Bread and Milk Sandwiches

This may be my only recipe contribution to the Johnson Cuisine blog. It is simple enough that even I can make it well. There are only two ingredients – milk and homemade bread. (Store-bought bread just doesn't work well). Virtually any homemade bread works well, but Swiss braided bread makes a delectable treat.

Directions: In a good-sized container break large chunks of homemade bread. Pour cold milk over the bread and eat with a soup spoon. Some may prefer a bit of cream mixed in with the milk.

Growing up, my siblings and I often had bread and milk at any time of the day. Rosie has always made wonderful bread and throughout our marriage I have regularly sat down to a great meal of bread and milk. This was also one of my dad's favorite meals. For him a dinner of cold milk and homemade bread was as good as any meal he could buy at expensive restaurants. He would eat it for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner and never tire of it. Often he would call it “bread and milk sandwiches”.

Grant Gill Smith was one of Dad’s classmates at Bear River High School. In 1943 he was in Minneapolis going to school. Dad was serving a mission in Minneapolis at the same time. On June 26, 1943 Grant wrote a letter to his mother and father in which he gives a priceless description of dinner with dad. He writes:

Grant Gill Smith, Vere Johnson, Don Johnson in Minneapolis -- 1943

"When I got there Vere and Elder Lund from Arizona happened to be there by the car line to meet me. They had just dropped downtown for some bread and milk. It happened that Vere and his companion were having four others over for supper. (If I can call it that) they bought 4 quarts of milk and three or four loaves of bread for five of them. (They ate it all) Elder Johnson calls it "bread and milk sandwiches". The idea of bread and milk wasn't so bad but wait till you hear about their equipment. One had a glass, there were two old dippers with long handles and the enamel beat off in spots, another a pan and still they lacked one "so-called" bowl. Vere, who seem to be the "Cook" – his companion was reading the Bible – took a quick look around him and spied a peanut butter bottle – he sniffed the closed up odor and passed it over to another Elder. The bread was broken two and three slices at a time – yet they all ate and laughed, enjoying their feast and reunion immensely."

Dad had a deep love and admiration for his paternal grandfather, Race Alphalus Johnson. Grandpa Johnson had a profound impact on him and he talked often of the lessons he learned in the countless hours they spent together in those formative years. Race loved home-baked bread and milk. He was often heard to say to his wife after a hard day’s work, “Bread my bowl, Lottie, and a little cream.” (When my, Aunt Jan, wrote Race’s history in 1976 she titled it “Bread My Bowl”) I suspect Dad’s love for this simple dish was first planted by his beloved Grandfather Johnson.

I hope “Bread and Milk Sandwiches” becomes one of your favorite meals in the years to come.