Daily Calendar Recipes History Humor Olson Family Cookbook Specialty Foods admin 4 years agoJune 19, 2022

July 2, 1931; A Eulogy to a Stove; Bread, Chocolate Doughnuts, Peerless Rocks & Lefse

Sauris North Dakota 1920’s – 30’s

July 2^nd 1931

A Eulogy to a Stove

Today is perhaps the last day in a long time that we shall have the privilege of using the old range. After some 25 years of good and faithful service, it deserves our whole – hearted appreciation. On this momentous day we are making the most of the short while that the aforesaid stove is to remain in our midst. At the peep of dawn mama arose to knead the bread, prepared the evening before. Since this was a rare occasion, Millie most surprisedly also arose at an astonishingly early hour. After the usual trivial preliminary morning preparations were completed and the rest of the household were stirring, a big batch of lefse was made.

Then, simultaneously, mama stirred up some doughnuts and Millie ventured the difficult task of making peerless rocks. This put both the top and the inside of the faithful stove into use. As a climax to its long years of service, several loaves of bread will be baked this afternoon. Whereafter we shall bid the old range a touching yea, heartrending adieux.

Ode to a Stove

(After the manner of Keats)

Well done, thou good and faithful

Stove!

Long years of service thou hast

Seen.

To do thy best, thou always strove,

Upon thy strength, we’eir could

Lean

The housewife’s joy and hope and

Pride,

Thou, always wert, thou dear old

Stove!

Oh couldst thou yet with up abide

With us, for aye, where’er we rove!

Bread

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. butter

½ tsp. soda

2 cups buttermilk or sour milk

2 ½ cups white flour

3 cups whole wheat, graham, or rye

Mix the dough. Take double about size of spoon and put on table. Use coarse flour on table when you roll it. Roll as this as possible. Bake in oven

Received from Mrs. Hedeen

January 26, 1933

Chocolate Doughnuts

2 sq. (2 oz.) baking chocolate

2 tbsp. shortening

3 eggs

1 cup gr. Sugar

1 cup cold mashed potatoes

1 tsp. vanilla

4 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

¾ cup sour milk or buttermilk

Melt chocolate & shortening together over hot water. Beat eggs well, add sugar then the chocolate mixture. Add the mashed potatoes & vanilla. Mix & sift together the dry ingredients. Add alternately with the sour milk.

Very Good.

Peerless Rocks

2 cups sugar 3 cups sour cream

5 eggs 1 tsp. soda

Cinnamon flour

Nutmeg baking powder

Dates, raisins, or nuts, if desired

Make the batter quite thick, and bake in a hot oven. This is an unusually large batch of rocks, so it would be advisable to make half a portion unless you have the threshers – and I don’t mean combine men, either. 7-2-31

Very hot 9-25-25