“Then March it is.”
“Look, the clouds are beginning to turn.”
Wisps of salmon and pink marked the underbellies and fringes of the vanguard clouds from the storm sitting offshore. “It’s going to be a good show tonight. Certainly worthy of another cup of tea.”
“Don’t go—you’ll miss something for sure.”
Karla sat back and propped her feet on the railing.
Anna noticed her shoes. “Penny loafers? I didn’t think they made them anymore.”
“I called around until I found a pair.”
“Now why would you do that?”
“I had a penny I wanted to save and I couldn’t think of a better place to keep it.”
“I assume it has special meaning?”
“I found it on a day when I was feeling lost. Now I use it to make sure I never forget how lucky I am or how far I’ve come.”
“Penny loafers were popular with the kids that lived in town when I was a girl. Only they wore dimes and used them for bus fare.”
The sky had turned again, the salmon to rust, the pink to orange, the muted colors giving way to depth and richness . . . precisely the way Karla’s life had changed when she came home.
“Tell me what it was like back then,” Karla said.
And Anna did.
Acknowledgments
I couldn’t have written this novel without the help of many people. A big thank-you to Dr. Marcia Smith, a veterinarian who gives extraordinary medical care to her patients and compassionate, insightful care to their owners; Dr. Elizabeth McClure, for ideas, laughter, enthusiasm, and knowledge, both personal and professional; and Dr. Dave Brauner, who steered me in the right direction and gave generously of his time. A long-overdue thank-you goes to Dr. John Morelli, who has listened with good humor, commented sagely, and given astute advice through several past books as well as this one.
Many thanks also go to Connie Cullivan for her enthusiastic history lesson on a community she loves with passion and dedication, Rocklin, California.
Author’s Note with Recipes
Too often, when you run into an old friend, the meeting becomes a painful reminder of how little you have in common anymore. Knowing this I was hesitant to revisit the “friends” I’d created for Things Remembered. I loved these people and wanted them to remain as I remembered them. But they needed a creative nudge into the current decade for this reissue—is there anyone left who doesn’t own a cell phone? Even the meds my vet uses in the story had to be updated. So, with pencil and notepad, I knocked on Karla’s and Anna’s door and immersed myself in their world once again.
Normally, my last read of one of my books is when it first comes out in book form. For me, for some bizarre reason, the story reads differently as a book than it does as a manuscript. Then, when I’m finished, it goes on the shelf with the other books I’ve written and it’s on to the next story. Thanks to my editor, Lucia Macro, I’ve had the opportunity recently to revisit three of the books that were gathering dust on the shelf and it’s been a wonderful adventure. I like that I still cry at the sad parts and laugh when I should. I especially like that I haven’t winced or groaned at something that could have been written more creatively. Well, maybe once or twice—but I took full advantage of the opportunity to do better the second time around.
With Things Remembered the journey was not only with the characters, but with the women in my own family. My father was in the Air Force and our family moved a lot when I was growing up. My mother made temporary houses into homes for us all over the United States. Even without long-time friends or family nearby, she managed to make our holidays seem like huge family gatherings. Always, there was a turkey and piecrust cookies made from the leftover scraps from the pumpkin pies—and some things I don’t think of as fondly, like jellied cranberry sauce. There were decorations—homemade and hand-me-down—in every room. The Christmas tree was a work of art.
As I worked on Things Remembered and immersed myself in that world again, it occurred to me that there was something missing the first time around—some of the actual recipes I wrote about. When the book first came out, I offered to send them to anyone who wrote and I was both surprised and delighted at the response. The best part was the number of women who sent stories along with their own special family recipes—and so many recipes for peanut butter fudge. While none were quite the same as my mother’s, some came very close. And, truth be told, some were better—hers was never creamy, always more on the sugary side.
One of the most fun things about revisiting Things Remembered turned out to be the opportunity to include recipes gathered from friends and family. I hope you enjoy them and their stories as much as I have. If you have a recipe or holiday story you’d like to share, I’d love to hear from you. I know, it’s an old-fashioned woman thing. Trust me, if you haven’t done it lately, give it a try. It’s right up there with belonging to a really good book club!
Happy reading.
HONEY BREAD
Submitted by Clint C.
MAKES 1 LARGE ROUND OR
2 SMALL ROUNDS (FREE-FORM).
Around our house it wasn’t a real holiday meal without fresh baked bread—the easier and tastier, the better. This recipe is one of the best I’ve come up with—tender and slightly sweet. It also goes really well with a hearty homemade soup in the fall.
11⁄3 cups warm water (approximately 100 degrees)
½ ounce Rapid Rise yeast (two envelopes)
1⁄3 cup pure honey
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 3½ cups all-purpose flour
Place ½ cup warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast and stir until dissolved. Add remaining water, honey, oil, salt, and 1 cup of the flour. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed with electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic—8 to 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover, let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
Punch dough down, place on greased cookie sheet shaping into a 9- to 10-inch round. Cover, let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size—about 30 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Should be nice and brown—do not overbake. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.
CHRISTMAS MORNING CASSEROLE
Submitted by Earle G.
In 1983 our little community in Mississippi put together a small cookbook of favorite family recipes to share with friends and family. We thought it would be nice to share our Christmas morning Breakfast Casserole. This recipe was made Christmas Eve and placed in the oven to cook while we opened presents Christmas morning. The tradition continues with my little family and I am happy to share it with you in hopes you and your family can enjoy, too!
1 pound Jimmy Dean hot pork sausage, browned and drained
8 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
6 slices white bread, cubed
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Combine all ingredients and place in a buttered 2-quart casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Take out of refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Check to make sure center of casserole is set up—it may take a little longer depending on your oven. When done, take out of oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
KRUSCHIKI
Submitted by Lucia M.
One thing you can say about my parents—they really fell into the melting pot. We were the least ethnic kids I’ve ever seen. Friends will mention their Italian or Polish traditions and I don’t have the foggiest idea of what they’re talking about. But every Christmas my mother made these wonderful Polish Christmas cookies, and my sisters and
I still make them today. There are different ways to make these cookies. In this recipe you don’t have to chill the dough, which is good for me because I have no patience. But I have to say, all the kneading is pretty dull! Still, you can take turns doing it. I’ve also seen recipes where you grate in some lemon zest. I never really have gotten the hang of deep frying, but I try every year anyway!
9 egg yolks
3 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Beat egg yolks with sugar until well blended. Add sour cream, rum, vanilla, and mix till smooth.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the egg yolk mixture a little at a time. Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface and knead for about ½ hour. Make sure the dough absorbs all the flour so it doesn’t stick.
Separate dough into 4 or 5 portions and roll out very thin. Cut dough into 1- to 1½-inch strips, about 4 inches long. Make a 1½-inch slit in the strip closer to one end. Pull the long end of the strip through the slit. (Editor’s note: Good luck with this.)
Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Fry the cookies quickly, turning once. They should be golden but not brown. Drain on paper towels, cool, dust with powdered sugar.
NEWLYWED’S MEATLOAF
Submitted by Patty B.
When I was first married I couldn’t find a meatloaf recipe that both me and my husband liked. Then I found one for sweet and sour meatballs, tweaked it to my liking, and three children later, the result has become a family favorite. I always make enough to freeze for quick meals later.
1 pound ground turkey meat or beef
1 10-ounce can tomato soup
1 small package herb-flavored croutons (crush the croutons into small pieces)
1 egg
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 onion, chopped
½ cup brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine beef (or ground turkey), tomato soup, crushed croutons, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, chopped onion, and brown sugar and place in a lightly greased 5x9-inch loaf pan. Or form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
Bake for 1 hour.
MOM/GRAM/GG’S ZUCCHINI FRITTATA
Submitted by Karol B.
A family favorite and special request for summer family gatherings. Good warm but even better cold as leftovers, if there are any.
10 medium-sized Italian zucchini—cut in 1-inch pieces and steamed or microwaved slightly
2 packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 medium-sized sweet onion, chopped
4 eggs, beaten
1⁄3 cup bread crumbs (add more if too moist)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Mix all ingredients and cook in 13x9x2-inch baking dish at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.
CRANBERRY CHUTNEY
Submitted by Marcia S.
My parents both loved to cook. My mother baked all our bread, canned fruits and veggies, made yogurt, and made the four kids school lunches every day. My father enjoyed trying new complex recipes, and it would not be uncommon for him to spend an entire day preparing a meal. They passed on that interest in fresh, flavorful, whole foods to all of us. It is difficult for me to eat something that has come out of a can or box, with little resemblance to the original ingredients. If you’ve only tasted cranberry sauce out of a can, you won’t recognize these flavors. Enjoy!
1 16-ounce canned peach halves, packed in syrup
1 12-ounce package cranberries, fresh or frozen
1½ cups sugar
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup pecan halves
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon dry ginger
Drain the peaches, chop coarsely, and reserve juice. Place cranberries, juice, sugar, and onion in a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until cranberries begin to “pop.” Add pecans, cinnamon, ginger, and peaches and cook 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pack into 4 2-cup sterilized jars or put in a serving container. This keeps in refrigerator for 2 months or can be frozen. Great on turkey sandwiches!
SHAKE ’N BAKE CHICKEN
Submitted by Karen M.
I am sooo not a cook, but the love I feel for my one and only son is immense. He was and is the most powerful love in my life, no doubts. So the opportunity to make the meal he enjoyed the most made me happy. It was always, definitely a comfort food meal for Mike.
Since he was ten years old or so, and still going strong at twenty-five, Mike’s favorite “go-to meal from Mom” was Shake ’n Bake chicken with Parmesan noodles. Warm chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk while watching a movie or a basketball/baseball game. We had a routine!
I did always go with boneless chicken breasts and the package of Shake ’n Bake chicken and Parmesan noodles aka noodles-a-roni. As an always-working-outside-the-home mom, time was precious. But Mike loved the meal and I always found time to make it for him. It was his first request when he came home from Vermont, where they cooked amazing homemade meals—he wanted his Shake ’n Bake chicken dinner.
What more can I say? I love being a part of the love and sharing of food/meals that you are writing about. Thank you for including me!
RICE CON QUESO
Submitted by Georgia B.
Since we became vegetarians a while back, this recipe has become a favorite of mine and John’s. We use it as a main course and add a salad or a broccoli side dish. Good enough for company, it also freezes well.
1½ cups of raw brown rice cooked with salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings
2 cans black-eyed peas, drained
1 to 3 cloves garlic, minced—I like garlic so I always use 3
1 medium red onion (yellow or white will work), sliced thin
1 small can chopped chiles
¾ pound shredded Jack cheese
½ pound ricotta cheese, thinned slightly with milk or yogurt
½ pound grated medium cheddar
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix rice, peas, garlic, onion, and chilies. Layer this mixture alternately in a greased 13x9-inch glass casserole with Jack cheese and ricotta. End with rice mixture. Top with cheddar cheese. Cover with foil (being careful to keep foil from touching cheese) and cook for 15 minutes. Remove foil and cook remaining 15 minutes, or until cheese has formed a nice brown crust.
PANCIT—A FILIPINO RICE NOODLE DISH
Submitted by Nat G.
My mom was a wonderful cook and this is a delicious recipe I grew up with. It’s a traditional Filipino dish, served not only on holidays but year round. A real comfort food!
16-ounce package rice sticks (bihon/noodles)
vegetable oil
3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
½ pound pork butt, sliced and cut in bite-size pieces
½ pound shelled shrimp, cut in bite-size pieces
4 or 5 medium dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water to soften, then sliced in small pieces
3 Chinese sausages, sliced thinly diagonally.
4 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)—this sauce gives the flavor
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Soak noodles in cold water until soft. Drain and set aside.
In a large 5-quart pot (preferably nonstick), add oil. Over medium heat, saute garlic until lightly browned, add onion, stir about 1 minute. Add pork, shrimp, mushrooms, Chinese sausage, fish sauce, and broth.
Cover pot and simmer mixture until pork is done. Add rice noodles to meat mixture
and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer pancit to serving platter, garnish with lemon wedges and sliced green onions. You may also garnish with sliced hard-boiled eggs, if desired.
Note: Rice noodles, Chinese sausage, dried shiitake mushrooms, and fish sauce/patis can be purchased in Asian markets.
MOM’S PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Submitted by Susan C.
I recently had a craving for my mom’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake, which I always requested for my birthday. I had the recipe but knew I needed to buy a cast-iron pan if I wanted it to turn out just like Mom’s. It came out just as I hoped! And it was almost like having my mom in the kitchen with me.
Things Remembered Page 31
