SHOEPEG CORN SALAD

One of my favorite salads since childhood.

1 can shoepeg corn, drained
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small to medium yellow onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp salad oil
1 tbsp sugar*

In a medium bowl mix all the ingredients together well. Cover and refrigerate over night or all day before serving.

*I am diabetic now and use 1 tbsp Splenda granular. Can't even tell the difference.

TAILGATING?

In response to our recent poll question: Do you tailgate during football season? All the votes were no. So we evidently don't have any tailgaters in our group.

ORANGE FLAVORED PARTY PUNCH

This recipe is from a girl I went to school with back in the '50s.

1 qt orange juice
1 qt pineapple juice
1 qt ginger ale
1 qt orange sherbet

Mix the orange and pineapple juices together. Add the ginger ale. Stir in the orange sherbet and serve immediately.

BAKED HAMBURGERS FOR A CROWD

This is another old recipe from my Southern Indiana heritage.

4 cups catsup
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp pepper
1/4 cup vinegar
2 cups tomato juice
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
10 lb lean hamburger

Make the hamburger into about 40 quarter pound patties. Brown in skillet but do not cook thoroughly.

In a large saucepan combine the catsup, onion, pepper, vinegar, tomato juice, garlic powder, prepared mustard, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Add a little water if the mixture gets too thick.

In a large baking dish or pan put a layer of the meat patties over the bottom. Pour some of the sauce over each of the patties. Make another layer of patties, pour sauce over them. Repeat until you have all the patties in the pan and covered with the sauce. Pour any remaining sauce over all. Place in a 325 degree oven and bake about an hour.

Serve on your favorite buns with everyone's favorite condiments.

EASY BEEF SHORT RIBS

3 lb beef short ribs
3 tbsp lard
salt to suit taste
pepper to taste
1 onion, quartered
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 bay leaf
2 cup water

Melt lard in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Brown meat and drain off excess drippings. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Mix remaining ingredients, except flour, together and pour over ribs; heat to boiling. Cover and simmer for two hours. Remove ribs and thicken sauce with the flour.

APPLES VS PEARS POLL

In our recent poll question, "Which of these Fall fruits do you prefer?", 86% of you chose apples over pears.

ONION SOUP DEVILED EGGS

This recipe is from a cookbook that is over 50 years old.

8 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup soup mixture (see below)
paprika for garnish

Soup Mixture: In a small bowl combine 1 pkg Dry Onion Soup Mix and 2 cups sour cream.
Use 1 cup for this recipe and use the remainder as a dip for chips or fresh cut vegetables. Store leftover mixture in the refrigerator.

Slice the boiled eggs in half lengthwise and scoop the yellows out into a small bowl. Using a fork, mash the yolks. Add the celery, lemon juice and cup of soup mixture to the yolks. Stir to blend together well. Refill the whites by evenly dividing the mixture among them. Sprinkle yolk mixture with paprika to garnish. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.

PERSIMMON BREAD WITH RAISINS

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups oil (I recommend cor olive for health purposes)
2 cups persimmon pulp
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cups raisins
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans well and set aside.

Into a medium bowl sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the sugar. Set mixture aside.

Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and the persimmon pulp, mixing together well. Add the flour mixture into the persimmon mixture, beating together until well blended. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cool completely before slicing.

OLD FASHION HOMEMADE LEMON PIE

This recipe for lemon pie is from an old Iowa church dinner.

1 prebaked 9-inch pie crust
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups hot water
2 egg yolks, beaten (save whites to make meringue)
1 tbsp butter
1/3 cup bottled lemon juice or the juice of one lemon with the rind grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the flour, salt, and sugar together in the top part of a double boiler pan. Add the butter and 1/3 cup of the water. Stir to blend. Add the egg yolks and mix in well. Set the pan on top of the bottom which has hot water. Add the remaining water and the lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly, over the hot water until the mixture is thickened. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Top with meringue and bake until the meringue is browned. Cool completely before cutting.

SPECIAL NOTE FROM LINDA

Thank you for continuing to visit my blog during my absence this summer. First I had computer problems then health problems. Thankfully I am now back to my blogging. I hope you have had a great summer with lots of summer's bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables!

JIFFY BLACK WALNUT CAKE

This is a very old recipe from a little town in Missouri. My uncle married a gal from Missouri when he was stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood during the Korean War. She brought a lot of her family's recipes to our family. 2 cups sugar 2 sticks butter, softened 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 5 large eggs 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup black walnut halves 1 tsp lemon extract 1 tsp vanilla extract Combine all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat at high speed of an electric mixer for 5 minutes. Pour the batter into a well-greased tube pan (10-inch size) and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

PRESERVING FRUITS AND VEGETABLE POLL RESULTS

On our pole asking if you preserve fruits and vegetables found our readers to be evenly split. 50% said no while 50% said yes. Of the "yeses" all of you preserve vegetables from your own gardens.

JIFFY KENTUCKY SPOON BREAD

Growing up in Southern Indiana we often visited friends and relatives in Kentucky. I don't know which ones had this recipe but it makes a good "corn" bread. 8-oz creamed-style corn 8-oz whole-kernel corn 8-oz sour cream 1 egg 1 stick butter, softened 1 pkg (box) Jiffy cornbread mix Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a glass baking pan. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl using a spoon (not a mixer!). Pour into the baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

FILE PHOTO

CREAM CHEESE-LIME JELLO SALAD

This recipe is from the community where I went to school. (Yes, I didn't say what type of school and that's because I went from first grade through twelfth grade in the same building! My parents went there and so did my oldest child!) 1 regular can of milnot, chilled until ice crystals start to form 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened 1 cup sugar 2 tsp vanilla 3-oz pkg lime jello 1 cup boiling water Add the sugar and vanilla to the softened cream cheese. Dissolve the jello in the boiling water, stirring to completely dissolve the jello. Cool until syrupy. Combined the cooled jello and the cream cheese mixture. Whip the milnot until stiff and fold into the other mixture being gentle. Pour into a jello mold that has been wiped with a vegetable oiled paper towel. Chill until firm. Note: You can use your choice of Jello flavors.

file photo for reference

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE PUNCH

This is a punch recipe we enjoyed in the Spring and Summer when I was a child. 

12-oz can frozen pink lemonade 

6-oz can frozen orange juice 

3 cups water 

10-oz package sliced frozen sliced strawberries, mostly thawed 

2-liter bottle of chilled ginger ale 

 In a large bowl or container combine the pink lemonade with the orange juice, water and strawberries. Mix until strawberries are completely thawed. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until serving time. To serve, remove from the refrigerator and pour into a punch bowl. Slowly add the ginger ale into the punch bowl, stirring to mix. Garnish with lemon slices and/or fresh strawberries, if desired.

file photo

ZUCCHINI-CARROT CASSEROLE

This recipe is from a great cook in the community where I grew up. She has been gone for years now, but here recipes live on.

4 medium zucchini
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
6 tbsp butter
2 1/4 cups herbed stuffing cubes
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream

Cook the zucchini in salted water until tender; drain. Cook the carrots and onions in two tablespoons of the butter until tender; add the cooked zucchini and set aside.
Mix the stuffing cubes with the remaining four tablespoons of butter; set aside. Mix the cream of chicken soup with the sour cream in a large bowl until well blended. Add the cooked vegetables to the soup mixture. In a buttered casserole dish layer half the stuffing mixture, all the vegetable mixture, remaining half of the stuffing mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

BEEF AND PORK STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

1 medium to large head of cabbage 

1 lb lean ground beef 

1 lb lean ground pork 

3/4 cup rice, uncooked 

salt to taste 

pepper to taste 

2 small onions or 1 medium onion, chopped 

1 tbsp dill 

1/2-pint sour cream 

3 tbsp flour 

 1 small can tomato paste 

1 tsp salt 

2 tbsp sugar 

Remove the core of the cabbage; place the cabbage in a large pot of boiling water. Parboil the cabbage until you can peel the leaves off one at a time. Lay the leaves on a paper towel or clean tea towel to drain.

Mix together the ground beef, ground pork, rice, onions, salt and pepper. Place some of the mixture onto each of the cabbage leaves, leaving enough cabbage leaf to roll it over the mixture, envelope fashion, secure with toothpicks. Place the cabbage rolls in a large pan and cover with boiling water. Add the dill to the water and bring water back to a boil. Cook rolls for 1 hour

Remove the rolls from the pan using a slotted spoon. In a medium bowl stir together the sour cream, flour, tomato paste, 1 tsp salt, and the sugar. Stir this mixture into the pan you removed the cabbage rolls from. After the mixture is mixed in well, add the cabbage rolls back to the pan and heat for about 10 minutes. 

file photo for reference

MARSHMALLOW DESSERT TOPPING FOR JELLO

This is an old recipe from Ohio.

1/2 lb large marshmallows, cut-up
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 small can mandarin oranges
2 cups half and half cream
maraschino cherries

Drain the crushed pineapple and the madarin oranges. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the fruits and marshmallows into the half and half cream. Store overnight or at least 8 hours in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally. Serve over Jell-O or other gelatin desserts.

SHOESTRING POTATO TUNA SALAD

This recipe is from one of my late mother-in-law's co-workers around 40 years ago.

1 cup grated raw carrot
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 can (9-oz) tuna, drained and flaked
Mayo-style salad dressing
1 large can shoestring potatoes
lettuce leaves
tomato wedges

In a mixing bowl, combine the carrot, celery, onion, and tuna. Add enough salad dressing to moisten. Put into a bowl with a lid, cover and chill well. Just before serving, stir in the shoestring potatoes. Serve on individual salad places by placing a scoop of the salad on a lettuce leaf and garnishing with a tomato wedge.

Homemade Chocolate Frosting

Yummy recipe I've had for years. Origin??? 

 8 tbsp butter, softened 

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/4 tsp salt 

2 cups powdered sugar 

1/4 cup milk

Put softened butter into a mixing bowl and add the cocoa powder. Stir the mixture until it is well combined. Add the vanilla and salt and mix in well. Stir in the powdered sugar alternately with the milk. Stir until the frosting is of a creamy consistency. To thin icing add more milk, a drop at a time. To make a thicker icing add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.

file photo