She had seven
children, five boys and two girls, all born between 1914 and 1927. My father,
John was born December 14, 1917.
They grew up
during the Depression so work and thrift were a way of life if you had any
intention of eating. I knew all of my aunts and uncles and heard the stories of
growing up when times were lean.
My grandfather,
Thomas Francis McGrath worked for Ingersoll-Rand as a moulder in the foundry. (Eventually
all of the boys and both of the girls worked for Ingersoll in some capacity.) After
work and on the weekends, he and the four oldest boys would do whatever they
could to earn extra money to keep the household running. They cut grass for
homes up on College Hill, they delivered advertising circulars door to door and
moved families with my grandfather’s Model A Ford truck.
Although they
worked hard for everything, their lives were not unhappy. They lived up above
the Lehigh River overlooking the “The Flats” or Odenweldertown in West Easton. The
kids played down in the woods, walked along the railroad tracks and picked
berries for my grandmother to bake pies, walked downtown to the railroad
station to see the circus come into town, sledded down the big hill on North 13th
Street and swam in the Lehigh River, coal dust and all.
Nanny made a
cake called a Poor Man’s Cake which was made without milk or eggs, both
precious items during the Depression and during the Wars, I and II. Sometimes
the cake is called a War Cake. The cake is different also in that it is made
with leftover coffee. My father liked anything that had a raisin or a nut in
it, so our Poor Man’s Cake was made with raisins and walnuts. My mother learned
to make this cake too and added her own touch to it by icing it with Cream
Cheese Frosting. It is a great combination.
Here you are,
just in time for the holidays:
Poor Man’s Cake
1 cup strong
coffee
2 cups raisins
1¼ cups sugar
1 large
tablespoon lard, butter or Crisco - I favor Crisco. As for the measure given,
the original recipe said “the size of an egg,” which amounted to a large
mounded tablespoon of Crisco that resembled an egg.
2 teaspoons each
cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon
baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped
walnuts
Combine the
first 5 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes on a
low boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. In a large bowl, mix
dry ingredients and nuts, stir in cooled, boiled mixture just until combined. Pour
into a well-greased 13” x 9” x 2” baking pan. Bake at 350o degrees
for 45 to 60 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. When cake is cool,
frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
½ cup butter,
softened
2 cups sifted
confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
Cream together
the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl on low speed until creamy. Mix in
the vanilla and then gradually add in the confectioners' sugar until frosting
is fluffy and a spreading consistency. Store in the refrigerator after use.
