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.

File photo for reference

SKILLET SCALLOPED POTATOES

4 cups peeled, diced potatoes

1/2 cup minced onion

2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 grated sharp cheese
dash pepper
1/4 cup cracker crumbs

Combine potatoes with onion, salt and milk in skillet. Cook covered, at simmer, for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender.

Sprinkle cheese, pepper, and crumbs over top. Continue cooking uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

file photo for reference

CHICKEN TACO CHILI

This is an old Southern Indiana recipe.

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 pkg (10-oz) frozen corn

1 can (28.5-oz) tomatoes with chilies

1 can (8-oz) tomato sauce

1 tsp cumin

 3 to 4 chicken breasts (around 24-ozs)

Cayenne pepper, optional

Red pepper flakes, optional

Place all ingredients into a crock pot for 6 hours on high or 10 hours on low. Thirty minutes before serving, remove chicken breasts and shred using two forks. Return chicken to pot and stir to mix in. Serve with tortilla chips.

file photo for reference

HOOSIER'S BUTTERMILK PERSIMMON PUDDING

This recipe is from an old Indiana church cookbook. 

2 cups persimmon pulp 1 cups buttermilk 2 eggs 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 stick butter 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan; set aside. Mix the butter and sugar together; add persimmon pulp. Blend mixture together well and stir in the buttermilk; add the eggs and mix well. In a small bowl, combine the baking soda, salt, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the persimmon mixture and mix together until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

file photo, not this exact recipe

SHOESTRING POTATO TUNA SALAD

This recipe is from one of my late mother-in-law's co-workers over 56 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.

file photo for reference

SYRIAN EGGPLANT STEW

I got this recipe years ago from a lady in the Ft. Worth, Texas area. It was an old family favorite her grandmother had made for her. 1 large eggplant 3 or 4 garlic cloves 1/3 cup olive oil 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 2 cans tomatoes 1 cup water salt and pepper, to taste 1 tbsp fresh parsley 1 tbsp capers, rinsed 1/3 cup Greek olives, pitted Prepare this dish in a large, heavy Dutch oven. Peel and crush garlic. Cut eggplant into cubes and lay out on a clean kitchen towel. Salt eggplant and let sit for 10 minutes. Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven. Saute garlic in the medium-hot oil until it just starts to brown; remove from the pan. Add the eggplant to the pan and saute for 10 minutes. Add the onion and saute for another 10 minutes or until onion is getting soft. Add the tomatoes and water. And additional salt and pepper to taste. Simmer mixture for 30 minutes on low heat. Add the capers and olives. Add the parsley just before serving. Note: Serve a hot crusty bread with this stew. Also, this stew is great as leftovers.

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CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER

This was (and likely still is) a most requested recipe at a rural retreat in Southern Indiana.

1 cup butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup all-purpose flour

3-qt chicken stock

6 cups frozen white or yellow corn (a mixture works well), thawed

2 cans (14.5-oz cream corn

6 medium potatoes, peeled, sliced, and cooked

1 cup pimento pieces

3 to 4 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp curry powder

2 tbsp dried parsley

2 tsp white pepper

1 tbsp granulated garlic

4 tbsp chicken base

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp ground red pepper flakes

1-qt Half-and-Half cream

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot, cook until softened. Stir in the flour a tablespoon at a time. Cook mixture, stirring occasionally until browned and fragrant, about 12 minutes. At first the flour will smell like glue, as it cooks a richer nutty smell will take over the kitchen. Brown the mixture as dark as you like, just don't let it burn.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat the chicken stock over medium heat until it steams. Add the browned flour-veggie mixture. Cook and stir until well blended then add the corn, potatoes, pimento, chicken base and the spices. Cover and increase heat to high to bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow to cool 10 minutes. When mixture is no longer bubbling, pour in the cream, a little at a time, stirring to blend well. Be careful not to pour in cream while mixture is too hot. Pour in a small amount of cream first as a test. If oily spots for at the top of the chowder, cool longer before stirring in the remaining cream.

Note: Shrimp may be used instead of chicken.

file photo used for reference only - not this exact recipe

RIVAL CROCK-POT SMOTHERED STEAK

1 1/2 lbs chuck or round steak, cut in strips
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 large onion, sliced
1 - 2 green peppers, sliced
1 lb can tomatoes
1 4-oz can mushrooms, drained
2 tbsp molasses, optional
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 10-ounce package frozen green beans, french-style, optional

Put the steak strips, flour, salt and pepper in crock-pot.  Stir well to coat steak.  Add all the remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook on High 1 hour then turn to Low for 8 hours. (High: 5 hours). Serve with rice.

Note: This is a recipe that came in the booklet pictured below that came with my first crockpot in the 1970s.