Friday, March 28, 2008

Potato Salad



I never follow an exact recipe for my potato salad, just do everything to taste, but here are some approximations.


-Mom Pulsipher/ Grandma Carling

3 lbs russet potatoes - Boil, peel and dice
2 eggs - hard boil, peel and dice
1/3 cup chopped dill pickles

1 cup Miracle Whip
1 Tbsp. Mustard
1 Tbsp. dill pickle juice
1/2 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. salt - plus more as needed

Bacon Wrapped 'Little Smokies'


-Melissa Hartung, Dry Creek Ward

1 lb. bacon (not thick sliced)
1 lb. 'little smokies'
Brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Cut bacon lengths in 3 equal lengths. Wrap each 'little smokie' in a little piece of bacon. Place then in a 9x13 inch pan. (You can secure the bacon on each with a wood toothpick. They are a little tricky to get them to lay flat together in the pan with the toothpicks. They are tricky to get out of the pan when they are hot without the toothpick! You decide! They are worth it (either way)! Sprinkle brown sugar over the entire pan, covering the 'little smokies.' Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until bacon looks cooked.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Layered Jello Salad


Any jello and fruit combination can be used. Plan for at least 6-8 hours to prep and for the Jello to set. Great served in a trifle or other straight-sided glass bowl so you can see the different layers. Use small packages of Jello and 1/2 the 2nd layer for a small family.
-Mom Pulsipher

Red, White and Blue Salad

First Layer:
Dissolve a small package raspberry Jello in 1 cup hot water. Cool slightly. Add 1 (16 oz.) can of blueberries* plus all the juice. Let set in a 13x9x2-inch pan. (About 1 hour)
Second Layer:
Soak 1 envelope unflavored gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. Combine in a small saucepan: 1 cup whipping cream (unwhipped) and 1 cup sugar. Cook over low heat til sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add gelatin mixture, 2 cups sour cream and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix to a cream consistency and pour over first layer and let set.

Third Layer:
Dissolve 1 large pkg. strawberry Jello in 2 cups hot water. Add 2 cups cold water.  Pour over first two layers and let set.


*Not pie filling. Use large pkg. jello if not adding such a large amount of fruit. If not using fruit, follow directions on the package.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

-Lion House Recipes, Helen Thakeray

2 cups boiling water
4 cups bran cereal
2 cups raisins *
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
5 tsp. baking soda
1 quart buttermilk
2 cups bran flakes*

* Any combination of bran cereal or bran flakes can be used - All-Bran, Raisin Bran, etc. If using Raisin Bran, omit or reduce # of raisins.

Pour boiling water over 4 cups of bran and raisins. Sift together dry ingredients. Cream together oil and sugar. Add eggs, hot bran mixture, dry ingredients, and buttermilk. Last of all add the 2 cups of bran flakes cereal. Mix just enough to combine.

Bake in greased mufin tins at 400 degrees for 15-20 min. Recipe makes 6 dozen, but batter may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 6 weeks.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Royal Vanilla Ice Cream

This delicious recipe was given to us along with an ice cream freezer for our wedding. We like to use whole milk instead of 1/2 and 1/2 and use heavy whipping cream.

-The Hawkins Family

1 pint half-and-half (2 cups)
6 egg yolks, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pint whipping cream (2 cups), chilled
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, scald half and half by heating over medium heat until bubbles form around edge of pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks, sugar and salt until thick and pale. Beating constantly, gradually add hot half and half; beat 1 minute. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Remove dasher and serve ice cream soft, or, remove dasher and replace lid. Cover lid with foil. Place ice cream in freezer to ripen 2-4 hours or until firm. Makes about 2 quarts. Recipe doubles easily to fill a larger capacity freezer.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Oatmeal Cake



This is my favorite cake of all time and another recipe that most people probably aren't familiar with. Grandma Pulsipher's moist and yummy oatmeal cake makes appearances at all family gatherings. For some reason I can never seem to exactly duplicate the taste of Grandma's, but it always brings back fond memories of home and family. 


-Grandma Pulsipher

Mix and set aside:
1-1/2 cups hot water
1 cup oatmeal

Cream together;
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs

Add oatmeal mixture, then mix in:
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Frost while hot.

FROSTING
Boil for 5 minutes:
3/4 cube margarine (6 Tbsp)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar

Add:
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup coconut

Spread on cake.

Buttermilk Pancakes

This is my mom's recipe for delicious pancakes - tender and fluffy. Fresh buttermilk makes all the difference in this recipe. Coincidentally, Brandon's Uncle Don makes very similar buttermilk pancakes - often topped with yummies such as chocolate chips, bananas or berries.

-Mom Pulsipher

2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
3 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat eggs and add buttermilk. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and fry on a hot griddle.

-Don Mackay

Feeds only 2-3 hungry people, but you can scale the recipe by up to 8 fold without problems.

1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat egg, then add remaining ingredients in order listed and beat with a rotary mixer until smooth. Use about 1/3 cup of batter per pancake.

Top with banana, chocolate chips, blueberries, etc. while cooking.

Pineapple Muffins

Aunt Marjie

1/3 cup shortening
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup nuts/ or coconut
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

Sift dry ingredients and add raisins. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat til fluffy. Stir in pineapple. Stir in dry ingredients. Bake at 375 in muffin tins 2/3 full, 20-25 minutes.

Green Pepper Meatloaf

Aunt Deborah

1-1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 small onion, chopped
1 egg
salt and pepper
(I add ketchup)

Mix together well, then form into rolls (or balls). In a greased baking dish, place a layer of sliced green peppers. Place rolls on top of green bell peppers. Over all, pour 1 large can tomato sauce (15 oz) then grate a generous amount of Mozzarella cheese (8 oz) over it. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes at 350. Serve over cooked rice. Serves 6-8 people.

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps

Paula Deen

1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
1 lb. package sliced bacon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder

Preheat oven to 350. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden toothpick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake


When we lived in San Jose, one of my good friends made this cake for my birthday. It's moist and delicious and has a bright lemon flavor.

-Melissa Rideout

1 (18.5 oz) package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup plain or lemon yogurt
4 extra large eggs, or 1 cup egg whites
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
1-2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Combine cake mix and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add vegetable oil, water, yogurt and eggs. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 4 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and poppy seeds.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 10 cup bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert on cake plate and drizzle with lemon glaze.

LEMON GLAZE
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice