Thursday is Quilting Bee night and we are supposed to have a list of unfinished projects prepared so that in the next couple of months, we’ll get them finished. Here is my list:
1) Finish quilting and binding my Robert Kauffman (fabric designed by Cynthia) quilt. The good news is that I know where it is! In my craft room!
2) Finish Mike’s man quilt. Location, unknown. It’s gotta be somewhere upstairs.
I’m just finding it tough to think about anything other than the upcoming portfolio show. I’m telling you, this part of the job takes everything out of me. My number one concern is throwing a party and no one showing up. Ugh. It will all be over in a week and one day. Thank goodness.
I made a small effort to find the Man Quilt (I looked for 5 minutes) and then found a Christmas present my sister gave me! The Alcatraz Cookbook. Actually, the Alcatraz Women’s Club Cook Book. I didn’t realize that EVERYONE who worked in Alcatraz also lived there, so the guards’ families lived on the island as well and this cookbook is the compilation of those families’ recipes.
Bertha made pie filling and other delicious treats (many of which contain oleo – I believe that’s an American term for margarine.) and the families created social clubs, because, I guess living as civilians on the same island as a jail full of America’s worst criminals is a bit isolating. My favourite social club was called JUGS – short for “just us girls”. Heh. Time for a JUGS meeting at Alcatraz! That sounds like fun.
I think I’m going to try this one – the shortest recipe I’ve ever seen – by Mildred.
Cucumber Salad
Whip evaporated milk until stiff. Add vinegar and sugar to make a sweet-sour dressing. Add a dash of paprika and salad (huh?). Pour over sliced cucumbers and onions.
That’s the whole recipe. Also, You can whip evaporated milk? I have to try that.
Or maybe not.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Whoa! That cookbook sounds so awesome! I love old American recipes like that (ridiculous) cucumber salad. I mean, whipped evaporated milk? Seriously? Fantastic! The whole “oleo” thing cracks me up too. Our favorite Christmas cookie recipe came from our great-grandmother, and the hard copy we have of it was written out by our grandmother (on a scrap of paper with an unidentified phone number on it, because our recipe collection is classy that way); sure enough, it calls for a pound of oleo.
Sometime if you ever come to the bay area I’ll take you to Alcatraz! It is seriously one of the best tours and you can see the grounds where they lived. It’s actually the same still at a lot of prisons. San Quentin for example is located in the most beautiful bay and there is housing for employees around it.
I think the salad part is “salad cream” which is essentially mayo or miracle whip. I could be wrong though.