November 25, 1947 In the Kitchen, The Boy Dean, The Crowd of Mothers, Blooming Bonnie's Lecture and Plum Pudding

Fruitcake Ad from the A&P, 1947

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"This day went by so fast it hardly seems like I did anything.  After my bath and walk I started working on the plum pudding and seems like I worked in the kitchen most of the day.  We mixed the pudding yesterday and cooked part of it.  I finished it today.  One of the oldest faculty wives gave me her mother-in-law's old recipe.  It is real Old English Plum Pudding made with suet and lots of other stuff.  What a mixture we had! But it smells and looks wonderful.  We intended it for Thanksgiving but will save it for later for we think we're going to the Richards for Thanksgiving.  Even if I can't eat desserts and candy now I really enjoy making them so I'm making Xmas candy and a fruit cake.  I intend to save a good bit of it although, till after the baby comes so I can enjoy some of it.  It won't be long after Xmas.

We had the nicest dinner party Saturday night.  There were six of us--the Dean and his wife and the Swanns.  The Dean is young and an Oklahoma boy.  The food was perfect even if I did fix it.  We had breaded pork chops, green beans, candied sweet potatoes, pear salad, hot rolls and a peanut butter chiffon pie and coffee.  I know things were good because we didn't have much leftover and I always cook lots. They all took seconds on everything.  We spent the rest of the evening just talking.  

I went to Edith Swann's for lunch Tuesday and had a nice time and Tuesday night Aggie and I went to the Mother's Club.  There was a huge crowd--40 some--and they met in a private home.  It was conducted like any women's club and then they had a speaker.  She is the author of "I'm Tired of Grandma" and told us about writing the book.  When she finished the refreshments were served buffet style from the dining table.  There was a salad made of cream cheese and candied fruits on lettuce, one roll and coffee or tea.  It was delicious.  I met several women and really enjoyed it.

We had a letter from Bessie a few days ago.  They were all as busy as ever.

You got your money's worth out of that piano and I think it's good riddance.  I saw a Kroehler living room suit the other day which was just like what you need--it was a beautiful gray.  I don't remember how much it was.

Mother, you must not worry about me.  I was never healthier in my life and if you could see me you wouldn't worry.  My doctor and several of my friends say I'm one of these women who "blooms" when pregnant.  My skin is clear and has a better color than I ever had.  I've always been pale but now I have pink in my cheeks.  You know I'm fine or I couldn't have dinner parties and go as much as I do.  My work is light, I'm happy, I do just about what I want to do.  Dr. January is the best in this section and Hartford Hospital is huge with all sorts of equipment.  I go to see the Dr. again Monday and after that it will be once a week or ten days.  So you see he's keeping close watch over me and I have every chance in the world for everything to be perfect.  There isn't much chance that you would have to come so don't be in a hurry to pack your suitcase.  Ha!  Daddy needs you more than I do."

         Lots of love,

             B & Bonnie

NOTE from Ann:  The author of I'm Tired of Grandma,  Ardis R. Whitman, lived in New Britain, CT.  What follows is the only synopsis I could find:  This is a great book for women and/or anyone studying the modern woman and women of the past. This book validates the saintly, frugal, industrious wives and mothers of the earliest days and women of today.  http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?tn=I%27m+tired+grandma

Old English Plum Pudding

Mix together 2 lbs. seeded raisins, 2 lbs. currants, 1/4 lb. chopped citron, 1 lb. mixed candied fruit, 1/2 lb. chopped dates and 1 c. flour until fruit is coated.  In another large bowl mix 1-1/2 c. finely chopped suet and 1 c. brown or white sugar.  Add 6 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add 1 more c. of flour with 1 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg and 1 tsp. mace.  Blend in 1 c. milk and 1 T molasses.  Add the floured fruit and mix thoroughly.  

Pack pudding into small molds which have been greased and floured.  Fill within 3/4 in. of the top.  Cover each tightly with foil or a double thickness of waxed paper and tie securely with string.  Set molds on a rack in a roasting pan, pour boiling water into the roaster until it comes half way up the molds.  Put lid on roaster and cook in a 350 oven for 45 minutes.  


When puddings are done, loosen each with a knife, turn out of molds and cool completely.  Wrap and store in refrigerator.  To serve, put puddings back in molds and set them in a pan of hot water in the oven or on top of the stove until pudding is very hot.  Turn out onto serving plates and top with hard sauce. 

Several years later, Bonnie and the recipe appeared in the local paper:

An abbreviated summary of the article:

Old English Plum Pudding that has been a traditional holiday dish at the Francis Belshe home has an interesting history.  Bonnie got the recipe from an English woman whom she lived near in Connecticut.  The recipe is very old and was made by the neighbor's mother in England when she was a little girl.  Bonnie recalls that the neighbor told her that her mother always called it "plumb pudding" because it was "plumb good".   Since the pudding is very rich, Bonnie prefers making it in small individual molds.  Larger puddings require more cooking time, she said.  A ring mold or 1-1/2 pt. casserole or mold takes 1-1/2 hrs. in the oven.  Place the mold in a baking pan with water, just as the smaller molds are prepared.  Wrapped well the pudding will keep months in the refrigerator or freezer.  The family has often eaten plum pudding until Easter.  Any hard sauce recipe can be used for topping.  Bonnie prefers a hard sauce made by using a mixture of butter, confectioners sugar and vanilla.  The sauce can be rolled between waxed paper like dough and cut into tiny Christmas shapes, then chilled until hard.  The old English way of preparing plum pudding is to put it in a cloth bag and boil it in a big pot of water.  She has never tried this method since the roaster method has proven very successful.

And yes, it was still around at Easter because some traditions are more beloved by adults than children.