General family recipes
The first time I recall Mom making this (I was probably 8) I was totally grossed out by the idea of putting MAYONNAISE in a cake! The taste got me over that issue, REALLY fast! Lorraine makes this cake relatively often (she’s the baker in the house) and discovered some years back that it makes […]
This was the other cake Mom made frequently so Dad could take some with his lunch. I still love this one as well as the banana! Eggless Cake 1 cup sugar 1 cup sour milk (1 cup milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar) 1/4 tsp cloves 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup butter, melted […]
I don’t honestly remember anything about this recipe, other than Mom making it a few times while I was a teenager. The recipe probably came from a can of cherries. Dutch Cherry Cake 2-1/2 cups red cherries (#2 can) drained; reserve juice 1-1/2 cups flour 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 3/4 cup sugar, […]
Back in the days before microwaves and such, Dad took a lunchbox to work every day. I recall him taking a cold sandwich most of the time. Mom frequently baked this cake, and he took a large square with his lunch. Mom rarely frosted it, as the frosting would pull off on the plastic wrap. […]
Growing up on a small dairy farm, I recall Dad planting a small garden every year. Well, small for a farm, huge compared to what the neighbors grew. When I was 10 or so Dad planted zucchini. He and Mom had NO idea how much zucchini *1* plant would produce … he planted at least […]
Mom talked about having Johnny Cake when she was little. They always drizzled it with maple syrup. Johnny Cake Given that my grandfather died when Mom was 9 (around the time her brother Gordon died) I suspect that Johnny Cake was a common food due to low cost. These are the things that make memories […]
I was in my late teens the first time Mom made this. She remembered her older brother Gordon making it in the winter and had vivid memories from her childhood. [Gordon was killed in a car accident when Mom was 9.] Gordon made her a version with just a splash of alcohol. Mom found the […]
Mom made eggnog every Christmas. As a child it seemed like a lengthy process, and I remember she put it in a heavy cut-glass punch bowl (used only once each year). Dad would carry it out onto the back porch to chill it. [I grew up in Upstate NY!] HOURS later (this was torture to […]
As a kid I wasn’t fond of this soup (actually more like a thin stew) but as an adult I *love* it! Lorraine likes it as well, and I don’t make it often enough. Mom’s Vegetable Beef Soup 4 to 6 lbs soup bones with some meat large onion, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup parsley salt […]
I think the original recipe called for a pound of carrots … even 2 lbs wasn’t enough! But more made it carrot soup, not chicken soup with carrots. It’s amazing how tasty this soup is and now few ingredients go into it. Oh, and this soup demands fresh pasta. Mom always made egg noodles. As […]
Getting me to eat potatoes was tough. This recipe turned out to be one of the few non-fried recipes that I really liked! I think it was the onion that gave it flavor. I also snitched the browned one off the top! Scalloped Potatoes 3 Tbsp margarine 2/3 cup minced onion 3 Tbsp flour 1-1/2 […]
Kevin & I loved these puffs. But we didn’t make them often, as we never kept instant potatoes in the house. Mom & Dad did real potatoes so there was little point in keeping boxed around … As an adult I still detest boxed potatoes … FAR more than I dislike real potatoes. Potato Puffs […]
Mom got this recipe from a magazine. Its purpose was to use up two things: zucchini and green tomatoes. Dad grew bumper crops of tomatoes – we pickled green ones in dill pickling brine, and peeled & crushed ripe tomatoes and froze ’em in cleaned 1 gallon milk jugs. This recipe came into the family […]
These were tasty. We typically made them from left over potatoes. My parents were always meat-and-potatoes people. Once in a while we’d do pasta or rice, but it was mostly potato with every meal. Me? We do potatoes on occasion for variety, but I’m much more into rice, pasta, and grains. Just as well … […]
I always laugh when people talk about “Hungarian Goulash” as a mixture of macaroni, ground beef, and tomato sauce. Growing up “goulash” meant pork, yellow beans, carrots, and cabbage. Granted, I didn’t like it – I ate pork and carrots. Unless it’s fermented (Sauer kraut) I’m not a cabbage fan. Mom made this ONLY with […]