Last week a magic moment came from a very unexpected source. The phone rang and since it takes me a bit longer to get out of my easy chair and walk across the room than it used to, I hurriedly grasped the phone without looking at the caller I.D. Guess what! It was a high school classmate who is residing in an assisted living residence in another county. Now here is where the magic comes in. You can about guess his age since I told you he was a classmate of mine. He also reads Magic Moments every week. To deepen the plot, he had read my recipe for Soda Cracker Pie thoroughly enough to notice an error in my ingredients! Rather than being embarrassed at having a reader point out an inefficiency on my part, I was flattered that an “older” male was really reading the whole thing that carefully! In case you glanced over it hurriedly, I had stated that it needed 1 teaspoon of vanilla, followed by one teaspoon of sugar. The directions said to add sugar “one tablespoon at a time”! Right here I will admit that it should have read 1 cup of sugar! Many cooks would have noticed that it was not right and it should have been one cup, but that does not excuse my poor proof reading. I try to check the ingredients as I type them. This should point out that the typist should never proof read her own work. We tend to read what we were thinking instead of what we are seeing. This just reinforces my former statement that we can find magic in unusual events in our daily lives. Keep on reading and calling, Ralph. I will try to keep the reason for your calls to be just to chat.
Another magic filled evening was on Saturday when my daughter who has been teaching in the East Side Elementary School in Butler for forty years has decided to retire. She and her family entertained family, friends and neighbors to a supper at their home with a meal partially cooked by her husband as he does many Chuck Wagon meals for many occasions. Judy, their daughter and his mother prepared other items such as salads, vegetable plates, etc. from items raised in his fantastic garden. The finishing touches were supplied by pies, congratulation cakes and homemade ice cream. The evening climaxed with the many guests expressing good wishes and renewing friendships from the past among the diversified guests. I was flattered with a quotation from me that was made into a poster that she kept in her school room. When I was volunteering at the Edgerton Elementary school, mostly for Mrs. Glore for 16 years, I told the second grade students that if you learned to read well and understood what you read and had a good understanding of math, the world was yours. That made you capable of learning anything that you wanted to learn. She called me one day and said, “Mom, how did you say that? I want to use it!”Imagine my surprise and pleasure of seeing her poster from her classroom on the wall of her garage with her other trophies of a successful teaching career. Many good wishes are sent your way for an enjoyable and magic filled retirement, Judy.
This brings back memories from her college days when she graduated from St. Frances in Ft. Wayne. Some of the students already had jobs and she was disturbed by the fact that she had not been placed yet and owed less than $3000.00! She did this on her own with very little assistance from us. Not because we would not but because we could not, other than a car and gas for a summer job, etc. What a comparison to today’s cost of an education. In a very short time she had a position with the East Side school and taught there her entire career.
Do you have a supply of fresh rhubarb and need a different way to prepare it? Maybe this suggestion will help you combine two seasonal ingredients, especially if you are lucky enough to have some homegrown strawberries.
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB COBBLER
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh rhubarb
1 ½ cups sliced fresh strawberries
TOPPING:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup cold butter cubed
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup milk
In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add rhubarb and strawberries. Toss to coat. Let stand five minutes. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour into a greased 8 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until forms coarse crumbs. Combine egg and milk; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. Drop by tablespoon onto fruit. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
PEACHY RHUBARB PIE
1 can (8 ½ oz.) sliced peaches
2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
1 cup sugar
¼ cup flaked coconut
3 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon vanilla
Favorite pastry for 2 crust 9 inch pie
1 tablespoon butter
Drain peaches, reserving syrup. Chop the peaches. Place peaches and syrup in a bowl. Add the rhubarb, sugar, coconut, tapioca and vanilla. Let stand for 15 minutes. Line a 9 inch pie plate with bottom crust. Fill with rhubarb mixture. Dot with butter. Make a lattice crust on top of fruit. Trim, seal and flute edges. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown and bubbly.
Hope all of you fathers enjoyed a fabulous weekend filled with many magic moments and appreciation from your families.
No comments:
Post a Comment