7. Thanksgivings past, and "The Suet Pudding Story"
Thanksgivings past, and "The Suet Pudding Story"
My father, Orson Pratt Miles, (no relation to Orson Pratt of early Church history.) had problems with eating, after World War I, and couldn't eat spicy or rich food, often eating food like baby food. After the War his nerves and stomach.were very bad. He said he had been poisoned by German sauerkraut while in the War.
But we did have good food, with the trimmings on Thanksgiving. Often he would invite some lonely person to Thanksgiving Dinner. That has become a family tradition that we have tried to follow, (but not as well as he did!) Often we had our mother Ruth's sister and her husband, Adelia and Earnest Tobler, plus Ruth's mother Levinah, to dinner, and we children would usually go to an afternoon "matinee". Movies in those days were all "G" and usually on Thanksgiving, and often on Christmas, that was the afternoon entertainment for the children. I still don't feel the true spirit of Thanksgiving unless we have some guest, or guests eating with us. It is more difficult these days, as we will have a group of 16 this year of just our own extended family. We hope any of you reading this will have a joyous Thanksgiving. We have a tradition of going around the table, as we are eating, and each one telling something he/she is thankful for. We usually can go around 2 or 3 times, even though the younger folks would rather just eat!
"And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments", D&C 59:21
"And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with." D&C 46:32.
I will list many things I feel great thankfulness for:
First of all, this beautiful world, my life, and the amazing beauties and people who give us joy!
This Gospel, (prophets, leaders, missionaries)and it's teachings which if lived bring us peace and happiness.
My parents, sisters, and ancestors, whose lives and decisions have given me the life I now have.
My good husband, Wayne, and his gentle kindly, fun loving, never angry, and also faithful spirit.
My children, grand and great grandchildren, whose lives are truly a joy. We love being with them and watching them live their lives, and hope our teachings and examples will help ease their way.
Living here in St. George, where life is fairly peaceful, good weather, and beautiful mountains and hills.
Living in these beautiful United States, but also loving Sweden, and other wonderful places on this earth, and understanding why they love their country and homeland as we do.
Good music, and theater, and talents and the enjoyment we receive from developing and sharing them.
The necessities and many of the luxuries of life, (computers -- etc.)which enable us to fill our missions in life.
The Temple, and the blessings for this life and eternity which we hope to live worthy of receiving someday.
Modern medicine, without which Wayne, and probably me also, would not be alive today, and also some of our children and/or grandchildren wouldn't be alive. In the past, people didn't usually live as long.
These are things in general. If I mentioned specifics, this list would be far too long!
One loved family story about my dear father, "Pratt" Miles, is "The Suet Pudding Story"! The story is being told by Ruth - - - ( In their life story book: page 219.) To give background, shortly after Pratt and Ruth were married, Ruth's mother Levinah, a widow, came to live with them in the winter, usually going back to her home in Panguitch during the summer. The following took place around Thanksgiving probably about 1935--1938. Grandma Levinah Allen didn't have much, so her "suet puddings" were to be her Christmas gifts. This story is typical of Pratt, who loved to give to others.
THE SUET PUDDING STORY: One year while living with us, she’d made the Christmas suet puddings as usual and put them around in a store room to “ripen” (about a month.) When it came time to mail them to the family, she didn’t have near enough. She came running back to the house with “Someone has stolen nearly everyone of my puddings!” Pratt : “Oh, mother, I don’t think anyone would steal them.” Mother (Levinah): “Pratt Miles, do you know anything about them?” Pratt: “Well, Mother, I know some poor old cusses (poor cusses to Pratt included anyone who lived alone, was homeless, etc.) that I thought would enjoy a pudding. Yes, I took a few.” Mother: “I don’t care about the puddings but tell them to bring back my cans. I've saved them over the years.” Pratt: “Mother, I’ll get you some more cans.” This dividing what he had with those less fortunate has always been one of Pratt’s characteristics and I’m proud of it.
The next spring a “poor cuss” was helping dig a basement for us. (I believe and have heard it was cleaning out the cess-pool in the back yard – a fore-runner to a septic tank–Pal). (I’ve heard that Pratt came in and asked if the man could come in to lunch–that he hardly ever got a home cooked meal. I also heard he wasn’t very pleasant to sit by – Pal) Pratt brought him in for lunch. While eating he said, “Pratt, I never did find out who the pretty woman was you said sent me the pudding. I’ve asked all the pretty ladies I know. I’d surely like to thank her.” Mother choked, left the table to keep from laughing. She never did get her cans back, and that is the only pudding we found out where it went. (There were about 18, I’ve heard. I must mention that almost every Thanksgiving, and other times also, dad (Pratt) would bring some “poor old cuss” home for dinner. I especially remember one man who lived in the Arrowhead Hotel, which used to be where a bank now is, on the corner east of the Tabernacle, who wore an obvious toupee, light red orange in color. -- Pal)
The following recipe I found on the internet: (Levinah's mother was from England, and this probably was a tradition in England.)
Christmas Suet Pudding
(suet is hardened fat, and could probably be replaced with shortening. ? It does resemble fruit cake, or a carrot pudding with a sauce over it. I've eaten in many times and it is delicious!)
Stir ingredients together and place in a ring pan. Steam,
2/3 cup suet, ground fine Covered, over a pan of boiling water for 3 hours, until firm.
½ cup sugar Best served hot (or reheated) with Lemon Sauce.
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Nutmeg Lemon Sauce:
1 cup molasses, dark 1 cup sugar
1 tsp. Baking soda 4 cups water
1 tsp salt 2 tbsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. Vanilla Pinch of salt .
1 cup sweet milk 1 tbsp. Butter
1 cup raisins Juice and rind of 1 lemon, grated
3 cup flour
I found this recipe on the internet, and I think it is very similar to Grandma Allen's. Suet is a type of hardened shortening, and shortening could probably be used in place of the "suet". It can be used with any other sweet sauce also.
Do you have any "pioneer" recipes you love?
This is a photo I love of my father, Orson Pratt Miles, taken probably about 1950, when he was about 60 years old. He had a beautiful full head of white hair, which never receded. Our sons hope they inherit that!
My father, Orson Pratt Miles, (no relation to Orson Pratt of early Church history.) had problems with eating, after World War I, and couldn't eat spicy or rich food, often eating food like baby food. After the War his nerves and stomach.were very bad. He said he had been poisoned by German sauerkraut while in the War.
But we did have good food, with the trimmings on Thanksgiving. Often he would invite some lonely person to Thanksgiving Dinner. That has become a family tradition that we have tried to follow, (but not as well as he did!) Often we had our mother Ruth's sister and her husband, Adelia and Earnest Tobler, plus Ruth's mother Levinah, to dinner, and we children would usually go to an afternoon "matinee". Movies in those days were all "G" and usually on Thanksgiving, and often on Christmas, that was the afternoon entertainment for the children. I still don't feel the true spirit of Thanksgiving unless we have some guest, or guests eating with us. It is more difficult these days, as we will have a group of 16 this year of just our own extended family. We hope any of you reading this will have a joyous Thanksgiving. We have a tradition of going around the table, as we are eating, and each one telling something he/she is thankful for. We usually can go around 2 or 3 times, even though the younger folks would rather just eat!
"And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments", D&C 59:21
"And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with." D&C 46:32.
I will list many things I feel great thankfulness for:
First of all, this beautiful world, my life, and the amazing beauties and people who give us joy!
This Gospel, (prophets, leaders, missionaries)and it's teachings which if lived bring us peace and happiness.
My parents, sisters, and ancestors, whose lives and decisions have given me the life I now have.
My good husband, Wayne, and his gentle kindly, fun loving, never angry, and also faithful spirit.
My children, grand and great grandchildren, whose lives are truly a joy. We love being with them and watching them live their lives, and hope our teachings and examples will help ease their way.
Living here in St. George, where life is fairly peaceful, good weather, and beautiful mountains and hills.
Living in these beautiful United States, but also loving Sweden, and other wonderful places on this earth, and understanding why they love their country and homeland as we do.
Good music, and theater, and talents and the enjoyment we receive from developing and sharing them.
The necessities and many of the luxuries of life, (computers -- etc.)which enable us to fill our missions in life.
The Temple, and the blessings for this life and eternity which we hope to live worthy of receiving someday.
Modern medicine, without which Wayne, and probably me also, would not be alive today, and also some of our children and/or grandchildren wouldn't be alive. In the past, people didn't usually live as long.
These are things in general. If I mentioned specifics, this list would be far too long!
One loved family story about my dear father, "Pratt" Miles, is "The Suet Pudding Story"! The story is being told by Ruth - - - ( In their life story book: page 219.) To give background, shortly after Pratt and Ruth were married, Ruth's mother Levinah, a widow, came to live with them in the winter, usually going back to her home in Panguitch during the summer. The following took place around Thanksgiving probably about 1935--1938. Grandma Levinah Allen didn't have much, so her "suet puddings" were to be her Christmas gifts. This story is typical of Pratt, who loved to give to others.
THE SUET PUDDING STORY: One year while living with us, she’d made the Christmas suet puddings as usual and put them around in a store room to “ripen” (about a month.) When it came time to mail them to the family, she didn’t have near enough. She came running back to the house with “Someone has stolen nearly everyone of my puddings!” Pratt : “Oh, mother, I don’t think anyone would steal them.” Mother (Levinah): “Pratt Miles, do you know anything about them?” Pratt: “Well, Mother, I know some poor old cusses (poor cusses to Pratt included anyone who lived alone, was homeless, etc.) that I thought would enjoy a pudding. Yes, I took a few.” Mother: “I don’t care about the puddings but tell them to bring back my cans. I've saved them over the years.” Pratt: “Mother, I’ll get you some more cans.” This dividing what he had with those less fortunate has always been one of Pratt’s characteristics and I’m proud of it.
The next spring a “poor cuss” was helping dig a basement for us. (I believe and have heard it was cleaning out the cess-pool in the back yard – a fore-runner to a septic tank–Pal). (I’ve heard that Pratt came in and asked if the man could come in to lunch–that he hardly ever got a home cooked meal. I also heard he wasn’t very pleasant to sit by – Pal) Pratt brought him in for lunch. While eating he said, “Pratt, I never did find out who the pretty woman was you said sent me the pudding. I’ve asked all the pretty ladies I know. I’d surely like to thank her.” Mother choked, left the table to keep from laughing. She never did get her cans back, and that is the only pudding we found out where it went. (There were about 18, I’ve heard. I must mention that almost every Thanksgiving, and other times also, dad (Pratt) would bring some “poor old cuss” home for dinner. I especially remember one man who lived in the Arrowhead Hotel, which used to be where a bank now is, on the corner east of the Tabernacle, who wore an obvious toupee, light red orange in color. -- Pal)
The following recipe I found on the internet: (Levinah's mother was from England, and this probably was a tradition in England.)
Christmas Suet Pudding
(suet is hardened fat, and could probably be replaced with shortening. ? It does resemble fruit cake, or a carrot pudding with a sauce over it. I've eaten in many times and it is delicious!)
Stir ingredients together and place in a ring pan. Steam,
2/3 cup suet, ground fine Covered, over a pan of boiling water for 3 hours, until firm.
½ cup sugar Best served hot (or reheated) with Lemon Sauce.
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Nutmeg Lemon Sauce:
1 cup molasses, dark 1 cup sugar
1 tsp. Baking soda 4 cups water
1 tsp salt 2 tbsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. Vanilla Pinch of salt .
1 cup sweet milk 1 tbsp. Butter
1 cup raisins Juice and rind of 1 lemon, grated
3 cup flour
I found this recipe on the internet, and I think it is very similar to Grandma Allen's. Suet is a type of hardened shortening, and shortening could probably be used in place of the "suet". It can be used with any other sweet sauce also.
Do you have any "pioneer" recipes you love?
This is a photo I love of my father, Orson Pratt Miles, taken probably about 1950, when he was about 60 years old. He had a beautiful full head of white hair, which never receded. Our sons hope they inherit that!
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