900 Words

I've written a million things that have never been published. Once, I thought it would be a great idea to publish a book of my Grandmother (and her maid's) Recipes. After copying 114 of them, the project stalled and never complete. My loss, your gain. One-hundred fourteen comfort-food recipes. Maybe if you cook your way through all these recipes, whining and crying the whole time, someone will make a movie about you! Not all are complete...vis a vis baking instructions are missing....women assumed we all knew how to cook back then!

Muffins
1/3 cup corn meal
2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons shortening
Mix ingredients. Fill muffin pans 1/2 full. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Coffee Cake “Very Good”
Mix together:     3/4 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Crumble in:    1 cake compressed yeast
Stir until yeast is dissolved
Add:            1 large egg
1/4 cup soft shortening
Mix together
Add:            2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Beat for 100 strokes. Scrape down the sides of bowl. Cover with damp cloth and let stand in warm place until double in size (1 3/4 hours).
Mix streusel:    1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
Return to raised batter. Beat 23-30 strokes. Spread dough in greased 9x9 pan. Sprinkle with streusel topping. Cover with damp cloth and let rise until impression remains when dough is touched gently with finger (30-45 minutes). Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve immediately.

Mother’s Sugar Biscuits
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup cream or buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shortening
Nutmeg
3 cups flour
Let stand 1-2 hours
(no baking instructions)

Dream Cake
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Cream sugar and butter. Add egg yolks and mix well. Sift flour and baking powder. Beat into creamed mixture. Pat down in 9x9 greased pan.
2 egg whites
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon any flavoring
Beat egg whites. Fold in remaining ingredients. Spread on top of first mixture. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until brown and crusty on top.

Apple Drop Muffins
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons shortening
1 scant cup milk
1 egg
1 cup chopped raw apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Butter
Brown Sugar
Sift flour, baking powder salt and sugar. Rub in shortening, working into fine crumbs. Toss apple with cinnamon, mix into crumbs. Beat eggs and milk and stir into mixture blending well. Drop by tablespoonfuls into buttered muffin tins. Sprinkle each with one teaspoon brown sugar. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes.

Orange Drops
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening and butter mixed
1 egg
1/2 cup milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 grated orange rind and juice
Mix in the order given. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (?) Ice with one cup confectioner’s sugar, one tablespoon butter and the other half of the orange rind and juice.

Brownies
2 squares chocolate
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
Melt chocolate and shortening. Add sugar, eggs, salt, and flour. Pour into greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 250 for 20 minutes. Do not over bake.

Buttermilk Sugar Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
Beat shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until light. Sift remaining dry ingredients and blend in small amounts alternately with the buttermilk. Roll to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes. Sprinkle with decorator’s sugar or raw sugar, tapping down the sugar so it sticks to the cookie. Bake on buttered cookie sheet at 375 for 15 minutes.

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 cups flour
Beat shortening, sugar, and eggs until fluffy. Add sour cream, salt, soda, vanilla. Add flour one cup at a time to a dough consistency. Roll out to (?) inch thick. Cut into shapes. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Caramel Squares
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Slowly melt butter and sugar until bubble form around edge. Remove. Let cool to lukewarm. Briskly beat eggs into mixture. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into mixture. beat three minutes. Stir in vanilla. Pour into well buttered pan and bake at 350 for twenty-five minutes.

Soft Sugar Cookies
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg white
Beat shortening, sugar, and egg yolk until fluffy. Sift dry ingredients into mixture alternating with buttermilk. Mix in vanilla. Beat egg white until fluffy. Fold in. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto buttered cookie sheet. Flatten with spatula to 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes (until golden brown).

Soft Molasses Cookies
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/1 cups flour
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold coffee
Dissolve soda in hot water. Stir well. Set aside to cool. Whip shortening until light. Beat in sugar and molasses. Beat in egg. Sift dry ingredients in alternatively with coffee. Stir in soda. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 12 minutes.

Gingerbread
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup molasses
1 cup hot water
Cream shortening and sugar. Add beaten egg. Mix molasses with hot water. Add alternately with sifted dry ingredients. Bake in paper-lined 9x9 pan at 350 for 45 minutes.

Devil’s Food Cake
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup boiling water
2 squares bitter chocolate
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream shortening, add sugar gradually until light and fluffy. Add beaten eggs and mix vigorously. Sift dry ingredients three times. Then add to butter mixture alternatively with the buttermilk. In separate bowl, mix boiling water and chocolate until smooth. Add soda, stir until thick. Cool slightly. Add to batter. Add vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Pour into two round eight-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool.
Icing
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 squares chocolate
Whip egg whites and cream of tartar. Fold in sugar, water, vanilla, and melted, cooled chocolate.

Quick Coffeecake
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Sift dry ingredients together. Rub in butter. Beat egg and milk together. Stir into dry ingredients. Spread into buttered 8x8 pan.
Mix together 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg. Rub in 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle on top of batter. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

Banana Cake
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
2 bananas
4 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
Cream butter adding sugar gradually. Beat in egg yolks and bananas. Mix buttermilk and soda together, add to mixture. Sift and blend in flour. Beat egg whites and fold into mixture. Bake in two 8-inch cake pans at 325 for 30 minutes.

Swiss Steak
1 medium onion
1 small green pepper
1 tablespoon oil
1 1/2 pounds round steak
2 tablespoons flour
1 can Hunts xxx sauce
1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Thinly slice onion and pepper. Cook until tender in skillet with oil. Flour meat. Pound meat until 1/4 thin. Brown on both sides. Return onions and peppers to skillet. Mix sauce, worcester, water, salt and pepper. Pour over meat. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Lemon Sponge
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, divided
1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
Beat yolks of eggs until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in the sugar, grated lemon rind, and juice. Mix in melted butter, flour, and milk. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake at 325 for about one hour or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out nearly clean.

Lemon Cream Pie
1 lemon - juice and zest
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in cold water
1 cup boiling water
Mix ingredients together and cook until thick. Pour into baked pie crust. Chill or top with meringue made of whipped egg whites and sugar.

Blueberry Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
2/3 cup milk
1 cup blueberries
Mix all ingredients except blueberries. Beat until smooth. Fold in blueberries. Turn into buttered muffin tins. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Bran Muffins
1 cup Kellogg’s All-Bran
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup soft butter
1 cup flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
Combine All-Bran and milk. Let stand until most of moisture is taken up. Add egg and shortening; beat well. Sift dry ingredients into mixture; stirring until combined. Turn into buttered muffin tins. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Corn Fritters
2 cups corn
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup flour
2 beaten eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
Mix ingredients together. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto hot oiled skillet. Cook on both sides until brown and done.

A Real Omelette
3 eggs
1 teaspoon flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
Separate eggs. Beat egg yolks, flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. Whip egg whites. Fold into mixture. Bake in skillet at 400 for 15 minutes.

My Mother’s Crumb Pie
Mix together:    1 cup molasses
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
Rub together:    1 cup brown sugar
3 cups flour
1/4 cup butter
Reserve two handfuls of rub. Mix wet and dry ingredients together, pour into two pie crusts, bake at xxxx for xx minutes. Sprinkle with reserved rub, bake and additional xx minutes.

Toasted Spice Cake
3/4 cup shortening
3 cups sifted brown sugar
2 eggs separated
1 teaspoon soda
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whip shortening, egg yolks, and 2 cups of the brown sugar. Dissolve soda in buttermilk. Add alternately with sifted dry ingredients. Add vanilla. Stir until smooth. Turn into buttered 8x12 pan. Whip egg whites until peaks form. Slowly add 1 cup brown sugar, beating until smooth. Spread over cake batter. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Crumb Cake
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift dry ingredients. Rub in butter, Set aside 1/2 cup for topping. Mix in wet ingredients. Turn into buttered 8x12 pan. Add one teaspoon cinnamon to topping. Sprinkle on batter. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Peach Dainties
5 - 6.5 oz custard cups
5 teaspoons butter
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/4 cups ripe peaches peeled and cubed or canned peaches
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
In each custard cup place one teaspoon butter, one tablespoon brown sugar and 1/4 cup peaches. Make batter. Sift dry ingredients three times. Add room temperature shortening and three tablespoons milk. Beat for two minutes. Add remaining milk, egg, and vanilla. Beat two more minutes. Spoon batter into custard cups dividing evenly. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Let stand five minutes. Run knife around edge and invert onto serving plate. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream.

Molasses Crisps
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Boil molasses and shortening. Cool slightly and add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Chill several hours. Roll on floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes. Arrange on buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Recipes from Grandma’s Box

Lemon Sponge Cake with Custard Sauce
2 tablespoons gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup boiling water
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup lemon juice
3 eggs divided
1 pint milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Soak gelatin in cold water then add to boiling water with pinch salt, one cup sugar, and lemon juice. Let set. Fold in egg whites beaten stiff. Put in wet molds. To make sauce: while heating, stir together scalded milk, pinch salt, and 1/4 cup sugar. Beat in egg yolks. When spoon is coated remove and add vanilla. Place in cold water and stir until cooled.

Lemon Cream Pie
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs separated
3 lemons
2 teaspoons sugar
Vanilla wafers
Line pie plates with crushed vanilla wafers. Beat together milk, egg yolks, and juice of three lemons. Top with meringue.

Chocolate Layer Cake
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup hot water
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
Cream shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Alternately, mix in buttermilk and sifted flour. Dissolve baking soda in one tablespoon hot water. Add to mixture. Dissolve cocoa in the rest of hot water. Add all to mixture. Turn into two 8-inch buttered and floured cake pans. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Crumb Cake Coffee Cake
Mix Together:    1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups flour
Reserve 3/4 cup of above
Add:            1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pour into two 8x8 greased pans. Spread reserved crumbs on batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Drop Biscuits
Sift together:    2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Mix in:        2 tablespoons Crisco
2/3 cup milk
Roll or drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

Devil’s Food Cake
3 squares chocolate
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Cook chocolate with milk over low heat until thick. Set aside to cool. Cream shortening and sugar. Add well beaten eggs and vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients. Add chocolate and beat thoroughly. Pour into buttered 8x8 pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Frosting
1/3 cup butter
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons cold coffee
Cream butter, sugar, and cocoa, moistening with coffee.

Pumpkin Pie
1 cup pumpkin
2 eggs separated
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups milk
Mix all ingredients except egg whites. Whip egg whites until peaks form. Fold into mixture. Pour in pie crust. Bake  at 350 for 45 minutes.

Aunt Elizabeth’s Cake
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup syrup
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Cream sugar, butter, and eggs. Mix in syrup and buttermilk. Add flour. Beat until light and smooth. Bake until done.

Spice Cake
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
No baking instructions.

Butterscotch Cookies
2 1/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Roll and Chill. No other directions.

Banana Bread
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 bananas
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Add bananas. Sift in dry ingredients. Bake in loaf pan at 350 for 45 minutes.

Mrs. Fern’s Cake
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Alternately blend in sifted dry ingredients with milk and vanilla. No other instructions.

Grace’s Rolls
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening
1 cake yeast
1/4 cup luke warm water
1 well-beaten egg
4 cups flour
Pour boiling water over sugar, salt, and shortening. In separate bowl, dissolve yeast in luke warm water. Mix two bowls of liquid together with egg. Beat in two cups of flour until mixed thoroughly. Mix in last two cups of flour. Cover and chill for about an hour. Divide dough into one-inch balls. Put four balls into individual buttered muffin tins to create clover leaf rolls. Let rise until double in size. Bake at xxx for 20 minutes.

Cup Cakes
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 teaspoons baking powder
Cream butter and sugar. Add yolks beaten. Alternately mix in milk and sifted flour with baking powder. Add beaten egg whites, sifted cocoa, and vanilla. No further directions.

Chile Con Carne
1 pound hamburger
1/2 tablespoon melted butter
1 onion
1 can red kidney beans
1 can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
Brown hamburger. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for one hour.

Butterscotch Pudding
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups milk
1 thick slice bread with crusts cut off
2 eggs divided
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar
Melt brown sugar and butter until dark. Add milk and simmer for ten minutes. Soak bread in water until soft. Press water from bread. Crumble it into brown sugar and milk mixture. Add two beaten egg yolks, pinch of salt, and vanilla. Turn into baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Top with meringue of two whipped egg whites and two tablespoons sugar. Brown in oven. Serve hot or cold.

Ginger Snaps
10 cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Roll thin and bake.

Jam
1 quart berries
2 pounds sugar
1 lemon
water
Mash berries with sugar. Squeeze a small amount of lemon juice. Cook 30 minutes adding water as needed.

Vanilla Wafers
1/2 pound butter
1 cup superfine sugar
1 cup flour
2 eggs
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in the rest of the ingredients. Drop onto buttered cookie sheet. No other instructions.

Hot Water Pie Crust
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup Crisco
3 cups flour
pinch salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Beat water and Crisco together until water is absorbed. Add sifted dry ingredients. Let stand until cool. Roll out.

Corn Bread
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Crisco
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
No other instructions.

Mountain Cake
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
2 eggs
3 cups flour
2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
No other instructions.

Shirley Sauce
2 dozen ripe tomatoes
3 small onions
6 small red peppers
4 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teacups vinegar
Boil tomatoes and put through sieve. Mince onions and peppers. Mix all ingredients. Simmer for three hours. Bottle and cork.

Gem Cakes
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Sift dry ingredients together. Quickly mix all ingredients. The quicker made the better. No more instructions.

Waffles
2 cups flour
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, separated
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted butter
Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl. In another bowl, beat egg yolks well. Continuing beating while adding milk. Add dry ingredients to wet. Continue beating until smooth. Stir in melted butter. Whip egg whites until stiff. Fold into batter. Cook according to waffle iron directions.

Peanut Blossoms
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Hershey’s Kisses
Sift flour, salt, and soda. Cream Crisco and peanut butter together. Gradually add sugars, creaming well. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Blend in dry ingredients, gradually and mix thoroughly. Shape dough into teaspoon size balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on grease baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Top each with a Hershey’s Kiss. Press down firmly. Return to oven for two to five minutes. Store in flat container.

Ginger Snaps
1/3 cup molasses
3 tablespoons shortening
1 cup flour
1/6 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat molasses to boiling and pour over shortening. Sift dry ingredients into molasses. Chill roll and bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Sand Tarts
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco
3 eggs separated
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour
Cream butter and sugars together. Mix in egg yolks and milk. Sift baking powder and flour together. Add enough flour to batter to make a soft dough. Roll, cut into shapes, and place on buttered baking sheet. Whip egg whites until foamy. Brush on cookies, sprinkle cookies with equal parts cinnamon and sugar. No baking instructions.

Peg Harvey’s Caramels
1 pound brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup butter
1/4 pound chocolate
Boil all ingredients together until liquid becomes brittle when dropped in water or until it spins a thread. No more instructions.

Sour Cream Cake
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add alternately with sour cream. Bake at 350 for xx minutes.

Meat Loaf
1 pound ground beef
1 cup crackers rolled fine
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
Mix and bake at 400 for 1 1/2 hours

Banana Bread
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
2 mashed bananas
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
Mix together. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Scotch Bread Cookies
4 tablespoons sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup butter
3 ounces cream cheese
Cream butter and cream cheese. Blend in sugar and flour. Form into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour. Slice cookies and bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes.

Sour Bean Salad
1 can wax beans
1 can french green beans
1 can kidney beans
small onion
small green pepper
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup olive oil
Drain beans. Chop onion and pepper. Mix all ingredients together, Chill and serve.

Brownies
2 squares chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Melt chocolate and butter. Mix together with remaining ingredients. Spread in buttered pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Caramel Tomatoes
Remove a small slice from the stem end of tomatoes. One for each person. Scoop out approximately half the insides. Place tomatoes in a shallow baking pan partially filled with water. Fill cavities with sugar, place a generous piece of butter on each, sprinkle with salt and bake at 350 for xx minutes. Serve on thick rounds of hot toast.

Sweet Potato Croquettes
2 cups cooked, masked sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup crushed corn flakes
6 mini-marshmallows
Into warm mashed sweet potatoes, beat butter, cream, egg yolks, and sugar thoroughly. Chill. Shape into small balls, the size of golf balls, working a marshmallow into the center, molding the sweet potato completely around it. Dip each in flour, then beaten egg white, then crushed corn flakes. Let stand for one hour. Fry until golden brown.

Creamy, Dreamy Lemon Pie
16 crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup melted butter
3 large eggs, separated
1 lemon
1/3 cup water
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon gelatin
Combine graham crackers and melted butter to make pie shell. Mix gelatin and water and set aside. Gently beat egg yolks, sugar, juice and zest of lemon. Pour into double boiler. Heat while stirring until thick and creamy. Stir mixture into the gelatin. Beat egg whites and 1/2 cup sugar into stiff peaks. Fold into lemon mixture. Pour into crust and chill slightly. Top with cream whipped with remaining sugar.

Waffles
2 cups sifted cake flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
Beat eggs well. Combine all ingredients, beating well. Cook on hot waffle iron.

Jennie Mertz’ Crumb Cake
2 cups brown sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 cup cold butter
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
Rub brown sugar, flour, and butter together until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup crumbs. Add to remaining crumbs, beaten egg, buttermilk, and baking soda. Turn into buttered baking dish. Top with reserved crumbs. Bake at xxx for xx minutes.

Trumpets
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
dash nutmeg
Beat ingredients in order, sifting in flour and baking powder. Drop by teaspoons into hot oil. Cook until brown and crispy.

Dot’s Devil’s Food Cake
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2/3 cup cocoa
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs. Sift in dry ingredients. Blend in milk, vanilla, boiling water. Turn into two 8-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

Banana Tea Bread
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Sift in dry ingredients alternately with bananas, beating well after each addition. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup flour
Cream butters, beat in sugars, egg, and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients in and mix. Arrange by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Press flat with spoon and mark with fork. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Strawberry Short Cake
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons butter
milk
Mix dry ingredients. Add butter and enough milk to form a soft dough. Roll in tow crusts to lay on top of each other, buttering lightly in between. Bake at xx for 30-40 minutes. NO MORE INSTRUCTIONS.

Fruit Roly-Poly
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups sliced fresh peaches or berries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
Sift dry ingredients together. Rub in butter. Add just enough milk to hold together. Roll oblong 1/4 inch thick. Cover with fruit and 1/2 cup sugar. Roll as jelly roll. Brush top with milk and remaining sugar. Bake covered at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove cover. Bake 10 more minutes.

You are too Sweet
Butter baking dish. Cover bottom with 2 cups crushed graham crackers. Pour on 1 can sweetened condensed milk. Cover with 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Baking Powder Biscuit
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup cold milk
Sift dry ingredients together. Rub in shortening. Add milk. Turn on well floured board. Roll and cut biscuits. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Untitled Recipe
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs beaten separately
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash mace
Mix ingredients together, folding in whipped egg whites last. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
1 graham cracker crust
1 tablespoon gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Soften gelatin in water. To slightly beaten egg yolks, add 1/2 cup sugar, pumpkin, milk, spices, and salt. Cook until thick in double boiler. Add softened gelatin to hot pumpkin mixture; mix thoroughly until completely dissolved. Cool mixture. When it begins to thicken, add remaining sugar and fold in stiffly-beaten egg whites. Pour into prepared shell and chill.

Pumpkin Pie
2 cups pumpkin
1 cup milk
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg whites
pie shell
Mix all ingredients in order, adding whipped egg whites last. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Apple Sugar Muffins
4 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup crushed corn flakes
Cream shortening and sugar. Beat milk and egg. Add alternately to creamed mixture with sifted dry ingredients. Stir in apples and corn flakes. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Chocolate Icebox Cake
1 package german sweet chocolate
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 pasturized egg, separated
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
12 vanilla wafers or lady finger halves
Melt chocolate with water. Remove from heat. Add egg yolk, beat vigorously. Mix in sugar. Cool. Whip cream to form soft peaks and fold into chocolate. Stiffly beat egg white and fold into chocolate. Line loaf pan with waxed paper, extending over ends. Layer wafers with chocolate mixture. Chill overnight. Lift out of pan and slice.

Potatoes and Onions Au Gratin
Cook 5-6 pounds potatoes in their jackets.
Chill overnight.
Peel and dice into 1/2 inch cubes (about nine cups).
Peel and slice two pounds white onions. Cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain.
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet. Blend in 1/2 cup flour. When smooth add 3 cups milk, 3 cups light cream, and 1 cup chicken broth. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated, and 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese. Stir and cook gently until cheese melts. Season with 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt and 1 clove crushed garlic.
Mix with cooked potatoes and onions and pour into a shallow casserole or individual ramekins. Bake at 350 until bubbly and lightly patched with brown (about 45 minutes for large casserole).

Cereal Baskets
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups rice krispies
Melt chocolate. Mix with cereal. Press into well-buttered cup cake pans to form baskets. Chill for one hour to overnight. Remove with spatula. Fill with ice cream and serve.

Ethereal Angel Food Cake
1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 room temperature egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
Blend flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
Add vanilla to egg whites and beat until whites are frothy. Sprinkle cream of tartar on frothy whites and continue beating until whites form soft peaks. Add remaining sugar to whites, 1/4 cup at a time until whites are stiff and glossy but still slip a bit in the bowl. Fold dry ingredients into whites. Turn batter into 10-inch tube pan. Run spatula around outside edge of batter. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown and cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert and cool.

Devilish Angel Food Cake
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 envelope gelatin
1/3 cup warm water
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons rum
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped

1 angel food cake
Place milk, eggs, sugar, and salt in top of double boiler. Whisk over simmering water until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat. Dissolve gelatin in warm water and stir into cooked custard. Remove 1 cup of custard to a small mixing bowl. Fold in chocolate chips until melted. Add rum to remaining custard in pan. Fold in whipped cream. Tear angle food cake into 1-inch pieces. Fold cake into rum custard and pile into 9x13 pan. Dribble chocolate over the cake. Chill until time to serve.

Lil Henshaw’s Strawberry Cake
1 package white cake mix
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons flour
1 package strawberry jello
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sliced strawberries
Combine cake mix, flour, and jello. Beat oil, eggs, and water. Mix together. Fold in Strawberries. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Ice with 1 box confectioner’s sugar creams with 1/2 stick butter, juice of mashed strawberries. Fold in chopped strawberries.

Yellow Whipped Cream Cake
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
3 eggs
2 1/4 cups cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Whip cream until stiff. Beat eggs thoroughly and fold lightly into whipped cream. Sift dry ingredients twice. Fold into cream mixture. Add vanilla and mix well. Pour into two greased floured deep 8-inch round layer pans. Bake at 350 for xx minutes.

Dutch Sticky Buns
1/2 cake yeast
2 tablespoons warm water
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
brown sugar
cinnamon
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Scald milk and let cool to lukewarm. Add dissolved yeast. Blend in sugar, flour, and salt. Knead thoroughly into a soft dough. Put dough into a greased bowl and butter the top. Cover and set in a warm place. Allow to rise to 3 times it’s original size. Roll on floured board to 1/4 inch thick. Brush with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon (raisins and chopped nuts too, if you like). Roll like a jelly roll. Cut into one-inch pieces. Place cut-side down on greased pan (round cake pans work well, leaving room for rising). Let rise again until double in size. Spread top with butter and brown sugar. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Pinwheel Cookies
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 package semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Sift dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolk. Stir in milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Divide dough in half. To one half, add melted chocolate. Chill dough for 20 minutes. Roll out black and white dough balls separately onto same-sized sheets of wax paper. Place on on top of the other, dough sides touching. Remove top sheet of paper and roll dough like jelly roll. Chill and cut into 1/8 inch slices. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 for 6-8 minutes.

Crispy Rice Cookies
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups rice crispies
2 tablespoons butter
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift in dry ingredients. Crisp cereal in buttered skillet. Add cereal to batter. Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Orange Blossom Punch
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
46 ounce can grapefruit juice
46 ounce can orange juice
1 1/2 cups lime juice
1 1/2 quarts ginger ale or champagne
Combine sugar and water in saucepan, heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, let boil five minutes without stirring; cool. Add juices. Chill. Just before serving add gingeral or champagne. Pour over Orange Blossom Ice Ring. (50 small servings)
Orange Blossom Ice Ring -
(they say to do with water - makes more sense to half recipe or so and freeze in mold with fruit, flowers, leaves, etc.)

Lobster Thermidor
1/2 pound mushrooms
pinch salt
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch black pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoons sherry
1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat
1 cup french bread crumbs
Chop mushrooms. Saute in 2 tablespoons butter and pinch salt. Reduce heat and sweat for 10 minutes. In sauce pan combine 4 tablespoons butter and flour to a paste. Add the rest of the dry ingredients. Slowly add the milk to make a sauce. Finish with mushrooms, cream, and salt. Turn into casserole dish. Toss bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Cover lobster with bread crumbs and brown lightly.

Vanilla Kepferts
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
confectioner’s sugar
Rub butter and flour together. Add sugar and vanilla. Chill slightly. Pick off pieces of dough and roll into balls the size of marbles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet Flatten with fork. Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes. Turn over in confectioner’s sugar. Cool on rack.

Sunshine Cake
7 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup sifted sugar
1 cup sifted cake flour
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff. Beat egg yolks and lemon juice until thick. Fold sugar into egg whites. Add egg yolks. Sift in flour. Bake at 275 for 1 hour. Cool inverted.

Foundation Cake
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Sift flour and baking powder. Add alternately with milk and vanilla. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Mrs. Book’s Ginger Snaps
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup molasses
1 cup butter
2 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
2 cups flour
Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Cream all ingredients. Add flour to make a soft dough. Roll into a log. Chill, slice, bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Cake
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup cream
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
No other instructions

Devil’s Food Cake
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
No other instructions

Pumpkin Pie
1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Turn into pie shell
No other instructions.

Egyptian Cake
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoon hot water
4 eggs
vanilla
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Dissolve cocoa in hot water. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Sift flour and baking powder. Add alternately with milk. NO Other instructions

Mocha Filing for Egyptian Cake
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 squares chocolate
3 tablespoons strong coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream butter and one cup confectioner’s sugar. Melt and cool chocolate. Add to butter and sugar. Mix in second cup of sugar, coffee, and vanilla.
No other instructions.

Sweetie-pie Apple Pie
1 graham cracker pie shell
Filling:
2/3 cup extra-fine sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon butter
8 green apples
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
Peel and slice apples. Mix sugar, salt, spices, lemon, and butter. Toss apples in mixture. Arrange in pie shell. 
Combine topping ingredients.
Spoon over apples. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat and bake another 35-40 minutes.

Caramel Squares
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Melt butter and brown sugar until it bubbles around edges. Remove from heat. When lukewarm add eggs and beat briskly. Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt, beat for htree minutes. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish, bake at 300 for 25 minutes.

Orange Sherbet
2 egg whites
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup milk
1 3/4 cups orange dress
1 tablespoon lime juice
Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Blend with remaining ingredients. Freeze for 1 1/2 hours (until almost firm). Remove from freezer and beat until smooth but not melted. Return to freezer until firm. Serve in clean, hollowed out orange halves.

Apricot Ice
Bring to a boil 2 1/2 cups apricot nectar and 2/3 cup sugar. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and a pinch salt. Freeze, beating twice while in the freezing process.

Raspberry Ice
2 cups fresh raspberrries
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 egg whites
pinch salt
Crush berries. Cook with sugar for 5 minutes. Add water and push through fine sieve. Cool. Add orange juice. Freeze until almost firm. Whip egg whites and pinch salt until stiff. Beat raspberry mixture until light. Fold in egg whites. Return to freezer until frozen.

Cactus Pear Sorbet
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup prickly pear juice
1/4 cup pureed cantaloupe
1 1/2 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 lime
1 1/2 tablespoon gold tequilla
Combine sugar and water in saucepan. Cook and stir until syrupy, 5-10 minutes. Cool. Stir in remaining ingredients. Freeze overnight in shallow pan.

Barbara Kennedy's Museum Punch
1 can lemonade
1 can limeade
1 bottle white grape juice
1 large bottle ginger ale

Never Fail Chocolate Sheet Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift dry ingredients. Heat butter, cocoa, and water to a boil. Pour over flour mixture. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Pour into shallow pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Frosting
1/2 stick butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
3 tablespoons buttermilk
Heat ingredients to boil. Cool. Add powdered sugar to frosting consistency.

Refrigerator Rolls
3/4 cup Crisco
1 cup boiling water
7 1/2 cups flour
2 cakes yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup cold water
Combine Crisco and boiling water. Sift in flour.
Combine yeast and warm water.
Mix together eggs, sugar, salt, and cold water.
Pour yeast into shortening mix.
Pour egg mix into shortening mix.
Mix thoroughly. Cover and chill.
Roll dough and cut into biscuits. Bake on well grease pans at 425 for 10 minutes.

Snickerdoodles
2 cups butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
5 1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons baking soda
Mix ingredients together. Chill overnight. Form dough into teaspoon size balls. roll in mixture of 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.

Sergio’s Round Steak
Cut one pound round steak into one-inch cubes. Dust with flour, salt, and pepper. Brown in skillet. Put into deep pan. Add 1-2 quarts tomato sauce, 1 cup red wine, 1 bud garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon oregano, one small sliced onion. Cook slowly for several hours.
Mix 2 teaspoons corn starch with 1/4 cup water until smooth. Remove steak pieces. Add corn starch to tomato base. Cook slowly into a gravy. Serve meat and gravy over noodles or rice.

Mississippi Mud Cake
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Sift flour, soda, and salt together. Whisk milk, butter, cocoa over heat until well blended. Cool. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Turn into cake pan. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Easy Gingerbread Boys
Heat 1/2 cup molasses to boiling. Cool. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon milk, 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, pinch salt, 1 teaspoon each nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and ginger. Chill. Roll, adding flour as needed, cut, bake at 375 for 8 minutes.

Soft Pretzels
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon table salt
1 package dry yeast
1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
course salt
Heat water to 130 degrees. Whisk together 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast, and table salt. Beat for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour beat another 2 minutes. Add enough flour to make soft dough. Knead 5 minutes. Set in greased bowl to rise 40 minutes. Shape into pretzels. Let rest 5 minutes. Brush with egg. Sprinkle with course salt. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

So now you have a brown coagulated mess in your fridge with a layer of solidified fat over it. Congrats! Your stock is perfect! Scrape the fat off it and use that stock - within the week in the fridge. Within the month in the freezer.

I always cook a batch of chicken breasts when I make stock. Then I keep them in the fridge to add to what ever I am making during the week. Lately, I've been taking breasts with bone and skin, placing them on a rack (just stick them on the rack when you pull out the thighs to make the stock), add salt, pepper and spices if you like. (rosemary and thyme for me). Bake at 450 until they are done - which on the meat thermometer says 180 - but, I just hack into the biggest breast and make sure its white and the juices are clear - usually about 45 minutes. Let them cool, toss them in a ziplock in the fridge, use at will, but within the week. By Sunday, when it's time to make another batch, they should be gone.

........

Now, cook any kind of noodles you like in stock. Usually 1 part noodles to 3 parts stock, but start with less and add more to your liking. chop up and toss in what ever vegetables you have on hand. Did you cook up chicken breasts for the week? chop some up and add those too. Season to taste, Voila!, soup.

.......

Cook together equal parts of egg noodles and stock - so there is not much liquid, if not enough, add a little more - shred up cooked chicken and mix it in. A little salt and pepper - Voila! - chicken and noodles.

.......

Defrost and unfold a sheet of puffed pastry. Cook according to directions - usually like 400 degrees for 15 min.

While it's cooking, in a pot on the stove - make a paste of 4 T melted butter and 2 T flour. Stir in one-half cup milk until thick and smooth. Add stock a half cup at a time stirring all the while until you have 2-4 cups gravy - it just depends how thick you like it, and how many people need feeding. Add cut up cooked chicken. Add peas, carrots, corn (as much or as little as you like) from the freezer (seriously, don't kill yourself over it) cook until hot and creamy. Season if you like.

When the pastry is done, Cut it into squares - 4-6 squares depending on serving size.

Pour creamy chicken into bowls, set a piece of pastry on top - Voila! - Chicken pot pie.

Easy. Easy. Easy as pie.

Chicken - cut up. Any parts. I typically use a value pack of legs and thighs with skin. I don't like dark meat but it makes fantastic broth so I give the meat to the dogs.

Oil or butter chicken. Salt and pepper and sprinkle with whatever green herbs you have, for example, rosemary, oregano, thyme....etc.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes - until outside is crispy. Don't worry if it is cooked through.

Meanwhile, chop:

Celery (bunch)
Onions (at least 2)
Garlic (a lot)

Any other vegies you want to use up. Really, clean out your vegetable drawer.

In very large stockpot melt butter to cover bottom - 2-4 tablespoons or more if you like. No butter? Use any oil. No oil? a bit of water - you just don't want those buggers sticking.

Saute vegies while chicken cooks. When vegies are transparent, stack chicken in pot. Fill pot with water. Don't stir, don't touch, just leave it.

Simmer for 2-6 hours skimming the foam off the top as needed.

Strain broth into another large pot if you have it, otherwise, let cool then strain into tupperware-esque container. Some people like to mash the vegies they used and add them to the stock, claiming these contain "curative powers." Heck, if you don't mind the extra work, why not. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove fat. Use as a base for everything!

If you like, clean the chicken for use later. I clean it and store it in a ziploc in the fridge and give it to the dogs as treats during the week. Then, everyone's happy!

Preheat oven to 400.

Cook one pound macaroni (we like penne rigate). Drain. Turn into buttered baking dish.

Adjusting heat as needed.....Melt 4 tablespoons butter, letting it foam up and recede. Add 2 tablespoons flour. Stir until blended. Add one cup milk or cream. Stir until it starts to thicken.

Add 2 cups shredded cheese - anything you like. Lately I've been mixing one cup sharp white cheddar and one cup fontinella. A shredded blend of Italian cheeses is nice too. Stir until melted. Pour over macaroni. Sprinkle parm cheese on top. Bake until brown and bubbly. Usually 10-15 minutes.

Serve with love.

Ivan and I sit in the lobby of the tower hotel. I am waiting for my southern boyfriend to turn up as Ivan prepares to board a bus of geriatric tourists. Ivan sees me frantically texting and enquires as to the status of a friend arriving from Cork, “Where is he?”
“In Donegal, being chased by the cops.”
“What does that mean?”
“Meaning...last text said he was hiding on a beach, evading the police.”
“Does the guy know Donegal roads?”
“I’m not saying he knows anything.”
“The bus is going to be back at five. So you’re going.”
“Two hours with geezers. Jesus, Ivan. Here she comes.”
“Oh Ivan! How wonderful of you to do this. We are all so looking forward to your talk.”
Ivan gestures toward me. “She’s coming along. she is writing a book about the families of those who died on Bloody Sunday.”
“Ahhh, OK.....so that’s not a Derry accent.”
“Right, Jennifer, on the bus.”
This is where learning to drink whiskey in Ireland pays off. I quickly drink what’s left in my glass and head for the loo. By the time I get on the bus they are looking for me. The head geezer sings out, ‘Here’s the blonde you’re looking for!” and I sing back, ‘I’m the blonde he’s looking for!” I put on my best face, but Ivan upstages me asking the bus driver, “What do you think?”
“She’ll just do, ya know?” They get a big belly laugh out of that. I stick the pen microphone in Ivan’s breast pocket and take my place next to an aging Canadian.
The head geezer announces, “OK ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Ivan Cooper. To any of you who are Irish or knows anything of the history here, he’s certainly a well-known person. Some of you - and that includes the group I brought last year - lots of people I bring here are not Irish. We saw the film Bloody Sunday as a group so thank you so much for doing this for us Ivan. We much appreciate you who had the real experience of what this was about so please say hello to Ivan Cooper and the lady in the middle of the bus who is writing a book and I am sure Ivan will tell us what that’s about.”
“Thank you. First, to put it in complete perspective, I am a contradiction in Northern Ireland in relation to politics, because although this city is a predominantly Catholic city and the civil rights movement, of which I was a part, was a predominantly Catholic cause, I am afraid I am Church of Ireland. I’m a Protestant. I became involved in this area down here which you see which is called the Bogside. I have been going to that area since I was 12 years of age and I have befriended some people in this area who are still my friends to this day. I became very much involved in the struggle for civil rights. The housing conditions which you see today bear no relation to the housing conditions which existed in 1968. In 19 45 the Americans had a camp just outside this city and when they vacated that camp - people started to live there I can recollect in 1968 there was a 44 percent mortality rate in that camp for children under the age of seven. People were living in desperate conditions and when I think that it is only a matter of thirty-five years ago it’s hard to imagine the conditions in which people live in today.
“Can I just tell you, before I start to do the tour, can I just tell you that I have a special nostalgia for Toronto because my father went there in 1927 with the intention of taking all of us there to seek a new life. Unfortunately my mother took septicemia and he had to come back. I was there last November and every time I go there I have a lump in my throat because I can remember the stories which my father told of him going out on a liner to go to Canada to seek a new life. You may know Eaton’s, a famous store in Toronto. That store was founded by a family who lived not far from where I was brought up just outside this city, so we have a very special affection for and a very special connection with Toronto.
“So we’ll go on this little journey. As you probably have seen our city is a walled city. The siege we had here was the longest siege in European history. It last from the 18th of December 1688 to the 12th of August 1689. The siege of Derry has very special significance to Protestantism. When I was a young man being brought up these walls had a very symbolic effect to Protestantism. Nowadays these walls belong to all of us. Catholic and Protestant we realize the importance in terms of modern day history and the walls themselves have had an effect in shaping our political history in Northern ireland our modern day political history.
“This is the Bogside we’re going down into now. Unfortunately over the last 35 years it has seen some very tragic events. Many people lost their lives not far from where we are now. In particular I think of Bloody Sunday. I’m glad to hear that some of you have seen the film - as you probably know the role of Ivan Cooper - the role of my person was taken by a man called Jimmy Nesbitt and I believe that he played it with great sensitivity and great courage.
“When I look at the housing conditions that exist in this city today, my mind goes back to the housing conditions which prevailed 35 years ago. A very high rate of tuberculosis. Very high rates of all types of illness and disease which shortened people’s lives. People were living here in hovels. The conditions they were living in were not much better than those for animals. The other important thing to remember is that 35 years ago, people in this area did not have the universal franchise. In other words they couldn’t vote in local governmental elections to shape the future of the city. Unionism and Protestantism had a system of controlling this city called gerrymandering. Gerrymandering meant that even though 2/3 of this city which was Nationalist only elected 8 members to the local corporation and the 1/3 Unionist and Protestant population elected 12 members to the corporation.
“That was a permanent feature, and they achieved that by two things - first of all they achieved it by failing to build houses and it was a deliberate policy not to build houses and secondly they achieved it by maintaining a policy which meant that if a father and mother lived in a house with five children over the age of 21 only the mother and father had a vote. So in other words they disenfranchised a large number of people. They also maintained their power by the use of something called the special powers act and if you had an interest in Irish history and Irish music what was very likely to happen to you is you would be interned without trial under something called the Special Powers Act. We had discrimination in employment; we had discrimination in housing. The overwhelming bulk of this discrimination was used against the Catholic community. Against the Nationalist community.
“When I came as a young boy to the Bogside - when I was 12 years of age - I was appalled by the housing conditions which I had seen . I was appalled by the fact that many young men who were the same age as me stood less of a chance of getting employment even though their capacity and education was even greater than mine. Because of my Protestant background I would have been able in those days to obtain employment in a position of status much easier than any Catholic young man of my age. Out of that was born the civil right movement.
“The civil rights movement in this city was not led only by people from the Catholic community. I was chairman of the civil rights movement in Derry the vice chairman was at that time a man called John Hume. John Hume went on to become a Westminster Member of Parliament; he went on to become a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and he lives in these houses which you see just ahead of us. John is still a European Member of Parliament and he is still a Westminster Member of Parliament.
“There is a political party in Northern Ireland called the SDLP and the SDLP was founded by a man called Paddy O’Hanlon, another man called John Hume and Ivan Cooper who’s speaking to you now. The three of us founded what is now the second largest political party in Northern Ireland. All of my political career and all of the time John Hume has spent in politics he has been totally committed to non-violence. That was my stand in 1968 and that is how I feel today.
“I have looked at the world and whenever you reach the age of almost 60 you tend to look at the world in a wider vision. When I look at the world the more I look at it the more I believe that the only way to solve any problem is by peaceful means and by attempts at reconciliation. We are now approaching the Creggan Estates my principal reason for asking the driver to be kind enough to take us to the Creggan Estates was this is where the Bloody Sunday march started in 1972.
“All of the civil rights reforms had been achieved within a period of three or four months after our march on the 5th of October in 1968. The march on the 5th of October 1968 was held on the waterside in Derry to the cityside and the police banned that march and the police battened us. But the wider world saw that we were people demonstrating peacefully. We were told by the British government that we were part of the United Kingdom and we were demanding the same rights as the people of Manchester or Birmingham or Glasgow or London or Cardiff. When the wider world saw us on television being treated in such a brutal way there was a massive amount of outrage and arising from that there were further marches which meant that all of the civil rights demands were conceded within a period of 3-4 months.
“The Derry Corporation which I have referred to which gerrymandered was kicked out and a commission was set in place and that commission set about to building much of the housing in the Bogside and that housing revolutionized housing conditions. This is the Creggan Estates and as you can see the housing is of a very good standard. There was one civil rights demand which remained outstanding in 1972 and that was the use of the Special Powers Act. The Special Powers Act gave power to the government of Northern Ireland to intern people without trial. In 1971 once again the Unionist government decided to intern people without trial and we decided to hold a civil rights march on the last sunday of January 1972.
“The thing that you’ve got to remember is that in 1972 I had then been elected a member of parliament. We had attempted within Parliament to obtain an end to the special powers act legislation which meant that people were interned without trial for having an interest for example in Irish music or Irish culture or anything of that nature anything which Unionism described as alien.
“To the right we’ve just come back from Bishop’s field. This is where the march started on the last Sunday of January 1972. It was our intention to go to the Guildhall Square in Derry that’s the city hall, hold the demonstration there, and disperse. The atmosphere on the march that day was extremely good. I can remember the songs. You’ve got to remember that in those days Derry is a city where nearly all its women worked. Its men were largely unemployed. The women worked in the shirt industry. Before I became a Member of Parliament, I was an executive in the shirt industry. If you look at the fingers which a Derry girl has, and I - many years ago I used to remember them round my neck - its a long time since they’ve been there - Derry girls have long slender fingers and this is derived from the shirt industry because we’ve had a shirt industry in this city for over 250 years.
“On the 30th of January 1972 our 20,000 people came down past the Cathedral and entered this street which is ahead of us and which is called William Street. preceded by the lorry. Ahead of us we could see that the army had cordoned off the bottom part of the street. They had erected barriers - preventing us from being able to gain access to the Guildhall. you can see the guildhall ahead of us here which is a replica of the Guildhall of London. We could see that we could not get down the full route and so we took a decision to bring the lorry to the right right into the Bogside.
“It was our intention that the crowd of 20,000 would follow us and there were stewards positioned just here to wheel the crowd into the Bogside, make speeches about the use of internment without trial - the use of the Special Powers Act. The army barrier was situated down ahead of us where you see the news agents and we decided not to have a confrontation but to head over to Free Derry Corner which is ahead of us now. So, the platform was situated immediately in front of that wall. There were four speakers that day - Bernadette Devlin who was a Westminster MP the youngest ever Westminster MP. Lord Fenner Brockway of the British House of Commons, The Reverend Terrance McCauley who was a presbyterian minister from Dublin, and Ivan Cooper.
“I had just started to speak whenever I heard bullets being fired; what I believed was rubber bullets being fired. Fired from this direction down here that we’ve just come up. And I remember, I said to Bernadette Devlin, I paused when I head the thumping of what I interpreted was rubber bullets, and I said to her, “Rubber Bullets” and she said to me, “It’s Lead, Coops.”
“For the very first time in my life, I looked on the ground and I could see the lead skipping on the ground. It’s a remarkable quick quirk of the mind, but as I saw that led skipping on the road, my mind went back to my boyhood days. At the bottom of some of the fields near my home was the Fahan River where my brother and I and our friends frequently skimmed stones. The tactic was to try to get a stone to skip six times. That indicated a great skim. As I watched those lead bullets skipping off the road, near our platform at Free Derry Corner, I couldn’t help thinking of the skimming days near the Faghan River. But then very quickly I was conscious of the crowd. Hysteria and fear had taken over. Bullets were flying all around us. The snipers on the walls were firing down and the paratroopers ahead of us were firing straight at us.
“It was like hailstones there was so much of it. My father had served in the British Forces during the war. My Protestant family had a tradition of respect for the British Army. Even though I was involved in civil rights encounters, I couldn’t believe that any regiment would open fire where there were 20,00 men women and children. From the walls - which I pointed out to you - they were firing from the walls. In a period of 16 minutes 13 people had been shot dead. A short time later Johnny Johnston, who used to work in a clothes shop in the city where I used to buy clothes, died as well. So 14 people died in a period of 16 minutes.
“Those of you who have seen the film will know that Bloody Sunday had a devastating effect in this city. Because by far the greatest sin of all was that that night the British Consulate in NY put out the message that those who had lost their lives were all either carrying weapons and firing them or throwing nail bombs. Those of us who had been here that day knew that that was a lie. Those of us who were committed to non-violence knew the army had not been fired on by our march nor had there been any petrol bombs or nail bombs thrown. They pumped out their propaganda and we buried our dead.
“Two days after Bloody Sunday residents of Dublin burned the British Embassy to the ground. Its my view that Bloody Sunday was the greatest watershed in recent Irish History. First of all it created a chasm between Dublin and London that took years to repair. It created a breach between Catholic and Protestant which we are still reaping the rewards of today.
“Then it was the turn of the Unionist government to poison and lie. They told the Protestant population of Northern Ireland that the civil rights leaders were enemies of the state. They were all Republicans. That NICRA was a front for the IRA, determined to overthrow the Unionist government and force people into a united Ireland. The smears, the propaganda, the lies, poisoned the Protestant people into believing the murders on Bloody Sunday were justified.
“But more important still, from a situation in which very few people in those days supported the IRA and where they had very few weapons, it breathed into the lungs of militant and armed Republicanism a large degree of public support because of the outrage. In my view, as a result of Bloody Sunday, we’ve had to live with thirty years of violence in which the IRA carried out very dastardly deeds including the murders of many innocent people.
“The outrage over Bloody Sunday throughout the world was so great the British Government decided to hold a Tribunal of Inquiry. Headed by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Widgery, he held that whilst some firing by the army bordered on the reckless, a number of those who died that day had either been throwing nail bombs or firing weapons. I come from a stubborn race of people, they call them Irish. Those of us that were there that day knew that was a lie. But more significantly it was a whitewash. In other words, a Lord Chief Justice got into bed with the lies perpetrated by the Consulate.
“So, the relatives of those who died on Bloody Sunday held a campaign which went on for many years, demanding a second enquiry. For the first time ever in British judicial history, a second inquiry was convened. It is called the Saville Inquiry. I don’t know what the outcome of that inquiry will be, but I can tell you a couple of extremely significant things. The lawyer who represents the Queen’s Counsel on the very first day stood up and said that the ministry and government accepted that none of those shot that day were carrying a weapon or throwing a nail bomb.
“After all these years. After all the propaganda, after all the whitewash, he said that on the first day of the inquiry. There are people in this community who criticize the vast amount of money which has been devoted to the holding of this inquiry and it is significant. There are other people who point out that the IRA carried out some terrible deeds in this land. That is true. They did. But Bloody Sunday was perpetrated by the forces of the crown. It was perpetrated by those who should be upholding law. Who should be serving all of us. Who should be protecting all of us and that is a significant difference.
“And so we don’t know what the outcome of that inquiry is going to be. What are we after? A judicial declaration of innocence. Now, the young lady who is sitting in the bus who is a friend of mine, Jennifer Faus, who comes from Chicago, has been here I think about twenty times and she’s writing a book and she’s concentrating her book on the young men who died. And I must tell you that it has been an illuminating experience for me. To read some of the things which she has managed to research and find out. Cause those who died were young men.
“In 1968 this area had housing which was so very very bad. It’s almost indescribable in today’s terms. Secondly, we had 44% of our men out of work. Thirdly, we were denied rights - the right to vote, to influence. Fourthly, we had a Special Powers Act which was destined to crush anything Irish. Fifthly we had discrimination in employment and housing, based on a person’s religious beliefs. And lastly we had discrimination in housing because housing meant that people were given votes.
“What of the future? I am optimistic about the future. We have two right traditions in this community - one is the Protestant tradition which is a rich hard working tradition and the other is our Catholic, Celtic tradition. We have got to work together we have got to build reconciliation to build a future.
“I’m hopeful. I’m hoping that we can translate the tragedy of the past into real, meaningful reconciliation which we can share with others in the future. All of us. All of us have a great deal to give each other and its my hope we can do that. It is not an idle aspiration. I have been very privileged to have been part of this civil rights campaign coming from background, my Protestant background. I’ve also been privileged to know people in this city who even though they endured great poverty have a spirit of reconciliation in their hearts. Thank you.”
Ivan and I disembark. The geezers get out to take photos by the Bloody Sunday memorial. Ivan poses, talks to some passers-by, and then calls, “Come on Jennifer!”

HEATHROW
I hate Heathrow. The customs agents are given power and permission to harass, harangue, and generally fuck with any person leaving the UK for Ireland. Pass through Heathrow to any other EU country and no landing card is required; no run of the gauntlet. Going to Stockholm? Paris? Athens? Frankfort? “Have a shower, a bite to eat, rest your feet, linger over a coffee or a cocktail, do a little shopping.” Going to Dublin? Belfast? “Bend over....”
Nonetheless, I’ll find my way to Belfast. Ivan will be waiting at the City Airport, reading his paper. Or he won’t be waiting and I’ll make my way to the Europa, catch the Derry City Flyer, and sleep my way to Derry. OK, if Ivan was driving I’d sleep too, but at least I’d feel guilty.
I gird my loins and head for the border. Only a few questions today.
Where are you going?
Why are you going?
Who do you know there?
How did you meet?
How long have you known him?
How long do you plan to stay?
What will you be doing while you are there?
Will you be visiting anyone else?
Do you have a return ticket?
When will you be returning?
Will you be visiting any other countries before you return to the U.S.?
How much money are you carrying?
In U.S. currency?
May I see in your bag?
Is this tea?
Why would you bring your own tea?
At Heathrow, the gate to Belfast is at the very end of a long corridor deep in the smoking section. It’s not labelled. It is behind a rope and two sets of alarmed doors. When you check in, they say to go to gate 12 but there is no gate 12. Well, OK – there is a gate 12 but it is behind the rope and the two sets of doors. There is no sign to indicate that the gate is back there. Even to an astute, observant person the hallway comes to an end.
At Stansted, gates 81-82 and 84-88 have large signs like “GATE 81,” it’s flight times are displayed on TV monitors, there are vast, comfortable seating areas, and smiling staff behind large desks. The gate to Derry is marked by a single small sign: “83” over double doors that say “Do Not Enter.”
At Heathrow, they don’t announce the Belfast flights. There are no check-in desks or airline personnel. In short, if you are new, you have to ask the other passengers sitting around smoking, drinking coffee and scowling, if you are in the right place. At the appointed time – or thereabout – the rope is removed, the doors open and the passengers file in.
My Stansted boarding pass reads, “Boarding announcements may not be made for your flight. Please check the departure boards and/or TV monitors for boarding information.” That’s grand except there is no announcement, no board, no proper gate, just “83 - Do Not Enter.”
“Ahhhh, Belfast. Ivan sits reading his paper. A sight for sore eyes. He folds his paper, presses the palm of his hand against the table and hoists himself up. The ever-present blue blazer, colorful shirt, and flashy tie frame his face. In 35 years, Ivan hasn’t changed a bit. Still balding, still graying, still round. Still fancying himself a ladies’ man. “Well, Jennifer, there you are. Cheerful as always.” He kisses my cheek, takes my bag. “We’re off. Late for an appointment. Car’s out front.”
My family is from Pennsylvania. Rolling, winding, narrow roads, no street signs. Macadam covered cow paths. The terrain is as similar to Lancaster’s hills as the Pennsylvania Dutch accent is to the Derry accent. My family would get in the car and feel quite at home tooling around Northern Ireland. I was raised in the mid-west. A grid based on clear N-S-E-W directions and precise numbering systems with flat, unobstructed views. I feel very much at home in Northern Ireland, but left to my own devices, I am usually lost.
I recognize my Hilton along the river. The place Ivan and I eat burgers: across from the open-air market they swear is open two days a week. I’ve never seen a soul. The opera house, the lovely pub with the mosaic tile, and yes, the Europa. Home to the Derry City Flyer. Conveniently, the bus station is adjacent to the “most bombed” hotel in Belfast.
The bus-station restaurant cooks a mean fry and so I prefer the bus-station diner, but Ivan opts for the hotel dining room breakfast. “Hello?” Ivan’s mobile. Our constant companion. “Yes. I’ve just collected Jennifer at the airport and she’s famished. Yes. We’ve got to feed her. She’s American. She doesn’t like the food here. But she’s got to eat nonetheless. Aye, we’ll be there then.” He’s neglected to tell me the stop at the Europa is on the way to the appointment. Not the appointment itself. I can’t get used to the time waits for all men mentality.
“What are we doing Ivan?”
“Eat. Have some coffee. You look knackered.”
Ivan drives. Ivan talks. I sleep. I am supposed to be listening. Taking notes for his memoir. But I sleep. Something about the seat in the Mercedes. The warmth. The rolling terrain. The smell of turf. It’s all very very good. Relaxing.
“You’re sleeping. You and John Hume. You sit in that seat and you sleep.”
“John Hume’s a popular guy. I’m in good company. But I don’t snore and I’m much cuter. I’ve met him. I know I am cuter than John. Besides, we are here. Where is your appointment?”
“John was once being monitored at Belfast City Hospital for sleeping habits. Some consultant in the United States had told him that his root problem was that his sleep habit was bad so they were monitoring his sleeping. And I said to him, I never saw any problems with your sleeping patterns because as soon as you get in my car you put the seat back and you sleep. And by the way Jennifer, you do snore. And you are not that cute. It’s not my appointment it’s yours. Mickey wants to see you.”
“Why? I’ve done nothing.”
“Stop fussing and go. He’s waiting for you.”
I leave Ivan at a pub on Shipquay, walk down to the bottom, turn right at the alley and slip in the back door. There on the stained second-hand couches sit members of the Bloody Sunday Trust. I perch on the arm of one and wait quietly.
Mickey sits to my right in the Bloody Sunday Centre family room. Smoke circling, ashes strewn across the glass-topped coffee table, coats on against the chilly damp that always seems to seep out of the old bank’s walls. I sigh. He smokes. We wait. One by one the members of the Trust file out. I didn’t know it was an omen. Not the good kind.
I spoke into the air, “I have the names. Do you want me to publish the names?”
“Nah,” Mickey said.
“I have some un-redacted statements. Do you want me to release the statements?”
“Nah.”
“Then why do you look at me like that? Like you want something? You worked for six years to get the Inquiry. What else could you possibly want?”
“They were alive you know. Before he was murdered, my brother lived. Do you think you could write about their lives?”
“Sure.” I am saying sure. Like it’s nothing. Mickey is saying he and John will get the members of the Trust on board. “It must be done.” He repeats it several times: “It’s not been done and it must.”
I am struck by a split-second of clarity. “Mickey, no one knows me. They are just going to have me into their homes and tell me the stories of their loved ones?”
“John and I will get them on board. It’s important.”
What happened to the voice in my head? I should have been saying. “They hardly know me. How do you know I can do this? You don’t know my writing. What do you know about my character, my dedication? Why not Eamon McCann? Roddy Doyle? Anyone Irish. Anyone else. Anyone who has ever written anything important. Anyone but me to write these biographies.” I didn’t ask. I didn’t question. I wanted to do it. I really did. From the moment the words came out of Mickey’s mouth I wanted to write their stories. To do it well. To make the men and boys real. I had looked at their photos so many times. I knew every detail of their deaths. I wanted to know about the man in the roller skates, the boy with the guitar, the smiling face on the roof of the flats. Happy. Innocent. Hopeful.
I want it. So I leap to the conclusion that they want me to write these stories because I can be objective. I have no political or familiar ties. I am not Irish. I have few preconceptions. No one will question my motives. I can come in, gather the information, and write pure, true, objective biographies. Then no one can say it was propaganda. I am an outsider.
The leaping may have been a mistake. Perhaps it was the most crucial mistake, but it won’t be the worst or the loudest or most damaging mistake I will make over the next year. For example, how many times has being an outsider been a good thing?!
“Sure. I’ll do it. I’ll look at my calendar and let you know when I can come back.”
“John and I will get the families on board.”
Ivan and I are in the car on my way back to Belfast before I realize what I’ve done. Fourteen biographies. Uninteresting people. Most of them teenagers. What’s unique about a teenage boy? It began to sink in a bit. I didn’t worry myself with the realization that not being a journalist or an author might be a hindrance. I didn’t contemplate the actualities of no one knowing me. I wasn’t concerned about being Kermit-the-Frog green. It didn’t bother me that I had no idea what I was doing.
“Mum! Mum! Hello. Are you there mum? Yes, Mum. I’m calling from Ireland. I’m not coming home Mum. They’ve asked me to run for president. Well, I must. They’ve asked me!” Ivan is teasing me.
“What have I done Ivan? They hardly know me. They want to trust their life stories to me?”
“I spoke to them about your writing.”
“I write you letters Ivan. We’ve hardly begun on your book!”
“They are good letters. You will do well. Stop fussing. And I won’t say a word on my book until you finish this. Then, I promise, we will write my book.”
American Airlines Flight 91: Heathrow to O’Hare. My journey and my journal begin.
“Today I made a promise. I promised the Bloody Sunday families I would tell their stories. Yes, much has been written about Bloody Sunday – covering the witness statements, the tribunals, and the events – all important, but one piece is missing – the human faces of the tragedy.
“Today I promised to give voices to the dead. I promised to share the human side, the human cost – the loss of more than 14 lives from gunfire on 30 January, 1972 – the damage that radiates through families and friends and wounds generations.
“Never before in my life have I made a promise so binding. Something I can’t break or wiggle out of. Today I made a promise I must fulfill. And I will. For the next five months, I will immerse myself so completely in the lives and memories of the Bloody Sunday families and victims that when I write, their voices ring from the pages. In my writing the dead will come alive for the reader, the pain of those left behind will be palpable, the injustice of the day will cry out in the hearts of the just, and the steadfast dedication of the campaign will inspire those who have lost hope.”
So how do I go about this? I manage to support myself and three kids writing articles and informational materials other people put their names on. It’s work no one else wants. The attorney’s equivalent of piece-work. Special education fact-sheets for parents of children with disabilities; policy relating to children; draft legislation; the affect of the state budget crises on nonprofits; how to teach trial skills to 7th graders; practical legal skills for pregnant and parenting teens. Not rocket science but I work in my pj’s, pick up my kids after school, and pay the bills. I do not, however, mind taking a leave of absence.

“Ivan, do you believe that 1st PARA para fired under orders on Bloody Sunday?”
“I don’t know the answer to that. I have a suspicion they didn’t. I have a suspicion they had a fairly open license. I believe they were ordered into the Bogside by Ford not by McClennan – Ford to Wilford. I think McClennan has lied that he gave the order. There was a major who gave evidence at Saville in which he was emphatic that the order came from Ford through to Wilford.”
“Do you think they fired because they were given free reign that day?”
“I think that they thought that they were being fired on – they were so hyped up by Wilford and by Ford and by their briefing before they came in. I think that some of the shots that came from the walls, which in fact were shots from the army, gave them the impression that they were being fired on. Don’t ask me the chronology of it – cause I don’t know and you would really need to review all the papers of the Saville inquiry to date or talk to people like Eamon McCann or Paul McCauley of the BBC who have been at the tribunal everyday particularly McCann to get the answer to that – the other significant thing was that there were radio messages recorded by Jimmy Porter - army radio messages were recorded by Porter and the sequence of those is very interesting.”
“Why do you think they fired? Why do you think they shot to kill?”
“I think that they had been told beforehand that they had to pickup 400 of these Bogside young hooligans but they’d also been told that the IRA would be on the ground and the IRA would be firing and I think these guys were so hyped up at Magilligan and then in Derry that when they came in they were absolutely certain that they were going to be confronted by the IRA. Paras shot to kill. It didn’t matter to them whether it was civilians or not. To them, people in Derry were all IRA. In other words, the whole operation was a total fuck up. With Ford so anxious to do a clean up.
“The general commanding Northern Ireland at that time was Sir Harry Tousal - Tousal was a fairly clever man, but Faulkner was a man under pressure - under fire - a man who was telling his Unionist cabinet colleagues that a few more weeks and this thing would all settle down. A man who asked for permission to use internment and the permission was given reluctantly by the British.
“General Sir Harry Tousal had grave misgivings about internment but had pressure from the Protestant community, the Protestant leadership, the Unionist leadership about the existence of Free Derry. The Unionists had a sympathetic ear at Westminster about a part of the UK where the writ of law did not run. It was seen as a flagrant cocking of the snout at the rule of law – the writ of her majesties army.
“Then you have General Ford who was telling his friends – ‘if I was allowed the freedom, I could soon arrest these bloody young hooligans – I could arrest them – I also could get rid of the IRA by killing a few of them.’ Also, one of the very interesting things was to have an inner cabinet within the British government dealing with Northern Ireland, but parallel to that you had a joint security committee at Stormont, which was either chaired by Brian Faulkner or Brian Taylor. If Faulkner wasn’t there Taylor chaired it.
“The parliamentary secretary in the Prime Minister’s department at Stormont was Unionist MP, Albert Anderson who was a renound bigot and total reactionary. Some of the notes about him even circulating amongst the British were that he was a reactionary.
“Ford met Anderson and a group of persons known as the strand road traitors not long – a few days before the march – and they were giving him his ammunition. From this he wrote a memo which details his desire to run a clean-up operation in Derry, including the request to use deadly force.
“So you had this man who was saying, ‘If Tousal would let me take the gloves off I would soon clean up this situation.’ You had Tousal, who had very definite misgivings about Faulkner’s internment policy and about the alienation of the Catholic community. So, Ford got the use of the Paratroopers. Wilford in my view was taking orders from Ford not McClennan. McClennan was considered to be too much under Lagan’s influence – meaning, he was listening to Lagan too much and of course Lagan was a Catholic.
“I have no doubt that Bloody Sunday was a watershed in Irish politics. We have since been subjected to thirty years of IRA violence. Thirty years in which the IRA carried out very dastardly deeds including the murders of many innocent people.
“It is my view that any support that the Derry IRA had was a direct result of the actions of the paratroopers on Bloody Sunday. Immediately after Bloody Sunday, large population shifts occurred in Northern Ireland. For example, in Derry, thirty-three percent of the population living on the city side used to be Protestant. That is now eight percent. Those population shifts occurred all over Northern Ireland. These attitudes are something that we never had in Derry and without doubt, I blame the IRA for the growth of sectarianism in our city.
“I believe the reason why is because some local units of the IRA had lost the vision of Wolfe Tome. It must be emphasized it was a minority of the IRA - not the general policy of the IRA – deliberately targeted Protestants - and by so doing, they were demonstrating there are sections of the IRA who are right wing Nationalists – they aren’t really Republicans. The vision of Republicanism was lost by large numbers of the IRA as a result of sectarian thinking. It wasn’t militaristic thinking. It was sectarian – a marginal and minority group - but it happened and they reeked devastation and succeeded in creating an atmosphere of fear and hate and furthered violent sectarianism across Northern Ireland.
“Bloody Sunday was a watershed in terms of the relationships between Britain and Ireland, Unionist and Nationalist, and Protestant and Catholic, but above all it breathed life into the lungs of the IRA. From an organization, which had very few recruits in Derry, with very little weaponry, they became the most successful terrorist group in the world and Northern Ireland was subjected to thirty years of violence. Many innocent people died. Members of the security forces died. Widespread alienation and sectarian conflict ensued. This has been a terrible tragedy for our community. The main responsibility for all of that must lie with the British government.”

Ivan and I walk. We. Us. Friends. Traveling companions. Given the impact to Ivan’s life, I should know more about Bloody Sunday. It’s time. We stand near Bishop’s Field in Creggan and begin our routine.
I pull the digital recorder from my bag, attach the pen microphone, shove it in Ivan’s breast pocket, and say, “I’m listening. Tell me again why you had to march that Sunday. Wasn’t it cold? It’s cold in Derry in July. It’s cold today.”
I stamp my feet, rub my hands, and tighten my scarf. “How do you go around in a suit jacket like that all the time? I know you have a coat. It’s in the back of your car. It’s just never on you.” I reach over and rub Ivan’s arms. He takes my hand and we walk.
Ivan and my bright sunny day is a stark contrast to the rainy day thirteen coffins lined the church to our left. Saint Mary’s, filled with mourners was a stark contrast to the jovial crowd that filed past her on the 30th of January 1972. “It was a carnival atmosphere. It was a jovial crowd. It was a day’s outing.” I remember Ivan saying.
Ivan and I walk down the New Road, technically it’s Eastway but no one in Derry calls it that and if you ask someone to show you where Eastway is, they will look at you like you have two heads. Ask for the New Road, and all is well.
“I’ve always liked holding hands. I’ve always held hands with friends. I don’t mean anything by it. It’s just nice holding hands with you.”
“I like holding hands with you too Ivan.”
“When John and I were elected to Stormont, our intention was to take the civil rights struggle off the streets and into Parliament. But on 9 August 1971, the largest and deadliest internment raids swept through Derry and Belfast. Internment meant being awakened before dawn to the din of garbage can lids being banged on the streets. Internment meant that none of the men in a Catholic household were safe. They could be removed at any time, without warning or justification, and held indefinitely. By the New Year, internment raids had swept more than 900 Derry men from their homes and families.
“Reports of illegal interrogation techniques began to surface including stories of beatings. The men were kept on a diet of bread and water. They could be made to stand for hours, days, denied sleep, and kept blindfolded. They were beaten when they fell. They were questioned by Special Branch officers, then beaten and made to stand again. The British soldiers, those who had been taken prisoner in the Korean War, had developed these interrogation techniques.”
“I wonder if the British Soldiers captured in Korea would say they were subject to inhuman and degrading treatment, or, if they would say they were tortured?”
“Must you always provide color commentary? Ending internment through diplomatic and political channels was unsuccessful. We decided, therefore, that it was necessary to bring international attention to the issue of internment. The civil rights demonstration was our outlet.”
At the bottom of the New Road, we turn left, past Beechwood Avenue to Marlborough Terrace. St. Eugene’s spires float in the blue sky ahead of us. Just before the Cathedral we turn right. Here is where Ivan observed a priest in the window blessing the crowd as they passed. Walking down the hill, we see the Guildhall ahead. The march would turn to the right at the William Street roundabout and continue to Free Derry Corner. This is where the lorry parked. Where the speeches would be given. But before his introductory words were out, Ivan heard the gunfire. “It’s Lead Coops.”
“Up to my right, positioned on the Derry walls, I could see soldiers. I knew that some of them were snipers and from their elevated position were capable of firing down on our platform. In the distance I could see soldiers charging into the Bogside accompanied by Saracen trucks. Then, for the first time in my life, I saw lead skipping on the road.
“Hysteria and fear had taken over. Bullets were flying all around us. The snipers on the walls were firing down and the Paratroopers were firing straight at us. People were scurrying in all directions. I noticed ahead of me a man. A young man who had been at every civil rights demonstration. I spoke to him before this march moved off.
“Jim Wray and his father were almost fanatical converts to the whole philosophy of non-violence. We had taught Jim: sit down in front of the army Saracens. Non-violence is the way to highlight our cause. Refuse to be drawn into violence. Let the violence be used against us. That was the philosophy of Gandhi in India with the British; that was the philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. in America.
“I caught sight of Jim sitting on the ground near the Rossville Street barricade. A one-man sit-in. He had something on his head. A woolen hat. I remember him sitting there, this student of non-violence, this believer in non-violence. He was carrying out the plan. Sit down. Let them bring the violence upon you and the world will see it. Later, as Jim fled approaching soldiers, he was wounded, then, lying wounded, killed at close range - shot through his back.
“I had also spoken with William McKinney. Willie worked as a compositor for Derry Journal and had a hobby with photography. When I spoke with him he had two cameras around his neck – he told me about the pictures he hoped to take. Willie was 26 years old. The eldest of 10 children. He also lost his life that day. He was shot while running for cover with his hands over his head.
“When I was a young man I bought my clothes from Austin’s, the largest shop in the Diamond. It has been established for 150 years. I used to buy clothes in the men’s department of that shop from a man called Johnny Johnson. Johnny was a man who always attired himself in smart suits. He was 62. He wore a hat. He was the second man shot that day. Johnnie and Damien (Bubbles) Donaghy were shot about fifteen minutes before the heavy firing began.
“It has been speculated that they were shot in an effort to draw fire from the IRA. As there were no IRA guns in the Bogside that day, no gunfire was returned. A few days after I had met the IRA and I believe that others had met them as well and sought similar assurances to what I had sought I was advised that no IRA personnel would carry guns in the vicinity of the march. I was told that no IRA personnel would fire any shots at the British Army. I was given a firm assurance. I was told the personnel would be withdrawn to the Creggan estate and that all guns would be removed from the Bogside area. In retrospect, I accept that undertaking given by the IRA was honored.
“But there is one particular memory, which is burned into my mind and it probably will be forever and that is of a man named Barney McGuigan. I was his boss in the shirt industry. I knew him very well and I also knew his brother Chuck who was a country and western singer. I was very heavily pinned down with the gunfire and I was crawling toward the high flats. Barney was calling to me and he was trying to alert me to the fact that someone was seriously wounded right beside him.
“I remember him waving a white cloth or a white hankie and as I called him - as I was shouting to him - as he was shouting back to me - I saw him shot down dead.
“I have never been able to face Barney’s family. His widow. His six children. Barney was going to help Paddy Doherty, a father of six as well. A stranger to Barney, Paddy was crying out, witnesses have said, crying that he did not want to die alone. It was a senseless loss of life.
“In the midst of this terrible hysteria, I was carrying a great feeling of personal guilt. I helped to bring those people onto the street. The march started off in a carnival atmosphere. People sang songs. I walked down in front of the lorry for a short period with John Bearman of the BBC. It was a jovial, happy, strong march of men, women, and children. Now people were dead. I didn’t know exactly how many. Ten? Twelve? In the end there were thirteen names. We were faced with telling the families. I don’t think I can ever forget the way some of those people cried.
“In John Hume’s house that night I received tidbits of information about the large number of people who had been arrested in an arrest operation that ran parallel to the murder of innocent civilians. I learned that many people, including priests, had been badly abused. The bad news, this horrible day, seemed to go on and on.
“Then, the most devastating thing of all happened. As people watched the television news reports, the moment came that sealed Northern Ireland’s fate for the next 30 years. The British government told the world that those shot dead were nail bombers and gunmen. I later learned that the main instrument for the promulgation of that propaganda was the British consulate in NY. The poured out the lie to the international community.
“In the following forty-eight hours, the entirety of Derry stepped out to wake our dead. Thousands of people moved from house to house offering solace to as many families as they could reach. On Tuesday, caskets containing the bodies of the men and boys murdered by the British Paratroopers were delivered to St. Mary’s chapel streaming down from Creggan and up from the Bogside all through the evening.
“Conducted by the Cardinal, the funerals were attended by the great and the good. I decided I had to walk to the funerals because I wanted to walk part of the route. The route, which had been followed on Sunday, by those people who were asking the British Government for the same rights as the people of Cardiff, London, Glasgow, and Birmingham. And as I walked to the church, the cardinal’s car passed by. He was comfortable and safe in the backseat.
“When I got to the church, the official cars of the Irish government ministers were arriving. Cabinet members and politicians. I couldn’t help thinking all of these great people weren’t with us on the streets on Sunday when the blood of innocent people was spilled by a regiment of the British Army sent in to do a job. Sent in to end the embarrassment of the Unionists and the British Government.
“Not many of them, the great and the good, I felt fully appreciated what had happened in our city that day. Because those of us who believed in non-violence, those who followed it passionately, realized only too well that the IRA were the greatest victors. People were now saying to me, fuck your non-violence Cooper. Fuck your Martin Luther King, Jr. There is only one way to deal with this now.”
“So was it Johnny Johnston who turned you on to these wild ties?”
“Ties? You ask strange questions. You sure you’re a reporter?”
“For the hundredth time, I am not a reporter. Is that why you let me hang around? Because you think I am a reporter?”
“I am telling you about a watershed event in Northern Ireland. The event that triggered thirty years of violence. You ask me about my ties.”
“Yes, but Johnny is dead. I can’t ask him, ‘Did you convince Ivan to wear purple shirts and flashy ties or was Ivan always a little off?’ You knew Johnny and Jim and Willie and Barney. What were they like?”
“Well my dear, that is for another time.”

Without fail, Ivan recites hymns when we travel through Glenshane Pass. I don’t blame him. It’s a beautiful, unspoiled area. Grass-covered slopes rise up the wild and rugged Sperrin mountain summits with only sheep to impede the view. There are no other roads or dwellings in the area, save for a few old barns. On one side, the grasses, heathers, and rushes vary the landscape’s color and texture. The other rolling hills divided by stone walls and hedgerows harken back to days of tiny farms, with altitude-loving fields of potatoes, alfalfa, and barley.
“’There were ninety-nine safely lain in the shelter of the fold. One was ide in the hills far off, far away from the streets of gold. There were ninety-nine safely lain in the shelter of the fold, but one was ide in the hills far off, far away from the streets of gold’ That’s the lost sheep. One lost sheep. And ninety-nine were in the fold.
“Did you ever read The Hymns of Mrs. C.F. Alexander from Derry? She wrote Once in Royal David City. Have you heard that? What about Son of Christmas, or All Things Bright and Beautiful? all creatures great and small. Mrs. Alexander wrote that. She wrote another hymn: ‘There was a green hill far away beside the city wall; Where the dear Lord was crucified, who died to save us all.’ That hill is a hill that she used to look out on from her window just outside Derry. I think that is a very beautiful hymn. There was a green hill far away beside the city wall. Did you ever hear the hymn What a Friend We have in Jesus? ‘All our sins and grief to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.’ I was at a funeral a few weeks ago and that was one of the hymns that was there. And It’s remarkable after all these years I can still quote all these hymns.”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to be buried by your parents?”
“Yes.”
“And where are they buried?”
“Glendermott.”
“Anything else?”
“No.”
“OK. You told me that and then I couldn’t remember and then I was concerned because I was the only one that knew. You would never forgive me if I screwed that up. You might drop dead on one of our adventures and then what would I do?”
“You’d call Hazel, the guardian.”
“Does she know?”
“No. No, her partner’s mother died recently and they buried her out at that graveyard where my brother and sister are buried. And the grave partially caved in before they got the coffin in. They dropped the coffin, and then the coffin was… because it was partially filled-in, they put it in at an angle and the top of it was less than two feet from the surface. So she was extremely distressed over that.”
“So her head was up? And her feet were down. Wouldn’t it be worse if her head was down and her feet were up?”
“You’re dead!”
“I know, but for all eternity…you’re standing on your head!”
“Yeah, well, that’s the other thing. They put it in initially upside down.”
“Oh, that’s awful! The body bounced around in there?”
“But what would it matter for all eternity?”
“It wouldn’t matter. But it’s just knowing. It’s not for the dead person, it’s for the person left behind them. You know, it occurred to me the other day that I’ve never been to my grandparent’s grave. My mother’s parents, since we buried them I’ve never been there.”
“Why haven’t you been?
“Well, I haven’t been to Pennsylvania. Not that if I went to Pennsylvania I would go, but…”
“Would you pray at the grave?”
“Why would I do that?”
“I’m asking you a question.”
“No, I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
“Cause Catholics pray at the grave.”
“To God and the saints?”
“To God and the saints. They believe that even after death you can influence the future destination of the soul by praying to the saints. They believe you can influence that. I don’t pray at graves.”
“Well, my dad is buried… he was cremated. We put his ashes under a tree.”
“Under the ground?”
“Mm-hm. They dug a hole for the tree, they put the tree in, and they left all the dirt around. And then we took his ashes and put the ashes all around the tree and then put the dirt in over it. We kinda mixed them together.”
“Is that what he wanted?”
“Ah-huh. You know, that’s a good question. Wanted. I mean…”
“Well, some people decree that sort of thing. Or request it or put it in their will.”
“Once he knew he was going to die he had to decide what to do with his body. He donated whatever organs they could use for their research into his cancer. And then wanted to be cremated but then, you know, then what do you do with the ashes? So I guess the tree seemed as good a place as any. Answer your phone.”
“Hello? Yes Pat, how you doin? Hummm....If Eurotrack were to place an order, it would be an order all together stretching over three years. I must tell you Pat that at this point and time the discussions with rail track are not providing a great basis for hope. Now this particular sleeper is what’s known as the G-45 and the metal elements and the steel elements in it are manufactured by a German company.
“The German company have been involved in discussions over the last week but it looks as if they may well place the order with Redi-mix concrete rather than Keith Carson. My confidence doesn’t hide my…I have made an appointment with Keith Carson next week to see a lawyer in connection with...if he doesn’t get an order, to discuss the possibility of him looking for compensation for a quarter million pounds that he has spent in developing and researching the G-45 sleeper. Pat, can I just tell you that this particular case there are like four or five creditors who are badly affected including the people you just mentioned. I feel very badly for them. There is a wee man called Des Lockrey. I don’t know if you remember a case with you and Gerry McMannis where at the meeting with creditors you had a bit of fun at his expense. Don’t know if you remember that case. Well McMannis behaved deplorably.
“I am writing a book at the minute and that is one of the things I am putting into the book. This wee fella Lockrey completed his IDA to the last letter of the law but he is caught for about $38,000 in this case. And I feel very sorry for him. There is a fella called Vivian Fraser who is badly affected as well. They’re badly hurt you know, I feel very sorry for them I really do. I feel very very sorry for them. He’s caught about half a dozen small people. He’s going to see a lawyer on Wednesday to see if he has any basis for…what we were going to do is see if we could lever an order by threatening legal action but rather than paying compensation they might place an order. Alright Pat, thanks very much. All the best to you. Thank you now. Bye.
“That’s nastiness in my part. Vindictiveness. He appeared at a meeting of creditors and he gave a little client of mine an awfully hard time. He was digging sand out of a mountain and he was working seven days a week and these two guys in their fancy suits put him through a bashing machine and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. It was five years ago. But I’ll worry about that all night now.”

“I wanted to play football and the place where you could get in a good game was the Bogside. This was where I met Dermie. I spent a lot of time in the McCleneghan household. They lived in such poverty. There were poor Protestant families in my neighborhood, but I had never seen such devastating poverty in my life. These people had nothing and yet they were a kind and generous family. They would share with you whatever they had. Just as I’d never known such poverty; I have since never known such kindheartedness and warmth as I received in the McCleneghan house.
“I used to walk along the Lecky Road past all this bad housing - abominable housing. Owned by Raymond Saville DeConnely Mt. Morency Lecky Brown Lecky, an English gentleman, these little slum houses in the Bogside had two bedrooms, outside toilets, and no proper plumbing. The residents suffered from tuberculosis, which ran rampant due to overcrowding.
“Dermie’s father had tuberculosis and his doctor had said his tuberculosis could be improved on if he was taken out of the horrible housing circumstances he was living in. I went with Dermie’s eldest sister to see the mayor about getting their father out of the terrible housing conditions. His doctor had written a letter saying his tuberculosis could be arrested if he got out of that housing situation. Today Dermie’s sister is a PhD, a lecturer at the University of Redding, but then I saw that girl getting battered about in her efforts to get her father and mother a house.
“So we started in a gentle sort of way. You’ve got to remember at that time on the outskirts of the city there was an abandoned camp. The American army had abandoned a camp after WWII and left all their huts behind. As soon as the Americans moved out, Derry families moved in. The living conditions were somewhat improved but infant mortality rate was about 44% and families that lived there were very stigmatized. If you said you lived at Springtown people would look at you as if you had two heads. I remember when I went to work in the shirt industry there was a girl named Rosie Sweeny. I remember people saying she lived at the camp, so I got involved with squatting people.
“Then I was involved in discussions with Dermie for hours and hours in his front room and we were talking about conditions people were living in so we were going around looking at peoples houses. I wanted to do something about that because I couldn’t bear the thought of human beings living in huts and terrible housing conditions. Landlords operating in Derry who were rack-men: private landlords who were charging rent and doing no repairs.”
“Slum-lords.”
“Yes. Slum-lords.”