Summer is a perfect time for family gatherings at a farm, lake or park where lots of fun outdoor activities for young and old can be planned. Bringing extended family members together reinforces the value of family and a shared heritage.
My side of the family is scattered across the country. We decided to host a family reunion this summer at the lake where we have a cabin.
It was a wonderful time of visiting, playing games, eating and letting the youngest cousins get to know each other.
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It was also a time to celebrate many special events, anniversaries and birthdays and honour the memory of our parents, Gilbert and Bertie Pearson, and step-mom, Kay Redick-Pearson.
My great-niece, Rowen, celebrated her ninth birthday by catching a northern pike. We made sure she had the whole experience learning how to clean and cook it as well.
We used a simple egg bath and then covered the fish fillet pieces with a mixture of flour, lemon pepper and salt. The pieces were quickly fried in butter and served within an hour of her catching it.
FAMILY FOOD TRADITIONS
Food preparation and eating did occupy much of our time together. Mary-Ellen’s yummy cinnamon bun recipe was passed down from her mom, Kay Roth.
The dough for the cinnamon buns starts with this bun recipe.
KAY’S NEVER FAIL BUN DOUGH
1-8 g. package traditional yeast or
2 1/4 tsp. traditional yeast 11 mL
1/2 c. lukewarm water 125 mL
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 c. sugar 125 mL
2 tsp. salt 10 mL
1/2 c. oil 125 mL
2 1/2 c warm water 625 mL
8 –10 c. flour 2 –2.5 L
Sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup (125 mL) of lukewarm water, let sit to froth up.
Beat eggs, add sugar, salt, oil and mix. Mix in the yeast and water mixture and additional water. Add six cups (1.5 L) flour and beat well. Add as much flour as needed to form a soft dough. Knead the dough well. Cover the pan of dough with a tea towel. Punch down every hour for three hours.
Lightly oil the top of the dough each time it is punched down. After the third hour, make into buns and put on floured pans. Cover with clean tea towels and leave on countertop overnight. Bake in the morning in a 350 F (180 C) oven for 15 minutes.
FOR CINNAMON PULL-APARTS
Grease eight to nine pie plates
1 batch of Kay’s never fail buns dough
1 c. margarine or butter, melted 250 mL
4 c. brown sugar 1 L
4 tsp. cinnamon
0 mL
Melt margarine or butter. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together well and make more if needed.
Make dough as above. Pull off enough dough to make a small bun. Dip well in melted margarine or butter. Coat dough piece in brown sugar and cinnamon by flattening the dough in the sugar mixture with your finger tips, then flipping over and pressing the other side of the dough in the sugar mixture.
Place sugared dough in well greased pie plates, packing the buns beside each other. Use your finger tips to flatten the dough slightly. Cover with a clean tea towel or pieces of paper towel. Leave on the countertop overnight.
Bake in the morning in a 350 F (180 C) oven for 15 minutes. When the buns come out of the oven, flip onto a dinner plate and serve.
NEW TRADITIONS
A bush pie is basically a toasted sandwich cooked over a campfire in a bush pie maker. These are two cast aluminum plates, attached to long handles that can be clamped together.
Spray the inside of the plates with non-stick cooking spray. Butter one side of two pieces of bread. The first slice of bread is placed butter side down on one plate.
Our family’s favourite is a pizza filling
ith cheese, sliced ham, pepperoni or salami sausage and pizza sauce. The other slice of bread is put on top, butter side up, and the two plates of the bush pie maker are clamped together.
Hold over an open campfire, turning often to toast both sides of bread. Avoid burning the bread.
A tablespoon of jam or pie filling makes a dessert type bush pie. You can also cook an egg in the sandwich for breakfast.
WHEAT SALAD
1 c. wheat 250 mL
1 –14 oz. can crushed 3pineapple, undrained 98 mL po
r 1 –14 oz. can of fruit cocktail,
ndrained 398 mL
1 –10 oz. can mandarin oranges undrained284 mL o1/3 c. sour cream 75 mL
1/2 c. whipped topping 125 mL 1–
4se rvingpa ckagein stant 30g vanilla pudding mix (dry)
Soak wheat and cook for two hours until soft. Drain, rinse and cool.
Drain the fruit and reserve the juice. Mix the pudding powder with the fruit juice, then fold in the sour cream and whipped topping.
Fold in the fruit and wheat. Chill and serve.
Source: Saskatchewan 4-H 80th Anniversary Cookbook 1917 -1997
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact: team@producer.com.
