Family Recipe Friday - Banana Pumpkin Spice Cake

Banana Pumpkin Spice Cake

This is a wonderful moist and tender spice cake that Mom used to make, perfect for crisp fall days.

Be sure to read the recipe first before you make it, so you are sure to have the method for assembling the batter clear before you start. It's not really complicated, but you will need 3 bowls and a coffee cup or small ramekin set out to use in different steps of the recipe before you begin. 

Banana Pumpkin Spice Cake

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup peach jam
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, beat the shortening until it is smooth and soft. Gradually add the sugar, mixing thoroughly after each addition. When all the sugar has been added, cream the mixture until it is very smooth. Add the egg and beat thoroughly. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. In a coffee cup or ramekin, mix the milk and lemon juice and put in a warm place to sour. In a third bowl, mix the pumpkin and mashed banana, and stir in sour milk. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture alternately with the pumpkin mixture. Stir in the walnuts and dates.

Pour into a well-oiled 9 inch tube pan and bake for one hour in an oven preheated to 350 degreesor until cake tests done. Let cake stand for about 15 minutes and remove it from the pan. When the cake is cool, spread it with the jam. Press the choppped walnuts over the cake.

Gude Essa,
~ Karen the AncesTree Sprite

Wednesday's Child - Dyer Infants

Dyer Infant Boys
Died Four Months Apart in 1851

Redwood Cemetery

Oneida, Madison County, NY

These two older graves sit by themselves to the left and behind the adults in the Dyer/Tuttle Family plot. Burton H. Dyer was my gr-gr-gr-grandfather and he  and his wife are also buried in Redwood Cemetery to the front of the boys.

(original photo taken by Polly Held)

The stone to the left is inscribed:

William J. Dyer
 Died
 August 24, 1851
 Aged 3 yrs & 9 mos
 Son of
 Burton H. Dyer

The stone to the right is inscribed:

Little G A R Dyer

 Died
 April 11, 1851
 Infant Son of
Burton H. Dyer

[Note: the photographer guessed at the G A R as it was almost illegible]

~ Karen the AncesTree Sprite 

Thanks Polly for your act of genealogical kindness. 
 

Tombstone Tuesday - A Backyard Cemetery

Livingood Private Family Cemetery

Tulpehocken Township, Berks Co., PA

(original photo taken 25 Sept 2010 by Karen Fox)

Disclaimer: I am not related to the Livingood Family (well, that I know as of now).

The Livingood Family Cemetery is located outside the Village of Mt. Aetna, in Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, PA on privately owned land (it actually sits in a family's back yard, at the end of their driveway) and is not normally accessible to the public. Although the property no longer belongs to Livingood family descendants, the current owners do a fine job of respecting and maintaining the graves.

I was fortunate to be able to visit this site while participating in a driving tour sponsored by the local Andulhea Heritage Center during which the property owners granted special access permission to participants that day. 

At one point in time, 26 stones were standing and their inscriptions  were recorded. There are indications that there was room for 125 graves, most lots were likely filled. The modern monument lists all known family members that are buried there.

One of the known burials is of Georg Livengood, a Civil War soldier who died from wounds received in the Battle of Gettysburg.

List of Livungood Cemetery Burials 

Inscriptions of the 26 stones that were recorded


Just because you aren't my own ancestor, doesn't mean that I don't find you interesting,

~ Karen the AncesTree Sprite

Mystery Monday - Recipe for Chicken Dodger?

Mystery Monday

What Is "the chicken you call dodger"???

 

My gr-gr-grandmother Clarissa Jannett (Sherman) Dyer Knowlton was twice a widow. From 1926 to her death in 1931, she lived with her daughter, Cordelia Rebecca (Dyer) Patten (known as "Codie") and Cordelia's husband Melvin Patten, in Williamsville, Erie County, NY.

Sometime during this period, Clarissa wrote an undated letter to her other daughter, Daisy Belle (Dyer) Kerr, who lived in  Crosby, Leeds, Ontario, Canada. In the letter, Clarissa tells Daisy about their evening meal:

 

"We had the chicken you called dodger for dinner with mashed potato, turnip cabage salad and all fixings."

Does anyone know what "the chicken you call dodger" might be? Any clue as to how to make it? 

Any input, suggestions, or guesses would be much appreciated.

Curiously,

~ Karen the AncesTree Sprite

Sunday's Obituary - George Burton Dyer 1841-1905

Obituary: George Burton Dyer (1841 - 1905)

(my maternal gr-gr-grandfather)

George Burton Dyer in his Civil War Uniform

Oneida Independent Calvary Company (NY)

George Burton Dyer

May 1893

Oneida Democratic Union Page 2 Column on Thursday, February 9, 1905

GEORGE B. DYER

George B. Dyer, a former well known and respected citizen of Oneida, died in his home in Redwood, Jefferson Co., on Saturday morning, aged 62 years. He was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Burton H. Dyer, of this city, and until removing to Redwood a few years ago had passed the most of his life in Oneida and vicinity. Mr. Dyer was a veteran of the civil war, having enlisted August 10, 1861 in the Oneida Independent Cavalry, and remaining as orderly sergeant of the company to the close of the war, being mustered out of service June, 1865. Since removing to Redwood he had been proprietor of the Dyer Hotel, which he was conducting at the time of his death. He had been in failing health for about two years, though able to attend to business the greater portion of the time. He is survived by a widow, three sons and two daughters; also by one sister, Mrs. John F. Tuttle, of Syracuse. He was a genial kind hearted man who enjoyed the esteem of a large acquaintance. He was a member of John R. Stewart Post G. A. R. and numbered among the friends he prized most highly outside the family circle were his old Army comrades. It was his expressed desire, shortly before his demise, that his body be borne to the grave in Glenwood, by some of the survivors of his old company. Dwight Chapin was apprised of this fact through a communication from a son of the deceased and made arrangements accordingly, himself, Joseph Veiling and Patrick Clark, of this city, and Treat Miner, of Georgetown, serving as bearers and accompanying the body to Glenwood Tuesday afternoon. The funeral took place at the late home of the deceased that morning, and accompanied by members of the family, the body arrived in Oneida that afternoon.

==============

 Notes

Oneida in this article refers to Oneida in Madison County, New York State. Redwood Cemetery in located at Oneida.

Dwight Chapin mentioned in the obituary, served in the Oneida Independent Cavalry Co. with George Dyer and later married George's cousin, Hannah Dyer.

For more information about the Oneida Independent Cavalry Company and their unique role in the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War, click here.

My relationship to George is as follows
George Burton Dyer > Harry Sherman Dyer > Ethel (Dyer) Hirst > Olie (Hirst) Yohn Adam > me

George B. Dyer

Oneida Indpt. Cav. Co.

1841 - 1905

Dyer/Tuttle Family Plot

Redwood Cemetery

Oneida, Madison Co., NY

~ Karen the AncesTree Sprite