The Silage Pit

For some reason I have been thinking today about the old silage pit that was on the farm in Chester. It looked a lot like this one.

Every fall, my dad would cut the corn, turn it into silage, and fill the pit to the brim! It made a great place for Carolyn and I to play, we spent hours running up and down the newly-made mountain of corn, tarp, and tires, which now laid claim at our farm

But, aside from the fun, there was something that was added to our farm --- that terrible smell! It was horrible, at least until your nose got acclimated to the smell and then it was hardly noticeable --at least to us. But as the school bus came down the road, everyone would hold their noses and say, "EW! We must be at the Dickinsons!" We didn't care one bit, we just hopped off the bus and headed to the silage pit to play until we were called in for dinner. Dinner! We were always excited to see what yummy food mom had made for us that night, things like Goulash and homemade dinner rolls.

Hungarian Goulash

1 T. oil

1 chopped onion

1 clove garlic

Cook the onion and garlic in a frying pan until the onion turns clear. Take out of the pan and set aside.

1 lb ground beef

Cook the ground beef until brown and drain the fat. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of chili powder.

1 can tomato paste

1 or 2 cans

tomato sauce

Coat the ground beef with one or two cans tomato paste and sauce. Add some Italian seasoning and paprika. 

1 1/4 cup water

1 ½ cup elbow macaroni (uncooked)

Add the onion mixture into the hamburger and mix. Add the water and macaroni to the pan, stir and bring to a simmering boil. Let the mixture cook until the pasta is tender.

1 c. Cheese

Sir in the cheese.

I loved making homemade making homemade root beer with my mom in the fall months! This colder weather is reminding me of some great evenings sipping that homemade root beer and playing the game "Does She Cackle?"

Ingredients

1. 6 cups white sugar
2. 3 1/3 gallons cold water
3. 1 (2 ounce) bottle root beer extract
4. 4 pounds dry ice

Directions

1. In a large cooler, mix together the sugar and water, stirring to dissolve sugar completely. Stir in the root beer extract. Carefully place the dry ice into the cooler, and cover loosely with the lid. Do not secure the lid, as pressure may build up.
2. Let the mixture brew for about an hour before serving. Leftover root beer can be stored in one gallon milk jugs.

Butterscotch Caramel Sauce

I just found this recipe for Butterscotch Caramel Sauce written in Theresa's own hand.

When I get a minute, I am going to make some of this delicious magic!

I remember my mom pouring this on ice cream, popcorn, or simply making it into some small caramel balls ready to pop into your mouth. One time, we cooked it a little too long and she quickly put the balls on a stick-- making delicious caramel suckers. 

Theresa never let things get her down, she just went with it, and worked with what she had.

Theresa, Jean, Ellis, Sheila

Each time I clean a new box, I find another simple reminder of my wonderful mother, and know that she was such an amazing human being.

I miss her...

Peach Syrup Compote

Tonight I made some delicious peach syrup compote with the delicious peaches from our new peach trees we planted last summer.

I learned how to make syrup from my mom, Theresa. I remember her whipping up a batch of homemade syrup almost every morning. One morning my mom tripped as she was bringing the hot syrup to the table and the hot syrup poured all over me. She rushed me immediately to the shower for a douse of cold water. I quickly changed my clothes, bandaged a few spots, and even made the school bus on time.

Theresa at age 7

I thought a lot about my mom tonight as Scott and I put our peaches to use as we prepared to store some delicious freezer syrup for Saturday morning pancakes this winter.

Of course I add honey to any recipe I can, rather than sugar, because that is what my mom did. She was raised as a beekeeper's daughter. My grandpa's nickname was "Oscar Honeybee." He ran quite a large operation supplying honey to local restaurants, grocery stores, and more. 

Peach Syrup Compote

16 cups peeled and cubed peaches
4 cups water
4 cups honey
1/4 cup lemon juice.

Instructions: Bring a pan of hot water to boil and place a few peaches in the water for about 3 minutes. Pull out the peaches, run under cold water, slide off the skins and remove the pit.

Continue the process until you have 16 cups of peeled and cubed peaches.

Place the cubed peaches and 4 cups water in a large pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over medium for 20 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

Run the peaches and water through the blender to blend to desired consistency. We like ours smooth, but you can leave chunky if you desire.

Add 4 cups of honey (local if you can find it for the added health benefits), and 1/4 cup lemon juice. 

Return to heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes and then place in freezer tight containers.

Best Ever Freezer Tomato Soup

Today as I was making delicious Tomato Soup, using the bounty of Tomatoes we have in the garden this year, I couldn't help thinking about my mom. Everything I know about cooking, canning, preserving, I learned from her example.

Especially when I added the chicken stock to the recipe below with the ease of opening a can.

I know that my mom would not have to use a store bought ingredient filled with preservatives,  because she would always have her own stock-base of chicken or beef in a quart jar ready to add into her recipes.

To make the Theresa's Chicken or Beef Stock, she would take any leftover meat and bones, add water, bring it to a boil, and simmer for about 20 minutes. She would strain the bones and meat and put the stock in quart jars ready for making soups, gravies, and etc. She would usually make enough to fill just 1 quart that she would use throughout the week.

So, thinking of mom, here is my attempt to keep her memory alive as I use those delicious fruits and vegetables growing in my garden as I make one of my favorite of all comfort foods!

Freezer Tomato Soup

Chop:

3 fresh onions
6 gloves garlic
6 small garden (or 2 regular size) carrots
2 celery stalks (or celery seed)
1 green pepper if desired (my husband asks me to leave these out)

Pult 1/4 olive oil in a stock pot, add the chopped ingredients and sauté for about 5 minutes until the ingredients are soften and the onion begins to clear.



Add:
2 cups chicken stock or broth (Theresa's homemade if you can)
3 T. Sugar
2 T. Salt
2 T. Basil
2 T. Celery seeds (If you don't have celery handy)
1 tsp. Thyme

Continue to simmer the ingredients.

Add:

16 cups chopped fresh garden tomatoes, stir, and bring to a soft boil. Simmer at boiling for about 15 minutes.

Take the soup from the burner and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. When cooled, put the soup in your mixer to blend the ingredients together and make a smooth consistency.

Place the soup into your freezer containers and let cool for about 20 minutes. (This is where I begin my next batch if I am blessed with the great crop of tomatoes I am this year.

Put the lids on the tomato soup and freeze.

Ready to Use:
Simply pull the soup out of the freezer the night before and it will be ready to heat and serve.

July Hamburgers

When I was growing up on the farm in Chester, celebrations were a huge part of the summer! And with all of the celebrations there was of course delicious food! One meal I loved was my mom's hamburgers. Just like with all foods she added that extra touch of taste and love.

Here is how she made them.

Theresa's Extra Yummy Hamburgers

Take 1 pound of hamburger and wash it in cold water. (Yep! run in under the tap and make it nice and wet).

Place the hamburgers in a bowl and knead it slightly with your fingers to break it apart.

Chop one onion VERY finely, and add it to the hamburger.

Beat one egg in a small bowl.

Crush about 10 crackers in a baggie.

Put the egg and the crackers in a bowl and knead it into the hamburger.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the hamburgers into patties and add a drop of ketchup to the top of each.

Brush the ketchup into the burger as you grill or cook it in a pan.

Enjoy the yummy burger!

Christmas Bread

Christmas Morning would not be complete without the Yummy Dickinson Christmas Bread! Honestly I cannot remember a Christmas morning without it! So today I pulled out the recipe, gathered the supplies, called in Scott my husband to help, and started making our Christmas tradition. Today I used my bread mixer, but most times I knead the bread by hand in honor of my mother and her amazing biceps!  

Below is the recipe I wrote down as my mom walked me through the process 40 plus years ago. The picture below is the day I wanted to make sure that the recipe and tradition lived on as my daughter Lyndsey and I baked the bread together a few years ago.

Dickinson Christmas Bread

Add 3 T. (or 1 pkg.) yeast to 1 cup lukewarm water. Stir and let sit to make a sponge.

• Scald 1 cup milk on medium heat. Remove milk from heat and add 1 stick butter, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 sugar. Let milk mixture cool to room temperature.

• Mix yeast, milk mixture and 1 egg together.

• Mix in approximately 5 1/2 cups flour (1 cup at a time) until the dough pulls from the edges. (You want the dough to be slightly sticky).

• Knead the dough. Let rise covered in a buttered, covered bowl in a warm area for about an hour.

• Punch the dough down.

• Melt 1 stick of butter in a small bowl. Mix sugar and cinnamon in another and set aside.

• Coat the inside of two bunt pans with butter and then generously sprinkle brown sugar in the bottom. Place red and green pineapple and cherry candies in the bottom forming holly.

• Roll the dough into small 1” balls. Roll each ball in the melted butter and then the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place in the pans. Making one row of tightly fitted balls. (If dough remains after filling two pans, simply use the remaining dough to make rolls).

• Cover the filled bunt pans and let rise for 30 minutes.

• Cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

• Remove from oven, dump carefully on a plate and let cool.

• Drizzle powder sugar glaze over the bread, and you are ready for Christmas Morning.