Thank God it’s Monday, again. I always look forward to Mondays, as they’re my 52 Chances a year, in which I get to share Memories of My Mom with you. Therefore, happy Monday.
As I wrote last week: [this] week begins National Fall Foliage Week. I’ve actually been seeing trees throughout St. Clair County, where I live in Michigan, changing colors since mid-July. A little here, a little there – and, I noticed, a little more than normal.
While late September has had some bigger-than-normal splashes of color, at least around here, October usually has the largest wave of picturesque color change throughout most of the U.S. and North America, as a whole.
By the way, Saturday (as September’s last, for 2024) was Save Your Photos Day AND this is still Save Your Photos Month, too. The coming October days are those which me and my husband enjoy most.
We love seeing the beautiful sky and sunshine exquisitely highlighting the blue water shoreline that surrounds most of Michigan and the brilliant, fiery, color changes of the trees that fill our beautiful state. We often stop at the many scenic turnouts along the way to take pictures of nature’s artwork.
We look forward to our Sunday, one-day, road trips – just as Mom and Dad likewise did – because they’re a form of mental relief and relaxation from our hectic workweeks. Even our grandson has claimed that road trips along our beautiful blue water shoreline help him feel calm and relaxed.
National Road Trip Day is officially observed on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend but it’s another one of those things we tend to celebrate whenever we get a chance. Road trips, even if only for a day, help us break free from our monotonous routines and responsibilities, allowing us to mentally recharge and refresh ourselves.
They also help us to slow down and appreciate the little things, about which we tend to forget when life gets chaotic; such as enjoying time together and taking in the beautiful scenery around us. For many people, the idea of a road trip creates feelings of escape, freedom, and unlimited space – even while sitting in a car.
Road trips are great excuses to visit places you enjoy or explore those places to where you’ve never been before, like a beach or a hiking trail in one of our many state and national parks. Studies have shown that simply spending time in nature helps reduce stress levels.
Whether you’re seeking excitement or relaxation on your road trip, listening to the radio can also add good mood benefits to the trip, as well. Furthermore, taking a day trip with friends or family creates very special and memorable bonding times.
One of Mom’s and Dad’s favorite day trip destinations (especially in the fall), as is mine and my husband’s, was to Michigan’s own famous, little Bavaria – also known as Frankenmuth.
Frankenmuth, Michigan is a small town jewel, not too far from us, near Saginaw – from where one of Mom’s favorite radio shows once aired on WSGW-Radio. “Listen to the Mrs.” was co-hosted by Art Lewis and Ann Williams. Now, the show is heard in podcast form.
Frankenmuth has been world-famous, for over a century, for its family-style, fried chicken dinners at one of the two largest establishments in town, as well as its year-round Christmas store, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland.
#GermanAmericanHeritageMonth
#GermanAmericanDay
Tourists flock to this small, Bavarian-like village from all around the world and will stand in line for hours to get one of the world-famous chicken dinners or walk through the world’s largest Christmas store. At 320,000-sq-ft., it’s the size of 5½ football fields and is surrounded by 27 acres of landscaped grounds.
By the way, the whole month of October will be celebrating National German-American Heritage Month, among other things. Additionally, Sunday (October 6th) is National German-American Day. A lot of great comfort foods come from our German-American ancestors and fall often influences cravings for these comfort foods, as well.
The town’s German heritage exudes from its many restaurants, hotels, breweries and quaint little shops that line the mile-plus length of the main street, through town – from Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland (which is all Christmas, all year), at the south end, to the Frankenmuth Brewery, at the north end.
In between are the world famous Zehnder’s and Bavarian Inn. During the 40 years that Mom investigated famous restaurant dishes, as “The Recipe DetectiveTM”, she developed over two dozen imitations of the famous dishes available at the two major restaurants mentioned above, as well as breads and confections from the bakeries and fudge shops.
FROM MOM’S MEMORIES…
As seen in…
Gloria Pitzer’s Better Cookery Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; May 1983, p. 66)
COME INTO THE KITCHEN
FAMILY RESTAURANTS and homestyle meals are returning to popularity. During the war-protesting days of Vietnam, the right to ‘be different’, the right to protest, to be individual made anything even slightly related to ‘family’ and ‘home’ forbidden or corny. People became impersonal to each other…
Now the pendulum is swinging the other way. The family and home have been reinstated…even in our restaurant industry. Today it is changing back to the personal, the warm, the family.
The restaurant industry, in its urgent bid for the public’s loyal attention, is trying to make their dining experiences like your home away from home. Hospitality is becoming their badge of honor!
The kitchen… is the best place to be when we’re home! You’ll notice that current home designers are getting away from the formal dining room area… Homes are becoming more functional in design, as well.
In our continuing efforts to economize, to restrict energy sources and to bring the family back to the warm, bright, openness of a country kitchen, we have rediscovered the personal advantages of the best room in the house…
The classic country kitchen is coming back, where there is one large working space close to the appliance area and also open to the informal, large, eating area… It was a warm and workable kitchen that reflected a family as a unit… Every inch of it said: ‘Welcome!’ If you were a stranger when you entered, you were a friend before you left.
Incidentally, October is also National Work and Family Month. Secret RecipesTM is a great example of combining work and family, about which I’ve often written in this blog series. Another great example is Zehnder’s, which was originally the Exchange Hotel (founded in 1856).
The Zehnder family purchased it in 1928 and began serving their first chicken dinners in 1929. Zehnder’s and the Bavarian Inn’s restaurants are owned by different relatives of the same Zehnder family. In 1984, the two became separate corporations, with friendly competitions between the relatives.
“Willkommen”, which means “welcome”, in German, adorns the arch across Gera Road, as you enter Frankenmuth from the south, right by Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. Frankenmuth is one of the most welcoming small towns I’ve ever visited. For being only 3 square miles, this town has a lot to present it’s tourists.
Frankenmuth offers blacksmith demonstrations, as well as taffy and fudge making demonstrations. You can also learn how to hand roll pretzels, the traditional German way. Moreover, the town hosts various festivals throughout the year, too.
There are multiple indoor water parks, an 18-hole putt-putt course, zip lines, and an aerial rope course. Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland is open 364 days, each year. The Frankenmuth Brewery offers tours and taste testing, too.
There’s also an old, covered, wooden, traffic bridge between the Bavarian Inn and River Place Shops – a Bavarian themed outdoor shopping mall. The bridge crosses the Cass River, where it winds through the town.
Aside from patronizing the shops and restaurants you can also tour the town by horse-drawn carriage, riverboat, or a 16-person peddle trolley (that also offers beer). It’s a favorite day trip destination for a lot of Michiganders. If you’ve never been to Frankenmuth, it’s a tourist town treasure that’s worth adding to your bucket list.
LAST THOUGHTS…
October begins tomorrow. In honor of it being National Women’s Small Business Month (plus I Love Yarn Day is coming soon), please check out the Crafts tab, tomorrow, for Mom’s “Crocheted Brimmed Hat” instructions and illustration, as seen in her self-published Secret RecipesTM Newsletter (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; Jan.-Feb. 1988; p. 11).
[NOTE: As always, I’m asking only for proper credit if you care to share it.]
Thanks for visiting! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my memories of my mom, her memories, and other related things. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at [email protected]. You can also find me on Facebook: @TheRecipeDetective.
IN CLOSING…
In honor of TODAY, still being National Rice Month, here’s Mom’s copycat recipe for “Dirty Rice, Like Popeye’s”; as seen in her self-published cookbook… Secret Make Alike Recipes – Revised (Secret RecipesTM, Marysville, MI; May 1997, p. 45).
This recipe was originally shared on this website (in another format) when my brother, Mike, managed it for Mom and Dad. When he transferred the site to me, not everything transferred with it; such as the free recipes and their backgrounds, which he had created, himself. As always, I’m asking only for proper credit if you care to re-share the recipe.
P.S. Food-for-thought until next Monday…
Today is the last day of September, which is still observing Better Breakfast Month, Little League Month, National Americana Month, National Blueberry Popsicle Month, National Chicken Month, National Courtesy Month, National Honey Month, National Italian Cheese Month, National Library Card Sign Up Month, National Mushroom Month, National Potato Month, Self-Improvement Month, and Whole Grains Month – among other things.
September 30th is also… National Love People Day, National Chewing Gum Day, National Mud Pack Day, and National Hot Mulled Cider Day.
The month of October observes a lot of things, including the following food related celebrations…
Eat Better & Eat Together Month, National Apple Month, National Applejack Month, National Bake and Decorate Month, National Caramel Month, National Chili Month, NATIONAL COOKBOOK MONTH, National Cookie Month, National Dessert Month, National Pasta Month, National Pickled Peppers Month, National Pizza Month, National Popcorn Poppin’ Month, National Pork Month, National Pretzel Month, National Sausage Month, National Seafood Month, Pear and Pineapple Month, Rhubarb Month, Spinach Lovers Month, Tackling Hunger Month, and Vegetarian Month.
Other October observances that aren’t directly food related but could be kissing cousins, include…
Halloween Safety Month, Italian-American Heritage Month, National Arts & Humanities Month, NATIONAL BOOK MONTH, National Fire Prevention Month, National Kitchen & Bath Month, Polish American Heritage Month, National Reading Group Month, National Women’s Small Business Month, Positive Attitude Month, and Self-Promotion Month.
October 1st is also… the start of the Christmas Seal Campaign (which always runs Oct. 1st to Dec. 31st). It’s also National Homemade Cookies Day. Plus, as the first Tuesday in October (for 2024), it’s also… National Eat Fruit At Work Day.
October 2nd is… National Fried Scallops Day. Plus, as the first Wednesday in October (for 2024), it’s also… National Walk to School Day and National Pumpkin Seed Day.
Thursday, October 3rd, is… National Techies Day and National Boyfriend Day.
October 4th is… National Cinnamon Bun Day, National Taco Day, National Golf Lover’s Day, and National Vodka Day. Plus, as the first Friday in October (for 2024), it’s… National Manufacturing Day, National Body Language Day, and World Smile Day, too.
October 5th is… National Rhode Island Day, National Do Something Nice Day, and National Apple Betty Day! Plus, as the first Saturday of October (for 2024), it’s also… National Play Outside Day.
Sunday, October 6th, is… National Orange Wine Day, National Plus Size Appreciation Day, and National Noodle Day. Plus, as the start of the first FULL week in October (for 2024), it’s also the start of… International Post Card Week and National Newspaper Week. Additionally,
…40 down and 12 to go!
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