I wasn't very old but I do remember Christmas at Sunset Trail. By the time Christmas rolled around in 1952 my Uncle Sam had finished the plumbing in the bathroom and the kitchen. As my Mom would tell it in later years, "it was a luxury to have running water and a flush toilet". With six people crammed together on that main floor, I can only imagine how the definition of luxury took on a new meaning - at least from the conventional understanding.
The icebox remained, the kitchen was really just an assortment of crates with wood planks countertops, we didn't have stairs to the second floor or the basement and we still had to walk to Mason's Corners to make a phone call but, Christmas could officially happen. We wouldn't have to head downtown to the Grandparents' home for the holiday.
I was old enough to know that Santa Claus needed a fireplace to get into the house (and I wasn't the least bit concerned that we didn't seem to have one).....my Dad was a builder....a fireplace would happen. And, indeed a fireplace did happen. Dad fashioned one from grape crates (my Mom's family, being Italian, always had grape crates). Dad covered the "fireplace" with red corrugated paper and TA DA, a fireplace to hang our stockings on and Santa's entrance into our world. Mom was worried that I'd "undecorate" the tree so it was planted on top of the cabinet of the treadle sewing machine in the front window......(the window Dad is installing in the photograph above). Lovely crystal and glass ornaments with cotton wool snow, a garland made of the foil papers from cigarette packages and popcorn strings.
Mom made Christmas Cake that year. She let the girls help measure the fruit and make sure it stayed submerged in the brandy....then mixed up the whole thing in a pale yellow and green enamel roasting pan. I don't remember the baking part....just the tasting part..... I wasn't a fan of mixed peel but, my old sister was and she didn't like raisins......it all worked out.....much to my Mom's dismay as we picked through the baked cake to eliminate and swap-out the unwanted elements.
Christmas Fruit Cake (from Mom's cookbook "The American Woman's Cook Book, published in 1939)
1 pound of butter or lard - I know my Mom would have done half and half
1 1/2 pounds of brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds of flour
10 eggs
1 cup of molasses
1 cup of strong coffee - Mom's coffee was like motor oil
Juice and grated rind of 2 oranges
1 cup bourbon
1 cup tart jelly
1/4 pound almonds
3 pounds of raisins
2 pounds of currants
1 pound chopped citron
1 pound chopped dates
2 teaspoons of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of mace
1 teaspoon of cloves
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
Cream the butter and sugar. Add molasses, coffee, juice and bourbon and jelly. Reserve two cups of lour in which to roll the fruit (after it's been soaked in bourbon) Mix and sift dry ingredients, add to mixture, mix well and add well-beaten eggs. Add the floured fruit and mix thoroughly. Bakin in greased paper-lined pans. Over the top of the cakes sprinkle blanched shredded almonds. Cover cakes with heavy waxed paper. Stem them two hours and bake in moderate over for one hour.
One and one half pounds of brown sugar.....!!!! Show me a little kid who would want to help Mom with this recipe!
The icebox remained, the kitchen was really just an assortment of crates with wood planks countertops, we didn't have stairs to the second floor or the basement and we still had to walk to Mason's Corners to make a phone call but, Christmas could officially happen. We wouldn't have to head downtown to the Grandparents' home for the holiday.
I was old enough to know that Santa Claus needed a fireplace to get into the house (and I wasn't the least bit concerned that we didn't seem to have one).....my Dad was a builder....a fireplace would happen. And, indeed a fireplace did happen. Dad fashioned one from grape crates (my Mom's family, being Italian, always had grape crates). Dad covered the "fireplace" with red corrugated paper and TA DA, a fireplace to hang our stockings on and Santa's entrance into our world. Mom was worried that I'd "undecorate" the tree so it was planted on top of the cabinet of the treadle sewing machine in the front window......(the window Dad is installing in the photograph above). Lovely crystal and glass ornaments with cotton wool snow, a garland made of the foil papers from cigarette packages and popcorn strings.
Mom made Christmas Cake that year. She let the girls help measure the fruit and make sure it stayed submerged in the brandy....then mixed up the whole thing in a pale yellow and green enamel roasting pan. I don't remember the baking part....just the tasting part..... I wasn't a fan of mixed peel but, my old sister was and she didn't like raisins......it all worked out.....much to my Mom's dismay as we picked through the baked cake to eliminate and swap-out the unwanted elements.
Christmas Fruit Cake (from Mom's cookbook "The American Woman's Cook Book, published in 1939)
1 pound of butter or lard - I know my Mom would have done half and half
1 1/2 pounds of brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds of flour
10 eggs
1 cup of molasses
1 cup of strong coffee - Mom's coffee was like motor oil
Juice and grated rind of 2 oranges
1 cup bourbon
1 cup tart jelly
1/4 pound almonds
3 pounds of raisins
2 pounds of currants
1 pound chopped citron
1 pound chopped dates
2 teaspoons of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of mace
1 teaspoon of cloves
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
Cream the butter and sugar. Add molasses, coffee, juice and bourbon and jelly. Reserve two cups of lour in which to roll the fruit (after it's been soaked in bourbon) Mix and sift dry ingredients, add to mixture, mix well and add well-beaten eggs. Add the floured fruit and mix thoroughly. Bakin in greased paper-lined pans. Over the top of the cakes sprinkle blanched shredded almonds. Cover cakes with heavy waxed paper. Stem them two hours and bake in moderate over for one hour.
One and one half pounds of brown sugar.....!!!! Show me a little kid who would want to help Mom with this recipe!
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