As I typed in the date of this week’s column, my thoughts went in a completely different direction than what I had planned to contribute. We will see where it leads me. Today ( Sunday)is the birthday of my little brother who died at the age of 31, leaving a pregnant wife and two small children aged 4 and 2. This week is the 30th anniversary of the death of my husband at the age of 57. Now that I have 4 kids older than he was at the time of his death , I realize more how young he really was than I did at that time when we were reaching for 60! At that time I didn’t think I could manage even one year without him, but God does provide strength to endure what comes our way. You have to make the best life you can for yourself and your family with what you have left, doing it one day at a time. Sometimes it has to be hour by hour. I have found strength in a couple of things that were said to me. “Time does not make you forget, but it does make remembering easier.” A friend said to me at Johnny’s death. “A life is not judged my it’s length, but by its quality!” I also take refuge in the words of a hymn from my childhood-“Some Day I’ll Understand.”
My original thoughts were on the light side of life. I am having trouble making the change to that level, so let’s just go to food, which we have to have even when we don’t feel like preparing any or much less eating it.
I found some old, old recipes from my aunt’s church cookbook. They were all back when we didn’t have crock pots and prepared mixes. The directions are a bit sparse, but back then everyone knew just what to do. Peanut butter is a favorite item of mine. Way back in the 1940’s when we were dating, I worked and lived in Ft. Wayne, coming home each weekend on the Greyhound bus, Things were sparse at my home, with no electricity so no refrigerator. Also, my Mother had died about five years before. I wanted something to eat and all I could find was soda crackers and peanut butter. Johnny turned up his nose, but at my insistence he tried it and decided it had some merit. I still like it, and besides if you are watching your sugar, I read where a bit of peanut butter before a meal will prevent a sugar spike. Any way this is leading to promoting my recipe for peanut butter bars.
PEANUT BUTTER BARS
½ cup shortening
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon each of soda, salt, and vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 package chocolate bits.
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons evaporated milk
Cream shortening, sugars. Blend in egg, peanut
butter, soda, salt, and vanilla. Stir in flour and oatmeal.
Spread in greased baking dish. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in
a 350 degree oven. Remove and sprinkle with chocolate
chips and let stand five minutes. Combine powdered sugar,
peanut butter and evaporated milk. Spread chocolate evenly
and drizzle with peanut butter mixture.
Some time ago a reader called me for a recipe that called for chopped dates since she had some left from a Christmas recipe. In case you have the same dilemma, here is one that should fill that need besides being very tasty.
DATE PUDDING
Bring to a boil and let cool:
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water
Mix and place in an 8” square baking dish:
¾ cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup chopped dates
2 tablespoons butter
¾ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup milk
Pour cooled syrup over batter and bake20 to 25
minutes in a 350 degree oven. When cool top with
whipped cream.
Thought for today: He who receives a good deed should never forget it. He who does a good deed should never remember it!
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