Some Autumn Photos from Western Michigan

Please go take a look at these photos from autumn last year in western Michigan. That is my old stomping ground as I have lived there several different times in my life. :-) There are parts of the U.S. where autumn is far beyond what most people can imagine for glorious color. Michigan is one of them, at least many years.

I put a small story about my Gramma in the comments, if you are interested. Please also leave the blogger some friendly feedback, if you feel so inclined. :-)

Fall 2023 Michigan

Photo property of Plants Amaze Me.

Apple Crisp - Gramma Hoover's Recipes

Here is another recipe from my Gramma Hoover, but this one was a loose card inside her write-in cook book. You can see how simply some recipes were written out by her. 

Hope Knight was a sweet lady that Gramma worked with at the Rural Bible Mission in western Michigan. RBM had a similar format to Child Evangelism, but the ministry was much smaller. Their missionaries went out and did release time classes for children from public schools and chapel services for children in Christian schools during the school year. During the summer vacation (holiday), they did Vacation Bible Schools for various churches who invited them in. Gramma and Hope Knight both worked at the headquarters where materials were written, printed, and sent out as well as the missionaries' newsletters. I believe Hope was an artist who helped create visual materials. Gramma worked in the printing press room and mail room.

Editorial Notes are in brackets.

Apple Crisp

Slice 6 peeled apples into baking pan. [EN: you'll have to judge the size needed. It looks like maybe 8x8 or 9x9 inches, or a 2 qt. casserole dish, possibly. I would use sweet apples since there's not sugar added to them.]

In bowl work together:

1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. oatmeal

1/2 stick margarine [EN: or butter]

1/3 C. sugar

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. nutmeg [EN: ground]

[EN: Spread the crumb mixture evenly on the top of the apples.]

Bake at 450F for 35 minutes.

Cooked Salad Dressing - Gramma Hoover's Recipes

 

Some time back I scanned my Gramma Hoover's recipes from her write-in cook book. I posted them eventually on a photo storage site that I use so that family could access them. I am going to share them with you as well. :-) I have not tried many of these, so just be forewarned that I don't know how some of them will turn out for you. Others have stories or are family favorites and I may mention that when I post them.

Today I'm sharing the first recipe in her book, which happens to be one for cooked salad dressing. The blank recipe book itself was given to her in 1960 according to what she wrote in the front, so these recipes are all at least that old, and most or many are older. As you can see from the picture, this particular recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens, a magazine that has been around for years. 

This recipe came to her from Ginny, and I believe this to be a fellow missionary, Ginny Stier (sp?), who was a good friend of my Gramma's.

I grew up with recipes like these where you were actually expected to know some things from your experiences of cooking. To help out a little bit, I have added a few Editor's Notes in brackets with "EN:" to let you know it's an addition.

Salad Dressing

1/4 C. sugar (or less)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. mustard

1/4 tsp. paprika

2 Tblsp. flour

4 egg yolks (or 2 eggs)

1/2 C. vinegar

1/2 C. water 

3 Tblsp. butter or salad oil

Blend sugar, salt, mustard, paprika and flour.

Add egg and beat until smooth and well-mixed.

Add vinegar and water.

Cook over hot water until thick and smooth. [EN: in a double boiler, stirring often.]

Add butter, remove from fire, and chill before using.

If salad oil is added it may be stirred in while hot or cold.

1 C. sweet or sour cream, plain or whipped may be added. 

[EN: Be sure to mix well after the additions where it isn't specifically mentioned.]

Simple Raisin Tarts

I first published this recipe here in March of 2012. These are really easy to make and I hope someone enjoys them! :-) There is no added sugar, but they are very sweet because of the raisins.
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These raisin tarts are one of my dad’s favorite “cookies.” My Gramma Hoover used to make them for him as a special favor. Since she is no longer here to do this, I have done it for him a few times (not nearly enough). I made a batch for his birthday this past February (2012). :-)

These are super easy to make. So much so that we have no recipe. We just make them. One thing that you will need is a tart pan or a Madeleine pan, however, it is possible that a muffin/cupcake pan might work if you only press the dough into the lower part of the cups. I used a Madeleine type pan for these since our tart pans had to be discarded a few years ago. (My Madeleine pan makes round shells.)

Simple Raisin Tarts

Make up a single or double pie crust recipe of your choice. (I made these with a whole wheat – all purpose flour mixture I think.) Cut into small pieces and press into the tart pan.

Bake till just slightly browned around the edges. Do not over bake (especially if you use whole wheat flour). Allow to cool slightly in the pans and then remove gently to a rack to cool.

In a sauce pan place a generous portion of raisins – 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Barely cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer till quite soft, adding water as necessary to prevent burning. You may like to add a bit of cinnamon, or at the end you may add some orange flavoring.

When the shells and filling are both cool, spoon the filling into the shells. They are ready to serve!

NOTE: If you end up with too much raisin filling, use it as a spread on graham crackers or toast. If you don’t have enough for your number of shells, simply fill the extras with a little jam or jelly.  We never used a recipe, we just “winged it” with the extra or lack thereof. :-)

By the way, if you don’t want raisin tarts, just make the shells and fill them with jam or jelly to start with. Delicious! :-)

Mother’s Day – Something from the Past

(Originally published May 7, 2011. Edited.)

Here is a picture of my mom learning to be a mom from her mom.  I love this picture. :-)  It was taken in East Africa where my mother and her brothers were born and mostly raised.  This was how the African women carried their babies. 

I don’t think Gramma normally carried her babies this way, but it is a sweet picture, and she taught my mom a lot about taking care of babies over the years! :-)  She was a huge help with my youngest brother and sister, especially since we lived closer to her when they were small.

One of my earliest memories is being in Ethiopia and sitting with my mom while she wrote to her mom.  I was filling a piece of paper with scribbles and wanted Mom to send it to Gramma.  She couldn’t because she was using an air form and wasn’t allowed to enclose anything.  Interestingly enough, I always enjoyed corresponding with people by mail.  I think that love was passed on to me from this early experience and the “specialness” that was conveyed to my thinking of my mom receiving and sending letters to Gramma who was far away. :-)

I thank the Lord for my mother!  She has been a tremendous blessing in my life.  She has prayed so much for me and been such an encourager.  She also is a close and dear friend.

My Gramma was also a dear friend as well as a helpful grandmother and mentor.  She made time for me and we talked about so many things.  I value that very much.  I love and miss her and look forward to seeing her again soon in Heaven!

God bless the mothers and grandmothers who strive to instill in their children and grandchildren a love for the Lord and His word!  God bless the aunts and sisters, and all the "mothering" ladies who do this!

Proverbs 31:25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness…28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Sew Happy Friday - Tutorial for A Fat Quarter Apron

Photo property of Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose.


Today I'm sharing a link to a tutorial by my blogging friend Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose.  She shows us how to make this cute and functional half apron - or whatever you call it where you live. :-)

I am not a half apron person because I tend to get stuff on my upper clothes due to splashes and drips. (I'm pretty messy in the kitchen sometimes!)  My Gramma Hoover only wore half aprons, though, since she mostly seemed to use them to wipe her hands.  So, I'm sure some of my readers will find this a useful apron and I do think it's very cute.

The Fat Quarter Reversible Apron

Note: If you don't like the three dimensional aspect of the shabby roses she uses on hers, sew on some wide ribbon or trim of some sort that you like.  You can take care of the raw edges on the ends (on the sides, really) by tucking them under and top stitching them down. 

Wonderful Wisteria

This week I'm asking you to visit a blogging friend's page.  She posted this wonderful collection of photographs she took of a wisteria vine.

Debbie's beautiful photos:  Wild, Wonderful Wisteria

Wisteria has sweet associations for me.  My great-grandfather had been a missionary in China and after they had to return to the States for health reasons he made a Chinese garden in their yard where they lived in Michigan.  One thing he grew there - on a trellis over a walkway - was wisteria.  So, my Gramma was always partial to it on that account, and so was my mom, and they passed that on to me. :-)

When my own family lived in Tennessee, we would see wisteria blooming in the wild some years.  I've seen that once here in Texas as well.  It is so lovely to experience in person.

From Mom's Collection - April by Naomi Loomis

I found this poem among Mom's saved collection.  It was written in my Gramma Hoover's handwriting.  :-)

Sweet memories.

April

April stood on tiptoe in the highest apple tree --
A most audacious little Redbird kept her company --
And, as she scrubbed the grimy sky, he chattered in her ear...

Continue Reading.

In Loving Memory of Aunt Helen

 

Psalms 116:15  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

In April of 2014 I posted a memorial to my great-uncle, Dana Mathna.  This past summer his dear wife, Helen Hoover Mathna, went to be with the Lord also.

I told a good deal about Aunt Helen and their family in the previous post, so I will not repeat it all here, but please to take the time to go back and read it if you can.  Uncle Dana was a great blessing also, and I mentioned a good bit about Aunt Helen there as well and various things that affected her life.

Added to the previous information, Aunt Helen was born on January 29, 1925.  She was the sister of my grandfather.  She is the last one on either side of the family from my grandparents’ generation.  Somehow that seems sad to me because we’ve lost a connection with the past that can’t be replaced.  But, this is one of the aspects of time that is unavoidable.

Uncle Dana and Aunt Helen were married in June of 1946 and Aunt Helen wore my grandma’s wedding dress.  I believe they planned their wedding for when my grandparents would be home (see picture at the other post).

Aunt Helen was primarily a homemaker and loved her family very much (you can see more pictures of them all at the post about Uncle Dana). 

She was a sweet Christian and a real prayer warrior.  She was also a member of the Shippensburg First Church of God for 78 years!  She worked in the nursery, taught Sunday School and served as a Deaconess for many years.  After Uncle Dana retired, she helped him with custodial work at the church building.

This is the old building of the Shippensburg First Church of God (Pennsylvania).  It was within walking distance from their house, which was convenient for church meetings as well as the custodial work.  I remember attending services there.

My mother always speaks lovingly of Aunt Helen.  She thought very highly of her.  Mom’s family visited them and Grandpa’s home church in Shippensburg whenever they came home on furlough, and those were happy times to her.

This is how I remember Aunt Helen.  She is the only great-aunt that I knew very well, and I’m very thankful I had that privilege. I remember her as a kind and gentle lady.  She didn’t always talk as much as some of the others when we were all together, but you could tell she enjoyed being with her family and she considered us as part of that.  We stayed with them a couple times that I can remember and it was a pleasure to visit there.  I plowed my way through a collection of her books one summer when we spent a couple of weeks there. :-)  She had one of the sweetest smiles, and my mom has inherited it from her dad and his youngest sister.

This is Aunt Helen with her mother, my Great-grandma Hoover.  Aunt Helen really makes me think of my own mother in this picture!

I love this picture of Aunt Helen having a meal (dinner?) with these ladies.  I know two of them were related to her, and the little girl is her daughter, Janet (wasn’t she a cutie?).  That was her sister beside her and her mother is the first on the left.  Please notice that all the ladies in this picture are wearing aprons!  :-)  I am SO happy we have this picture! (Thanks to my Uncle Jim’s notable efforts at scanning.)

One thing I remember about Aunt Helen’s house was that the food was good.  She was famous in our family for her Chicken Corn Chowder and Pineapple Bake, as they called it.

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I found this recipe from Aunt Helen in my mom’s write-in cook book.

Chicken Corn Chowder

Boil 2 C. water

Add:
1 envelope chicken noodle soup dry mix
1 Tbl. onion
1/4 C. rice

Cook until done.

Add:
2 C. milk
1 8 oz. can cream style corn
15 oz. boned, fully cooked chicken

Heat through and serve.

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I couldn’t find the following recipe in the book, so I looked online and was able to figure out what it should be.

Pineapple Bake

Heat oven to 350F.

Cream:
1 stick butter
1 C. sugar

Beat in:
4 eggs, one at a time

Drain and stir:
1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple

Fold in:
6 slices day old white bread, cubed

Pour into a greased casserole dish (I think it was 2 qt.) and bake for 50 minutes or till top is golden brown.

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I can’t post many pictures of her from later in her life because they aren’t scanned into the computer, and the ones my parents have would be time consuming to locate.  Perhaps another day (or year) I may add some.  Here is one last shot of her, which I love.  This was taken in their back yard.

The Thousand Word Project – Stylish

 

Happy Birthday to my dear mother!  :-)

1951
With her brother, Jim.

1953

1960

Circa 1960

1961

Graduation from Rift Valley Academy
1961

(Warm thanks to my Uncle Jim who made these photos available.)

In Loving Memory of Uncle Dana

 

Proverbs 10:7  The memory of the just is blessed…

My mom’s uncle, Dana Mathna, went to be with the Lord on January 19th at 92 years of age.  He was born April 2, 1921.  Unbeknownst to me, we shared a birthday, which is why I chose today to post my memorial of him.  He was married to Aunt Helen (my grandfather’s sister) for 67 years and was a member of the Shippensburg First Church of God for 69 years!  Those are amazing numbers in this day and age!  Uncle Dana was on the Church Council and also a custodian for his church for many years.

This is pretty much how I remember Uncle Dana.  We visited in their home several times, but the ones I remember were when I was in my teens.  I don’t remember him from when I was small.  They also paid a  visit later to my Gramma in Michigan and we saw them then as well.

I may not have all the details on these things exactly correct, but here are some things I recall.  (Maybe if any of the family read this they can help me out where I might be off.)

Uncle Dana was a bit of legend in our family.  He was known for the strong, strong coffee he liked.  My dad always said Uncle Dana would have a cup in the morning and then the pot sat on the back of the stove all day and got as thick as mud before he got home from work, at which time he drank some more.  I don’t how he slept, unless it was decaffeinated!  That looks like it could be a cup of that famous coffee at this elbow in this old photo! :-)

Uncle Dana was an only child and he told us that he didn’t want his own children to be as lonely as he was growing up so he thought when he got married he’d have 12 kids.  (An obvious solution to the problem, right?)   Aunt Helen was not that ambitious in the kids department so they compromised for 6, which God did grant them.  Only Randall died as a baby, but despite some serious handicaps he lived some months longer than the doctor expected.  It was attributed to the great love that was showered on him by the whole family (extant at that time).

My mom and her brother were in their wedding, pictured above.  My Gramma was also (right of bride), and possibly my Grandpa (second from left).  Aunt Helen was wearing my Gramma’s wedding dress. :-)

Great-grandma Hoover was already a widow at the time that Uncle Dana and Aunt Helen married.  She lived with them for several years in the old family home and then moved to an inexpensive apartment that their church had for widows. 

Uncle Dana and Aunt Helen with their two oldest kids.

The three youngsters that came along later.  (I don’t know where Randall fit in.)

Uncle Dana loved kids.  I remember him as always being interested in us and what we were doing.  He talked to us like he really cared, and that’s something kids don’t forget.  He was known for handing out candy to kids of all ages at church on Sundays. :-)

Another great story from his life is about his smoking habit.  He smoked for years I guess.  It got so bad that he was smoking a pack a day, if I remember correctly.  At some point he just came to grips with what he was doing to his health and the money he was wasting.  I suppose he was thinking about how he might be shortening his time here on earth with Aunt Helen.  At that point he determined that he was going to stop smoking and set aside that money (a pack a day!) to take his wife on trips, and he did.  They took quite a few bus tours with groups from their church.  I think he also sent Aunt Helen to England and Prince Edward Island (with their daughter) so that she could see those places in which she had a special interest.

Of course, the greatest story of Uncle Dana’s life is that he was born again and loved the Lord – and that he acted upon that love in so many ways throughout his life.  I am sure that many lives have been touched by his kindness and helpfulness.  Whether we live a long or relatively short life, these are the things that count.  Our efforts will always be imperfect, but the question is, will people remember us for our faithfulness in following the Lord and pointing others toward Him?

Hebrews 13:7  Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Sew Happy Saturday – A New Pillow Cover

 

Years ago my mom covered a foam cushion for me with crocheted granny squares.  I’ve loved that pillow ever since she gave it to me.  It was the only pillow I could stand to lay my head on when I had sever migraines in my teens and early twenties.  It has even traveled with me.  I use it still for my afternoon naps in the living room because it is still a comfortable cushion for sleeping on.  I really wish that we could get foam pillows of that type today!  It’s the best I’ve ever had.

But, as with all things, age has caused some wear and tear.  Though the foam itself is still comfortable, the fabric covering on the foam is starting to disintegrate.  I was afraid of damaging the the crochet cover by taking it apart to re-cover the foam itself, so I have been using a pillowcase over it.  Recently, though, I decided to make a new cover for it – something that would go in our living room.

I got this pretty white poinsettia fabric on sale at Fabric.com.  For some reason this fabric is nostalgic to me.  My mom and Gramma Hoover both loved poinsettias, so maybe that’s part of the reason. :-)  Anyway, I made a simple fold-over type cover.  It isn’t tricky at all, and I didn’t even add a closure on the back, though I may later.

First, I measured and cut the fabric to the width I thought I needed – in this case about a half yard.  I folded under one selvedge edge and sewed it.  Then I measured again to see how much I needed to have it overlap and added some extra for hemming.  I cut off the excess, then folded under the raw edge twice and sewed that.  Lastly, I folded the whole thing right sides together with the desired overlap (making sure the double-folded edge was on the actual outside), lined up the sides and sewed the side seams.  Then I just turned it right-side-out and ironed it one last time.  Easy-peasy.

Here is what the back looks like.  It is a little loose because I got it a bit too wide.  This could be easily improved by turning it inside-out and sewing one end in a bit farther so that it fits more snugly.  Also, I could add a Velcro® closure here.

Over all I’m quite happy with it, though, and this cover will be easy to remove for washing.  I have another half yard of the fabric and I may make a second cover so that I can simply swap them once in awhile for washing purposes.

Side note: The lace covered pillow beneath is a bed pillow in a pillow sham from a lovely crocheted bed set a friend gave me.  (Yeah, I used “pillow” three times in one sentence.  Keep reading.  I outdid myself.  hehe)  The bed coverlet itself was stained and I couldn’t get it clean, so I am using the pillow shams in the living room.  I put a solid colored pillowcase on the pillow first then put the crocheted sham on over it.  Since I have two, I swap them out once in awhile for washing and ironing.  The pillow is part of my napping arrangements, and it looks much dressier and appropriate for the living room in it’s pretty sham.  It’s a nice way to “upcycle” or repurpose a pillow sham, and at the same time have a bed pillow in the living room that looks like it belongs here. :-)  (It’s also handy for shorter people sitting on our couch to have this pillow to put behind their backs.)

Here’s a video tutorial to help you make your own, using a slightly different method.  This is a very easy project.  You could give your living room a whole new look in one afternoon with some fabric from your stash. :-)

Food Memories – Experiences with Chop Suey

 

Grandpa and Gramma in their yard at Gull Lake.
This was taken a few years before this story starts.

Gramma’s birthday was February 21st, so this seems like an appropriate post for this week.

Experiences with Chop Suey

Back in the "dear dead days" not quite beyond recall, we used to enjoy visits to Gramma's house at Gull Lake a number of times each year. These mostly occurred during good driving weather - spring, summer and fall - with an occasional trip during the winter. (Since Gramma's house was so small, I think we tended to avoid winter visits and she came to us during that season more than we went to her.)

During the years I am referring to we lived exactly 80 miles north of Gramma's house.  (She figured this out herself on one of her trips, though I don't remember which of the two routes she took.) Consequently, our visits to her usually involved at least two meals, a lunch and a supper, or dinner if you will. Of course, it was more if we stayed over night…

Continue Reading.

“Living Without the Greens” – Some Memories from the Past By My Dad

 

My Gramma “milking” by hand. 
I’m suspicious this picture was posed. :-)

My dad got inspired by that story that has been around for awhile now about the old lady who didn’t bring her own grocery bags from the store and was rebuked by the clerk at the check out counter.  The clerk blamed the lady and her generation for not caring for the earth properly. “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”

The original author of that piece waxed eloquent on that one pointing out all the ways that people “back then” didn’t “care for the environment”.  You know – things like using cloth diapers, walking instead of driving, hanging the laundry outside to dry, refilling pens and razors, etc.

Well, my dad read that piece, and reprinted it, then he added a lot of things from his own experiences in life.  There is a lot of food for thought here and I thought it was a very interesting read.  I hope you enjoy it too.

Living Without the Greens

Sew Happy Saturday – Vintage Coats

One of my uncles very kindly converted a lot of old photographs and slides that belonged to my grandparents to digital format.  I thought it might be fun to share some of those that relate to either sewing or past styles here.  Today, in honor of the season here in the northern hemisphere, we’ll look at some vintage winter coats that belonged to my Gramma and her friends and/or family.



Here is my Gramma (right) with her aunt (left) and another lady.  This photo was taken in 1931 and was probably during her years at Wheaton College.  The coat she’s wearing looks like a kimono style and appears to have a velvety texture.  Of course, this was during the Depression.  Gramma was very blessed that her father didn’t lose his money or job.  He was not what we’d call wealthy today, but due to his wise use of a good income, they never suffered like others did at that time.



Gramma (center) was at Bible school in Philadelphia when this was taken.  She went there after she graduated from Wheaton.  She was planning to go the missionfield at this point and wanted more Bible training.  Check out the wiiiide collar and snazzy buttons on this coat. :-)  The lady on the left was her best friend, Bea, who later became her sister-in-law.  (By the way, that is her younger brother in back on the left.  He’s not the one who married Bea.)  The ladies’ hats are cute, but I doubt that they kept their heads terribly warm. :-)



Here is Gramma with her parents aboard a ship.  I’m pretty sure this is the same coat as in the picture above, but here she has it all buttoned up.



Another coat she wore during her time at Philadelphia School of the Bible.  Note the wide fur collar and the big buttons.  She seemed to like big buttons. :-)  (That’s “Aunt Bea” again on the left.  The poor lady in the middle looks like she has headlights because the sun is reflecting off of her buttons.)



Yet another coat of hers with big buttons (second from left). :-)



Years later – 1946, the family was home from East Africa on furlough with the three oldest kids (no. four came later).  Aren’t their little outfits cute? [That’s my mom on the right.]  This furlough had been much delayed due to WWII.



Gramma and my mom in the 1960s.  Although this coat is different from the one I was used to her wearing, the overall look here reminds me very much of how she looked in winter when I was growing up. 

She loved those thin little, rubber “boots” that slipped on over her shoes.  I don’t know how she kept her feet warm in a Michigan winter.  Obviously she didn’t.  My mom’s boots here are much better suited for that weather and snow.  [That’s an ice fishing hut in the background.  This was on a frozen lake.]

Thousand Word Project – Autumn at the Lake

 

Circa 1960s.  Gull Lake, Michigan.

The Thousand Word Project – The Baby of the Family

 

My Gramma and uncle. 1950.

Hot Fudge Pudding

 

This recipe came from my Great-Aunt Lissette, via my Gramma and it is real comfort food, and you can make it even more appealing by serving it warm with a scoop of ice cream on top.  Also, we’ve made it with rice flour in place of the all-purpose flour and it came out very well – even better than with the wheat flour in some opinions. :-)  [I don’t recommend making it with whole wheat flour as whole wheat tends to absorb too much of the liquid.]  During the baking process the layers in this “cake” reverse so that there is a cake like layer on the top and a nice syrup in the bottom.  It makes a very nice warm dessert for cold weather!

Hot Fudge Pudding

Stir with a wire whisk:
1 Cup all-purpose flour (or rice flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 Cup sugar

Add and mix:
1/2 Cup milk
2 Tablespoons melted butter
Add and mix:
1 Cup chopped nuts (optional)
Pour into a greased 9 inch square pan.  

(Use 9 by 13 inch cake pan for double recipe.)

Mix:
1/4 Cup brown sugar
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 3/4 Cups hot water
Pour carefully over the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40- 45 minutes.
The layers will reverse during baking.

Serve warm or cooled.

The Thousand Word Project – On the Lake: An Image Frozen In Time

 

Gull Lake, Michigan, 1962

The Thousand Word Project – The Maid of Honor