Vinegar Dumplings

This recipe my Grandmother Alice made often. I suppose that when they were in the thick of the depression and few ingredients to fix. They fix this. It has become a tradition at our Thanksgiving table. Now that she is gone I want to carry on the tradition

1 cup of vinegar

4 cups of water

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Thicken with cornstarch mixed with water. Pour sauce into a 9x13 deep baking dish.

On the top place sweetened biscuits (recipe below)

4 cups of flour

6 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening (I like Crisco)

1/2 sugar

1 1/2 cup of milk or enough to make a soft dough

Now you can either drop the dough on top of the sauce or you can roll them out and cut with a biscuit cutter and place them on the sauce. Either way work fine. If my granny was out to cow camp dropping them onto the sauce was what she did, if she was at home she would roll them out and cut them with a biscuit cutter to make them look nicer.

You then bake them at 375 for about 45 min. or until the biscuits is golden brown.

Sounds strange, but try it, I like it, especially with a little ice cream or whipped cream

Red Chili Bowl

1 lb of stew meat
salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste
flour
1 to 2 tsp of red chili powder
pinch of orgeno (opt)
Potatoes
Corn
Cheese
Green onion

In a skillet brown meat, season with seasons, when all the red is gone take some flour and sprinkle in your meat to make a gravy at this time add chili powder and orgeno, add water enough so that it is thickened slightly. Let this simmer on low heat to let the meat get tender.

Mean while peel potatoes and fry in a frying pan until they are soft. As many as you would like. When they are done you layer in a bowl the following----

Cooked potatoes
sprinkle on some corn
chili meat mixture
sprinkle on some cheese
and then top with green onion.

This is a recipe that my Grandmother Alice fixed many times for us. To bad she did know that she had a money making recipe. She could have bet Kentucky Chicken to the punch. They have a chicken bowl on their menu. Granny would have been a rich women.

Light Bread

6 cups of warm water
3 tbs yeast
let this set until the yeast has become active then add:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup of oil
1 tbs salt

enough flour (about 12 to 14 cups, maybe a more or maybe less) to make a good dough that you can handle. Place dough in a oiled bowl covered with a dish towel. Let it rise until double. You should have enough dough to make about 6 loaves of bread. Or 2 loaves of bread, a 9x13 pan of cinnamon rolls and a 9x13 pan of meat rolls.

Bake at a temperature of 350 for about 35 to 40 min. or until the loaves are a golden brown.

I use this same dough for:
Cinnamon Rolls
Sticky maple buns
Fry Bread
Rolls
Meat rolls
Monkey Bread
Hamburger buns

This recipe is from my Grandmother Alice Bowler Porter only she would put the flour in a big bowl and make a well. She then put her yeast in a cake bowl size of warm water, when she add her yeast and water into the well of flour she added her sugar, oil and salt. With a lot of patience she gradually stirred in a circle fashion with a large spoon until enough flour had been added to the water to make a dough that was workable. She then turned the dough out onto a floured surface and kneaded the dough over and over again.

I still can remember standing at her kitchen table and watching her work her dough. It was like performing magic to me. I think that was where I first learn the love of making bread. It fascinated me then and it still does. I love making bread, but now I use the same recipe that my Grandmother use only I use a BOSH. I think of her when I make bread. She would have loved to have such modern equipment to make her bread, but then I think that she was probably in better shape. She had to use her own type of machine. (MUSCLES)

Honey-Lemon Cough Syrup

Cut up 2 lemons and boil with 1/2 cup water. Add 1 cup honey and simmer until syrupy. Can be stored and used for couphs.

Play Dough

Play Dough

1 cup of flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 cup water
2 tbs oil

Combine all ingredients, cook about 3 min, or until it forms a dry ball. Add food coloring and knead like bread. Keep in air tight container. May be dried and formed into objecrs. letters, etc. (might leave out oil when making object to dry)

Egg Noodles

Egg Noodles

2 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 tbs water

Make a well with flour and salt. Beat eggs with water and add to flour stirring in a circular mostion until it forms a ball, should be so you can handle with hands. Toll out very thin on a floured board. Fold using plenty of flour in between layers. Cust in desired size. You can add the noodles in your favorite soup or dry and add later. (Keep cool if you have dried them, because of eggs they will spoil). It is best to put in frig.

Stretching your Butter Budget

How to Turn one stick of Butter into two

During the World War II food shortages, people were forced to make the most of what they had. This is one idea that was used in my family to stretch our food budget.

Just beat one half cup of lukewarm water into one softened stick (1/2 cup) of butter. If you use a mixer, start slowly to prevent splattering. Add small amounts of water at a time and keep beating until the water all of the water in added into the butter. The mixture will be smooth and fluffy, and you end up with one cup of soft butter. After the butter has been refrigerated it will become as firm as regular butter. Cover and store in frig. Lucille Cargin Parry (my husband mother)

Making Fresh Butter

How to make Fresh Butter

Step one:

Start by pouring one gallon of milk (fresh from the cow) into a clean container. Chill the milk quickly and keep it in the regrigerator over night. Then skim the cream off the top of the milk with a spoon. Next pour the cream into a butter churn or a jar, cap the container tightly.

Step Two:

It is important that you only fill your churn or jar 1/3 full. The empty 2/3 of the churn or jar allows the cream to expand as you churn or shake it......and also allows the thick fluid to splash against the walls of the container more violently when it is churned or shake. (This splashing is what turns the cream into butter. The length of time will depend on the temperature and how hard you churn or shake the cream. Usually about 15 to 30 min. Keep churning or shaking until the mass of cream will turn pale yellow, and becomes firm and separate from the milk.

Step Three:

Put the butter in a butter press or a cereal bowl. The size will depend of how much butter that you have. Press the butter into the butter press with a butter paddle or with very clean hands, work the butter around the sides of the bowl and tip it to one side to let the water run out.

After you've worked the water out of the butter, and the mass has become fairly firm, sprinkle some salt over it. (About 1/2 tsp of salt per pound of butter). Work the salt in, turn the butter over, and work it in some more. Taste the butter, and if necessary add more salt.

You now have creamy handmade butter spread, put in to a covered container, place the buttermilk in a capped jar or bottle, and store both containers in the refrigerator until needed. (The buttermilk is the liquid that is left over after you have gotten your solid mass of better. Alice May Hunt (my fathers mother)

White Taffy

White Taffy

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp cream tarter

Mix altogether, bring to a boil and boil until the mixture reaches a hard crack stage. Let cook on bettered cookies sheet. When cool enough pull. Alice May Hunt (my fathers mother)

Cream Cookies

Cream Cookies

4 cups cream
3 eggs
4 cups sugar
12 cups flour
4 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla or nutmeg

Mix altogether, Roll out and Bake in a moderate oven. Alice May Hunt Despain (my fathers mother)

Banana Cake

Banana Cake

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup flour
4 ripe bananas (mash until fluffly)
1 egg
3 tbs sour milk
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Walnuts if desired

Mix all together blending well. Bake 30 min. at 325 Alice Bowler Porter (grandmother)

Soda Cookies

5 cups of flour
1 cup lard
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp soda
pinch salt

Mix all the above together like pie crust. Make a little well in ingredients and pour in

1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbs vanilla or lemon

Stir mixing liquid ingredients with dry makes aoft dough. Roll out and Bake. This recip is good for children. Soft and not to sweet. Alice Bowler Porter (my mothers mothers)


Cake Doughnuts

1 cup sugar
2 tbs melted shortening
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Pinch salt
Nutmeg to tast
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp salt

Add enough Flour to make a soft dough. Roll out quite thin, Cut with doughnut cutter and drop into deep fat. Great Grandmother Mary Maud Porter (my mother's grandmother)

Sundown Cobbler

1 cup of flour 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of sugar 1 egg (if you have plenty)
1 cup milk 1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp baking powder 1 qt fruit

Put butter into pan and let melt in oven. Pour bater into pan after mixing in order above. Use fruit or berries, canned or fresh and sweetened. Pour this fruit over the batter. Bake in a moderate oven (about 375) until nicely browned and batter is done. About 30 to 45 min. In baking the batter will come to the top. Alice Despain (my grandmother)

Cowboy Cookies

1 cup butter 1 tsp ginger
1 cup sugar 1 tsp cinnomon
1 cup molasses 1/2 tsp salt

Mix above ingredients and add 4 1/2 cup flour. Sift flour before measuring. Dissolve 2 tsp soda in 1 cup boiling water and add to mixture. After you have mixed in flour. Beat up one egg and add last. Drop by tsp on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for about 10 t0 12 min. Alice Despain (Grandmother, my fathers mother)

Vinegar Pudding

3/4 cup vinegar
4 cup water
1 1/2 cup sugar or to taste
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp salt

Thicken with cornstarch and drop baking powder biscuits on top. Bake 375 for 45 min. Alice Despain (Grandmother, my fathers mother) This recipe my grandmother made many, many times. I am sure that she made this when times were hard. It became a Thanksgiving favorite.