Names taken, recipes filed

The photo on the header above is from my grandmother Elsie's handwritten recipe book. I don't know how old it is. I suspect parts of it were written in the 1950s when "Jell-O" salads reigned supreme for putlucks and get-togethers, because there are lots of "Jell-O" salads in here.

At any rate, she certainly made an effort to record her favorite recipes, just as I have done over the years on cards and, more recently, electronically. (I tease Saint H and tell him that when I die he won't starve because I'll leave him beautifully organized recipe files). What I find especially interesting is that she records the source of most of her recipes, be it "Esther C" or "Anna" (her sisters), "Eleanor" or "Ruby" (her daughters-in-law), or any one of her neighbors and friends. When I read through her recipes I see the entirety of small-town society reflected there.

Funnily enough, I too give names to the recipes that I've collected through the years - and looking at all those names gives me a chance to relive parts of my life.

I'll start as Elsie did with her first recipe, from my great-grandmother Lena. Warning: These appear just as she's written them, warts and all.

Swedish Tea Ring
1 cake compressed yeast
1-1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup melted fat
5 cups flour
1 well beaten egg
1-3/4 tsp salt
6 tablesp. sugar
Soften yeast in water, add sugar, fat and egg. Add flour slowly, beating thoroughly after each addition, until dough is just stiff enough to knead. Turn on slightly floured board, and knead until smooth and elastic. When it has risen the second time, shape in small rolls or biscuits. Let raise again and bake.

Nope. I don't know temperature and I don't know time. This is all she gave me, and I'll have to try it to see what I can find out.