By Stacy Whittemore
As we celebrate Mother’s Day this year, we are living in a time of change where we are refocusing on home and hearth. I believe we will look back and see that in a small way it was good as it brought us closer as a family. Across America, we have turned to our kitchens and our parents.
Our lives are shaped by our mothers and the intricate, vibrant fabric of the women in our ancestry. Each woman passed down her wisdom, determination, knowledge, and vision for better lives for their children. Who we are today is shaped by their legacy. Here in the kitchen of Fischer and Wieser, we celebrate the woman who became the legacy of our famous preserves.
Mark Wieser remembers fondly his remarkable mother, Estella Wieser. As a young woman, she helped serve customers in the Central Hotel where her mother managed the hotel and also cooked. When he was a small child his mother would milk cows before breakfast. After preparing a hot breakfast for four growing boys she started bread dough to be ready for when they came in at noon after plowing the fields. During school months Mark only had leftovers from supper for lunch but finished with bread and jelly, what more could one ask for?
His mother insisted everyone be home for holidays. Easter required a ham, Christmas, a turkey stuffed with meat dressing. It was done the night before and cooked all night. The dressing was always one with meat, never cornbread. It took a lot of work, but it was always made with love. She was amazing with all the things she did to prepare meals. Even when Mark started teaching at Fredericksburg High School he came home for lunch. She loved feeding him even into his adulthood and it gave her purpose.
When Mark opened das Peach Haus he asked her to make jellies. Green grape, peach, wild plum, and many more-all the jellies he loved growing up. She laughed when he asked her to make them in half-pint jars. He sold them for 50 cents! She thought people were crazy but quit laughing when he needed more and more. He believes she was astounded that something she had created was enjoyed by so many people. Over the years she loved working at Das Peach Haus. She was great with people and she came to be an integral part of the store. After doing breakfast dishes she would watch over the store while Mark went to plow or tend to the peaches. Mark believes that gradually she felt that his crazy idea of having a roadside market turned out better than she could ever imagine. His only wish is that she could see the legacy she started and how far Das Peach Haus has come.
May we all take a moment to thank our mothers and all the special women in our lives for their unconditional love and support. Here is an easy cobbler recipe to make a sweet treat for your mom made with Fischer and Wieser Limited Edition Caramel Apple Butter.
Fischer and Wieser Carmel Apple Cobbler
Ingredients:
4 cups peeled diced red apples
1 jar Fischer and Wieser Limited Edition Caramel Apple Butter
1 cup apple juice or water
1 box butter pecan cake mix
½ cup butter- (1 stick) melted
Directions:
Mix apples, Fischer and Wieser Caramel Apple Butter, and juice in a medium bowl. Spoon mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle dry cake mix mixture over apple mixture then stir until blended in. Pour melted butter over the top. Bake in at 350 degrees for 35 or 40 minutes or until golden brown.
