Today in American history…Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt were married on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1905, at the home of her aunt, Mrs. Henry Parrish, Jr. in New York City.
Eleanor’s Uncle, President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, gave his niece away at the wedding due to her father (the President’s brother) being deceased.
Today in American history…former First Lady Pat Nixon was born on March 16, 1912 in Ely, Nevada. Her birth name was Thelma Catherine Ryan.
Since she was born on the eve of Saint Patrick’s Day her father, who was very proud of his Irish heritage, gave her the nickname of “Pat” which is what she would always be known as.
President Millard Fillmore liked simple foods which included basically meat, potatoes and vegetables.
One of the family’s favorites was Mrs. Fillmore’s Whole Stuffed Tomatoes. Her personal recipe is from the cookbook The First Ladies Cookbook-Favorite Recipes of All the Presidents of the United States from 1965.
Ingredients
6 firm ripe tomatoes
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter or dripping
butter in dabs
Select tomatoes of equal size. Cut a piece from the stem end of each, and remove the centers, being careful not to break the wall.
For the stuffing: Use the centers of the tomatoes diced, crumbs seasoning and the butter or drippings. Mix well. Sprinkle each tomato with salt and pepper. Fill each tomato with the stuffing.
Place into baking dish. Place a dab of butter on each.
Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) until tender, about 1/2 hour.
For dinner last night we enjoyed Piccata of Veal and Two-Tone Rice – using Nancy Reagan‘s personal recipes. It was delicious!
I had a craving for something chocolatey and sweet today and what better comfort food is better than a warm chocolate brownie fresh from the oven!
Former First Lady Nancy’s own personal recipe for Chocolate Brownie’s definitely made my heart sing as I enjoyed each bite of the chocolate deliciousness.
I had to adapt the recipe just a little bit by cutting the ingredients in half because I couldn’t possibly have 96 brownies on hand – although tempting!
Ingredients
1 1/4 Cup Butter, softened
1 1/4 Cup Sugar
4 Eggs
1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 Cup chopped Walnuts or Pecans (I used Pecans)
Directions
Cream butter and sugar together in a small mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Fold in the flour and cocoa powder. Add the nuts and fold in.
Spread the brownie mixture evenly into a small greased (or lined with parchment paper) pan. Bake in a preheated oven of 375 degrees for about 27 minutes.
Cool the brownies for about an hour. Cut and enjoy!
P.S. A scoop of vanilla ice cream goes perfectly on top 😋
Today in American history…Ronald and Nancy Reagan were married on March 4, 1952.
“When I say my life began with Ronnie, well, it’s true. It did. I can’t imagine life without him.” – Nancy Reagan
“The nicest thing a girl ever did for me was when a girl named Nancy married me and brought a warmth and joy to my life that has grown with each passing year.” – Ronald Reagan
There is nothing in the world like a sugar cream pie. It’s basically a vanilla custard/pudding in a buttery pie crust topped with cinnamon and nutmeg. It doesn’t get any better than this, folks! Take my word on it. I’m on my second slice 🤣
Today in American history…our Nation’s first President was born on February 22, 1732.
George Washington’s favorite breakfast staple was a stack of Hoe Cakes fresh off the griddle smothered in butter, syrup or honey. He also enjoyed a cup of hot tea or one his other favorite beverages: hot chocolate cream (which we know now to be a version of hot chocolate).
Ingredients
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup melted butter lightly cooled
Vegetable oil or bacon grease for frying
Directions
In a large bowl add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt and whisk together really well.
Make a hole/well in the center of the mixture and add in the beaten eggs, buttermilk, water, and melted butter and mix until thoroughly combined.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil (I use butter) in a cast iron skillet or frying pan on medium-high heat.
Scoop enough batter as if you are making a pancake and drop into the frying pan.
Fry each Hoe cake until the edges start to bubble and the edges are golden brown. Flip over and fry for another couple minutes until golden brown.
Remove and serve immediately with butter, and or syrup. Or you can be like George Washington and add honey!
Today in American history…former First Lady Elizabeth “Bess” Truman was born on February 13, 1885 in Independence, Missouri.
“Harry and I have been sweethearts and married more than forty years – and no matter where I was, when I put out my hand Harry’s was there to grasp it.” – Bess Truman
In honor of President Lincoln’s birthday today, I decided to make a recipe from the cookbook-“Miss Leslie’s Complete Cookery” that once belonged to Mrs. Lincoln during her time at home in Springfield, Illinois.
The cookbook was written by Eliza Leslie and was originally published in 1837, was considered one the most popular American cookbooks during that era.
In the book written by Jean H. Baker titled Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography,” Jean H. Baker talks about Mrs. Lincoln’s life in the kitchen:
…By 1851, after nearly ten years of housekeeping, Mary Lincoln had progressed to an advanced version of Miss Leslie’s Cookery… there were recipes for everything from family soup to invalid cookery of beef tea and blackberry preserve…Because she had not learned the vices of sugar and, like everyone in Springfield, innocently believed it the “most nourishing substance in nature,” she spent hours making pudding, cakes, candies and cookies…”
Because Mrs. Lincoln had a copy of the cookbook and used it frequently, I thought it fittingly to use a recipe from the cookbook to make something special in honor of Mr. Lincoln’s birthday today. O
One of the recipes in the cookbook was for Apple Bread Pudding.
President Lincoln was known to enjoy apples, and he often ate the apples with milk as a light lunch. He once explained his love for apples to a fellow Illinois lawyer, Charles S. Zane: “Apples agree with me; a large percent of professional men abuse their stomachs by imprudence in drinking and eatin and in that way health is injured and ruined and life is shortened.”
Here is a modern version of Apple Bread Pudding.
Ingredients
12 small baking apples (I used Granny Smith)
1 large lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted butter (will need more for greasing the baking dish)
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup of bread crumbs (I used Panko)
Ingredients
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract – I used vanilla.
Directions
Pour heavy whipping cream into a small pot and warm slowly over medium heat, whisking occasionally as it warms.
When cream begins to boil, whisk in powdered sugar, nutmeg, and almond or vanilla extract.
Remove from heat. Strain the sauce through a mesh strainer or sieve into a serving dish.
Serve warm sauce over hot slices of Apple Bread Pudding. This is not a thick sauce, and it will need to be stirred from time to time to keep a skin from forming on the surface. Best if served immediately.
Directions for the Bread Pudding
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel and core the apples, then slice them very thin. Place the slices in a large mixing bowl. Pour lemon juice and lemon zest over the
apples along with the nutmeg. Toss the apples with a spatula till evenly coated by the lemon juice, zest, and nutmeg.
Chop the unsalted butter into several very small chunks.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish with unsalted butter. Create a single thick layer of apple slices on the bottom of the dish, covering the entire bottom of the dish.
Sprinkle a generous layer of brown sugar on top of the apples.
Dot a few bits of butter across the top of the brown sugar.
Sprinkle a thin layer of bread crumbs on top of the butter.
Repeat this process of layering– apple slices, brown sugar, butter, and bread crumbs– until the dish is full. Finish the dish with a thin layer of breadcrumbs.
Bake the pudding uncovered for 50-60 minutes until the edges brown, the pudding is cooked through, and the apples are soft. Serve warm topped with cream sauce, if desired.
The Historical Homemaker 