Harriet Ann Krythe Gills Cheese Torte

Harriet Ann Krythe Gill (b. 2 Feb 1921 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) - better known to some of us as Mom - and to many - Grandma Harriet - loved to cook.

Of Dutch heritage with a German Stepmother her food was totally of the "comfort" variety.

Mom's kitchen was a place where she not only cooked - but she listened and she listened well. It was a wonderful place to be.

One of her most famous dishes is her "Cheese Torte". She served it on many special dinners. One in particular that I remember was served at an Easter Dinner. Around the edge of the torte were little coconut bird baskets filled with jelly bean eggs.

The torte she made used dry cottage cheese. I can't find that here in the west - but I added a little cornstarch to one I made recently and it worked well.

Enjoy -

Cheese Torte

Crust:
1 pkg. Holland Rusk (or other zwieback toast)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 cup melted butter

Roll the Holland Rusk. Add other ingredients. Line sides and bottom of a 9" springform pan - saving a scant cupful for the top.

Filling:
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 pint sweet cream
1/4 cup corn starch
1 1/4 cup sugar

Beat eggs well. Add sugar. Pour over cheese. Add corn starch and cream. Beat well. Fill in form. Put crumbs on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hour (until firm).

Ginger Crinkles

Today is the day to make Ginger Crinkles - an easy, Christmasy recipe our family discovered about 15 years ago! Tom and I and our dog Shelby visit each of the people on our dead end street the Sunday before Christmas and take them a bag of Ginger Crinkles and Milk Bones for their dogs! Fun Tradition. We also take them to work and to friends in town.

I'm sure these cookies are being created in several of our children's homes this season also! The tradition continues!

Ginger Crinkles:

Ginger Crinkles

2/3 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 egg
4 Tablespoons molasses
2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
¼ cup sugar for dipping

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oil and sugar thoroughly. Add egg and mix. Stir in molasses. Sift dry ingredients together and add. Drop teaspoonfuls into sugar and form into balls coated with sugar. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Grandma Ruth's Pie Crust

This picture is of my Dad - Edward Rex Griggs (born 8 December 1920 in Union, Union, Oregon) and his mother (my grandmother) Leora Ruth Rollins (born 29 August 1899 in Rye Valley, Baker, Oregon) at my Dad's graduation from Oregon State University in 1949. He graduated with 3 little girls - a degree in Agriculture Education and had a job waiting for him in Halfway, Oregon.

Legend had it - when I was a girl - that Grandma Ruth was the BEST cook in all of Union County. I loved her pies - she made them in 10 inch pie tins and when she cut them - they were cut into 4 pieces per tin!! You can imagine how the haying crew loved sitting at her table during haying season!

She gave me the recipe for her pie crust - it never fails!! Karen


FLAKY PIE CRUST

3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. Crisco
1 tsp. salt
5 1/2 tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. vinegar
1 egg, beaten

Mix first 3 ingredients then add the remaining ingredients.
Quickly turn work so that it turns into a ball.
Divide in half - roll out!

Grandma Krythe's Stollen

Grandma Krythe (Laura Adelaide Simandl b. 5 July 1893) every Christmas made Stollen. My first memory of it was when I visited my soon to be husbands home in West Allis, Wisconsin for Christmas in 1967. There were several loaves and the family just sliced pieces off, spread them with butter and enjoyed!

The recipe is:


2 pkg. Yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 ½ cup milk scalded
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoon salt
¾ cub butter
2 cup flour
3 eggs beaten
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ cup raisins
½ cup diced citron
½ cup sliced candied cherries
4 cups flour
Nuts (optional

Powdered sugar frosting

Mix yeast and warm water in small bowl to soften
Scald milk and add sugar, salt, fruits and butter to hot milk. Cool to lukewarm
Add ¼ cup flour to yeast mixture and add to milk mixture.
Mix well.
Add additional flour to dough to make stiff dough.
Knead on floured surface.
Place in greased bowl.
Cover and let rise until double.
Punch down, let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide into 3 parts. Shape each into and 8 x 10 oval. Then fold over lengthwise, with top parts slightly smaller than bottom.
Let rise until double.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Cool – frost and decorate with candied cherries and almonds.
(nuts may be added to dough, if desired).

Enjoy!!

Edward Rex Griggs with his brother Larry and his Mom and Leora Ruth Rollins Griggs (Grandma Ruth) at Ft. Lewis 1941. Ed turned 21 on December 8, 1941 - the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His Dad - Grandpa Rex - was out in the field when Daddy found him to tell him that he was going to be called up. He was already active in the Sunset Division National Guard.

Edward Rex Griggs and Larry Malcolm Griggs. Just thinking about all the emotion around these pictures and sending a boy off to war makes me teary.

According to the website http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/41in-bde.htm . . ."In 1940, the 41st Infantry Division was inducted into Federal service for WWII. It became the first American Division sent overseas after Pearl Harbor, the first American Division trained in Jungle Warfare. It spent 45 months overseas (longer than any other Division), and earned the title of "Jungleers".

I do know that Grandpa Dick (moms dad) and Grandpa Rex(Daddys dad) were both involved in an organization in town (Union, Oregon) that would speak whenever a "boy" or "girl" was lost during the war. That was extremely hard duty for both of them, as they each had someone serving.

The two grandpas were neighboring ranchers in Union, Oregon - and, although they didn't know it at the time, their children - Ed and Jean - would marry at the end of the war - July 7, 1946. And - 1 year and 6 days later "along came Karen" -that would be me!

Happy Birthday Daddy!! Thank you for all that you have taught me!!

To Jean Ann with Love Ed

Daddy(Edward Rex Griggs) sent this picture of himself to Momma (Jean Ann Richards) between 1942 - 1944 sometime. She was stationed at the time in Washington, D.C.

Edward Rex Griggs 1943 in New Guinea

Edward Rex Griggs 1943 in New Guinea.
Daddy was in the Oregon National Guard - The Sunset Division (which was honored at the 2009 "Civil War" with the players of both the Oregon and Oregon State teams wearing the divisions insignia on their helmet.

I just looked up the Sunset Division in WWII and daddy faced pretty terrible things in New Guinea - no wonder he never talked about the "war" part.

I do know that he loved making "jungle juice" and having fun with his friends from Union - who became life long friends.