Baking, tomorrow

[lesa]

I made my mothers recipe for "Poorman's cake" aka fruitcake. Kind of a tradition. I will bring her some and see if she remembers it... Made almond, coconut macaroons this morning. Tonight will be apple pie. I better get the squash cooked for Christmas day dinner, too. Hey, you just reminded me- I need to get the ham out of the freezer! Those breads look splendid, Steve! I am going to take down that recipe for the ww bread, thistle. That sounds delish!

 

[canesisters]

@lesa , is the poorman's fruitcake the one that starts with a box of graham crackers crushed?

 

[lesa]

No graham crackers in this one. The liquid in this is coffee and it has very little flour. I imagine maybe the coffee was a substitute for molasses during the depression era. Not sure. My grandmother was from Denmark and she had the recipe.

 

[digitS']

Traditions are important and have meaning. Please excuse my characteristic rambling on about them . I'm just thinking out loud.

It didn't seem very nice to hijack @thistlebloom 's thread lamenting my family's lack of holiday traditions. That's probably all from the religious orientation of Mom's and her mother's family. I've talked about that before, the whole Anabaptist thing.

We cobbled it all together, maybe just so we didn't stand out in the community by appearing apathetic about secular and religious holidays. Maybe, idle digitS' needed to be occupied ...

@Lavender2 talks about knowing where to set the corn on the holiday table . I think traditions inform us where we are in the family scheme of things. Our holiday half measures may just reflect a continuing legacy from Mom and Grandma, in a rather odd way.

Food, we've kinda got it. From Thanksgiving turkey with the trimmings to roast beef on Christmas. Some things are kinda silly but if DW liked Mom's greenbean casserole and that strange pudding, cottage cheese & pineapple dessert - who am I to say that is crazy?

I've squashed the traditions in my own way beginning 50 years ago when I first split open one of those candyroasters so as to brighten our Thanksgiving with a squash pie .

DD's BF hasn't eaten a slice of pumpkin pie while he has been here. I hope he gets into that but Imma thinkin' this pie thing could ease up a little for Christmas Day.

DW likes Mom's roll recipe but popping a few loaves of pumpkin bread in before them might be appreciated. I mean, the squash on the basement shelf still look good and I've got the cooked pumpkin (& cream cheese ). I'll have to see how well the pumpkin bread went over that DD took home from the last batch ...

I'm also hoping "Dad's Enchiladas" can slide in beside the traditional New Year's omelets

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Feel free to hijack Steve, it just makes everything more interesting.

We frequently have enchiladas for our Christmas day meal, Mexican food is our families favorite.

There's a great tradition right there, you making pies! Especially your squash pies, I think that's a super one. Which reminds me, I haven't roasted my Red Kuri yet, better hop to it!

 

[lesa]

Got the first apple pie baked this morning. As far as Dh is concerned I need not make anything else! Will need to bake another for Saturday. We celebrate with his family then... I joke that they won't let me in if I don't bring an apple pie (but I am afraid it might be true!) Nice to have my baking appreciated! I make the green bean casserole too, Steve. Not my favorite but it really seems I just can't leave it off!

 

[bobm]

Every Christmas as well as every holiday,my wife bakes MMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmm pie at the request of ALL of our grandkids and kids. They even have to help her bake it every time they come over. Oh ! MMMMMMMMMMMMmmm pie is Pumpkin pie.

 

[digitS']

A Jack o'lantern pumpkin is a poor choice for pie, in my humble opinion (and, never having grown a "pie" pumpkin).

I'm real happy with the C. maxima squash for pies. My Jack o'lanterns can go for the bread but it might not be wise to grow very many of them . I'm liking it better than zucchini bread. Everybody likes zucchini bread!

Steve

 

[jomoncon]

And I like sweet potatoes for pies! Baking about 6 today: 1 for DH & me, 1 for brother's birthday (today). and 4 for neighbors!

Recently found a recipe for sweet potato pie with a pecan topping: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-pecan-pie Used my own pie recipe with the pecan topping. Really, really good!

 

[Lavender2]

Speaking of traditions, Steve ... I wonder why we've never done pies for Christmas. I guess we do so many cookies, there's no room for pie. I could bring an Apple pie and really throw mom for a loop.

Last Sunday was cookie day here. DH offered to make the cut-out cookies a few years ago, Mom approved his baking so now he gets to make them every year...hehe
My granddaughter (8) sugared every cookie, a double double batch, if there isn't a couple hundred sugar cookies Mom might run out ya know...



We had so much fun, I hope this turns into one of those long lasting traditions!