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Simple, wholesome recipes from family and friends, sprinkled with love on every bite.
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Thursday, February 24, 2011

The History of Aprons

Note, medium is size 14-16!

Do you remember making aprons in Home Economics? I don't think the students really knew the purpose an apron served. So many things have changed over the years. The saddest thing for me is that we are no longer teaching the art of sewing in our "home ec" program. Someone at the state level decided that sewing was not a skill that students needed. I am so tired of trying to defend the importance of this part of our department and have conceded. But I do want to share the following verse that has been around for years and you may recognize it.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. 

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.  
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.. 
And when the weather was cold Grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.  After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. 
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. 
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. 
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes. 



Saturday, February 12, 2011

Hot Cocoa Mix

1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
2 cups powdered sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
3 + ½ cups non-fat powdered dry milk

Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Blend with whisk or use a flour sifter until finely blended. Store in an airtight container.

Use 1/3 cup in a mug, pour in hot water, and stir. Add mini marshmallows or a dollop of whipped cream.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Sharon's Pimento Cheese Spread


I just love having my mom living in Ellet now. She is such a good cook and I've been able to get some of her recipes written along with much needed guidance. A couple months ago she made Pimento Cheese Spread and I fell in love with it. I would take a sandwich to school for lunch and zap it in the microwave for 10 or 20 seconds just to take the chill off it. Yum! She made it again last week and this time she wrote down the ingredients. Well...I tried to make it tonight and this is where I think I went wrong. First, I used finely shredded sharp cheddar instead of regular shredded. Second, I used Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise. Third, Mom said to drain the pimentos and I don't think I did that very well. Let's just say I think I need to follow this exactly next time to get a batch like Mom's.  

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Pinch of garlic powder
4 oz. jar of pimentos

In mixing bowl beat cream cheese, mayo and garlic powder until softened. Add cheddar cheese, mix until well blended.  Add well drained Pimentos, stir gently until blended.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Sticky Popcorn

  A Landon favorite
½ stick butter
¼ cup Karo syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1 large pan of popped corn, 3 quarts
(Tiny White brand)
1 cup peanuts or almonds

Heat together butter, karo and brown sugar in small sauce pan. Bring to rolling boil, boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, add vanilla, stir. Drizzle over popcorn & peanuts while stirring gently.

Apple and Pear Crisp

When I tasted this crisp I almost cried. It had a beautiful blend of pear and apple and the lemon gave it this freshness I had never experienced in food before. I took a dish to Dad before it cooled off.  
Submitted by Christie

4 pears, peel, core and cut into chunks
6 apples, peel, core and cut into chunks
1 orange (1 tsp zest and 2 Tbsp juice
1 lemon (1 tsp zest and 2 Tbsp juice
½ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg

Topping:
1 ½ cup flour
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ tsp salt
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
2 sticks cold butter, diced

Place cut fruit in large bowl, add zest and juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into 9x13 baking dish.

Topping: Combine all ingredients in bowl, using electric mixer until mixture becomes large crumbs. Sprinkle evenly and completely over fruit.

Bake at 350 for 50 – 60 minutes, until top is brown and fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Mom's Cookbooks

The Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking by Meta Given
My mom, Sharon Shockey, loves to look at cookbooks. She has a few, checks them out of the library and searches the web for recipes. But there are two cookbooks that are very special to her. Many years ago, when she married my father in 1957, Rebecca Landon Maggs gave her a set of cookbooks for a wedding present. Mom has said many times that she didn't know how to cook and that Gramsy taught her.  The reason these particular cookbooks are so special is because Gramsy went through the recipes and made notations in pencil. Over the years the binding came apart, the green covers fell off and were lost and several pages are missing. We had quite a time trying to find the title and author but I finally found this set on the Internet.  I scanned several recipes which include Gramsy's hand-written notes for Mom to follow.





Friday, February 4, 2011

Cream Cheese Ball

2 – 8 ounce packs cream cheese, room temperature
1 jar chipped beef, rinsed, pat dry
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp Miracle Whip
2 squirts Worcestershire
1 – 2 Tbsp horseradish or fresh minced garlic
½ lb finely chopped English walnuts

With electric mixer combine cream cheese, beef and all ingredients
except walnuts. Form into ball, roll in chopped nuts. Refrigerate overnight. 

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Chocolate Cherry Cake


This cake has become our favorite! It's so moist and rich. You won't believe how easy it is to make!

1 box Devil’s Food cake mix with pudding
2 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract
15 ounce can cherry pie filling
a pinch of love

Spray 9 x 13 cake pan with vegetable oil. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more.  Pour into prepared pan,  bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place on wire rack while preparing glaze.

Chocolate Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
Bring to boil in sauce pan, boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Add 1 cup chocolate chips, stir until melted. Pour on top of warm cake.

Obtained from Kristi at Landon Reunion 2009

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Debbie’s Vanilla Ice Cream

Roger, Christie, Grandpa Ray
making ice cream, circa 1962
Obtained from Aunt Becky

4 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar 2 Tbsp vanilla
2 cans Eagle Sweetened evaporated milk
1 pint whipping cream
¼ tsp salt

Put these ingredients in ice cream maker, then pour 7 cups whole milk until it reaches top of ladle. Follow directions for ice cream maker. Layer about a cup of rock salt with ice and repeat until reaching the top. Be careful when checking ice cream so the salt water doesn’t leak in accidentally.
Tommy at Grandpa Roger's, 1993

Soft Sugar Cookies

Jane Oakley's Soft Cookies

Pancakes

Roger's Meatloaf

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

February Observances

Bake For Family Fun Month - Cakes & Bars, Cookies, Pies
National Cherry Pie Month
National Pie Month - Never Fail Pie Crust
Chocolate Lovers Month
Hot Breakfast Month - Sausage Breakfast Pie, Oatmeal Breakfast
Potato Lovers Month- Cheese Potatoes, Potato Soup, Oven Potatoes, Ham & Potatoes
National Snack Food Month - Chex Mix
Canned Food Month

DAILY OBSERVANCES
Feb-3 Carrot Cake Day - Carrot Cake
Feb-4 Homemade Soup Day - Tri-Soup Supper
Feb-6 National Popcorn Day - Sticky Popcorn
Feb-7 Fettuccine Alfredo Day
Feb-12 Chocolate Day
Feb-13 National Tortellini Day
Feb-15 Burger Lovers Day
Feb-16 Almond Day
Feb-20 Cherry Pie Day
Feb-23 Banana Bread Day - Best Banana Loaf
Feb-24 Chili Day - Chili Mac
Feb-24 National Tortilla Chip Day