They traveled to every continental state, including Alaska and also Canada. For years after Cecil Salley retired from his International Harvester dealership in 1978, he and his wife Willa traveled extensively, pulling their Airstream trailer all across our land. Cecil, who Willa calls her “co-pilot,” died in 1978, but Willa has a fountain of memories of those wonderful trips.
Cecil’s IH dealership was in Salley, and Willa helped him in the business. They had three daughters: Cecilia Salley, who lives in Salley; and Barbara Jean Cuve and Edith Moseley, both of Aiken. There are six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Willa and Cecil began going to the Airstream park in Dade City, Fla., near Tampa many years ago. Since his death, she leaves the travel trailer there all the time and spends about half the year there, with a trip back to Salley for Christmas. She plays golf a lot while in Florida, but back home in Salley it is her large yard that keeps her busy.
Willa is a member of Salley Baptist Church, where Henry Cooper is pastor. The church is in the Edisto Association. She was a member of the choir for many years.
During their years of traveling, one of the places they especially liked was the Pennsylvania Dutch country, and especially their food! Willa says she doesn’t remember seeing even one skinny Amish woman! While there, she bought several of their cookbooks, and it is from the book “Plain and Fancy” that she shares today’s recipe.
Willa Salley
If you are in a part of South Carolina where the peaches were not killed by our late cold weather, you will find good local peaches for this recipe. They should be firm. Or you can use apples. Both should be peeled and thinly sliced.
Strudel is a German dish, usually with pastry on the bottom and a thin crust on top. This dish is a bit different with the crumble top. The strudel can be made on Saturday and served cold, or reheated and topped with whipped cream, ice cream, or milk for a delicious dessert to end … Sunday Dinner.
Peach or Apple Strudel
1 cup sugar
2 cups hot water
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 cups (or more) peeled and thinly sliced fresh peaches or apples
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons (¼ cup) butter
Whipped cream, ice cream, or milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 2-quart baking dish.
Combine the 1 cup of sugar and the 2 cups of hot water in a small pot. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar and make a light syrup. Set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the egg and mix until crumbly. Set aside.
Into the buttered baking dish, put the thinly sliced peaches. There should be a thick layer, so more fruit may be needed.
Mix the cup sugar and the cinnamon, and sprinkle this over the peaches. Dot with little lumps of the butter.
Gently pour the sugar syrup over the peaches, then top with the crumbly flour mixture.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the crust is brown. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or a small amount of milk poured on top.