Winter Treats! Here in Central Texas, we don’t get much snow. Some years none but at other times there will be a sparce number of snowflakes gently floating down and it is just enough...

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Here in Central Texas, we don’t get much snow. Some years none but at other times there will be a sparce number of snowflakes gently floating down and it is just enough to remind me of being a kid growing up.

My sister and I would keep a careful watch as to the depth of the snow around the place where we lived right on Red River, next to Oklahoma. If it got to be three or four inches deep, we would then beg our mother to make snow ice cream! This was a special treat. We were always warned to avoid any ‘yellow snow.’

At other times we would then entreat her to make us some popcorn balls. Now I don’t think she ever had a written recipe; all these things were just from memory. If she agreed, I would go out and get enough cobs of popcorn that we kept stored in the smoke house in a burlap bag hung on wall. I’d then shell the corn from the cob for her to pop. After popping the corn, she would then mix up a thick syrup-like mixture and create popcorn balls. This concoction when it cooled would hold all the bits of popcorn together in a ball.

She also knew how to make peanut patties, date loaf candy, and a mirid of other treats and all of these were just recipes in her head! Same thing in the summer with ice cream.
When I was very young, my family would harvest peaches and apricots, cut them in halves or quarters and spread them outside on a flat surface, like the cellar top to dry in the sunshine. That way they would keep all winter. These were for pies when it was middle of winter and no fresh fruit was available. These were all laid out on a cloth. If there happened to be flies around, she would then cover the fruit with a second cloth to prevent any fly contact. I have always loved pies made with dried fruit!
While we never did this, I remember an uncle and aunt who had a large family. They would butcher a hog, and as part of the preservation of their meat, they would first fry sausage patties, put them in a large jar, then pour grease in over these sausage patties. This would fill up the jar and seal it from any outside air. Then they would put a lid on it and store this jar in their cellar until winter. Then as they would need another jar, they would take them out an reheat them to serve their family!
Farm families that didn’t have the latest conveniences, or electricity made do with what they had. No one felt deprived or without, we did what was necessary to get by. Just Sayin…RJS

EZ Fishing Loc: College Ward, Utah

Robert J Samples wrote:

Here in Central Texas, we don’t get much snow. Some years none but at other times there will be a sparce number of snowflakes gently floating down and it is just enough to remind me of being a kid growing up.

My sister and I would keep a careful watch as to the depth of the snow around the place where we lived right on Red River, next to Oklahoma. If it got to be three or four inches deep, we would then beg our mother to make snow ice cream! This was a special treat. We were always warned to avoid any ‘yellow snow.’

At other times we would then entreat her to make us some popcorn balls. Now I don’t think she ever had a written recipe; all these things were just from memory. If she agreed, I would go out and get enough cobs of popcorn that we kept stored in the smoke house in a burlap bag hung on wall. I’d then shell the corn from the cob for her to pop. After popping the corn, she would then mix up a thick syrup-like mixture and create popcorn balls. This concoction when it cooled would hold all the bits of popcorn together in a ball.

She also knew how to make peanut patties, date loaf candy, and a mirid of other treats and all of these were just recipes in her head! Same thing in the summer with ice cream.
When I was very young, my family would harvest peaches and apricots, cut them in halves or quarters and spread them outside on a flat surface, like the cellar top to dry in the sunshine. That way they would keep all winter. These were for pies when it was middle of winter and no fresh fruit was available. These were all laid out on a cloth. If there happened to be flies around, she would then cover the fruit with a second cloth to prevent any fly contact. I have always loved pies made with dried fruit!
While we never did this, I remember an uncle and aunt who had a large family. They would butcher a hog, and as part of the preservation of their meat, they would first fry sausage patties, put them in a large jar, then pour grease in over these sausage patties. This would fill up the jar and seal it from any outside air. Then they would put a lid on it and store this jar in their cellar until winter. Then as they would need another jar, they would take them out an reheat them to serve their family!
Farm families that didn’t have the latest conveniences, or electricity made do with what they had. No one felt deprived or without, we did what was necessary to get by. Just Sayin…RJS

Here in Central Texas, we don’t get much snow. So... (show quote)

Great story Robert, thanks for posting.

Billycrap2 Loc: Mason county,W(BY GOD) Virginia, 🇺🇸🦅

Robert J Samples wrote:

Here in Central Texas, we don’t get much snow. Some years none but at other times there will be a sparce number of snowflakes gently floating down and it is just enough to remind me of being a kid growing up.

My sister and I would keep a careful watch as to the depth of the snow around the place where we lived right on Red River, next to Oklahoma. If it got to be three or four inches deep, we would then beg our mother to make snow ice cream! This was a special treat. We were always warned to avoid any ‘yellow snow.’

At other times we would then entreat her to make us some popcorn balls. Now I don’t think she ever had a written recipe; all these things were just from memory. If she agreed, I would go out and get enough cobs of popcorn that we kept stored in the smoke house in a burlap bag hung on wall. I’d then shell the corn from the cob for her to pop. After popping the corn, she would then mix up a thick syrup-like mixture and create popcorn balls. This concoction when it cooled would hold all the bits of popcorn together in a ball.

She also knew how to make peanut patties, date loaf candy, and a mirid of other treats and all of these were just recipes in her head! Same thing in the summer with ice cream.
When I was very young, my family would harvest peaches and apricots, cut them in halves or quarters and spread them outside on a flat surface, like the cellar top to dry in the sunshine. That way they would keep all winter. These were for pies when it was middle of winter and no fresh fruit was available. These were all laid out on a cloth. If there happened to be flies around, she would then cover the fruit with a second cloth to prevent any fly contact. I have always loved pies made with dried fruit!
While we never did this, I remember an uncle and aunt who had a large family. They would butcher a hog, and as part of the preservation of their meat, they would first fry sausage patties, put them in a large jar, then pour grease in over these sausage patties. This would fill up the jar and seal it from any outside air. Then they would put a lid on it and store this jar in their cellar until winter. Then as they would need another jar, they would take them out an reheat them to serve their family!
Farm families that didn’t have the latest conveniences, or electricity made do with what they had. No one felt deprived or without, we did what was necessary to get by. Just Sayin…RJS

Here in Central Texas, we don’t get much snow. So... (show quote)

Thank enjoy the reading of peoples survival of the past. 👍🏽
Thank for posting 👍🏽👍🏽🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅🦅

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Hello Billycrap2: We didn't think of this as surviving, but just living ordinary lives! During WW II with all the rationing, we never lacked for adequate food supply. In addition to killing a hog, and an occasional beef, we had a very large garden and my mother canned more than enough for the winters when the garden wasn't producing anything. We laughed at the use of Victory Gardens and their size that folks grew in town! Just Sayin...RJS

kandydisbar Loc: West Orange, NJ

Robert J Samples wrote:

Here in Central Texas, we don’t get much snow. Some years none but at other times there will be a sparce number of snowflakes gently floating down and it is just enough to remind me of being a kid growing up.

My sister and I would keep a careful watch as to the depth of the snow around the place where we lived right on Red River, next to Oklahoma. If it got to be three or four inches deep, we would then beg our mother to make snow ice cream! This was a special treat. We were always warned to avoid any ‘yellow snow.’

At other times we would then entreat her to make us some popcorn balls. Now I don’t think she ever had a written recipe; all these things were just from memory. If she agreed, I would go out and get enough cobs of popcorn that we kept stored in the smoke house in a burlap bag hung on wall. I’d then shell the corn from the cob for her to pop. After popping the corn, she would then mix up a thick syrup-like mixture and create popcorn balls. This concoction when it cooled would hold all the bits of popcorn together in a ball.

She also knew how to make peanut patties, date loaf candy, and a mirid of other treats and all of these were just recipes in her head! Same thing in the summer with ice cream.
When I was very young, my family would harvest peaches and apricots, cut them in halves or quarters and spread them outside on a flat surface, like the cellar top to dry in the sunshine. That way they would keep all winter. These were for pies when it was middle of winter and no fresh fruit was available. These were all laid out on a cloth. If there happened to be flies around, she would then cover the fruit with a second cloth to prevent any fly contact. I have always loved pies made with dried fruit!
While we never did this, I remember an uncle and aunt who had a large family. They would butcher a hog, and as part of the preservation of their meat, they would first fry sausage patties, put them in a large jar, then pour grease in over these sausage patties. This would fill up the jar and seal it from any outside air. Then they would put a lid on it and store this jar in their cellar until winter. Then as they would need another jar, they would take them out an reheat them to serve their family!
Farm families that didn’t have the latest conveniences, or electricity made do with what they had. No one felt deprived or without, we did what was necessary to get by. Just Sayin…RJS

Here in Central Texas, we don’t get much snow. So... (show quote)

I always figured the "snow cones" from 7-11 were oringinally made from real snow. Inventive Mom you had!!!

Billycrap2 Loc: Mason county,W(BY GOD) Virginia, 🇺🇸🦅

Robert J Samples wrote:

Hello Billycrap2: We didn't think of this as surviving, but just living ordinary lives! During WW II with all the rationing, we never lacked for adequate food supply. In addition to killing a hog, and an occasional beef, we had a very large garden and my mother canned more than enough for the winters when the garden wasn't producing anything. We laughed at the use of Victory Gardens and their size that folks grew in town! Just Sayin...RJS

👍🏽👍🏽Yep that what we did raise a huge garden and canned everything we grow 👍🏽👍🏽

rivermaverick Loc: Northern Illinois

Yes, Robert J, I am probably about your age, and was thinking this evening, I was lucky to experience the history that happened during my lifetime.