Granny's Pear Crumble

Just when I thought I saw light at the end of the tunnel with preserving, MrD got home from work yesterday with a big box of pears gifted to him from Manny in work.. Manny is blessed to have a couple of the trees in his garden producing more pears that he can eat. So for dessert today I decided to use some in a delicious crumble.. just like my granny used to make.

I don't know where she got the recipe from but it was a family favourite... especially when it was served with Birds Custard! Ahh memories....

4 pears, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 Tbsp brown sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ cup all-purpose flour
½  cup rolled oats
½ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp nutmeg (freshly grated ) optional
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (at room temperature)

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray an 8×8 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Place the pears in the baking dish

• Cover with the 2 Tbsp brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Toss well.
• In a larger bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
• Use a fork to smash in the softened butter, then use your hands to bring the mixture together.
• You want it to resemble sand and stick together when your hands squeeze it.
• Sprinkle the crumble mixture over top of the pears.

• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crumble looks golden and crunchy on top.
• Let cool slightly before serving.

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

Frosty Orange Punch

I love the weekends and the time I get to spend with MrD. He works so hard... and neither of us are getting any younger. So Sunday is the day we get to unwind and take it easy

Church first then relaxing for the rest of the day. Today we had our sandwich lunch in the garden. It was a rather warm day.. so I made one of our favourite refreshing drinks Frosty Orange Punch from the July 1942 edition of Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Quite simply.. its a mixture of orange juice, lemon juice, corn syrup and wate, frozen into icecubes.. served in a chilled glass with ginger ale.

We love it and I always keep some on hand throughout the summer

1 cup orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup corn sirup (corn syrup)
2 cups cold water
1 quart ginger ale
Orange slices (for garnish)

Original Magazine Clipping

• Combine the fruit juices, corn syrup, and water.
• Pour the mixture into an automatic refrigerator tray and freeze it into cubes.
• Place a few of the frozen juice cubes into each glass.
• Fill the rest of the glass with ginger ale.
• Garnish the drink with orange slices.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
July 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