New cheese!

They were handing out samples of this at the marke the other night, so we bit. It's amazing stuff: Dorset Drum English Farmhouse Cheddar. Pricey for a cheddar, but worth it for a splurge. It's basically your Platonic ideal of a cheddar: perfect balance between creamy and crumbly, with a sharpness that keeps building in your mouth as you eat it. Plus it comes in a nifty thick black wax rind.

That is all.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

 

PineappleUpside-Down Cake

It is said that thepineapple originated in the Caribbean Islands from a shipwreck. Thepineapple carried by an ill-fated Spanish ship was washed ashore. Itwas carried onboard, because the Spanish explorers ate it to preventscurvy – a disease that causes Vitamin C deficiency.

The pineapple upsidedown cake was first recognized in 1924, in a fund-raising cookbookand again in 1925 in a Gold Medal Flour ad. In 1936, Sears Roebuckadded it to its catalog; making is a familiar staple of Americanculture. 

 

Apineapple upside down cake begins with a layer of sweet pineapplethat is syrupy and glazed in butter at the bottom of a heavy skillet.This is topped with a cake batter and baked. After baking, thecreation is flipped over, producing a beautiful upside down pineapplecake.

I'm not sure how accurate the above information is but I thought it was an interesting story.  I made my first pineapple upside-down cake when I found the recipe in a magazine and decided to try it.  I seem to remember that we were living in Yakima, Washington.  Alongside the recipe, the magazine had an offer from the Dole company for a special cake pan so I sent for one and both Dad and I have used it for pineapple upside-down cake ever since.  Later on, I don't remember when, we picked up another pan in a thrift shop.  We must have done that twice over the years because when Dad got the pans out to make cakes for a party this year he found that we had three!  Since we never make more than two at a time, we sent the extra one home with Dena and promised to post our recipe on the family food blog.

This cake can be made in any kind of pan that you happen to have.  You can cut the pineapple slices to fit your pan and create your own design.  Should you, however, want the kind of pan that we have you can purchase one on Amazon.com   http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Pineapple-Upside-Down/dp/B000237FSK   or search for a better price somewhere else.

Now – for ourrecipe! Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

¼ cup butter

½ cup brownsugar

5 to 7 slicesDole Pineapple

Maraschinocherries (optional)

1 package whiteor yellow cake mix for a one layer cake (such as Jiffy Cake) orone-half of a regular size package.

Melt butter,brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of pineapple syrup in an 8 or 9-inchskillet or cake pan or in special upside-down cake pan. Remove fromheat and arrange pineapple and cherries in mixture.

Prepare batteras directed on cake package. Pour over mixture in the pan. Bake ina preheated 350 degree oven 40 to 50 minutes, until cake tests done. Let stand 5 minutes. Invert on serving plate. Allow 2 to 3 moreminutes before removing the pan. Serve warm or at room temperaturewith whipped cream. Makes 5 or 6 servings.

French Peas

This recipe has been a family tradition from Mom's family, but I had never done it myself until this year. (My sisters and I had specialized responsibilities, but the pea sister was with her husband's family this year.) Now I get to decide whether to continue the tradition.

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup finely shredded lettuce
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 cube chicken bullion
• ½ cup water
• 16 oz. peas
• 1 small can water chestnuts
• ¼ tsp salt

Directions

Fry the bacon in a large skillet over high heat until browned on edges. Drain the excess fat. Add the green onions, lettuce, and flour; cook over medium-high heat until some of the lettuce turns transparent, stirring frequently. Add bullion and water, and cook until thick. Add peas, water chestnuts, and salt; cook until peas are tender.

Makes 5-6 servings.

Comments

For six adults and three children, we doubled the recipe and had plenty left over. Lemon Verbena finds it a bit soggy, so it might be largely nostalgia for me. Nevertheless, I might experiment with less water and possibly different kinds of lettuce. Given that a co-worker has recently sung the praises of kale, that could be a good place to start.

Christmas ham glaze 2011

Usually I bake a ham for Christmas, and usually I put a glaze on it that evolved out of a recipe I found on the internet years ago. This year it evolved further, and it came out pretty good. Unfortunately I didn't measure, but here's more or less what went into it:

Ingredients:
1 can frozen concentrated apple juice
maple syrup (this is what I didn't measure - I used a lot, though, maybe a cup or more)
Gateway to the North Maple Garlic Seasoning - 1 tbsp
Sichuan pepper (but from Japan: goes under the name sanshō) - 1 tbsp

1. Mix the apple juice and maple syrup in a saucepan. Heat on medium until melted and mixed.

2. Mix in the spices and simmer for a while.

The Maple Garlic seasoning was something Joanna gave us for Christmas - very tasty stuff (thanks!). And it somehow mixed wonderfully with the sansho. Sansho, as the wiki says, is not at all the same as normal pepper - kind of peppery tasting, but has a nice herby fragrance that sets it apart. Anyway, it all went together nicely.

3. Heat your oven to 325. Put the ham (ready-to-eat) in a glass baking dish and pop in a meat thermometer.

4. Score the ham with a knife. Drizzle the glaze over liberally. We were only cooking for two, and the above measurements make far more than we needed for a 2-lb ham. But since juice concentrate only comes in one size, there's not much we could do about the extra. If we'd poured it all on the ham would have been swimming. The point for you is: this recipe will make enough glaze for a much larger ham.

5. Bake the ham, uncovered, until it reaches an internal temp of 145. While baking, take it out every 20 minutes or so to spoon the glaze over it.

The result: some of the excess liquid will evaporate, and what's left will have mixed with the ham's juices to leave a very sweet, very tasty gravy. We usually have ham with mashed potatoes and steamed peas, and the gravy is good on all of it.

Walley Family Sugar Cookies - Dena's Initiation

Dena has officially participated in the all-important Walley Family Sugar Cookie Initiation Rite and has passed with flying colors. Not only did she intuitively grasp the subtleties of cutting out Sesame Street cookies, as well as excel at the difficult-to-master "sugar flop," but she thoroughly understands the importance of not overbaking these delicate masterpieces.

In the course of bringing Dena into the circle of sugar cookie mastery, we did have a close call. Thinking to include Mom and Dad in the cookie fun, we made one batch using Splenda instead of sugar. This was the first batch out of the oven and since I was rolling out dough for the next batch, I had Dena try one of them. She took a bite and then simply handed me the cookie and watched carefully as I took a bite. Mind you, I have been bragging about the family sugar cookies for a long time and she knew the pressure was on to, even if I didn't. Well, that bite was initially good, as the sugar on top dominated the flavor. But as I chewed, I realized that not only had the Splenda made the dough dry and crumbly (even with milk worked in), and the cookies drier at baking, but the substitute sweetener had basically ruined the cookie. I didn't hear it, but I believe Dena let out a sigh of relief when I declared that the cookie was bad and not at all what it should be. The next batch, made with regular sugar, were much better and under interrogation, Dena agreed that they are among the best sugar cookies ever made (leaving herself wiggle room in case she ever tastes better ones, which we all know is impossible and she will learn in time). All is well.

Oh, and here's the recipe for posterity's sake.

Walley Family Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup (plain old white granulated) sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract OR 1 tsp. vanilla extract (I'm thinking about almond extract)
• 2 cups flour (regular old general purpose white flour; sifted)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 tablespoons milk
• Food coloring if desired

Directions
Blend shortening, sugar, egg, and flavoring in the mixing bowl. If you are going to make colored cookies, add the food coloring at this point. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. (I often add the baking powder and salt directly to the wet mixture, then add the flour separately as follows.) Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in about 3 phases, adding a portion of dry then a tablespoon of milk and repeating until all is mixed together in a good dough. (Do not try to finish mixing with your electric mixer unless you have a super-powerful stand mixer, or you might burn out the motor. Mix a reasonable amount and then finish by hand.) Chill the dough for at least an hour.

This dough is slightly too thick, which is why
the edge of the boat didn't cut cleanly.

After chilling, take roll the dough out on a floured board/counter or a pastry canvas (never seen one in my life, but it sounds intriguing). You'll usually want to roll the dough to a thickness of about 1 cm.; however, the thickness can vary according to which cookie cutters you are using. If the dough flakes too much, dip your fingers in milk and work the dough until it sticks together better. If it's too wet and sticky, work in some more flour. Make sure to flour your cookie cutters before cutting out the shapes; this is especially important when using ones with "faces." Flip each cookie face-down onto a plate of sugar and pat gently, then place face-up on an ungreased cookie sheet. (You might want to cover the cookie sheet in foil if it is old or non-nonstick.)

Bake cookies at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Technically! In reality, you only bake them until the cookies set and the edges are just barely thinking of turning the slightest bit brown. This often turns out to be at 6 minutes. If you take them out and they are still too soft to move from cookie sheet to cooling surface, leave them on the cookie sheet for another minute or two, then carefully move with spatula.

Reese says "Eat with milk!"

These cookies can be preserved by freezing; the important thing in all storage methods is to not let them dry out. Even so, dry cookies can be revived by dunking them in milk. Milk cures everything.

Mormon Gravy

Mormon Gravy

This is a recipe that I (being your mom) grew up on.  My mother made it often and always served it with Bisquick drop biscuits.  Dad's family had biscuits and/or cornbread on the table each day, always made from scratch whereas my mother made biscuits the easy way.  Anyway, back to our family history of eating "Mormon Gravy."  I'm sure that my mother grew up on this, too, since it's an easy way to feed a lot of people and she came from a family of 12 children.  

"Mormon Gravy" is a milk gravy and is a way of using pan drippings and little bits of meat left from whatever kind of meat was cooked for a previous meal.  Pioneers, including the Mormons had to use every bit of food they had in the most economical way they could and I'm sure this was often made with water when milk wasn't available.

Dad and I made it with ground beef, the way my mother did, but also used it with dried beef (the kind that comes in a little glass - you children probably remember having those as juice glasses when you were growing up).  When we made the gravy with dried beef torn into little pieces (chipped beef) we often served it over rice.  When Dad was in the Army it was served over toast but I won't tell you what the soldiers in the mess hall called it - ask him!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons meat drippings Not being as poor as the pioneers, we always started by cooking some ground beef, as did my  mother.  Sometimes, she would make hamburgers the night before and save the pan with a little bit of meat to make Mormon Gravy for breakfast in the morning.  We stretched a pound of ground beef to feed a growing family by leaving all of the beef in and using it as a main meal.  Obviously, it can be made with whatever meat one has and, if a little more oil is needed some can be added.

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk 

Salt and pepper

Directions

Leave 3 tablespoons fat drippings infrying pan in which meat was cooked. Add flour and brown slightlywhile stirring. Remove from heat and add milk, stirring well toblend. Return to heat; cook and stir until mixture is thick andsmooth. Season to taste. Serve with potatoes, biscuits, or cornbread.Note: This gravy is usually made from fried beef drippings, but othermeat drippings are commonly used.

Making this is not an exact recipe.  There are numerous recipes for this type of gravy on the Internet.  This happens to be closest to what my mother (your Grandmother Munroe) made.  Amounts may vary so feel free to experiment should you decide to try it.  


Below is a copy of a little handout that I gave the Relief Society Sister in our Branch in New Delhi when I taught a Homemaking Meeting and we talked about the Mormon Pioneers.


Side Pork andMormon Gravy

*Mormongravy, common fare among the early settlers and apparently a creationof necessity expressly for the times, is still hearty and nourishingfor many of this generation who like to make it with ground beef orfrizzled ham or bacon and serve it over baked potatoes.

* Iate a lot of “Mormon Gravy” while growing up. My mother made itwith ground (minced) beef and always served it with biscuits and aside dish of peas. In America, biscuits (in India, biscuits refer to cookies)refer to small quick breads, which use baking powder or baking sodato make them rise. They are tender and light. The tradition ofeating “Mormon Gravy” is one that was passed down throughgenerations from my Mormon Pioneer ancestors. – Sister Walley

8thick slices side pork (or thick-cut bacon strips)

4tablespoons meat drippings

3tablespoons flour

2cups milk

Salt,pepper, paprika

Cookmeat on both sides in heavy frying pan until crisp. Remove from panand keep warm. Measure fat and return desired amount to skillet. Addflour and brown slightly. Remove from heat and add milk, stirringwell to blend. Return to heat and cook and stir until mixture isthick and smooth. Season to taste. Serve with side pork on potatoes,biscuits, cornbread, or even pancakes.

 

Three Bean Salad

Three Bean Salad

When Glynne was born, Dad was serving with the US Army in Germany and I lived with my parents while he was there.  One of the families at church, the Fishers, sometimes invited him to dinner.  This is one of the dishes he ate in their home and Sister Fisher gave Dad the recipe to send to me.  It has been a family favorite ever since.  Bean salads continue to be popular to this day and many variations can be found on the Internet but this is the one that has become part of our family food history.  It became one of Grandma Munroe's (my mother) favorites, too.

1   16-oz. can French cut green beans
1   16-oz. can chick peas (same as garbanzo beans)
1   15-oz. can kidney beans (dark or light - whatever you prefer)
 ½  cup chopped onion

 ½  cup chopped green pepper

Dressing:    ½ cup vegetable oil

                    ½ cup apple cider vinegar

                    ¾ cup sugar  (use less if you want to)

                    1  teaspoon salt

                    ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

                   

 Drain the liquid from the beans before using.  I rinse the kidney beans so the dressing won't become cloudy.  Gently mix the beans together.  Mix the dressing and pour over the bean mixture, stirring gently.  I chill this salad for, at least, an hour to let the flavors mix.

*  Wax beans can be substituted for the chick peas if you prefer.  Sometimes, I add them to make a four bean salad.  This salad is wonderful the second day and we sometimes add another can of beans just to enjoy the flavor of the dressing a little longer.

 

Minnie's Mom's Dog Biscuits

Dog Biscuits 

Luna and Dad have lots of friends at the local dog park.  Not long ago, "Minnies's mom" was handing out small bags of home baked dog biscuits.  She had made them to sell at a fundraiser and was giving samples to friends at the dog park.  Luna didn't care for the spinach one but loved the pumpkin and peanut butter flavors.  Since some of you have dogs or, just in case you need something to sell at a fundraiser or give to friends that own dogs, Luna is sharing the recipes with you.  With Christmas on its way, it might be a hint for Dena to bake her some.  With dogs, one never quite knows their motive!  By the way, humans at the dog park seem to like these, too (They claimed to just be sampling to see what they were giving their dogs - yeah - right!).

* To buy a dog bone cookie cutter try:
http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Bone-Cookie-Cutter/dp/B00011HGVO
There seem to be quite a few different ones available online.
 
PEAMUTT BUTTER

This one won't stick to the "woof" of your dog's mouth!

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup water

2  1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup oatmeal

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl combine peanut butter, oil, and water.  Gradually add flour, then oatmeal.  Form a dough.  Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

Makes 5 dozen depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
 

        

         TRICK &  TREAT

Your dog will learn new tricks to get this treat!

               

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine pumpkin, water, oil, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.  Stir well.  Gradually add oatmeal and flour.  Form a dough.  Roll dough to 1/4 -inch thickness and cut with cookie cutter.  Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.  Makes 4 dozen depending on the size of your cookie cutter.

Food Bio from Red Hot Mama

Food Bio from Red Hot Mama

Dena may be the newest member but I hold the distinction of having the latest invite right before her.  I was told by my children (all of you) that they wanted to make sure this blog would keep going before getting me involved.  Little did they know that, once invited, I would be shy about getting started and that it would be months before I would post anything.  Once started, however, I can't seem to stop!  That said, I didn't see the request for a "food bio" when Joanna posted it and I'm six months late in writing one.  By now, Dena and I have not only met but have found that we have several common interests, cooking and baking being two of them.  That goes for Dad, too, although he isn't a blogger and won't speak for himself in this forum.  The 'gator picture is of Dad, not me.  I'm much prettier than that as you can plainly see!

Skill Level: Being your mother means that my capability is high and I am great at multitasking, other than when it's time to take the dinner rolls out of the oven while preparing Thanksgiving dinner.  However, I don't have to do that anymore since Dena loves to bake.  She will love it even more when Cherilyn replaces the thermostat in their oven!  

   In recent years, especially since he retired, Dad has taken over most of the cooking at our house but I still have my reputation as a Yakima County Master Food Preserver, Central Washington State Fair Food Preservation Judge, and winner of several baking trophies from that same fair to prove that my culinary skills were once top notch.  There is more proof in the fact that I raised five wonderful and very talented children (you know who you are) and none of them starved. 

Favorite Cuisine:  If I had to choose just one, it would probably be Arizona Mexican and would most definitely include pinto beans cooked the way my mother cooked them as I was growing up.  Beans are always better the second day and I love them hot or cold.  In fact, I like most ethnic foods hot or cold.  Dena and I share a love of hot pepper sauce (Dad and Cherilyn cringe when we talk about it or, better yet, put it on our food or sample it straight out of the bottle!)

Cooking or Baking:  As your mother, never underestimate my culinary skills!  However, I will admit to a love of baking cookies, cakes, and quick breads.  I am not very skilled with yeast breads but love the smell of freshly baked bread.  Therefore, Dad and I own a breadmaker!

Favorite Appliance:  I suppose, if I could only have one, it would be the food processor because it chops easily and quickly,  and is especially useful at Thanksgiving when making stuffing.  However, I would beg to be allowed to keep the blender and the toaster oven as well.  The blender includes the immersion blender doesn't it?  After all, I didn't specify so I think it's only fair to let me keep both.  Dad says that the stove is his favorite because you just turn it on and it heats up - no chopping wood, no gathering chips (If you don't know what those are, you didn't attend Primary as a child and sing the song "Little Pioneer Children."), and no smoke.  It's almost as good as having running water!  Dad also loves his Crock Pot and uses it often.  Mom, however, got to choose what kind so it's a Tabasco Crock Pot!

Favorite Junk Food:  Almost anything salty, spicy, or sweet!

Favorite Real Food:  Refer back to "Favorite Cuisine!"

I'm quite sure that Dad and I own the most cookbooks in the family since they frequently follow us home from Goodwill.  We love to read them, learning about different cuisines and food history.  Do we try the recipes?  Sometimes!  Do we ever end up with two copies of the same book because we can't remember whether or not we already own it?  Yes!  Then it's Dena to the rescue because she's willing to take the second copy off our hands, loving cookbooks as much as we do.  

Welcome to the Family Food Blog Dena, and to the family >^..^<

 

Mock Lasagna Casserole

Mock Lasagna Casserole

This is another Better Homes and Gardens recipe from the book "Good Food On a Budget" that was published in 1971.  I didn't make it often but, when I did, Lorien loved it and that is what I wrote in my cookbook.  She probably doesn't remember that but it's a little piece of the family food history.

1     pound bulk pork sausage  (It's quite possible that I sometimes used ground beef)

1     15-ounce can tomato sauce (2 cups)

½    water

½    teaspoon each garlic salt, pepper, and dried basil leaves, crushed

1     7-ounce package macaroni (or other small pasta), cooked and drained

1½  cups cream-style cottage cheese

6     ounces process American cheese, shredded (1½ cups)

Brown the meat; drain off fat.  Add tomato sauce, garlic salt, pepper, basil, and  ½  cup water.  Cover; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  In a 2-quart casserole layer half each macaroni, cottage cheese, and meat sauce.  Repeat.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serves 6 to 8.

  

Creamy Coleslaw

Creamy Coleslaw

This is a Better Homes and Gardens recipe from a book called Good Food on a Budget that was published in 1971, and it was my standard go-to recipe for coleslaw as you kids were growing up.  I wrote in my cookbook that it was "a family favorite."  Glynne said that he was looking for a good coleslaw recipe so I'm hoping this will be one that he remembers.

3 cups shredded cabbage

*** This recipe doesn't call for carrots but I know that I put them in.  I probably put 1/3 to 2/3 as much shredded carrot as shredded cabbage.  You will have to adjust the ingredient amounts to suite your taste, using a bit more dressing if needed.

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup salad dressing (I always used Miracle Whip) or mayonnaise

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar (I always use Apple Cider Vinegar)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seed (It really makes a difference)

1 small green pepper, cut in rings (optional) (I never used this garnish but you might want to)

Combine cabbage and onion.  Blend salad dressing, sugar, vinegar, and celery seed.  Pour over vegetables and toss.  Top with green pepper.  Makes 6 servings.   

Lorien's Couscous with Stuff / Lemon Dressing

LORIEN’SCOUSCOUS WITH STUFF/Lemon Dressing 

Note from Mom!  In going through my recipes, I found this.  I'm thinking it is something that Lorien cooked while we were living in New Delhi and that I liked it well enough  to copy the recipe.  I don't know if Lorien remembers this or not but the recipe definitely sounds worth trying.

 

 

1cup shelled pecans

1½ cup couscous

1cup dried cranberries

½tsp. turmeric

2cups boiling water

1cup thawed frozen peas

3scallions thinly sliced

2medium cucumbers, diced

¼cup shredded fresh basil

1. Toast pecans in shallow pan at 350°about 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Place couscous, cranberries and turmeric in a large bowl. Add the boiling water, stir, and then cover with a large plate. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove cover and fluff with a fork. Cover again and let sit for 5 more minutes.
3. Stir in pecans, peas, scallions, cucumbers, and basil.
4. Pour *lemon dressing over couscous mixture and stir.
5. Let salad sit at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to blend. If it will sit longer than 1 hour, cover and chill…but it should be served at room temperature.

Note:cucumbers should be added close to serving time so they stay crunchy.

LEMON DRESSING 
1/3cup lemon juice
zest of one lemon
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
Combine ingredients in a jar with a tight lid.  Shake vigorously.

Quick Serve Jell-O

QuickServe Jell-O

In1979, while living in Yakima, Washington, our ward Relief Societyladies compiled a small cookbook (more of a pamphlet) of favoriterecipes turned in by their children.  This was the one Glynnewanted included.  We sent a copy to Grandma Munroe (my mother)and wrote the date inside so that's how I know what year it wasdone.  This was an inexpensive and frequent dessert at our housefor years.

1pkg. 3 oz. Jell-O

1cup hot water (from tap)

4large ice cubes

PourJell-O into blender, add hot water, and blend until Jell-O dissolves. Add ice cubes and blend until they are melted. Pour into 4 oz.dessert cups (Remember the Tupperware ones we used to have ?) andrefrigerate until the Jell-O is set (about 30 minutes). As it sets,it will separate into two layers with gelatin on the bottom and afoamy layer on top. 4 to 5 servings

Chicken-Corn Chowder

Chicken-Corn Chowder 

In 1979, while living in Yakima, Washington, our ward Relief Society ladies compiled a small cookbook (more of a pamphlet) of favorite recipes turned in by their children.  This was the one Cherilyn wanted included.  We sent a copy to Grandma Munroe (my mother) and wrote the date inside so that's how I know what year it was done.  Dad and I love any kind of corn chowder.

3/4 cup sliced celery

3/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1  3/4 cup milk

2 cans cream of chicken soup (I didn't list adding the water in the original recipe but must have done!)

1 can whole kernel corn or cream-style corn (Perhaps, add the liquid if using whole kernel corn!)

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. salt

dash of pepper

Sauté celery and onion in margarine until tender.  Add milk, soup, corn and seasoning.  Heat, stirring occasionally until chowder is hot but not boiling.  Serves 4 to 6


* Sorry for not knowing about the liquid used. . .1979 was a long time ago!  Experiment!

Spicy Grape and Raisin Cake

SPICYGRAPE & RAISIN CAKE

Carolynwon a Welch’s Grape trophy in the Central WA State Fair with thisrecipe.

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup Welch’s Grape Juice

½ cup Welch’s Grape Jelly

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

1 cup dark raisins

½ cup sliced walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and lightly flour a Bundt pan. (I spray with PAM)
2. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar and eggs. Beat until very light and fluffy (about 3 minutes altogether).
4. Mix grape juice, grape jelly and vanilla together.
5. Alternately beat grape mixture and flour mixture into the creamed butter and sugar.
6. Add raisins and nuts, mixing well.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool 10 minutes in pan before turning out. (If cake is left in pan too long it may stick.) Finish cooling on wire rack. Pour grape satin glaze over cake when it’s completely cool.
    

GrapeSatin Glaze

1 cupsifted confectioner’s sugar

1 TBSlight corn syrup

1TBS Welch’s Grape Juice

In asmall bowl, combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Pourglaze on top of cooled cake and it will slowly run down the sides.

Apricot Bundt Cake

APRICOTBUNDT CAKE – recipe from Grandma Edith Munroe

2cups sugar (try 1 white and 1 brown for a change)

1-cupvegetable oil

3eggs

1tsp. Vanilla

14oz. Pureed apricots

2cups flour

2tsp. Baking soda

1tsp. Cinnamon

Optional:½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Mixthe ingredients in the order given. Pour into a greased andfloured Bundt cake pan. (You can spray with Baker’s Joy if youhave it.)

Bakeat 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until a cake tester (bambooskewers work well to test) comes out clean.

Coolfor 10 minutes andthen turn out of the pan onto a cake plate.

Sometimes,I sprinkle powdered sugar over the top before serving. Other times,I have made a powdered sugar glaze to drizzle over it. Either isgood.

EATand ENJOY!

Thisis a recipe that I’ve used many times over the years and it hasalways been well liked. Originally (30 years ago!), it called for 2jars of Gerber Junior Food Pureed Apricots but those are no longeravailable. Through the years, I have pureed home canned apricots andstore bought ones as well. All seem to work as long as you drainmost of the juice from the canned apricots before pureeing them. Thebaby food used to come in 7 oz. Jars, so it was easy to use. Afterpureeing canned apricots, measure out 14 ounces for the cake andenjoy eating the rest! Sometimes, I have substituted applesauce forthe apricots; so don’t be afraid to experiment.