Mama
Mama was the harder working person in the combination of parents. She ran the whole farm, she fed the workers and she supervised the care of the milk- from milking to feeding the cows to the sale and production.
Mama was in her glory at Kafe Klotch hour- Just as the sun and moon circled the sky regularly, Mama directed this feast every Thursday. The ritual began on Wednesday night. Yeast had to be prepared and put in water to do its work overnight. Originally, on the farm, this process worked on the coal stove. When we moved to our new home, technology provided the gas stove.
Early on Thursday, everyone had to be up and out because Mama needed her space. In her kitchen, she had the room necessary to prepare her SCORE of cakes, pies, and biscuits- the variety rivaled the best bakery today or any day. Bundt kachen was my favorite. It was a full blown cake made in a ring form and it was filled with cinnamon raisins, nuts, sugar, candied fruits, and lots of butter. Her repertoire included cheesecake, plum cake, apple cake, and peach cake in season. Then there were biscuits- plain, bran, corn, and blueberry.
What fascinated me most was the placing of long foot wide boards on chairs around the perimeter of the kitchen. These served as counters on which Mama cooled the pastries as she took them out of the oven. When I went to Germany with my parents as a youngster, I realized that was routine. Aunt Sida did the same thing. Did it make it all more elaborate?
Four o’clock on Thursday was Mama’s finest hour. Her four children were permitted to invite a friend. Papa brought his cronies of the day and Mama invited her close friends.
It was a happy time- Good conversation, a lot of noise, and confusion. The smell and the variety of spices and fruits in the cakes hit the rafters. The warmth of the ovens’ day long baking permeated the house in winter and scented it in summer.
Mama was in command on this occasion and wallowed in the joy of her role. In her apron, she sat at the head of the table orchestrating the performance. The youngest children served the coffee and passed the cream and sugar. Older sisters served the choice of cake requested.
In reminiscing, it was lovely to see Mama in her shining hour. She loved being in command. She delighted in humor and conversation. She was always very energetic. The mix of ages was essential to her total satisfaction- this was the symphony she created single-handed every Thursday almost to her last days. I see the glint in her eyes yet. I think she always felt her performance was the best on the circuit.
ruthweissremembered 
My grandmother was an amazing hostess. She knew how to throw a party. And her description of her mother’s Thursday gatherings as an event and a performance make perfect sense to me. Later she’ll write more about what she learned about hosting a sit down dinner from her Aunt Millie in San Francisco. But these early gatherings where all generations came together and feasted on baked goods were equally important. My grandmother always used to say that she was happiest when she was eating. She ate with passion, excitement, enthusiasm and love. It wasn’t just about the food. It was about the sense of family and community that she associated with any good food.