Pumpkin Pie Squares

Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
2/3 cup butter, melted

Filling:
4 eggs
2 cans (15 oz each) solid pack pumpkin
2 cans (14 oz each) sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all of the crust ingredients in a
large bowl.  Mix until completely combined.
Press into the bottom of a 10inch x 15 inch rimmed baking sheet. Bake for
15 minutes or until crust turns a light golden color.

Meanwhile, mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl.
Pour onto baked crust.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester
inserted into the center of filling comes out clean.  Allow to cool and
serve with whipped cream.

NOTE: I'm omitting the chopped pecans and using oatmeal instead.

Lorraine's Bake Beans

I've posted this recipe before. I usually use FURMAN'S brand in the 7 LB can, but mom bought me BUSH'S BEAN POT in the 7 LB 5 OZ can recently. I prefer FURMAN'S since I make my own bean sauce.

CROCK POT BAKE BEANS

7 Pound can Pork and Beans

1/2 Pound bacon

1 Large Onion chopped

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup Ketchup

2 Tb Mustard wet

2 Tb Worcestershire Sauce

Marjoram

Cut a pound of bacon down the center of the package and then cut one half into 1/2 inch slices. Now cook in a skillet until brown and crispy. Remove most of the bacon grease but leave about 2 TB. Now add the chopped onion and let it cook until soft and golden. Now pour into a small bowl and add the other sauce ingredients and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Make sure you taste this delicious sauce before you refrigerate it. I just LOVE this sauce! It's delicious! I should sell it!
When ready to make the sauce just mix it with the pork and beans (drain 3/4 of the sauce that the beans come in) in the crock pot set on HIGH and forget about for a while.

Bush's Baked Beans- Where's the Beans?

A 7 LB 5 OZ can of BUSH'S Best Bean Pot Baked Beans is not full of beans... I drew off 13 ounces of bean sauce from the can until I reached the level of the beans, before pouring the beans into the crock pot. There was more sauce with the beans, how much I'm not sure. I added my own baked bean sauce consisting of bacon/onion/brown sugar/ketchup/worcestershire sauce/mustard and marjoram.

What I'm really saying here is, you get more filler sauce then in the past.. You don't need all that sauce... it's a rip off. We consumers are plagued by this type of rip off on many food items.

Tortilla Pizza's

I made my best super thin, Burrito sized Tortilla Pizzas today! The secret is prebake the tortilla for 5 minutes at 425 degrees, right on the wire rack of my toaster/convection oven. Then place the slightly crisp tortilla on a oil sprayed baking sheet. Spray the tortilla with olive oil and spread on 1/3 Cup pizza sauce and 3/4 cup Mozzarella/Pizza cheese. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Top is bubbly and browned in spots. Cut on a cutting board before sliding onto a plate. About 600 calories for the whole thing.

Bacon Corn Chowder

1/2 Pound bacon cut in 1/2" pieces

3 Cups fresh cut Corn or use canned corn

1 pound ring of Kielbasi cut in small pieces

2 Cups diced potatoes

1 onion diced

1 Cup celery diced

2 cups half and half

2 Cups water

Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Seasoned Salt
Hot Shot

Brown bacon and drain, add onion and celery and cook until soft.
Get a large pot and throw in bacon mixture, kielbasi, potatoes, water and seasoning.
After potatoes are tender add the half and half, and cook a while longer over low heat before serving.
(I would use a crock pot!)

NOTE: My mother made this soup and it was DELICIOUS! I wanted to eat it again for supper tonight but there wasn't much left!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

TOPPING:
 

3/4 Cup Flour

 

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon

4-5 TB Tb butter-melted

BATTER:

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 and 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 and 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

3/4 Cup softened Butter (Do NOT substitute with veggie oil as it changes the soft texture of the cake)

1 and 1/2 Cup sugar

3 eggs

1and 1/2 Cups Sour Cream

2 tsp Vanilla

GLAZE - optional mix until smooth, drizzle on cake.

1/2 Cup Butter
2 Cups 10X Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1-2 TB Milk.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour tube pan.

Mix strusel topping and set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar with a mixer, then add eggs, vanilla, sour cream.

Mix b. soda, b. powder and salt into flour and stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix well but do not over beat. This makes a thick batter.

Now spread half the batter in a greased tube an, and sprinkle on 1/2 the streusel topping.  Now repeat with the other half of the batter and topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done when tested with knife or toothpick.

Sourdough Starter

So I find this WordPress Cooking Blog in Facebook called Eat the Roses. Veronika had a sourdough foccocia recipe, but hadn't posted the sourdough starter recipe, so I e-mailed he about it and she posted it later. I made my  starter with my PUMPERNICKEL FLOUR (Whatever that is!) Since I had no whole wheat four and Rye is acceptable. I wonder what else is in the pumpernickel flour bedsides rye flour? I have to call the store owner to find out. I prefer 100% rye flour. The thing is the starter consists of approximately 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour. Rye flour absorbs more liquid than all purpose flour or bread flour, so I added a little more and it's still very heavy and pasty. I hope it ferments okay. I need to add a tsp of yogurt water I think. She suggested we add that IF it doesn't ferment right. I don't like the idea of adding pineapple juice as she suggests.

Cast Iron Skillet Care

I love my cast iron skillets. I have 4, two 8", a 9" and a 12" That's it... I use the small one for a single burger, and it always burns on the bottom from the crusty burger and burnt on cheese and fat.
Here's how I clean it:  I let it cool off a little and fill it with water with NO dish soap and let it soak 10 minutes, and ONLY 10 minutes, or else it will rust! So I put the timer on. When I return I scrape out the bottom of the skillet with a metal spatula and then with a "Golden Fleece" pot scrubber. Then I dry it out and place it on a burner on the stove and turn it on for a minute or two. When it cools down some I spray the inside of the skillet with oil spray. I prefer Olive Oil Spray.

Salt Potatoes

I had my first SALT POTATOES Saturday along with a Pork Slider and a few bites of a Brisket Slider to taste. It tasted as though they were made with garlic butter.  The recipe was simple.. 4 pounds of small potatoes and 1 pound of salt added to the boiling water. I would dread wasting all that salt just to make enough potatoes for one meal. I do make my Garlic Raw Fries, and was more impressed with them actually. I think just boiling some potatoes with the skin on in regular salted water.. (a Tsp to a TB) and tossing the cooked potatoes in garlic butter would make an equally good side dish, they just wouldn't be as soft and fluffy.

Helpful Hints- Freezer Bags

I make pizza from scratch quite often and constantly throw out the shredded cheese bags. About a month ago I ran out of quart size Ziplock bags so on a whim I decided to wash and dry a bag and use it to freeze my hamburger patties which I shape myself and freeze on a jelly roll pan. I always place about 4 frozen burgers in a one quart freezer bag, and found the recycled cheese bags work just as well.

Canned Salmon Burgers

• (16 ounce) can salmon, drained and flaked
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•  
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 pinch dried basil

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the salmon, eggs, parsley, onion, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of basil, and red pepper flakes. Form into 6 firmly packed patties, about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the patties, and cook for 4 minutes per side, or until nicely browned.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of basil. Use as a sauce for your patties.

NOTE: I found this recipe in Allrecipes.com. I removed all the bones, even though they are calcium for my diet. My sister told me a little lemon juice in a fish dish helps cut the fishy flavor. This recipe has 2 TBS!! Way more than I usually add 1 tsp when making tuna salad, I hope it tastes okay when I cook it shortly. I should have just added 1 TB! I also added onion powder instead of raw onion and left out the basil and parsley since it's already in the Italian bread crumbs. I regret not adding the red pepper flakes.

PS: This recipe only made 4 burgers since I used a 1/2 cup dry measure to divide the salmon mixture. When I make my own hamburgers or turkey burgers to freeze I always measure out a 1/2 cup dry measure because it weighs 1/4 pound.

Baker's Ginger Snaps (TAC)

Boil all together the following ingredients:  Two cups of brown sugar, two cups of cooking molasses, one cup of shortening, which should be part butter, one large tablespoonful of ginger, one tablespoonful of ground cinnamon, and one teaspoonful of cloves; remove from fire and let cool. In the meantime sift four cup of flour and stir part of it into the above mixture. Now dissolve a teaspoonful of soda in a tablespoonful of warm water and beat this into the mixture, stir in the remainder of the flour, and make stiff enough to roll into long rolls about once inch in diameter, and curt of from the end in 1/2 inch pieces. Place them on well buttered tins, giving plenty of room to spread. Bake in a moderate oven. Let cool before taking out of the tins.

NOTE: I was missing the part of the page that mentioned the amount of cloves, but since it's a strong spice I wrote in 1 tsp. If you think that is too much make it half a tsp. Did you notice there are no eggs in this recipe?

Flour Tortilla's

2 Cups Unbleached Flour

2 TB Shortening

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 Cup Warm Water, maybe a teaspoon more at a time..if needed if too dry.

Mix dry ingredients.
Rub in the shortening, like with pie dough, then add the warm water. If the dough feels too dry add another tsp or TB if needed.
Knead 20 times and let rest 20 minutes.

Cut into 8 equal pieces and roll into balls, roll out into 10 inch circles. (I found it hard to get a large enough tortilla, so I took one small ball and divided it 7 ways to make the balls larger), THEN I rolled them out on a lightly floured counter. I constantly turned the dough only rolling toward me and away from me, probably only 9 inches at the most.

Cook in a dry ungreased skillet 30 seconds on each side. (I cooked on medium low heat ( more on the low side) 1 minute on each side.

Eat them immediately or stack on a plate and refrigerate to cool them if not eating that day.

Custard Ice-Cream (TAC)

Sweeten one quart of cream or rich milk with half a pound of sugar, and flavor to taste; put it over the fire in a  farina-kettle; as soon as it begins to boil, stir into a tablespoonful of cornstarch or rice flour which has been previously mixed smooth with a little milk; after it has boiled a few minutes, take it off the fire and stir in very gradually six eggs which have been beaten until thick; when quite cold freeze it as ice-cream.

NOTE:  I would temper my beaten eggs with some of the hot liquid before pouring them into the custard. Other ice cream recipes in this book have one pound of sugar to 1 quart of cream. Should we add the same amount?

NOTE:  A Farina Kettle is a Double-Boiler

Garlic Raw Fried Potatoes

Potatoes- as many as you want

3 TB Canola Oil

4 large cloves Garlic- sliced thick

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper

Scrub and dry potatoes but don't peel them.

Place oil in a cast iron skillet and coat bottom, then turn on low heat while you cut the potatoes in 1/2" cubes, and slice the garlic- not too thin!
Turn the heat up a little and add potatoes in a single layer, garlic, salt and pepper, cover with a lid and turn and stir every few minutes until potatoes are steamed tender. (Takes about 10 minutes) Sprinkle on about 1/4 tsp garlic powder, then remove the lid and let brown and crisp up nicely, flipping and turning several times. This takes another 10-15 minutes.

NOTE: This is my own recipe. I've made it in the past using canned whole potatoes, drained, patted dry and sliced thick.

Baking Bread

I'm baking a batch of Sourdough Potato Bread in the morning. It won't be very sour because the sponge will only have fermented for about 12 hours, but you know what? I might like it better that way.  I'm using 1/2 Cup Potato Flakes, they seem to work fine in my regular white bread, so why not Sourdough? 

Methelin or Honey Wine (TAC)

   This is a very ancient and popular drink in the north of Europe.  To some new honey, strained, add spring water; put a whole egg into it; boil this liquor till the egg swims above the liquor; strain, pour it in a cask.  To every fifteen gallons add two ounces of white Jamaica Ginger, bruised, one ounce of cloves and mace, one and a half ounces of cinnamon, all bruised together, and tied up in a muslin bag; accelerate the fermentation with yeast; when worked sufficiently, bung up in six weeks draw off into bottles.
   Another Mead.-- Boil the combs, from which the honey has been drained, with sufficient water to make a tolerably sweet liquor; ferment this with yeast, and proceed as per previous formula.
   Sack Mead is made by adding a handful of hops and sufficient brandy to the comb liquor.

NOTE: I can't imagine making this recipe even 1/15th or a gallon of it for a trial run without knowing the amount of honey and yeast.

To Make Tea (TAC)

Allow two teaspoonfuls of tea to one large cupful of boiling water.  Scald the teapot, put in the tea, pour on about a cupful of boiling water, set it on the fire in a warm place where it will not boil, but keep very hot, to almost boiling; let it steep or "draw" ten or twelve minutes.  Now fill up with as much boiling water as required.  Send hot to the table.  It is better to use a china or porcelain teapot, but if you do use a metal let it be tin, new, bright and clean; never use it when the tin is worn off and the iron exposed.  If you do you are drinking tea-ate of iron.
   To make tea to perfection, boiling water must be poured on the leaves directly as it boils.  Water which has been boiling more than five minutes, or which has previously boiled, should on no account be used.  If the water does not boil, or if it be allowed to overboil, the leaves of the tea will only be half-opened and the tea itself will be quite spoiled.  The water should be allowed to remain on the leaves for from ten to fifteen minutes.
   A Chinese being interviewed for the Cook says: Drink your tea plain. Don't add milk or sugar.  Tea-brokers and tea-tasters never do, epicures never do; the Chinese never do.  Milk contains fibrin, albumen or some other stuff, and the tea delicate amount of tannin.  Mixing the two makes the liquid turbid.  This turbidity, if I remember the cyclopaedia aright, is tannate of fibrin, or leather. People who put milk in tea are therefore drinking boots and shoes in milk disguise.

German Potato Pancakes

4 Medium Sized Potatoes

3 Eggs

1/2 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Onion Powder (My addition), or add 1/4 cup finely chopped Onion.

Pare the potatoes and grate them.
Add beaten eggs and milk and sifted dry ingredients.
Drop by spoon into a hot greased frying pan.
Bake until a golden brown on both sides.
Makes 10-12 cakes.

NOTE: I used 6 smaller potatoes. Probably about 3-4 cups shredded. I did not peel my potatoes, and I shredded them with a box grater and soaked them in cold water for about 5 minutes. Then I drained them well by pushing down on them in a colander and added the remaining ingredients. I drained the fried potato pancakes on a brown grocery bag. I think since I used a glass bowl the potatoes did not turn brown or maybe it was the soaking in water?.

They got a 2 thumbs up from my husband.

 From the Mennonite Community Cookbook (1950)

Cocoanut Candy (TAC)

One Cocoanut, one and one- half pounds of granulated sugar. Put sugar and milk of cocoanut together, heat slowly until sugar is melted, then boil five minutes; add cocoanut (finely grated), boil 10 minutes longer, stir constantly to keep from burning. Pour on buttered plates, cut in squares. Will take about 2 days to harden. Use prepared cocoanut when other cannot be had.

English Breakfast Tea

Any meal or snack accompanied by a hot cup of  TETLEY'S ENGLISH BREAKFAST TEA with a spoonful of sugar and enough milk to lighten it is a winner if you ask me! If I can't find Tetley's English Breakfast tea RED ROSE will do.

Crullers

Mix and sift:

4 Cups Flour

1 Cup Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Baking Soda
 ****************

Beat 1 Egg and add to

1 Cup Sour Cream.

Mix in the flour mixture and knead lightly.
Turn out onto floured board, roll out and cut with doughnut cutter.
Fry in deep hot fat.
Drain on unglazed paper.

NOTE: This was another handwritten recipe. Maybe even my great grandma's.

Grape Butter (TAC)

1 Quart Grapes

3 & 1/2 Cups Sugar

1 TB Water

Boil 20 minutes, put through a colander and then in jars.

NOTE: I suppose she means push through a sieve  to remove skins and seeds and place in sterilized jars.  I thought this would be cooked longer than that like you do apple butter. This was an old handwritten recipe.

Mary's Baked Chicken

NOTE: I grew up eating this chicken. My mom (Mary), used to serve this dish at least once a week for the longest time when we were kids. I just made some the last night. My son and I really love this dish!

Bone in, skin on chicken pieces

Margarine or Butter melted

Paprika

Garlic Powder

Salt

Pepper

Use bone in, skin on chicken. Arrange in baking pan.
Brush or pour chicken with melted margarine or butter.

Sprinkle liberally with Paprika, not too heavy with the garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. The skin will be crispy and the meat will be tender.

I personally prefer chicken thighs for this dish. The meat is always juicy and tender even if you reheat it the next day.

Bread Bags - what do you use?

I reuse Maier's Italian bread bags and even hamburger and hot dog roll bags to wrap my own loaves of homemade bread. I wash them in soapy water, rinse well and dry them by hand and then again hanging up inside out. How do you wrap your homemade breads?

Gwladys Jones Welsh Cookies

4 Cups Flour

1 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp Salt

1 and 1/2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Currents

2 Eggs beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 Cup Shortening

Sift dry ingredients- Except sugar,
Cut in shortening like making pie dough.
ADD:
Sugar and currents and mix.
THEN ADD:
Milk and eggs, and form into a ball.
Roll dough 1/4" thick. Cook on moderate griddle until brown on both sides.
Coat with sugar before cooling on rack.

NOTE: This is a real Welsh Recipe from Great Grandpa Jones side of the family.

Meat Ball Pie For Fifty

Meatballs:

6 lbs Hamburger

6 eggs beaten

2 tsp Salt

1 Cup Chili Sauce

3/4 Cup Milk
********************
1/2 Cup Cooking Oil  for browning or baking meatballs.
********************

Gravy and Vegetables:

1 and 1/2 Cups Flour

2 TB Salt

2 Quarts Vegetable Juice

3 Quarts Mixed Vegetables
********************
Bisquick Mix- large box

Milk to make the biscuits
********************
Form meat balls into 1 and 1/2" balls, brown in 1/2 cup cooking oil (I would just bake them in 2 jelly roll pans in the divided oil at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or so)  You need the oil the make the gravy, don't omit it to save calories. Divide the meatballs between two foil pans.

Now pour the oil and drippings into a large pot and add the flour, whisk smooth over the heat and add the vegetable juice and salt then whisk until thickened.
Note: the recipe doesn't say whether to use canned or frozen veggies. If I used frozen I'd cook 10 minutes separately or in the gravy before diving between the two pans. Maybe you could use a large foil pan instead of two.

Divide the gravy and veggies between the two pans and stir to mix with meatballs.

Make Bisquick biscuits and place on top before baking at 450 degrees for 25 minutes. Serves 50

NOTE:Use your favorite biscuits if you don't like Bisquick ones.

Taken from 365 Ways to Cook Hamburger by Doyne Nickerson

Mexican Goulash for Fifty

3 lbs Hamburger

3 lbs Pork Sausage

6 Cups Chopped Onion

2 Cups Chopped Green Peppers

Brown in a large heavy skillet and set aside.

To Make White Sauce:

1 and1/2 Cups of Meat Drippings

3 Cups Flour

1 TB Salt

1 tsp Pepper

Cook over low heat until mixture bubbles.
Stir in 2 Quarts Milk and continue stirring until mixture begins to boil.

Combine:

Meat Mixture

3 Quarts White Sauce

3 Quarts Cooked Tomatoes

1 and 1/2 Pounds Uncooked Macaroni

1/4 Cup Chili Powder

1 and 1/2 TB Salt.

Cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often. Serves 50.


VARIATION: Place mixture in 4 baking pans and bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes.

NOTE: I would cook the macaroni separate to al dente and drain before mixing in the FOIL baking pans. You could do this ahead of time for the homeless shelter.

Taken from 365 WAYS TO COOK HAMBURGER by Doyne Nickerson

Superior Bread Puddings (TAC)

One and one-half cupfuls of white sugar; two cupfuls of fine, dry bread crumbs, five eggs, one tablespoonful of butter, vanilla, rose water or lemon flavoring, one quart of fresh, rich milk, and one half a cupful of jelly or jam.  Rub the butter into a cupful of sugar; beat the yolks very light, and stir these together to a cream.  The bread-crumbs soaked in milk come next, then the flavoring. Bake in a buttered pudding dish- int  a large one, and but two thirds full- until the custard is "set."  Draw to the mouth of the oven, spread over with jam or other nice fruit conserve. Cover this with meringue made of the whipped whites and half a cupful of sugar.  Shut the oven, and bake until the meringue begins to color. Eat cold, with cream. In strawberry season, substitute a pint of fresh fruit for preserves. It is delicious. Serve with any warm sauce.

Burn Care

To draw fire out of a burn spread with soda. Then wrap with muslin. Than pore cole oil over it.

NOTE: I don't recommend following these directions but thought it was amusing to read. Does she mean "cold" or "coal" oil? I don't know how much baking soda though.. In order to "spread" soda I suppose it must be made into a paste with water? :  )

Puffed Rice Candy (From very old notebook)

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Water

A Little Cream of Tartar

1 TB Vinegar

2 TB Butter

Boil for ten minutes

3 Cups of Puffed Rice


NOTE: This is the entire recipe word for word I found in a very old notebook with a linen fabric cover. The pages are falling apart. This one was written with a fountain pen. 

This is  similar to Carmel Popcorn.

Puff Balls (TAC)

A piece of butter the size of an egg, stirred until soft; add three well beaten eggs, a pinch of salt, and half a teacup full of sour cream. Stir well together, then add enough flour to make a thick batter. Drop a spoonful of this into boiling water. Cook until the puffs rise to the surface. Dish them hot with melted butter turned over them. Nice accompaniment to a meat dinner as a side dish- similar to plain macaroni.

NOTE: A real, old fashioned China tea cup holds 6 Ounces if filled to the brim. That's 3/4 cup.. so whats half of that? 3 ounces or a rounded 1/3 cup? I bet they would taste good cooked in broth or soup.

My PRESTO Pressure Cooker

I grew up watching my mother use a pressure cooker. She would make venison roasts quite often in one, plus beef cubes and gravy and even beef stew. So when I got married the first time in 1979 I requested mom get me a pressure cooker for a wedding shower gift. It was a PRESTO brand aluminum pot with a long handle on the side of the lid and the pot that had to lined up in order to seal the pot correctly. That pot lasted me a good 23 years when the plastic handle broke off the lid. I was disgusted with the design anyway so shortly after that time I bought myself a stainless steel Presto PRIDE Pressure cooker in 2003.  It has two short rounded handles on each side of the pot and lid.  and after 9 years I'm still pleased with it. I just used it today to cook some venison, a roast and a steak. I only cooked it 40 minutes and it seems tender enough but another 10 minutes wouldn't have hurt. After the meat was cooked I removed it from the pot and added more chicken soup base and some peeled carrot sticks which I brought up to steam and cooked a mere 4 minutes to cook them tender and infuse them with venison juices. Then I removed them from the pot and made gravy by adding flour water poured through a small sieve to catch any lumps before I quickly stirred the gravy with a whisk. It seemed too thick so I added more water as I whisked it. Now all I need are some instant mashed potatoes and I have a meal.. LOL

Lorraine's Cheesecake

I customized this from the Philly Cream Cheese Cheesecake cookbook.

4 (8 oz) pkg Cream Cheese

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Sour Cream

2 Eggs plus 3 egg Whites

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 heaping TB Cornstarch

Make the graham cracker crust first and place it in a 10 inch spring-form pan.

Preheat oven to 325-350 degrees after you make the crust. Like 340 degrees really- less than 350, but more than 325.. I know weird.. BUt if you have a hot oven just use 325 degrees.

Soften the all four pkgs cream cheese in the microwave for 60 seconds if you need to.
Beat the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth and creamy on medium speed, then add the two eggs and 3 egg whites, mix until smooth.

Now add the sour cream, cornstarch and vanilla. Pour into a oil sprayed spring-form pan using your favorite graham cracker crust recipe.

I usually wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil in case the butter in the crust drips.

Place a glass baking dish half full of hot water on the very bottom rack, then place the cheesecake on the rack above in the middle of the oven. Let it bake for at least an hour, then turn off the oven. Now take it out of the oven and check it. If the center seems jiggly just leave it in the hot turned off oven for 20 minutes of so. Hopefully it won't crack on you.

Onion Soup (TAC) unusual

One quart of milk, six large onions, yolks of four eggs, three tablespoonfuls of butter, a large one of flour, one cupful of cream, salt and pepper.  Put the butter in a frying pan. Cut the onions into thin slices and drop into the butter.  Stir until they begin to cook; then cover tight and set back where they will simmer but not burn, for half and hour. Now put the milk on to boil, and then add the dry flour to the onions and stir constantly for three minutes over the fire, then turn the mixture into the milk and cook fifteen minutes.  Rub the soup through a strainer; return to the fire, season with salt and pepper.  Beat the yolks of the eggs well, add the cream to them and stir in the soup. Cook three minutes, stirring constantly. If you have no cream, use milk, in which case add a tablespoon of butter at the same time. Pour over fried croutons in a soup tureen. This is a refreshing dish when one is fatigued.

The Ledger

I bought a small piece of property 2 doors up from my parents, it belonged to relatives. When my aunt bought the old lean too house it included an old tannery store ledger from the late 1880's, filled with great recipes. I still have that ledger, even though we tore down the old house and built a new one years ago.  I copied down most of the recipes before I donated the ledger to the local county historical society. Now I wish I had it back. Perhaps it wasn't a permanent loan.. I'll have to call and find out. I would like to scan the whole book now and give it back for safe keeping if I feel like it.. maybe I made a mistake.. you know? I'll post some of the recipes.. most of them are for sweets.

Yummy Childhood Memories

I grew up in a small town in North East Penna. on a dead end. The house was old, and cold and drafty with a coal furnace in the dirt floor cellar. Dad had to rip off the old wood shingles and re-roof the whole house. In the 70's the old house stood on stilts as a new cinder block basement was built underneath by my dad and his friend who taught him masonry.  I remember bats flying around the house form the attic, and an old coal stove in the kitchen.. the pipe ran through the ceiling into the bedroom I shared with my sister. An old drunk dies of the DT's in our bedroom many years earlier before I was born, but I swear it was NOT a haunted room or house.. although the old steam radiators did sound like a man deep breathing in his sleep. I remember us kids running though the corn field being the house and getting yelled at by the farmer.. Later I'd run through the alfalfa he planted as I took a shortcut to my cousins house.. and get yelled at for that too.

Do I remember the food I ate back then? Let's see.. Mom made baked chicken every Sunday for a while.. It was a whole chicken cut up and coated with melted margarine and sprinkled with garlic salt, paprika and pepper. I still LOVE that chicken.. so does my son now..MOM makes it for my dad's family reunion every year..I make it with chicken thighs every once in a while.. try it sometime.. it's very moist! Bake it for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

I remember Dinner In A Bowl..  A Stew/Soup.. with Italian sausage, ham, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and onions.. Very tasty..

And venison roasts cooked in a pressure cooker.. the gravy was VERY rich and strongly flavored. The pressure cooker makes it so tender it falls off the bones. I cook my Beef roasts the same way. A 2 pound chuck roast cooks for at least 45 minutes, then I remove the meat and cook at least 3 pounds of carrots in the beef juices for a mere 4 minutes in the pressure cooker before making the gravy to serve over the meat and mashed potatoes. I admit to using instant potatoes from time to time.. No one cares! That's the whole meal:  beef, carrots mashed potatoes and gravy. I use onion powder, Mrs. Dash Original, and beef broth the cook the roast in the pressure cooker. Many times now I've used Chicken Soup Base instead of broth.. It's cheaper..

I remember Dad going to the corner store and buying Hershey's Ice cream for himself and Fudgo's and Orange Blossoms and chocolate coated vanilla ice cream for us kids.. Did would eat half a gallon one night and the other half the next night..  Even cutting the box in half to save himself the dirty bowl. Many a time he's pored Root beer or dark birch beer soda over a bowl of ice cream. He kept adding more soda as he ate.. He still does that.. LOL

When I was growing up my main meal for breakfast was "COCOA AND TOAST" We ate and drank so much of it Mom made her own instant cocoa powder mix from Carnation instant milk, coffee mate and Nestle's sweetened cocoa powder.. We just added boiling water and milk to cool it down. Then she'd go down town to the nearest bread bakery and buy day old bread every week. At least 8 loaves of bread.. I'm not kidding. My older sister and I ate 4 sliced of margarine slathered toast with our cocoa. I dunked my toast in the hot cocoa I still do today. Mom bought one pound bricks of margarine. Us kids didn't even like butter back then..But we love it now.. LOL My youngest sister and I are the only ones to eat COCOA AND TOAST  these days. It's best to use reconstituted evaporated milk, Hershey's dark cocoa powder sweetened with sugar and crunchy toasted homemade bread with real butter.

I can go on and on about food from the good old days..

Salt-Rising Bread (TAC)

This recipe would be good if you had no yeast, although it takes quite a while to make.

SALT-RISING BREAD

While getting breakfast in the morning, as soon as the tea-kettle has boiled, take a quart tin cup or an earthen quart milk pitcher, scald it, then fill one-third full of water about as warm as the finger could be held in; then to this add a teaspoonful of salt, a pinch of brown sugar and coarse flour enough to make a batter of about the right consistency for griddle-cakes.  Set the cup with the spoon in it, in a closed vessel half-filled with water, moderately hot, but not scalding. Keep the temperature as nearly even as possible, and add a teaspoonful of flour once or twice during the process of fermentation. The yeast ought to reach the top of the bowl in about 5 hours. Sift your flour into a pan, make an opening in the centre, and pour in your yeast. Have ready a pitcher of warm milk, salted, or milk and water, (not too hot, or you could scald the yeast germs,)  and stir rapidly into a pulpy mass with a spoon.  Cover this sponge closely and and keep warm for an hour, then knead into loaves, adding flour to make the proper consistency. Place in warm, well greased pans, cover closely, and leave till it is light. Bake in a steady oven, and when done let all the hot steam escape. Wrap closely in damp towels, and keep in closed earthen jars until wanted.
This in our grandmother's time used to be considered the prize bread, on account of it's being sweet and wholesome, and required no prepared yeast to make it. Nowadays yeast-bread is made with very little trouble, as the yeast can be procured at any grocery.

NOTE: Well.. what do you think?. A 'pinch of brown sugar'? I'd add a TB at least.  Coarse flour is whole wheat I suppose, but whole grain rye would work as it ferments even better. No real measurements on the salt and milk..  How much is 1/3 of a quart of water? 10 ounces approx? There is no fat added to make the crumb tender.. Did she use "coarse flour" in the whole recipe?  
I have seen other salt rising breads made with at least a tablespoon of salt.

Raisin Pie - 9 inch

3 Cups Raisins

1 and 1/2 Cups water

1 Cup Sugar

4 Tb Cornstarch

1 Tb Flour

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Salt

1 Tb Cider or White Vinegar or lemon juice

2 Tb Butter (optional)

Boil the raisins and water 5 minutes.

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, flour, salt and cinnamon. Stir into the boiling raisin mixture, and continue stirring as it boils and thickens and the juice runs clear, about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in the vinegar or lemon juice and butter and let cool for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Then roll out the pie dough and place in the pie dish. Trim the edges to a 1/2 inch overhang and pour in the raisin filling. Wet the bottom crust edges and place the top crust on, and trim so 1/2" hangs over, then fold under and press a decorative edge.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool before cutting for at least 5 hours.

Grape Pie (TAC)

Did you ever hear of such a thing as Grape Pie? Boy do I love The American Cookbook. Here's the recipe:

GRAPE PIE
Pop the pulps out of the skins into one dish, and put the skins into another. Then simmer the pulp a little over the fire to soften it; remove it and rub through a colander to separate the seeds. Then put the skins and pulp together and they are ready for pies or for canning or putting in jugs for further use. Fine for pies.

NOTE: What do you think? How would we go about making a pie with the pulp and skins? Cook it with sugar, flour and lemon juice? Or cook it with sugar and cornstarch? It sounds very interesting. Since we have seedless grapes now should we still separate the pulp from the skin, then cook it and puree it? Hmm

Thin Crust Pizza 16"

7 OZ warm water,
1 level tsp dry Yeast,
2 tsp Sugar,
1 tsp Salt,
2 TB Olive or Canola Oil,
2-3 cups Bread Flour, (I never measured)

Stir the yeast and one tsp sugar into warm water and let proof for a few minutes.. Just so it starts bubbling a little.. .

In a medium sized bowl add the other tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 2 TB veg. oil. Now add the yeast water and stir, then start adding bread flour a scoop at a time until it forms a shaggy ball. Now remove from the bowl and knead in more flour until it no longer sticks to the counter. Knead 100 turns, and place the dough in an oil sprayed bowl and spray the top of the dough ball too. Cover with plastic wrap or a cloth and let rise in the oven with a light on too keep it warm. Let rise an hour.

 While the dough is rising prepare the pizza pan by olive oil spraying it and sprinkling with corn meal and set aside.  I use the Frugal Gourmet's perforated 16" pan I bought years ago. I also brown my sausage or cut veggies for the pizza while I wait.

After an hour light the oven to 450 degrees and remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured counter and roll out into a large circle with a long rolling pin. quickly transfer the dough to the prepared pizza pan and stretch to fit the pan, and give a small outer crust which will be very crispy after baking. Poke the crust with a fork all over and once the oven is heated bake the naked crust for 6 minutes.

While that bakes get out your sauce and cheeses. I use 8 OZ of shredded whole milk Mozzarella and 8 OZ of sharp or medium cheddar cheese and Walmart brand pizza sauce.

  After the crust bakes 6 minutes remove from the oven and pop any bubbles and flatten them with a hot pad. Now spray the crust with olive oil spray and spread the pizza sauce on the crust then spread out the cheeses, add the toppings and return the pie to the oven to bake for 20 minutes. The pie will be nicely browned and bubbly when it comes out of the oven. Let cool 7 minutes before cutting.                                                                                                                                                      

Cookbooks 06/16/2012

I went to an annual library book sale today. I bought my usual novels and trade paperbacks, a spiritual book about people "passing over" and of course some cookbooks. My daughter teaches cooking since she's a Family and Consumer Science Teacher so I end up giving her quite a few every year. Since my daughter is half Polish/Slovak she gets the POLISH COOKERY The Universal Cook Book by Marja Ochorowicz-Monatowa. For myself I'm keeping the MENNONITE COMMUNITY COOKBOOK Favorite Family Recipes by Mary Emma Showalter printed in 1950, and BEARD ON BREAD by James Beard.

German Bread (TAC)

One pint of milk well boiled, one teacup of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of nice lard or butter, two thirds of a teacupful of baker's yeast. Make a rising with the milk and yeast; when light, mix in the sugar and shortening, with flour enough to make a soft dough as can be handled. Flour the paste-board well, roll out about one half inch thick; put this quantity into two large pan; make about a dozen indentures with the finger on the top; put a small piece of butter in each, and sift over the whole one tablespoonful of sugar mixed with one teaspoonful of cinnamon. Let this stand for a second rising; when perfectly light bake in a quick oven fifteen or twenty minutes.
NOTE: A pint of milk is 2 cups, so I would use one pack of dried yeast (2 & 1/4 tsp) or at the most 3 tsp dried yeast, in place of the homemade BAKER'S YEAST. 

A quick oven is hotter than a "Moderate" (350) oven. I would bake at 400 degrees and see how it turns out.

NOTE: This recipe reminds me of some very delicious coffeecakes my old Sunday school teacher used to make. Since she passed away many years ago, no one had made them since. The only difference is, she placed a layer of sour cream perhaps sweetened with sugar, on top of the indentations instead of butter and sprinkled the top with cinnamon. I remember them only rising as high as the aluminum pie tins she baked them in. 

Home-Made Yeast (TAC)

Boil six large potatoes in three pints of water. Tie a handful of hops in a small muslin bag and boil with the potatoes; when thoroughly cooked drain the water on enough flour to make a thin batter; set this on the stove or range and scald it enough to cook the flour, (this makes the yeast keep longer), remove it from the fire, and when cool enough, add the potatoes mashed, also half a cup of sugar, half a tablespoon of ginger, two of salt and a teacupful of yeast. Let it stand in a warm place until it has thoroughly risen, then put in a large mouthed jug, and cork tightly; set away in a cool place. The jug be scalded before putting in the yeast. two-thirds of a coffeecupful of this yeast will make four loaves.

Rye Bread Recipe from The American Cookbook (TAC)

To a quart of warm water stir as much wheat flour as will make a smooth batter; stir into it half a gill of home-made yeast, and set it in a warm place to rise; This is called setting a sponge; let it be mixed in some vessel which will contain twice the quantity; in the morning, put three pounds and a half of rye flour into a bowl or tray, make a hollow in the centre, pour in the sponge, add a dessertspoonful of salt, and a half a small teaspoon soda, dissolved in a little water; make the whole into a smooth dough, with as much warm water as may be necessary; knead it well, cover it, and let it set in a warm place for three hours; then knead it again, and make it into two or three loaves; bake in a quick oven one hour, if made in two loaves, or less if the loaves are smaller.

The American Cookbook printed in 1889

My cousin recently gave me a rather worn out and damaged copy of THE AMERICAN COOKBOOK written by Mrs. F. L. Gillette and printed in 1889. It's a very fascinating cookbook. All recipes were cooked over a wood or coal stove. I will add some recipes from the book from time to time, and you'll find them under THE AMERICAN COOKBOOK RECIPES label.

Fried Corn (TAC)

Cut the corn off the cob, taking care not to bring off any of the husk with it, and to have the grains as separate as possible. Fry in a little butter-just enough to keep it from sticking to the pan; stir very often. When nicely browned, add salt, pepper, and a little rich cream. Do not set it near the stove after the cream is added as it will be apt to turn. This makes a nice dinner or breakfast dish.

Pumpernickel Flour? What the heck is that?

Yes, I'm still making Sourdough breads. I usually make a Rye Sour or Sponge made with raw onions, but next time I'm making a Milwaukee Sourdough Rye, no onions in the sponge. I have plenty of Rye bread in the freezer, but I'm itching to try that "Pumpernickel" flour Mom picked up for me at the local Co-Op grocer. The store owner suggested Mom buy that since she was out of rye flour. I was NOT a happy baker when I saw that flour which is lighter in color than the rye. I imagine she added bread flour to the "pumpernickel flour" You see in my Bread Cookbook there's no such thing as "Pumpernickel flour" You just use Rye flour and add Cocoa powder and the typical rye bread ingredients. (Personally I doubt if the Russian peasants added expensive and heard to find cocoa to their pumpernickel bread). In fact I'm not a fan of that bread. I like seeded Rye. The flour wasn't too expensive- not quite $5.00, but I feel like I should use it.. and not waste it. But I really wanted the Dark Rye flour I asked mom to pick up, which was the same price by the way. I was thrilled to get 3 OZ of caraway seeds for a mere $1.50! (Can you believe that price!?) I was thrilled.

Sourdough Rye Bread ( 3 Day Sponge)

I made some real rye bread and even I was impressed with the results.

Sourdough Rye Bread (Sponge)

SPONGE:

2 cups Rye Flour

1 pkg dry Yeast (2 tsp)

1 TB Caraway Seeds

1 and 1/2 Cups Warm water

1 Onion coarsely chopped (optional)

If adding one chopped Onion, try tying it up in cheesecloth but remove after 24 hours. (This addition is included in a Rye Sour Starter but can be used in this sponge also. I threw it into the batter and sieved out the onions after 24 hours).(LB)

Mix ingredients until smooth cover with plastic wrap to hold in moisture. Allow to ferment 6 hours at least or up to 3 days- the longer the better.

DOUGH:

2 Cups Rye Flour

3-4 Cups Bread Flour

1 Cup Hot Water

1 Pkg or 2 tsp dry Yeast

1/4 Cup Molasses

1 Egg

1 TB Salt

3 TB Crisco or Veg. Oil

1 TB Caraway Seeds

I egg mixed with 1 TB milk for egg wash before baking

In a large bowl mix rye flour, hot water, yeast, molasses, egg, salt, Crisco, and caraway seeds into the sponge. Now add the bread flour a 1/2 cup at a time until it becomes shaggy and forms a wet ball. Now remove the ball and knead in the rest of the flour a small handful at a time, until dough is smooth and not quite so sticky. Yes, you will have a coating of dough on the counter.. don't panic.. : ) This usually takes at least 150 turns if not 200.

Now let rise in a greased bowl in a warm place until doubled or more in bulk. This make take 2 hours. Now turn bowl over and divide in half and knead out the bubbles, then form into 2 oval loaves and place on a baking sheet side by side or place in a greased 4.5" X 8.5" bread pan. Allow to rise until in inch or more above edge of pans. If you formed long loaves slash the bread at least 3 times before painting with the egg wash and baking in preheated 400 degree oven. Bake for 40 minutes, until nicely browned and hollow when bottom is tapped.

NOTE: This makes two large 30 ounce loaves but can be divided into 3 smaller loaves.

Melt Away Peanut Butter Fudge

1 LB or 4 cups Confectioners Sugar

1/2 Cup Milk

7 & 1/2 Ounce Jar Marshmallow Fluff

8 Ounces Peanut Butter

Mix and over medium heat bring to a boil the Confectioner's Sugar and milk. Let boil 2 & 1/2 minutes while stirring constantly.

Stir in the Marshmallow and Peanut Butter until smooth. Fudge appears a very pale tan color.

Pour into greased 9" X 9" or 7" X 10" dish and let cool on counter and then in fridge.

I usually cut into squares and cover with plastic wrap and leave in fridge.