A potato chip, graham cracker, evaporated milk Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for many things, especially for those who lived before me with a strong faith in God and country, preparing the way for a very good life in Texas and America.

Breaking the Way

Although Conestoga wagons were the vehicles many pioneers used to reach the frontier, an even greater number of settlers came west in more arduous ways. So great was their determination to find a new life, they came any way they could. Some used small horse-drawn wagons. Some pushed handcarts. Some even walked. One missionary described a family traveling west as follows: " The man carried an ax and gun...the wife, the rim of a spinning wheel in one hand and a loaf of bread in the other. Several little boys and girls each with a bundle, according to their size. Two poor horses each heavily loaded...On the top of the baggage of one was an infant, rocked to sleep in a kind of wicker cage...A cow formed one of the company...a bed cord...wound around her forms and a bag of meal on her back.

Preparing food in the wilderness was a challenge. In the wintertime, eating was monotonous; meals often consisted of no more than cornmeal mush or cornbread sweetened with molasses, a few potatoes or turnips or perhaps a bit of salt pork. But with the coming of summer things changed and cows began producing milk again. That meant the families could have milk, butter, and cheese, and many foods could be found growing wild.  There was an abundance of big game such as buffalo, deer, bear, turkey, boars, rabbits, etc. To remove the "wild" game taste. the meat was soaked overnight in salted water or milk.

 Settling In

When the pioneer arrived, the first job was to build a shelter. Then the tough prairie sod had to be conquered. Once corn was planted, they turned to other priorities.

Join me in using a heritage food this Thanksgiving to remember the past sacrifices.

HERITAGE  FOOD: Evaporated Milk 1856
Choco Mo Ice Cream is made in the refrigerator and uses evaporated milk to give it a rich creaminess.  Evaporated milk was invented by Gail Borden in 1856 and was first used by the troops in the Civil War in place of fresh milk.  Today we're more apt to use evaporated milk as a cooking ingredient.

Choco Mo Ice Cream
2/3 cup cold water                                     Dash of sale
1    tablespoon cornstarch                          3     egg whites
1    13-ounce can evaporated milk             1/4 cup sugar
3    beaten egg yolks                                  1/2  cup semisweet chocolate pieces,
1/4 cup light molasses                                       finely chopped

In saucepan slowly blend cold water into cornstarch. Stir in evaporated milk. Cook, stirring constantly till mixture boils. Stir a moderate amount hot mixture into beaten egg yolks. Return to remaining hot mixture in saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, till mixture is almost boiling. Stir in molasses and salt; chill thoroughly. Beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating till stiff peaks form. Fold into molasses mixture. Turn into 11x7x1-1/2 inch pan.Freeze till firm. Break into chunks and place in chilled bowl; beat till smooth with electric mixer. Fold in chopped chocolate pieces. Return to cold pan. Freeze till Firm.  Makes 8-10 servings.

HERITAGE FOOD: Graham Crackers early 1800
 In the early 1800s the Reverend Sylvester Graham was a temperance lecturer and a nutritional "expert." He encouraged the use of coarse cereals which later led to breakfast cereals. He also urged the use of more fruits and vegetables in the American diet. Yet, for all his work, he is known to history at something of a crank, barely tolerating the use of milk, eggs, honey, salt, shellfish, or port. In 1835 specialized shops featuring Graham approved foods were started. The graham cracker, however, is perhaps his most well-known legacy in America.

1853 Potato chips

The original potato chip recipe was invented by chef George Crum at Moon's Lake House near Saratoga Springs, New York, on August 24, 1853.  Fed up with a customer who continued to send his fried potatoes back complaining that they were too thick and soggy, Crum decided to slice the potatoes so thin that they could not be eaten with a fork.  As they could not be fried normally in a pan, he decided to stir-fry the potato slices.  Against Crum's expectation, the guest was ecstatic about the new chips and they soon became a regular item on the lodge's menu, and were known as "Saratoga chips".