When my mother was newly married in her early 20s, she moved from rural Minnesota to the Texas-Mexico border. Thousands of miles from home, she asked her mother to send her some recipes. I have a copy of the letter my grandmother sent her with news from home and a pumpkin pie recipe, and I'm sharing it here for my daughters, family history and yummy recipe. The only date is "Friday pm" so I'm not sure of the exact date. Any typos are in the original! :-)
Dear Grace Lea,
Got your letter today. I've got the pumpkin pie reciepe right here so I wouldnt forget to include it. Did the glass come through without breaking? I wrapped them the best I could, considering the other things I had to get in too. Have to see what Dad has to say about sending more. Dont look at this time, that we can come and bring your things. Dishes, books, records, clothes, knick nacks, etc. Guess your old storm coat is one thing you dont need. The boxes were insured, so I hope every thing came O.K. Else you have to go through such a fuss to get your value back.
When you called I was undressing. Tried to get back in, gave it up, grabbed some thing to cover me and came dashing out. Marilyn was excited too. She was in her blanket, and rolling on the couch. We really do get excited dont we? No wonder there are ulcers in the family. My voice eckoed (I know that isnt spelled right) some thing fierce. I had a time hearing good. I think Dad missed not talking to you. I called the Monitor-News today. Too late for this week. It was fairly nice this day, until it started snowing. Wet stuff. Marilyn just came home. It is dark. I have a lamp lit beside me. I washed clothes yesterday, thank goodness. Too dark to iron by daylight, so I'll wait till tomorrow with it. Do a part of the Saturday work yet today. It is three thirty now. If you got that Northern from up here, they had better be happy it got up to 37 by the time it got there. It was 4 below when we were in Iowa. It wasnt even that cold here. It had been so wet in Iowa that they didn't have much corn out. It snowed a lot there too. It has been up to 34 or so here. The paper will tell I guess.
It will be a real challenge to you to learn to cook. I know you'll make it. I surely would like to come and try your cooking. I dont remember the name of the poison that can grown in air-tight fruit jars, of canned non-acid vegetables. It isnt botulism. It comes from the soil and doesnt develop till it gets in an air tight jar, processed at low temperatures. Commercially canned veg. dont have it. Boiling 20 minutes makes it safe to eat. 10 min. is enough so a person wouldnt die in case the bacteria or what ever it is called, is present. So it is neither from the beans or the type of canning. It comes from the soil. Pressure canning is hot enough to destroy the stuff. But I'd cook the beans 10 minutes anyway if I were doing it, or eating them. If I find the name of the poison I'll write it to you.
Pumpkin Pie 1 pie
First you make the crust. You must have the receipe for that.
Put into the unbaked crust this mix.
1 cup pumpkin, I use a good brand. Festal is good.
2 eggs
1/4 cup cream (you can substitute milk)
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 te. cinnamon
1/2 te. nutmeg
1/2 te. ginger.
Reduce spices if less spicy pie is desired. I mix the spices and salt with the sugar, it mixes in quicker. I beat the egg whites stiff and then put the yolks in and beat then the smooth (and stiff) pumpkin and then the cream and milk and sugar-spice so I can use the beater till the end. Mixing the egg whites seperate give the pie a nicer look when done. It is done when it doesnt jiggle in the middle, and when it looks nice and brownish.
Cool + with whipped cream - sweetened - on - good luck
Love Ma
Grandma Celia hand wrote the date and the last note about whipped cream but the rest of the letter she wrote on her typewriter. A bit of tasty November family history for my girls! :-)
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