Butterscotch Fudge

This recipe came from my very own brain when the girls were little and couldnt eat chocolate.  I didnt think that was fair because so many holiday candies of all the holidays were based around chocolate so I wanted something that would be special for them.  It took a great deal of trial and error and I honestly am still perfecting it all these years later but this is THIS years recipe.

Ingredients:
1 package of butterscotch chips
1 stick butter
half a can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups powdered sugar
@ 1 cup of nuts of your choice,  I use slivered almonds or macadamia nuts chopped.. but they are optional

Sometimes I use nuts sometimes I don't


In a double boiler melt the chips, butter and sweetened condensed milk until very smooth.

With a wire whisk mix in the 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar.  Fold in the nuts if desired and pour into a greased pan to cool and set up.  Cut into small squares and store in an air tight container for several weeks if needed.

Candied Apples Apple Compote

 

This is  another recipe out of Masies cookbook.  It is labled Experiment X  Apple Compote

This is a dish that in our day seems to better go with dessert as it is sweet, but it is a dish that was served along with the meat course in another day.  We eat it either with dinner on our holidays or as a dessert either way.  I will put this one in as it was written in her cookbook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aim:  To determine the family method of cooking apple compote.

Method:  6 apples (baking variety)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
pinch of salt
a small handful of cinnamon "red hot" candies

 
Wash, pare, and core apples.  Into a granite kettle (or another medium large pot) put the sugar, water, salt and cinnamon candies.
Heat till boiling.

 
Put the apples in the hot syrup.  When the syrup reaches the boiling point again, turn head down so it cooks very gently.   Cover the kettle tightly.

After the apples ahve cooked about 10 minutes test with a fork and turn each one over.  Care must be taken not ot cook too long or they will come apart when turning.   

Conclusion:  Apple compote must not cook at too high a temperature.  Ideal to serve with meats.  Good with bacon for breakfast, Nice to serve in a dish by itself at a dinner course.  Must choose apples very carefully. 


We also eat them as a dessert with whipped cream on it. 

Cornbread Dressing

 

Lets start with the cornbread.  Ma's cornbread recipe. 

We usually make 3 pans of cornbread to go in the dressing.   You can make it several days ahead of time and just put it in a big baggie or you can wrap it in foil.  It wont hurt anything if it is even a little dried out, because then it will reabsorb more of the broth.  We also cook our cornbread in cast iron skillets.   At Ma's house, we use her square pan because "Pie are round... and cornbread are square"  Ask about the joke if you dont understand the punchline.

 

Corn bread recipe

1 1/2 cup of corn meal (ma uses white corn meal if you can find it. Yellow works fine though,)

3 Tbs of flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of Baking POWDER

1teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 cup milk

1 egg

2 Tbs of oil.  (shhhhh dont tell anyone, we usually melt crisco and put it in there.)

 

When I make the cornbread, I melt the crisco in the skillet to grease it then pour it into the mix. 

Bake it in the oven at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. 

 

Mashed Potatoes, yeah but added anyway

Dumplings

Turkey (Our Style)

     How to cook a turkey, OUR WAY... as if that is very different.  To some it is because we use a roaster instead of baking it in the oven, frying it or smoking it.  It is almost like putting it in a sauna for a water bath.  Anyway, we use the roaster for this task and for making our dressing in.

So, put your turkey in the sauna, on the rack so that you can lift it out later. 

I use fresh herbs to the extent possible.  Lots and lots of sage.  I also use rubbed sage and ground sage.  We like sage.  I also put just basic salt and pepper on the outside and maybe some of all of it in the open cavity as well. 

Cook at 350 degrees until the thermometer is at 180 degrees in the breast.  We then let it cool a little bit, lift the turkey out of the broth (which will be used for dressing and dumplings) and debone it before we take it to the table. 

There were always more kids around than turkey legs so deboning it kept the arguments down over that particular piece.  It also makes the clean up after that very filling meal much easier as we just have to put the left overs in to ziplock bags to either put in the refrigerator for next day use or in the freezer for much later use. 

Giblet Gravy

Candied Sweet Potatoes

 

This recipe is another of Masie's holiday fare recipes from her cookbook.  The flounder next to the ingredients are not part of the overall recipe by the way. 
The ingredients are sweet potatoes or yams, cinnamon imperials (sometimes known as red hots)  sugar and water.  you might also use a little red food coloring if you want the added color. 

 

We really dont have measurements for how many potatoes either, but generally count one per person invited and add to that however many you want to have left over.  Wash them and put them in a pot of water to boil until just fork tender.  You don't want them mushy as they will fall apart in the next round of cooking. 

 

When cool, peel and dice the sweet potatoes.  As you can see, we leave them in fairly large chunks. 

Add 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of water to your pot and heat, stirring requently until combined and melted.  Drop in a handful or two of red hots (cinnamon imperials)  and let them desolve as well.
After the sugar, water and red hots are melted and at a boil, put the sweet potato chunks in and return to boil. 

 

 

Stir gently to coat the sweet potatoes with the sugar mixture and boil gently until they are very done. 

These can be served immediately warm, you can make them a few days ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator to be served cold. 



Imperial Salad

This is a recipe that came from your great grandmother,  from the Home Ec class she took in high school.  The cookbook she used was dated 1928 and it was also in her hand written notes from the class. 



1 pkg lemon jello (4 servin size)
1 pt. boiling water
2 Tablespoons of vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of cayenne pepper

Disollve the jello in boiling water, add vinegar, salt and cayenne pepper.  Chill till thickened but not completely.  (about an hour)

3/4 cup of raw finely shredded carrots
1 cup of raw finely shredded cabbage
4 Tablespoons of green bell pepper chopped finely.














Fold the vegetables in to the jello, mixing well. 

Chill until firm and serve with dinner. 

Masie's Applesauce Pie

Quick side note before you start.  When I use a store bought pie crust that comes in the pan this recipe is enough.  When I use my own pie pan, I have to double it. 




2 pie crusts.
16oz Applesauce
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8th tsp ground cloves
1/8 tso allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 Cup of sugar
and a little lemon juice

about 1 Tablespoon of Flour for thickening (you can use the same amount of tapioca if you have that by the way)
about 2-3 tablespoons of butter cut very thinly.

Mix all the spices, sugar and flour together. 

Pour filling into pie shell.  Sprinkle lightly the lemon juice around the edges of the pie filling, and pat the butter around the outside as well.

Put 2nd pie crust on top and "pinch the edges" together then trim. Cut "vents" in the top. On this one I cut out holes with one of my fall cookie cutters to try it.  You can also do an egg wash over the top if you want. 

 Not sure how its going to work but when it comes out of the oven, we will see!!!!

Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Cinnamon Rolls

You start with what is called Foundation Sweet Yeast Dough 

 

In a bowl large enough to accomodate the raised dough, sprinkle 2 packages of active dry yeast over 1 cup of luke warm water.  Add 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.  Stir to dissolve. 

 

Into 1 cup of scalded milk, mix 6 tablespoons of melted butter or shortening, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of salt.  Cool to lukewarm.  Add to yeast mixture.

Add 3 beaten eggs.  Mix well.  Add 2 cups of flour.



With electric mixer set at low speed, or spoon, beat batter until smooth and satiny.  Add remaining    5 cups of flour gradually, changing from mixer or soon to hands as the dough becomes stiffer.  Knead for a few minutes, generally at least 5-10 till dough is kind of springy.  Grease exposed surface.  Cover bowl with a damp cloth, leaving edges outside of bowl.  Let rise in a warm plce (about 80 degrees) until it doubles in bulk.  it generally takes at least an hour up until 2 if the room is cool.  You might even heat your oven to about 200 degrees.  Turn the oven off and then set your bowl inside the oven to rise. 

 

After the dough has risen to double original size, divide dough in half and roll out dough on well floured board, in a large rectangel about 1/4 inch thick.  Brush generously with melted butter.  Sprinkle generous amounts of brown sugar and ground cinnamon over butter.  Rasins and/or chopped nutmeats may be sprinkled over dough, if desired.  I generally dont but hey, try it sometime.  Rol rectangle as for gelly roll, starting with wide side.  With sharp knife, cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices.  Place in well greased oblong pan or on greased cookie sheet.  Cover with damp cloth again.  Let rise about 30 minutes, or until dough is almost doubled in bulk again.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.  Frost or glaze, if desired. 

 This last shot is everything we have made today represented.  I havent frosted the cinnamon rolls yet as I will wait till morning when they are cooled. 

The frosting will simply be about 3 cups of powdered sugar, about 2 table spoons or so of butter, softened, and a few table spoons of milk.  I also add about a teaspoon of vanilla.  Add powdered sugar until it is the thickness of frosting and spread it on each roll.  Enjoy in the morning with a great cup of tea or hot chocolate, or in my case.... coffee. 

And this is breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.  Some cinnamon rolls, a little Sharp Cheddar cheese and some Mozzerella.  A little fruit as well would be great.

Pumpkin Bread

 

Pumpkin Bread

 

Again I used fresh pumpkin in this so it is lighter in color than it would be if you made it from canned pumpkin. 

I didnt get pictures of the mixing up process.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease three 9x5x3 inch loaf pans.

 
3 cups of granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and flower.  Make a well in center of dry ingredients. 



1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 cups of cookedmashed pumpkin
1 cup chopped walnut or pecan meats (optional)

Pour oil, beaten eggs, water, vinegar and pumpkin into well.  Mix just until moistened.  Add nutmeats , stirring only until blended. 
Pour batter into prepared pans. 
Bake 1 1/4 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 


I rarely add nuts because I have issues with them but when I do, I use walnuts. 
I am shooting for Thanksgiving breakfast for these 3 loaves while we watch the parades. 


'



A New Twist on an Old Thought

Today starts a new thought on this blog.  It is almost Thanksgiving for those of us in the United States.  Several of my kids are going to be far flung this year.  So, I am going to try to do a picture blog for each of the dishes that we have traditionally eaten for our Thanksgiving and Christmas Menu.  To begin, most of the upcoming recipes came from my grandmother, Bessie Danley.  She went to high school here in the late 1920s and some of the recipes came from her high school home economics class. 
This is Sunday and I am trying to do a few of the things ahead of time so that Thrusday will be more relaxing and maybe I can also work on some of the Christmas presents I plan to make. 

This blog starts with Pumpkin Pie.  Not really that special as I just use the recipe off of the Libbys Pumpkin Can.  Most years though I do cook up our Halloween pumpkin to make the pies for Christmas and Thanksgiving and for any pumpkin bread, cookies or anything else pumpkin we plan to make. 



Add caption

 
Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie

In the small white bowl you find
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves




In the bowl you find:
4 large eggs, beaten
2 cups of pumpkin

Stir in pumpkin and sugar spice mixture. 

Gradually add two 12 oz cans of evaporated milk

Pour in to pie shells.  This recipe says it makes 2 and if you make your own pie crust and use glass or metal pans it pretty much does.  If, however, you use store bought it usually makes 2 and a half. 

Sorry this picture is so blurry, but start out in the oven with your pies at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until the knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.  Serve immediately or refrigerate. 

The four darker colered pies have canned pumpkin but the lighter one is fresh pumpkin, so that you can see the difference.

The wo pies with the decorations on top came from left over pie crust that I cut out with cookie cutters and sprinkled with a little cinnamon and white sugar and put on the top about 10 minutes before the pie was done.  Just thought we would trie something new. 

Can't wait to try them.

 

Vitamins and Minerals for the day

I am a firm believer in eating the right things to keep us well.  I am also a believer in preventative methods of health care.  I know that nothing will keep all illness at bay or will prevent bad diseases from happening no matter what, but I know that with the right start, it can matter in the long run. 
I am starting by something I found on the internet today that I sent to help a friend.  I am going to post the informational link here for a reminder for my part.  B Vitamins 
http://www.drpernell.com/b%20vitamins.htm

B VITAMINS

VITAMIN B-1 (Thiamine)

IMPORTANCE: Plays a key role in the body's metabolic cycle for generating energy; aids in the digestion of carbohydrates; essential for the normal functioning of the nervous system, muscles & heart; stabilizes the appetite; promotes growth & good muscle tone.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS: May lead to mental depression & constipation; weakness & feeling tired; nervous irritability; insomnia; the loss of appetite; paralysis & loss of weight; vague aches & pains; heart & gastrointestinal problems.

VITAMIN B-2 (Riboflavin)

IMPORTANCE: Necessary for carbohydrate, fat & protein metabolism; aids in the formation of antibodies and red blood cells; maintains cell respiration; necessary for the maintenance of good vision, skin, nails & hair; alleviates eye fatigue; promotes general health.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS: May result in sluggishness; itching and burning eyes; cracks and sores in the mouth & lips; bloodshot eyes; purplish tongue; dermatitis; retarded growth; digestive disturbances; trembling; oily skin.

VITAMIN B-6 (Pyridoxine)

IMPORTANCE: Necessary for synthesis & breakdown of amino acids, the building blocks of protein; aids in fat and carbohydrate metabolism; aids in the formation of antibodies; maintains the central nervous system; aids in the removal of excess fluid of premenstrual women; promotes health skin; reduces muscle spasms, leg cramps, hand numbness, nausea & stiffness of hands; helps maintain a proper balance of sodium & phosphorous in the body.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS: May result in nervousness, insomnia, skin eruptions, loss of muscular control, anemia, mouth disorders, muscular weakness, dermatitis, arm & leg cramps, loss of hair, slow learning, and water retention.

VITAMIN B-12 (Cobalamin)

IMPORTANCE: Helps in the formation & regeneration of red blood cells, thus helping prevent anemia; necessary for carbohydrate, fat & protein metabolism; maintains a healthy nervous system; promotes growth in children; increase energy; needed for Calcium absorption.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS: May lead to depression, tiredness, nervousness, pernicious anemia, poor appetite, growth failure in children, brain damage, neuritis, degeneration of spinal cord, lack of balance.

NIACINAMIDE (VITAMIN B-3)

IMPORTANCE: Improves circulation and reduces the cholesterol level in the blood; maintains the nervous system; helps metabolize protein, sugar, & fat; reduces high blood pressure; increases energy through proper utilization of food; prevents pellagra; helps maintain a healthy skin, tongue & digestive system.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS: May result in mental depression, nervousness, irritability, fatigue, insomnia, pellagra, gastrointestinal disturbance, headaches, vague aches & pains, loss of appetite, skin disorders, muscular weakness, indigestion, bad breath, canker sores.

PANTOTHENIC ACID (VITAMIN B-5)

IMPORTANCE: Participates in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats & protein, aids in the utilization of vitamins; improves the body's resistance to stress; helps in cell building & the development of the central nervous system; helps the adrenal glands, fights infections by building antibodies.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS: May lead to restlessness, painful & burning feet, skin abnormalities, retarded growth, dizzy spells, digestive disturbances, vomiting, stomach stress, muscle cramps.

FOLIC ACID (VITAMIN B-9)

IMPORTANCE: Necessary for DNA & RNA synthesis, which is essential for the growth and reproduction of all body cells; essential to the formation of red blood cells by its action on the bone marrow; aids in amino acid metabolism.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS: May result in gastrointestinal disorders, anemia, Vitamin B-12 deficiency, pre-mature gray hair.

BIOTIN

IMPORTANCE: Aids in the utilization of protein, folic acid, Pantothenic acid, and Vitamin B-12, promotes healthy hair.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS: May lead to depression, extreme exhaustion, drowsiness, loss of appetite, muscle pain, grayish skin color.

PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid)

IMPORTANCE: Aids healthy bacteria in producing folic acid; aids in the formation of red blood cells; contains sun screening properties; aids in the assimilation of Pantothenic acids; returns hair to its natural color.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS: May cause depression, nervousness, extreme fatigue, irritability, eczema, constipation , headaches, digestive disorders, hair turning prematurely gray.


I need this as a reminder to myself as I have gotten very lax about taking my supplements of my B-Complex myself. 

I found a great source for all the nutritional values of vitamins and minerals for many of the foods we eat. minerals     vitamins 




I find that if I listen to my body, it tells me when there are things I am not getting enough of.   For instance, I have been "in a mood" where I cannot get enough onions at the moment.  Looking up on the chart, I find that onions have potassium in them in an amount that I am probably needing in the heat and with the sweating I have done this summer, there are also antibiotic properties to onions and I have been fighting NOT to get a cold most of the summer.. I guess they are working.  I have also been eating all the swiss chard I could get my hands on from the farmers markets... guess what... over 900 mg of potassium... whoo hooo....

If we would just pay more attention to where our food comes from, and what our bodies need to be healthy.. let me think.. we would be healthy......

 

It was suggested to me by someone close to me that I might include scanned versions of the original.  Since I dont have a lot of technological experience and it scares me flat to death to be perfectly honest,  I did what I do know how to do.  Take photos of the pages and upload them here.  It is almost readable this way and I will continue to work at it until I get it better.

My Grandmother's Cookbook 1

The Beginning:
Desk Equipment
Top Drawer:  wooden spoon, Tablespoon, Teaspoon, measuring spoon, fork, pearing knife, case knife, spatula, salt and pepper shaker, biscuit cutter, glass cup, aluminum cup
Lower Drawer:  rolling pin, hot pad, strainer, soup dish, scrub brush
Large Drawer: front-double boiler, stew kettle, pie pan
                         back- 2 bread pans, frying pan, service plate, egg ------, mixing bowl,

When I think of all the gadgets in my own kitchen and I dont have many of the things I would like to have, I dont have many of the "dreamy items" that every "well stocked American kitchen" should have.  Were these truly the ONLY items that were needed in the kitchen in 1928? 


The next page details the method of grading for this class.  When you look at the standards and compare them to grading points of today?  Quietness?  Attitude?  Speed?  And look, neatness was different than cleanliness.  Can you imagine what would happen today if our students were given grades for their ATTITUDE in class?  Or Quietness?  Gee, we might have a whole different standard of behavior in class.

Points of grading
Accuracy-
Neatness-
Quietness-
Attitude-
Speed-
Cleanliness- 

Keep in mind as we go that this was a HOME EC class.  Again, not what we think today of being a Home Ec class in the least.  Each recipe or set of notes in her book were formed in terms of EXPERIMENTS.

FORM of EXPERIMENTS

Aim: ---------------

Method: ---------------

Conclusion: -----------------

What would happen today, if we looked at what goes on in our kitchens around the country, and what gets served on the diningroom table as proveable science experiments, instead of something just thrown together to keep people from whining?  

The next page lists more Equipment  I am gathering that maybe they had to bring these things from home. 

Equipment
2 dish towels
2 tea towels
2 hand towels
2 lifters
2 White aprons
1 large notebook

RULES
1 Wash your hands when you come into the labatory.
2 Rings and bracelets should not be worn.
3. Do not lay handkerchiefs, hats, or books on labatory table.
4.  Keep desk in order while working
5. Always wear your apron and hand towel.
6. All waste water should be oured through sink strainer.
7. Put all dry garbage in garbage pail.
8. Wash each tea towel at end of each lesson, fold and hang up.
9.  Put all equipment in order for checking at end of each lesson.

I think these are enough things to think about for one night.  What can we say about the differences in the past and present?  I so much more understand the way my Grandmother was around her home. 

Blueberry Muffins the old way

This is the text book that my
Grandmother used when she was in high school.  She was born
in 1912 and spent her adult life as a home economist for her
family.  After I found her text books, sadly after she passed
away, I understood so much more about the way she lived her
life. 

 

Can you see that this book was published in 1927, 

This if you can read it is the recipe I used tonight for the blue berry muffins that I decided to make for my family for breakfast.  I was able to purchase fresh blueberry's at the store. 

The recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, (I used whole wheat unbleached), 1 cup of milk or liquid.  ( I didnt have any plain white milk but I did have butter milk so we will see how that works)  It was thick enough that I DID have to add some water to get it all mixed together well. 

1 egg, (which was fresh) 

2 T of sugar

2 t. of baking powder

2 T of melted butter for the fat. 

To that mixture I added about 3/4 cup of the blueberries because I like a lot.. the recipe called for 1/2. 

Bake in a "medium" oven.. which for us would be around 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. 

I think they will be yummy.

Ready to go into the oven, yum yum!!!!

 OUT of the oven.... Can't wait till morning.  A cup of coffee, a muffin and a container of greek yogurt.  What a great thing to look forward to!!! 



Now, what do we do with the rest of the blueberries?  Make FACES Of Course!!!!!