A Few Years Older, A Few Years Wiser

 I started my old Farmers Daughter blog as a homage to the life our parents provided for us. So many stories to tell!

To review, the old farmer was a printer by trade doing 40 hour weeks. He loved the farm and spent much time plowing and planting and harvesting. The old farmers wife was a good homemaker and canned the produce.

So when writing my blogs from my point of view, now that I have a few more years (sic) on me I am seeing things from the old farmers point of view. 

The old farmers family grew up and on, scattered to the four winds across this large country. His wife crossed to her eternal rest. He was a strong man. 

He made his days a routine to keep going. And often decided on the spur of the minute to drive 8 hours to visit. While I may have liked a bit of advance notice 🙂, I see his joy in making a surprise visit. 

He once said the day of his marriage was the happiest day of his life. 

He lived many more years, moving to live near one of his children until it was time to join his wife on the other side.

Slavian Patica. A holiday tradition.

Families have traditions. Its passed down from generation to generation. It may morph over time. But it ties us together.

Our farm family went out and cut our own tree. We gathered to decorate Christmas cookies. The Old Farmer loved Hush Puppies- not what you think! A relative delivered old world pecan cookies in a Hush Puppies shoe box one year and they were  forever after hush puppies! We took turns wrapping presents Christmas Eve. 

AND The Old Farmers Wife made Slavian Patica. We always came home from midnight mass and warmed up around the big oak table with coffee or hot chocolate and the Slavian Patica. And so follows...

SLAVIAN PATICA

Dough

2 cups milk

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

2 beaten eggs

1 yeast cake

  Or 2 dry yeast packs softened in a bit of.    warm water 

6 cups flour

1-Scald milk. (This is an interesting direction. It comes from YEARS ago. Raw milk was scalded to kill any bacteria, and enzymes that affect the dough process.)

2-add butter, sugar, salt

3-cool to lukewarm 

4-add beaten eggs

5-add yeast

6-add flour, a couple cups at a time.         kneading when getting thick enough.

 I now use my kitchen aide so you can go   from mixing in the flour to kneading   easier.

7- knead lightly until smooth

8- set to rise in oiled bowl until doubled,   not more.Gently "punch down". Fold over.   in thirds and let rise again. Two rises.   gives a less coarse dough.

9-roll out, if sticky on floured board, but   

 hopefully it will not be sticky! Spread with   filling

10-roll up and place on greased baking   sheet or better yet an angel food tin.

            ( old school method)

Filling

1/2 cup butter melted

2 cups brown sugar, I recommend dark 

1 1/2 cups ground nuts

1-Add in order listed one at a time

2-Spread thinly on dough if thinly rolled. If.    dough thicker you might want to spread 

  it with more!

Bake at 325' for approx 40 minutes. Watch the time until you find what works best for you and your oven. 

*Warning. Not unusual for it to spring a leak. Seal edges good, but still delicious if it does leak out!