October 29, 1949 Had to Have Lunch in Peoria, The Nice Girl, The Frozen Vegetables and Piccalilli

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"We just got home from Peoria.  It is such a nice day that we went to see the town and do some shopping.  It was late when we got started so had to have lunch there but it was fun.  I looked for my china but they didn't have my pattern and the only Haviland I saw was Apple Blossom.  I also learned that my crystal is no longer being made and the Rock Sharpe Co. has sold out to the Libby Glass Co. so I'll have to start another pattern.  Peoria has a wonderful shopping center--the nearest to Hartford that we've seen since we left Conn.  Maybe we can go back sometime when you are here.

This has been a hectic week.  Something doing every night and last night was the first night that we'd both been home all week.  There's nothing doing tonight but we're invited to a tea for new faculty people tomorrow afternoon and to a dinner tomorrow evening.  We'll stay with Jim's kids while they go to tea and then they will keep Bobby.  Our sitter will keep him tomorrow night.  She is a freshman and such a nice girl--comes from a family of 10 children.  Bobby likes her fine and she seems to enjoy him.  She did all my ironing one night and I may have her either iron or bake cookies tomorrow night.  She does anything I ask her to but of course Bobby has to be asleep if she does work.

I wish I had some of your mums.  The flowers here are all gone and I'm using some kind of red berries I found in the yard.  We had a good frost this week that took the last of the tomatoes and peppers.  There were so many ripe ones in the garden and I was so aggravated that I let them freeze. Did I tell you I made piccalilli--10 pts. and it was good.

I'd love to have gone on your trip.  I know it was nice."

               Lots of love,

                     B, Bonnie & Bobby

Piccalilli  (from the Ball Blue Book of Canning, 1943)

Chop and mix 1 gallon green tomatoes, 1 head cabbage, 3 sweet peppers, 2 large onions and 1/2 cup salt.  Let stand overnight.  Drain.  Mix 1 cup brown sugar, 2 T mustard seed, 1 T celery seed, 1 T horseradish and 1 qt. vinegar.  Boil 1 minute.  Add vegetables and heat to boiling.  Pack into hot jars and seal at once.   Note from Ann:  Optional additions Bonnie used included curry and cumin, and almost any other vegetable, particularly cauliflower and carrots,  if I recall correctly.