My grandmother Estella Kirk Robe [[Kirk-3893]] was ladylike in every way, and hated to get messy. When she was taught to make biscuits, she was told to get her hands into the biscuit dough. She declined, and thereafter mixed the dough with a fork.
Here are two recipes she contributed to the Brownsville (Oregon) Presbyterian Church Ladies' Missionary Society Cookbook in 1909:
Cabbage Salad: for the dressing, 2 eggs beaten, 2 TB cream, 1/2 tsp salt, 6 tsp vinegar, small lump butter. Cook to cream, stirring constantly. Chop 1/2 head cabbage, salt. Add to dressing when cold, 2 TB cream; pour over cabbage.
Prince of Wales Cake: White part--1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sweet milk, whites of 3 eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 TB Eppley's baking powder. [Bake at 350 deg. F for 35 min.]
Brown part: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sour milk, 2 cups flour, 1 cup raisins, 1 tsp Folger's Golden Gate soda, cloves, allspice and cinnamon. 1 tsp molasses, yolks of 3 eggs. Bake in layers and put together with icing.
I baked this Prince of Wales Cake myself and liked it pretty well.
Estella's mother-in-law, Eliza Walker Robe [[Walker-30610]] was not as good a cook as Estella, from what I have heard, but she tried.
Great-grandma Eliza also submitted a recipe, but a key ingredient, flour, was left out, as I discovered when I tried to make it. No problem. I went to the vintage 1950 Betty Crocker cookbook and supplied the flour from that recipe.
Sour Cream Cookies: 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp, level, Folger's Golden Gate soda, pinch salt, 1 TB lard. Flavor with Folger's Golden Gate lemon or vanilla. To this recipe must be added 2 3/4 cups sifted flour. Chill at least one hour. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees F.
Here is her recipe for "Mustard for Table Use": 3 TB sugar, 4 TB powdered mustard, 1 egg, 1 cup vinegar, 1 TB butter or olive oil. Mix sugar and mustard. Add beaten egg, then vinegar and cook in double boiler until thick, stirring until smooth. Then add butter.
Once her nephews Cecil and Leland saw her blow her nose on her dishtowel, after which they begged off dinner.
