APPLE, RAISIN, OATMEAL COOKIES

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

1 egg 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/4 cup water 

3 cups Oats with Apple, Raisin, and Spice 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add combined flour, baking soda and salt alternately with the water; mix well. Stir in the oats. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container.

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HOMEMADE PEACH ICE CREAM

4 cups fresh peach puree

4 cups half and half cream
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine peach puree, lemon juice, and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Add the chilled creams and sweetened condensed milk. Pour the mixture into the freezer can of ice cream freezer and follow your ice cream freezer's directions.

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CARAMEL BUTTER NUT CAKE

 This is an old Duncan Hines recipe I have had since I was a young housewife in the 1960s - 1970s.

CUBE STEAK HAYSTACKS

This is a recipe I got from Betty Crocker in 1971.

1 package hash browns with onions, cooked according to package directions
2 tablespoons shortening, melted in a large skillet.

6 beef cubed steaks, cook in the melted shortening for 3 to 5 minutes per side over medium heat; remove from skillet.  Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt to season.

Spread 2 teaspoons catsup over the top of each steak.

Top each steak with 1/2 cup of the prepared hash brown potatoes and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese.

Return the skillet to the heat, cover and cook over low heat for a couple of minutes until cheese melts.

Yield: 6 servings

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JUDY'S PRIZE-WINNING PERSIMMON PUDDING

Another Southern Indiana recipe.

2 cups persimmon pulp
3 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 stick butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the persimmon pulp, eggs, and sugar; blend together well. Combine the baking soda with the buttermilk; add to the persimmon mixture and blend. Sift together the baking powder, cinnamon, flour, and salt; add to the mixture. Melt the butter in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan that has been sprayed with a vegetable oil spray. Add the butter, milk, and vanilla to the mixture and blend in well. Pour into the baking pan and bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 1 hour

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HOMEMADE ZUCCHINI RELISH

When I was a young wife and mother living in Indiana during the 70s, I grew lots of zucchini in my garden. This is one of the recipes for preserving them.

10 cups peeled, ground zucchini
4 cups ground onions
5 tablespoons salt
2 1/4 cups vinegar
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon each of nutmeg, dry mustard and turmeric
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 red bell pepper*, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper*, chopped fine

Combine the zucchini, onions, and salt together and let stand overnight. Next morning, drain and rinse with cold water. Combine the mixture with the remaining ingredients and cook for 30 minutes; mixture must be hot. Pour into hot clean jars and seal with hot lids. Makes 7 pints.

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CHICKEN CASSOULET

This is from a small booklet from Better Homes and Gardens 70 years of favorite recipes published in 1979.

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FLOSSY MEXICAN CORNBREAD

one of my old recipes from my old metal recipe box

 

OMA'S GERMAN POTATO SALAD

This recipe is from an old lady who was a German citizen.

4 lbs potatoes, cooked
1/2 cup diced or chopped onion
1/2 lb bacon, fried crisp and crumbled (save drippings)
4 large, boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
DRESSING:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup bacon drippings (add enough oil to make the above drippings 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in 3 cups water

Peel and slice the cooked potatoes. Sprinkle the diced onion, chopped eggs and crumbled bacon over the potatoes; set aside.
In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, salt, pepper, and the bacon drippings. This mixture will be like paste. Add the vinegar and bouillon mixture. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 or 3 minutes stirring constantly. Add to the potatoes and stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for about 4 hours before serving.

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BROWNIE BISCOTTI

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, melted
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
4-oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter, eggs, and vanilla until mixed.  Reduce speed to low; gradually add the flour mixture and just beat until blended.  Using your hands, knead in the almonds and chocolate until combined.

Divide the dough in half.  On a large ungreased cookie sheet, shape each half into a 12-inch by 3-inch log.  Place logs about 3-inches apart.  Bake logs for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.  Remove from oven and cool on the cookie sheet that is placed on wire racks.

When logs are cool, place on cutting boards and cut each log crosswise, using a serrated knife, into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices.  Using a long metal spatula, place slices, top side up, 1/4-inch apart, on the same cookie sheet.  Bake slices 20 minutes at 325 degrees to dry out.  Remove from oven and cool completely on cookie sheet on wire rack.  The biscotti will harden as it cools.

Yield: 36 cookies

Store the cooled biscotti in a tightly covered container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.  May be kept in the freezer up to 6 months.

I originally got this recipe years ago from an old Good Housekeeping Magazine.  The author said the recipe was an old family favorite her aunt baked for the whole family ever since she could remember.  She said they were dessert cookies at family gatherings and also eaten with morning coffee and afternoon cappuccino.