Meatball Mix

Here is the recipe I made for the meatballs. I love this recipe, I do add about 1/2 teaspoon basil to it. Comes in handy when a quick meal is needed. Can use for spaghetti and meatballs, meatball soup, sweet & sour meatballs, meatball sandwiches, meatball stew, etc....

4 pounds lean ground beef

4 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups dry breadcrumbs

½ cup finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

 

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Blend well. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Place meatballs on ungreased baking sheets and bake 10 to 15 minutes, until browned. Remove immediately and drain on paper towels. When cooled, put about 30 meatballs each into five 1-quart freezer containers, leaving ½-inch space at top. Seal and label containers. Freeze. Use within 3 months. Makes about 144 meatballs.

 

Grinder Rolls (subs, hoggie)

Got this recipe when I lived in Houston, at a church women’s luncheon.  We use to have luncheons once a month and now have dinner twice a year. I sure miss those times. We had themes for our luncheons and would make a little recipe booklet to go along with the theme. In March of 1974, we made all the recipes sound Irish, so that is where the name of this recipe comes from. I don’t know the real name. A fine lady named, Jean Oldroyd had this recipe. One October we went with Halloween theme maybe too far…. As we had black died spaghetti, and some sort of pumpkin juice drink. I will say some of the younger girls went home hungry as they just couldn’t eat the spaghetti. We sure had fun!

 O’Flarity Irish Loaves

                                            (aka:grinder, subs or hoggies buns)

 

1 package dry yeast

2 cups very warm water

6 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 

Corn meal

1 tablespoon cold water

Egg white

 

Sprinkle yeast into very warm water in a large bowl. Stir until yeast dissolves. Stir in 3 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and oil; beat until smooth. Slowly beat in enough of remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured pastry cloth or board; knead 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding only enough flour to keep dough from sticking. Place in a greased large bowl; turn to coat all over with shortening (or oil). Cover with a clean towel, let rise for about 30 minutes or doubled. Punch dough down; knead 1 minute. Divide into 8 even pieces. Roll out, each piece, to a rectangle, 6x4” roll up, jelly roll style. Tuck ends under. Grease a large cookie sheet; sprinkle with corn meal. Place rolls seamed side down, 2’ apart on cookie sheet and cover. Let rise about 30 minutes.  Just before putting in oven, mix egg white and a little water in a small bowl.. Brush tops of rolls. Place in pre-heated oven set at 400˚ for 15 minutes. Brush with some more egg white wash and bake for 10-15 minutes longer.  Rolls are done by tapping them and hear a hollow sound and are a golden color. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on racks. Fill like you would with any sandwich, enjoy!

 

 

Easter Basket Bread - BBD#19

Update! Putting this on Sweet As Sugar Cookies for April 2011.

For our bread baking day this month the theme is ‘Spring Country Breads’, hosted by Cindystar, at http://cindystarblog.blogspot.com. I didn't get a chance to do this bread for Easter as I had wanted, but did get it made and my family loved it. I couldn’t think of a country bread my family has ever made. My mom, sister and I have carried on a tradition of baking rolls at Christmas time and making the same for Easter, also the coconut bread I made last month. So I thought this was a good theme and have decided to make my own family tradition of an ‘Easter Basket Egg Bread’.
I knew I saw somewhere a picture of what I wanted the bread to look like, but do you think I could find the cookbook it is in? Nope! I knew I had a good egg bread recipe from high school days, so I turned it into the basket shape.
This is the original recipe from either my high school days or my first job. That was 40 years ago, boy am I getting old and yep, I graduated in 1969! Go Azusa!
I loved my homemaking classes. I wasn’t allowed to cook or bake at home, so loved it when my teacher in my senior year let me bake all kinds of things and all by myself. During one class period I had all 7 little kitchens at my disposal, what memories that brings back. Wow! That’s another blog I should write about someday. Back to BBD……


RICH EGG BREAD

2 packages dry yeast
½ cup warm water (105˚F to 115˚F)
1 ½ cup lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
¼ cup butter or shortening
7 to 7 ½ cups flour
Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl and let proof 5 minutes. Stir in milk, sugar, salt, eggs, butter and 3 ½ cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough of the remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and cover with a clean dish towel, greased side up. Let rise until doubled, about 1-1 ½ hours.


Grease 2 loaf pans. Punch down dough, divide into 2 loaves. Roll out dough into a rectangle, then roll up jelly-roll style, tuck ends under and put in greased pans. Bake at 425˚F for about 30 minutes. Tap bread for the hollow sound and then it should be done.

Notes or what I did different:
I used powered milk and did not scald it, as the process for powered already is scalded. The water used to reconstitute the milk is warm.
I used ½ all-purpose flour and ½ spelt flour.
I would suggest using butter instead of shortening; it has a much better flavor.
The temperature for the oven was at 425˚F, but within 10 minutes the bread smelled like it was burning so I turned it down to 350˚F and it baked more evenly and a pretty brown.
This is a nice soft bread and all the kiddies enjoyed it!!!!

Thank you Cindistar for doing this months BBD and Zorra, for starting it!

Knitting Dish Cloths

Just wanted to let everyone know that I do knit every now and then. I like to do something while I watch TV, as then I don't feel so guilty wasting time watching.  Although I do pay more attention to the knitting as I have lost stitches, so I mostly listen to the TV. 

My daughter wanted for one of her wedding gifts these little dish cloths. So I thought four would be a good start, as I am sure she will get some shower gifts of dish towels and dish cloths. But she and I like to wash the dishes and clean up with these types of cloths. They asborb the clean-ups  better. I use an all-cotton type yarn and love the feel of them.

Most of the instructions are easy and I have learned how to do a couple of stitches that I have never done.  I like doing these as they are a small project and I can keep focused. 

When I first learned how to knit I chose a most difficult pattern of a vest for my oldest who was then 8 years old. I did finish it and was very proud I learned something new. I think she only wore it once. 

Tonight is the bridal shower and I only have three done and working on the last. So there is a picture with the four colors and three done.

The blue one is just an extra I did for myself, but different pattern. As I have been knitting on these I put on some nice music and knitting away, very soothing! Different than watching or listening to TV.

Enjoy!!!

!               (finished this one too!) 

Recipes for Jamie!

Jamie, I hope you enjoy these recipes. They were fun to look at!

KAUAI BANANA BREAD

2 cups sugar

4 well beaten eggs

1 cup shortening

6 ripe bananas

2 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

Cream sugar and shortening. Mix together well beaten eggs and bananas. Combine them.  Sift dry ingredients together, put into mixture.  Stir until all ingredients are blended in and batter is smooth.  Place in greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes. Watch cooking time for the size of pan you use.  Can be served with ice cream.

PIG LICKEN CAKE        

1 box Duncan Hines Golden Butter Cake

Beat: 4 eggs

Add: ¾ cup oil

         1 cup Mandarin oranges

Beat well and put in three 8” layer pans.  Bake at 350° - 25-30 minutes, until done.

ICING

1 box instant vanilla pudding

1 medium can crushed pineapple, juice and all

Mix well.  Fold into 1 large bowl of Cool Whip.  Spread between layers and on top and sides.  Keep in refrigerator.

MIRACLE CHEESECAKE

1 ½ (3 ounces) package lemon Jell-O

1 cup boiling water

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Juice of 1 lemon and the grated rind from lemon

1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese (soften)

1 tall can Carnation Milk, chilled and whipped

3 cups graham crackers or vanilla wafers (crumbled)

½ cup melted butter, mixed with crumbs, line bottom of a 9x13” pan (save some for top)

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water, add lemon juice and rind.  Cool to partly set (soft).  Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together.  Add Jell-O and mix well.  Fold in whipped milk.  Pour into pan and sprinkle crumbs on top.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

E-Z GOOD PIE

1 can Eagle Brand Condensed milk (14 ounces)

1 can frozen concentrate, lemon or limeade (6 ounces)

1 (9 ounces) Cool Whip

1 graham cracker crust

Mix milk, lemonade or limeade and Cool Whip together in medium bowl of mixer.  Pour into crust and refrigerate.

SODA CRACKER PIE

16 soda crackers crumbled not too fine)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

12 dates (pitted and chopped fine)

½ cup chopped nuts

Mix all together. 

Beat 4 egg whites stiff.  Fold in dry ingredients and add 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Pour into buttered pie pan (9”).  Bake 25 minutes at 325°.

Serve with whip cream.

HOT COMPANY SALAD

5 cups finely shredded cabbage                             

1 cup finely shredded carrots

½ cup chopped green onion tops and all

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Put in sauce pan.  Dissolve 1 bouillon (beef) in ¼ cup boiling water and add to cabbage and carrots.  Toss with fork to blend.  Cover and cook 5 minutes stirring only one time.  Drain if necessary and put in warm serving dish.  Then melt ¼ cup butter and 1 tablespoon prepared mustard and 1/3 cup chopped pecans.  Add ¼ teaspoon paprika and pour over cabbage and carrots and serve.  Real Good

MILLIIONAIRE SALAD

2 eggs, beaten well

4 tablespoon vinegar

4 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons butter

3 bananas, sliced

2 cups pineapple chunks or tidbits

2-3 cups miniature marshmallows

½ cup nuts

½ pint of whipping cream, whipped

Put beaten eggs in sauce pan.  Add vinegar and sugar.  Place on medium fire and cook beating constantly until smooth and thick.  Remove from heat.  Add butter.  Cool (cold).

Fold cream into cooled cooked dressing.  Fold into fruit, nuts and marshmallows.

NINE-DAY COLE SLAW

1 large head of cabbage (chopped small)

1 cup sugar

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 large or 2 small carrots, shredded

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl or pan.  Work real good with hands squeezing hard to bruise cabbage (old fashioned way).

½ cup salad oil

½ cup sugar

¾ cup vinegar (may need more)

Bring to full rolling boil.  Add 1 teaspoon celery seed, garlic, salt to taste.  When boiling, pour over cabbage.  Stir well and chill.

(This salad keeps well for 2 weeks in refrigerator.)

7-UP SALAD

1 large package lemon gelatin

2 cup boiling water

2 cups 7-Up

1 large can crushed pineapple

4 large bananas

1 cup pineapple juice

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter or oleo

2 cups whipped topping

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup pecan pieces

To make the base, combine gelatin, boiling water, 7-Up, drained pineapple and sliced bananas.  Pour mixture into a 9x12 pan and chill until firm.

The topping is made by combining the pineapple juice, sugar, flour, egg and butter and cooking over low heat until thick.

Cool and fold whipped topping and coconut into the topping mixture and spread over base.

Sprinkle with pecan pieces.

Update on Silky Scrub

I have now used the Silky Scrub on my bathtub and on the range top. The scrub worked well on both, very impressive! Didn't need to add the borax, I guess in the kitchen sink it was needed because of the extra scraps from pots and pans.

MY SOAP BOX / MY OPINION

Still have a few of my magazine scraps here, so will try and condense down and share.

 Did you know that we are not supposed to “carry more than 15% of our weight for backpacks”?  So if a child is 100 pounds, they should not be carrying more than 15 pounds, including their backpack of books and papers goods? My college student’s bag is 30-50 pounds, depending on the books of the day, (weighting herself at 120 pounds). My son’s backpack was about 65 pounds heavy, when he was in high school. So does this mean that my children will have major back problems down the road? I hope not, as the chiropractors will love them as patients.

 

Here is one that makes sense----to help “get rid of belly fat, don’t just count calories, but walk at least 90 minutes per week to help cut down belly fat by one-fifth in five months.” (I should be able to do this, sounds simple..  So does this mean in 25 months, all the belly fat is gone? Boy, my stomach would sure love this. Plus I guess that would mean I need to walk every week to keep it off.)

On the same page of this article talks about ‘Eat Yourself Happy’:

“Complex carbs like spaghetti, cereal, rice and wholegrain bread improves anxiety, moodiness, anger, frustration. These foods help the brain make serotonin, an internal chemical that helps keep us clam.” (Yeah! I can eat more carbs!)

“Licorice sticks, Necco Wafers, marshmallows improve that “down in the dumps” feeling. These are simple sugars are digested quickly, releasing insulin, speeding up serotonin production and making you feel upbeat.” (I like marshmallows, hmm, might keep some of those handy in my purse! Make sure they are in a sealed bag as you wouldn’t want ants in your purse.)

“Salmon, cottage cheese, low-fat string cheese, fat-free yogurt improves lack of focus or concentration. The protein boots dopamine and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters that increase alertness and excitement.” (Need to go to Google and look up these words?)

 

One more on this page: “Wipe your cell phone down with antibacterial cleanser regularly: A new British study reports that mobiles carry more germs than a toilet seat!” “Yucky”….

(This reminded me of a report I heard many years ago, that to make sure you close the toilet seat as the water spray, when flushed can spray the little particles up to five feet in the air. So how close is your toothbrush to the toilet?)

 

Will stop here for today and say a big Thank You to the ‘Quick and Simple’ magazine company!!! Hopefully no harm done, just my little way of writing of your interesting tid-bits. Did enjoy the magazine.

All in all these articles are very informative.

 

Good Friends on a Date

My children have the best of friends. One couple went on a date night and delivered this cute little, well one long sunflower.  They rang the door bell and left, not knowing who did it.  On the flower was a card that read, "Uh oh!  It's not May Day but you've been mystery flowered anyway!  It's just our way of wishing you a blessed springtime season and a wondermous day!!!" (signed, Your mystery cheerbringers) 

Wasn't that a clever date???  We did find out who they were and told them such a cute idea.  

Earlier in the week I was helping a friend learn how to do some family history on the computer. She crochets, knitts and does beautiful quilts. As I was getting ready to go, she gave me a choice of trivets that she had crochet. We love our friends!!!

That is the picture of the flower and the lovely trivet, I think they go well together!

Magazine Time/Silky Scrub

You know how it is, too many books and magazines! So a friend and I went through some of the oldies didn't look at them and just tossed them out! But on some I just couldn't.  Next I took these mags and tore out pages I wanted to save. Now I have quite a few pages of paper. 

What to do next????

Well, I thought I would write on my blog on what was interesting to me or what I would like to share about the pages I saved. Once on the blog, paper in the trash, slowly getting rid of my dust collecting pile of papers. Yeah!!    hopefully......?

 

My little opinion about chemicals. I try hard not to buy them, but sometimes I do and am always sorry, as it does make me sick to smell the chemicals or if they are in foods, I usually have a headache for a couple of days.

Here is an article in the 'Quick and Simple'  magazine that says, "Why You Shouldn't Scrub the Toilet". The chemical 1,4-dichlorobenze is an ingredient that has been shown to partially diminish lung function. WHAT? partially diminish lung function!!!  I need to breathe, so I would like to keep my lungs as long as possible, thank you very much. (they didn't mention that it also hurts brain cells.)

Well, in another magazine I went through (Natural Home Magazine) on the same day, has a recipe to help with cleaning the bathroom. Yeah!

Here is the recipe, which is something like I have used before and now will try this one.

 

 Silky Scrub (A baking soda/soap mixture is a gentle natural cleaner.)

1 cup baking soda

1/2 cup (approximately) castile liquid soap

5 to 10 drops antibacterial essential oil, such as lavender, tea tree oil or rosemary (optional)

1. Pour baking soda into a medium size mixing bowl.

2. Add soap a little at a time, stirring continuously. Stop adding after your mixture has begun to resemble frosting.

3. Mix drops of essential oil, if using.

4. Store in an airtight jar for up to a year.

 

"To clean a sink or bathtub: scoop the creamy mixture onto a sponge, scrub the surface and rinse.

 

Borax is a multipurpose natural cleaner and deodorizer. (I have used this for many things around the house, not only as I clean, but it is a good bug repeller.) Keep it handy by putting it in a jar with a shaker top.  (I usually keep it in the box and the box gets too wet, so I will give this a try and it makes sense.)

 

If you need to add a little power to your Silky Scrub, shake a little borax over the area you're cleaning. Allow to stand for five minutes, then continue scrubbing."  (Also written by 'Natural Home Magazine".)

 

I like these little articles, as in the past I have tried to clean with only 4 things: borax, bleach, soda and vinegar.

Vinegar to repel ants and gets rid of mold.

Bleach to mop with, especially the bathroom floors.

Borax for deodorizing and to repel other insects.

Soda for most anything.

***Never mix the 4 items together or use at the same time! Can mix soda with borax.***

Did use 'Silky Scrub' on the kitchen sink and not too bad, but needed to add the borax. 

             before  after

 

Two papers down, more to go!

 

Watergate Salad

Came acrossed this web page through Jamie at http://lifesafeast.blogspot.com/ which took me to; http://domestickmuse.blogspot.com/2009/03/everything-old-is-new-again-and-vintage.html#comment-form .

The sound of a new contest called: "Everything Old Is New Again..." got me thinking of all the old recipes my Granny and I sat around and copied.                                                                    

  So, I got out the little recipe book  I made in honor of my grandmother   

and looked at some of her reipces. How are these for names and which one should I choose? 

Kauai Banana Bread

Pig Licken Cake 

Miracle Cheesecake

Chess Pie

E-Z Good Pie

Soda Cracker Pie

Champagne Salad

Hot Company Cabbage

Millionaire Salad

Nine-Day Cole Slaw

7-Up Salad

and the one I am doing or should I say re-doing is: 'Watergate Salad'.

Most of these recipes are from the late 60's and 70's.

Wanted to find out how this salad got it's name, so I googled it and found this web site:

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodsalads.html#watergatesalad.  Interesting reading.

I thought it would be a kick to bring this recipe back out, as I have not had it since the 80's and as I bought the ingredients, I laughed at the recipe on the back of the 'Dole' pineapple can. Yep, there it was the Watergate Salad recipe! So, I guess it's not so out-of-date, but I am entering it because I would like my children to try it and see what they think.

How I changed the recipe just a bit:

 'Watergate Salad'

Drain a can of 20-ounce size can of crushed pineapple and save the juice.

Start whipping up: 1 cup heavy whip cream, whip up until almost stiff, can add 1-2 tablespoons powered sugar. (Although it doesn't need the extra sugar.)

Add to this: 1 package (4-serving size) pistachio instant pudding.

Fold in the pineapple and start adding at least 1/2 cup of pineapple juice, to make sure pudding is not too thick.

Fold in 1 cup mini marshmallows and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Mix this until well blended.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour and serve.

The orginal recipe from Granny's book:

 Watergate Salad

1 package (4-serving size) pistachio instant pudding (today's pudding mix has almonds, what no pistachios?)

1 carton thawed non-diary whipped topping (8 ounces)

1 can crushed pineapple, it said medium size which is the 20 ounce size with juice

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup nuts

Mix dry pudding with whipped cream. Add pineapple and juice, marshmalllows and nuts. Chill at least 1 hour and serve.

Yeah, the kiddos like it!!!!

Wedding - Part 3

The Dress!

We have definately bought the pattern!                                     

The material is on order and due to come in this week.

We are going with the Vogue pattern V2842 and adding to                         

it the cap sleeve shirt pattern (from Stretch and Sew #382). 

I need to put them both together and draw a new pattern for the bodice. We just couldn't find a pattern that was modest and the style Michelle wanted, so we will add to it. Not hard, right??? Hopefully my friend and I can do this project. 

We will try a pre-pattern made from muslin to make sure it will work and fit. If not, back to the drawing board for corrections.  Also the lacy material will go on the skirt as shown in the pattern and on the bodice with linning.  So far, we are within the budget of the dress, we figured $100 and have spent $56. The pattern was $27.50, but we waited for the sale price of $3.99, material we got of 50% off and thread was 30% off, now we are waiting for the zipper  and linning material to go on sale.

It just has to turn out beautiful for our beautiful bride-to-be!