Muscatine

sugar cookies

My sugar cookie recipe is, as Mom figured is over 170 years old. My sister even has the part from The original recipe on how to make your own sour cream. I gave it to my grand daughter who would be something like the ninth generation to use it. The most important ingredient is the doing it with family. That's a memory maker.

Yes, keep that tradition going.

Tell your granddaughter to passit to her grandaughter and keep the tradition going. Long live sugar cookies.

Pie memories!

OH MY...the pie debate! My mom found a recipe for pie crust on a Crisco Can. She modified it a bit to make it healthier, (in her opinion), at the time! Each of my siblings had a job to do to help make the perfect pie crust.
Some of us were able to take sticks of oleo & cut them into squares. They were then added to the bowls of flour, salt, etc. that others had done. We all used our fingers to make a ''crumble''. We then added liquid, slowly, as we worked the dough to the perfect consistency. Not too sticky, Not too dry. When mom said it was ready, we rolled it out.
The pie tins were greased & floured; the dough was gently placed into the pans. Everyone had a choice about what pie they wanted as an end result; pumpkin, cherry or apple? Every one of us had a choice as to which we chose to contribute to. They were NOT made from cans. Everyone that came to our home loved our pies! We were all able to feel pride in the enjoyment others had!
I miss those days. Today, many of us use the refrigerated dough & the cans of cherry, apple & pumpkin fillings. OR...(I'm just as guilty as the next person, buy the frozen pie already made, bake it & take it)!. I really do miss those days.

Apple tree

While we are talking about pies maybe someone can tell me about our apple tree.
When I was young 5 to 15 years old we had a apple tree and the apples were always green, never turning another color.
After the first frost we picked them for pies and apple sauce. They made great pies because they were always firm in the pies.
The only name my parents called them were winter apples.
Sadly when I was 15 the tree was destroyed by a storm and I never learned the name of them.
Yes the pies always were made with a lard crust.