Meta Givens 100% Wholewheat Bread

A new week here at our Blue House.. and its a little cooler today... not much but at least its going in the right direction                                                                                                                                                        

Early this morning the door bell rang and it was our young neighbour Aaron, who in his rush to get to work had slammed the front door shut and then realized that is wallet and keys were still inside. His wife was already doing her shift at the hospital so the poor guy was stranded! So I let him use the telephone to call our local locksmith.. who arrived about half an hour later leaving Aaron a bit late for work.. but at least he got there.

I also suggested he got a spare set of keys made.. and leave them with us.. just in case it happens again. Or... he could get a big doggie door.. like I used when I did exactly the same as him.! I know which one is easier!

It was Monday again.. and as well as the laundry  and cleaning.. it was also bread making day. I usually make the National Loaf which we both enjoy... but Ive decided to branch out and try some new bread recipes. So today I gave Meta Givens 100% Wholewheat Bread recipe and it makes two loaves

Verdict... well it is a much softer springier bread than the National Loaf.. and of course a different flavour as it uses brown sugar instead of the honey or treacle.  Even though the instructions seemed to be long.. it was very simple to follow and came together really well.

We liked it.. so I will be making it again

2 cakes compressed yeast or 3 packages fast granular yeast

2/3 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 cups milk, scalded

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

5 cups unsifted whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Original Recipe

• Soften yeast in lukewarm water with the 1 tablespoon sugar. 
• Scald milk, add salt and the 1/2 cup sugar, and cool to lukewarm. 
• Combine with softened yeast and add half the flour, stirring until thoroughly combined. 
• Then stir in the melted butter, add the remaining flour, and stir until thoroughly mixed. 
• Dough will be very soft and sticky, but do not add more flour, for the softer the dough, the more tender, light and moist the bread will be.
• Cover bowl and set in warm place (about 85° F.) to rise 1 hour. 
• Leaving dough in bowl, knead it for 5 minutes, until smooth and somewhat stiffened
• Do not use additional flour.
• Again cover and let rise for 1/2 hour. 

• Divide dough into 2 portions and place in buttered bread pans (41/2 x 81/2 x 21/2 inches)
• Press into corners and smooth surface with buttered hands
• Dough will probably be too soft to shape into loaves before placing in pans.(Mine wasn't)
• Cover pans with cloth and let loaves rise for 1/2 hour. 
• Bake in a moderately hot oven (400° F.) for 10 minutes
• Reduce heat to moderate (350° F.) and continue baking 50 minutes longer. 
• Turn out immediately onto cake coolers 
• Cool before slicing. 
• Makes 2 loaves.

The Modern Family Cook Book
Meta Given 1942

Orange Marmalade Muffins

A bit of a different Thursday for us today. MrD had a dentist appointment so because he worked on Monday he took the afternoon off. I went with him and we did our grocery shopping today instead of tomorrow. It was nice having his company plus it was in the next big town to us so we did a bit of window shopping too.

Before he got home this morning I did a quick bake and made these Orange Marmalade Muffins from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, October 1940

They were very easy to make and the marmalade sinks into the muffins as they bake. But, although they tasted lovely, I found them a bit dense.. and more scone like. Plus they really needed a bit more filling. MrD didn't mind though as he added a little spread of butter... and they went down well with a cup of tea.

1/3 cup shortening

1/4 cup sugar
2 well-beaten eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup milk
6 maraschino cherries, sliced

Marmalade Filling: 
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon light cream
1 tablespoon soft butter
2 tablespoons orange marmalade

Original Magazine Clipping

• Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly. 
• Add eggs and vanilla extract
• Beat well. 
• Sift flour with salt and baking powder,
• Add alternately with milk. 
• Beat thoroughly.
• Fill greased muffin pans half full. 
• Drop a teaspoon of the marmalade filling into each. 
• Fill the pans two-thirds full with the remaining batter.
• Top with sliced maraschino cherries. 
• Bake in a moderate oven (375°F) for 20 minutes. 

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
October 1940

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