The end is in sight. Just 25-30 more pages of papers, two group presentations, a case brief, and one more final exam and then this semester is history in just 2 short weeks. I’m still not sure how all that can possibly happen in the next 2 weeks while the rest of life also happens, but I know it will. While I’m stress eating myself into a breakout that would rival any teenage boy while subsisting on significantly less than 7 hours of sleep per night, I’m so thankful my mom is here with another wonderful post! This bread is definitely a major childhood memory for me – loaded with Gouda cheese my Dad must have felt like we were such a good little Dutch family carrying on the traditions of his nation :)
Take it away, Mom!
Way back in 1976, I made a decision that would affect my entire life, right from the moment of decision to this day and on into the foreseeable future. I was young, although at the time I’m sure I thought I was old and mature as most girls in Grade 12 think, single, having long discovered that high school ‘relationships’ can be fleeting, and ready to find me another boyfriend. After all, one is the loneliest number, or at least we thought so at the time.
I recall standing with my girlfriends chatting, when this young man, 6’2, eyes of blue, dooby dooby dooby do, walked by. I knew who he was and that he was in our grade because we had shared the grand total of one Math class together in all our years of high school up to that point, but I didn’t really know what he was like. I just knew he was very tall, especially compared to my great height of an even 5 feet. I also knew he was handsome, sporting facial hair which was hard to come by in high school, and he had an accent, having immigrated with his parents from Holland in 1970. Tall, handsome, accent!?Right then I told my girlfriends standing with me, “I am going to go after that guy!”
I set to work making sure I was in the right places at the right times and just trying to make him notice my charming self on a regular basis. This took great effort and impeccable timing, especially since we didn’t have any classes together. I had to magically be by his classroom doors as he entered and left, just to say a nonchalant hello, like I just noticed he was there, and still make it to my classes on time. You don’t have to tell me twice that relationships take work!
Well, I not only got him to notice me but I got him to marry me! And, long story short, that’s how I came to enjoy, and learn how to make, some delicious Dutch foods. Now, I know many Dutch men who insist on potatoes, the plainer the better, with meat and beans for supper every night. Don’t even bother trying to make them eat pasta, rice or any of those other strange foods like fajitas. But my husband is the best, worth all that work to get him, because he will eat anything I make and enjoy it thoroughly, only once in a while letting me know if something “wasn’t his favourite”. Still, there are Dutch recipes I continue to make simply because I really like them, and this is one of them.
At Christmas, you will find croquetten in my freezer, and, at New Year’s, there will be ollibollen with icing sugar, the only food I deep fry all year. And throughout the year I still enjoy this recipe for Pumpernickel that I got from my mother-in-law decades ago. My children love it with syrup, which I find strange, my husband also loves it with syrup or, even stranger, with cheese and a slice of regular white bread to make a sandwich. Me, I crave it after a visit to the local Dutch store to get a wedge of Gouda cheese. I love pumpernickel and Gouda! Serve it with Ham and Pea Soup and I am happy. It is also really good with peanut butter, although I haven’t convinced any of the other family members that it is a good combination. It is healthy, virtually fat free, delicious, and easy to make! What more could you ask for?
Just one word of advice: let it cool before cutting and use an electric knife to cut it if you have one…oops,I guess that was 2 words of advice.
Oh look, a distraction!
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 cups Red River Cereal
- 1 cup All Bran Cereal
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¾ cup molasses
- 4 ½ cups of water
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and grease two 8 ½” X 4 ½” loaf pans.
- In large bowl, stir together flour, cereals, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add molasses and water and mix well on low speed of hand beater. Pour evenly into prepared pans. The batter will be quite runny and the pans will be fairly full.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours, covering loaves loosely with a piece of foil after the first hour to prevent the tops from getting too dark.
- When done, let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a rack.
Hi, someone recommended your blog so I had to check it out. It’s wonderful. I am from the same background as you and live in Wainfleet, Ontario. I love to bake and cook and your recipes look awesome. Finally a good recipe for Pumpernickel. We love it and buy it often at the Dutch Store but I’ve always wanted to make it myself. Thank you for posting it.
Thanks so much for visiting and for your kind comment! I’m glad people are reading who actually know what Pumpernickel is :) You’ll love how easy this is to make at home.
Anna, good luck with the rest of your semester! So fun to meet your sweet mom…love that your parents have been together since high school. This pumpernickel sounds a lot better than the one I made a few weeks ago…and I’d love mine with Gouda, too! YUM!
Thanks, Liz! My dad didn’t really stand a chance in the face of mom’s pursuit ;)
I would love to make a few batches of this beautiful bread and give it out for the holidays!
This would be perfect for that – it travels very well!
Anna. Come on. If you were a good little Dutch family you would have one THIN slice of Gouda, not loads.
HA, good call :) We just can’t fit into that good Dutch box no matter how we try :)