Good morning to everyone and welcome to your Sunday edition of A to Z Recipes newsletter. This is the first installment of our Monthly Theme topic: Heirloom Recipes. This was so much fun to do. Some of you wrote me expressing your gratitude for this particular topic because it forced you to finally do something you've been putting off: sorting through boxes of junk to get to some priceless recipes you'd forgotten. I am absolutely delighted with your results, too!

This coming week will be a busy one as it is the week that I have only one day off. As you know, I don't really mind it too much as I truly love my job. Besides, the pay-off for having to work so many shifts without at least a couple of days off in between is that I get a long span each month where I get SIX consecutive days off. That saves on taking vacation for household projects and mini-trips with my kids and grandkids. This coming week also has a relatively important day in it as Tuesday is my birthday. Now, as I am going to be 54, you'd think I would have stopped celebrating, lol. However, birthdays are still important to this old Texas gal, so me and the kids will do something to celebrate it after work that day. Yepper... I'll probably cook. However, my son Trey is getting pretty good at cooking so, who knows?

Would you like to do something nice for my birthday? Here's your chance (its easy). Place a vote at the E-zineFinder.com web site (formerly Cumuli.com) and I will be one happy camper. Some of you may have to register (if you've never voted for A to Z Recipes before but it only takes responding to a verification email once). Then, you can vote every day. I hope you do. We have enough readers to where we could be in the running by Tuesday (if everyone votes daily). Even if you don't, that's ok, too. You see, I get a gift each time you read an issue and find something you like. Works for me!

The current theme is Regional Recipes - Food From Home. I am hoping you will visit the Monthly Theme section and read all about it. You'll find the email link to use for your submissions. As I am making a special web page of recipes in this theme, let's try to make it a banner one, ok? Thanks.

Alrighty! Let's get to today's issue. My thanks to all who participated. I have selected about half of your recipes for posting here. The remainder will be posted in next Sunday's issue. There's a lot more than great recipes in today's issue but everything was hand-selected for YOU. Enjoy!

Grandma's Recipes

This has always puzzled me, just how much is a pinch?
These recipes of dear Grandma's surely are no cinch.
A "snip" of this, a "dab" of that, a "lump" of something else,
Then "beat it for a little while", or, "stir until it melts."
I have to be a wizard to decipher what she meant,
By all these strange proportions in her cookbook worn and bent.
How much nutmeg in the doughnuts? Grandma wouldn't flinch,
As she said, with twinkling eyes, "Oh, just about a pinch."
There must have been in her wise head a measuring device,
That told her just how much to use of sugar, salt and spice.

100 WAYS TO BRIGHTEN SOMEONE'S DAY
(and make yourself feel good!)

Shared by Jim, WA

Call an old friend, just to say hi. 
Hold a door open for a stranger. 
Invite someone to lunch. 
Compliment someone on his or her appearance. 
Ask a coworker for their opinion on a project. 
Bring cookies to work. 
Let someone cut in during rush hour traffic. 
Leave a waitress or waiter a big tip. 
Tell a cashier to have a nice day. 
Call your parents. 
Let someone know you miss them. 
Treat someone to a movie. 
Let a person know you really appreciate them. 
Visit a retirement center. 
Take a child to the zoo. 
Fill up your spouse's car with gas. 
Surprise someone with a small gift. 
Leave a thank-you note for the cleaning staff at work. 
Write a letter to a distant relative. 
Tell someone you thought about them the other day. 
Put a dime in a stranger's parking meter before the time expires. 
Bake a cake for a neighbor. 
Send someone flowers to where they work. 
Invite a friend to tea. 
Recommend a good book to someone. 
Donate clothing to a charity. 
Offer an elderly person a ride to where they need to go. 
Bag your own groceries at the checkout counter. 
Give blood. 
Offer free baby-sitting to a friend who's really busy or just needs a break. 
Help your neighbor rake leaves or shovel snow. 
Offer your seat to someone when there aren't any left. 
Help someone with a heavy load. 
Ask to see a store's manager and comment on the great service. 
Give your place in line at the grocery store to someone who has only a few items. 
Hug someone in your family for no reason. 
Wave to a child in the car next to you. 
Send a thank-you note to your doctor. 
Repeat something nice you heard about someone else. 
Leave a joke on someone's answering machine. 
Be a mentor or coach to someone. 
Forgive a loan. 
Fill up the copier machine with paper after you're done using it. 
Tell someone you believe in them. 
Share your umbrella on a rainy day. 
Welcome new neighbors with flowers or a plant. 
Offer to watch a friend's home while they're away. 
Ask someone if they need you to pick up anything while you're out shopping. 
Ask a child to play a board game, and let them win. 
Ask an elderly person to tell you about the good old days. 
During bad weather, plan an indoor picnic with the family. 
Buy someone a goldfish and bowl. 
Compliment someone on their cooking and politely ask for a second helping. 
Dance with someone who hasn't been asked. 
Tell someone you mentioned them in your prayers. 
Give children's clothes to another family when your kids outgrow them. 
Deliver extra vegetables from your garden to the whole neighborhood. 
Call your spouse just to say, I love you. 
Call someone's attention to a rainbow or beautiful sunset. 
Invite someone to go bowling. 
Figure out someone's half-birthday by adding 182 days, and surprise them with a cake. 
Ask someone about their children. 
Tell someone which quality you like most about them. 
Brush the snow off of the car next to yours. 
Return your shopping cart to the front of the store. 
Encourage someone's dream, no matter how big or small it is. 
Pay for a stranger's cup of coffee without them knowing it. 
Leave a love letter where your partner will find it. 
Ask an older person for their advice. 
Offer to take care of someone's pet while they're away. 
Tell a child you're proud of them. 
Visit a sick person, or send them a care package. 
Join a Big Brother or Sister program. 
Leave a piece of candy on a coworker's desk. 
Bring your child to work with you for the afternoon. 
Give someone a recording of their favorite music. 
Email a friend some information about a topic they are especially interested in. 
Give someone a homemade gift. 
Write a poem for someone. 
Bake some cookies for your local fire or police department. 
Organize a neighborhood cleanup and have a barbecue afterwards. 
Help a child build a birdhouse or similar project. 
Check in on an old person, just to see if they're okay. 
Ask for the recipe after you eat over at someone's house. 
Personally welcome a new employee at work and offer to take them out for lunch. 
While in a car, ask everyone to buckle up because they are important to you. 
Let someone else eat the last slice of cake or pizza. 
Stop and buy a drink from a kid's lemonade stand. 
Forgive someone when they apologize. 
Wave to someone looking for a parking space when you're about to leave a shopping center. 
Send a copy of an old photograph to a childhood friend. 
Leave a pint of your spouse's favorite flavor of ice cream in the freezer with a bow on it. 
Do a household chore that is usually done by someone else in the family. 
Be especially happy for someone when they tell you their good news. 
Compliment a coworker on their role in a successful project. 
Give your spouse a spontaneous back rub at the end of the day. 
Serve someone in your family breakfast in bed. 
Ask someone if they've lost w-e-i-g-h-t. 
Make a donation to a charity in someone's honor. 
Take a child to a ballgame.

Eating Artichokes: Worth the Trouble 

Shared by Treva, Eastern Tennessee

Sometimes the strangest looking vegetables offer the biggest health rewards. Case in point: the thistle-like artichoke. 

With their spiky leaves and prickly centers, artichokes don't look very user-friendly. But don't let that stop you from developing a huge taste for them. Your pancreas will thank you, as artichokes are rich in folate, a nutrient that may help thwart pancreatic cancer. Cook up a fresh whole artichoke to get 61 delicious micrograms (mcg) of folate. Or save time with a jar of prepackaged hearts -- 43 mcg per half-cup.

Be sure to get a portion of your daily folate from foods, not just supplements. Although the synthetic form of folate -- folic acid -- is widely available in fortified foods and supplements, a recent study revealed that only folate from foods had any impact on pancreatic cancer risk. This doesn't mean you should give up your folic acid supplements though; they still do good things, like help reduce high levels of homocysteine (a substance strongly linked to heart disease) and help protect your arteries against aging, not to mention fight birth defects. Both folate and folic acid also help repair nicks and breaks in your cell's DNA. In addition to eating artichokes, you can boost your folate intake from foods by noshing on asparagus, spinach, and oranges.

This mixer is great! I got my order in and couldn't wait to try it. WOW! You have GOT to try it for yourself! The flavor and convenience are top shelf!
~Maggie~

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F-R-E-E SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS !

Age (Mine, lol)

I bought some of that "Gingkori" that’s supposed to improve your memory, but I forgot where I put it.

You don’t know real embarrassment until your hip sets off a metal detector.

You know you’re getting older when you bend over in the morning to tie your shoes and realize you didn’t take them off the night before.

The biggest disadvantage of old age is that you can't outgrow it. 

The most frustrating thing about getting older is that every time you see an expensive antique, you remember one just like it you once threw away. 

She's getting crows feet around her eyes. And I'll tell you, that crow has big feet! 

Let's face it, traveling just isn't as much fun when all the historical sites are younger than you are. 

You know you're past your prime when every time you suck in your gut, your ankles swell. 

I don't like to do things now that I did 20 years ago–like look in the mirror.

I'm middle-age, middle-class, and middle-of-the-road. I feel like that white stuff in the middle of an Oreo. 

Heck, I don't feel a day older than I did a hundred years ago. 

Sometimes I feel old enough to be my own father. 

I'm suffering from Mallzheimer's disease. I go to the mall and forget where I parked my car. 

You know you're past your prime when you start getting air-guitar elbow. 

Age always corresponds inversely to the size of your multi-vitamin. 

My neighbors have been married for 60 years. They look like identical twins. One of them wears a dress. I don't know which one.


F-a-t (Mine, lol)

You know you need to do something about your w-e-i-g-h-t when you board an airplane and the flight attendant designates your pot belly as carry-on luggage.

I knew I had a problem when I started having to wear control-top turtlenecks. 

My doctor put me on a strict sugar-free d-i-e-t. I can't even watch Touched By An Angel. 

You know it's time to skip a round when you're holding your bowling ball, and you look down and you can't see it! 

If God had wanted us to run, instead of a belly button, He'd have given us a fast-forward button. 

I'm no couch potato. I'm a recliner potato.

My d-i-e-t's working. I stepped on my talking bathroom scales last night and for the first time ever they didn't scream that I was too f-a-t. They did mention in passing that my feet smelled. 

I'm not f-a-t. It's just that my body naturally retains chimichangas. 

I have no idea how much I w-e-i-g-h because I can't w-e-i-g-h naked. Without my glasses I can't see the scale. 

I've really put on w-e-i-g-h-t. I've gone from pinch-an-inch to rub-a-tub. 

I'm already two years ahead on my daily f-a-t allowance. I'm looking for skinny people to see if I can borrow theirs.

LITTLE JAM CAKES

~Submitted by another May 9th Birthday Baby...Angelique, TX

1 c Sugar 
4 Eggs, separated
1 ts Vanilla
1 Ts Lemon juice
1-1/2 c all-purpose flour (measured, then sifted)
1/4 ts Salt
1 c Melted butter or margarine
1 c Gooseberry jam

Beat egg yolks until thick and beat in the sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Fold in sifted flour and salt alternately with melted butter. When smooth, fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Line 16 large or 24 small muffing pans with paper cups. Place a spoonful of batter in the bottom of each cup an d a heaping teaspoon of jam. Cover with remaining batter. Bake at 350F for 15 to 25 minutes depending on the size. These are good as a sweet dessert anytime or to pack in lunch boxes.


1800's OXTAIL SOUP

~Submitted by another May 9th Birthday Baby... Angelique, TX

This recipe is one my Grandmother made when she was a young girl growing up in France. There were 29 children in her family including her so she learned to cook very young. Since times were hard and food was scarce she learned to make do with many things that seem a bit unusual to us. One of these was oxtail soup. I must admit to you it is very good as I had it many times when I was young.

I have not tried it as I do not have a ready access to oxtails. If I could get one, I would make it as it is truly a delicious soup. This soup recipe was passed down through several generations.

1 large oxtail (about 3 lbs or so)
flour
fat or lard
about 3 quarts of ice cold water
about 1 tbsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
a bay leaf
parsley
about 1/2 of chopped onion
about 1/2 cup chopped turnips
about 1/2 cup chopped celery
about 1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

***This recipe was never really written down - just some ingredients jotted on the back of an envelope. It was understood that whatever was available was what you put into the soup.

Cut the oxtail at the joints. Singe to remove hairs. Wash and pat dry. Dredge in the flour and brown on all sides in hot fat or lard in a soup kettle. Add the cold water, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and the parsley. Bring slowly to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Skim off the fat from the broth. Cover and simmer for about three hours, or until the meat is tender.

Remove meat from bones and return the meat to the broth. Add the vegetable and remaining ingredients except the Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and serve very hot.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings


POTATO SPICE CAKE

~Submitted by another May 9th Birthday Baby... Angelique, TX

2 c Sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c Sugar
1/2 c Cocoa
3 ts Baking powder
3/4 ts Salt
1/4 ts Each cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice
3/4 c Shortening
1/2 c Milk
1 c Cold mashed potatoes
3 Eggs
1/2 ts Vanilla
1/4 ts Lemon extract
1/2 c Raisins
1/2 c Nuts

Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt and spices. Cut shortening into flour mixture till fine as cornmeal. Add all at once milk, potatoes, unbeaten eggs and flavoring. Beat till smooth. Beat in nuts and raisins. Pour into a large well-greased angel cake pan. Bake at 350F for 70 minutes or till done. Cool about 10 minutes. Remove from pan.


CHICKEN SOUP

~Submitted by another May 9th Birthday Baby... Angelique, TX

Take two quarts of water, and boil a nice fowl or chicken, then put in the following ingredients, a large white onion, a large chilly, two teaspoons full of ginger pounded, the same of currystuff, one teaspoonful of tumeric, and half a teaspoonful of black pepper; boil all these for half an hour, and then fry some small onions, and put them in. Season it with salt, and serve it up in a tureen. It will be a great improvement, when the fowl is about half boiled, to take it up and cut it into pieces, and fry them and put them into the soup the last thing.

Source: The Cook's Oracle, 1818


SPICY GINGERBREAD

~Submitted by another May 9th Birthday Baby... Angelique, TX

1/2 c Shortening
1/2 c Sugar
2 Egg yolks
1 c Light molasses
2 1/2 c Sifted all-purpose flour
1 ts Salt
1 ts Cinnamon 1 ts Cloves
1 ts Ginger
1 c Boiling water
2 ts Soda
2 Egg whites, stiffly beaten
Whipped cream 

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Cream shortening, add sugar gradually. Add 2 well beaten egg yolks. Add molasses and stir. Sift together flour, salt and spices. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Add baking soda and water mixture alternately with flour to the creamed mixture. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Serve hot with whipped cream for dessert. 


IRISH POTATO STEW FOR FIFTY MEN

~Submitted by another May 9th Birthday Baby... Angelique, TX

Cut fifty pds. of mutton into pieces which equal 1/4 pound each. Put them in a pan and add twelve pounds of whole potatoes. In addition, add eight tablespoons of salt and three teaspoons of pepper. Cover all with water, giving about half-a-pint to each pound of meat. Light the fire and 1 to 1 1/2 hours of gentle ebulation will make a most excellent stew. Mash some of the potatoes to thicken the gravy, and serve.

Source: Civil War Soldiers Recipes


OLDE TIME POTATO SOUP

~Submitted by another May 9th Birthday Baby... Angelique, TX

You need several pork bones (or if you prefer, beef soup bones), one cup of diced ham, four cups of warm water (add more to the mix as needed), two small onions (chopped), two teaspoons of salt, four medium potatoes peeled (red are best) and boiled separate from soup, one cup of whole milk, and half a cup of cream. Place soup bones in a large deep pot. Cover with four cups of warm water. Bring it to a boil, then add ham, chopped onions, celery and salt. When vegetables are soft, add the previously boiled red potatoes to the soup at this point. Bring to a simmer (add more water now ONLY if needed). After the soup has cooked for several more minutes, add the milk and cream. Stir all well, and continue to simmer for about 10 more minutes. Serve hot.


BEEF VEGETABLE SOUP

~Submitted by another May 9th Birthday Baby... Angelique, TX

2 pound beef chuck roast
3 quarts water ( 12 cups)
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 large red potatoes, chopped
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
2 cups green beans, snapped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 large stalks celery, sliced
2 ears of corn, cut from cob 
2 teaspoons salt

Place roast in large soup pot and cover with water. Add chopped onion and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till meat falls off the bone. Let cool and skim fat from surface. Remove beef from broth, cut into bite-size pieces and remove bones. Strain broth through a cheesecloth. Return broth and beef to soup pot and add vegetables. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season to taste.

Yield: 8-10 servings.


BEEF OR MUTTON BROTH

~Submitted by another May 9th Birthday Baby... Angelique, TX

Cut in small pieces one pound of beef or mutton or part of both, boil it gently in two quarts of water; take off the scum and when reduced to a pint, strain it. Season with a little salt and take a teacupful at a time.

Source: Godey's - March 1861


OCHRA* GUMBO

~Submitted by another May 9th Birthday Baby... Angelique, TX

Get a beef shank, have it cracked and put to boil in one gallon of water. Boil to half a gallon, then strain and put back on fire. Cut ochra in small pieces and put in soup; don't put in any ends of ochra. Season with salt and pepper while cooking. Stir it occasionally and keep it from burning. To be sent to table with dry boiled rice. Never stir rice while boiling. Season rice always with salt when it is first put on to cook, and do not have too much water in rice while boiling.

*This is the spelling used for okra!

Source: What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking, 1881


SCRAP STEW

~Submitted by another May 9th Birthday Baby... Angelique, TX

8 to 10 cups miscellaneous vegetable scraps:

Carrot tops, onion peels and ends, pea pods, ends and strings from
string beans, stem ends of squash and pumpkins, stem ends of tomatoes,
trimmings and seeds from peppers, apple and pear cores and
peelings. Do NOT use scraps from cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and
similar vegetables as they impart a strong nasty taste when cooked too
long.

1 whole head garlic, unpeeled
1 onion, unless many onion scraps were used earlier
Water to cover
1 tsp salt per quart of water used

Put all into pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, uncovered, for around an hour. Strain, throw out vegetable scraps and use as soup immediately or save for use cooking other things later.

Source: Civil War Soldiers Recipes


BEST COLESLAW EVER

~Submitted by Tia H., Kentville, NS, Canada

This is the best coleslaw recipe I have ever tasted. I got it from my mom but I don't know where she got it from. I remember making it as a teenager and now my teenage son loves it. I never used a recipe because it is so easy but I wrote it down on a card and put it in my recipe box, just in case anything might happen to me. I told him I wouldn't want him to do without his coleslaw, lol. So, here it is. (Hint: don't use a light mayo, it makes it taste watered-down, in my opinion.)

1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Put ingredients in a blender and blend or a screw-top jar and shake well. Pour over grated or chopped cabbage and grated carrots, depending in how fine you like you cabbage. I don't follow a recipe for the veggies. Basically, 2-3 times more cabbage than carrots. Sometimes, I don't use all the dressing and sometimes I have to make a little more, depending on how much veggies are grated. It's all good, nothing gets wasted. If I have any dressing left over, I sometimes pour it over mashed potatoes, I figure it's probably no worse than mashing with butter.


AUNT MARGIE'S MUSTARD PICKLES

~Submitted by Tia H., Kentville, NS, Canada

My mom got this recipe from her sister-in-law. Everybody in the family loves it. Now, all my in-laws rave about it (will the chain never end--I don't think so.) My sister-in-law eats these pickles with a bowl and spoon (sometimes she doesn't even bother with the bowl) and she's not even pregnant!

7-8 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
8 onions, diced
2 tbsp salt

3 cup vinegar
3 tbsp dry mustard
1 cup water
3/4 tbsp turmeric
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp ginger
1/2 cup flour
pinch cayenne

Sprinkle salt over cukes and onions in large bowl. Cover and let stand at least two hours or overnight. Drain off liquid

Mix remaining ingredients in pot and boil for 7 minutes, stirring often. Add cukes and onions, bring to boil and boil for 1-2 minutes.

Seal in canning jars. Mine usually pop (seal) just by cooling down so I don't use a canner for these. Once in a while a jar doesn't seal, I just eat that one first! My mom used cider vinegar, my mother-in-law used white vinegar, I usually use about half and half of each.


Here you go from Margo in CO

Hi there :)
As you can see, there was only 1 "regular" recipe in the bunch. My mom was what was considered back then a tremendous cook - NEVER a less than high quality meal. Well, when I was about 15 or 16 she decided maybe I should learn to cook. So she picked out a dinner to make and stood over my shoulder the entire time and poked and watched and told me what to do. Needless to say the dinner did not measure up to her standards - so that was the end of cooking lessons. What I've learned I learned on my own. When she figured I'd learned enough to follow directions and not screw up too badly she gave me the special dessert recipes I asked for.

The animal cookies and sea foam I did get to help with as I grew up - the only time we made those were at Xmas time and I got to help drop the candy, and lots of decorating on the cookies. She'd sit there and put the frosting on and I'd sugar them - at least the ones for the family. The ones for guests or giving she sugared. She made several other kinds like hazelnut, and spritzs too but these were my favorites.

And in a way she did me an enormous favor because I was bound and determined to be a good cook - and thanks to lots of practice I've become one. I can follow a recipe and even make a few changes - but I am not a chef - I can't make it up. I do have a knack for reading a recipe and being able to almost taste it though which is why I belonged to so many recipes e-zines at one time. Once in a while I had a real bummer, but my success ratio was probably 95% and that was with a wide variety of people, from children -my own and the grandkids, a TX from a nice family, a TX from and "not so nice" family and lots of Michelle and Joe's friends. When the word went out that I was cooking and would have extra they crawled out of the woodwork!

MY MOM'S ANIMAL COOKIES

~Submitted by Margo, CO

375* Can be doubled

1 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c soured whipping cream (include 1/2 tsp lemon juice)
1 tsp baking soda
scant 3 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter. Add sugar and cream until very fluffy.
Add 2 eggs beaten whole.
Beat soda into soured cream and add to above.
Also add salt and vanilla.
Sift baking powder with 1 c of flour and add to above.
Add rest of flour gradually and beat until mixed.
Chill 8 hours or overnight.

Flour a pastry cloth (like a coarse dish towel) and roll out - the thinner the better.
Cut into figures with cookie cutters.
Be careful not to use any more flour than you have to as the extra flour eats up the richness.
Bake at 375* until light brown.

**after you cut out one batch, fold up scraps and put in tin foil in freezer. Can roll it out one more time.

Frost with animal cookie frosting.


FROSTING FOR ANIMAL COOKIES

~Submitted by Margo, CO

Can be doubled

1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 stick butter, melted
3/8 tsp vanilla
either whipping cream or half and half
colored sugars

Put powdered sugar in large bowl.
Add melted butter and vanilla.
add enough cream until the frosting beats to spreading consistency.
It can be quite thin - to spread easily, but should not run off cookies.
When thickens, thin down with a little more cream.

After frosting, lay cookies in one layer overnight for frosting to dry.
Pack in air tight package in single layers with wax paper between the layers.


SEAFOAM

~Submitted by Margo, CO

Need Taylor Candy Thermometer
(everyone else calls this divinity - but it's always been seafoam in our house!)

3 c sugar
1 c cold water
1 c white Karo corn syrup (fresh)
1 tsp vanilla - MAKE SURE REAL VANILLA - not imitation
2 egg whites (must be NO yolks in with whites)
2 1/2 c pecan nuts, coarsely cut

**MUST BE CLEAR, DRY, SUNNY DAY or don't bother even trying
***Everything must be super clean, with positively NO grease. I always wash everything I'm going to use before starting.

Stir sugar, water and corn syrup in good sized saucepan (I think mine is 2 1/2 quart or thereabouts).
Put candy thermometer in and bring to boil (don't leave spoon in mixture).
Once it starts to boil DO NOT STIR at all or will turn to sugar.
Boil to 252* at medium speed (takes 10-15 minutes). It moves very slowly at first, but last 30 seconds must really watch. If it goes over 252*, candy will be rock hard

Meanwhile beat egg whites stiff so standing up in points (stiff but not dry) - do while above is boiling when syrup reaches 252* take off stove IMMEDIATELY.

Pour hot mixture in small stream into egg whites (Mixer on at highest speed.
When all mixture is in (about 2 minutes) turn mixer to low medium speed.
After about 5 minutes add 1 tsp vanilla.
Beat until mixture is no longer shiny (at least 3/4 hour).
Will be dull & dry & stiff enough to keep shape when dropped.
Remove beater & fold in nuts with spatula or large spoon.
Drop IMMEDIATELY & RAPIDLY onto greased wax paper.
You can always break into smaller pieces, but if it sets up in bowl it's a mess :)
Dry overnight. Pack the next day with waxed paper in between the layers (we always make 3 or 4 batches - keeps for a long time when packed correctly - also takes all day to do - but we think it's worth it)


MY MOM'S HAMBURGER CASSEROLE 

~Submitted by Margo, CO

COMFORT FOOD, TERRIFIC!!!

1 1/2 to 2# hamburger
1 large onion - diced and chopped
2 cans stewed tomatoes - chopped up
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 c or so ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 - 1 1/2 c grated cheddar cheese
2 cans corn
1 TBSP sugar
1 small pkg cooked elbow macaroni

Brown hamburger, and onion and drain.
In BIG pot combine all ingredients EXCEPT for noodles, and stir well.
Add cooked noodles until the consistency is right.
THE LONGER YOU COOK, THE BETTER IT TASTES!

Remember - stewed tomatoes and cheese will both cook down some, so don't add too much ketchup. You can always use it or tomato sauce to straighten out consistency. 


MUM'S DATE CUPCAKES

~Submitted by Rusty, Leesburg, FL

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup salad oil
1 cup sour milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
2 1/2 cups flour
1 heaping tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped dates
1 egg, stirred in last

Mix together in the above order and put in cupcake papers in muffin pans. Bake 350? until tested done with a toothpick. 

This makes two dozen cupcakes.


Hi from Linda in Michigan. 

I have a couple of family recipes to share with you. They are recipes handed down from Mr. Mike's grandmother, Margaret Weertz. She was the finest lady that I ever met. 

GRANDMA WEERTZ'S PANCAKE SAUSAGE

~Submitted by Linda, MI

Can you tell that she was a farm girl?

1 pig heal 
1 pork liver 
1 pork tongue

Cook thoroughly until meat falls off. Grind. Add onions, salt and pepper to taste. Place in casings. Let drip overnight. 


GRANDMA WEERTZ'S "DITCHES"

~Submitted by Linda, MI

Mr. Mike would sell our first born for this coffee cake. It is called "ditches" because you spread the dough evenly in a 9 x 13 pan, and then make "ditches". Do this by making evenly spaced holes or "ditches" in the dough and fill the holes with sour cream mixture. Grandma Weertz used the back of a spoon to make the holes. My mother-in-law, Grace, uses the bottom of a shot glass to make the holes.

1 cup warm milk
2/3 cup sugar 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup cold water
2 packages yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 pint of sour cream
cinnamon and sugar

Combine milk, sugar, salt, butter and water. Dissolve yeast in milk mixture. Add yeast mixture to half of flour. Add rest of flour to soft dough. Knead into two balls. Let rise 1 hour. Spread each ball into a 9 x 13 pan. Let rise 45 minutes. Make holes on top with back of spoon. Blend eggs, vanilla and sour cream, and spoon into ditches. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.


~Submitted by Robyn, Auckland, New Zealand

This exercise has brought back so many memories, thanks for the opportunity to gather some of our family’s favourite recipes to share. The Marshmallow Shortcake was a favourite for my school playlunch and my children enjoyed it for school too – messy but yummy.

LOVELY CHEESE PUFFS

~Submitted by Robyn, Auckland, New Zealand

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups grated tasty cheese
2 eggs 

Into a basin place the flour, baking powder and grated cheese

Mix with the eggs to a stiff, dough-like mixture.

Drop on a cold greased oven-tray in dessertspoonful lots.

Bake for 10 minutes in a 400?F oven.

When cold, split open and butter.

Makes 1 ? dozen.


CINNAMON BISCUITS

~Submitted by Robyn, Auckland, New Zealand

4 oz butter
3 oz brown sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
4 oz flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 oz walnuts 

Cream butter, sugar and golden syrup and then add flour, baking powder and walnuts previously mixed together.

Put small spoonfuls on cold greased trays and bake 15 minutes slowly at 325?F.


PINEAPPLE CRUSH CAKE

~Submitted by Robyn, Auckland, New Zealand 

500g sultanas
454g tin crushed pineapple
125g butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon mace
1 cup sugar
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
2 eggs 

In a saucepan put sultanas, crushed pineapple, butter, baking soda and mace.

Stir to combine ingredients. Bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes

Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.

When mixture is cooled, add sugar and mix well. Stir in the wholemeal flour, flour, baking powder and salt.

Mix well to combine, then beat in the eggs.

Grease and flour a 22cm fluted cake tin. Pour mixture into tin.

Bake at 180?C for 60 minutes or until cake is firm to touch and coming away from the sides of the tin.


MARSHMALLOW SHORTCAKE

~Submitted by Robyn, Auckland, New Zealand 

4 oz butter
1 teacup sugar
1 egg
? teaspoon essence of vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder 

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and beat well, essence, then flour and baking powder. 

Put into square or oblong greased tin and bake in a moderate oven (350?kF) 30 minutes.

When cold spread marshmallow filling on top. 

MARSHMALLOW FILLING 

2 dessertspoons gelatine
1 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
1 cup icing sugar
cochineal food colouring 

Soak the gelatine in water, then add sugar and boil 8 minutes.

When taken off heat add icing sugar and cochineal and beat till thick.


MOMMY'S MAPLE SYRUP CAKE

~Submitted by Carol, Upstate NY

This is a recipe I copied out of my Mother's OLD Betty Crocker Cookbook. It is my bother's favorite birthday cake and will be the Groom's Cake for his wedding in July.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mommy's Maple Syrup Cake

Recipe By : Mommy
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:30
Categories : Cakes Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
5/8 cup milk
1 cup maple syrup

Grease and flour 2 8-inch cake pans. Preheat oven to 350°.

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, thoroughly.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add alternately with milk and maple syrup to butter/sugar mixture.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until done. Cool.

MAPLE SYRUP FROSTING

Boil 1 1/4 c. maple syrup to firm ball stage. Gradually beat into 2 STIFFLY beaten egg whites. Double this recipe for 3 9-inch layers.


BOSTON BROWN BREAD

~Submitted by a May 27th Birthday Baby... Leasa, IA

My mom used to make these all the time. She didn't have the baking pans, so ..

Save 4 canned veggie cans, wash and take off label. These should be the 14-15 oz size.

Boil 1 1/2 C raisins in 1 1/2 C water for 5 mins. Let cool.

Cream together:
1 C sugar
2 T butter/margarine
Add 1 C raisin juice
1 egg
Mix well.
Add 1 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 2/3 C flour
Mix again
Add 1 t vanilla
boiled raisins
Mix again

Fill greased veggie cans 1/2 full of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Let cool and remove from cans. Great with "real" butter.


MY MOTHER'S (BEST EVER) GRAHAM CRACKER PIE

~Submitted by Pat, Minden, NV

Source: my dear mom

My mother is no longer with us and I am sending this recipe just as my mother has written it.

1 cup graham crackers - 14 to 16 rolled (take out enough to sprinkle on top - about 2 tablespoons)
Into crackers mix 3/4 cube melted butter add 1/2 cup sugar (mix sugar and rolled graham crackers then add butter). Mix well - pat in pie pan.

CUSTARD

3 egg yolks
2 cups milk (scalded)
2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon of butter
a little salt

Mix sugar and cornstarch in pan. Add scalded milk. Cook stirring constantly until thick. Add a small amount of mixture to slightly beaten egg yolks. Add egg yolk mixture to milk mixture. Cook (stirring) until thick (about 5 minutes or less). Add butter and vanilla and pour in shell.

MERINGUE

3 egg whites with a little cream of tarter and about 3 tablespoons powdered sugar. Spread over filling. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over meringue.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

~Submitted by Maggie, TX

Note from Maggie: This has been around since Hector was a pup. Still a great meal but this recipe is lower in fat and calories.

1/2 pound wide egg noodles -- (8-oz. bag) 
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 medium onion -- peeled and coarsely chopped 
2 garlic cloves -- minced or more to taste 
2 carrots -- sliced 1 bell pepper -- seeded and sliced 
29 ounces Italian Seasoned Tomatoes -- (two 14 1/2-oz. cans) 
2/3 cup white wine -- or chicken broth 
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
1 cup ripe olives -- sliced in half 
2 bay leaves 
2 teaspoons dried basil -- crushed 
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano -- crushed 
salt and pepper -- to taste 
1 tablespoon cornstarch -- dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water -- needed after cooked 

Cut chicken up into good size chunks or strips. Heat oil in non-stick deep skillet or pot. Stir-fry chicken, onions, peppers, garlic and carrots until chicken is done and vegetables are tender-crisp. Add tomatoes, wine, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Stir in olives. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Bring back to a boil and stir in dissolved cornstarch stirring constantly. Serve over hot buttered noodles. Footnote : I like to simmer this dish about an hour or hour and a half, stirring every 15 minutes so it doesn't thicken on bottom and stick. When you want to reheat any kind of pasta, do not heat in micro-wave oven, just put in colander and run hot water over tossing while doing so. Micro-waving it will over cook it and it will become mushy. 

Serves at least 4 
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 144 Calories; 7g Fat (51.5% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 337mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Source: That's My Home


WEIGHT WATCHER'S TUNA PATTIES

~Submitted by Maggie, TX

My mom used to make us tuna patties when we were kids. OMG! but I did not like them. Here's one I will be passing along to my kids as it tastes better and is better for them. I like to add a bit of cayenne pepper (not too much) for a flavor kick.

Two 6-oz cans water packed tuna, drained and flaked
3 egg whites
3 tablespoons seasoned dried bread crumbs
4 scallions, thinly sliced 
2 tablespoons minced parsley 
Black pepper to taste (I use a little cayenne instead)

In a medium bowl, combine the tuna, egg whites, bread crumbs, scallions/onions, parsley and pepper. Shape the mixture into 4 equal patties.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and preheat it. Add the patties and cook until golden brown and heated through (approximately 5 minutes on each side).

Makes 4 patties

Per Serving: 137 cal, 1g tot fat, 0g Sat Fat, 32mg Cholesterol, 462mg Sodium, 5g total Carb, 1g Fiber, 26g Protein, 24mg Calcium 

WW Points: 3 pt.

OLD-FASHION APPLESAUCE CAKE

1 C. all-purpose flour 
1 t. baking powder 
1/2 t. baking soda 
2 t. cinnamon 
1/2 t. ginger 
1/2 C. reduced calorie margarine (25% less fat and calories)
1/4 C. molasses 
1/2 C. egg substitute 
1 t. vanilla 
1 C. SPLENDA® Granular 
1/2 C. unsweetened applesauce 

Preheat oven to 350?F. 

Spray an 8 x 8-in. metal cake pan with vegetable cooking spray. 

In small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine and molasses with an electric mixer on high speed for approximately 1 minute. Add egg substitute and vanilla and blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Mixture will be very liquid. Add SPLENDA and beat on medium speed until very smooth, approximately 1 1/2 minutes. 

Add flour mixture and applesauce and beat on low speed until mixed, approximately 45 seconds. 

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. 

Serves: 8 
Nutrients Per Serving: 
Serving Size 2.3 oz. (66g) 
Calories: 170, Carbohydrates: 24 g, Protein: 4 g, 
Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, 
Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 310 mg 
Exchange: Starch 1, Fruit 0.5, Fat 1 


DIABETIC FRUIT CUPS

~Submitted by Maggie, TX

Make a batch of this, freeze, and you'll have a tasty dessert or snack in 20 minutes.

1 20 ounce can unsweetened crushed pineapple in juice, drained, juice reserved
18 ounces frozen unsweetened pineapple orange banana juice concentrate, thawed
2 medium bananas, diced
1 15 ounce can Mandarin oranges, drained, rinsed and halved
24 paper baking cups
lettuce leaves, optional

Add water to reserved pineapple juice to make 1 1/2 cups liquid. 

Pour liquid into large mixing bowl; add pineapple, juice concentrate, bananas and Mandarin oranges; mix well.

Line muffin tins with paper baking cups; spoon in fruit mixture, filling cups 3/4 full. 

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze two hours or until firm. 

Before serving, remove desired number of cups from freezer and let stand 20 minutes; remove from baking cups and serve on lettuce leaf, if desired. 

24 servings.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 77, Fat: 0.1 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 5 mg, Protein: 1.4 g, Carbohydrate: 18.7 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Fruit

CHICKEN DIVAN

~Submitted by Maggie, TX

This was one of the first "for company" dishes I learned how to cook.

3/4 cup milk
1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cubed
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup broccoli florets, cooked, drained
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided use
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked (can use leftovers)

Preheat oven to 350?F.

Heat milk and cream cheese cubes over low heat, stir until smooth. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.

Place broccoli in a 10x6-in. baking dish. Top with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and place over the broccoli; top with the cream cheese sauce. Cover with foil.

Bake for 25 minutes. 

Remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese and bake until Cheddar cheese is melted - approximately 5 minutes.

Serves 2

GRAPE SALAD

I got this recipe when I was a young wife. It was served at a baby shower I attended and I have had it since. Easy and very good. The grandma-to-be said she was given the recipe by an older relative.

4 pounds seedless green grapes 
8 ounces cream cheese 
8 ounces sour cream 
1/2 cup white sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
4 ounces chopped pecans 
2 tablespoons brown sugar 

Wash and dry the grapes. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Add grapes and mix until evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans, mix again and refrigerate until serving. Best if refrigerated several hours or overnight.


CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

My great-aunt Margaret (also my namesake) used to make Chicken Paprikash for us when she would visit us in Texas from Ohio. Let me tell you, no recipe can duplicate that flavor. I know, much of it is because she was so special to me and prepared it herself. However, this recipe that I have had for years, comes close. Use Hungarian Paprika for best results. Some folks will remove the skin from the chicken before adding the sour cream mixture. My aunt did not; my brother would remove the skin from his and my aunt would scold him and eat it off his plate! My grandma (sister to Aunt Margaret) would make homemade bread for sopping up the delicious gravy. Ah! the memories...

2 to 3 pounds chicken with skin, cut in pieces
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons paprika, divided (I use Hungarian Paprika) 
1/2 cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups water plus 3/4 cup
16-ounce container sour cream (2 cups)
1/4 cup flour
Spaetzle or other dumplings (I use store-bought Spaetzle, sorry Aunt Margaret)

Sprinkle chicken on all sides with salt and paprika. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven. Add chicken. Saut? until golden. Turn chicken, add onion, and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons paprika. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add 2 cups water and cook slowly covered until tender. Remove chicken; keep warm. Whisk together sour cream, 3/4 cup water and flour until smooth. Gradually add sour cream mixture to broth. Stir over low heat until sauce is thickened. Add paprika as desired. Return chicken. Keep on low heat, uncovered until serving time.

Makes 8 servings.


HERSHEY'S COCOA FUDGE

This is the exact recipe I used when I was a kid to make fudge for my brothers and sisters. I have a scar on my right hand as a reminder of how hot the mixture gets (and why kids should not make it unsupervised!).

2/3 c. Hershey's cocoa
3 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Thoroughly combine dry ingredients in a heavy 4 quart saucepan; stir in milk. Bring to a bubbly boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring to 234 degrees (soft ball stage). Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of saucepan (we used the soft-ball test in water). Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla. Do not stir. Cool at room temperature to 110 degrees. Beat until fudge thickens and loses some of its gloss. Quickly spread in a lightly buttered 8 or 9 inch square pan. Cool.

Makes 3 dozen squares.


MACARONI AND CHEESE

This is based on the old Velveeta recipe and has been enjoyed by my kids for years. I place the ingredients in the pasta pot and use the stove top to thicken.

1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (plus 1/2 cup 2% milk)
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted (I use butter)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (I use 1/2 tsp.)
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Velveeta (or similar cheese product), cubed (I use Velveeta)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
1 package (16 oz.) elbow macaroni, cooked, drained (I use penne sometimes)

In pasta pot (while pasta drains) place butter, red pepper, prepared cheese product and cheddar cheese; stir until cheese melts and sauce thickens. It only takes a couple of minutes. Stir in cooked macaroni. Heat thoroughly and serve.

Serves 6.

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