Attributed to Stephen F. Austin, the founder of Texas and namesake for its capital city: “I hope that a dead calm will reign over Texas for many years to come – and that there will be no more excitements of any kind whatever.” That was about a year before the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto where Texas cinched its independence from Mexico.
HOME REMEDY: SORE THROAT
From Household Guide, circa 1845: “Mix in a common size cup of fresh milk two teaspoonfuls of pulverized charcoal and ten drops of spirits of turpentine. Soften the charcoal with a few drops of milk before putting into the cup. Gargle frequently, according to the violence of the symptoms.”
RECIPE: NEW YEAR'S LUCKY SOUP
Longtime Pflugerville resident Dale Brock sands this month’s recipe, which she says came from her great
Longtime Pflugerville resident Dale Brock sands this month’s recipe, which she says came from her great grandmother Nana Taylor, an 1800s settler in the area. For years has been a New Year’s good luck meal in her family. She explains: “The story goes that is you eat it early in the month, you will have luck for the whole year. We have modified some ingredients over the years for convenience, but the lucky part still holds.”
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
• 1 lb. pork sausage
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cups water
• 3 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
• 4 beef bouillon cubes
• 4 teaspoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¾ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Directions
In a Dutch oven, cook the sausage, beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, then drain.
Add the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve hot with cornbread, and season to taste.
HOME REMEDY: CHRISTMAS COUGH
From Book of Home Medicinals, 1897: “To treat a persistent cough brought on by winter chills, steep and drink one cup of strong tea and snaproot every two hours, with a teaspoon of honey added for children.”
WORDS TO LIVE BY: 1874
Attributed to Thomas Nast, the noted 1800s political cartoonist who is credited with inventing Santa Clause in an 1863 cartoon: “He is a jolly and promising man, not unlike many political men.” Nast’s original portrayal of Santa had him in a star-spangled robe with a U.S. flag as he flew above children in a Union Army camp playing with toys he had delivered.
RECIPE: CHRISTMAS CAKE
This recipe comes from Austinite Gale Kinnon, who says versions of this recipe she found online (TheSpruceEats.com) have been in her family for generations. “My family traces its heritage back to the Original 13 Colonies and I think we’ve been eating it ever since.”
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
• 3 ½ cups currants
• 1 ½ cups golden raisins
• 1 ½ cups black raisins
• ¾ cup mixed candied peel, finely chopped
• 1 cup glace cherries, halved
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• ½ level teaspoon mixed spice
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 10 ounces butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons brandy
Directions
Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 thicknesses of parchment, and tie a double-band of brown paper around the outside the tin to insulate the cake from burning.
Combine fruits and flour, salt and spices in a large bowl. In a second bowl, cream the butter with sugar. Stir in the lemon zest, and add the beaten egg. Fold in half of the flour-fruit mixture and, when sufficiently combined, fold in the remaining mixture. Add the brandy and mix.
Spoon the mixture into the cake pan. Put in the lower part of the oven and bake for 4 ½ hours. If the cake browns too rapidly, cover the top with parchment paper after 2 ½ hours. When the baking time is up, stick a wooden skewer into the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Once the cake cools, pour 2-3 tablespoons of brandy over the top. The cake will keep for several weeks if stored in a cool, dry place.
Before serving, the cake can be iced with a cream-white icing, if desired.
HOME REMEDY: CROUP
From Medicines and Cures, 1845: “If a child is taken with croup, apply cold water suddenly and freely to the neck and chest with a sponge or towel. The breathing will instantly be relieved, then wipe it dry, cover it up and keep it warm, and soon a quiet slumber will relieve the parent's anxiety as well as the condition of the child.”
WORDS TO LIVE BY: 1840
Attributed to Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic of Texas from 1838 to 1841: “The cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy and, while guided and controlled by virtue, the noblest attribute of man. It is the only dictator that freemen acknowledge and the only security that freemen desire.” Lamar sited the Republic of Texas capital in Austin, after visiting bluffs just south of Pioneer Farms, according to legend.
RECIPE: CHISHOLM TRAIL MEAT PIE
Former Austin resident Chase Richards sends over this recipe with the following history: “When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to make meat pies from a recipe she said her grandfather brought back from the Chisholm Trail, where he worked as a cook. He rode on the trail for Jesse Driskill’s outfit. I modernized this recipe some, but it’s still just about as original and simple as you can get. An easy family meal.”
Serves: 12 (Makes 2 pies)
Ingredients
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 can condensed beef with vegetables and barley soup, undiluted
• 1 can condensed golden mushroom soup, undiluted
• 3 medium uncooked potatoes, cut into ½ -inch cubes
• 4 medium carrots, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Two 9-inch pie crusts
Directions
Cook beef and onion in a cast-iron skillet until meat is completely cooked. Drain and add the soups, potatoes, carrots, salt and pepper. Mix well. Divide between two ungreased 9-in. pie plates.
On a floured surface, roll pastry to fit the top of each pie, not the bottoms. Place over filling. Seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top.
Bake the pies at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.
HOME REMEDY: FALL COUGH
From Book of Home Medicine, 1893: “For coughs that develop as the seasons cool, cut one onion and place in a bowl then cover with warmed water and let it steep for one hour. Drink three to four teaspoons a day until the coughing stops.”
WORDS TO LIVE BY: 1880
Attributed to President James Garfield: “ If the power to do hard work is not a skill, it’s the best substitute for it.”
RECIPE: PIONEER CHILI QUESO
This recipe comes in from several sources who recall it was served at the Fall Festival decades ago art Pioneer Farms.
“You gotta have question to go on your chili,” adds Austinite Becky Montaigne. “This recipe has been around for generations in my family.”
Serves: 24
Ingredients
• 1 block cheese
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup Pioneer Farms chili
Directions
In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt cheese, add tomatoes and chili until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or vegetable slices.
RECIPE: PIONEER FARMS CHILI
Austinite Lynda Dinsdale sends over this famous recipe for Pioneer Farms Chili, “a favorite in Austin for years during Fall Festival. It is simple and yummy.”
Serves: 6
Ingredients
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 ½ tablespoons Watkins chili powder
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon Watkins ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons chopped jalapenos
• 1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, undrained
• Watkins salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine the ground beef, onion and bell peppers. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain excess fat.
Add the remaining ingredients, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the beans and heat throughout.
HOME REMEDY: SCALY SCALP
From Book of Home Medicine, 1893: “Wash the scalp with apple cider vinegar, mixed with water, three times a week, or mix a large spoonful of baking soda in a cup of water and apply to the scaly area once a day for a week.”
WORDS TO LIVE BY: 1893
Attributed to Wyatt Earp, a noted frontiersman and lawman: “ Destiny is that which we are drawn towards and Fate is that which we run to.” Earp was a friend of gambler and fast-draw shootist Ben Thompson, who served as Austin‘s city marshal in the early 1880s.
RECIPE: ABUELA'S BAKED BEANS
Austinite Susanna Trevino send this month’s recipe for her grandmother’s baked beans, which she says came from her Anglo roots but was a fall favorite for her whole family for generations in the Lone Star State.
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
• 10 slices of bacon
• Large white onion
• Large red, green and yellow bell peppers
• Four large (28 oz.) cans pork and beans
• ½ cup barbeque sauce
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• ½ cup parsley flakes
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cook the bacon to be crispy. Dice the bacon and vegetables. Cook and bacon pieces and the onion in a large pot until the onion is translucent. Add the diced peppers and cook for about 2 minutes.
Drain the canned beans and add them to the pot. Stir for a minute, then add the barbeque sauce and brown sugar, vinegar, the red pepper flakes and the mustard. Stir the pot until the beans are hot and bubbly.
Pour the contents of the pot into a large baking dish, and sprinkle the top with the remaining diced bacon. Bake for two hours until bubbly.
Spread the parlsey flakes on top of the dish. Serve hot with potato salad, burgers or fajitas.
HOME REMEDY: POISON IVY
From Home Life Guide, 1887: “Cover the rash with a paste made from cold coffee and baking soda. Place about a half a cup of soda in a bowl and slowly add the coffee to make a thick paste. Apply the paste to your blisters to remove the poison. Let dry and leave in place until blisters recede.”
WORDS TO LIVE BY: 1891
Attributed to Calamity Jane, a noted frontierswoman and professional scout whose real name was Martha Jane Canary: “I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one.” Calamity Jane later traveled with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.
RECIPE: MAMIE'S PEACH COBBLER
Austinite Gigi Simon offers this recipe for what she says is “the best peach cobbler Aunt Mamie used to make cobbler like this every summer with Fredericksburg peaches. I recently saw this recipe online (AllRecipes.com), and it made me think of Aunt Mamie and her summer treat.”
Serves: 4
Ingredients
• 8 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges.
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
• ¼ cup boiling water
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine peaches, ¼ cup white sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and corn starch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake for about 30 minutes, until top is golden.
HOME REMEDY: HELL'S ITCH
From Home Medicinals, 1884: “Apply a fresh cold compress to (sunburned) skin every 20 minutes for two hours or apply a cold oatmeal plaster one per hour. Patent salves may also be applied separately to soothe general discomfort.”