I’m just old enough to barely remember President and Mrs. Eisenhower. Actually, what I think I remember is my mother and my aunts talking about the First Lady … probably after the time Eisenhower was in office. One of my aunts loved magazines and I can remember articles that she kept with stories and recipes related to Mamie Eisenhower. I remember the first time Mother made fudge using Mamie’s recipe. It had marshmallow cream in it and never failed. Until that time, Mother would cook her fudge and sometimes go outside in the cold to ‘beat’ it hoping it would thicken. Mamie’s Million Dollar Fudge never failed to thicken, so the outdoor adventures during fudge making episodes … stopped at our house!
Mamie Doud was just 19 when she married Dwight D. Eisenhower
in 1916. By all appearances, they
had a perfect marriage! She was born in Boone, Iowa but she grew up
in lots of places including Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado. She spent lots of time at her family’s winter
home in San Antonio, Texas. It was in
San Antonio where she met Eisenhower. A
year later they married and began their lives together in the lieutenant’s
living quarters at Fort Sam Houston. Her
life as a military wife took her to the Panama Canal Zone, to France and to the
Philippine Islands. She had moved 28
times before they retired after their service as President and First Lady.
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| The First Lady's Inaugural Gown |
Mamie loved pretty clothes and jewelry. She was named one of the best dressed women
in the United States by the New York Dress Institute each year that she was our
First Lady. Her favorite style, dubbed
the “Mamie Look” had a full skirt. The look
included charm bracelets, pearls and bobbed hair with bangs. One of the most popular inaugural gowns in
the Smithsonian’s collection is Mamie’s pink gown that is embroidered with more
than 2,000 rhinestones.
Pink was her favorite color and following that pink trend wasn’t just about having pink clothing. Pink kitchens and pink bathrooms became hugely popular. We had a pink bathroom in my childhood home! We also had a pink dial telephone, which I have kept! Think of all those pink casserole dishes, canisters and small kitchen appliances that were popular in the 1950s and 60s! Mamie’s favorite flower was the pink sweetheart rose!
I’m happy to share Mamie’s Million Dollar Fudge! It was first published in magazines in 1953 and prior to that did not carry Mamie’s name! I’m sure this recipe kept plenty of American moms from have the big fudge ‘fail’ at Christmastime!
Stir together the chocolates and marshmallow cream in a big
bowl. Bring the sugar, salt, butter and
evaporated milk to a boil over medium high heat. Boil it or 1 minute, then reduce the heat and
simmer for 7 minutes, stirring it continuously.
Pour this hot syrup over the chocolate and marshmallow cream and stir it
until it is smooth. Add the nuts. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch buttered baking
dish. Let it cool to room temperature. It should be firm.
This recipe is considerably different than the marshmallow
cream fudge recipe that is on the package of marshmallow cream or the package
of chocolate chips! It tastes just about
the same, but Mamie’s recipe isn’t quite as creamy! You’ll enjoy either one!
This is a part of my 2021 project Foods Named after Famous
People. I’ll be sharing it with a couple blog parties, so check out my short
list on my sidebar.
