April's Family Recipes: Memories of Family, Food and Fun!

I love the posts we received for April's Family Recipes. Such a variety of delicious food, and such wonderful memories are shared this month. I enjoy this event so much because the older I get, I realize how so many of my important memories are centered around food. It seems to be the same way for a lot of people as you'll read in these blogs. I hope you'll take time to visit each blog, and maybe you'll think about sharing a recipe and memory in June when Shelby, from the The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch, will host the next Family Recipes event. So, here they are!

Stracciatella (Egg Soup), from the blog, Erbe in Cucina. This yummy soup with herbs, is a traditional Italian soup that will chase away any chill.

Vingret (Russian Beet Salad), from In My Box, is a Russian classic. Gorgeous color, surprising ingredients and great memories of time spent in Russia.

Japanese Cucumber Salad, from Katy at Food for a Hungry Soul. This delicious recipe is from Katy's dear mother.

Gratin of Belgium Endive, from Hidden Glass House. This delicious recipe evokes memories of Ariane's dear Nana. You must read this.

Vegetable Pancakes, from Chaya at Comfy Cook. These pancakes are filled with lots of vegetables. Check it out!

Cabbage - Potato Crepes, from Chaya at My Sweet and Savory. This Passover dish sounds delicious!

Spicy Asian Hakka Noodles (Stir Fry Noodles), are from Fun and Food Cafe. Mansi has been perfecting this recipe for years!

Jam Roly-Poly and Custard from Jan at Range Warfare. This English pudding is a favorite from her childhood school lunches!

Bambi's Peanut Butter Cookies are from Shelby at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. These yummy, flourless cookies are from her Dad's side of the family.

Nanny's Ginger Molasses Cookies are from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's HoneybuncH, and were posted in March. A soft and yummy cookie. Since we didn't receive any submissions for March, we are posting this with April's submissions.

My Mother's Goulash, from me (Lynda), at Lynda's Recipe Box. my mother made this quick and easy meal on very busy weeknights. My brother and I loved this dish, and so did my children.

I appreciate everyone who submitted recipes for this months Family Recipes. Our Next event will be in June, so get your thinking caps on! Maybe you've got a recipe to share.

My Mother's Goulash - for Family Recipes

My Mother was a very busy woman when I was a kid. My brother and I grew up in Colorado on a ranch and my Mother wore many hats, if you will. In other words, she had many jobs. When I was very young, she cooked for the hired men on the ranch, making huge man pleasing meals everyday at noon. She raised a garden, chickens, ducks and she sometimes drove a truck during harvest or feeding cattle, if needed. She had to have some quick meal ideas to fall back on. She went to work when I was in the 5th grade as a secretary at the small school that we attended, so she was always very busy. Goulash, as it was called in our family, is one dish that my Mother would make on really hectic nights. It is typically a hamburger, tomato and macaroni dish that is easy to make and you only need about 30 minutes in which to prepare it. I loved this meal as a kid. Mom sometimes added cheese to the top and she often made biscuits and cooked green beans from her garden to go along with the meal. I hadn't made this dish for quite awhile when I made it a couple of weeks ago. My daughter was overjoyed! As a kid, she loved it as much as I had when I was young. It's still a great dish, easy to prepare and full of flavor. Chopped bell pepper can be added to it as well as cheese, if desired. I know that a lot of families have a similar recipe, maybe going by a different name. Does your family make this tasty dish?

NOTE, 2012: I'm adding this note to my post since this has become such a popular post. I grew up in the 1950's and 60's, and that was a very different time than now. When my mother went to work, she still made dinner every day after she got home from work. People cooked back then; it was a priority. We didn't have fast food places in our nearby town, so we spent our meal time around the family dinner table. Quick, economical meals like this were a lifesaver for many moms. Good memories.

This recipe is my submission to March's "Family Recipes: Memories of Family, Food and Fun", which is hosted by me this month. If you have a family recipe that you'd like to share, please send it to me by March 31st. Check out all the rules here. Any dish that's a family favorite with memories attached will work. We would love to hear from you. This event is hosted by Shelby, from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch, and Laura, of The Spiced Life, and myself. March is my month to host. Don't forget!


MY MOTHER'S GOULASH
from Lynda's Recipe Box

1 pound lean ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 bell pepper, diced- either red or green(optional)

1 -15 ounce can small dice tomatoes

1 - 15 ounces can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

2 cups dry macaroni, cooked according to package directions

salt and pepper to taste

cheese for topping, if desired

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the macaroni. While pasta cooks, brown the ground beef that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Drain beef well and remove meat to a bowl. In 1 tablespoon oil, cook the onion and bell pepper if using, until softened. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar. Add the ground beef back to skillet. Cover and cook about 15 minutes. Remove lid and add cooked macaroni. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Toss well and add cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

My Mother's Banana Bread - for Family Recipes

When I was small, one of my favorite food memories was my Mother's Banana Bread. I loved the aroma as it baked, loved the golden crust as it came out of the oven and I loved the taste of the soft, moist banana bread and crunchy pecans. It was a special day when Mom baked this bread. After the bread cooled, Mom wrapped it carefully in foil and placed it the the cabinet where it was supposed to set until the next day. She wouldn't let us have a bite! I admit, the bread is moister the day after it is baked, so I guess that was Mom's reasoning. I have to admit though, that more than once I climbed up to the cabinet and got into the Banana Bread! I was such a brat! I am submitting this recipe to Shelby at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honey Bunch, for January's roundup of Family Recipes: Memories of Family, Food and Fun. This event is hosted by Shelby and Laura, from The Spiced Life, and myself. Hope you enjoy!

MY MOTHER'S BANANA BREAD

3/4 cup sugar
3 large bananas, mashed
3/4 cup shortening (or unsalted butter)
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mash the bananas; add in the shortening, eggs and sugar and mix well. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt and pecans until just mixed. Pour batter in a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in bread comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then invert banana bread onto the rack to finish cooling. Wrapped tightly in foil or plastic wrap. Or, slice and enjoy a big piece of scrumptious Banana with a cup of coffee or tea! Have a great week, my friends.

Family Recipes: Memories of Family, Food and Fun ( Some additions and appologies)

I know, I posted this last time. But, I've found out that I didn't include a couple of bloggers submissions, because their emails to me went into my spam folder. I am so sorry! When they left comments, I started looking and sure enough, I hadn't found their emails. I also found some emails from a couple of regular readers that I need to answer. Makes me wonder what else I missed! Anyway, my appologies to these 2 wonderful bloggers. I want to include their delicious looking recipes now. I was afraid that these posts wouldn't be read if I just added them into the last post. So here are 2 more wonderful recipes for December's Family Recipes. Enjoy!

Paul's Aunt's Steak Marinade, from Josie, at "1 Kitchen, 2 Dogs and a Girl"
Josie used this salty, sweet marinade on some tender bison flank steak! You'd better check out her blog to get the details. I want it now!


Walnut Pasta with Marjoram, from Graziana at "Erbe in cucina".
This wonderful recipe is passed down from Graziana's mother, who loved cooking with fragrant marjoram. This recipe is full of great memories. Check out her blog!


Again, I 'm sorry ladies that this happened. I now will check my spam folder daily. I don't want this to happen again.

Shelby, from "The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch", will host Family Recipes for the month of January, so if you would like to submit a recipe, please send her your links. The rules are here. Have a great day!

Family Recipes- December's Round Up!

Happy New Year to all! Hope you had a great time during the holidays. I am excited to post December's Family Recipes: Memories of Family, Food and Fun! We have some great looking food in this post, from some wonderful blogs. I hope that you will check each one out.

Each blogger has posted a favorite family recipe that holds tasty memories for their families. January's Family Recipes event will be hosted by Shelby of "The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. If you have a wonderful recipe to share for this event, please email Laura with the post before the end of the month. Let's check out these recipes, now, shall we! Be sure to visit these amazing blogs.
In A Pickle, from Simran at Bombay Foodie
Simran shares that pickles are serious business in India. Pickle recipes are closely guarded secrets and only the eldest women in a household take on pickle making. Check out her spicy, sweet and sour pickles.

Christmas Cookies, from Kristen, at Frugal Antics of a Harries Homemaker
These special cookies come from Kristen's grandmother and are so special in her family that her son requested them for his birthday. She makes these gorgeous cookies all year long!

Kay's Mama's Cranberry Salad, from Kay at the Keyboard
This delicious looking salad has been served at every Thanksgiving and Christmas that Kay can remember!. Her mama used to use a sausage grinder to chop up the fruit!

Brown Sugar Pie, from Grace, at "A Southern Grace"
This gooey, Brown Sugar pie is from Grace's dear grandmother. If you have a sweet tooth, this pie would be a great ending to any meal. Check it out!

Chicken Liver Pâté, from Natasha, at "5 Star Foodie"
This creamy pâté was one of Natasha's favorite dishes during the holidays when she was growing up. The secret ingredient that makes this so creammy is butter- yum!

Butter Crunch- 2 Ways, from Laura, at The Spiced Life
This lucious looking candy recipe is from Laura's husband's side of the family. She offers 2 versions of this sweet treat. I'll take it both ways!

Chocolate Chip Cookies, from Shelby, at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch"
These yummy looking cookies are one of Shelby's granny's recipes. These are perfect cookies for dunking in a cold glass of milk.

My Favorite Cheese Ball, from Lynda's Recipe Box
This delicious cheese ball is my submission to Family Recipes this month. My mother-in-law gave me the recipe for this slightly spicy appetizer. It's a family favorite!

I hope you've enjoyed this months delicious submissions to Family Recipes. Remember, Shelby is hosting for January, so if you have a family recipe to share, let her know.
NOTE: Laura was going to host next month, but that has now changed to Shelby.

A Fantastic Cheese Ball for Family Recipes: Memories of Family, Food and Fun!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas weekend! We still have snow on the ground, though not as much as some of our neighbors to the west, such as Oklahoma. It is cold though, but that's winter for you. I am well now, after being sick with, of all things, food poisoning. At least I'm reasonably sure that's what it was. One day last week as I spent a long afternoon shopping, I decided to go through the drive though of a fast-food chain and grab a quick burger, instead of going home to fix a bite. That way I could go on to the grocery store after I ate. Bad idea! I rarely eat at fast food chains, and now it will be even less often. I'll spare you the details! Instead, I'd love to tell you about this marvelous, delicious cheese ball that I've made for years!

This awesome cheese ball comes from my Mother-in-law, Grace, and I think she got it from a friend of hers. She gave me the recipe years ago and it has been a family favorite since then. It is always devoured when taken to gatherings. My husband loves this savory cheese ball as much as I do. Children may not appreciate the green onion and bell pepper mixed into the cheese, but adults love it! If desired, the mixed cheese can be separated into 2 equal parts and rolled into logs, instead of the ball. I am submitting this recipe to "Family Recipes: Memories of Family, Food and Fun", this month, which is hosted by me! Yes, I am this months host for this fun event! I am now co-hosting with Laura, of "The Spiced Life", and Shelby of "The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch", for this wonderful blog event. If you have a favorite family dish you'd like to include this month, you will find the rules here. It must be a new post of an older family recipe. Send me the link to your post and a picture, if possible, to www.whatscookin52@sbcglobal.net.

I need to receive this information by December 30th. Now, on to the recipe!

My Mother-in-Laws's Cheese Ball

8 ounces cream cheese, brought to room temperature

8 ounces medium cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons finely chopped green or red bell pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion

2 tablespoons chopped, well drained pimento (I did not use)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (recipe says up to 1/2 tsp.)

about 1/2 cup chopped pecans for coating the cheese ball

Mix cheeses together until well combined. By hand this will be work. Use a food processor, if desired. I don't have one, yet. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the nuts. Cover the bowl and chill this mixture for 30 minutes or so, until the cheese is firmer and easier to roll into a ball.

When ready, roll the cheese mixture into a ball and then roll into the chopped nuts to evenly coat. I added some chopped, fresh parsley to the nuts for some added color. Wrap cheese ball in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. Can be made several days ahead of serving. The cheese ball should set at room temperature for about 30minutes before serving. Serve with crackers of choice. I hope you'll try this savory and delicious cheese ball. The cayenne pepper gives it a subtle kick that pares well with the bell pepper and onion. This would be a great addition you your New Years celebrations. Enjoy!

Family Recipes: Memories of Family, Food and Fun

I am so excited to be co-hosting Family Recipes: Memories of Family, Food and Fun, for the month of March! It has been hosted by Laura, of The Spiced Life, and Shelby, of The Life and Loves of Grumphy's Honeybunch, for several months now, and I was thrilled when they asked if I wanted to join them! I love hearing stories and traditions of food in the lives of families. So make a recipe and share the memories that are connected with it. The deadline date changes monthly, but normally it will end around the last Saturday of the month.

RULES
1. Make a dish that's a family recipe-from mom, dad, aunts, in-laws, or your own family, that you have enjoyed for along time.

2. Post it on your blog between now and midnight, March 31, 2009 (USA EST). All submissions must be in English.

3.Provide a link in your post to this page and this blog.

4. Email me at whatscookin52@sbcglobal.net by12:00 AM, Midnight, March 30, 2009 (USA EST) with:
. the recipe name
. the URL of the post
. the URL of your blog
. your location

5. Please place a copy of the logo on your post, if possible.

6. Multiple submissions are welcome, but please only 1 submission for for each type of dish (main dish, appetizer, dessert, etc.).

7. New posts only, please.

8. You are welcome to send the photo you want published in the round-up. If you don't submit a photo however,we will choose one from your post.

With all the cooking going on this month for the different holidays, there should be some delicious family recipes being made. If you haven't checked out the recipes for January's Family Recipes, check out Shelby's blog at The Life and Loves of Grumphy's Honeybunch, for some tasty looking submissions!

My Mother's Chicken (or turkey) Pot Pie

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! If you still have turkey leftovers, this Pot Pie would be a good choice to make. This is similar to my Mother's Pot Pie. I say similar, because she did not use a written recipe, so I've had to write one so that I could pass this on to my kids. This was one of my favorite meals when I was growing up. My brother and I came running to the table when we knew this delicious Pot Pie was on the menu for dinner. Most of the time Mom used chicken for this recipe except at Thanksgiving when we had turkey. She always used Bisquick to make the biscuits on top, which is an easy choice of topping. That's what I used this time because I was lazy! But, of course you can use your homemade biscuit recipe in its place. Or use a pie crust topping, if desired. It will taste delicious either way. Likewise, my husband and kids
love this dish! When my kids were little, this was one of the few meals that everyone would eat. I had a couple of picky eaters, so when the weather is cool, this Pot Pie has been a staple in my recipe rotation. It's hard to pass up such good comfort food! I'm submitting this recipe to Shelby, of The Life and Loves of Grumpey's Honeybunch and Laura, of The Spiced Life, for November's Family Recipes, Memories of Family, Food and Fun. Be sure to check out their blogs for other submissions.
MY MOTHER'S CHICKEN (OR TURKEY) POT PIE

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken or turkey
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour, plus 1 tablespoon
1 cup diced onion
1 stalk diced celery
2 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth
1/2 cup milk, or you may use more broth, if desired
16 ounces of frozen vegetables, or use an equal amount of leftover veggies
salt and pepper to taste-I used 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp.pepper, but it will depend on whether you use canned broth or your own broth.

TOPPING: Either use your own biscuit recipe, or use about 2 cups of Bisquick and mix according to box directions.

This recipe is easy to adapt to what you have on hand. I used mixed, frozen vegetables, but you could also use peas and carrots or even add mushrooms, if desired.
In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the onion and celery until soft. Stir in the 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon flour until smooth. Pour in the 2 1/2 cups broth; stir until combined and bring to a boil. Simmer until thickened and then cook a couple of minutes. Stir in the milk and bring back to simmer. Now, add the frozen vegetables and turkey. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into a 3 quart baking dish. Stir up the biscuit topping and place tablespoonfuls on top of potpie. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the biscuits are done. Enjoy!

Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

My family loves Chocolate Chip Cookies that are crisp around the edges yet soft in the middle. This recipe fits the bill perfectly. I found this awesome recipe in an old church cookbook that I bought more than 30 years ago from a friend. The poor book is falling apart and I have to be careful that I don't misplace any pages when I'm flipping through it. This wonderful cook book comes from a church in Grandview, Missouri, and it contains many treasured recipes that my family loves. I want to thank Geneva S. for this addictive cookie recipe.I have never met her, but my family has eaten her cookies for years now! When my kids were young, they used to steal

bits of dough from the bowl as I was trying to bake these chewy cookies. My kids always preferred these without nuts, even though my husband and I love them loaded with pecans. So, I used to add nuts to half of the cookie dough, so that we could indulge in them as we preferred. The things a mother has to do when she has picky kids! I am submitting this recipe

for our family's favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies to Laura of "The Spiced Life", and Shelby of "The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch", for this months "Family Recipes; Memories of Family, Food and Fun!" Here's the recipe for these super cookies!

Chocolate Chip Cookies- Our family's Favorite!

2/3 butter, softened to room temperature

2/3 shortening

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda (originally called for 1 tsp. soda)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped nuts; I use pecans

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening, eggs, sugars and vanilla together until creamy. In another bow, mix the flour, soda and salt together. Add to the butter mixture and mix well. Add the nuts and chocolate chips and stir until well combined. I use a tablespoon to measure the dough so they will be similar in size. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until light brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let cookies cool slightly before removing from the cookie sheet. Cool completely and store in air tight container. Makes about 5-6 dozen, depending on how big you make them. Best eaten straight out of the oven, of course! Enjoy these addictive cookies!

I know there are plenty of cookies on the Internet, especially chocolate chip, but these are wonderful. I've tried other recipes and I keep coming back to these so, I'm just sharing our favorite, so far. These cookies have made many wonderful memories in our family and we have shared them with friends and neighbors at Christmas time. Try them, you'll like them!

Four Layer Pudding Dessert (Family Recipes)

This recipe goes back quite a few years and I'm sure that many of you have made it or eaten it before. I was given this recipe about 1980 by a friend, who actually made it with pistachio pudding instead of chocolate. I've also eaten it made with banana pudding and cut up bananas, so it can be made according to what you're craving that day! I normally use the chocolate pudding as everyone in my family will eat it and we all love chocolate. This is a delicious, addictive dessert that was always requested at family gatherings or pot luck dinners at church. The first layer is a crisp crust made of flour, butter, and chopped pecans and it adds such a nutty, flaky layer to hold the rest of the dessert.
The second layer is a yummy cream cheese layer and over that, the pudding. On top goes the rest of the whipped topping, or even whipped cream, if desired. I normally top that with some chocolate shavings, mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or some cocoa lightly sifted over the top, to give it a nice finish. It's so good and is one of my children's favorite desserts of their childhood!

FOUR LAYER PUDDING DESSERT (from Lynda's Recipe Box)

FIRST LAYER;

1 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped nuts, I use pecans

1 stick melted butter - 1/2 cup

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; scatter the crust mixture over the bottom of a 9x13 in baking pan and press together to form a crust. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cool.

SECOND LAYER;

1 -8 ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

8 ounces of whipped topping, thawed ( like Cool Whip)

Mix together the cream cheese and sugar; then fold in the whipped topping. Place spoonfuls of this mixture all over the cooled crust. Gently spread out the cream cheese to cover the crust, taking care to not break the crust.

THIRD LAYER;

2 packages of instant chocolate pudding (or other flavor of choice)

3 cups of milk

Combine pudding mixes and milk and stir until well blended and thick. Spoon pudding over cream cheese layer and carefully spread it out.

FOURTH LAYER;

8 ounces of thawed whipped topping ( I sometimes use a little less- it's rich!)

nuts, or chocolate to put on top, if desired

Spread topping evenly over the pudding layer. Top with nuts, chocolate shavings or sifted cocoa, if desired. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. Enjoy!

I have such vivid memories of some of the delicious dishes that my Mother used to make. This dessert is a memory maker for my kids. I can remember them begging for " just one more piece, Mom"! I'm submitting this recipe to Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch, and Laura, of The Spiced Life, for this months Family Recipes roundup. What's your favorite dessert from your childhood? Let me know in the comments!

My Mother's Oatmeal Cake

When I reminisce about growing up, one of my favorite things to ponder is my Mother's cooking, and the aromas that filled our home when she was in the kitchen! There are some dishes that if I close my eyes for a moment, I think I can really catch a whiff of what she made so many years ago! This cake is one of my fondest baking memories, because the aroma of Cinnamon permeates the house, and I can't even begin to tell you how the frosting smells as it goes under the broiler for a minute! The fragrance of pecans and coconut in the oven is just out of this world! This was my favorite cake growing up, and I'll admit, it remains one of my top favorites today!

The cake is so moist and tends to get moister the longer you have it. The frosting is so addictive that I'd love to just take a spoon and eat it as is, but then that would mean none for the cake! I'm sure that many of you have had this yummy, cinnamony cake as I've seen it on other food blogs before. It's just so good that it will never "go out of style"! So, let's make it!

OATMEAL CAKE

1 1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup Minute Oats

1/2 cup shortening ( or I have used butter)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl, pour boiling water over oatmeal and let stand 20 minutes. In another bowl, cream together shortening(or butter), brown sugar and white sugar; add eggs and oatmeal mixture and mix well. Then add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix thoroughly. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until done.

While cake is baking, stir together frosting;

BOILED ICING; Mix 1/3 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar and1/2 milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add in 1 cup shredded coconut and 1/2 cup chopped pecans and boil till thick, about 1 minute. Spread on cake while hot and place back in oven under broiler for a minute or two. Don't leave it long or the frosting will cook too long and be hard when the cake cools down. You're just wanting the tips of the coconut and nuts to toast, but they will burn if left too long. Try not to tear into the cake too soon, but if you do, who could blame you! It's just that good!

I am submitting this cake recipe to HoneyB, at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch, for this month's Family Recipes; Memories of Family, Food and Fun! Be sure to stop by her blog and check out all the yummy recipes! What was your favorite dessert while growing up?