Well, Hi to all you steam enthusiasts and while some of the big
Steam Reunions are in full sway, I have to get up steam and plenty
of it to start another year and get the children off to the Halls
of Education. No. 1 son headed back for 2nd year of college and No.
2 daughter is a Freshman this year, No. 3 son is beginning 3rd
grade and No. 4 daughter Keli is in that all important first grade.
places, and with all the details that are involved in the process
there has been as much excitement and commotion as goes on at a
steam engine Reunion. And I might add when the 4th one left, I was
like an engine with the steam all down. Kind of a funny feeling to
be left alone when I’ve always had one of them home for the
last 19 years – but so goes life – and comes tomorrow I’ll be
getting up another full head of steam to meet with the days ordeals
and believe me, though I’m alone while the children are at
school I certainly can’t say I’m not busy or have nothing
to do for the Iron-Man Family is a large one and growing all the
time. That’s one of the things I lack is time (just hope I make
the best use of the time I have available).
Had another letter from ‘Casey’ Jones of Box 21,
Wichita, Kansas and he writes, ‘Doggonnet, I wish I could get
one wish, I’ve really wished over and over again, that these
old Duffers, like me, would say why they like their make of engine
– what’s about it that they like and so on!’ So how about
it Duffers! Let Casey or Iron-Men hear from you on this
subject!
Thought you ladies especially might like a new recipe that has
just been brought to my attention by one of my good friends. They
are called Whoopie Cakes: 1 cup shortening, 2 cups granulated
sugar, 3 eggs, 1 cup sour milk, 1 cup hot water, 2 tsp. soda, 1
tsp. baking powder, 4 cups flour, 2/3 cup cocoa and 1/2 tsp. salt.
Mix together and drop by spoon on greased and floured cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. These spread out quite a bit
and make a nice chocolate cookie-cake and then you prepare the
filling with: 2 egg whites, 2 tsp. vanilla, 4 tbsp. flour, 4 cups
10X sugar (1 box), 4 tbsp. milk and 1 cup shortening. Combine in
mixer bowl and beat until fluffy. This may sound like a lot of
work, but it isn’t as you mix the cookies in one bowl, just
dump the things in and mix and likewise the filling. Makes around
40 or more when put together. The most fun is matching the cookies
up in pairs to put together.
Try ’em – betcha the kids (young and old) will soon be
asking for another batch of ‘Whoopie Cakes’.
Well, tomorrow the boss comes back, meaning Elmer Ritzman, –
he’s been traveling for over three weeks taking in all the
reunions he can and I’m sure many of you folks have visited
with him at his Volkswagon. I’m sure he’ll have many
interesting things to tell us and I know he’s been having a
good time. He celebrated his 74th birthday on September 5th -every
year, he is always out west somewhere when his Anniversary rolls
around, but we still can wish him a Happy Birthday wish in the
column, and hope he has many more to celebrate.
And have you heard these quotes? The man who rows a boat
generally doesn’t have time to rock it. – Too many people are
inclined to judge right from wrong on the basis of which pays the
best. Ideas are funny little things, they won’t work unless you
do. People who keep on sawing wood in all kinds of weather are the
ones who have the biggest woodpile at the end of the season.
