Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake – a 1940s Recipe

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a small 4-½ x 6 inch leather bound book engraved “Cooking Recipes”, purchased at an antique mall in Sugar Creek, Ohio.  The pages are edged in gold and there are 10 index tabs for food categories.  

The real gold in this book, though, is the collection of handwritten recipes.  There aren’t a lot of recipes – just 25, 22 of which are desserts.  The book itself could have been from the 1930s, but I believe the recipes are from the 1945-1950 era.  This is based on a lot of recipes calling for shortening, for using the word “oleo” rather than margarine in most recipes and the attention given to oven temperatures.  I believe it’s post-World War II because of all of the sugar-laden desserts.

The handwriting is clear and ingredients are listed correctly, although most of the recipes give no idea of how the item is to be prepared, what kind of pan to use or how long to bake.  That’s why I’ve decided to make each of the recipes, using the products specified, and adding my own instructions.  I like to think that the woman from the 1940s kitchen (who would have been about my mother’s age) would enjoy having someone fuss around with these recipes again and turn out some delicious food for the family.

This is a good, family-style cake – soft and moist, but not too rich.  Normally, I use a reduced-fat, olive oil based mayonnaise but since the mayonnaise is replacing eggs and shortening in this recipe, I went with the full-fat version (Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise).

MAYONNAISE CHOCOLATE CAKE

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup regular mayonnaise (not low fat)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ¼ cup cocoa
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F for a glass pan, 350 degrees F for a metal pan
Grease and flour a 9 inch baking pan

In the large bowl of a mixer, beat together the sugar, water and mayonnaise.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and cocoa.

Add the dry ingredients to the mayonnaise mixture and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into prepared pan …

…and bake in preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes or until cake tests done when a tester is inserted in the center of the cake.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Keep cake in pan and when cool, frost with:

VINTAGE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

• 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• ¼ cup cocoa
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3-4 Tblsp. cream (or evaporated milk)

Place 1 cup of powdered sugar, cocoa, salt, butter and vanilla in mixer bowl.  Beat for one minute.  Gradually add remaining cup of powdered sugar alternately with cream until of desired consistency.

Frost top of cake.

Makes 9 servings

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A Beautiful Beaded Stiletto

I’ve been getting advance gifts from my daughters for my upcoming 80th birthday, but I was surprised by a wonderful gift from my blogging friend, Freda, at The Adventures of the Empress of the Universe.  Last week, she had posted a tutorial on making stilettos from turkey lacers to use in sewing – and she sent me one!  It’s so precious and will definitely be used.  Freda enclosed it with a card by one of my favorites, Mary Engelbreit.

To learn how to make these beautiful stilettos, go to Freda’s blog:

http://imperamagna.blogspot.com/2012/07/up-to-mischief-again.html

Thank you, Freda, for making my day.

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It Was a Very Good Year – 1940-1946

On July 13, 2012, my two daughters surprised me with a big box of wrapped gifts, informing me it was exactly 80 days until my 80th birthday and I would be able to unwrap one gift a day.  The gift items would commemorate a year in my life in some way.  This is what I received this week:

1940 – A 1940s AAA tour book for the eastern seaboard which included my home state of Ohio.  It’s so interesting to compare the listings to what we have today.  Most hotel restaurants at that time offered breakfast for 50 cents, lunch for 75 cents and dinner for $1.00.  For chicken or steak dinners, the cost was $1.25.  Of course, we were still fighting our way out of the depression and wages were low. 

1941 – My youngest daughter knitted a Navy watch cap made from a 1941 Red Cross pattern along with a flyer saying that “the boys need sox – knit your best”.  I’ll wear this cap to take the dog for walks on cold winter days.  Actually, my husband had a cap just like this when he was in the Navy in 1952.

1942 – A copy of Agatha Christie’s The Body in the Library, published in 1942 along with a scarf knitted by my daughter.  This scarf is identical to one that Miss Marple wore on a TV series, pictured on a bookmark my daughter made.  The yarn is called “Chipmunk Tweed”, just right for a Miss Marple scarf.

My granddaughter is a perfect model for the scarf.

1943 – Three copies of the 1943 magazine, The  Gregg Writer.  This is the perfect gift for me.  I started taking shorthand classes in 1947, used it throughout my long career and still use it today as a time-saving way of keeping notes. 

1944 - A postcard from August 29, 1944, showing our glorious art-deco Union Terminal.

Message on the back:  “Hi Mom – In Cinn. now sure glad we came.  We are at the zoo waiting for the monkey show.  Came up to the zoo on the incline.  See you soon.”  Two more famous Cincinnati landmarks are mentioned – the Zoo and the incline with a cable car that brought passengers up and  down the hill between the Cincinnati valley and the Zoo.   One year, my mother brought my little sister and me back home from a school outing at the Zoo by riding on the incline.

1945 – My youngest daughter made up a CD of 25 hits from the 1940s, including some of my favorite artists – Perry Como, Dinah Shore and, of course, Spike Jones. 

1946 – A March 18, 1946 copy of Life Magazine.  There are all of the usual great pictures and ads, but of special interest to me is an article about one of my favorite authors, Betty MacDonald.  Her book, The Egg and I was a best seller in 1946.

I have an original 1945 edition of the book which the article mentions sells for $2.75 in 1946.

Another wonderful week of gifts which show how well my daughters know me and know what I like.

Note:  My youngest daughter has a post on her blog with information and links for the gifts she has knitted so far.

http://wardenslog.blogspot.com/2012/07/one-way-to-celebrate-80th-birthday.html

All of my posts on this wonderful celebration are listed in Family – My 80th Birthday in my index on the right hand side of the page.

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Pie Contest Table Topper–Mini-Quilt

In the 1990s, I did a large painting of our county fair pie contest.

I took a picture of this painting and printed it on June Tailor Colorfast Fabric for Inkjet Printers.  I left the backing paper on while I touched up the acrylic paint and re-inked the picture.  Then, I removed the backing paper and sewed on strips of fabric plus rick-rack to complete the top.

I used all scraps for the backing and completed a memory piece for my table topper rack.

The little pie was hand carved from wood by a good friend and I borrowed one of my daughter’s miniature blue ribbons for this display.

In 1995, I had used a version of this painting to make a floor cloth for my daughter.  It has been in constant use since that time and I’m going to freshen the paint and apply another couple coats of clear acrylic so it will be bright for a few more years.

In 1993, the original design was on a sweatshirt which won a blue ribbon at our county fair and at the Ohio State Fair.

My inspiration for the sketch was my first pie contest in 1983.  The story is posted here.

http://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2008/07/29/the-pie-contest/

As hectic, hot and tiring as the experience was, it stands out in my memory as one of the highlights of my life.

My oldest daughter, who was there at the time and has entered contests herself, has a delightful poem about pie contests on her blog.

http://www.nudged2write.com/archives/2692

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Crunchy Oriental Chicken Salad

This salad is adapted from one on Mennonite Girls Can Cook.  My two daughters and I enjoyed this salad for Sunday lunch and as leftovers.  Waiting to add the dressing until the salad is ready to eat keeps it fresh and crunchy.  You could add bigger portions of chicken to the salad.  My family likes the smaller chicken servings.  We all thought the dressing was especially delicious.

CRUNCHY ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD

Dressing:

• 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise)
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 1/4 cup of rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth.  Cover and let set in the refrigerator for an hour to blend the flavors.  Unused dressing can be refrigerated for several days.

Salad:

• 1 cup snow peas (tips and strings removed, torn in half)

• 1 bunch of green onions, sliced (including some of the tender green tips)

•  1 small red pepper, cut in thin strips

•  1 small yellow pepper, cut in thin strips

•  14 oz. bag of cole slaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)

•  1 head of Romaine lettuce, torn

•  One chicken breast, grilled (I used the breast from a deli chicken), sliced

• 1/2 cup of toasted almonds

In a very large bowl, place the snow peas….

….sliced green onions, red and yellow pepper strips…

…slaw mix and torn Romaine lettuce leaves.

Toss to mix and place in a covered container.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Note:  I love the Lock and Lock containers sold on QVC.  I received them as a gift and they are the best thing I have found for keeping any kind of food fresh.

When ready to serve, put salad mix in bowls and top with sliced chicken.  Pass the bowl of toasted almonds and the salad dressing for each person to take the portions they like.  This keeps everything fresh for further meals.

This is a big salad of 8-10 servings.

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It Was a Very Good Year – 1933-1939

On July 13, 2012, my two daughters surprised me with a big box of wrapped gifts, informing me it was exactly 80 days until my 80th birthday and I would be able to unwrap one gift a day.  The gift items would commemorate a year in my life in some way.  Here is what I received for the first year – 1932.

http://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2012/07/13/it-was-a-very-good-year-1932/

As promised, today, July 20, 2012, I am sharing the 7 gifts I received this week.

1933 – Recipe and souvenir folder from the Chicago World’s Fair for Durkee products.  I have a fairly large collection of product recipe pamphlets, but I didn’t have this one.

1934 – My youngest daughter knitted a pair of fingerless gloves from a 1934 pattern, overcoming some differences in needles and yarn.  These are so unbelievably soft.  They will definitely be worn next winter.

1935 – My youngest daughter knitted a “Hoover Blanket” from a 1935 pattern attributed to President Hoover’s wife.  The center of this baby-size blanket is double knit, done by knitting the front and back simultaneously.  The vintage green is my favorite.  It will make such a nice lap blanket.

1936 – My oldest daughter embroidered a Halloween huck towel from a 1936 pattern.  This will be a nice stand cover when I get out my Halloween decorations.

1937 – Sheet music from 1937 for The Donkey Serenade.  In the 1930s-40s, my family went to the picture show often, but always the ones my father wanted to see – westerns, historical dramas, war movies.  The only musicals we saw were the Road movies with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour.  I don’t know how we wound up in a theater watching The Firefly with Alan Jones and Jeanette MacDonald, but I remember after watching Alan Jones sing his Donkey Serenade, my father got up abruptly and started toward the exit.  My mother, my little sister and I followed along and I said in a loud voice, “That was lousy with a capital L”.  At that point, my embarrassed mother gave me a stage whispered “HUSH” and a sharp nudge up the aisle.  My daughters have always enjoyed this story, which prompted the sheet music gift.  I never did care much for Alan Jones, but in later years, I enjoyed hearing and seeing his very cool son, Jack Jones.

1938 – My youngest daughter recorded 26 songs from the 1930s era onto a CD for me.  The first track was (what else?) The Donkey Serenade.  But there were a lot of songs I really liked – Lazy Bones, Boo Hoo, Happy Days are Here Again, Minnie the Moocher, Frankie and Johnny, You’re in the Money, Pennies from Heaven, etc.  There were only a couple of tracks that I didn’t remember, mostly big band numbers which I was too young to appreciate at the time.  I listen to these songs and I’m transported back to a flat on Elm Street in downtown Cincinnati.  A small radio was kept on the mantel and I can see my little sister and me listening intently to the latest hits.  I remember hearing Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen and thinking they were saying, “My Dear Mr. Shane”.  I’m not sure even my mother knew what they were saying on that recording.

1939 -Two postcards from the 1939 New York World’s Fair.  The card on the left shows a view of the statue of George Washington by James Earle Fraser, from the Sun Dial, Time and the Fates of Man by Paul Manship.  

The card on the right shows the Hall of Music.

I love vintage postcards and these will be wonderful additions to my collection.

Wonder what all those packages for next week contain?

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County Fair Table Topper

In a previous post, I wrote about resurrecting some old decorative art sketches to make pen and ink panels for a tri-stand quilt rack.  That post is here:

http://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/july-4th-parade-tri-stand-mini-quilts/

I thought I’d give another favorite sketch a try and made a panel for my larger mini-quilt rack using a design from 1996.  I thought it would be nice to do a crazy-quilt border using actual fair award ribbons.  Although I have a box full of county and state fair ribbons I‘ve won through the years, I didn’t want to cut those up.  Luckily, my daughter found a box of Montgomery County award ribbons (Dayton, Ohio) in an antique mall and I used some of those.

It’s rather ironic that I’m using ribbons from this fair because it was a major event that we attended all the time I was growing up in the 1930s-40s.  I even posted about their big Labor Day Fair here:

http://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/labor-day-in-the-1930s-40s/

I added strip borders and quilted in gold thread to match the lettering on the ribbons…

…and a sleeve, label and binding.

Back in 1996, I had made several wood projects with this design to sell in our craft mall booth.  It was like meeting an old friend again after all these years.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

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My Fresh Peach Pie

I first made this pie in 1987 for the Ohio State Fair and it won 3rd place.  I call it My Fresh Peach Pie because at the time I used what I thought would make a good pie and later found it’s pretty much the basic recipe.  With ripe peaches from the local farm market, it’s simply delicious.

MY FRESH PEACH PIE

• 5 cups sliced peaches (6-7 medium peaches, peeled and pitted)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. almond extract
• Pastry for 9 inch two-crust pie (Here’s my favorite recipe)
• 1 Tblsp. butter
• 1 tsp. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

To peel peaches easily and without waste, drop them into very hot water and let stand for about one minute.  Remove from water and let drain and cool for 5 minutes.  The skin will slide right off.

Peel peaches, remove pits and slice in ½ inch slices.

Place peach slices in a large bowl and add sugar, flour, salt and almond extract.  Let stand for 10 minutes or while preparing crust.

Place the crust in a 9 inch pie plate and fill with the peach mixture.  Dot with butter …

…and place top crust over filling.  Seal and crimp edges, brush with milk and cut small vents in top crust.

Place on a large flat pan to catch spills and bake @ 375 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Servings:  6 to 8

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It Was a Very Good Year – 1932

My two daughters were here for lunch and brought out a huge, brightly wrapped box.

They informed me that it was exactly 80 days until my 80th birthday and that I was going to receive a gift each of the 80 days to commemorate a year in my life.  This box held the gifts for the first 20 years.

The first gift to be opened was for the year I was born, 1932 – a large bottle commemorating Washington’s 200th Birthday – 1732-1932.

Truly, there are treasures in my life – far greater than antique bottles.

These two girls have spent six months scouring antique malls and eBay to come up with gifts representing 80 years.  Next Friday, I’ll show what else they found.

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It’s County Fair Time in my July Kitchen.

County fairs were the major source of summer entertainment throughout my childhood in the 1930-40s era and we went to as many fairs as we could manage on my father’s salary and his gas ration points during World War II.  My favorite part of the fair was sitting around the barn before and after the afternoon’s races, listening to all of the “horse talk” going on around me and just sniffing – a horse barn is still my favorite scent in the world.  Of course, a barn is always full of flies.  My mother used to say that my little sister, who was so anxious to get to the midway and rides, would sit on a folding chair in the barn area and constantly wriggle, scratch, complain, and whine, while every fly in the county landed on her.  Meanwhile, I sat very quietly, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells with not one fly near me.

In my childhood, the horses made up 90% of my interest in the fair, so all through my life, I’ve collected anything with a harness horse on it.  I have quite a few items in my kitchen:

Although I always loved the horses the most, I was also anxious to see the baking and canning displays, the animals, and the quilts.

My kitchen shelf has a large silver tray on top that was won by my father for a race in 1969, and there are two silver bowls plus a brass tray that I won in pie contests in the 1980s.

All of the family competed and won awards in our county fairs and the Ohio State Fair.

It’s fair time again and although we don’t compete any more, I have a small county fair to enjoy right here in my own kitchen.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

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