Bread is Still in the Oven

When Grandma Gertrude Maples Powell was president of the Sunny Lane Home Demonstration Club in 1950, the Club  published a cookbook like so many groups do today. She was 60 years old. The Three Sisters have one copy.   Here are some of their household hints from the Sunny Lane book:

Box crackers will keep better if stored in the pots and pans drawer of your stove.

To eliminate cabbage odor when cooking drop a whole English  walnut in boiling water.

Give extra gloss to linoleum by adding a little clothes starch to the mop water.

Clothes won't freeze on the line if you had a half cup of salt to the last rinse.

January 18th is Grandma’s birthday—133.  She never cut her hair and wore it in a bun on her head.  She was a widow at 63.  She sold the farm near Sunny Lane and moved to North Springfield Street, Green Forest, Arkansas.  She lived in a downstairs apartment and rented the rest.  All had a shared bathroom.  She was a survivor!

Grandma’s house 2010 and below 1910.   Springfield street was dirt in 1910.  It was the road to Springfield, MO.

All farm women made bread once a week for their families in Grandma Powell's day.  Grandma saved her yeast.  She placed a piece of the dough in a jar with sugar and water and this yeast would grow until the next time she baked. In the 1940's grandma stopped baking bread.  Her family was grown and she made quick bread for each meal. In the 1950's , she found her yeast wrapped in a cloth stored in her black trunk. It was a dry piece and grandma wondered if it was still alive. She placed the dough ball in warm water and sugar and behold it was active and she baked bread again. This receipt is in my Grandma’s  handwriting from her precious  cookbook. This is the picture of her bread receipt in her own handwriting.  Sister Patsy 2006

Grandpa and Grandma 1911 and 40 years later.

 

Grandma’s Great Granddaughter Jennifer saw her receipt (as Grandma said) on FB where I posted it.  She  tried her recipe!  Look at this loaf.  It made several she said!  Looks so delicious.  I’m imaging it with butter melting and blackberry jam on it—like Grandma’s♥️