HAMBURGER ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

1 lb hamburger 

1 medium onion 

1 can stewed tomatoes 

1 cup water 

1 small zucchini, chopped 

salt and pepper (as desired) 

garlic or chili powder (optional) 

1/2 stick butter 

4 to 5 slices day old bread, crumbled 

Brown hamburger and onion; drain. Add tomatoes, water, salt, pepper, and garlic or chili powder if using; mix together well. Stir in the zucchini. Cook on low for about a half hour or until the liquid is absorbed. Pour the mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with the butter and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Brown under the broiler for about 6 minutes or until golden brown but be careful not to burn.

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MUSHROOM SOUP SLOPPY JOES

This recipe is from an old family friend.

1 lb. hamburger
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can water
1/2 cup catsup
diced peppers, mangoes* and onions
salt to taste

Brown hamburger in a skillet. Add diced peppers, mangoes, onions, and salt. Add the mushroom soup, water, and catsup. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.

*In Southern Indiana mangoes are green bell peppers.

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PRESSURE COOKER MASHED POTATOES

This recipe has been modernized to use the electric slow cooker. Back in the day, our pressure cookers were not electric.

2 lbs medium russet potatoes, peeled

3 cups water

1 1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/3 cup milk or buttermilk

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tbsp butter

1/4 tsp black pepper

Optional: Chopped chives for garnish

Add potatoes, water 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Lock lid and close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure cook on high 10 minutes. Quick-release pressure.

Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Add potatoes back to pan. Add the milk, sour cream, butter and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Mash until of the desired consistency, adding some reserved cooking liquid, if needed. Garnish with the chives, if desired. You can also top with a few thin slices of butter, if desired.

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UPSIDE DOWN CHILI PIE

This is a recipe I have had since we left the USAF and moved back to Indiana around 1970.

1 tablespoon salad or olive oil
1 1/2 lb ground chuck
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 can (8.25-oz) tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8.50-oz) kidney beans, undrained
1/2 cup red wine*
1 pkg (12-oz) corn muffin mix
1 can (8.75-oz) cream-style corn
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
Chopped parsley
Catsup

Put the oil in a hot heavy 10-inch skillet. Sauté the beef, onion, and garlic until the beef is browned--about 5 minutes.
Add the chili powder, salt, oregano, basil, and tomatoes; mix well. Cook over low heat, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in kidney beans and wine and cook 10 minutes longer.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine the corn muffin mix, corn, egg, and milk; mix just until the muffin mix is moistened.
Skim the fat from the meat mixture in the skillet and discard. Spread the muffin mixture over the meat mixture evenly.
Bake 25 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let stand in skillet for a couple of minutes. Invert pan onto a serving plate. Garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve with catsup.

Yield: 8 servings

*If you don't want to use wine, substitute water.
Note: Instead of catsup, I like to use salsa.

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PRIZE-WINNING COCONUT CAKE

This is one of the many recipes I inherited in the treasure trove of recipe boxes from my mother's estate.

1 3/4 cups cake flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup coconut
extra coconut for sprinkling over frosting, if desired

Sift together three times: flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream shortening with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Then add the flour mixture, alternately with the milk, beating until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and coconut.

Pour batter into two round 8-inch layer cake pans, lined on bottom with waxed paper. Bake in a moderate oven (375) for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and frost with your favorite frosting and sprinkle top and sides with additional coconut, if desired.

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COFFEE ANGEL FOOD CAKE AND BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

This recipe is from the 1960s when it was a favorite in the South.

1 1/2 cups sifted sugar, divided
1 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups egg whites
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant coffee powder or granules

Sifting is important to this recipe and directions should be followed for best results. Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar with the cake flour and sift together 4 times.

Add the salt to the egg whites in a clean and cool mixing bowl; beat until foamy. Sprinkle the cream of tartar into the egg whites and continue beating until soft peaks form. Add the remaining cup of sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Fold in the vanilla and coffee. Fold in the flour mixture, a half cup at a time, beating well after each addition.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert pan over a wire rack.

Ice the above cake with this icing:

Coffee Butter Cream Icing
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp instant coffee
slivered toasted almonds for garnish, if desired

Cream the butter and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Sift the sugar into the creamed mixture, a little at a time, beating well after each time. Add enough milk to make the icing of a good spreading consistency (icing that is too stiff is hard to spread on angel food cake) and mix well. Add the vanilla and coffee and beat until light and fluffy. Spread over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with the almonds, if desired.

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MYSTERIOUS ORANGE CAKE

Here is an old recipe clipping from an old women's magazine from my late mother's recipe stash.

 

HOMEMADE SWEET LIME PICKLES

 Some of these old recipes are sadly lacking in directions. The housewife back then knew what to do. 

This is a perfect example.

Slice 7 pounds of cucumbers and soak in 2 gallons of water. Add 2 cups of lime. leave in this for 24 hours. Wash well and soak in water for 3 more hours. 

Cover with this solution: 2 qt. vinegar 9 c. sugar 1 tbsp. salt 2 tsp. whole cloves 2 tsp. celery seed 1 tsp. mixed spices Let stand overnight in this solution. Bring to a boil and can.

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PINEAPPLE AND CHEESE SALAD

This recipe is from a small Southern Indiana church community many years ago.

1 (No. 2 1/2) can sliced pineapple
1/2 lb cold Velveeta or American sliced cheese
18 large marshmallows, cut into fourths

Drain the juice from the pineapple. When well drained, dice the pineapple. Cube the cheese.

Mix:
3/4 cup sugar
Lump of butter (size of a small egg)
2 tbsp flour (rounded)
2 eggs

Stir in pineapple juice and cook, stirring constantly, in double boiler until thick, about 5 minutes. Let this custard get cold, then combine with diced pineapple, cubed cheese, and marshmallows. Sprinkle ground nuts on top (optional). Serve on a bed of lettuce leaf when chilled. Keep in refrigerator.

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HELLMAN'S CLASSIC POTATO SALAD

1 cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise

2 tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup pepper
4 cups cooked, cubed, peeled potatoes (about 5 or 6)
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar, and pepper. Gently stir in the potatoes, celery, onion, and eggs. Cover and chill until serving time.  Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves, if desired.

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LIST OF OLD TIME SAYINGS

This is a list of some old-time sayings I have gathered from old cookbooks. Hope you will enjoy them.

Willingness without action is like a cloud without rain; there may be lots of thunder and lightening but no parched ground is watered.

Too little to save, Too much to dump. That's what makes the housewife plump.

"A smile is a light in the window of the face by which the heart signifies it is at home and waiting. A face that cannot smile is like a bulb that cannot blossom." Henry Ward Beecher

You find yourself refreshed by the presence of cheerful people. Why not make earnest effort to confer that pleasure on others?

"Whatever is set before you eat, asking no questions for conscience sake." 1 Cor. 10:37

Be grateful for your doors of opportunity--and for the friends who oil the hinges.

I set out to find a friend, but couldn't find one; I set out to be a friend, and friends were everywhere.

"We may live without poetry, music and art,
We may live without conscience, and live without heart;
We may live without friend, we may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks."

"He may live without books--what is knowledge but grieving?
He may live without hope--what is hope but deceiving?
He may live without love--what is passion but pining?
But where is the man that can live without dining?"
By Owen Meredith

There is no indigestion worse than that of trying to eat your own words.

We do not know how inexpensive the seeds of happiness are or we should scatter them oftener.

Little acts of kindness are stowed away in the heart like bags of lavender in a drawer to sweeten every object around them.

Strive always to be like a good watch--open face, busy hands, pure gold, week regulated, full of good works. 

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MARSHALL'S MARINATED MUSHROOMS

 This recipe was a favorite of actor and singer Ken Curtis who played Festus on the old TV series Gunsmoke, and his wife Torrie.

1 hard boiled egg yolk, mashed
1/2 cup malt vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 pound fresh mushrooms (small or medium)

Combine all ingredients except mushrooms in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Add mushrooms.  Cover and let boil for exactly 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat immediately and put in a quart jar.  When cool, refrigerate overnight.

Makes 1 quart.

MAXINE'S BAKED PORK CHOPS

This recipe was made frequently by Maxine back in my childhood Southern Indiana area over 50 years ago. 

4 pork chops (about 1 1/2 lbs.) 

1/3 cup diced celery 

1/2 cup water 

1/8 tsp. pepper 

2 tbs. brown sugar 

juice 1/2 lemon 

1/2 tsp. salt 

1/2 tsp. dry mustard 

2 cans (8-oz. each) tomato sauce 

Brown chops in fat. Place in shallow baking dish. Combine tomato sauce, water, celery, brown sugar, lemon juice and seasonings; pour over chops. Cover and bake in 350 degrees oven for 1 1/2 hours or until chops are tender.

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MOM'S SUGAR CREAM PIE

This recipe was my late mother's. When my mother passed away, a gentleman came up to me at the visitation and told me she made the best sugar cream pies he had ever eaten.

1 baked pie shell
1/4 cup corn starch (don't skimp!)
1 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 stick oleo
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon
nutmeg

Mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and milk. Cook until thick. Remove from heat and add vanilla and oleo. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into the pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

 

SALMON-POTATO CHIP CASSEROLE

This is an old recipe cut from a brand of potato chips that were popular in Indiana when I was a kid. The brand was CHESTY and we loved our CHESTY chips. Couldn't believe it when I ran across this 50 to 60 something year old recipe!

1 pkg CHESTY potato chips (I would say a regular family-size bag of today's chips.)
1 can (7-oz) salmon
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Break up the potato chips, flake salmon. Alternate layers in a well-greased baking dish, starting and ending with potato chips. Combine the soup and milk and pour over the layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the top is browned. Garnish with the hard-boiled eggs.

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1960S TOMATO ONION & CHEESE CASSEROLE

This is an old recipe I have had since early in my marriage. 

1 lb (4 cups) thinly sliced onion
2 lb (4 med) ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
5 slices processed American cheese, cut in half
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
3 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring about 1-inch of water to a boil, add onion and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes; drain.

In the prepared casserole dish, layer half the tomatoes then half the onions. Combine the salt, pepper, and basil; sprinkle half over the onions. Top with half the cheese. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes, onions, spices, and cheese.

Toss the breadcrumbs in the melted butter; sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake, uncovered, in a 350-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

Old-Fashion Family Peach Cobbler

This is an old family favorite from Southern Indiana where I grew up. I have been told it tastes a lot like the one served at Paula Deen's restaurant in Savannah, Georgia.

1/2 stick butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 cup milk
1 large can sliced peaches, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a deep baking dish in the moderate oven. Combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and milk in a small mixing bowl. Pour the batter in the dish with the butter but do not stir. Add the sliced peaches. Bake 1 hour.

Note: Some people like to use a whole stick of butter.

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SHOEPEG CORN SALAD

One of my favorite salads since childhood although I can't eat it anymore after several colon surgeries.

1 can shoe peg 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 overnight or all day before serving.

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

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.

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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.

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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 overall. Place in a 325-degree oven and bake about an hour.

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

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EASY BEEF SHORT RIBS

Are you old enough to remember cooking with lard? I am and I still think lard makes the best pie crusts.

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.

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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 
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.

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TANGY VEGETABLE SALAD

Since I am a gal who loves her vegetables, this has been one of my favorite salads for many years.  I think one of the reasons I love vegetables so much is because I was raised in the country where we grew most of our vegetables.  I loved helping plant the seeds, watching the plants grow, and waiting with great anticipation to enjoying the vegetables when they were ready.  I also loved helping my mother and grandmother can the vegetables then enjoying them on cold snowy days in the wintertime.  I believe my love of vegetables was planted early and I know it runs deep. 

1 can baby peas
1 can Shoe Peg corn
1 can French-cut green beans
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 chopped onion
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Drain all the canned vegetables then mix all the ingredients together in a bowl with a lid.  Place lid on bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

This makes a great 'make ahead' dish for busy cooks.

WAFFLES FROM 1942

 I saw this online and thought you might enjoy this recipe. I love recipes that are older than me. I was born in the 40s but the late 40s.

BARLEY VEGETABLE SOUP

This old-fashioned recipe is also a healthy one. Give it a try for an old-fashioned healthy, tasty meal. Just add a crusty whole-grain bread or muffin and you have a meal!

In a stock pot, heat 2 tbsp oil and saute 2 medium chopped onions until transparent. Add: 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced and 1/3 cup barley. Saute a for a few minutes.
Add to the stock pot: 1 cup diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, 3 cups sliced mushrooms, 1 potato, scrubbed clean and diced with peeling left on, 8 cups water or beef or chicken stock--your preference, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 3 tbsp soy sauce, and 3/4 tsp seasoned salt. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add to soup: 2 small zucchini, cut in half lenthwise then cut into slices. Continue to cook until zucchini is tender. Season with salt, if desired, pepper, and cayenne pepper to suit your taste. After dishing soup into serving bowl, garnish with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

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BRASILEIRAS (COCONUT COOKIE DROPS)

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For several years I lived next door to an American citizen who came from Brazil.  Her mother would visit often from Brazil and loved to cook.  Even though her mother and I could not speak each other's languages, we learned to communicate effectively often over food.  This is an old Brazilian recipe in honor of my friends.

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablesp. butter OR margarine
1 fresh coconut, grated OR 2 cups flaked coconut
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 tablesp. flour

In saucepan, boil sugar and water until mixture spins thread when dropped from spoon (about 240 degrees F. on candy thermometer).  Add butter and remaining ingredients, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Cook, stirring, until mixture thickens--about 5 minutes.  Cool.  Meanwhile, start heating oven to 350 degrees F. When mixture is cool, shape into small balls.  Bake on greased cookie sheets 12 min. or until golden.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 her 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. 

Mr Food's photo for reference only - not this exact recipe.

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. 

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Homemade Chocolate Frosting

Yummy recipe I've had for many years. 

 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.

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JIFFY CAKE MIX HOT ROLLS

This is an old church cookbook recipe. 1 box Jiffy brand white cake mix 1 pkg dry yeast 1 1/4 cups warm water 3 cups flour Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Set in a warm place and let rise until double in size. Punch down and shape into rolls. Dip into vegetable oil and let rise again. Put into greased muffin cups or arrange in a pan. Bake at 375 degrees until browned.

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SHARON'S MOM'S CUSTARD PIE

My Hoosier friend Sharon recently posted her mother's recipe for this pie. Sharon's mother Helen and my mother Helen were friends in their young years. Sharon gave me permission to share her mom's pie recipe.

Mom's Custard Pie

6 lg. eggs

1 c. white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 pinch salt

2 c. milk

2 unbaked pie shells or 1 deep dish

Pre-heat 475

Best eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and little nutmeg. Stir in milk pour in unbaked crust. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake

Reduce oven after 10 min. to 350

Bake for 25--30 min.

Crust is golden brown and filling is set.  

Sharon's photo

MACARONI CASSEROLE WITH PIMENTO

This is an old recipe from my childhood neighborhood in Southern Indiana. 1 pkg (8-oz) macaroni 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper 1/4 cup diced pimento 1 medium onion, diced 1/2 tsp salt 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup milk 1 cup grated sharp cheese Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare macaroni according to the package directions. In a large bowl, mix together the macaroni, mayonnaise, bell pepper, pimento, onion, salt. In a small bowl, whisk the soup and milk together; stir into the macaroni mixture. Add the cheese and mix in well. Lightly butter a casserole dish. Pour the macaroni mixture into the casserole dish and bake at 325 for 30 minutes until heated through and bubbly.

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WEST TEXAS FRIED VENISON

This is an old Scouts recipe. 2 lb venison, cut into serving-sized pieces 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp salt pepper to taste 3 tbsp bacon drippings 1 stalk celery, chopped 3 medium onions, sliced 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 cup tomatoes Cooked buttered noodles Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together and coat venison with the mixture. Heat the bacon drippings in a large skillet and brown the meat in the drippings. Add the celery, onions, Worcestershire sauce and tomatoes to the meat; mix well. Lower heat to low and cook, covered, for 1 to 2 hours until the meat is tender. Serve over the hot buttered noodles.

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