tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post7759110834183657558..comments2024-03-23T18:50:32.902-04:00Comments on Telling Secrets: White trash eatin'Elizabeth Kaetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-39680700407342456312013-02-16T11:49:45.251-05:002013-02-16T11:49:45.251-05:00I am about as white trash as you can get and I hav...I am about as white trash as you can get and I have the culinary sophistication of a nine year old. Living high on the hog is mac and cheese, add diced stewed tomatoes to it and it is the comfort food of the white trash gods.<br /><br />But...<br /><br />That jello mold with the Spaghetti O and wieners is just plain ghastly! Blaaaaggggghhhhhh!<br /><br />Back in the first years of our marriage, my wife tried to expand our repertoire of culinary delights. She had sent away for several "cook books" from various food concerns such as the Heinz Ketchup Cookbook. Now that is white trash. Anyhow I was counseled on my bitching about some of the new recipes. So...<br /><br />We were eating minute steak stew. It was orange. I had been in the military, imagine how many times I had some hideous orange stew. But I was dutifully holding my tongue and saying not a word about this retched dish. <br /><br />The cat came along and I set a morsel of meat on the floor. The cat sniffed it. She spread out her paw as wide as she could make it and attempted to cover it up. <br /><br />"My thoughts precisely, kitty!" <br /><br />My wife who had also been suffering the stew in silence, busted out laughing and agreed it was one of the worse things she had ever made. Sextanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02869179401767968180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-725495963673720372012-10-16T21:48:39.001-04:002012-10-16T21:48:39.001-04:00Oh, my goodness! I had forgotten all about Tom and...Oh, my goodness! I had forgotten all about Tom and Gerry's. My mother would say, "It will coat your tummy". She never mentioned our arteries!Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-6728302446536319912012-10-16T21:40:31.819-04:002012-10-16T21:40:31.819-04:00Love the Post! Brought back fond memories of Frida...Love the Post! Brought back fond memories of Friday nights before Vatican II. One of the favorites was what the family called Welsh Rabbit. Later realized that my great grandmother in who's cookbook we found it was more than a little deaf.<br /><br />Mother's cooking was pretty white bread Irish American. Dad on the other hand would try anything. He learned to cook in the army in the Pacific Theater. When he fed us there was a strong hint of the mess and we kids adored it.<br /><br />If you were sick in bed with a cold, creamed egg on toast was a staple along with Tom and Gerry's which was a nog made with milk, vanilla sugar and raw egg, whipped to a froth. Dietitians are shuddering if they've read this far.<br /><br />Gerry Hough gerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16196788499920350732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-31031784994233061382012-10-16T11:22:48.279-04:002012-10-16T11:22:48.279-04:00Muthah - I've also had mock stroganoff and Por...Muthah - I've also had mock stroganoff and Portuguese sausage stew. You does whatcha can with watcha gots. I just found a recipe for onion pie that I remembered my grandmother made, except it was onions, garlic, tomatoes and - when times were good - bacon. Unbelievably yummy. Made a BLT pale in comparison. What's not to love about a hot slice of flaky crust BOGT? Unless, of course, you have to watch your cholesterol. Or, your breath. Everybody in my house smelled like onion and garlic so it really didn't matter much. Until I was a teenager and then it was "Ewwwwwww". Silly girl!Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-57593039476203748332012-10-16T10:56:57.646-04:002012-10-16T10:56:57.646-04:00I too have been forbidden to bring anymore books i...I too have been forbidden to bring anymore books into the house. I am waiting for the professional organizer this morning. She will whittle me down even more. But this post has been a hoot. I have a couple of trailer trash cuisine to add: mock stroganoff, and even tho you had hot dog stew, I have a similar recipe with kielbasa, potatoes,onions, kale and Munster Cheese that we got from Gourmet mag. that sounds pretty close to grandma's. If if tastes good--I don't care what cookbook it comes from.<br />Muthah+https://www.blogger.com/profile/10589837671378205837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-30486643328337791912012-10-16T09:52:46.385-04:002012-10-16T09:52:46.385-04:00Howdy - well, we often had pancakes for dinner. Al...Howdy - well, we often had pancakes for dinner. Also oatmeal or Cream of Rice. My mother said it was because it was a cold winter night and this would warm our tummies, but I think, sometimes, she didn't even have enough at the end of the month to make soup. We had no idea. We just loved pancakes and even oatmeal because we were allowed to use maple syrup and brown sugar. At night. How lucky were we?Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-20018246190638912232012-10-16T09:50:31.538-04:002012-10-16T09:50:31.538-04:00Kay & Sarah - My grandmother would can. Not my...Kay & Sarah - My grandmother would can. Not my mother. As I remember, it was lots of work but oh, my goodness, didn't we love it when winter came and we had tomatoes and beans and squash and peas! My grandfather also made vats of wine from the grape vineyard in the back yard. Made up a special batch just for the kids which we later discovered was slightly fermented grape juice. Ah, such wonderful memories.Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-68078080713991310072012-10-16T09:48:06.737-04:002012-10-16T09:48:06.737-04:00Brian - We also had Pigs in a Blanket. My mother w...Brian - We also had Pigs in a Blanket. My mother would pull out the trusty box of Bisquick, make some dough, cut them in triangles and roll them up. We squealed like little piglets when they were brought to the table.Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-21932354472617195672012-10-16T09:37:55.211-04:002012-10-16T09:37:55.211-04:00As one of 5 children of a school teacher father &q...As one of 5 children of a school teacher father "back in the day" when teachers made peanuts, I remember eating pancakes for supper -- what a special treat! Now I realize that it was probably more a case of "too much month left over at the end of the money". <br /><br />Gotta get a copy of that Lutheran Church Women book as I was born and reared in the Lutheran church, though PA German, not midwest Scandanavian. Veteran of MANY a basement potluck! <br /><br />(Will skip the spaghetti mold, though.)howdidIgetherehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03056673632591015789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-23740613704922017562012-10-15T23:56:46.651-04:002012-10-15T23:56:46.651-04:00Your post did bring back wonderful memories.....co...Your post did bring back wonderful memories.....cooking with my mother, freezing and canning food from our garden. The food may have been inexpensive but we were rich in family and friends.<br /><br />We have started freezing and canning again. It makes delicious winter meals. Oh, we also started making a little blackberry wine and it is not badKay & Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04244257765709660605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-11303966723584489722012-10-15T21:50:48.351-04:002012-10-15T21:50:48.351-04:00What memories this stirs in me! Staples in my chil...What memories this stirs in me! Staples in my childhood were pinto beans, cornbread, and greens. Navy beans, pole beans cooked to a turn in a large pot, and boiled carrots or potatoes for every meal. Simple cheap foods cooked with love. <br /><br />We turned out a pretty good feast for the major holidays but daily fare was simple, cheap, and filling. Hot dogs wrapped in a biscuits and slathered with mustard called Pig In a Blanket was my favorite. Thanks for this lovely trip down memory lane!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02056559168004517984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-3896853808529178982012-10-15T21:43:49.458-04:002012-10-15T21:43:49.458-04:00Yes, Hot Dog Stew.
Please leave your name next ti...Yes, Hot Dog Stew.<br /><br />Please leave your name next time or I'm afraid I won't be able to post your comment.Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-51422238600903654342012-10-15T21:43:11.329-04:002012-10-15T21:43:11.329-04:00Maria - I think no matter where we come from, so m...Maria - I think no matter where we come from, so many childhood memories are around food. Glad I brought back some good memories for you.Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-73098867941149825602012-10-15T21:42:17.112-04:002012-10-15T21:42:17.112-04:00Susan - The only bad coffee I've ever had is s...Susan - The only bad coffee I've ever had is some of what passes for coffee at Church Coffee Hour. As bad as that is, I can't imagine what the Spaghetti-O thingy tastes like. I'm betting kids love it.Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-7236128633878880702012-10-15T21:26:01.071-04:002012-10-15T21:26:01.071-04:00Hot Dog Stew? Really? My husband used to make that...Hot Dog Stew? Really? My husband used to make that for the kids, I thought he made it up.Lis Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02513064591210235104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-32252997701029111382012-10-15T21:25:05.209-04:002012-10-15T21:25:05.209-04:00You brouht back wonderful memories. I never thoug...You brouht back wonderful memories. I never thought about it much growing up; but, looking back I realize we ate more beans than anything else. We had so many different dishes with beans: pinto beans with bits of ham and red onion with cornbread; great northern beans with a bits of ham; red beans and rice; black beans and rice. Let me tell you we had a receipe for every type of bean around. Hoppin John and greens were always two of my favorite dishes too. <br />Thanks for the memories.<br />Maria<br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-18313734374275850662012-10-15T21:08:06.921-04:002012-10-15T21:08:06.921-04:00What a wonderful post. The Spaghetti-O's pictu...What a wonderful post. The Spaghetti-O's picture almost did me in but the recipes you shared are wonderful!<br />Do you have More With Less? I love that cookbook, written by our Mennonite brethren. This is one of my favorite. <br />Pickled watermelon rind is wonderful!!! And the coffee in Minnesota is pretty bad too. My grandmother made it by the gallon in a big enamel pot and cracked an egg into it to hold the grinds together. Ick!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16867328248798976456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-73017995628156607552012-10-15T19:50:49.130-04:002012-10-15T19:50:49.130-04:00No, but I found it at Amazon and have it on my wis...No, but I found it at Amazon and have it on my wish list. http://www.amazon.com/Lutheran-Church-Basement-Letnes-Martin/dp/1886271690<br /><br />I'm forbidden to bring in new books of any sort to the house, but, you know, if it's a gift......;~)Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-22299146452740788752012-10-15T19:34:26.778-04:002012-10-15T19:34:26.778-04:00And in your vast collection of cookbooks, do you h...And in your vast collection of cookbooks, do you have "Lutheran Church Basement Women" by Janet Letnes Martin and Allen Todnem, wherein the joys of jello and the six proper knots for kitchen towels are discussed alongside the very worst coffee instructions on the planet and gossip/myth about Martin Luther his own self? A classic.<br /><br />A culture clash incident: will never forget the look on my mom's face when a certain overly precious fiance arrived to visit and actually had the nerve to ask just what kind of pickle is this when she tasted one of our fabulously good homemade watermelon pickles -- her response, "You make pickles out of garbage? Ewwww." Suffice to say she was never quite welcome ever again. We "poor, white, and perilously close to trash" had better manners than to ever say anything like that, and being of Scandinavian descent, never forgot an unkind word ... ever ... such things were preserved in the frozen tundra of the soul as surely as Viking refuse in Greenland.<br /><br />And seriously, the coffee in North Dakota is awful ... bring your own!Marthenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-81611945893203432362012-10-15T19:10:19.337-04:002012-10-15T19:10:19.337-04:00James - I'm so glad it touched you and brought...James - I'm so glad it touched you and brought back fond memories. Let me know how the pie turns out. Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-13921401993206937112012-10-15T19:05:47.519-04:002012-10-15T19:05:47.519-04:00Brad - There's actually a recipe for that in W...Brad - There's actually a recipe for that in WTC, except, it's not called "Sloppy Joes", it's called Aunt Rosie Deaton's All-American Slum-Gullion (The Best). <br /><br />Tuna Casserole is also featured - along with lots of tuna recipes, some of which are "served on saltine crackers slathered with mayonnaise."Elizabeth Kaetonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06787552280232329081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-45219503015438346782012-10-15T18:42:28.119-04:002012-10-15T18:42:28.119-04:00Thank you, Elizabeth. I cried through the whole re...Thank you, Elizabeth. I cried through the whole reading of you post. You've reminded me of days long ago, and people long moved to the Church Triumphant. We, too, were po'folk, but we kids didn't know it. I'm going to make your lily pie. I'll think of your mum and granny, as well as mine. Thank you.Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29373297.post-68726902140471855202012-10-15T18:17:22.844-04:002012-10-15T18:17:22.844-04:00Let's not forget easy Sloppy Joes: Fry up ham...Let's not forget easy Sloppy Joes: Fry up hamburger meat in a skillet, throw in some Lawry Salt and Ketchup. Or Kraft Mac-n-Cheese with a tin of tuna. Lasted all week when I was in college.<br />Brad Uphamnoreply@blogger.com