March 24, 2019

Poppy Seed Cake with Filling and Frosting

by Mrs Marvel

This is a bit of a wreck. At first I thought it was parts of different recipes, but it really seems to go together on the page. But, the last instruction is to top with chopped peanuts, and that just doesn’t seem like a topping for poppy seed cake. Tastes change, I guess. My notes are in italics.

Poppy Seed Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter or half & half (meaning half butter half margarine)

Soak 3/4 cup poppy seeds 2 hours before using in 3/4 cup milk

2 cups flour

2 tsp B Powder

Vanilla

4 whites eggs – put in last

Combine in the order provided – bake and cool

Filling

Yolks of 4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 tsp cornstarch

vanilla

Make a pudding of these ingredients

Frosting

3/4 cup butter

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

enough powdered sugar to make a soft paste

Sprinkle top with chopped peanuts

Combine all together – you could leave out the egg yolks and use milk instead

March 20, 2019

Grape Juice

by Mrs Marvel

Such neat handwriting! It reminds me of the illustrations of how cursive letters are supposed to be formed. But I digress….grape juice! I loved it as a kid and remember that cute little girl?

If you ever wondered how to make grape juice, it’s pretty easy apparently. I cross checked some other sources and this is the quick and easy method. You just might want to strain it afterwards, and modern thinking might even suggest a blender. Might be interesting, give it a shot. It goes without saying that the grapes should be clean and removed from the stems. You may or may not need to crush them or cut them, depending on who you ask.

Grape Juice

1 cup grapes

1/2 cup sugar

Put in 1 quart jar, fill with boiling water, then seal

March 17, 2019

Good Gargle

by Mrs Marvel

It sounds a little bit like something your grandmother might say when frustrated. “Oh good gargle!” :-) Here’s another home health remedy, presumably for a sore throat. The powdered elm I believe would be powdered slippery elm bark. This is known for its treatment of coughs, sore throat, colic, diarrhea, constipation, and many other ailments. Seek guidance from your physician before using this recipe – I am making no medical claims here.

Good Gargle

1 package powdered elm

1 package sage tea

Gargle every 10 minutes

March 13, 2019

Dandelion Tonic

by Mrs Marvel

Several years ago I posted a recipe for dandelion wine, and this sounds somewhat similar. I haven’t tried either one, and frankly I haven’t tried drinking dandelion wine ever. It’s just not something I have come across. This tonic purports to cure “spring fever” but I’m really not sure what that is beyond a need to get out of the house. It’s loaded with sugar so it probably gives you an energy boost. Dandelions are considered an herb and as such have some possible curative properties. They may help with increasing urination or decreasing inflammation, upset stomach or loss of appetite, gas or muscle aches. Basically it’s all over the place. Before using any home remedy or herbs, consult with your doctor.

My interpretation of the text is below.

Dandelion Tonic

2 quarts dandelion flowers

4 quarts boiling water

3 pounds granulated sugar

Clean the dandelion flowers and remove all green stalks, allow to sit overnight to wilt. In a large pot, pour over the flowers 4 quarts of boiling water. Allow this to stand two days, then strain and drain off all liquid. Discard the flowers. To the liquid, add the sugar and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into a jar, cover with cloth, and allow to stand for three weeks. (this may ferment so look into wine-making information to prevent contamination and/or explosion) Carefully remove to bottles. Take a tablespoon 3 times a day.

March 11, 2019

Homemade Easter Treat Recipes

by Mrs Marvel

We have quite a collection of delicious Easter treats now. I have made a few of them, I hope you will too. They are mainly candy and breads, but there’s a traditional cheese spread here too. Easter is approaching on April 21st, so that gives you plenty of time to plan and execute your homemade chocolate eggs, rolls and dessert cheese. Enjoy!

Candy

Mashed Potato Cream Eggs

Bread