This was a popular cake during the Great Depression. At the time that this cake was invented it was hard to buy ingredients to make many desserts, so they made cakes and cookies out of any ingredients avaliable. This is a wonderful dessert and I am sure you will make it again and again.

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{GREAT DEPRESSION CAKE}

~2 c. sugar~
~1 c. black coffee~
~2 c. raisins~
~1 apple, peeled & grated~
~1 stick butter~
~2 c. flour~
~1 tsp. baking soda~
~2 tsp. baking powder~
~1 c. chopped walnuts (or pecan)~
~1 tsp. each cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice & nutmeg~

Bring raisins to boil and rinse. In large saucepan simmer first five ingredients 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Blend together other ingredients and stir into wet ingredients. Pour into well greased and floured 13"x9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in middle. Better second day. Very moist cake and needs no icing.

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  I hope you will use this recipe. Serve it with a hot cup of tea. In the words of Albert Einstein, "I never think of the future - it comes soon enough."

Sincerely,

~Mary-Ann~

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  Well, yesterday was a barn day. First I went and bought animal feed with Mother and unloaded it on the other end. We found that the barn was to dirty to put the bags of feed in so they were put in the goat kid stall that is inside the barn. Mother took Sarah to the Doctor and I was left home to clean up the barn.....in the rain. It was a good thing it was a warm rain (except for the thunder part) or I would have complained to myself the whole time. I finally got the barn cleaned and then I said to myself, "Why not clean the horse stall since I am already dirty and today is one of the days to clean it." So I started in on cleaning the horse stall. I racked all the manure into a pile in the center of the stall and went to get the wheelbarrow. Upon returning I tripped on the gate (I was backing up into the stall) and fell on my rear right in the center of the manure.

   I then laughed at myself (I couldn't do anything else) and figured now that I am REALLY dirty I may as well do some more cleaning, so I cleaned just about every thing except for the goat pens as I am afraid that I will have a replay of day before yesterday's accident. I fell out of the goat manger and onto the feed bin and now have a nice bruse on my knee. We have no gate on the pen right now so the only way to get in is over the manger.

Well, I have to go feed animals and get ready to put up fencing for the horse paddock. In the words of Oscar Wilde, "Arguments are to be avoided; they are always vulgar and often convincing."

Sincerely,

~Mary-Ann~ 

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 I have added two new cameras to my collection. Once again I will share an ad and the brief history information on these to cameras. I will also share a photo of mine and how much I paid for them.

This is both of the together.

  Kodak Brownie Starflash (Black model)

  This is my "Brownie Starflash" camera. Five models of this camera were made. The american model, "Black", the french models, "Blue, Red, and White" and then there was the Coca~Cola promotional model. This camera was introduced in March of 1957 and was discontinued in June of 1965. The original price of this camera was $8.50. Today the black model is worth $7-$15. The blue, red and white models are worth $13-$20. The Coca~Cola model is worth $100-$120. I spent $5.00 on it at our local Antique shop.

This is an ad from a Kodak promotional in 1957. 

Kodak Brownie Bull's-Eye (Black model)

  This is my "Brownie Bull's-Eye" camera. Two models of this camera were made. The black model and the gold model. This camera was introduced in August of 1954 and was discontinued in October 1960. The black model was originally $13 and the gold was $15. Today the black model is worth $12-$18 and the gold is worth $18-$30. I paid $7.50 at our local Antique shop. (No ad for this was found.)

  I hope you enjoyed looking at these. In the words of Aristotle, "Happieness depends upon ourselves."

Sincerely,

~Mary-Ann~

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  We have had some good news and bad news since I got home. I will start with the good news, because no one really cares for bad news.

  Since I got back I have turned eighteen, that happened on the first of this month. The day before I turned eighteen we found out that my Brother and his wife will be having a baby in October. CaraDD's goat had her babies. That is all I can think of for now.

  Now for the bad news. I came home to find my goat Sparky with red sores around her mouth and no one knows what they are from. My Aunt Karen had a stroke and is in the hospital. Sarah has a cold. Kristina  has a worse cold. And our chicken coop is still not complete. That is all the bad news which I think out numbers the good.

  Well I will post more a little later. In the words of Bejamin Franklin, "A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over."

Sincerely,

~Mary-Ann~

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   This is an old recipe from the 1800's. This was a when people made very interesting drinks and food to please there taste on a warm summer day. Now we find a soda pop or a cool glass of water or milk a rather pleasing drink. True, they did have soda pop then, but it was not as common and was much more expensive. They made it a treat, a thing you only had once in a great while. So when they had get-togethers it was not like what we have now where we just fill a ice chest full of cans of soda pop or had enough milk to fill many glasses. Milk either came from a small bottle that was delivered once a day or it came from the family cow which would not be enough for their rather large parties. They had mostly water to drink but they needed something that others would enjoy drinking, for it was much to warm to drink hot tea during the summer days.

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{Sherbet}

 ~Six Lemons~

~Eight sweet Oranges~

~Sugar (if needed)~

   Slice both the lemons and the oranges and remove the seeds, put the sliced fruit in one gallon of water and sweeten to taste. Feeze or use ice.

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   I hope you enjoy this summer treat. In the words of Pablo Picasso, "I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it."

Sincerely,

~Mary-Ann~

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