Meal #1

 Look around/look around/at how lucky we are to be alive right now...

Renee, Phillipa, and Jasmine were singing that while started my first attempt this afternoon.  While the world is in a state of chaos right now, I realized that I'm lucky have a lot of resources that Lottie didn't have 70 years ago.  It took a lot of work, but while I'm sitting here, all my dirty dishes are in a machine that is going to wash and dry them later, and the robotic vacuum cleaner is sweeping up the mess on the floor.  I made this meal in a kitchen in a house that I bought with money that I've earned during my 15 year teaching career.  Although the story is that she, not Harry, built the second story of the house on Hall Street.  Lottie only had an eighth grade education, and became a wife and mother with a household to run literally weeks after becoming an adult.  She really didn't have much of a choice in 1902.

An original edition of Lottie's cookbook

 

The first lesson I learned was not to do too much at one time.  I attempted Parker House rolls, pear salad, Johnny Marzetti, and mint dazzler.  The whole process took about 5 hours, including an emergency trip to Kroger for milk, egg subsitute, and ginger.  I'm sure that Lottie's four daughters were expected to help cook and clean up, but Lloyd refuses to do anything but sit and scream until I turn on Hamilton, his favorite musical.

Parker House rolls:  One of the obstacles that I ran into was somewhat vague directions.  The cookbook has no pictures, and I tried to follow her instructions, and not Google what any of this was supposed to look like.  "Enough flour to make a good dough." I did have to look up the purpose and process of scalded milk, it was to kill germs, (not necessary with today's pasteurization process, merci Louis!) to help melt the butter, and it helps the dough to rise.  Who knew?  It really did help the dough to rise, I swear I put it in the bowl- glass, not metal, right Aunt Velma? :) -and when I turned around it was almost spilling out of the edges.  And it made two dozen.  I have to remember that Lottie cooked for a family of 8, and catered.  Lots of leftovers, to freeze for the next lock down, ha ha.  They turned out edible, but they puffed out instead of up.  This might be due to the fact that I forgot to spread butter on the dough before I folded them up.  Luckily I realized this before they went into the oven, so I put a little bit of butter on each one and re-folded them.  It didn't work.  No handshake from Paul Hollywood.  And retyping the recipe, I realize I didn't dissolve the yeast first.  Oops.  The first batch seemed undercooked, the second batch burned, and the third batch was fine.  Also, the recipe doesn't mention when the eggs go in, so I ended up adding them at the very end, just before I let the dough rise.  

Basic Yeast Dough
1 cup mashed potatoes mixed with 1/2 cup boiling water
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup shortening (butter and margarin)
1 cup scalded milk
2 packs dry yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
flour to make a dough you can handle easily.
Pour boiling water on potatoes and mix.  add salt and sugar, scaleded milk,  mix well, add part of flour then add yeast and more flour.  Add shortening, then rest of flour.  Let rise until double in bulk.  You can use for the following rolls.

Parker House Rolls

Use basic dough.  Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick.  Spread with soft butter.  Cut in rounds with biscuit cutter.  Make a crease with back of knife across round just off center.  Fold so top slightly overlaps.  Press edges together at crease.  Place rolls fairly close on sheet and bake at 400 degrees 15 minutes.

Pear salad-  I still don't understand how fruit, jello, and Miracle Whip constitutes a salad, but okay.  This one didn't turn out well.  The directions are pretty vague, ie: "small can of pears," "one pack lime jello."  I assumed "salad dressing" meant Miracle Whip, maybe I was wrong.  The final direction is to "pour the mixture over the first layer," but there was no pouring going on.  Scraping and smashing, but no pouring.  I may have also let the second half of the jello set too much.  Or used the wrong sized pan.  Again, it's not pretty, but it's edible.  Probably won't try this one again.

Pear Salad

1 pack lime jello

1 small can pears (drained)

1 can crushed pineapple (drained)

2 cups water and juice

Dissolve jello in hot water and juice, take out part for topping.  Add pears and pineapple to first part pour in pan.  Whip second part and pour in pan.  Whip second part when it starts to set, fold in 3 oz. pack cream cheese, 1/4 tsp ginger, salt and 2 tbsp. salad dressing.  Pour over first layer.  

John Marzetti-  Also known as "Johnny Marzetti," This was one of the few main dishes in this cookbook.  Lottie seems like more of a dessert person, we would have gotten along well.  This dish is kind of infamous in my parents' house, but that's a long story.  I remember it as a staple in my elementary school cafeteria, but that was a long time ago.  The directions called for "one can of tomatoes,"  which in Lottie's world probably meant go into the basement and get a jar of home-canned tomatoes.  I don't have any of those.  I could have, but when I moved in two years ago, I eradicated all the tomato plants on the property.  If you know me, you know why. The recipe wasn't specific on what kind of noodles to use, according to my mom: "The big gross kind."  Not helpful.  So I guessed. This one turned out pretty good, after I put some parmesean cheese on it.  I don't know if I'm allowed to doctor recipes like that.  The only down side of this dish was the smell.  It tasted fine, but it smelled like hot garbage while it was baking.  I used a large can of crushed tomatoes, that seemed to work well.  

John Marzetti

1 1/2 lb ground pork.  Fry golden brown with small onion.  Add 1 quart tomatoes.  Cook medium sized pack noodles in salted water until tender, drain.  Add to meat mixture.  Cut fine 3/4 lb. cream cheese, mix part with mixture and sprinkle rest on top.  Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mint dazzler- This is one I would do again.  My only problem was the previously mentioned egg situation.  I used an egg substitute, and the second layer never got "light and fluffy" like it was supposed to.  Despite that, the recipe is still pretty good.  And a great way to use up leftover candy canes.

Mint Dazzler

2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 eggs slightly beaten

3 squares unsweetened chocolate melted

1 1/2 cups cream whipped

1 8 oz. pack small marshmallows

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy

Mix crumbs and 1/4 cup melted butter.  Press in bottom of greased 8 inch pan.  Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and melted chocolate and beat until light and fluffy.  Spoon over crumbs.  Set in freezer while whipping cream.  Fold marshmallows into whipped cream and spread over chocolate layer.  Sprinkle with crushed candy.  Freeze.