Grandma Mary's Spanish Rice

This is a recipe that I got from my mother-in-law, Mary Pace, and have been making it ever since we got married...almost 18 years ago!--Elnora




1/2 lb. hotdogs, sliced
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1 1/3 c. minute rice (uncooked)
2 c. (1 lb.) diced/stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cloves
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 c. water

Fry hotdogs until crisp; remove from skillet. Add onion and green peppers to fat (from hotdogs) and cook over medium heat until onion is yellow. Put all ingredients together in 9" X 13" baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until rice is cooked. (Remove the cover for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time.)

Salmon Souffle

My family really loves salmon and we have a lot of canned salmon. This is really easy and yummy.--Elena

1/4 c butter
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 1/3 cups milk
1 pound canned salmon, flaked (get the boneless, skinless kind)
1 TBS chopped parsley
4 eggs slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Melt butter in saucepan, add breadcrumbs and milk. Cook until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Mix salmon, parsley, eggs and seasonings together. Add sauce to salmon mixture. When you are adding the sauce to the salmon, pour a little bit in and stir it up good before adding the rest. This will prevent your eggs from cooking. Put into greased custard cups or ramekins and place in a pan of hot water. You want the water to go at least half-way up the ramekin. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

(you can get ramekins at target 2 in a pack for $7)

White Whoopie Pies

I used to make whoopie pies all the time when we were growing up, but we somehow lost the recipe. I made some oatmeal sandwiches this weekend that reminded me of them. --Elena

1 1/2 c shortening

2 2/3 c packed brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 c flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

4 c old fashioned oats

Filling

3/4 c shortening

3 c powdered sugar

1 jar 7oz marshmallow creme

1 -3 TBS milk

1. In a mixing bowl cream shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg; add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats.

2. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets (make sure you really keep them small because they will spread out. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

3. For filling in a mixing bowl cream the first three ingredients. Add enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread filling on the bottom half of cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Mom's No-Bake Cookies

These were our standard go-to treat whenever we needed something sweet in a hurry. We made these little morsels ALOT growing up. You can make them with just peanut butter but we almost always added the chocolate!


2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. milk
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. oats
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. peanut butter

Mix sugar, butter, milk, cocoa, and salt in saucepan. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in oats, vanilla and peanut butter. Drop by tablespoons onto waxed paper. Allow to set. For peanut butter cookies: omit the cocoa and add 1 c. peanut butter (instead of the 1/2 c.).

Grandma Merrill's Oyster Stew

Dad said his mom used to fix Oyster Stew every Sunday for dinner. He wasn't fond of it as a child but eventually acquired a taste for it. When he would complain about eating the oysters, Grandma would say "You might as well eat the devil as drink his broth."


3/4 gallon of whole milk
8 oz. can of oysters
salt and pepper to taste (approximately 1 tsp. of salt and 1/8 tsp. of pepper)
2 Tbsp. buter
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

Drain oyster juice into the milk. Cook oyster in butter in skillet then add oysters and Worcestershire Sauce to the milk. Cook until starts to boil, then turn off.

Black Bean Wrap

Not a childhood recipe but one I put together--Elena

tortilla (I use the brand flat out, spinach or tomato flavor)
canned black beans
cheddar cheese
salsa
cut up avocado

In a skillet, lay the flat out down, scoop black beans on one side with cheese on top, fold the other half over and grill it both sides, remove and top with salsa and avocado. Delicious and nutritious

Yummy Pumpkin Bread

This is not a recipe we grew up with but one I had to include! The carmel glaze compliments the pumpkin flavor perfectly!--Elnora



Bread:
3 1/3 c. flour
3 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 c. oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 c. water
1/2 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Caramel Glaze:
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
2/3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine the first six ingredients. In separate bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, eggs, and water; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Fold in pecans, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees in two greased 9X5 inch loaf pans for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

For glaze: combine butter, sugars and cream in a saucepan. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Cool until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Drizzle over cooled loaves. Yield: 2 loaves