Grandma's Famous Spaghetti Sauce

Meal planning isn't always easy, particularly for moms working outside the home (as well as in) and especially during the holidays with so many other things going on. 

Grandma considered herself very fortunate to have a vocation she loved. She loved people, had a servant's heart, and was gifted with patience and kindness.  Perfect character qualities for nursing, which was her calling.  But even doing something she loved, it was still hard work. She was on her feet nearly all day and when she got home she probably would have preferred relaxing instead of cooking. 

That's where planning came in. Grandma would create a menu plan for the week ahead and try to "coordinate" the recipes so leftovers could be used in another meal. We've already done that with the Herb Roasted Chicken & Vegetables and the leftovers from that were used the following day in Chicken Pot Pies with Flaky Crust. You get the idea. 

Planning is half the battle. Actually, it IS the battle, but much easier to win when you're rested, relaxed, and putting it all together on your own terms. Not stressed after a hard day's work.

So here's another favorite--Grandma's Famous (at least in our family) Spaghetti Sauce. Homemade is best, more flavorful, and not difficult to make. She always added a little sugar to offset the acidity of the tomatoes and Bay leaf for seasoning (be sure to remove it before serving though).  Try this sauce with Grandma's Basic Meatballs. Delicious!

A large batch of this sauce yields leftovers that can be used in another meal or frozen.



Grandma's Famous Spaghetti Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 small can mushrooms, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large can tomato sauce
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp parsley
Italian Seasoning
Pepper
1 bay leaf (remove before serving)


Heat oil in Dutch oven or saucepan and sauté onion, mushrooms, pepper, celery and garlic. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, paste, sugar and parsley. Season to taste and add bay leaf. Simmer for an hour, remove bay leaf, and serve over noodles or use in your favorite pasta dish.

NOTE: Can be prepared in advance and frozen easily.

Beef Biscuit Bake Casserole

The holidays have officially launched and many of you are braving the shopping malls! 

This is not the time of year to try to prepare elaborate meals and spend a lot of time in the grocery store or the kitchen. Only the fastest and heartiest meals will do, so casseroles rule!

Grandma had scores of recipe books dedicated to the Godsend known as the casserole and this particular one was from her Orthopedic Guild cookbook! (By the way, the Orthopedic Guild raised money for the local children's hospital and Grandma loved it because she worked in pediatrics for awhile at the hospital and knew the needs intimately. She was involved in this group for many years.)

This dish contains pantry staples, will serve up well and be a hit with even the pickiest eater. Pair it with a green salad...no need to even serve bread with it, because the biscuits cook right on top! (Try Grandma's Old-Fashioned Flaky Biscuits for a delicious topping!)



Beef Biscuit Bake Casserole

1 lb lean ground beef
½ cup onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15 oz can) pork and beans, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
½ cup frozen or canned corn (if canned, drain liquid)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
6 prepared biscuits

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Remove from heat and strain or spoon any excess liquid. Stir in drained tomatoes, pork and beans, tomato sauce, corn, chili powder, salt and pepper. Bake uncovered in buttered casserole dish for 30 minutes at 400° F. Remove from oven and top with biscuits, then bake an additional 15 minutes. 6 Servings.

Old-Fashioned Flaky Biscuits

Long before Krusteaz or Bisquick mixes were on the shelf so you can measure, add water, mix and bake, women made their own biscuits from scratch. We've gotten away from that for the sake of convenience for so long now that we're frightened of making things from scratch! At most, there are a couple steps more than using a mix but the result is far healthier and cheaper. This is a tried and true basic recipe for biscuits found taped to the inside of one of Grandma's cookbooks. The result is delicious whether you make it with butter or shortening.

Also, there isn't any set rule about dinners. Why not give the biscuits center stage? A meal could be as unique as a biscuit with homemade gravy on top and a green salad on the side. Certainly these old-fashioned biscuits could pull off a biscuits and gravy dinner in a heartbeat, probably with requests for seconds. Make a double batch to have on hand for other meals and keep them in the fridge or freezer so they're available in a pinch.

Old-Fashioned Flaky Biscuits

2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 Tbsp butter or shortening
½ tsp salt
¾ cup milk

Sift flour, measure, then add baking powder and salt and sift again. Cut in shortening or butter with pastry cutter. Stir milk in gradually until soft dough is formed. Turn out on slightly floured board and lightly "knead" for 30 seconds to shape. Roll ½ inch thick and cut with 2 inch floured biscuit cutter. Bake on ungreased sheet in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Yields 12 biscuits.

Parmesan Breadsticks

Puff pastry was one of Grandma's favorite things. 

She would use it for hors d'houvres (filling them with delectable goodies), top meat pies with it, and make those flaky, puffy rolls that are so good with soups and salads.

Here's a treat she used to make for pasta dishes (instead of the ubiquitous garlic bread). Once you try these, you might not go back to bread! A word of warning though. Don't put them on the table until you're seated at the table. They will be gone in less than a minute!

Parmesan Breadsticks

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed in refrigerator

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 375F.

Sprinkle half of the cheese over your work surface. Roll out the puff pastry square on the cheese. Then combine remaining cheese with garlic and seasoning and sprinkle on the pastry. Keep rolling the cheese mixture into the dough, turning a few times, until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into ½ inch strips, then cut these in half so they are about 5 to 6 inches long. Carefully place the strips on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375F for 13-16 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Cool and carefully remove from baking sheets to cool completely on wire racks.

Creamy Turkey (or Chicken) Noodle Soup

After all the hard work of planning and preparing the Thanksgiving feast, the "gift" that keeps on giving is the leftover turkey. Depending on the size of the turkey you cooked and the leftovers you have, you can create some great meals.

Grandma usually started the morning after Thanksgiving by making turkey broth using the leftover carcass. She would pull out her biggest stockpot, throw in the carcass, cover it with water and add onion, garlic, and whatever other vegetables she had on hand. She didn't peel or chop anything, she just washed it and threw it in.  Today we might add in some of our own rosemary and thyme growing outside our kitchen door (if it has survived the chill winter air), otherwise we use the dried variety. These wonderful herbs add flavor and depth to the broth. Here's the process (which can be used for either leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken):

Chicken or Turkey Broth

Turkey carcass with enough water to cover it in the pot

Vegetables (like onion, garlic, celery and carrots)
Herbs (like rosemary, thyme or sage)

Salt and pepper to taste

Throw everything in the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for several hours (2-3 hours is best). After it has simmered, remove the carcass, strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a sieve so you end up with plain broth. Remove whatever meat is left on the carcass Store broth and meat in a separate containers in the fridge or freezer until use.

*  *  *

After all the hearty eating on Thanksgiving, Grandma would prepare something "light" and usually a turkey noodle soup with a green salad and some leftover bread or rolls satisfied what little hunger remained the day after the big meal. This recipe even uses the leftover mashed potatoes, if desired!  The recipe can also use leftover chicken any time of year, plus it's a healthier alternative to the ubiquitous canned cream of chicken soup.

Keep in mind, if you're "turkeyed out," the broth and meat will be safe in your fridge for a couple days until you're ready, otherwise try this creamy turkey noodle soup. It's delicious!

Creamy Turkey (or Chicken) Noodle Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ dried thyme
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
5-6 cups turkey (or chicken) broth
1 cup leftover mashed potatoes* (or whisk in 1/4 cup flour)
2-3 cups cooked turkey (or chicken) cut into chunks
1 cup half & half (or heavy cream)
salt and pepper to taste

*If you do not use the mashed potatoes, whisk in about 1/4 cup flour to the broth to thicken things up.

Heat up the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot. Add in onion, carrots and celery and sauté 3-4 minutes until softened and golden brown. Stir in garlic and cook about 1 minute. Stir in oregano, thyme and poultry seasoning for about 1 minute until blended.

Slowly pour in the turkey (or chicken) broth then add in mashed potatoes (or whisk in 1/4 cup flour) and heat mixture slowly to boiling.

Reduce heat and add in the turkey (or chicken) and half & half (or cream) until heated through, then season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. 6 servings.

Thanksgiving Greetings

From all of us here at Grandma Cooks 365, we wish you and your families hearty wishes on this Thanksgiving Day!

How to Celebrate Thanksgiving 

Count your blessings instead of your crosses; 

Count your gains instead of your losses.

Count your joys instead of your woes; 

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears; 

Count your courage instead of your fears.

Count your full years instead of your lean; 

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth; 

Count on God instead of yourself.

~Author Unknown~

Heavenly Apple Pie

This is one of those recipes that brings back such fond memories.  

Grandma's apple pie was simply divine and cooked a little differently than most apple pie recipes. She actually started cooking the apple filling on the stove top before she baked the entire pie in the oven. Not sure where this idea came from, but it makes perfect sense! The important thing is not to overcook the apples, but just distribute the sugars and cinnamon while gently heating everything up. By preparing the apples this way, the filling was never too sweet, most of the liquid had been extracted from the apples in the cooking process so the pie was never "soupy," and the apples looked like apples--not sauce. Brilliant!

I think I'm going to go make one right now!  Just close your eyes and imagine this apple pie, warm out of the oven and topped with some good Madagascar Vanilla ice cream. Yummmm! I say again, yummmmm!

Prepare a full recipe of your No-Fail Pie Crust and you will be ready to go.

Heavenly Apple Pie

2 tablespoons butter
8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into slices
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat and add in the apple slices, sugars, and cinnamon. Stir the apples to make sure they are thoroughly coated with the sugar and cinnamon. Heat through, being careful not to make the apples mushy.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the apples and spoon them into your prepared pie crust. There will be quite a bit of liquid left in the skillet. Reserve about 1/4 cup of this and pour over apples in pie crust. Top with second pie crust and crimp edges as desired. 

Cut slits in top crust so air can escape while cooking. Cover edges with foil so they don’t get too brown.  Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes one 9-inch pie.

3-Can Silky Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same without the desserts and other temptations that come to our holiday tables.

Pumpkin pie, of course, is one of our favorites. Some variation of it may have been served at the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving table, having been introduced to them by the Native Americans. Perhaps it was a sweet potato or squash pie. Either way they are delicious desserts on their own or with a dollop of real whipped cream on top.

This particular pie was one Grandma discovered in a newspaper and once she got a hold of it, she was hooked (and so were we).

For this pumpkin pie recipe you'll need only need one No-Fail Pie Crust, so you can make the full recipe and put the other one in a freezer bag to store in the freezer. Then you can make this again for Christmas (or for the day after Thanksgiving)!

3-Can Silky Pumpkin Pie

1 can (15 ounces) 100% pure pumpkin

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp allspice

2 large eggs, plus 2 yolks

1 cup canned evaporated milk

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

9-inch prebaked pie crust

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300F.

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the pumpkin, salt, and spices to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Add milks; cook until heated through.

In a blender or large food processor, purée eggs and yolks.  With the blender running, add pumpkin filling—a spoonful at a time at first, then more quickly as the eggs heat up. Blend to form a silky texture. Pour warm filling into a prebaked pie shell. Bake until a thin-bladed knife inserted near the center of the pie comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

No-Fail Pie Crust

Grandma's pie crusts were legendary and there is simply no substitute. It was light, flaky, and flavorful.  A store bought pie just doesn't cut it and we have never bought a pie at a bakery that comes close.

A crust is really nothing to be scared of. Three or four simple ingredients mixed together and that's about it.  However, a successful pie crust recipe just wouldn't be the same without the proverbial pie crust lecture.  If you remember these, you will have the secret to successful pie crusts!

1. It's important you don't use ingredients that have been sitting on your pantry shelf for 3 years (even if it's been stored in Tupperware!). Use fresh flour and Crisco. 

2. It's important you don't overwork the dough. Get the ingredients in there and git 'er done, lest your dough be tough..and we don't want a tough crust!

3. It's important you do use cold ingredients (some people even put their flour in the freezer before mixing everything together!) That might be a little extreme, but you know what I'm driving at here. 

So let's get started...

No-Fail Pie Crust

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup Crisco, chilled
6-8 Tbsp ice water

Sift flour and salt together. Gradually work the Crisco into the flour mixture with a pastry blender for about 2-3 minutes or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water and mix quickly. Form into a ball. Cut in half and roll out at once on a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth . Makes 2 crusts.   

[For a pre-baked crust, place one round in 9-inch pan, folding any extra crust under around the rim. Finish the edges as you like, then bake in 9-inch pan at 375F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.]

Grandma's Smashed Potatoes

No matter how Grandma served up potatoes they were always delicious and she never used a recipe. It was about how the potatoes "looked" while she was preparing them. She probably asked herself if they were smooth enough, creamy enough, and seasoned enough. If the pot of taters passed the requisite tests, they were ready. I think this tradition has been passed down and most of our family gatherings still include some variation of delicious potatoes.

In the early days, our family usually enjoyed traditional whipped mashed potatoes using the Russet variety but later on the Yukon Golds became favorites. Not only were they delicious, but when they were mashed and put in the serving dish they livened up the Thanksgiving table with their golden goodness.

Red potatoes became yet another favorite, although they weren't prepared by "whipping" the tar out of them. Instead they were "smashed" with a potato masher and looked a little more "rustic" than the whipped mashed.  We liked the fact that they were delicious, rustic looking, and they didn't require any peeling. (Grandpa would have loved that because he was always the designated potato peeler.) Today, our family grows our own organic reds. Grandma would have appreciated that because she was a farm girl at heart and the flavor of organically grown potatoes is unsurpassed!

So here is an "adaptation" of Grandma's recipe for "smashed" potatoes using reds (which we prefer, but you can use whatever variety you like--Yukon Golds, Finnish and fingerlings). For this recipe the starchy, baking variety of potatoes like Russets would probably not do as well. They are better served peeled, boiled and whipped in the traditional way (although you don't want to "work" them too much when preparing them or they get weird. Don't know any other term for it than that--just weird.)

Another trick that's popular now on the food channels (although Grandma never tried this) is flavoring the potatoes using garlic cloves directly in the boiling water. The flavor permeates the potatoes and the garlic mixed in at the end is wonderful. Try it!

Grandma's Smashed Potatoes

8 medium red potatoes (or whatever variety of boiling potato you prefer; stay away from the starchy baking potatoes on this one)
10 peeled garlic cloves
½ stick butter (no substitutes and no apologies ;)
1 cup milk plus more to reach desired consistency
salt
pepper

Place potatoes, garlic, and 1 tsp salt in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft (about 20 minutes). Test this by inserting a knife or fork into one of the potatoes. If it can be inserted easily, they are done.

Drain water thoroughly, then add butter and milk while mashing with a potato masher and add salt and pepper to taste.  Continue incorporating the ingredients until butter is melted and the consistency is to your liking. It will not be quite as smooth as whipped, but still delicious with butter or gravy on top.

Amazing Turkey Gravy

Grandma's gravy was unsurpassed.  It was never lumpy or fatty and it was even more delicious the day after. 

Getting the gravy perfect is a relatively simple process using heat, a whisk, and flour. The trick is to get the flour mixture or "roux" as smooth as possible (hence no lumps) and get as much of the fat out of the pan juices as possible. This can be tricky since the turkey Grandma used to make was similar to Martha's...doused hourly with a butter and white wine mixture. The butter would always wreak havoc with the fat content, but there are all sorts of fat separators and other tricks to remedy this. Namely pouring the pan juices in a big Pyrex bowl or measuring cup, putting it in the fridge until the fat comes to the surface, and skimming it off with a spoon. This usually did the trick and made the gravy flawless! Bet it will work for you too! 

Amazing Turkey Gravy

Pan juices (with fat removed)
1 cup dry white wine
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups turkey giblet stock, including reserved cooked neck and giblets

Pour pan juices into heat safe container and put in fridge to quickly separate the fat. While this is chilling, pour white wine into pan and deglaze over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Pour one cup of liquid from simmered giblets plus reserved pan juices (with fat removed) into saucepan with the flour and whisk until smooth over medium high heat about 3 minutes. Slowly add wine mixture and whisk continuously until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing

Lessons in Thanksgiving preparations...

Grandma told us about the differences between stuffing and dressing very early on. She used to cook one of each to accommodate our various tastes, but it was the stuffing that always won us over. There is nothing like stuffing the turkey and letting the juices do their magic. Grandma always used Mrs. Cubbison's cornbread stuffing in the big box. Now this is no advertisement for Mrs. C's, but I will attest that theirs is the best (unless, like Martha, you bake real cornbread rather than buy store bought).

Here is Grandma's recipe for Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing. This particular recipe from the newspaper about 10 years ago was identical to hers. She would typically have the potatoes peeled, the casseroles prepared, the pies made, and salads chilling the night before, so her Thanksgiving day wasn't fraught with frenzy. 

The turkey was fresh, so there was no need to thaw, but she would take it out of the fridge to sit at room temp for about an hour before putting it in the oven, remove the wrapping and giblets (or "innards" included with the turkey) and put these in a pan of water to simmer all morning--except the liver, which was bitter. She would then use this simmered water later in her gravy roux.

The stuffing was the first thing Grandma made on Thanksgiving Day. This was strategic on her part, because if it was made the day before the bread would be soggy--and you can't have that! She would also never consider stuffing the turkey the day before either--mainly because raw turkey is known to cause serious illness if not properly dealt with.

Once the stuffing was prepared, she would place it loosely (loosely being the key word here) into the turkey so it didn't end up as a blob of bread and/or be difficult to remove once the turkey was cooked. That being said, there was always plenty to make a side dish of "dressing." It just was never as good as the stuffing!

This truly is a winner and you and your guests will love it!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Right about now Grandma would have been busy pulling out her recipe books and planning her Thanksgiving menu. The weekend would be spent organizing coupons and local grocery deals, then going to the various stores early Saturday to buy the ingredients before everything was picked over. Shopping was a little different then because once a store was out of something the chances of getting it restocked were slim, so the early birds got the goods! Grandma would also order her turkey on Saturday morning so it would be ready by Wednesday (and perfectly prepared by Thursday afternoon!).

Her menu typically consisted of the tried and true traditional dishes with variations every year. From year to year she might change up her salad, side dishes and dessert, but her turkey was always amazing with no need to change anything. As she got older, Grandma settled on the family favorites and kept things familiar for those last few years she hosted our family day.

One of Grandma's favorites was this Sweet Potato Casserole. The source is unknown, but the result is nothing short of miraculous. It's different than the standard marshmallow or brown sugar laden variety, but oh so good! You will NOT regret incorporating this into your menu and you can bet your family will request it next year (or even for Christmas!).

Sweet Potato Casserole

2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled/cored/sliced

3 (15 oz) cans of yams or sweet potatoes, drained thoroughly and patted dry with paper towels

1 stick butter, melted

1/3 cup corn syrup

1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp brown sugar, firmly packed

2 Tbsp Madeira

½ to 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or combination of cinnamon/nutmeg)

Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (rack in center of oven).  Grease a 10-inch round deep pie pan or deep gratin dish. Combine sweet potatoes (or yams), 6 tablespoons of the melted butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, Madeira, pumpkin pie spice and salt in the work bowl and puree until smooth. Scrape down sides when necessary. Spread half of this mixture in prepared dish.  Arrange half of the apple slices over the sweet potatoes overlapping evenly. Brush with melted butter. Spread second layer of sweet potatoes with apple slices on top. Brush top with melted butter. Bake until apples are tender and mixture is well heated through, about 30-40 minutes.

Cranberry Fruit Salad

I'm not sure where Grandma got all of her jello recipes--from friends, from relatives, from the recipe collections of her various clubs and guilds, from her own ingenuity--but at least one would find its way to our holiday table (and sometimes not just during the holidays)! They are so refreshing, they could be used any time of year.

This variation of the cranberry jello salad has the sweet and tart together using pineapple with a little bit of crunch from the celery. A delicious combination of flavors and textures!

Cranberry Fruit Salad

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained, reserving juice

½ cup cranberry juice cocktail

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 (3 oz) pkg raspberry gelatin

1 (16 oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce

½ cup chopped celery

Combine reserved pineapple juice, cranberry juice and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add gelatin, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Break up cranberry sauce with a fork. Stir into gelatin mixture.  Refrigerate until mixture begins to set. Stir in pineapple and celery. Pour into a 4-cup mold. Chill until firm. (Makes 8 servings.)

Cranberry Apple Salad

I did some research on cranberries and why they're so darn popular during the holidays.

Did you know that the cranberry is one fruit that is native to the United States and was grown by Native Americans, who introduced them to the Pilgrims? Not only were they used as a food source (and a right healthy one at that!) but also pressed and used for dying fabrics, crushed and used as a healing balm, and also used as "money" for bartering! Amazing!

There's just something about the cranberry during the holidays.  Given a great combination of ingredients, cranberries can enhance a turkey dressing, a bread, a jello, or a drink (Crantini? Delicious!)

This cranberry jello dish is a delicious combination of sweet and tart all at once. If you use Granny Smith apples, the tartness of the apple blends with the sour of the cranberry in a delicious way.  You will absolutely love this one for your holiday table!

Cranberry Apple Mold

1-½  cup boiling water

1 pkg (8 serving size) OR

    2 pkgs (4 serving size) cranberry jello or ANY RED FLAVOR

1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce

1 cup cold water

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 medium apple (preferable Granny Smith), chopped

Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl 2 minutes or until completely dissolved.  Stir in cranberry sauce, cold water, and cinnamon.  Refrigerate about 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until thickened.  Stir in apple and spoon into 5-cup mold. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.  Unmold and garnish as desired.  

Ambrosia Salad

Another family favorite during the holidays (or any time of year) was Grandma's Ambrosia Fruit Salad. It was just plain good (and refreshing) with ingredients you can get year round. The trick was to let it thaw until it became soft and then the fruity and marshmallow-y goodness came through in all its delectable-ness...sorry, got a little carried away there. It really is good though and something different for your table than just the ubiquitous red jello, especially during the holidays.

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

1 pkg (8 oz) Philly Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

1 large can fruit cocktail, drained thoroughly

½ cup drained/halved marachino cherries

2 ½ cups mini marshmallows

1/2 pint whipped cream

Mix softened cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Gently fold in fruit cocktail, mini marshmallows and whipped cream that has been prepared and sweetened to taste. Fold in marachino cherries last. Pour entire mixture into small Pyrex baking dish and freeze at least 3 hours or overnight.  Thaw slightly and cut into squares. 

Holiday Cinnamon Molded Salad

Grandma did a lot of entertaining. She absolutely loved people and loved giving back to the community, so she belonged to many clubs and guilds that raised funds for disadvantaged youth or kids who needed medical care.  Her servant's heart ran deep.  

When a meeting place or special event location was needed, Grandma often opened her home. She was a natural at putting together something memorable, carried out with attention to every detail.

Her beautiful table always had a centerpiece of some sort with flowers or candles. She cared about each place setting and the silverware was deliberately placed in its proper location. There had to be order but she was never compulsive about it so things were very relaxed. Such a life lesson to be learned from that.

As she got older, the soirees began to diminish and she wasn't able to be a member of so many organizations, but she still had family over for holidays and other special events well into her 80s! Where she got all that energy was a mystery.

Family dinners always included some sort of gelatin salad and Grandma used to say that a good salad starts off a meal on the right foot...and they always did. Her holiday salad fixings were wonderful and with Thanksgiving around the corner these "tried and trues" should give you a few ideas for your own family gathering.

Holiday Cinnamon Molded Salad

½ cup red cinnamon candies (Red Hots--trust me on this)

4 Tbsp sugar

2 cups hot water

2 pkgs cherry Jello

2 cups cold water

2 cups diced apples

1 cup diced oranges

½ cup walnuts (optional)

Dissolve candies and sugar in boiling water then pour over 2 packages of cherry Jello.  Add cold water and chill until partially set, then add apples, oranges, and walnuts.  Chill until set.

Chicken Pot Pies with Flaky Crust

There is nothing better on a cold wintry day than a properly made pot pie.  
                                                                                                             ~Craig Claiborne

Grandma was a champion at taking leftovers and creating delectable dishes using them on subsequent days. 

Thanksgiving was her favorite because she could turn the turkey leftovers into turkey tetrazzini, turkey salad sandwiches, turkey soup (using the carcass for the broth), and on and on. 

Amazingly, she would season it so you'd never tire of turkey! And why not? Many people have beef in their diets every day...so why not a healthier alternative like turkey?

So here's a small example of her expertise. Day 1: Herb Roasted Chicken with Vegetables. Day 2: Chicken Pot Pies using the leftover broth, chicken meat, and vegetables (all the more reason to cook 2-3 chickens and vegetables on day one so you're guaranteed leftovers!).  

Consider that all the ingredients will probably cost around $12 for what will become at least 2 full meal deals for a family of four (with possible leftovers for lunches depending on whether they're big eaters!).  Plus, you have a remaining sheet of puff pastry to use later. Win win!

Chicken Pot Pies with Flaky Crust

1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
2 cups chicken broth*
¼ cup flour
3 cups shredded chicken meat*
½ recipe Caramelized Vegetables*
½ cup frozen peas
Dash salt
Dash pepper

Preheat oven to 375F.

Make a roux by mixing ½ cup chicken broth with ¼ cup flour until smooth. In a medium saucepan, heat 1½ cups of chicken broth over medium heat and slowly add roux. Whisk until boiling and smooth. Add chicken meat, vegetables, peas, salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened. Spoon meat mixture into oven proof dish(es) being used.

On floured work surface, roll out one sheet of puff pastry (one of the two in the package), cut crust ½ to 1 inch over rim of dish(es), place on top and crimp the edges. Use your knife to make slits for air to escape while cooking. Bake for 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown.  4 Servings

* Delicious if broth, meat, and vegetables are left over from your own Herb Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Vegetables. If not available, you could use a purchased rotisserie chicken, packaged broth, and frozen vegetables of your choice.

Herb Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.
                                                                                                  ~ Harriet Van Horne


Grandma could do miracles with a chicken and you can too!

It's so easy and almost foolproof. Really the trick is not to necessarily follow a recipe to the letter, but to get good quality ingredients--the fresher the better--then use your imagination. The other trick is to use your time and resources wisely, which Grandma always did. Here's how:

This Herb Roasted Chicken with Vegetables recipe is probably the most versatile because leftovers can be used in other recipes like chicken soup, chicken pot pie or chicken salad. Since you're heating up the oven anyway, you might as well make more than one all at once and then store them in the fridge or freezer to use in these recipes later. How convenient! Try a different combination of ingredients for each one, if you want to change the flavors.  Here are the basic recipes for chicken and accompanying vegetables:

Herb Roasted Chicken

3-4lb whole chicken
Something to stuff inside the chicken*
2-3 Tbsp canola or olive oil (your preference)
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper (can be freshly ground, if you like & as much as you like)
1-2 Tbsp fresh herbs, chopped (fresh sage, rosemary & thyme work best)

*try apple slices, onion, lemons, onions, garlic cloves (we cut an entire garlic head/bulb in half--one half to stuff and one to rub the outside of the chicken with), carrots, fresh herbs like rosemary sprigs. etc.) ~ let your imagination run wild! 

Preheat oven to 400F.  Wash and pat chicken dry, then fill cavity of bird with whatever you desire--a halved lemon, full cloves of garlic, and coarsely chopped onion (and whatever else you want to throw in—apples are surprisingly good too!). Tie legs if necessary then rub the outside with the oil  until thoroughly coated and season generously with chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven (with vegetables recipe below) for an hour or until internal temp reads 160F. Enjoy!

 

Vegetables

2 Tbl olive oil
6 small carrots, scrubbed, not peeled
4 medium parsnips, scrubbed, not peeled
10 small Yukon Gold potatoes, not peeled but halved (try sweet potatoes for a change up!)
1 whole head garlic, halved
1 sprig rosemary

½ cup chicken broth

In large bowl combine carrots (cut in 1 inch pieces), parsnips (cut in ½ inch pieces) , potatoes, onions, garlic half, rosemary (leaves only), salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toss together well and place in baking dish with your chicken, pour ½ cup chicken broth and cook in 400F oven for 45 minutes. Check often and add additional broth if necessary. 4 servings 

When dinner is over, save the leftovers (chicken and vegetables) for tomorrow's recipe...chicken pot pies with flaky crust.

Chocolate Dollies

Some cookies become a tradition. They're also so good there ought to be a law! These are one of those unlawfully good cookies. 

The recipe was given to Grandma by another neighbor, Janice, who became another lifelong friend, even after she and her growing family moved away.  Janice's mother and father (closer in age) also became dear friends with Grandma and Grandpa. The entire family has kept in touch  our family for nearly 60 years.

Perhaps it was the era. Things were a little less complicated, more relaxed, and a lot more personal. Handwritten notes were the rule and not the exception. Phone calls were frequent and often they would last for hours. Ringing a neighbor's doorbell and presenting a plate of warm, freshly baked cookies was not unusual and these cookies were probably one of those doorstep "gifts" that Grandma had to have the recipe for. Whatever the circumstances, these have become as traditional in our family during the holidays as roast turkey on Thanksgiving! 

Chocolate Dollies

Crust
1 cube margarine or butter
1 cup rolled graham crackers

Melt butter in 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle crumbs and press in to form crust, then layer the following ingredients in the order given:

1 package butterscotch chips
1 cup shredded coconut
1 package chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Pour  1 can sweetened condensed milk over the top  and bake 25 minutes in 350F oven. Cool and cut in squares.