My First Job + recipes!

In the summer between my Sophomore and Junior years of high school I set a goal - that goal was to earn enough money to go to Florida, on the train, with a bunch of other Luther League kids from all over the United States. My folks had given me permission to go if I came up with the money.
Step 1: Get a Job! - but where? I lived in a little town in the middle of Montana and not too many job possibilities there so I went to Great Falls. I looked in the Great Falls Tribune newspaper and saw that the Deaconess Hospital was looking for a maid. I had wanted to eventually work in some kind of medical field when I graduated from high school so I decided that would be a good place to start. I got on the phone and called and made an appointment for an interview. My mother drove me in after school one day and I filled out the necessary forms and talked to a very nice man.
A few days later I picked up the phone and called and asked when he wanted me to start! He stammered and stuttered and told me a date! My mother was in the kitchen and when I got off the phone she said, “What did he say?” (Surprisingly!!) - You see, I didn’t realize that you don’t get a job just because you apply, but I guess he thought that if I was so excited about working that he would give it to me - who knows!
My parents set up a place for me to live and I went to work at the Deaconess Hospital in Great Falls. I put in as many extra shifts as I could and kept track of every penny so I would be sure to have enough money to go to Miami Beach Florida at the end of the summer.
The time came and my parents drove me to Shelby to board the train. The train had started in Washington and went across Idaho and Montana, picking up kids along the way. From Shelby they did the same, stopping and picking up more kids and adding new cars to the train as needed. (We even got to stop in places like Chicago and Bellingham, Alabama to go to museums, etc. along the way.)
We finally got to Miami Beach so we could go to the Luther League Conference with thousands of other kids from all over the United States. What a sight - and when we all sang, it was awesome!
Anyway, we stayed at a large Hotel, right on the beach, that was run by a Jewish family. In the morning they made freshly baked pastries that were to die for. I quickly figured out which was my very favorite and would get down to breakfast early so I was sure to get one…. or two! I asked what they were and got the answer that they were “Poppy Seed filled rolls.” Ever since I have searched and searched for the recipe so I could make some myself.
I have searched for years and tried many different “poppy seed filled rolls” - but none can compare to those I ate in Miami. If anyone has a recipe they would like to send me I would love to try it to see if it’s-the-one.
A side note: After moving to Hysham I was talking to Judi Knapp one day and found out she was on that same train.

I do have a recipe to share this week - once again it comes from Carole Blakeman. When she and her husband Dave were here a few weeks ago she brought me a pint of her home-made salsa. I ran out the other day of what I had been using so opened her pint. I thought it was the best I had ever tasted so I emailed her to ask for the recipe and she sent it to me and said I could share it - so here it is:

Salsa

Source: Carole Blakeman

6 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes
2 cups chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped jalapeños
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic - minced OR like amount of jarred garlic OR dry garlic
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Pour into hot jars. Process in hot water bath for quarts – 45 minutes, pints – 37 minutes.
Makes about 2 quarts. Make hotter or milder with amount of jalapeño peppers.
Note from Carole Blakeman: When I’m making HUGE batches of this, I course chop the veggies in the blender so I don’t have to work with the peppers with my bare hands. I have made literally thousands of quarts of salsa from this recipe. The original recipe came from a friend of mine who was the Family Life teacher at the Women’s Prison in Lusk when I was the Food Service Manager. I always thought I didn’t like Salsa, so one night at a party at the warden’s house, she asked me to try it. The rest is history – I’ve been making it ever since!!!

Recently my son and I were talking about how much fun we used to have making fondue and he said he thought he would try it with his son. My boys really liked the meat, cheese and chocolate fondue so he thought he would start with the meat and chocolate. I went through one of my old fondue cookbooks and found a meat recipe he could try.

Fondued Flank Steak

Source: Better Homes and Gardens Fondue and Tabletop cooking - 1971

The marinade acts as a built-in sauce
Bias-cut:
1 pound flank steak - in very think 3x1-inch strips.
Combine:
1/2 c. salad oil
1/2 c. dry red wine
2 T. catsup
2 T. molasses
2 T. finely snipped candied ginger
1 clove garlic - minced
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. curry powder
1/2 t. pepper
Pour marinade over flank steak. Cover; marinate 2 hours at room temperature. Drain well; pat dry with toweling. Thread on bamboo skewers accordion style.
Pour salad oil into fondue cooker to no more than 1/2 capacity or to depth of 2 inches. Heat over range to 425 degrees. Add 1 t. salt. Transfer cooker to fondue burner. Have skewered meat strips at room temperature on serving plate. Fry in hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes, or till desired doneness. Makes 4 servings. Serve with a Caper Sauce.

Caper Sauce

In a small mixing bowl combine 1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing and 1 tablespoon undrained cappers. Makes 1 cup. Print this post