SISTERS "scatter our seriousness" . . . and Spinach Crepes

My mother's sister, Florence, is 90 today!

Florence was Nellie's junior bridesmaid 

and during summer holidays would go to Saskatchewan where Nellie and Matt lived after they married.  The first house they built in Sheho is still standing and was painted pink and white.  Marilyn says,  "The color still remains after all these years!"  

Florence holding Marilyn, Baba, Nellie, Matt, Matt's sister Tillie

Pat, Florence, Marilyn

Marilyn had a long chat with Aunty Florence on her 89th birthday.

"Florence had fond memories of helping Nellie when she worked in the Grandview hospital in the kitchen under a trained chef. Nellie learned many French recipes; cream puffs, quiches, custards.  Aunty talked about helping Nellie prepare for the visiting sisters from Chicago and how she folded napkins and colored displays with Uncle Sam icons.   This was in 1941, 42."

Marilyn also wrote about her mom, Nellie:

"Mom also incorporated techniques into her repertoire of recipes.  Like using a bain marie for her lemon filling for pies etc.   I only began to wonder when watching Laura Calder’s show "French Cooking at Home”  The techniques Laura demonstrated were what Mom would do.   Aunty Florence said Nellie learned this while working in Grandview under this chef.  When the Felician sisters couldn't get more funding for the hospital, they moved to Langenburg, Saskatchewan. According to your Mom and Aunty Florence, they wanted Nellie to move with them."

Nellie's sister, Mary (Mom), remarked once,  “Nellie did well with what education she had.” 

                                                 Florence, Nellie, Mary

                                                 SISTERS "season our lives".

                                                           (by Marian Olsen)

                                                    Florence at 90 with Nellie's daughter, Pat

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A French dish, of course, for this post!

SPINACH CREPES

from JOY of COOKING

1 lb spinach

1 ½ tbsp butter

1 tbsp finely chopped onion

1 tbsp flour

½ cup hot cream, milk, or stock

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

PREPARE Spinach filling:

• Wash spinach and chop finely.
• Heat butter in large skillet.   
• Add finely chopped onion and cook one minute.
• Add spinach.  Cover and cook over high heat until steam appears.
• reduce heat to low and cook until tender (5 minutes).
• Stir in flour.
• Stir in hot cream, milk, or stock.
• Stir in salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning.
• Set aside.

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Prepare Crépes

¾ cup flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

⅔ cup milk

⅓ cup water

½ tsp grated lemon rind

• mix together flour, salt, and baking powder.  Set aside.
• beat eggs in large bowl.  Stir in milk, water, and lemon rind.
• Stir in flour mixture.  
• Make crépes.  

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Spread crépes with creamed spinach.  Roll up.  Place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with grated cheese.   

Preheat oven to 375 or 400.

Heat crépes for 15 minutes.  

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I made these in August, 1988 and Bryan remarked, “I couldn’t imagine that spinach could taste so good!”

  I marked them as Excellent!