Monthly Archives: October 2012

Family Recipe Friday – Lizzies

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I gained a couple of pounds while I was at Mom and Dad’s house. Dad(Jim) had made an Italian Cream Cake and had taken two of his pies out of the freezer – a cherry and a pumpkin.

And there was a too-easy-to-open container of cookies on the kitchen counter that I helped empty. Since I ate so many of the darn things, I decided I’d share his cookie recipe today.

It seems like I usually see these at Christmas, but that didn’t deter Dad from baking them or me from eating them in October.

Lizzies

2 pounds candied cherries                           4 eggs
2 pounds mixed candied fruit                       3 tablespoons milk
1 pound raisins                                               1 cup bourbon
6 cups pecans                                                4 and 3/4 cups flour
1 stick butter or margarine                          1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar                        1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice                                       1 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt                                           1/2 teaspoon soda

Dredge candied fruit, raisins and nuts in 3/4 cup flour; mix well. Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Add milk and bourbon. Mix 4 cups flour with spices and salt; mix dry ingredients into the creamed ingredients and add the fruit and nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 275 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

If you have read my blog from the beginning, or if you know my dad and his brother, you may have guessed that the Italian Cream Cake wasn’t just an after dinner dessert. I asked Dad how often his mom baked cakes and he said, “Oh, probably every couple of days.” 🙂

Thankful Day After Thursday

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I’ve been MIA for the last couple of weeks and it’s time to start blogging again.

To get back into the swing of things, I’m doing a Thankful Thursday post a day late. And since I’m feeling out of practice, I’ll go with a top 10 list. If you decide you have better things to do than read what I’m thankful for, it’s okay.  I’ll understand. But you might miss something.

Just sayin’….

10. The faithful and talented lead teacher of our ESL class has been overwhelmed since her father’s death a few months ago and thought she might need to give up preparing lessons. But once she got if off of her chest, we made a plan and she doesn’t have to give it up and I don’t have to take on as many additional responsibilities as I feared. Woo hoo! for both of us!

9. While not blogging this past week, I made a trip to Mom and Dad’s. I got to see an aunt and uncle I don’t see often, as well as my sisters, nephews and nieces. I ate a lot. Visited a lot. Gained a couple of pounds. Loved the people I love.

8. My Mother-in-law lives a little less than half-way to my parents’ home, so I can break up my drive and spend the night with her and save my back. Really, really thankful!

7. Even though mom has dementia, she still knows all of us and still has her sense of humor. She lost her balance a little and kind of leaned into dad and said, “I fell for you!” and chuckled.

6. I found a stenographer’s pad that mom used to start writing a family history – mostly her memories. I took it out under the carport, lay it on the hood of the car and snapped a picture of each page. Can’t wait to read it.

5. So thankful for my amazing dad(Jim) and his loving care and devotion to mom! (But did he have to look grumpy in all the pictures?)

4. iPad + blog = time spent sitting with mom and looking through pictures of family.

3. Dad was looking for mom’s meatloaf recipe and I could say, “I have it on my blog, let me get it for you!”

2. Arrived home safely yesterday afternoon and had dinner with friends. Our mutual friend has moved out of state and we got together because she was in town. And – this sweet friend subscribes to my blog (and leaves me comments!) even though she doesn’t know anyone in my family. Thanks Danita! So thankful for these friends!

And the #1 thing I am thankful for:

One hour before the stroke of midnight on the eve of my 59th birthday, this blog reconnected me to someone I had met only once – 50 years ago. We are both amazed. If nothing else comes of this blog, it’s ok because someone missing from my life for fifty years has been found. I’m not ready to write about it yet. It will come in time.

 

 

Mystery Monday – Seeking Ingolf C. Druschke

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My uncle has presented me with a challenge, so I thought I’d post it here, send it out into the universe, and see if something good returns.

Ingolf C. Druschke at left

My uncle served as an MP in Germany for a couple of years in the mid 1950s. Around 1955, he met a young man named Ingolf C. Druschke. Ingolf was 17 and in his last year of trade school to become a machinist. They met along the Rhine River. Ingolf lived in Manneheim and invited my uncle to his home. My uncle says that he was in the Druschke home many times and often ate with the family. He felt very much at home with them. Ingolf’s mother worked at the American Embassy as a translator, to the best of his recollection. (Ingolf looks older than 17 in this picture, doesn’t he?)

My uncle has always wondered what happened to the young man who befriended him and asked if I would try to find him.

So that’s my plug. If you know the Druschke family, or have suggestions to help me in my search, I would love to hear from you!

I posted something on this blog several months ago that I never thought would be seen by the person for whom it was intended. Mysteriously, it was. Perhaps I’ll share the story here one day. But, for now, I’m sending another post out into the universe and hoping I’ll be lucky again.