider
-2 cinnamon sticks
-cloves
-spiced rum (how much is up to you)

Heat first 3 ingredients,  mix together and enjoy.

                                          Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter

Prep time 30 minutes, rise 1 1/2 hours, bake 15 minutes, 15 rolls

Ingredients

-3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cup bread flour
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/4 cup butter, softened
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 package regular or quick active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
-1/2 cup very warm water (120 degrees to 130 degrees)
-1/2 cup very warm milk (120 degrees to 130 degrees)
-1 large egg
-Melted butter, optional

Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, 1/4 cup butter, salt and yeast in large bowl.  Add warm water, warm milk, and
egg.  Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.  Beat on low speed one minute, scraping frequently.  Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Place dough on lightly floured surface.  Knead about five minutes or until dough is smooth and springy.
Place dough in large bowl, greased with shortening, turning dough to grease all sides.  Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, about 1 hour or until doubled.  Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.   

Grease rectangular pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches, with shortening.

Gently push fist into dough to deflate.  Divide dough into fifteen equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a ball; place into a pan.   Brush with butter if desired. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until doubled.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm or cooled. 

Honey Butter

Prep time 5 minutes, chill one hour.  Great with dinnter rolls. 

Ingredients

-1/2 cup softened butter
-1/2 cup honey

Beat ingredients together and chill for about one hour to blend flavors.  Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

                                                                        Porcupines


(This thrifty recipe is taken directly from “Little Heathens” and are called porcupines since they resemble porcupines.)

Ingredients

-one pound of ground beef
-½ cup rice
-¼ cup milk
-1 ½ cup to 2 cups fresh or canned tomatoes
-salt and pepper to taste

Mix together ground beef, rice, milk, salt, and pepper. Form mixture into oval-shaped balls about three inches long. Place in an oblong Pyrex baking dish and pour tomatoes over top. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and a half. The cooked rice will poke out of the ovals like porcupine quills

Green Bean Casserole

                                                                      Scalloped Corn

                                                        Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
                               (this is a favorite dish handed down from Colleen’s grandma)


2 pounds potatoes (about 6 med. or 4 large potatoes)
3 tbsp butter or margarine
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp butter or margarine
Pre-cooked ham cut into 1 inch squares

Peel potatoes. Cut enough thin slices to measure about 4 cups. Heat 3 tbsps butter in saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 min.

Arrange potatoes in greased 2-quart casserole in 3 layers, topping each of the first two layers with 1/2 of the onion and 1/3 of the white sauce. You can add pre-cooked pieces of ham on top of first two layers. Top with remaining potatoes and sauce. Dot with 1 tbsp butter. Cover and bake in 325 degree oven 40 min or 350 oven for 30 min. Uncover and bake until potatoes are tender, 60 to 70 minutes longer. Let stand 5 to 10 min. before serving. Makes 6 servings.