Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-11-19
"How MOTHER DID IT."
Custard Pics and Buci<wheas Cakes
"A Husbands "Reminiscences.


"A Husbands "Reminiscences.
If we were to suggest one which, above
all other things combined, would most
contribute to the happiness of the young
housekeeper, it would be to learn how to
cook as q husbands mother cooked.
Mother used to make coffee so and so !;
mother used to have such wafiies; and
mother knew just how thick, or how
thin, to make a squash pie; and, oh If
/ could only taste of mothers biscuit.
Such are the comments of the husband
end of too many meal tables. Il would
be only little more cruel for the husband
to throw his fork across the table, or to
dash the contents of bis tea-cup in his
wife's face. The experience of con-
trite husband is good reading for those
men whose daily sauce is show mother
did it." He says:
81 found fault some time ago with
Marian AIMS custard pie, and tried 10
tell her how my mother made custard pie.
Maria made the pie after my receipt It
lasted longer than any other pie ever had.
Maria set it on the table every day for din
ner, and you see / could not eat it be-
cause l forgot to tell her to put in any
eggs, or shortening. It was economical,
but in fit of generosity stole it from the
pantry and gave it to poor little boy in
the neighborhood. The boys funeral was
largely attended by his former playmates.
I did not go myself.
''rhen where were the buckwheat
cakes. / told Maria Ann any fool could
beat her making those cakes, and she
said had better try it. So did. /
emptied the batter all out of the pitcher
one evening and set the cakes myself.
got the flour and the salt and water, and,
warned by the past, put in a liberal guam
tity of eggs and shortening. l shortened
with tallow from roast beef, because l
could not find any lard. The batter did
not look right, and ] lit my pipe, and
pondered; yeast-yeast to be sure. had
forgotten the yeast. went and woke up
the baker and got six cents worth Of
yeast. l set the pitcher behind the sit
ting-room stove and went to bed. In the
morning l got up early and prepared to
enjoy my triumph, but didn't. That
yeast was strong enough to raise the
dead, and the batter was running all over
the carpet. I scraped it up and put
it into another dish. Then l got a
fire in the kitchen and put on
the griddle. The first lot of cakes
stuck to the griddle. The second dittoed,
only more. Maria came down and asked
what was burning. She advised me to
grease the griddle. l did it. One end of
the griddle got too hot and dropped the
thing on my tenderest corn, while trying
to turn it around. Finally, the cakes
were ready for breakfast, and Maria got
the other things ready. We sat down.
My cakes did not have exactly the right
flavor. took one mouthful and it sat
isfied me. lost my appetite at once.
Maria would not let me put one on her
plate. ] think those cakes may be reck-
oned dead less. The cat would not eat
them. The dog ran off and stayed away
three days after one was offered him.
The hens won't go within ten feet Of
them. / threw them into the back yard,
and there has not been pig on the prem.
Uses since. l eat what is put before me
now, and do not allude to my mothers
system of cooking"