Once a band of Indians walked in on Grandma, and a tall, stately leader ordered her to prepare a meal for them. Grandma did not want to lose her scalp with its lovely black hair, so she cooked the best she had. After they had eaten, the tall Indian touched her on the shoulder and said, “Good cook.”
One of Grandma’s recipes was for Johnny Cake. “Two cups Indian, one cup wheat,
One cup good eggs that you can eat,
One-half cup molasses too,
One big spoon sugar added thereto,
Salt and soda, each a small spoon.
Mix up quickly and bake it soon.”
Mrs. Robert Brenner
Irving, Kansas
NOTE: This recipe in rhyme was sent in by several women exactly as it is given above, so it must have been in circulation at one time. An improved version cuts down on the number of eggs and adds butter.
Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then CAPPER’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from CAPPER’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.
