Birthdays For November 13th + National Indian Pudding Day

If you are celebrating a birthday today, congratulations.  You are joined by Jeannie Kendall, born in 1954, in St. Louis, Missouri.  Later she would team with her father, Royce, to form the duo, The Kendalls.  Their gospel-based harmonies and cheatin' themed song choices would produce several hits in the late 70's and early 80's, exemplified by their million selling signature song, "Heaven's Just a Sin Away", in 1977.  Happy 60th, Jeannie!  It's National Indian Pudding Day!!

It was during the seventeenth century when English colonists brought hasting pudding or hasty pudding to the shores of North America.  It was originally made with wheat, an ingredient they lacked when they arrived.  Native American Indians showed them how to cultivate maize (corn) and they substituted cornmeal instead.  That lead to the name Indian pudding which came from their name for cornmeal, Indian meal.  They also substituted milk for water and they added molasses or maple syrup along with other things such as cinnamon, ground ginger, butter, eggs, raisins and nuts.  This mixture is then slowly baked for several hours until it's texture is transformed from a porridge-like quality to a more smoother texture that is more typical of a custard puddings.

Indian pudding recipes could be found in American cookbooks before 1900.  However the long cooking time involved for Indian pudding didn't seem to appeal to 20th century home cooks.  As a result this autumn holiday dish pretty much went by the way side.

If you are lucky enough to find a recipe for Indian pudding try making it.  As my mom used to say, "you might like it".  I'll bet you'll like it even better with ice cream or perhaps whipped cream on top!

Now Let's P-A-R-T-Y!!!

Concho Valley birthdays include:

Tristan Johnson, 12.  From his Dad.

Raymond Lopez, 61.  From all his family.

Archie Gandy, 30 something.  from his younger sister, Amber and nieces and nephews.

Nolan Fontenot, 75.  From all his family.

Ruth Hunt, old enough.  From all her family.  Ruth wins our birthday cake today from Halfmann's Cake Cottage. 

No anniversaries to report.