Month: November 2012

Smearcase (Cottage Cheese) and Apple Butter

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Saturday, November 2, 1912:  They made apple butter this morning. I had to get the dinner and then had to be teased about it in the bargain. Went to Watsontown this afternoon and stayed longer than I meant to.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Apple butter sounds delicious—even if Grandma’s dinner wasn’t.

How did the Muffly’s eat the apple butter?. .  .on bread? . . . or with smearcase?

In Pennsylvania, cottage cheese is often called by its Pennsylvania Dutch name—smearcase.  And, the best way to eat smearcase is with a little apple butter stirred into it. It might sound (and look) odd—but it’s really, really good.  The rich, slightly sweet taste of the apple butter nicely complements the cottage cheese.

Organized Literary Society

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Sunday, October 20, 1912:  

November brings us many things

And among them is Thanksgiving

The first of the snow

The winds that blow

And all that makes life worthwhile.

We organized a Literary Society at school this afternoon. I am one of the committee. Just what I wanted to be.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Assuming that Grandma wrote the poem—and didn’t copy it from somewhere—it’s amazing how enthusiastic she was about November. It seemed like she was feeling down in several October diary entries. I hope that November proves to be a better month.

Was the Literary Society like a modern book club? Was it a school club . .  . or did a group of friends organize it? Did both males and females belong. . . or was it a girl’s only club?

I’m glad Grandma got the position she hoped to get. Committee member sounds like a worker bee position. Did the committee members help select books to read? . . bring desserts? . . . clean up after the meetings?