A Recipe For Life
1936-1943
Written by
Essie M. Grogg Schoonover Kemper
Typed by
Pamela J. Simon Bessey
Essie’s Great Granddaughter
December 29th payed Haffners $4.50
Ginger Cookies
Mrs. O’Dell
Good
! egg 1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses 1 cup sour cream
1 cup lard 1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoon soda
Enough flour to mix
Corn Bread
Belva
1 1/4 cups corn meal 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup white flour 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda 1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons melted shortening or more over a cup of buttermilk
1 egg
Sift corn meal, flour, sugar, soda, baking. powder, salt all together. Beat egg add to
buttermilk and mix all together.
Spice Cake
Cream 1 cup shortening. Add 1 cup brown sugar gradually.
Add to the creamed mixture, 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk well beaten.
Sift 1 1/3 cups cake flour once before measuring. Then sift together flour and 1/4
teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/2
teaspoon cinnamon and add alternatively with 1/2 cup sour milk
Sunday, August 9, tank gas in Geneva.
Dough Nuts
Elsie Liggett
1 tablespoon butter 1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour milk 5 potatoes size of egg
4 tsp. baking powder 1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs flavoring
Cream potatoes and add butter and sugar. Beating add beaten eggs in milk. Sift baking
powder with flour.
Chocolate Rice Pudding
1/3 cup rice washed and boiled in 1 quart mile in a double boiler until soft; take off fire add
2 beaten eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and a pinch of salt. Pour into a buttered baking
dish. Bake 1/2 hour. Serve with sugar and cream.
Batter for Cobbler
1/4 cup shortening 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg 1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cup flour 2 teaspoon baking powder
little salt flavoring
Cream sugar with shortening add beating egg and milk add flour sifted with baking powder
and salt. Beat well and pour over fruit and bake.
8/29/36 Ohio Farmer
This is an easy way to make frosting for cake. Take quarter pound of large chocolate
creams and put them in the double boiler and as they melt ass hot milk a tablespoon at a
time until the mixture is of the right consistency to spread.
8/29/36 Ohio Farmer
Corned Hamburger
Slice 2 medium size onions and fry in about 4 tablespoons of bacon drippings with 1 1/2
pounds hamburger. Brown. Add 1 quart whole grain or fresh corn and 1 quart tomatoes. 2
teaspoons sugar, salt and pepper to taste. A bit of cayenne pepper may be added if desired.
Just before serving, thicken with 3 tablespoons of flour blended with some of the tomato
juice. the thickening may be eliminated for families who like their vegetables clear.
Gingerbread
Elsie
1 cup molasses 1 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening 3 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs salt
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon soda dissolved in 1 cup hot water , put in last
Ginger Cookies
Mrs. Snyder
Cream 1 cup lard with 1 cup brown sugar. Add 1 egg, 1 cup molasses, 1 cup coffee.
A little salt, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 tablespoon ginger sifted with a cup or more of flour, enough
flour to make soft dough.
Pineapple Salad
Drain the juice from 1 number 2 can of pineapple and pour over 1/2 pound of cut
marshmallows. Let stand until the juice is absorbed. Then add the pineapple cut into slices,
1/2 cup chopped nut meats and fold in 1/2 pint of whipping cream beaten stiff. Serve as a
dessert or on lettuce as a salad.
Farmer Guide
Cream 1 cup butter gradually add 2 cups brown sugar and cream after each addition. Add
2 well beaten egg yolks and beat. Sift together 1 teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt, and
3 cups cake flour. Dissolve 1 tsp. soda in 1 cup sour milk, and add to the sugar mixture.,
alternate with the flour mixture. Use enough flour to make a soft dough, which may be a
little more than 3 cups. Add 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg. Roll thin, cut and bake in a quick
oven. Makes rich crisp cookies.
December 9, 1937
Tod’s Birthday
Date Pudding
Belva
Mix together 1 cup nuts, 1 cup dates, 1 big tablespoon flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder.
Cream 2 eggs and 1/2 cup sugar. Then mix all together. Bake. Served with whipped cream.
Lemon Pie
Good
Mix 3 tablespoons cream corn starch with 1 cup of sugar. Cover with grated rind and juice
of
1 1/2 lemons. Add the beaten yolks of three eggs and 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Cook until
thick. Pour into baked crust. Cover with egg whites.
French Chewing
3 pints sugar
1 pint milk and cream
1 pint molasses
1 package gelatin
1/4 cake parrwax
Raisin Pie
3 cups Sun Maid raisins 2 cups water
1/2 cup brown sugar packed down 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vinegar 1 tablespoon butter
Boil raisins in 1 3/4 cup water for 5 minutes. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt.
Dissolve with remaining 1/4 cup water and add to raisins stirring until mixture boils.
Remove from fire and add butter and vinegar. Pour into pastry lined pie pan. Bake in a hot
oven over 25 minutes.
Green Tomatoes Pickles
Mrs. Jason Tharpe
September 7, 1938
Slice 1 peck of green tomatoes add six large sweet onions peeled and sliced. Place in layers
in a stone jar sprinkling each layer with salt using a cupful of salt in all and covering with a
large plate and on this put a weight so that the juice will form a brine to come up over the
sliced vegetables.Let remain over night. In the morning, drain thoroughly. Dissolve two and
one half lbs of brown sugar in one quart of pure cider vinegar in a porcelain kettle. Add a
tablespoon each of cinnamon and allspice, 2 tablespoons of mace and a teaspoon of clove
or spice to taste. Put into a muslin bag and cook with the rest until the onions and tomatoes
are tender. Then put them in pint jars and seal hot. This is a delicious relish with baked
beans, cold meals and other things.
Chili Sauce
(Mine instead)
Mrs. Tharpe
September 9, 1938
Put 24 ripe tomatoes, 2 onions peeled and 4 hot peppers through the food chopper. Add 2
capfuls each of vinegar and sugar. Two tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon each of grated
nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon or spices to taste. Mix all well and let cook one hour after
boiling begins. Can hot.
Brer Rabbit Gingerbread
1/2 cup butter or other shortening 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg well beaten 2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup molasses 1 cup hot water
Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg. Measure and sift together dry ingredients. Combine
molasses with hot water to first mixture. Add the sifted ingredients alternately with liquid a
little at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Bake in a moderate oven.
8:30 o’clock
May 7, 1942
Mrs. Essie M. Kemper Mrs. Belva Belle Flauding
Mrs. Delean Walters Mrs. Elsie May Liggett
Mrs. Virginia M. Wendell Mrs. Sarah Grahg
Mr. Emery Kemper Mr. Tod Flauding
Mr. Bud Walters Mr. Russ Liggett
Mr. Peck Wendell
Ginger Bread
Cream together 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Add 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup Orleans
or Sorghum molasses, 1 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon
allspice, a little salt. Mix together well.. To 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk add 2 scant
teaspoon soda and beat until foams. Add this to the mixture alternately with 3 cups of sifted
flour. Bake in a shallow pan and cover with a caramel icing made as follows.
Caramel Icing
Mix together 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar and 1/2 granulated sugar and 1 cup cream. Boil
until the soft ball stage. Remove from fire and beat until cool enough to spread. Decorate
with halves of pecan meats.
For Calf Scours
10 c powdered bismuth 5c powdered chalk
Mix together well. Give one level teaspoonful dry on calf’s tongue. In ordinary cases, on
dose is sufficient.
January 7, 1940 - It sure is snowing today. It isn’t cold. I am baking hot rolls for dinner.
January 6, 1942 - It sure is raining. We had cold lunch of meat, coffee, tomato juice
Got my glasses on 20 April 1942. On April 23, Elsie, mother came out. We canned 23
quarts greens. Virginia came out took Emery and I to Portland.
On May 3, Delean and Bud came. Bud went to Illinois. He came back May 9. They went
home May 11. Little Patty was awful sick when they were here.
Virginia came home from the Coleman Hospital Wednesday, June 3, 1942. That same day,
Belva and I went and signed up for our canning jars. We stopped to see her.
June 26 - Emery is sick. He is in bed. We got our milk check. Emery is going to the doctor
today. He has to have his teeth pulled.
June 30 - He had his first three teeth pulled.
On July 1, Belva and little Pat went to Wooster with Minni and Abe. Helen did not go
because Sandra was sick. How we miss our little baby. Belva and Pat came home
July 6.
Belva and I canned peas and beans I canned for mother 8 pint beans.
March 7 got my two rabbits from Ruth R.
April 6 little bunnies came
April 18 bred white rabbit
May 7 bred colored rabbit
May 18 little rabbits
June 1 rabbit died
June 24 white rabbit bred
Aug. 21 young white rabbit bred
July 27 white rabbit bred
Aug. 26 little bunnies came
white rabbit bred October 27
grey rabbit bred October 28
1942
July 15 - We got apples and made applesauce ... made 12 quarts for me and 22 for Belva.
July 22 - Elsie and mother came out and helped us hull garden bean and we took them to
Berne.
July 21 - Emery went to the dentist. He got 2 teeth pulled. Makes 10 he has pulled.
July 24 - Belva, Pat and I went to Berne after our beans. Had 33 cans cost $2.31.
July 25 - We went to Muncie with Elsie and Russell.
July 26 - Sunday ... Emery and Tod hauled hay. Belva and babies went to Sunday school.
July 27 - Elsie came out and stayed a while. Russell went to Portland to get his eyes fitted
for glasses. Belva, Tod and Nancy went to Bryant this eve to the show. Patty stayed
with Emery and I. She is so sweet. I put her to bed.
Aug. 3 - We washed and Emery and I went to Alfred’s after pickles and corn.
Aug. 4 - Emery got 3 more teeth pulled. He has 16 out. In the morning we took sweet
corn to Berne.
Aug. 5 - Elsie, mom and Virginia came out for dinner. We had apple dumplings. We went
after our corn. We has 17 cans. Paid 7 cents a can.
Aug. 6 - Thursday Emery went to the doctor.
Oct. 29 - Emery went to the hospital.
Nov. 4 - I got my permanent and signed up for driver’s license.
Nov. 12 - Orvell and Selva came to see Emery at the hospital.
Canned Fruit and Vegetables 1942
Cherries 13 quarts
Apricots 11 quarts
Plums 12 quarts
Mincemeat 2 quarts
Raspberries 4 1/2 quarts
Green Beans 11 quarts
Apple Sauce 12 quarts
Dandelion 6 quarts
Sour Kraut 6 quarts
Mustard Pickles 11 quarts
Golden Bantam Cow 17 cans no.823
Beans, green 17 cans
Corn 5 old cans
Cold Pack Apples 10 quarts
Peaches 38 quarts
Tomatoes 54 quarts
Grapes 5 quarts
Plums (new) 3 quarts
Pumpkin (11/11/42) 6 quarts
Cider (canned 11/8/42) 3 1/2 gallons
Pears (canned 11/10/42) 9 quarts
February 12, 1943
Ice Box Cookies
Elsie
1/2 cup butter or other shortening 1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1 egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped nuts
Cream butter and gradually add sugar. Add the egg, well beaten, and vanilla. Add flour
which has been sifted with the soda and salt, then the nuts dredged in a portion of flour.
Using your hands, mold the dough into a long roll. Let stand in a cool place over night.
Slice as thin as possible and bake in a hot oven (425 degrees).
Soda Biscuits
3 cups flour 3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon soda
4 tablespoons shortening (little more than) 1 cup sour milk
Sift flour, baking powder, salt & soda together. Add shortening. Mix till fine as corn meal.
Gradually add sour milk.
Oct. 24, 1941 - Star bred ... calf came August 6
April 7, 1942 - Tod’s guernsey bred
April 30, 1942 - Blackie bred
May 4, 1942 - Beauty bred
May 5, 1942 - White gelt bred
May 12, 1942 - Dacky bred
June 2, 1942 - guernsey bred
Nov. 3, 1942 - Sow pigs came
Sold Roanie September 16, 1942
Dorthy’s calf came February 3, 1942
Roanie’s calf came January 31, 1942
White cow came January 28, 1942
Tod’s red cow came January 24, 1942
Beauty’s calf came March 24, 1924
Guernseys calf came April 18, 1942
Star