Pioneer Potluck: About Grandma and Grandpa

Apple Brown Betty

I have no idea why this is called Brown Betty.
My Grandma made lots of this with her left over homemade bread and apples from the apple orchard that surrounded their house.

She warned me “Never waste a crust of bread! You may need it someday!”

6 slices of day old bread
5 tblsp butter softened
4 tblsp sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 pounds of apples, Granny Smith or any tart apple - about 6 apples
1 tblsp lemon juice
1/3 cup apple cider

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a shallow 2 quart baking dish.
Toast bread lightly in a toaster or oven.  Stir butter and add 2 tblsp of the granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread over both sides of thetoasted bread. Stack the toast and cut in 1/2 inch cubes.
Put the remaining 2 tblsp sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the brown sugar, nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir to mix and add apples, lemon juice and toss and mix well.
Spread 1/2 of the toasted cubes in bottom of buttered dish
Top with the apple mixture. Drizzle the apple cider over top.
Top with the remaining toasted cubes of bread. Dot with butter and more sugar and cinnamon. (optional)
Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes until apples are almost tender.
Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer until apples are tender and bread is browned.
Let set on rack to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Peanut Butter Scotch Cookies

A no bake cookie  My sister, Elaine, copied all of my Grandma’s recipes for me.
It must have taken her a long time, as I have an envelope full. Thank you, Elaine

2 pkgs of butterscotch chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 cups of cornflakes
1 cup of peanuts or walnuts

Melt chips with peanut butter on top of double boiler.
Mix in cornflakes
Set in refrigerator until just set. Drop by teaspoons on wax paper.   

Cream Puffs

Another Grandma recipe

This is really easy-read through and enjoy!

To 1 cup of boiling water add 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup flour.
Boil until thick and mixture leaves side of pan, stirring all the time.
Cool slightly, and add, one at a time, 4 eggs, beating well with a spoon after each egg is added.
Drop by teaspoon full on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes longer. Take out of oven and cool completely. Split with fork and pull out the innards.  Fill with whipped cream, custard, strawberry pie filling or chocolate pudding. (Bob’s favorite.)

Coffee Cookies

And another Grandma recipe

1 cup brown sugar
1 cups white sugar
1 cup shortening - (I use butter)
1 cup cold coffee
2 cups stewed raisins. (To stew:  Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over raisins.) Cover for 20 minutes.
4 cups flour
2 eggs
1 cup nuts
A sprinkle of salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder
Cream sugar and shortening(butter)
Add eggs and beat. Add flour, baking soda and powder,salt. Mix and add nuts and raisins,coffee and mix well. Drop by teaspoon full on greased cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until brown and done in middle. Sprinkle with sugar or drizzle with white frosting.
These store and freeze nicely.

Salmonroni

My Grandma and my Mom loved salmon. Grandma had to save her pennies to buy a can of salmon. This is like a salmon loaf  with cheese sauce. She served this with peas.

4 eggs lightly beaten
1 tblsp grated onion
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups salmon - or one pint canned salmon-do not drain
1 cup soft bread crumbs
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni

Combine all the ingredients and put in casserole or loaf pan.  Bake 350 degrees for 50 minutes

Make cheese sauce
1 tblps butter
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tblsp flour
Melt butter, stir in flour.  Gradually stir in
1 2/3 cups milk
Stir until thick stirring constantly
Stir in
2 1/2 cups sharp cheese
Pour over sliced salmonroni like a gravy.

Macaroni Hamburger

My Grandma’s “Hamburger Helper”

2 tblsp vegetable oil (she used lard)
1 pound hamburger
2 onions sliced thin
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tsp salt ( I used garlic salt)
1/4 tsp pepper
Brown the hamburger and onions in oil. Add rest of ingredients. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes.
You may have to add more juice or water.

Grandma's Corn Fritters

2 cups whole kernal corn
3 eggs beaten slightly
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour

Mix all together.  Batter will be thick.  Add more flour for thick batter.
Drop by teaspoon full in hot fat and cook two or three minutes.  Drain.
Mom like her corn fritters with butter and maple syrup or honey.