Recipes

[DreamTime]

How about a forum on favorite family recipes? Actually, it doesn’t even have to be ‘family’ recipes...maybe just a recipe that you really, really, love. I think this could be pretty neat; getting recipes from around the world. But everyone will have to make sure to actually try them out and report back here. 

I will start it off by putting three recipes here.  The first two are ones my mom used to make when I was growing up, and the last one is one my sister used to make that I really loved. 

Football Rice  

1 cup rice
2 tablespoons shortening
½ pound ground beef
½ cup chopped onions
1 can (1 ½ cups) tomato soup
½ can water 
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon vinegar 
½ teaspoon salt
2 whole cloves garlic (if desired)

Cook rice as directed on package. Combine beef with onion and form into small footballs.  Lightly brown in shortening. Combine tomato soup, water, green pepper, vinegar, salt and cloves. Mix with rice. Lightly stir in footballs. Pour into 1 ½ quart casserole and bake in hot oven.     400 degrees F. for 20 minutes

Note: nowadays you don’t have to use the old-fashioned shortening if you don’t desire. You can use the spray-on shortening, or butter, or nothing at all.

This next recipe used to be everyone in our family’s favorite. We used to beg my mom to make it for us. Since she’s been gone, I have tried to make it quite a few times and it just never seems to turn out as good for me. There must be something I’m doing wrong or maybe my mom just had the ‘magic touch.’  I put it up here just as she wrote it on her piece of paper.

Dorothy’s Coffee Cake

Cream together:   1 stick butter (soft)
1 ½ cup sugar
2 eggs

Sift three times:  2 ¼ cup flour
 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
 Pinch of salt

 Add together alternately with the above:
 1 cup milk
 1 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare streusel topping:
1 cup sifted flour
6 Tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon
8 Tablespoons butter

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 to 45 minutes.

Note: just to clarify things…after you mix together the ingredients, you put it into a square or oblong cake pan. (My mom had an old pan that she used just for this coffee cake and I have not ever found one like it, but the size is about 13 ½ inches x 8 ¼ inches x 1 ¾ inches.) Then, after preparing the streusel topping, you sprinkle it on top of the cake mix. Also, my mom used to mix in chopped walnuts into the streusel topping, which is how I personally love it. 

 And the last recipe is from my deceased sister.

Romance Cookies

Cookie Layer:
1 cup butter
2 cups sifted flour
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Press into a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Top Layer:
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons flour
1 ½ cups brown sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Mix by hand all the ingredients. Put on top of baked cookie layer. Bake 20 minutes more. Cut into bars while warm.

ENJOY!

[Astrojewels]

great idea DT.

[Sily]

I love your idea, Dreamtime.  I feel like grabbing a chair -- sitting down and parking myself in this thread like..... forever.

If I can find the time this weekend I'm going to try one of your recipes, take pictures and report back.

If I can find one of my favorite recipes.... I'll post it.




I icon_heart this thread.

[DreamTime]

Glad you like the idea.

So...where are the other recipes, people??

[Sily]

Recipe for Maryland Steamed Crabs:


This is a Maryland/Eastern Shore tradition for the summer.  We are always crabbing for, cooking and eating these little critters.  The pictures I took yesterday, at the end of this post, are of our typical "eastern shore meal" in the summer.  :)

     

How to cook the crabs:

      1/2 cup seafood seasoning -- we use Old Bay seasoning
      1/2 cup salt
      3 cups white vinegar
      3 cups beer (or water)
      3 dozen live Maryland Blue hard crabs

1. Instructions
2. Mix seasonings, vinegar and beer (or water) well.
3. Put one-half crabs in a very large pot with rack and TIGHT fitting lid.
4. Pour one-half of seasoning mixture over top.
5. Add rest of crabs and remaining liquid.
6. Steam covered, until crabs turn bright red color, about 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Serve hot or cold. Serves 9-12, depending on the size of the crabs.

Recipe for Old Bay Seasoning here.

Cover table with newspaper.  You'll need mallets and knives.

• To pick crabs, place crab on its back. With thumb or knife point, pry off "apron" flap (the "pull tab"-looking shell in the center) and discard.
• Lift off top shell and discard.
• Break off toothed claws and set aside. With knife edge, scrape off 3 areas of lungs and debris over hard semi-transparent membrane covering edible crabmeat.
• Hold crab at each side; break apart at center. Discard legs. Remove membrane cover with knife, exposing large chunks of meat; remove with fingers or knife.
• Crack claws with mallet or knife handle to expose meat.

Pictures from yesterday's meal:

[DreamTime]

That looks so good, Sily. But over here, crabs are really expensive and I could only have them for a special occasion....besides, I don't think that Richard likes them.

[Sily]

...I don't think that Richard likes them.

My husband doesn't like them either.  He goes like this when served them - - > :puke:

In the picture above, in the middle of the table is a plate of what he likes... chicken.

---

I have just returned from shopping.  Oh, did I find something fantastic.  I'll try to get a picture taken today.  It combines two things that have been discussed here at length at the Cafe:

• bananas
• Elvis

icon_lachtot

[DreamTime]

Oh you mean Elvis' favorite food??

[Sily]

...Elvis' favorite food??

Bingo.  I won't have time to take my own pictures but here it is:  peanut butter, banana creme, chocolate Reese's cup Limited edition w/ Elvis on the front.  This August is the thirty year anniversary of his death.  I believe his favorite food was supposed to be fried banana and peanut butter sandwiches.

[DreamTime]

yep...how gross is that?