Fact: Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. To make it easier to remember, the Boomers time frame basically started with the post-war “boom” (which had nothing to do with the Manhattan Project) and ended with the launch of Beatlemania (I made that last part up).

So, yes, I’m a Boomer.

We ate very differently back then. We nearly always dined at home. Slowly, as the ’60s progressed, stay-at-home moms discovered simpler recipes to make than what their mothers and grandmothers used.

For example: Jell-O. Oh, how I hated Jell-O. But I loved making it with Mom: Opening the inner packaging and breathing in some of the flavored, sugary powder as I poured it into the bowl. (Then coughing for about 10 minutes.) Watching Mom carefully pouring in the boiling water. Counting out the ice cubes and dropping them in – and jumping when they cracked loudly.

But that jiggly mass was nearly impossible for me to swallow. Especially when a can of “fruit cocktail” was added during the thickening stage. Gag me with a … oh, wait, that’s two decades later.

Fortunately, other 1960s-era desserts were quite yummy. And still are.

When we lived in Milford, Mom and Dad returned from a night out at a neighbor’s house with a new treat. (Come to think of it, maybe they just had the recipe. I can’t imagine there were leftovers.)

Mom made it for dessert soon after and announced, “This is called Surprise Pie. Can you guess what the surprise is?”

I wasn’t quite four years old, but I remember a wave of suspicion overcoming me. The idea that canned fruit or even some form of Jell-O might be slipped into something called Surprise Pie gave me pause.

Not all surprises are good.

My brothers and I would never have guessed the secret ingredient – not in a million years. It was Ritz Crackers!

When Gary and I got married, I asked Mom to send me some of her recipes as we set up housekeeping.

Now that she’s gone, I’m making some of the old favorites. There’s something comforting about seeing Mom’s handwriting on this Surprise Pie recipe card.

Sidenote: I hardly remember the above-mentioned Susie. My recollection of a friend in Milford, when I was four years old, is a girl across the street named either Annette or Darlene, I don’t remember which. Either way, it sticks in my mind because those were the names of two of the original Mouseketeers. That was something for us Baby Boomers. That was really something.

I have to fess up that I didn’t follow Mom’s recipe exactly, since I realized at the last minute that our cream of tartar tin from 1982 (that I pitched a decade or so ago) had never been replaced. Happily, the recipe (with baking powder instead) is available online:

Surprise Pie

20 Ritz crackers (crushed)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
Cinnamon to taste

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Butter a 9″ pie plate.
3. Crush crackers and walnuts in your mini food processor, adding the baking powder halfway through. (Mom and I used to do this with a rolling pin, using two sheets of wax paper. That should still work just fine.) If you’d rather use pecans, you might want to save some or all to decorate the top.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff, then very slowly add sugar, while continuing to beat. Add vanilla and blend thoroughly.
5. Fold egg whites and cracker mixture together. Spread the filling mixture into the buttered pie plate. Top with pecan halves, if desired, and/or cinnamon.
6. Bake for 30 minutes in 325 oven (the top doesn’t really get brown, it’s more of a meringue). Remove from oven and cool. Top with whipped cream, drizzle with chocolate, or serve with ice cream.

This second Baby Boomers recipe came from another neighbor – this one in Pittsfield.

Mrs. Bencivenga was one heck of a cook. She was a nice grandma and wanted me to call her Mimi, but I just couldn’t do it. (Still can’t.)

My most vivid memory of her was when she broke a patio chair.

One of these:

Mrs. Bencivenga, Mom, and a few other friends were sitting in the patio chairs, sipping lemonade on a hot summer day. I was in our backyard, probably skipping rope.

Suddenly – a shriek!

Then crazy laughter and a loud, “Joe! Joe! Come quick! Joe!” (That was Mr. Bencivenga.)

I dashed next door just in time to see Mrs. Bencivenga, wedged deeply in the frame of her chair. To be fair, as the webbing wore in over the summer, it weakened. As she settled in for a nice visit, Mrs. Bencivenga chose the unlucky chair – the one that was ready to give up the ghost. The webbing gave way and gravity took over. It took Mr. Bencivenga and the ladies several minutes to pull her loose.

That said, the second most vivid memory I have of Mrs. Bencivenga is her unbelievable Mayonnaise Cake recipe.

Once again, I initially viewed the idea of using an ingredient like mayonnaise in a bakery item with great suspicion.

Fear not, though. It’s the best (and easiest) chocolate cake imaginable!

Mimi’s Mayonnaise Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coffee

Put all ingredients into large bowl and mix well. Pour into two 9″ buttered cake pans, a buttered brownie pan or bundt pan, or a bunch of cupcakes papers. Bake in 350-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes (longer for the brownie or bundt pan, shorter for cupcakes). Frost with buttercream frosting.

Ready for one more recipe? Mom saved enough box tops over the months to send away for a free Jell-O cookbook. I was horrified.

But I have to admit that there was one good recipe in the book – Grasshopper Pie – which we made several times.

March 14 is Pi Day. If you already knew that and can recite the value of pi to at least ten digits, you get an extra slice!

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