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As I sit, finally able to write a new entry, I can’t believe the kids go back to school again tomorrow!
What a whirlwind of activity the holidays brought! I should have known that things were going to heat up when Christmas orders began to roll in, the Monday after Thanksgiving. Dozens of Christmas cookies, caramel apples, fruit pies and sweetie pies, and bags of hot cocoa and peppermint stir sticks, we stand amazed. Dwight keeps saying, “Who would have thought Christmas would be busier than Thanksgiving?” Pie speaking that is.
Well, it was, and for that, we are so thankful. We weren’t able to decorate our own home until Christmas Eve, but we’re still enjoying the coziness of it now. After packaging up a batch of gift baskets, we dashed to the kids annual Christmas program- it was so sweet, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch it without tearing up. Christmas day was spent with the Kegels and night with the Engelsmas. My mom graciously stepped in and agreed to have the Kegels at her house, when I started drowning. Jon and Mieke welcomed 50 people into their home Christmas night- red punch, chocolate cupcakes, and at least 20 youngsters wound up like 8 day clocks. Now that’s Christmas spirit!
Now here I sit, alone, the house is quiet: everyone is either having lunch with cousins, snowmobiling, or playing outside- what a rarity! I just finished making a batch of “fat balls,” raisin filled donut-like pastries. When I was growing up we enjoyed these every New Year’s Day, after the morning church service. My grandma Kegel would work feverishly all day on December 31 in order to have ”Olliebollen” ready for her six children and their families on New Year’s morning. We’d sit around her dining table with a fat ball in one hand, a little pile of powdered sugar on our plates; dipping and eating. Grandma bustled around with refilling everyone’s hands and plates.
A few years ago, I decided to try my hand at it. I was a bit apprehensive, as I’d always been told that it took a certain something to turn out light and fluffy fat balls; that didn’t “hit your belly like lead.” My grandma has been gone for 24 years now, so I gave my Uncle Fred- her chief cook and bottle washer, a call. As it turns out, Grandma’s recipe died with her. She was always a “pinch of this, and a pinch of that,” kind of cook. After reading several different church cookbook recipes to my uncle, he basically put it in a nutshell, “Von, I don’t know anything about diced apples, or mashed potatoes, all I know is that Grandma would add a little of this and a little of that until it looked just right to her.”
Well, I’ve tried different recipes over the last few years, and I can tell you that everyone seems to enjoy the end result. The recipe I used today didn’t have mashed potatoes or apples, we’re saving those for supper and pie!
Here’s this year’s recipe for fat balls. It comes from a sweet little church lady, Lavina Baas, who passed away in 2011. Her family will probably recognize it, how does your family recipe differ?
8 c flour
1/2-1 tsp salt
1 lb raisins
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 pkg. Red Star yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 c warm water
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c lukewarm milk
1/2 c dark Karo syrup
1 1/4 c Milk
1 1/4 c water
Mix the first 5 ingredients and blend well. In small bowl, mix yeast, sugar, warm water. Stir until yeast is all dissolved and let set for a few minutes. Beat egg, add lukewarm milk, Karo syrup. Mix well and add to flour mixture, then add dissolved yeast mixture; mix well. Mix warm water and milk and add to batter, beat well with wooden spoon until batter is well mixed. Cover and let rise until double in bulk. Heat oil to 425 degrees and drop by large spoon in hot oil. Cook and turn in oil. Remove when nicely browned. Drop on paper toweling to cool. Enjoy this delicious treat!
