Tuesday, July 7th

Breakfast:

grapefruit

prepared cereal with top milk

toast with butter, jelly 704 (crab apple)

coffee (milk for children)

Luncheon:

New Peas 1060 in Cheese Sauce 920

celery and carrot sticks 1122

whole wheat bread with butter

blackberries

iced tea (milk for children)

Dinner:

Spanish Pork Chops 551

Buttered Beets 1005

lettuce wedges with Russian Dressing 846

whole wheat bread with butter

Cocoa Puff 349 (substituted Red Devil’s Food Cake 109 with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting 137)

coffee (milk for children)

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I never eat cold cereal for breakfast, so Meta’s menu’s are a nice excuse to venture down the neglected cereal aisle.  Looking for cereals available in 1942 makes shopping a nerdy treasure hunt.  I went with Grape Nuts (1897) and took pity on my toddler and bought him Kix (1937).  Other possibilities include: shredded wheat (1890), granola (1900ish), Kellogg’s Corn Flakes (1907), Uncle Sam Cereal (1908), Kellogg’s All Bran (1916), Wheaties (1922), Raisin Bran (1926), Rice Krispies (1929) and Cheerios (1941; originally known as CheeriOats).

Lunch was a fruit and veggie bonanza.  Four servings in one meal, plus the grapefruit at breakfast and I’ve already hit my minimum quota for the day.  Also, it was fun to dip the bread, celery and carrots in the cheese sauce.

Three more servings of veg at dinner too!  The Spanish Pork Chops were tasty in a comfort-food way.  As I was eating them, I noted something was a bit spicy.  Recalling the very short ingredient list, I identified the spicy element as pepper.  Evidently I’ve been eating way to much retro food.

Also, I ran out of chili sauce for the Russian dressing so the dressing is actually a delicious (but decidedly un-Meta) mango-peanut dressing.

For dessert, I made a Red Devil’s Food Cake, which low and behold: is actually red(ish)!:

You can also see the beginnings of my decorating problems.  It was so moist that it crumbled whenever I touched it.  Here’s the end results with lots of sprinkle camouflage:

Whoops.  Not the best looking cake, but super tasty!  I actually made the cake for a writing club that I went to Tuesday afternoon (super fun!) so I wasn’t up for the scheduled Cocoa Puff.

Thumbs up for the today’s menu.  Nothing super memorable, but a solid menu.

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551 Spanish Pork Chops

5 thick pork chops (1 1/2 lbs.)

1 TBSP. fat

1 onion, sliced

2 cups tomatoes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 TBSP. flour

3 to 4 cups boiled rice (174)

Brown chops on both sides int eh fat in a hot skillet; remove chops from pan.  Brown onions in same pan; add chops, tomatoes, and seasonings.  Cover, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes.  Remove meat and thicken the tomato mixture with the flour mixed to a smooth paste with 1/4 cup cold water; boil 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Place rice in center of platter, arrange chops around rice, and pour tomato sauce over all. 5 servings.

109 Red Devil’s Food Cake

2 cups cake flour

1 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 squares baking chocolate

1/2 cup butter or other shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup thick buttermilk

1/2 cup water

Sift flour, measure and resift 3 times with soda and salt.  Melt chocolate over hot water (1124); cool.  Cream butter until soft and smooth, then add sugar and blend thoroughly.  Add beaten eggs and beat until smooth and fluffy.  Stir in vanilla.  Mix in cooled chocolate.  Combine buttermilk and water.  Add flour and liquid alternately in several portions, beginning and ending with flour and beating until smooth after each addition.  Turn into two 8-inch cake pans, lined with waxed paper in the bottom and buttered on the sides, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 27 to 30 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly pressed with finger tips.  Turn out onto cake racks and cool.  Spread when cool with any desired frosting.  10 servings.

137 Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese

1 square (1 oz.) bitter chocolate, melted (1124)

2 cups sifted confectioners sugar, firmly packed

pinch salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 to 4 TBSP top milk or cream

Work cream cheese with a spoon until very soft.   Blend in the cooled melted chocolate and gradually add the sugar, beating until smooth after each addition.  Add salt and vanilla, and stir in enough top milk or cream to give a smooth spreading consistency.  Spread on cooled cake.  Makes enough for two 8-inch layers.