For the Heirloom program at HCMCF, a current
resident is selected to be the featured “chef” for the month. Andra
Shier, the ADDS, conducts an interview with the resident and family
members. A special recipe is chosen and the resident and
family share special stories about the recipe and family history.
December’s resident was Rita Krueger. Rita and her
granddaughter shared stories about what it was like living on a farm in
the thumb of Michigan during the depression. Rita’s recipe for fudge was
shared with the residents. While they enjoyed
homemade bread and fudge, Rita’s family history regarding the
significance of the fudge and bread was shared. . .
In her granddaughter, Melissa’s words:
“Grandma grew up in a Catholic family of 12. She
was the 9th of her siblings. Grandma's mother died at a very young of
47, due to a stroke. Grandma Rita was eleven when her mother passed. She
had to take on many household tasks, like
helping in the kitchen, cooking for the family and working on the farm.
Grandma remembers preparing meals for the thrashers who worked for her
father. She would prepare mashed potatoes, veggies and roasts. All food
from their farm. They only made things they
had grown, had on hand, or food that was given as pay instead money.
Food would be prepared before it spoiled and the family meals were based
on that because back in those days there was no refrigeration. Food did
not go to waste!
Grandma Rita enjoys telling the stories of when
she was little. When her parents would go to town, she and her siblings
would hurry to the kitchen to make the famous Hershey's cocoa fudge.
They would get into their limited supply of
sugar which was used sparingly back in those days. The sugar was
purchased at the local Michigan Sugar factory in Sebewaing in 25 pound
bags. They made sure they ate all the fudge before their parents came
back home to avoid getting into trouble for using
the sugar!”
Rita said during those times sweets were only for
special occasions and it was only until she married and met her in-laws
did eating sweets, like homemade cake and cookies, become a regular food
in her household. Rita also remembers keeping
homemade bread on hand. She was so good at making the bread that the
local “towns people” would trade their “store-bought” bread for her
homemade bread. Her and her siblings loved getting a treat of
store-bought bread while the townsfolk enjoyed her baking
skills!
Many of the residents also had stories about what
it was like growing up during the depression and the different types of
foods they made, especially the homemade breads and desserts!
Rita Krueger’s Hershey
Fudge
Ingredients:
4
Tbsp. Hershey’s Cocoa powder
2 cups Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 cup Milk (Rita used fresh cow's milk)
2 Tbsp. Butter (Rita used fresh churned butter)
2 cups Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 cup Milk (Rita used fresh cow's milk)
2 Tbsp. Butter (Rita used fresh churned butter)
Directions:
Butter
a 9x13 pan
In a saucepan, mix cocoa & sugar. Add milk and butter stirring well. Bring to a boil, gently stirring often till softball stage. (Soft ball is formed when small amount is dropped from spoon into cold water.)
Remove from heat, Stir in vanilla. Allow to stand until fairly cool. Then beat until creamy. Then pour into buttered pan. Cut into squares when cooled.
In a saucepan, mix cocoa & sugar. Add milk and butter stirring well. Bring to a boil, gently stirring often till softball stage. (Soft ball is formed when small amount is dropped from spoon into cold water.)
Remove from heat, Stir in vanilla. Allow to stand until fairly cool. Then beat until creamy. Then pour into buttered pan. Cut into squares when cooled.