Thinking about the old ways

[Bird]

Lambs quarter and goosefoot is something I know nothing about. But I've sure churned a lot of butter, and we did use lard until I was in my late teens. We had several "patches" of asparagus at Healdton, OK, but I never thought about finding any in fence rows until the '70s. Several times in the '70s when we'd go visit my parents at Ardmore, OK, I'd go with Dad to harvest asparagus along the chain link fence around the fair grounds there in town.

Scalding and scraping hogs was common and I can only vaguely remember seeing that done at my grandparents' farm when I was a little feller, but Dad preferred that they be skinned. There used to be guy at Healdton who would come out, kill, skin, gut, and cut in half a hog or calf for the hide, but I guess hide prices declined and he wanted the hide plus $5 so that was the end of that. I had to help Dad do it ourselves from then on. But then we'd take the two halves to the locker plant and the butcher there would cut them up, package, and freeze them.

 

[LBrown59]

I remember a lady who used to come visit. We looked out for a 12-acre tract that belonged to her. She had been married, but her husband died and she never remarried. They had no children, so she was alone. She was a big snuff dipper and drove one of the nastiest pickup trucks you'd ever want to see. I remember having to air out the house when she left because she had such bad BO. When I was born, she tried her best to convince my mom to give me to her and let her raise me.
1*Thank God my mom wouldn't give me up.
2*If so, I'm sure I'd have some stories to tell.

1*Hain't you the lucky one!
3*No doubt about it.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I remember when the folks had a hog butchered they got a young one, old boars really smell as does the lard. They knew at times the lard was switched. The best lard is made from what they call leaf lard, it is sweet and has no smell at all. I've tried buying some in the store but it is always real strong so no longer get it.

Remember wall paper cleaner? It was kind of like silly putty. In the spring your walls could have smoke on the, especially if you got coal with to much sulphur and stuff or you didn't bank it right. You would rub it on the wall paper, it didn't tear it and it would clean off the smoke, you could see it. I always thought it was amazing.

And that wonderful old lead based paint. You could put that stuff on and it would last for 20 years and not even yellow.

I like screen doors so much I had them put on our house but I got the vinyl ones.

 

[Bird]

Yep, leaf lard is the best quality lard, made from the fat inside the body cavity, from around the kidneys and such.

I don't remembe wallpaper cleaner, but I do remember the "glue" or adhesive for putting up wallpaper was just flour and water..

 

[RoMo]

Corn meal mush. Nothing like it. My oldest daughter, now 28, started eating mush at an early age. When she started school, I would ask her what she wanted and it was Mush daddy.... My second daughter didn't care for it, but my oldest ate it at least 4 days a week. I firgured it was just as good for her as cereal and easy to make and would last a lot longer tham cereal in keeping her from getting hungry before lunch. By the way she is a pharmacist today and still asked for mush if we are together for breakfast. She now has a one year old and I wonder if she will also like Mush.

RoMo

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

That stuff is good. You know of course, but for the uninitiated, its basically cooked cornmeal with water and salt. Pour in a bowl and put in the fridge to cool, it sets up. Then heat a skillet with butter, slice the mush and fry it till light brown on both sides. Top with butter if you want. It is good, cheap eating. I need to make and have with scrambled eggs.

 

[Bird]

You can find recipes for cornmeal mush on google. I've eaten lots of cornbread; still do. In fact, today I had pinto beans cooked with diced ham, and then added chopped onion and cornbread when I started to eat. But just never even knew of anyone making cornmeal mush. Of course, we have sometimes made fried cornbread; just regular cornbread recipe but instead of pouring it into a cake pan or muffin pan and baking in the oven, pour small amounts onto a griddle or into a hot skillet and cook just as you'd cook pancakes.

 

[ToadHill]

Nothing like home made apple dumplings hot from the oven with milk and nutmeg. The milk cools the outside but the apples are still hot.

I used to make my lunchmates ill but I loved pickled beef heart sandwiches.

Mom also made mayonase cake, a recipe she had from WWII when they couldn't get eggs. It's the most moist cake you'll ever eat. My wife still makes me one every year for my birthday.

 

[Bird]

I don't think we've ever made the apple dumplings ourselves, but yep, you're talking about good eatin' there.

It's been a few years, but I do remember Mother's mayonnaise cake that was very good.

And while I like baked beef heart, I don't recall ever seeing it pickled.

 

[dmccarty]

My Yankee Uncle introduced me to corn mush. I forgot what he calls it though...

My granny whose family home was just outside of Savannah, GA did not like Yankees. The church yard where my granny is buried is on a east/west road heading to/from Savannah. Across from the church is a historical marker talking about Sherman's March. 1/4 mile so from the marker is an old house that was part of the families. Down a bit farther is a road and if you follow it you come to a two story wood frame house that at one time was a family members home. I remember being on the porch at both places as a kid.

At the second house you can look down the sugar sand road and within 100 feet or so are large brick columns that used to be a gate to the old place the Sherman burned down.

The only time I heard my granny cuss, she had a tough life and had quite a bit to cuss about but never did, was when she would use the D word in front of the word Yankee(s). Usually she would just say "... those D word Yankees!" That way she would not to have to use a cuss word.

I never heard her say a bad thing about my uncle though.

Later,
Dan