I enjoy reading some of the folklore contest letters, and remembering my childhood. Here is a sample from the letters we have received:
Dear TEAM: We had a lot of lilacs on the farm where I grew up. I enjoyed picking bouquets. In my home, we always tried to find a lilac blossom that had five petals. This meant good luck. When I have a bouquet of lilacs, I still look for the five petal blossoms, and had fun with it when my girls grew up and now enjoy doing it with my grandsons. – T.S.
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Dear TEAM: Here are some of the items I consider folklore passed down from my grandparents to my parents, to me and my siblings. I have passed them on to my children and grandchildren. – P.O.
- Don’t sing before breakfast or you’ll cry before night.
- Throw the hair clippings from a male in the fire; throw hair cuttings from a female out the window, or put them in the garbage.
- Never make jelly on a cloudy day. It won’t set.
- Make sure your headboard is on the same wall as the door.
- If the cattle are running, frolicking and kicking up their heels for no apparent reason, chances are there is going to be a change in the weather.
Enter the contest
If you would like to share some stories of folklore from the past, send them and your name and address. You could win a copy of Company’s Coming new Most Loved Main Courses or ATCO Gas Blue Flame Kitchen’s Romancing the Flames for your collection. The deadline has been extended to June 24, so keep the letters coming to: TEAM Resources, Folklore Contest, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4.
Maintaining tradition
Family traditions, customs and culinary history are important to us. I remember picking saskatoon berries with my grandparents and parents when I was a little girl. I have two aunts that were born the same day. One is my father’s sister, and the other is my mother’s sister. Recently my Aunt Vi (Dad’s sister) gave me this delicious saskatoon pie recipe. She likes Thiessen berries from the Crystal Beach Orchard at Harris, Sask., but you can pick from your favourite patch in your own locale.
Saskatoon pie
11/4 cups water 310 mL
1 cup sugar 250 mL
2 tablespoons 30 mL lemon juice
5 cups saskatoons 1.25 L
2 tablespoons 30 mL cornstarch
In a heavy saucepan, boil the water, sugar and lemon juice for 10 minutes. Add the berries and cook 15 minutes more over medium heat.
In a small cup, combine cornstarch with three tablespoons (45 mL) of water to make a paste.
Pour into cooked berries and cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes until thick. Remove from heat. Pour into the unbaked crust in a nine inch (22 cm.) pie plate. Place second crust on top. Bake 450 F (230 C) for 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 F (180 C) and cook another 35 minutes.
- Cool the pie filling before putting it on pastry.
- Make a tent of foil and put a slit in it to let steam out.
- Use lowest oven rack for all double crust pies.
This is from my mother’s sister, Aunt Leone.
Lemon pineapple torte
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon 2 mL cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt 0.5 mL
Beat the above until stiff, then gradually add:
1 cup sugar 250 mL
1 teaspoon vanilla 5 mL
Put in a slightly greased 9 x 9 inch (22 x 22 cm) square pan or a 10 inch (25 cm) pie plate. Bake at 275 F (140 C) for one hour and 10 minutes.
Filling:
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup white sugar 125 mL
juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup pineapple 60 mL (crushed )
Boil over hot water until thickened in a double boiler. Cool. Spread on cooled torte. Whip one cup (250 mL) of cream, then add two tablespoons (30 mL) sugar and one teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla. Spread on top. Sprinkle with flaked coconut (can brown ahead). Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Barbara Sanderson is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
