Today in American history…our 37th U.S. President, Richard Nixon, was born on January 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda, California on his parent’s lemon ranch.
To honor his birthday today, I wanted to share with you one of his favorite meals.
Meatloaf was absolutely President Nixon’s favorite food. He also enjoyed cottage cheese + ketchup for breakfast (but that’s another story!) So it’s an honor to have this recipe and eat something that President Nixon once enjoyed. It’s really special too being that it’s Mrs Nixon’s personal family recipe.
Former first lady Pat Nixon’s meatloaf recipe appeared years ago in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In the article, it states, “This recipe for family-style meatloaf is from the Nixon administration and belonged to first lady Pat Nixon. It was so popular that the recipe was printed on White House stationery to be mailed on request.”
1 cup butter 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups instant oatmeal 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 package (12 ounces) chocolate chips
Directions
Blend the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs. Sift and add the flour. Add the baking soda and salt. Add and mix in the oatmeal, vanilla and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy!
Letter and picture courtesy of the George H.W. Bush Library and Museum.
Today in American history…George and Barbara Bush were married on January 6, 1945 in Rye, New York.
They were engaged directly before he was shipped overseas as a Naval pilot during World War II and the only communication they had for some time was through letters.
In a letter dated December 12, 1943, George wrote to his beloved Barbara:
My darling Bar,
This should be a very easy letter to write — words should come easily and in short it should be simple for me to tell you how desperately happy I was to open the paper and see the announcement of our engagement, but somehow I can’t possibly say all in a letter I should like to.
I love you, precious, with all my heart and to know that you love me means my life. How often I have thought about the immeasurable joy that will be ours some day. How lucky our children will be to have a mother like you —
As the days go by the time of our departure draws nearer. For a long time I had anxiously looked forward to the day when we would go aboard and set to sea. It seemed that obtaining that goal would be all I could desire for some time, but, Bar, you have changed all that. I cannot say that I do not want to go — for that would be a lie. We have been working for a long time with a single purpose in mind, to be so equipped that we could meet and defeat our enemy. I do want to go because it is my part, but now leaving presents itself not as an adventure but as a job which I hope will be over before long. Even now, with a good while between us and the sea, I am thinking of getting back. This may sound melodramatic, but if it does it is only my inadequacy to say what I mean. Bar, you have made my life full of everything I could ever dream of — my complete happiness should be a token of my love for you.
Wednesday is definitely the commissioning and I do hope you’ll be there. I’ll call Mum tomorrow about my plan. A lot of fellows put down their parents or wives and they aren’t going so you could pass as a Mrs. — Just say you lost the invite and give your name. They’ll check the list and you’ll be in. How proud I’ll be if you can come.
I’ll tell you all about the latest flying developments later. We have so much to do and so little time to do it in. It is frightening at times. The seriousness of this thing is beginning to strike home. I have been made asst. gunnery officer and when Lt. Houle leaves I will be gunnery officer. I’m afraid I know very little about it but I am excited at having such a job. I’ll tell you all about this later too.
The wind of late has been blowing like mad and our flying has been cut to a minimum. My plane, #2 now, is up at Quonset, having a camera installed. It is Bar #2 but purely in spirit since the Atlantic fleet won’t let us have names on our planes.
Goodnite, my beautiful. Everytime I say beautiful you about kill me but you’ll have to accept it —
I hope I get Thursday off — there’s still a chance. All my love darling —
Today in American history…George and Martha Washington were married on January 6, 1759 at her plantation home, the White House, in New Kent County, Virginia on January 6, 1759.
An 1849 painting by Junius Brutus Stears titled “The Marriage of Washington to Martha Custis”
Leading up to her marriage to George Washington, Martha Dandridge Custis was a young, wealthy widow residing in New Kent County, Virginia (about 35 miles outside of Williamsburg) with her two small children.
George Washington was a dashing military hero who would make the long visits from his home outside of Fredericksburg, Virginia to visit the charming and accomplished Martha in 1758. Within a few months of their courtship, they decided to plan a future together.
Martha Custis placed an order from London for beautiful purple slippers and a wedding dress that was to be “grave but not extravagant nor to be mourning.”
Martha Custis Washington’s wedding shoes, worn on her marriage to George Washington on January 6, 1759. Silk, linen, leather, metallic lace and sequins, and wood. (The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association)
Calvin and Grace Coolidge had simple tastes when it came to dining and they cherished anything related to their home of New England. One of the delicious items you could always find with one of their meals (including breakfast!) was New England Corn Muffins.
In honor of our former First Lady from New England’s birthday today, we decided to whip up some New England Corn Muffins to celebrate the fabulous Grace Coolidge.
Today in American History…former First Lady Grace Anna Goodhue Coolidge was born on January 3, 1879 in Burlington, Vermont.
Childhood Photo of Grace Coolidge
In 1902 she graduated from The University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Teaching and is the very first First Lady to have earned a traditional four year undergraduate degree. After graduating from college, she taught at the Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech in Northampton, Massachusetts. She would remain loyal and dedicated to helping the deaf community for the rest of her life.
Mrs Coolidge was very social, extroverted and cheerful unlike her husband who was often silent and reserved.
In his autobiography, President Calvin Coolidge wrote about his marriage to Grace “For almost a quarter of a century she has borne with my infirmities, and I have rejoiced in her graces.”
She was a very popular First Lady and received a gold medal from the National Institute of Social Science. In 1931, she was voted one of America’s twelve greatest living women.
I always like to envision the new year as a blank page. A clean slate. It’s a chance to wipe away and start anew. It’s a chance of rebirth. It’s also a time to reflect on the past year, what we’ve learned – good and bad. Things we want to carry on into the new year and things we can’t to keep back in the last.
I hope the new year brings you nothing but love, health, happiness and an abundance of peace.
So now onto new year food traditions!
My husband is what is referred to as being “Pennsylvania Dutch.” When he was growing up in Pennsylvania, it was a huge deal to eat Sauerkraut and Pork each New Year’s Day. While I’m a proud born and bred Virginian, my stepmother, June, always had the tradition of eating black eyed peas for dinner (along with other delicious Southern staples!) on New Year’s Day. She actually didn’t like them at all but made them and would eat just one or two – and said it brought good luck.
Do you have any New Years Breakfast or Dinner traditions? I would love to hear from you!
In the kitchen tonight, I made delicious Sauerkraut and Pork. The apples in the ingredients take away the bitterness of the sour kraut and is a very nice combination. The apple cider vinegar was a nice touch too!
Pennsylvania Dutch Sauerkraut & Pork Dinner
Ingredients
2 1/2 – 3 lbs of lean bone-in country ribs
olive oil
1 bags silver floss sauerkraut
1 large or 2 small apples
1 medium onion
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Directions
Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Use just enough to sprinkle meat to season.
Coat a large skillet with olive oil. Brown the ribs on both sides.
Remove from the skillet and place onto a baking sheet. Put into a preheated oven of 325 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.
While the ribs are baking, rinse the sauerkraut in cold water and quickly drain. If you are watching your sodium, this helps to wash some of the sodium away.
In a medium bowl, add the sauerkraut, and two tablespoons apple cider vinegar, chopped apples, onions, and salt and pepper.
Remove the ribs when done and in a large baking dish – lay the ribs across. Cover the pork with sauerkraut and add one cup chicken broth.
Cover and bake for 3 hours or until pork is “fork tender.”
The Historical Homemaker 