Hearty Hodgepodge

1½ lbs. ground beef

¾ c. chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cans condensed Minestrone soup

1-31oz. can pork & beans

1½ c. chopped celery

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

½ t. dried oregano

In large pot, cook meat. Drain off fat. Add onion and garlic. Cook till onion is tender. Add rest of ingredients plus 3 cups water. Simmer 15-30 minutes. Better made ahead and reheated. Serve with cheese sprinkled on top if you wish. Can also add sausage or pasta. Serves 12-14.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, 1969.

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This is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve with some crusty bread and Parmesan cheese. And don't worry about following the recipe exactly! Add some spicy sausage or throw in some peppers for a little heat. My mother, Sally, makes a healthy version that is just as good--if not better--than the original.

Molasses Cookies

Norma, Marvin, & Judy

3 ½ c. flour

½ t. salt

1 t. soda

½ t. ginger

½ c. light molasses

1 beaten egg

1 c. brown sugar

½ c. melted shortening

1 t. cinnamon

½ t. cloves

½ c. milk

Sift flour, salt, soda, and spices. Add remaining ingredients and beat well. Drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheet. Bake 375° for 12 minutes.

Honey Date Bars

Norma and one of her potatoes

3 well-beaten eggs

1 c. honey

1 c. flour

¼ t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 c. chopped dates

1 c. chopped nuts

Mix eggs with honey. Blend in sifted dry ingredients. Add dates and nuts. Bake in greased 10 ½ x 15 ½ pan 325° for 40-45 minutes. Cut in strips while warm and remove from pan.

Ginger Cupcakes with Apricot Filling

Kristin & David

Cupcakes:

½ c. boiling water

½ c. shortening

¾ c. light molasses

1 beaten egg

1 ½ c. cake flour

¼ t. salt

¾ t. soda

½ t. cinnamon

¼ t. clove

½ t. ginger

Pour water over shortening. Blend well. Add molasses and egg. Add flour sifted with salt and soda and spices. Fill greased cupcake pans two-thirds full. Bake in moderate oven 350° for 25 minutes. Makes 12 cupcakes. Remove cone-shaped piece from center of each cupcake and fill with apricot cream and replace cone.

Apricot Cream:

Mix 2 T. sugar, 3 T. flour, pinch salt. Add 2/3 c. ??? apricot pulp. Cook over low heat until thick and smooth. Add 1 T. lemon juice. Chill. Fold in ½ c. heavy cream, whipped.

Christmas Cake

Christmas table

¾ c. shredded coconut

½ c. white raisins

¾ c. prepared candied fruit

½ c. nut meats

1 ¾ c. cake flour

2 t. baking powder

¼ t. salt

½ c. butter or margarine

¾ c. sugar

5 egg whites, unbeaten

½ t. almond extract

½ t. vanilla

Grease pan (loaf) then line with paper. Grease paper also. Cream butter and sugar until it is of whipped cream consistency. Add sugar slowly until mixture is light and fluffy. Add egg ehites one at a time and beat well. Add fruit, nuts, and coconut, then dry ingredients, small amount at a time. Add flavoring after first amount of flour. Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cake shrinks from side of pan when baked. Let stand in pan 10 minutes, then remove to cool.

Refrigerator Rolls

David, Becky, Alex, Marvin, Norma, & Sally

2 cakes yeast

1 t. sugar

1 c. lukewarm water

2/3 c. melted shortening

¾ c. sugar

4 t. salt

2 c. milk, scalded

2 beaten eggs

10-11 c. flour

Soften yeast and dissolve 1 t. sugar in water. Add milk (cooled) to lukewarm shortening, sugar, and salt. Add eggs, beat well. Add flour to make soft dough. Let stand 10 minutes. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl. (can’t read next sentence, but I think you are supposed to put a little more grease on top of dough) Let rise until double. Punch down. (Rolls later) cover dough and place in refrigerator. About 2 hours before serving, shape rolls. Place in greased pans. Brush with melted butter. Let rise until double. Bae 400°-425° for 15-20 minutes. Punch down unsed dough and return to refrigerator.

Cally Lilies

Norma's table menagerie

1 c. white sugar

2 eggs

4 T. sweet milk

3 t. baking powder

1 1/2 c. flour

Mix like any cake. Drop by teaspoonfuls n greased pan. After baked and still warm, shape into lilies by rolling. Fill with whipped cream or meringue.

Delicious

David, Judy, & Marvin

½ c. butter

½ c. white sugar

2 egg yolks

Vanilla

1 ½ c. flour

1 t. baking powder

Pinch salt

Mix in order given. Put in greased pan 8x8. Beat 2 egg whites stiff. Add 1 c. brown sugar and 1 c. chopped nuts. Put on top of dough. Bake 45 minutes in moderate oven.

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I'm not exactly sure what this is. "Delicious" was the only name given for this! 

Cottage Cheese Kuchen

Written on the back of the picture

2 c. cottage cheese (1 box)

1 c. sugar

½ t. baking powder

2 T. flour

3 T. melted butter

3 t. lemon juice

3 eggs, beaten

Little vanilla

½ t. salt

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and beat well. Pour mixture into kuchen dough made with yeast*. Regular coffee cake. After dough rises in pan, punch down and push dough around sides of pan making a well for filling.

*still looking for the "kuchen dough made with yeast" recipe.

Meringue Cake

9 egg whites

¼ t. salt

¼ t. cream of tarter

2 2/3 c. sugar

Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold in sugar, salt, and cream of tarter. Bake in two layer cake pans which have been greased, then lined with wax paper—wax paper likewise to be greased. Bake one hour at 275°. When cool, frost with whipped cream. If desired, small amount of grated orange rind can be put on top of cake. Place in refrigerator until ready to be used.