Chicken Casserole

Everyone is familiar with this dish as it shows up in many versions at most potlucks and picnics. Grandma made this dish around 1975 and she loved it. She would often make this when she knew I was coming to visit as she knew I loved it, too. Grandpa would not eat chicken, but grandma would. This was a small enough dish that between grandma and I we could eat quite a bit and maybe leave her some for lunch the next day. It is easy, delicious, and a wonderful dish to have on cold days. If you can make your own stuffing it would be even better as you could control the ingredients that go into this dish. I sometimes make a white sauce with a natural chicken base or chicken stock in place of milk for the condensed soup.

Chicken Casserole

3-4 pieces chicken (Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best)

1 box Stovetop Stuffing

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup

1/2 can milk

Cook chicken by poaching or baking until done. Cut or tear into bite-sized pieces. Layer chicken in bottom of a 9"x9" baking pan. Prepare Stovetop while chicken is cooking. Combine soup and milk and pour evenly over chicken. Spoon stuffing over top of soup. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes till hot and bubbly.

Carrot Walnut Bread

This is another recipe that Grandma had clipped out of The Columbus Dispatch Magazine and paper-clipped to Helen's cook book. This one was dated June 27, 1976.

Carrot Walnut Bread

2 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 lb. carrots (about 5 medium)
3 cups water
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup golden raisins

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves; set aside.
Pare carrots; cut slice off tops. Cut into small pieces and place in saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until carrots are very tender and water is absorbed. Mash carrots; set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar. Add carrots and beat thoroughly. Add eggs and  milk; beat. Stir in sifted dry ingredients, nuts, and raisins.
Line bottoms of two greased 8 1/2"x4 1/2"x2 1/2" pans with waxed paper. Turn batter into pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or till cake tests done. Turn out of pans, remove waxed paper, and turn right side up on racks to cool. When cool, wrap and store overnight before cutting.

Apple Walnut Turnovers

Grandma had cut this recipe out of the Columbus Dispatch Magazine Section and placed it with a paper clip in Aunt Helen's cook book as it was dated July 11, 1976.


Apple Walnut Turnovers

2 cups flour
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup shortening*
5 Tbls. milk
3 medium baking apples
3 Tbls. chopped walnuts
3-4 Tbls. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbls. butter, divided

Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in shortening*. Stir in milk to moisten dough. Roll out as for pie dough. Cut into six 5 inch squares. Pare, core, and dice apples. Place in bowl with walnuts, brown sugar, and spices. Toss to coat. For each turnover place about 3 Tbls. of apple mixture in center of each square. Dot with 1 tsp. butter. Moisten edges of pastry. Fold pastry corners over to form triangle and press edges together with a fork. Space turnovers 1/2 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Place in preheated 450 degree oven. Immediately reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake 20-25 minutes, till golden brown. You can drizzle with confectioner's sugar icing.
*You can replace the shortening with lard or palm shortening for a healthier version. I prefer the palm shortening, which can be purchased by Tropical Traditons on their website.

Cereal Grains

Corn Meal and Oatmeal

In The Searchlight cook book one can find recipes for cereal grains. Many people today have forgotten how to make some of these foods. I am going to focus on corn and oatmeal since these are widely consumed foods in our culture. Try to buy only organic corn as 90% of all corn and corn products in the USA are GMO. Steel cut or old fashioned oatmeal is the best for you.

Corn Meal Mush

1/2 cup corn meal
 2 3/4 cups boiling water
3/4 sp. salt

Sprinkle cornmeal, stirring rapidly, into rapidly boiling water. Add salt. Cook thrity minutes over direct heat, or over hot water in double boiler one hour.

Fried Mush

Prepare corn meal mush. Pour while hot into pan or mold which has been rinsed with cold water. Smooth the surface of mush. Cool until firm. Cut into 3/4" slices. Brown in hot fat. This is the same mush sold in stores except this is fresher and better for you as there are no preservatives. Serve with warmed syrup or however you enjoy your fried mush. Also serve with bacon or sausage on the side.

Oatmeal Gruel

1/4 cup rolled or flaked oats
4 cups boiling water

Slowly sprinkle cereal into rapidly boiling water. Boil rapidly, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Strain. This is good for those who are ill and need something nourishing, but who cannot tolerate solid foods.

Oatmeal Patties

Leftover oatmeal may be packed into a one pound can and stored in the refrigerator until needed. Remove oatmeal from mold, cut into 1/2" slices, and fry in hot cooking fat until well-browned on both sides. Serve with hot sausage and syrup.

Helen's Poison For House Ants

No one likes ants, but this is one way to easily get rid of them. Years ago there were not the plethora of bug sprays, traps, and killers like we have today. Helen obviously used this recipe often.

Helen's Poison For House Ants

Dissolve one pound of sugar in a quart of hot water. Add 125 grains of sodium aninate*. The mixture should be boiled and strained, cooled, then used with a sponge.
*I cannot find "sodium aninate" anywhere, but this recipe is identical to those where boric acid is used. If you can still find boric acid (look on the web if you can't find it locally) then you can make your own bug eradicator. Boric acid will kill more than ants and is a safe product to keep around the house, though all products should be kept up safe away from small children.

Helen's Untitled II

This recipe seems to be a home remedy for a blood purifier, kidney cleanser, or a cold remedy. It is for certain a recipe that Helen used often as it was written prominently in her book. Lemons are very good for the kidneys and they are good for digestion. And since this has Epsom salts it could be used for the bowels. Use at your own discretion.

Helen's Untitled II

1 pint hot water*
1 Tbls. cream of tartar
1 Tbls. sugar
3 Tbls. Epsom Salts
Juice of 4 large lemons

Take wine glass 3 times a day.
*1 pint equals 2 cups.

Helen's Untitled I

This is a relish recipe that would be nice to try this year when all of you have too many tomatoes and don't know what to do with them all, or towards the end of the year when you have too many unripe tomatoes and a frost is coming. I am sure Helen made many jars of this each year.

Helen's Untitled I

1 quart red tomatoes
3 quart green tomatoes
1 cucumber
3 red peppers
3 green peppers
1 spoon mustard
2 cups sugar
1 quart vinegar

Salt, let stand overnight. Boil 20 minutes.
*This is all the information Helen wrote out. I will leave it up to you to find a similar recipe and try your hand at this. If I make this later on in the year when we have tomatoes, I will write out the directions I use.