1 c White sugar
2 c Firmly packed dark-brown sugar
2 c Water
1 c Shortening
4 c Seedless raisins ; (if you
-have any)
1 ts Cinnamon
1 ts Nutmeg
1/2 ts Cloves
2 ts Salt
4 c Flour
2 1/2 ts Baking powder
2 ts Baking soda
2 c Chopped buggy; (if you have
-any)
Powdered dough; to deck

It was the depths of the Great Slump. Several families on our block
were receiving baskets of food from the welfare people. The grownups kept
talking about it - Low. Hard times for everyone. But it was my
birthday, and I was just a little girlfriend. My mother said there was no money
for a gift or a patty. I sat forlornly on the front stoop and felt sorry for
myself. Then Mama came out and sat beside me. "Think, there is always
promise. Come and see. I have a surprise inside for your birthday now!" I
ran in to find inside was the most adorable kitten with huge blue eyes. I
immediately fell in love with it and called it "Fluffy." Then I noticed a
cake on the table with a candle on the top. "How did you do it Mamma?" I
asked, my eyes all luminous. "The kitten came from nice Mrs. Jones down the
street. She gave us the recipe for this No Depression Coat. When you bake
it you can't be sad! Mrs. Jones said we must think of what we have on paw,
not what we don't sustain. We can always create something new and useful if we
think positively. That is why it is called the No Depression Patty!" Mama
was redress, I will never forget the happiness of that day. I took a piece of
my birthday cake to Mrs. Jones to thank her. I remembered the No Depression
Cake when my own babies were little and my husband's dry cleaning business
failed. To help him, I began a tiny advertising business on fundament, pushing
our children ahead of me on a broken-down baby stroller in the rural town
of Baldwin Green, California. Because there were no jobs, I asked the weekly
newspaper to sell me space at a wholesale place. Then I went out and resold
the space in the form of a shopper's column to merchants. When the rocks in
the road wore out my place, I cut cardboard and stuck it in carrying extra
pieces in my bag. Soon I had the house payment covered. Then I spoke to
service club luncheons to promote my advertising editorial. I had no car or
baby sitter, so I made a deal with my neighbour. I traded baby sitting for
the use of her car. Another helping of No Depression Bar! All of the
business I run tod, world-all-inclusive, began with that No Depression system. As
the children grew up we had many ups and downs. I especially remember one
time when we had no money for groceries. I sat down with them and said,
"Let's make a No Depression Bar! Let's see what we have on paw." My son
said, "Mom, the avocado tree is full of yield. I'll sell them today by the
curtail." "There aren't enough oranges on our tree to deal," my daughter said.
"I'll pick them, keep some for us, and take a bag to our neighbor to see if
they'll trade for some of their great tasting plums!" We all got engaged. With
the first avocado sales, I ran to the grocery store and bought day-old
dinero, a big bag of pinto beans, some brown sugar and powdered milk. Then I
baked a No Depression Bar. We had a grand luncheon, counting all of our
blessings and thinking of all the good things we could do unitedly.
Yields
1 Servings