Thanks Shane Edwards for sending this to me… Nothing better than writing or talking about cake!!!
Freiman’s department store in downtown Ottawa was famous for its whacky promotions. One of them was this giant 4,000 pound cake baked by the Standard Bread Company on Gladstone.Standard Bread opened in 1924, and it seems from the lady’s dress that this picture was taken not-long after that.(LAC Mikan 3615467)
Lost OttawaCame across this ad for an earlier cake from Freiman’s — said to be the largest in the world at two tons!
Archibald J. Freiman was known for his promotions. Here is one from what appears to be the Twenties, featuring a lady and a giant birthday cake made by the Standard Bread Company. This was the kind of promo that made Freiman’s the most successfully Ottawa-owned department store of its era.The Standard Bread Company — whose slogan was “The Mother Loaf” — opened in 1924 on Gladstone just west of Preston. The building is still there, now used by numerous artists. At the bottom of the sign is a reference to Mosgrove Street, which used to run from Rideau to George. It no longer exists, having been incorporated into the Freiman Mall/Hudson’s Bay complex across the street from the Rideau Centre. (LAC 1972-229 NPC)
Linda Seccaspina shares a cake recipe from Freiman’s department store on the occasion of their 58th birthday. Freiman’s opened their first business in 1900. Says Linda: Linda SeccaspinaLost Ottawa December 11, 2016 ·
ONE-TON CAKE FOR FREIMAN’S LTD. BIRTHDAY. 1958 The five-layer, one-ton cake above will be cut into 8,000 quarter-pound slices for the first customers into the A. J. Freiman Ltd. store tonight as “open house” is held in observance of the firm’s 58th birthday. The massive cake contains, in part, 480 pounds of raisins, 300 pounds of mixed fruit, hundreds of dozens of eggs, 120 pounds of sugar and stands nine feet high. Its bottom layer is five feet square.
Lost Ottawa June 1, 2020 · Susan Love poses an unusual Morning Puzzler, seeking the recipe for a cake recipe made by National Bakers here in Ottawa (and this is the only picture I could find quickly, showing two of the ladies who worked there in 1956, when it seems the window was broken.) Writes Susan: “My four sisters and I are trying to recreate my father’s favourite cake, which came from the shop on Bank Street. It was a simple white cake, with a marshmallow centre and a light coloured butterscotch icing that hardened when set. Delish! If anyone can shed light on this mystery, we would all be eternally grateful!” Any former National Bakers out there?
Lorie Elizabeth DunlopI’m not sure about the cake… but for the icing, look for a penuche recipe. It’s delicious!
Susan BeamishI call it the ugly cake and I make every year for my husband’s birthday I got the recipe for the caramel icing from The Joy Of Cooking and you can purchase the marshmallow cream in most grocery stores
A chef puts the finishing touches on the Christmas Tree at the Green Valley Restaurant in December of 1955. That’s a piping bag in his hand … for the icing on a really big cake! (City of Ottawa Archives CA036036)
A young lady hands out some cupcakes during this Ottawa celebration in 1968. That summer marked the first “birthday” of the permanent Sparks Street Mall. They even had a three-tier cake to mark the occasion! Starting in 1960, the street was closed to traffic in the summers in an attempt to improve commerce. It would only be permanently closed year-round as of 1967. (Shared by Trevor Button)Lost Ottawa July 1, 2017 ·
Queen Elizabeth cuts the big cake on Parliament Hill at the end of the big Canada Day Celebrations in Ottawa, July 1, 1967. There’s seems to be some debate about just how much of the cake was fake, but the story goes that it was so big they had trouble getting it through the gates onto the Hill. This picture was used on a Centennial Greeting Card by Judy La Marsh who as Secretary of State was in charge of Canada’s Centennial celebrations. (City of Ottawa Archives CA024297-W.jpg)Lost Ottawa June 27, 2014 · Lunchtime in Lost Ottawa … Government House Chef Zonda puts the finishing touches on an elaborate cake he has created to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, in 1953. (LAC Mikan 4297886)
About a year ago, I shared a couple of Adelaide Hunter Hoodless’ apple recipes with you. Click on this link if you’d like to re-read that post.
This year, I want to share with you (read: brag about) my recent triumph in the pie-making department. One of the members of the Women Inspiring Women WI is a prize-winning pastry maker. Elaine Tully will hold a couple of workshops later this fall for our WI, but first she wanted to have a technical rehearsal at the church kitchen. There I made my first ever peach pie. OH. EM. GEE. as they say. It was wonderful good!
Yesterday, I made an apple pie using Addie’s Apples. Literally. These apples were picked from the trees at the Homestead.
My hubby tried an apple fresh and found them rather tart. When I told him that I had made a pie he asked, “Did you put in lots of sugar?” Of course, I did, we’re talking brown sugar here!
The secret to success? Cold ingredients and limit handling: keys to fantastic pie crust. I used the pie crust recipe on the Crisco box and Edna Staebler’s Double Crust Apple Pie filling, copied here:
3 cups of peeled, cored, and sliced apples (I used 4 cups. Next time I will use more – the crust to fruit ratio can use some tweaking)
Toss the apples in with the following:
2/3 to 1 cup sugar, depending on tartness of apples
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I omitted this – too lazy to grate the nutmeg)
1/8 teaspoon salt
Place in pie shell and dot with
2 or 3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of milk or cream
Cover with the top crust, flute edges, and slash the top to create vents for steam to escape.
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until the crusts are a pale golden colour.
About WI Women’s Institute is a local, provincial, national and international organization that promotes women, families and communities. Our goal is to empower women to make a difference.
About FWIC
The idea to form a national group was first considered in 1912. In 1914, however, when the war began the idea was abandoned. At the war’s end, Miss Mary MacIsaac, Superintendent of Alberta Women’s Institute, revived the idea. She realized the importance of organizing the rural women of Canada so they might speak as one voice for needed reforms, and the value of co-ordinating provincial groups for a more consistent organization. In February 1919, representatives of the provinces met in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to form the Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada.
The identity of the Women’s Institute still lies profoundly in its beginnings. The story of how this historic organization came to be is one that resonates with women all over the world, and is engrained in the mission and vision Ontario WI Members still live by today. CLICK here–
I still have this cookbook but some do not and have asked where they can get one.. It is all online now and you can Click here- to get those fabulous recipes and you can also see their blog also..
In 1775 the mill provided a footnote to the American Revolution. One of the earliest naval engagements of the war took place near the mill, and its gates prevented the British from sailing up Mill Creek and coming within firing range of Chelsea. Henry Slade had bought into the mill in 1827, and the innovation introduced in his time was the grinding of tobacco into snuff to supplement corn. As Henry’s children David, Levi and Charles took an interest in the business, they – especially David – wanted to let their new ideas and ambition increase the business. For one year, Henry turned the mill over to the hard-working David, who increased the mill’s profits to $500 until the older generation stepped back in. But soon David took charge again, creating the D & L Slade Co. with brother Levi. It would for more than 100 years turn out spices for New England home and professional kitchens
Henry Slade (born 1791) purchased an old mill in Revere that was powered by tidewater.This mill has burned down TWICE, so the poor building that is falling to ruin currently is more modern than Henry’s mill.He used the mill to grind snuff, since he sold tobacco products.He turned over the use of part of the mill to two of his sons, Charles (born 1816) and David (born 1819), and they began to grind spice for wholesale grocers as Slade Spice Company.Charles eventually left the company and was replaced by his brother Levi (born in 1822)and D & L Slade was formed.When Levi died in 1884, the company incorporated, with David, Wilbur L. Slade (son of Levi), Herber L. Slade (son of Levi), and Henry Dillingham (son-in-law of David and husband of Anna Jeanette, David’s daughter, of course).They began to buy spice and sell it, and since they were sticklers for quality, they did very well and the company grew rapidly.They refused to put fillers in their spice, and they soon became the largest seller of unadulterated spice (something that was hard to find in those days).Besides the mill in Revere, they had a factory in Chelsea, and offices in Boston.When Bell Seasoning’s went on the market, they purchased that company, which had also been family-owned, but they retained the name of Bell’s on all its packages.Somehow the same nicety was not extended to the Slade’s brand when it was finally acquired by a large food corporation, and the Slade’s Spice name no longer exists.
THE SLADE MILL
The mill was one of several tide mills dotting the New England coast – an innovation that some say originated in the area. Tide mills worked by using a set of flood gates. When the tide surged in, the flood gates swung open to allow the ocean water to fill the marsh and mill pond. When the tide turned and began to exit the marsh, the gates closed, trapping the water. From this impounded water the mill drew off a steady stream to turn its machinery – similar to the way a mill on a river used the flow to drive its works.
In 1918 Slade would make the investment that keeps its legacy alive today. It bought out the Bell’s Seasoning Company. In 1867, William Bell had begun selling his blend of poultry seasoning through his market in Boston. Bell had started as a grocer in Lowell, Mass. before moving south to Boston where he could buy spices directly off the ships arriving in port.
Over the next 40 years Bell continually expanded the popularity of his Bell’s Seasoning – a blend of rosemary, ginger, oregano, sage and marjoram – until his sudden death at age 76. Sensing opportunity, Slade purchased the brand, but wisely did nothing to change the name or formula. Instead, he incorporated Bell’s into his own lineup, which had expanded to baking powders, cumin, pepper and a wide range of spices. The company promoted them in its own cookbook.
The Slade name finally disappeared from the grocery shelves in the 1970s when the Slade family sold the company. Only the Bell’s brand name remains today – touted by a wide range of cooks as still the best poultry seasoning for a Thanksgiving turkey.
The Slade Mill, though, still lives on. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, its owners converted it to apartments in 2004.
Drove from North Bay to Ottawa with a wedding cake for my sister in law. My wife baked the cake (3 layers) and had it iced professionally here. The baker was a little dubious when told of our mission but completed the cake. Everything went well until the time to cut the cake. They ended up using a hammer on the knife to break the cake open. The cake (and icing, when you managed to soften it) was delicious. Larry Clark
A feather in your Easter bonnet — this luscious Easter bunny cake… Best cake you’ve baked in a month of Easter Sundays… and you… yes, you… can take all the glory!
Ingredients
1/2 cup Dexo (shortening) 2-1/4 cups sifted cake flour 3 teaspoons double-action baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1% cups sugar 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs, unbeaten
Directions
Measure shortening into bowl. Sift dry ingredients onto shortening. Add vanilla to milk. Add 2/3 of the milk.
Blend and beat 1 minute (count at least 150 strokes per minute). Add remaining 1/3 milk. Add eggs. Beat 2 minutes. Bake in two greased and floured deep 8-inch layer pans in moderate oven, 375° F for 25 to 30 minutes.
When cool, frost with butter frosting. Color coconut green, using vegetable coloring. Place on top of cake.
Arrange Easter candy bunny on coconut. Decorate with colored jelly beans.
Bake Swan’s Down Yellow Cake Mix in two 8-inch layers, following directions on package. Make Easy Chocolate Frosting, using the recipe on the back of the blue and yellow package of Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate.
1. Cut each cake layer in two, about 1/4-inch off-center. This will make two large and two smaller pieces.
2. Place these four pieces together with frosting between them, the smaller pieces on the outside. Stand them upright, cut sides down, on a cake plate.
3. Trim the outside pieces at the top outer edges to help round off sides of cake for egg shape.
4. Then trim off lower ends of outside pieces, slicing diagonally, to give cake an oval shape at base.
Cover the whole mound with remaining frosting, filling in to make an egg shape. Decorate with white and tinted frosting and jelly beans. Make a nest of green-tinted Baker’s Coconut around egg. To serve, cut across the egg, making four-layer slices of cake.
When I go to a family reunion, or maybe church homecoming, THIS is the type of Coconut Cake I want to see on the dessert table. One look, and you can tell it was made by a dear, older Mother or Grandmother, that’s been baking for years. Sure, she wants it to look good, but she’s more concerned about how it tastes.
There might have been a day, years ago, when she could make her cake look like something in a bakery window. Now, the years have taken a toll on her body. Her hands shake a bit these days, as she adjusts layers and spreads the icing. Her legs just don’t have the strength to stand at her table, and work and fuss with it like she once did. She has to take frequent breaks lately, just to rest awhile, so she can work on it a little bit more.
As a young child, she learned how to make this cake standing beside her own mother. She’s never used a recipe, but now, her mind continues to wonder if she’s somehow forgotten a key ingredient.
All through the years, she’s heard people talk about how great her cakes are. She just smiles, often looking downward as if embarrassed, but her heart is made happy as she tenderly says, “Thank You.”
Out the corner of their eye, everybody seems to watch when they realize her cake is being brought in. Some even strain their neck a bit, to see exactly where it gets placed among the others on the long table. You know hers will be the first empty cake plate on that table, and you have already schemed up a plan to get a slice. Heaven forbid if someone should take the last piece before you get yours.
My mother made a great Coconut Cake, one that was similar to this one. Her icing was more of a clear type and you could clearly see the layers beneath that frosting and the layer of coconut spread on top. In the earlier years, she always used a fresh coconut, grating it by hand. She would always hand me the small leftover pieces that she didn’t grate, and that was like pure candy in my book.
Cake Ingredients: Sungold Coconut Cake
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Butter, at room temperature
4 Eggs, separated
1 cup Evaporated Milk
3 cups All-Purpose Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
Coconut Cream Icing
3 cups Coconut
3 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
8 Tablespoons Heavy Cream, approximately.
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Place flour, baking powder, and pinch of salt, in a sifter.
Sift three times. Set aside.
Place butter in a large mixing bowl.
Add Sugar.
Beat butter and sugar to a smooth cream consistency.
Separate the egg yolks from the whites, set whites aside.
Beat the egg yolks well.
Add egg yolks to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until very light.
Add the sifted flour, alternating with the milk, to the first mixture, mix to combine.
Beat the egg whites to a stiff froth.
Add the vanilla extract to the batter mixture.
Gently fold in the egg whites to the batter.
Butter and flour two 9 inch cake layer pans.
Divide the batter between the two pans.
Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes, or until done.
Insert a wooden toothpick or skewer in the center of the baked layer. If it pulls out clean, cake is done.
Remove from oven, place on a wire rack, let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
Let layers cool completely.
Prepare layers as desired before frosting.
To Make The Icing and Assemble The Cake
Place sugar in a medium size mixing bowl.
Add the cream, a little at a time, beating steadily.
Add Vanilla.
When icing is of the right consistency, spread over the top of the layer.
Sprinkle a good layer of coconut on top of layer.
Repeat with the next layer.
Ice the final layer and sides of the cake.
Cover the entire cake with remaining coconut.
Serve and Enjoy!
ow to make an Easter Bunny cake:
This is a cake that my mom used to make for us on Easter Saturday from a pattern she found in a magazine back in the early 70’s. It’s simple and clever: one round cake serves as the bunny face and two simple slices in a second cake create the ears and a bow tie. You then frost, cover the imperfections with coconut (that’s what I do), and decorate with goodies.
Bunny cake diagram
This is the diagram from the old magazine clipping.
Mom used to frost the cake with boiled icing which looks lovely and bunny-like. I haven’t yet learned to make boiled frosting so use a simple white frosting instead. You’ll need a good 4 cups of icing to ice the cake.
Make your bunny cake with this molasses devil’s food cake
Easy creamy icing
1/4 cup soft butter
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 cups of icing sugar
Cream the butter with the milk and vanilla. Add the icing sugar one cup at a time until you get a spreadable consistency.
As ‘Dickens’ Sam Weller remarks in the Pickwick papers: ‘Poverty and oysters always seem to go together’.
What is with the Victorian obsession with oysters?—slimy rubber creatures that have no place in my menu. When I was a child, my father used to be in charge of the Cowansville Trinity Church’s annual Oyster Dinner. You would think they were serving filet minion the way his eyes lit up when the day approached.
Photo January 1900 CP Herald Found by Josh Greer- and property of Lisa Occomore and Brad Occomore of Valley Granite & Tile
Basically oysters with a good pot of baked beans was the food of the poor, and the poorer you were the more oysters you would put in your pie and the beans in your pot. Oysters were plenty, the smaller ones sold as fast food while the bigger ones were put in stews and pies to make up for the deficiency of meat. It was a cheap source of protein.
Oysters were also a typical food to be found in public houses and the local pubs where they were most commonly served with a pint of stout. Stout beers were popular because of their strong flavour, higher alcohol content, longer shelf life and because they were cheaper than other beers. The claims of Stout being a nutritious drink made the pairing with oysters and a side of beans the perfect cheap meal for the working class on their way home with their wages.
Photo would not come up will find later
Photo January 1900 CP Herald Found by Josh Greer- and property of Lisa Occomore and Brad Occomore of Valley Granite & Tile.. Mrs Love was located at the Good Food Co. and she began the famous Italian Candys. Margaret Love -From Sweet to Sour
In a deep buttered casserole, mix together crackers, bread crumbs, and melted butter. Place a thin layer of crumb mixture in the bottom of the casserole. Cover it with half of the oysters. Season cream with nutmeg, salt, pepper and celery salt (if using). Pour half of this mixture over the oysters. On the next layer, use the oysters, 3/4 of the remaining crumb mixture and cover that with seasoned cream. Top with the remaining crumbs. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.
This was an old early 80’s book I rescued at the St. John’s Rummage Sale in Perth. Missing a back cover and in bad shape but still has lots of love to share.
Chocolate Marshmallow Clusters– Fruit and Nut Clusters–Drew Gray Kindergarten Class–circa 80s
Combine Eagle Brand milk and chocolate chips and peanut butter in large saucepan.
Allow chips to melt over very low heat, stirring constantly until chips are melted and mixed completely. Let cool until lukewarm, gradually fold in marshmallows, raisins and candied cherries until covered with chocolate.
Spoon onto waxed paper ( lightly spread some butter on the wax paper, so no sticking) in small clusters.
Let stand at room temperature, then chill in refrigerator to set.
Illustration by John Wright Grade 5 –Circa 80s
Easy Oatmeal Bread– Mrs. Elizabeth Mittler- Kindergarten Teacher
2 cups boiling water
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp. salt
1 cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tsp sugar
2/3 cup Molasses
6 cups flour
Instructions:
In a large bowl combine butter, salt and rolled oats.
Pour the 2 cups of boiling water over the rolled oats mixture. Cool to lukewarm.
In a small bowl combine the 1 cup warm water and sugar. Stir in yeast then add to the cooled oat mixture.
Mix in molasses.
Gradually add flour. (You may need to turn the dough out onto the counter to incorporate the final cup or two of flour.)
Divide dough in half, shape into loaves and place in two greased loaf pans.
Cover with a clean dishtowel and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1.5 hours, but really depends on how warm your kitchen is).
Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes to an hour, until loaves sound hollow when tapped.
Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans–By June MacMillan–From the Kitchens of Lanark County 2003
1 pound (2 to 2 1/4 cups) dry white beans such as Navy beans or Great Northern beans
1/3 cup molasses (not black strap)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
5 cups hot water
1/2 pound salt pork (can sub bacon), cut into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, (1 1/2 cups) chopped
1 Soak beans in water: Place beans in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Soak overnight and drain. Alternatively, bring a pot with the beans covered with 2 inches of water to a boil, remove from heat and let soak for a hour, then drain.
2 Mix molasses, brown sugar, mustard, with water: Mix the molasses, brown sugar, mustard, with 3 cups of hot water.
3 Add ingredients to slow-cooker
4 Slow cook until beans are tender: Cover and cook in a slow-cooker on the low setting for 8 hours (or in a 250°F oven), until the beans are tender. Check the water level a few hours in, and if the beans need more water, add some. Add additional salt to taste if needed.
Note that fresher beans will cook faster than older beans. Your beans may be ready in less than 8 hours, or they may take longer. Best the next day.
lindaseccaspina 
