CREAM PUFFS

This recipe is from my 1955 Marshall Township PTA cookbook. It was submitted by Mrs. Jesse McPike.

Cook 1 cup water, 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup flour. Add 4 beaten eggs, 1 at a time. Drop in greased muffin tins, 1/2 full and bake in hot oven. Cool. Fill with ice cream or any favorite sauce.

CHERRY 'N' BLUEBERRY PIE

Pastry for a 2-crust pie
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cans (16-oz each) pitted, red tart cherries, drained - reserve 1 cup of the liquid
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tsp milk
1 tbsp sugar, optional
1/8 tsp cinnamon, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a 9-inch pie pan with pastry to make bottom crust.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch; gradually add the cherry liquid. Cook over medium heat until just beginning to boil, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 minute until thick and clear, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Gently stir in the cherries.

Place the blueberries into the pastry-lined pie pan. Top blueberries with the cherry mixture.

Using a small heart-shaped cutter, cut 4 or 6 hearts from the second crust then carefully place the crust over the filling. Flute the edges to seal and place the hearts on top to decorate.

Brush the crust with the milk. If desired, combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 to 55 minutes or until golden brown. If edges start to get too brown, cover with a foil ring or pie edge protectors.

Allow to cool several hours before cutting.

PECAN DATE BARS

This is a recipe I have had for so many years I have no idea where I got it.

Click on pictures to enlarge for easier reading.

GINGERSNAPS

This is a recipe from my little 'The Cookie Book' from 1970.

Click on picture to enlarge for easier reading.

FRUIT PUNCH

This is an old recipe I have had longer than I care to remember!

ELVIS PRESLEY CAKE

This cake is floating around the internet but I don't think it was really an Elvis Presley cake. I do think, however, it is something Elvis would have no doubt liked. I have the cookbook made by his longtime cook, Nancy Rooks and his uncle Vester Presley. This is not among the cakes she published. Whether Elvis ate it or not, the reviews on this cake are great. Too much sugar for this diabetic but many of you might like to try it.

1 box white cake mix (plus the ingredients called for to make it)

1 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple

1 cup sugar

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

Bake the cake according to the package directions.   Remove from oven and poke holes in the top of the cake with a pick or a meat fork works well.

Place the pineapple with it's juice (don't drain) and the 1 cup sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil.   Pour evenly over the cake.   Allow to cool. 

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.  Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Stir in the chopped pecans.   

Spread over the top of the cake.  You can serve immediately.  Refrigerate the leftovers.

FRIED CORNBREAD

I loved it when my grandma would make fried cornbread for me. I sometimes make it still when I get to thinking about her good meals.

2/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup self rising flour
1/3 cup low fat buttermilk
1 large egg
oil for frying (I used about 3 tbsps coconut oil, but you can use whatever you like)

Combine first 4 ingredients together in a bowl, mixing well. Mixture should be very moist but not soupy. Heat oil in skillet and drop by spoonfuls into oil. Cook til brown on one side and flip (it cooks kind of like a pancake) to brown on the other side. Place on plate with paper towels and blot any excess oil.

WILD RICE AND CHICKEN GIZZARDS

This recipe was from Nancy Rooks, Elvis Presley's longtime cook.

1 lb chicken gizzards
1/2 cup Mazola margarine
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp lemon pepper
3 1/3 cup long grain wild rice
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped green pepper

Wash gizzards, put into cold water and cook with margarine, seasoned salt, and pepper until almost done. Pour rice into the pot, stir, and add curry powder, mushrooms, onion, and green pepper. Let rice and gizzards cook over a very low flame and serve hot. Serves 3 or 4.

1968 MARYLAND FRIED CHICKEN

This is a Better Homes and Gardens through the years recipe.

Note: Click on the pictures to enlarge for easier reading.

OATMEAL SUGAR COOKIES

This old cookie recipe is from a little cookie book dated 1970.

RESULTS OF LAST WEEK'S POLL

Last week our poll asked, "What is Your Favorite Thanksgiving Meat?" The following are the results of that poll.

• 57% - Turkey
• 42% - Ham
• 0% - Game
• 0% - Other

It appears the turkey is still king of the Thanksgiving table.

OLD FASHION SOUR CREAM SUGAR COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
Fine colored sugars for garnish

In a large bowl, blend the butter and sugar together until fluffy; set aside.

Stir the eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream together until well mixed; set aside.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in another bowl.

Add the flour mixture alternately with the egg mixture to the butter mixture, blending well. Chill dough in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out the dough, using a softball size amount at a time, on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Roll out to 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch thickness. Cut with desired cookie cutter designs.

Arrange cookies on ungreased cookie sheets and sprinkle with colored sugars as desired.

Bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes or until a golden color.

Cool completely on wire racks before storing loosely covered.

Yield: 7 to 8 dozen cookies.

Note: File Photo

CRACKER BARREL'S BROCCOLI CHEDDAR CHICKEN

Before I receive a ton of notes telling me this is not a vintage recipe, you are right. However, Cracker Barrel is known for it's old-fashion appearance, style of food, and trinkets so I am putting this recipe here.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups Ritz Crackers (one sleeve)
4 tablespoons of melted butter (you can use more)
8 ounces frozen broccoli
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Make can of Cheddar cheese soup mix according to package directions (one can of soup mix to one can of milk).
Place chicken breasts in a baking dish.
Season with seasoned salt.
Pour 3/4 of the prepared soup over the chicken breasts.
Add broccoli to chicken that has been covered with the cheddar soup.
Melt butter and combine with Ritz crackers, sprinkle buttered crackers over the broccoli.
Add remaining soup mix, and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the chicken is done. (Check chicken by cutting the thickest part and look to see that the chicken is uniform in color).
When chicken has been removed from oven sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.

PRESLEY BAKED APPLES

This recipe is from a cookbook by Elvis Presley's cook. This is a recipe she cooked for him.

SPRITZ AND GINGERBREAD COOKIE RECIPES

My mother cut these recipes from the back of one of the calendar pages in an old drug store almanac-type calendar. When I was a kid my grandfather did everything by the almanac and we always had those calendars.

GREEN CHILE CHEESECAKE

I'm not sure this recipe qualifies as vintage but it is one I have had for years. I got it from an old Pillsbury Holiday Appetizers and Desserts book several years ago.

CRUST

1

cup Progresso™ Plain Bread Crumbs

2

oz. (1/2 cup) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

1 1/2

teaspoons chili powder

1/4

cup butter, melted

Filling

1

tablespoon oil

1/2

cup chopped red onion

2

tablespoons lime juice

3

garlic cloves, minced

1

cup Green Giant™ Niblets® Frozen Corn, thawed

2

(4.5-oz.) cans Old El Paso™ Chopped Green Chiles

2

teaspoons cumin

1 1/2

teaspoons salt

1/4

teaspoon hot pepper sauce

3

(8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2

cup sour cream

3

eggs

4

oz. (1 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

7

grape or small cherry tomatoes, halved

2

(12-oz.) pkg. cornbread crackers

Directions

• 1Heat oven to 325°F. In medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and chili powder; mix well. Stir in melted butter. Pat in bottom and 1 inch up sides of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
• 2Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion; stir to coat. Add lime juice; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until onion has softened, stirring frequently.
• 3Add garlic; cook and stir 30 to 60 seconds or until fragrant. Remove from heat. Add corn, chiles, cumin, salt and hot pepper sauce; mix well. Set aside.
• 4Beat cream cheese in large bowl on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in sour cream. Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Stir in Monterey Jack cheese. Stir in chile mixture. Pour into crust-lined pan.
• 5Bake at 325°F. for 55 to 65 minutes or just until center of cheesecake is set. Cool cheesecake in pan on wire rack for 1 hour. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
• 6Just before serving, run knife around edge of cheesecake to loosen; remove sides of pan. Arrange halved tomatoes around edge of cheesecake. Serve with crackers.

My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make

Note: This is not my mother's bread. This is from  alexandra in Baking, Bread, Olallie Cafe recipes

• 4 cups (510 g | 1 lb. 2 oz) all-purpose flour* (do not use bleached all-purpose)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups lukewarm water**
• 2 to 3 teaspoons sugar (I use 2, my mom uses 3 — difference is negligible)
• 2 teaspoons active-dry yeast***
• room temperature butter, about 2 tablespoons
  
  * My mother always uses 1 cup graham flour and 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour. Also, you can use as many as 3 cups of whole wheat flour, but the texture changes considerably. I suggest trying with all all-purpose or bread flour to start and once you get the hang of it, start trying various combinations of whole wheat flour and/or other flours. Also, measure scant cups of flour if you are not measuring by weight: scoop flour into the measuring cup using a separate spoon or measuring cup; level off with a knife. The flour should be below the rim of the measuring cup. 
• 
  
• ** To make foolproof lukewarm water that will not kill the yeast (water that's too hot can kill yeast), boil some water — I use my teapot. Then, mix 1 1/2 cups cold water with 1/2 cup boiling water. This ratio of hot to cold water will be the perfect temperature for the yeast.
  
  ***I buy Red Star yeast in bulk (2lbs.) from Amazon. I store it in my freezer, and it lasts forever. If you are using the packets of yeast (the kind that come in the 3-fold packets), just go ahead and use a whole packet — I think it's 2.25 teaspoons. I have made the bread with active dry and rapid rise and instant yeast, and all varieties work. If you are interested in buying yeast in bulk, here you go: Red Star Baking Yeast Also, if you buy instant yeast, there is no need to do the proofing step — you can add the yeast directly to the flour — but the proofing step does just give you the assurance that your yeast is active. I loveSAF instant yeast, which can be purchased from King Arthur flour as well as Amazon.   
• Mixing the dough:
  • If you are using active-dry yeast: In a small mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar into the water. Sprinkle the yeast over top. There is no need to stir it up. Let it stand for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is foamy and/or bubbling just a bit — this step will ensure that the yeast is active. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. When the yeast-water-sugar mixture is foamy, stir it up, and add it to the flour bowl. Mix until the flour is absorbed.
  
  • If you are using instant yeast: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Add the water. Mix until the flour is absorbed.
• 
  
• Cover bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for at least an hour. (If you have the time to let it rise for 1.5 to 2 hours, do so — this will help the second rise go more quickly.) This is how to create a slightly warm spot for your bread to rise in: Turn the oven on at any temperature (350ºF or so) for one minute, then turn it off. Note: Do not allow the oven to get up to 300ºF, for example, and then heat at that setting for 1 minute — this will be too hot. Just let the oven preheat for a total of 1 minute — it likely won't get above 300ºF. The goal is to just create a slightly warm environment for the bread. My mother always covers the dough with a tea towel that she has run under hot water and rung out so it's just damp.
• 
  
• Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Grease two oven-safe bowls (such as the pyrex bowls I mentioned above) with about a tablespoon of butter each. (My mother might use even more — more butter not only adds flavor but also prevents sticking). Using two forks, punch down your dough, scraping it from the sides of the bowl, which it will be clinging to. As you scrape it down try to turn the dough up onto itself if that makes sense. You want to loosen the dough entirely from the sides of the bowl, and you want to make sure you've punched it down. Take your two forks and divide the dough into two equal portions — eye the center of the mass of dough, and starting from the center and working out, pull the dough apart with the two forks. Then scoop up each half and place into your prepared bowls. This part can be a little messy — the dough is very wet and will slip all over the place. Using small forks or forks with short tines makes this easier — my small salad forks work best; my dinner forks make it harder. It's best to scoop it up fast and plop it in the bowl in one fell swoop. Let the dough rise for about 20 to 30 minutes on the countertop near the oven (or near a warm spot) or until it has risen to just below or above (depending on what size bowl you are using) the top of the bowls. (Note: I do not do the warm-oven trick for the second rise. I simply set my bowls on top of my oven, so that they are in a warm spot. Twenty minutes in this spot usually is enough for my loaves.)
• 
  
• Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375º and make for 15 to 17 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and turn the loaves onto cooling racks. If you've greased the bowls well, the loaves should fall right out onto the cooling racks. If the loaves look a little pale and soft when you've turned them out onto your cooling racks, place the loaves into the oven (outside of their bowls) and let them bake for about 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
• Variations:
  #1. Cornmeal. Substitute 1 cup of the flour with 1 cup of cornmeal. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
  #2. Faux focaccia. Instead of spreading butter in two Pyrex bowls in preparation for baking, butter one 9x9-inch glass baking dish and one Pyrex bowl or just butter one large 9x13-inch Pyrex baking dish. If using two vessels, divide the dough in half and place each half in prepared baking pan. If using only one large baking dish, place all of the dough in the dish. Drizzle dough with 1 tablespoon of olive oil (if using the small square pan) and 2 tablespoons of olive oil (if using the large one). Using your fingers, gently spread the dough out so that it fits the shape of the pan. Use your fingers to create dimples in the surface of the dough. Sprinkle surface with chopped rosemary and sea salt. Let rise for 20 to 30 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF and 17 minutes (or longer) at 375ºF. Remove from pan and let cool on cooling rack.
• 
  
  

Texas Senator Kirk Watson's Grammy''s Cornbread Dressing

Thanks to Kirk Watson for sharing memories of his Grammy and her recipes with us.

Happy Thanksgiving

I do believe in ghosts.

Vesta Bryant Watson Cranor, a/k/a “Grammy,” made the best Thanksgiving and Christmas dressing. Second place isn’t close. Actually, there is no second place, because everything else really isn’t even dressing.Billye Faye Vanderslice Watson, Grammy’s daughter-in-law and my mother, made the same dressing — usually in the same kitchen with Grammy. Every time they made it, they’d ask my father to taste it before it went in the oven.

The exchange was always the same.  Grammy would say, “Don, would you taste the dressing?” He’d always dip a spoon into the soupy mix, put it in his mouth and say, “There’s not enough sage.” Every single time. And every single time, they’d put a little more sage in and then ignore anything else he had to say. I still wonder if he even knew what sage tasted like.

Mother died in early 1999. Grammy wasn’t making dressing by that time and died a little later. We messed around with different dressings but they were never the same.

One holiday season, Liz and I were mourning the fact that we didn’t know the recipe and had lost the historians. We sort of chastised ourselves for not writing it down when we had those two around.

That night, Liz pulled a book off a high shelf and a 3 X 5 card fluttered out of it. On the card, in my mother’s handwriting, was the recipe to what she labeled “Grammy’s Cornbread Dressing.” It was very spooky. It felt like those two old women had been listening and sent us that recipe to take care of us again.

Here it is.

Grammy’s Cornbread Dressing

I’ve bolded what the old gals told us was important. Use WHITE bread for the toast and cheap biscuits, no butter or flaky stuff (not Grands). You MUST use bacon grease to cook the cornbread in … and you just make the cornbread plain.Also you MUST use a glass baking dish. We’re convinced that if we don’t, they will haunt us and say: “I could have sworn those boys were smarter’n that…..”

• 1 recipe of Cornbread (Cornkits is the best — you can get it at HEB; Jiffy and others have too much sugar in them), preferably made with buttermilk or soured milk and greased in pan with bacon grease
• 3-4 Large Biscuits
• 3-4 slices toast
• 1 cup onion
• 1 cup celery
• 4 eggs – well broken
• 2-3 cups fresh stock or 2 cans chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons sage
• 1-2 tablespoons poultry seasoning (to taste)
• Salt and Pepper

TWO DAYS BEFORE:

• Prepare cornbread and white bread 2 days in advance and crumble fine. Let sit covered with a dishtowel to dry out in a bowl.

DAY OF:

• Mix all ingredients.
• Mixture should be very soupy in order to make a dressing that is not dry.
• Season to taste.
• Put in glass baking dish and cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until lightly golden/brown.

FLAKY CHEDDAR BISCUITS

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp shortening, chilled
1/4 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, finely chopped
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut in the cheese and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the olives.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Pour the buttermilk into the well and toss gently with a fork until the mixture is just moistened; do not overmix. The dough will be sticky.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead once or twice with floured hands, sprinkling dough lightly with flour. Pat the dough into a half-inch thickness.

Dip a 1 12-inch biscuit cutter into flour and cut the biscuits, pushing the cutter straight down into the dough and pulling it out without twisting. Arrange biscuits about 1-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Re-roll the scraps for more biscuits.

Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Best served warm.

Yield: Approximately 2 dozen biscuits.

LATEST POLL RESULTS

In our poll regarding old fashion recipes at Thanksgiving 40% of respondents said they use mostly old fashion recipes while preparing their Thanksgiving meals while 60% said they use a few.

HOMINY CHEESE CASSEROLE

1 can yellow hominy, drained
1 can white hominy, drained
1 small can diced green chilies
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Put the chilies, garlic, and soup, in a bowl and mix and add the hominy and cheese. Stir to mix well.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Note: File Photo

CHICKEN 'N' RICE CASSEROLE

1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups milk
1 cup cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken
1 cup sliced mushrooms, drained
1 small jar pimentos
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup French-fried onions

Bring the soup and milk to a boil in a large saucepan; remove from heat. Add the rice, chicken, mushrooms, pimento, 1/2 cup of the cheese and 1/2 cup of the onions to the soup mixture; stir to combine well. Pour into greased pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove top and add rest of cheese and onions. Cook 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

WHOLE-GRAIN PUMPKIN YEAST BREAD

This recipe is from King Arthur Flour and it is not a vintage recipe. It does, however, remind me of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays at my grandparents homes so I am putting it here. It most definitely reminds me of vintage times.

While you can certainly add all of the ingredients straight to your mixing bowl or bread machine bucket as listed in the recipe, I like to break it into two stages. First add:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons instand yeast
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup canned or puréed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) King Arthur Whole-Wheat Flour (white whole wheat or premium)

Mix everything together by hand and let the mixture sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. There’s a lot of moisture here, and it takes time for the flour to fully hydrate. By giving the ingredients a chance to sit, the flour can get a jump-start absorbing the liquids, which can save you from adding too much flour later on.

Once you’ve let the initial mix sit, you can add the rest of the ingredients:
1 3/4 to 2 cups (7 1/4 to 8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Now at first I was skeptical about adding spices to the bread. I didn’t want to end up with something that tasted like pumpkin pie, as much as I love it for dessert. Happily, the spices don’t overpower but instead play lovely background notes against the pumpkin. Like a whisper instead of a shout, they get the point across right when you need it.

Continue to knead the bread by hand, in your mixer, or using the dough cycle of your bread machine. Check to be sure the dough isn’t too wet and sticky, and add more flour by the tablespoonful as needed.

This dough will still be softer and moister than that of regular sandwich bread. As long as it doesn’t stick to you like glue, you’re good to go.

Some bread doughs are going to be naturally more sticky and wet than others, and even as you work more flour into them, it will keep getting absorbed; so it’s easy to add too much. By stopping here and working the dough gently by hand until smooth, you’ll have much better control over the final outcome.

Can you keep going in the mixer or bread machine? Absolutely! For me, I still like a little hands-on during the process.

Set the dough aside to rise, covered, for about 45 to 50 minutes. Be patient as you watch the dough; it doesn’t start to rise for about 20 minutes or so, but will be full and puffy by the end of the rise time.

Gently deflate the dough and shape it into a smooth log. Place itin a greased 9" X 5" loaf pan and cover again for the final rise.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a digital thermometer reads 190°F when inserted into the center of the loaf. Remove the loaf from the oven, and after a couple of minutes transfer it to a rack to cool.

Brushing the finished loaf with melted butter is completely optional, but yields the softest crust. Be sure to cool this bread completely before slicing, otherwise the interior can be gummy. I know it’s torture, but sometimes we just have to suffer for our art.

A baked loaf will keep in the freezer up to 3 months.

MICROWAVE FUDGE FILLED PEANUT BUTTER BARS

This is one of my old recipes I have had since I first had a microwave many years ago. Not exactly a vintage recipe but an old one.

Click on pictures for easier reading.

FRUIT PUNCH WITH ACTUAL FRUIT

1 large can Hawaiian Punch
Approximately 3/4 of a 2-liter 7-Up
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can (11-oz) mandarin oranges
1 pkg frozen strawberries

Stir together in a large punch bowl.

POLL RESULTS

Our latest poll question ask which is your favorite Fall Holiday in the kitchen.

100% of the respondents choose Thanksgiving over Halloween.

CORN CASSEROLE WITH BELL PEPPER

1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
2 eggs beaten
1 stick butter, melted
4 heaping T. all purpose flour
2 T. sugar
1/4 C. diced green pepper (you can use red, I only had green)
1 C. whole milk
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. 20 min.

CHEESE AND SALAMI SALAD

This is one of my old recipe cards.

Click on recipe to enlarge.

SOUTHERN FRIED SQUIRREL

This recipe is from Nancy Rooks who was the cook for Elvis Presley. This is one of the recipes she said she made for the Presley family.

1 1/2 lbs squirrel meat
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups cooking oil

Boil squirrel until tender; remove from water; pat dry. Season and coat with flour. Place into hot oil and cook until brown. If desired, make brown gravy.

Note: My grandfather loved fried squirrel. I don't think my grandmother used the parsley flakes and she used regular salt unstead of seasoned salt but otherwise she cooked it much the same.

Note: File Photo

BUTTERSCOTCH CRUNCH PUDDING

2 cups cold milk
1 pkg (4-serving size) butterscotch instant pudding mix
1/3 cup crushed peanut brittle

Combine milk and pudding mix in a medium bowl; beat until well blended, about 2 to 3 minutes with lowest speed of electric mixer or 5 minutes with whisk by hand.

Fold the peanut brittle into the pudding mix and chill until soft-set.

Garnish each serving with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with additional crushed peanut brittle, if desired.

This recipe is from my 1979 Easy Homemade Desserts with JELL-O Pudding cookbooklet.

TOMATO ASPIC

I have never made tomato aspic but someone gave me this old recipe to share here. It sounds good and I may have to try it. Of course, being diabetic now, I would have to use sugar-free jello but that is not a problem.

1 can (18-oz) tomato juice
1 pkg (3-oz) lemon jello
2 tsp vinegar

Bring juice to a boil. Stir in jello until dissolved. Stir in vinegar. Pour into a mold or into the tomato juice can. Chill until firm. Unmold. Serve sliced from relish tray.

Serves 4.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH DINNER ROLLS

This is a recipe I got many years ago from Country Woman magazine.

2 tbsp + 1 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 tsp + 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 cups warm milk (110-115 degrees)
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups mashed cooked butternut squash
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
10-11 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Additional butter for brushing baked rolls

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast and the 3/4 teaspoon of sugar in the warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, squash, remaining 1 cup of sugar, and salt; mix until smooth. Add the wheat germ and 4 cups of the flour, beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (takes about 1 hour). Punch dough down and divide into thirds. Divide each portion into 20 pieces and shape into balls.

Place balls onto greased baking sheets and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Bake rolls at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with butter. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: 5 dozen rolls.

Note: I recently ran across the following review of these rolls at tasteofhome.com:

"These wholesome rolls are a pleasant addition to any entree. I get so many requests for them at holiday time. I make about 100 dozen in December. Retired from the restaurant business, I have 16 grandchildren."

CREAMY FRIED CONFETTI CORN

This is probably not a vintage recipe but it is one I have had for several years.

8 bacon slices, chopped 

4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (about 8 ears) 

1 medium-size white onion, chopped 

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper 

1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper 

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed 

1/2 cup half-and-half 

1 teaspoon sugar 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon pepper

Cook chopped bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Set bacon aside.

Sauté corn, onion, and bell peppers in hot drippings in skillet over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until tender. Add cream cheese and half-and-half, stirring until cream cheese melts. Stir in sugar, salt, and pepper. Top with bacon.