Back in the Day

In 1991, the Navy transferred us move to Maine - Brunswick Naval Air Station to be exact. There was no internet. We didn't have cable tv and there were only a few stations with decent reception. My two children were not homeschooling and I had time to cook. The pace of life was much slower in Maine. I loved Maine. I used to listen to a radio show called Yankee Kitchen and an older man named Gus Saunders took calls from listeners (usually grandma-age) who would call in with their favorite recipes and other interesting personal tidbits of their lives. Gus wrote the recipes down, ingredient by ingredient and I would follow suit, too, if the recipe intrigued me. One funny thing about this show - he would frequently say KA (ie, 2 cups of KA). It took me a LONG time to figure out he was talking about King Arthur flour - the beloved flour of New England. Oh, another word was "hamburg" instead of hamburger. I miss those days.

Here is a recipe I heard on Yankee Kitchen from one of his listeners:

Picture taken before baking.

Scottish Oat Breakfast Bread

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups oats
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins, plump
2/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten

Combine first seven ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Add butter, milk, and egg stirring with a fork to moisten. Shape dough in ball and place on greased/floured baking sheet. Press into 8-in circle. Cut into 8 wedges and bake at 425’ for 15-18 minutes. Serve with honey or preserves. These are similar to scones.