Fried Apples

A dreadfully muggy day. Brief showers and 90° temperatures made for an uncomfortably humid and sticky day

Still... Autumn is just around the corner... so with all the food preserving done it was time to start the pre Fall clean. As well as the normal Tuesday chores.. I took down all the light curtains in the living and dining room.. cleaned the windows and washed the the walls with a wrung out mop. 

Then when everything was done I put up the warmer thicker curtains and all was clean and cosy again ready for the cooler weather.. which I hope is not too far away.. 

For dinner tonight we had some delicious stuffed peppers using some of the bell peppers from the garden. Then we took our dessert to the living room and listened to the next episode of "Hop Harrington" on the radio

Hop Harrington 

Featuring Chester Stratton and Ken Lynch

Broadcast September 8th 1942

This fried apples recipe from Meta Givens is a great, quick recipe. Its very versatile too. We have it plain with ice cream, as a topping for pancakes and a side for chicken or pork

MrD once commented that its like eating apple pie without the crust, With the sprinkle of cinnamon I think it tastes like Autumn

I did take a couple of changes though. The original recipe says to leave the peel on... I didn't. And I also  added a sprinkle of cinnamon.. just because we like it

      

2 lbs tart apples
3 Tbspbutter or bacon, ham or pork drippings
1/3 cup water
Sugar.. this was unspecified so I used 2 Tbsp  of brown sugar

Original Recipe

• Core and slice apples into rings or wedges.
• Melt the fat in a heavy pan and add the apples.
• Pour the water on top and cover tightly.
• Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened.
• Sprinkle the sugar on top
• Cook over low heat until delicately browned.

The Modern Family Cookbook

Meta Given - 1942

Flank Steak in Tangy Sauce

Labour Day and it was another showery day.. The temperatures are going back up meaning it was pretty humid. I guess Autumn isn't quite here yet. But still, we had a beautiful sunrise. And for the first time in a long time,  MrD decided to forego his day off and go into work. 

In September of 1942, the United States faced its first Labor Day of WWII. The day reserved for worker parades and celebrations seemed out of place as American soldiers were fighting overseas. So workers across the country agreed to cancel the year’s celebrations in honor of the soldiers and to keep production going in the war’s arsenal of democracy.

President Roosevelt told America that “there has never been a Labor Day as significant as this one” and thanked workers “for the energy and devotion with which they have met the demands of the present crisis.”

So for me it was another  ordinary Monday with the usual round of bread making, laundry and cleaning. Even at home, we women do our bit by keeping the home fires burning.. one dirty dish at a time..

For dinner, I made this really tasty Steak in Tangy Sauce from the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, July 1942. I served it over rice with tortillas and salad

The only change I made was using Flat Meat instead of the Flank Steak which is quite expensive right now. But the meat was extremely tender and the sauce was full of flavour

We really enjoyed it and I will be making it again. As the clipping says its..

"Fork-tender, budget-wise, whoops with flavor!"-

1 1 1/2-pound flank steak

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

2 tablespoons fat

1 1/2cups water

1/2 cup ketchup

1 1/2 tablespoons prepared mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Dash of Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/4 cup minced onion

1 clove garlic, grated

Original Magazine Clipping

• Score meat. 
• Mix flour, salt, and pepper; thoroly pound into steak. 
• Brown in hot fat. 
• Combine remaining ingredients; pour over meat; cover. 
• Cook over low heat until tender, 1½ to 2 hours. 
• Serve surrounded by border of fluffy cooked rice. 
• Garnish with parsley. 

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine July 1942

Mums Leftover Chicken and Vegetable Stew

We woke this morning rain..... not a sprinkle...not a shower.. but wonderful heavy downpours that have lasted all day. The first real rain we've had since spring. Temperatures have dropped an amazing 20 degrees from yesterday.. and the 70s are so much better. Although the garden is loving it... some of the bigger plants, flowers and shrubs are decidedly droopy as they cant cope with the sheer weight of water.

After church we hurried home and spent a relaxing afternoon.. me with my knitting and MrD doing his favourite crossword puzzles. We listened to a couple of radio shows...

First.. The Texaco Star Theater 

Featuring: Jimmy Wallington, Bob Hannan and Jane Froman 

with music from Al Goodman and His Orchestra

The Great Gildersleeve

Featuring Harold Peary, Lurene Tuttle, Lillian Randolph, Earle Ross and Walter Tetley 

with music from Billy Mills and His Orchestra

For dinner I made my mothers recipe for Chicken and Vegetable Stew... which used some leftover chicken and my homegrown root vegetables plus some simple pantry staples

A thick and hearty broth.. its very easy and quick to make and it was ready to eat in 30 minutes. I served it with some homemade bread and it was very warming and filling

1 to 2 Tbsp bacon grease or butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 to 3 stalks of celery, chopped 
2 large carrots, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup of turnip
4 cups chicken broth (or water with a bouillon cube)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme or sage
Salt and black pepper to taste
2-3 cups leftover chicken, shredded or cubed
3 Tbsp plain flour

A few drops of gravy browning (optional)

• Over a medium heat, melt the bacon grease or butter in a large pot
• Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots. 
• Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft 
• Pour in the chicken broth. 
• Stir in the potatoes and turnips 
• Add the bay leaf, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste
• Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and cover the pot, 
• Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. 
• Add the leftover chicken
• Simmer for 5 minutes to heat the chicken through
• Blend flour with 4 tablespoons cold water (to make a slurry) 
• Slowly pour into stew.. stirring constantly
• For a darker stew add a couple of drops of gravy browning (optional)
• Simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes until the gravy thickens
• Remove the bay leaf before serving. 

Tomato Powder

 My goodness what a busy day its been

I put my own preserving on hold as I popped over to the canning centre which has been set up in our church hall kitchen to help other ladies with their own preserving. I took along my pressure canner for those ladies who don't have one.. and my water bath canner to make some of the processing go faster. It was lovely to see some of the younger ladies gleaning wisdom from the more mature ones. 

Time went so fast that I had  to scurry home for a quick lunch and get my own house in order before MrD got home. No preserving in my own kitchen today.. but last night I did manage to finish the tomato powder from the skins saved from canning crushed tomatoes yesterday.

• Collect leftover skins after peeling or canning tomatoes. 
• Pat them dry to remove excess moisture. 

• Arrange the peels in a single layer on parchment paper. 
• Set oven to its lowest setting (150°F to 200°F)

• Bake for 2 to 3 hours until completely dry and brittle. 
• You can also use a dehydrator at 135°F for about 6 hours
• Grind the dried skins until it forms a fine powder. 

• Sift the final mix if needed for a smoother texture
• Keep the powder in an airtight jar in a cool, dark pantry or refrigerator to maintain freshness

Uses:

• Sprinkle over salads, buttered pasta, or popcorn for a concentrated burst of tomato flavor.
• Mix into soups, stews, chowders, or dips to add both flavor and body.
• Blend with hot water to recreate quick tomato paste, sauce, or soup.