The other day I walked into the kitchen at lunch to find my mother sitting at the kitchen table with some hot dog buns, a jar of marmalade, a brick of cream cheese, and some leftover chili. She was making sandwiches.
The process was as follows:
- Open the hot dog bun.
- Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on it.
- Add a thick layer of orange marmalade.
- Spoon cold chili on top of the marmalade.
- Close the bun.
- Put it on a serving platter.
- Repeat.
“What are you doing?” I asked. A dumb question, I know, but sometimes things just pop out of mouth when I’m astonished.
“Making lunch for the boys,” she replied, remaining steadily on task.
“Elinor, what are adding now?” my father asked. She was at the chili step.
She glared up at him. “I’m adding hamburger!” she fairly shouted. How dare he question her! “This is my hamburger and I want to add it!”
My father and I looked at each other and decided not to question this process any further. There were, after all, only four hot dog buns, so the sandwich factory was self-limiting. Just in case, however, I made sure other bread products were safely put away.
She sat down and ate two of her own sandwiches for lunch that day, but there were no other takers. My father made himself a bologna sandwich. He’s become quite self-sufficient in the kitchen.
My mother used to be a wonderful cook. I need to remind myself of that as I throw away the concoctions she now makes. However, the heat wave affecting many of us this week reminded me of my mother’s wonderful summertime dessert called Orange Ice Dessert. It is cool and refreshing. One of my brothers has a July birthday and this was what he usually had instead of a cake. Here is the recipe exactly how she had it written
Orange Ice Dessert
- 6 oranges (3 cups juice)
- 1 lemon (1/4 cup juice)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 pint whipping cream
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (or more if desired)
- 1/2 cup sugar
Mix orange juice, lemon juice and sugar well. Pour into a deep freezing pan (loaf type). Whip cream. Add sugar and pecans. Mix well. Spoon whipped cream mixture on top of juice mixture and freeze.
Additional comments: Wonderful make-ahead summer dessert — very refreshing.
My kids don’t like nuts, so we don’t put the nuts in. Or we make two pans, one with nuts and one without.
I may run out this morning and get some orange juice so I can make this. Then I can add a picture. And enjoy one of my favorite summertime treats.
Either that, or some hot dog buns and chili so I can try her other recipe. Or not.
Bon Appetit!
Hot Dogs and Marmalade 
My addition to her Orange Ice Dessert recipe was: “Serve on July 29.” Orange Ice Dessert was such a special treat, you’d have thought it was truly gourmet (like the cream cheese/marmalade/chili sandwich) — maybe it was because the whipping cream was an expensive indulgence. I recall it being made most often for bridge club, and being so excited when there were leftovers!
Readers… especially those of you sweltering in this extreme summer heat … you really should try this. It’s served in slices (in a bowl rather than a plate, because it’ll slide around); the best way to eat it is to chip away at it with a spoon. But beware of brain freeze!
It’s 80 here at 9 AM — but I walked to the store (about 3/4 mile each way) to buy orange juice to make it. It’s that good.
Yes, and I forgot to warn about brain freeze.
You know, when I was expecting Trevor…way back when, I LOVED (get ready…it’s horrible) pancakes with syrup topped with spaghetti noodles and spaghetti sauce. Mmmmmmm.
Really bad, but a true story.
Sounds yummy! I’m going to ask my Mommy if I can run down and get the ingredients 🙂
It sounds refreshing. I wonder if it could be made in an ice cream maker.
No, it should be made in a loaf pan, because the whipped cream rests on top of the juice mixture. I think it would get all mixed together in an ice cream maker.
When my mother-in-law was alive and still living independently but with worsening dementia, she didn’t have raisins so she cut up hot dogs and put them in her rice pudding. I won’t bother sending the recipe because there won’t be a demand for it. It was really bad.
The way my mother’s cooking changed with her dementia was frightening. Sometimes we would laugh about it, but most of the time I felt like crying. But, you know, that’s where the name of my blog came from — the days when she put marmalade on everything.