(Admit it, you're singing the song now. Me too.)
Quick story. So, daughter #1 has started kindergarten in the local Catholic school. Daughter #2 is quite happy to be with me all day long, while I recover from severe morning sickness which has just started to ease ever so slightly with daughter #3's pregnancy.
One night in late September the phone rings. The woman on the other end of the line introduces herself as "The Class Mother" and inquires if I'm coming to Bingo.
Um, excuse me? Bingo?
I sweetly replied, "No thank you."
I think my reply stunned her for a moment. Once she had recovered, she went on to explain that as a parent of a child in the school I was required to work the Thursday night Bingo fundraiser several times a year.
News to me!!!
I explained to her that I was now 7 months pregnant and could not possibly work Bingo. She informed me that many women worked bingo while pregnant. (Not me, I thought.)
As an alternative, she then suggested my husband could do it. I pointed out that he left for work before 5 am and generally returned around 8 pm. So no, he wouldn't be working bingo either.
In the interest of shortening the story.... Fast forward to March and I'm now officially a Bingo Worker.
It is a job I hope never to repeat. I was run off my feet as I used to be as a waitress. We began before 7 pm and by the time we finished up around 11, the cafeteria was a solid haze of smoke, necessitating a shower as soon as I got home.
Trust me, bingo players take their game very seriously. Many arrived early in order to get the same seat each week, while others had lucky charms lined up on the table in front of them. And some of the players could be down right mean. I admit, while close to tears one night, I did point out somewhat loudly to one particularly vocal woman that I was simply a volunteer.
While rumor had it that this weekly event was a solid fundraiser for the school, they did eventually stop running it. To my dismay, they traded it in for a yearly Carnival. But that's another story.
The one positive from this whole experience was "The Crumb Cake." In addition to working the game, each family was responsible for baking and wrapping up a large tray of squares of crumb cake. The recipe was provided to us, so that they could sell uniform pieces to the bingo players.
I can honestly say it is the best crumb cake I have ever eaten in my life.
I used to make it for my extended family when they came for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit.
I've decided it's now time to revive this tradition and to also share the recipe!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cake:
Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
Grease and lightly flour sides and bottom of a 9x12 pan.
Blend cake mix, water, oil and eggs in large bowl at low speed until moistened (about 30 seconds). Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter in pans and bake immediately for 25 minutes.
Crumb:
3 sticks butter
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Melt butter, let cool. Add vanilla and set aside.
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Mix together, then add butter and vanilla mixture.
Continue to mix together with your hands until crumbs form.
Spread on top of cooled yellow cake.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Cool completely, then dust with confectioner's sugar.
Cut into squares.
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