My Cookbook & Margie's Favorite Recipe

MY COOKBOOK

My cookbook's a mess, all tattered and torn;
But reading it feeds my affectation
With it's marvelous remedies
To shoo away those everyday cooking blahs.

Mr cookbook's a dream book,
All packed with memories of the good
and the bad recipes I have tried.
It is the dream book of my life.

My cookbook is not boring to me
Filled with appetizers, breads, cake
and salads and muffins and hash.
Full of recipes, just for me.

If you should run across it some day,
Don't forget to say,
"That was her dream book,
She used every day.

********************************************

Now for Margie's favorite recipe. Margie was
a vivacious red head. Even though she was not well,
she never complained but always smiled. She was full
of life as she danced and sang, so full of life she made
me sing. Margie is gone now, but memories of her
smile and her beautiful Irish face still linger in
my mind, especially when I make her:

HAMBURGER PIE

1 lb. ground Beef
Enough Instant potatoes to make 8 servings
1 egg 1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp. pepper 1 Tbsp minced onion
1/4 cup Catsup 1 cup milk
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese (grated)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix meat, 1 1/3 cups of the
instant potatoes, egg, salt, pepper, onion, catsup and milk.
Spread in ungreased pie plate, 9 x 1/2 inches.
Bake uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes.

When slightly cooled cut into pie shaped wedges and serve
with a mixed green salad, Rye Bread and butter or creamed
cheese. It will make your eyes light up & I remember Margie.

Oh What Happy Days

I just love reading the recipes that come out for the Christmas season. Of course, there comes a time in ones life that things should be more simple than last year or 30 years ago or even 10 years ago. As we get older, it is nice for the youngsters to take over the cooking. That still doesn't take the joy out of reading cookbooks and remembering how we used to cook.

I was born just before the big fall of 1932. Seems I remember that only the people in town had any conveniences. Why, we had no electric, running water and our bathroom was an old fashioned galvanized tin bathtub and an outside wooden toilet. Well, thats enough of that, since you already know I was born and raised in the country, I'll share one of my Mom's favorite recipes.

OVEN PORK STEW
(We didn't raise beef but lots of hogs, but thats another story.)

First you get a cast iron dutch oven hot on top of the wood stove.

When that is hot, you drop about 2 lbs of Pork into it to brown. 2 lbs would be about 24 one and 1/2 inch pieces. More is OK, but you want to leave room for the veggies. You know stew is never good without the veggies, in my book anyway.

While the pork is browning, get the veggies ready.

First you need to know that these veggies come from the farm garden Mom raised. First she would pull them out of the ground. Sometimes the carrots would be stubborn and she would have to go down with a shovel to get them out of their growing spot.

Now back to the browning of the pork. She has already washed the veggies but now it is time to peel them. The carrots go first as they take the longest to cook. Following the carrots are the turnips, parsnips, onions and potatoes. Potatoes go in last as they cook quickly.

All is simmering in the cast iron dutch oven on the top of the wood stove and Mom is still working on the stew. Then came the surprise.

She had been mixing something in a bowl, but we coulnd't see what it was and she didn't say. Soon the mixture was complete. She set the dutch oven on the cool side of the stove and poured this mixture on top of the pot of stew. Then she opened the oven door that looked like a cave in the side of a hill, put a lid on the dutch oven, closed the door and waited about 30 minutes. When that time was up, she took the cover off the dutch oven and closed the cavernous oven door again.

She scurried us over to set the table with beautiful flowered dishes. Forks on the left; knives and spoons on the right. Five minutes went by and oh, we were so hungry as we got a whiff of the stew in the oven in the cast iron dutch oven.

Then she opened that oven door. To our surprise it looked like it was just cornbread. She started dipping and filling our plates. It was so good!

And that ends the story of my Mom's Oven Pork Stew topped with cornbread..

Campbell's Has Done It Again

Is there anybody out there that doesn't use Campbell's Soups. Not only for the soup, but to make other dishes. Today, I discovered that Campbell's has recipes for casseroles. The one I'm printing today is:

HAM AND NOODLE CASSEROLE


Pennsylvania Dutch Ham & Noodle Casserole



Sure to become a family favorite, this quick cooking casserole combines cubed cooked ham, noodles and tender onions blended with a creamy cheesy sauce.

Shared by Campbells

Time needed
10 minutes preparation + 15 minutes cooking

Ingredients
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 C. cubed cooked ham
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 C.)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
2 C. shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
5 C. extra-wide egg noodles, cooked and drained
Directions
Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ham and onion and cook until the onion is tender. Stir the soup in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Add the noodles and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with glazed baby carrots: steam carrots with a touch of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. For dessert serve vanilla yogurt with fresh blueberries.

THATS ALL FOR NOW, BUT KEEP WATCHING THIS SEGMENT. I'LL BE ADDING MORE CAMPBELL'S.
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Beef Taco Bake

Ground beef, spicy tomato sauce, tortillas and cheese are layered and baked for a hearty one-dish meal.10 minutes preparation + 30 minutes cooking

1 lb. ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup
1 C. Pace® Chunky Salsa OR Pace® Picante Sauce
1/2 C. milk
6 flour tortillas (8-inch)
OR 8 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 oz.)
Directions
Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often. Pour off any fat. Stir the soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and half the cheese in the skillet. Spoon the beef mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Cover the baking dish. Bake at 400°F. for 30 minutes or until the beef mixture is hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

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Country Turkey Casserole

Your favorite mixed vegetables join turkey and stuffing in a creamy sauce in this no-hassle casserole.

Shared by Campbells
Time needed
10 minutes preparation + 25 minutes cooking
Ingredients
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Potato Soup
1 C. milk
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
4 C. cooked cut-up vegetables *
2 C. cubed cooked turkey or chicken
4 C. prepared Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing
Directions
Stir the soups, milk, thyme, black pepper, vegetables and turkey in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Spoon the stuffing over the turkey mixture. Bake at 400°F. for 25 minutes or until the stuffing is golden brown.
*Use a combination of cut green beans and sliced carrots.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a Caesar salad with Pepperidge Farm® croutons and prepared cranberry sauce. For dessert serve ice cream

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Turkey Papaya Salad

Ingredients
1 lb. turkey tenderloin
1 papaya, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
1/2 C. plain yogurt
1/4 C. mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 C. shredded or flaked coconut
1/4 tsp. salt
Directions
Place turkey in 1 1/2 quart microwave-safe casserole. Cover with casserole lid. Microwave (high) 6-7 minutes or until turkey is tender, rotating dish once. When turkey is cool enough to handle, cut into small pieces. Combine turkey and remaining ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until served. Serve this salad with slices of papaya, avocado, or melon.
Variation: 1 whole chicken breast (about 1 lb.) can be substituted for turkey

I AM IN LOVE WITH CAMPBELL'S SOUPS.

Baked Bean Bread

This recipe was taken from The Good Old Days Wanted Ads section. Thanks Tami for submiting it.

Baked Bean Bread

1 C. Raisins
1 C. Boiling water
3 eggs
2 C. Pork & Beans
1 C. Oil
3 C. flour
2 C. Sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1 c. nuts (optional)

This sounds like a good recipe to add to my Christmas Baking list. Thanks for posting it and thanks Katie for putting it into format. I've changed the directions slightly as follows:
Put raisins in boiling water, set aside to cool. Beat oil, eggs, sugar and P/B until mushy. Drain raisins from water setting water aside. Add flour. cinnamon, baking power and salt. Add vanilla. If desired add nuts. If mixture is too stiff add a little water from the raisins, mix well. Pour mixture into 3 greased loaf pans and place in a preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 50 or 60 minutes.

As an added touch after bread has cooled, drizzle on a powdered sugar glaze. (my secret for that is: Use all ready made vanilla frosting, use 1/4 cup of frosting with a few drops of water mixed in. Mirowave for for about 45 seconds. Dirzzle onto cooled bread. Makes a delicious breakfast slice for any veggie or fruit bread.

VANILLA SUGAR COOKIES

Vanilla Sugar Cookie

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4 ounces) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 6 ounces) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (11 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat until the dough just comes together, being careful not to over mix.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place the ball of dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out to 1/4 inch think. Keeping the dough in the parchment, transfer to a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cut out the cookies in the desired shapes and places on a half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper or an ungreased nonstick cookie sheet, at least 1 inch apart. Transfer to the freezer and chill for at least 15 minutes or until they are stiff.
Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Let cookies cool completely on the sheets before decorating. (They will still be soft when they come out of the oven and may break or become misshapen if they are moved off the sheets before cool.) from Paula Deen’s website

Soup Making Day

The Thanksgiving Turkey, what was left of him really got his goose cooked today.

Yesterday I prepared the veggies and took the white meat off the breast bone.


TURKEY SOUP
1 T. butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups chopped white meat of turkey
1 C. finely chopped carrots
1/2 C. finely chopped turnips
1/2 C. finely chopped celery
1 t. chicken flavored spices.
2 49 oz cans of Chicken Broth
1 13 oz. Bella Nico Meat Tortellini
Home Style Pasta


Place butter/margarine in pan with the turkey white meat
Saute for at least 5 minutes to get the 2 flavors married.
Add the carrots, turnips, celery and spices.

Cook on low heat until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.

Pour the 2 cans of chicken broth into pan and bring to a rolling boil.
Keep at rolling boil while putting the Pasta in the soup. Allow pasta to cook for about 8 to 12 minutes until the desired tenderness is reached.

At first glance you may think this is just any old turkey soup, but the addition of the Meat Tortellini give it that extra, special flavor.

DID YOU EVER SEE THE LIKE?

I was scrolling through the recipes and did you know? There are a thousand and 1 ways to make potatoes. That doesn't say much for the beans, carrots and tomatoes, does it. There is actually a potato sandwich recipe that has tomatoes and onions with it.

You know, most of the time when you cook dinner, you have a huge bowl of mashed potatoes left over. You don't have a dog, you don't have hogs and your husband won't eat cold mashed potatoes. Your head screams "What do I do with all these cold potatoes." Something answers: "Put them in the fridge until morning."
SOO, into the fridge they go, sitting there is all their mashed frenzy wondering what is going to happen to them. One little mashed potatoes says to another: "I don't want to go into the garbage." So those little potatoes sobbed all night.

Next morning you wake up with a recipe in your mind. This is the way it goes.

Now, you have about
1 1/2 cups of mashed potatoes
Add: 1 egg beaten
until the egg is all consumer by the mashed potatoes,
Add: 1/4 cup pancake flour and a drop or two or vanilla flavoring.

When that is all mixed and smelling so good, you toss in a small bag of chopped pecans.

Now over on the stove, you have a non-stick skillet heating just waiting for your potato concotion. Did I ever tell you that if there is a non-stick skillet out there, I've never found it. Well, just in case, I put a dollop of margarine in the skillet, spread it all around until it melts and the skillet is now ready for me to cook the potato mixture. Oh, I forgot, you add 1/4 cup milk to the potato mixture. Make sure everything is mixed up real good.

Now the tricky part. You take a ladel that holds just under a cup of batter, dip some of the potato batter the pour it into the preheated skillet. Oh the beautiful fireworks you hear.
snap, crackle and did I mention pop.

And to beat that, the aroma wafting up from the skillet is just heavenly. Soon, the one side of the concotion is brown (tested by picking up a little edge), so, please use a extra wide spatula which you slide under the browning potato concotion, lift it up, turn it over and brown the other side. Sound anything like making pancakes? WeLLL,

You have just made the first of many:

Potato Pancakes.

Turn them out onto a plate, douse them with butter and good old maple syrup and you have, along with a cup of coffee, a breakfast fit for your king.

He doesn't even know the potatoes are in his pancake.

"I'll have a kiss, before you go off to work," I tell him. And, away he goes.