Bena Mae’s Kitchen: From Sliced Bread to Hard Times

We have all heard and probably used the phrase, “the greatest invention since sliced bread.”
This year marks the 83rd birthday of pre-sliced bread that went on the shelves on July 7, 1928 as “Sliced Klean Maid Bread.” In 1930, Wonder Bread began to commercially produce pre-sliced loaves, making it a household staple.
I remember when my mother would say, “Bena Mae, run to the store and get a nickel loaf of bread,” an unbelievable price by today’s standards.  When I brought it home, we would slice it, always coming out with irregular, jagged slices, never two slices the same size.  As I recall, there was only white bread available.  In the ensuing years, whole grains, wheat, oatmeal, rye, potato, cinnamon, and other varieties began to crowd the grocery shelves.  
I remember when breakfast toast began to replace the pan of biscuits Mama had always made to go with our sausage and gravy and eggs.  We thought it was a wonderful change, but now I would prefer Mama’s biscuits any day in the week. Others may feel the same as evidenced by the large breakfast crowds at fast food places that feature hot biscuits with ham or sausage or bacon each morning.  Toast and gravy?  No way.
Still, it was a great new innovation that made life easier for the housewife.  And perhaps the best sandwich in the world, which only consists of two slices of bread, slices of fresh ripe tomatoes from the garden and slathered with mayonnaise.  Heavenly.
It’s quite a leap to tie in the beginning of pre-sliced bread with hard times but as I recall that era, there weren’t that many changes that made life easier.  Here are two examples of what those days were like:
We still had the flat iron we heated on the stove with no temperature setting to control the amount of heat it put out. And very often, a scorched shirt or blouse showed the evidence of an iron that was too hot.
The more affluent among us may have had a wringer-type washing machine, but doing the weekly wash was a grueling and all day task.  Many years later with the advent of automatic washers and dryers and wash-and-wear garments,  housewives felt they had broken the bond of indentured servitude.
I like this quote, author unknown, that sums it all up:
Hard Times Are Like a Washing Machine,
They Twist, Turn and Knock Us Around,
But In The End, We Come Out Cleaner, Brighter, And Better Than Before.

FUDGESICLE PIE

Yes, this pie does taste just like a fudgesicle. Top it with a bit of whipped cream and your favorite chopped candy.

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
18 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup milk
4 oz. pkg. chocolate instant pudding mix
3/4 cup whipping cream, whipped
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 cups chocolate ice cream, softened
1/2 cup candy coated chocolate pieces or chopped candy bars

Preparation:
In a large mixing bowl, combine crushed cookies and butter and mix well until crumbly. Press evenly and firmly into bottom and up sides of 9-” pie plate. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
In a large bowl, combine milk and instant pudding mix. Beat with electric mixer until well blended, about 1 minute. Beat whipping cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form and fold into chocolate mixture. Gently fold in softened ice cream and pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle with candies. Cover and freeze until firm, 3-4 hours.
Let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes before slicing. Serves 6 to 8