Sunset Salad, or Carrot Jello

Anyone watch the Oscars? I enjoyed lots of moments - glimpses of Hugh Jackman and Colin Firth are always welcome. I also enjoy seeing the dresses of course. But it seemed flat - the combo of Franco and Hathaway should have worked, and lots of elements of the show were streamlined. Hathaway sparkled pretty strongly at least. But somehow the show was a bit flat. But it has been in years past also - so what made it different?

Perhaps flavor combinations that should work sometimes don't. Take this salad, for example. Carrots, Orange Jello and more. I know lots of people love this one - but I just don't see it. Any readers like this one?

1 package (3 oz.) Jell-O Lemon or Orange-Pineapple Gelatin (O-P Jello has been discontinued)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 can (8 3/4 oz.) crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup coarsely grated carrots

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Dissolve Jell-O Gelatin and salt in boiling water. Add undrained pineapple and lemon juice.  Chill until very thick.  Then fold in carrots and pecans.  Pour into individual molds or a 1-quart mold.  Chill until firm.  Unmold.  Garnish with additional pineapple, if desired.  Makes about 3 cups, or 6 side salads.

Floating Island

I see versions of 'Floating Islands' in many of my vintage cookbooks. I don't understand the appeal. Perhaps the interest in everything Hawaiian in the 1950's? To me, it looks like blobs of whipped cream. Is each supposed to be a serving?

These are both from the same Jell-O Dessert Time cookbook I blogged from on Thursday. The top photo is Vanilla Valentine:  Fill large serving dish with chilled Jell-O Vanilla Pudding.  Garnish with hearts and cubes cut from 1/2 inch layer of Jell-O. Kind of weird, but cute.

The caption on the bottom photo reads:  Floating island, the modern, quick way.
(As opposed to?)
Floating Island
Prepare Jell-O Pudding, any flavor, increasing milk to 3 1/2 cups.  Chill in covered bowl.  Beat slowly with rotary egg beater until smooth and creamy.  Turn into shallow serving dish and top with 'islands' of whipped cream.  Makes 6 servings. 
With Chocolate Pudding use whipped cream tinted pink and flavored lightly with peppermint extract.  Top with chocolate sprinkles, if desired.

Interesting.

Retro Crafting Fridays: Corn Cob Handle Covers

I got these from my favorite antiques store and wasn't sure what they were. They were in a lot of mitts and trivets. Then I found the description and pattern for these on another blog.  Someone spent a lot of time on these, but they are kind of charming. Either that or my brain has finally traveled back fully in time.  I've seen this in a few places online and I think it is a skillet handle cover from the 1940's, but this blogger copied some she thought were from the 70's.

http://rightsidestogether.blogspot.com/2007/02/margies-knitted-corn-skillet-handle.html

Materials: One Skein Each of two contrasting colors Worsted Weight Yarn (the fiber is up to you, but you probably want it to be machine washable -- I used Lion Brand Woolease. I'm guessing you can make 6 or 8 of these from two balls of Woolease.), Size 7 or 8 knitting needles, scrap of green worsted weight yarn, Size H crochet hook, darning needle.

Row 1: Using Main Color (MC), cast on 8 stitches (I used long tail or double stranded cast on)

Row 2: Increase 1 for every stitch (I used KF&B -- knit in front and back), 16 stitches

Row 3: Repeat Row 2, 32 stitches

Row 4: Knit 4 with MC, knit 4 with Contrast Color (CC), continue alternating colors and stranding across the back side the entire row. Don't worry if your strands are tight, this helps the piece roll up. This will be your Right Side of the work.

Row 5: (Wrong side row) Knit 4 in MC, pulling the yarn up snugly. Bring yarn to the front of the work and pick up CC, being careful to bring both yarns between the needles rather than over them. Knit 4 in CC. Continue alternating colors every 4 stitches across the row. When you switch colors and tug on the yarn, it creates the corrugated effect on the corn rows.

Continue Rows 4 and 5 until you have 20 garter stitch ridges or to desired length.

Row 24: drop CC and break yarn. Knit 2 together across the row using MC. (16 stitches remain)

Row 25: Repeat Row 24, 8 stitches remain.

Break yarn, place tail on darning needle and pass through remaining 8 stitches. Draw up tightly to make the end resemble the corn cob. Tie off and darn in ends. Repeat with cast on tail on the other end.

Finish by crocheting a chain in green yarn. Pick up loops of the knitted fabric as you work in order to attach it as you go (no sewing on after). Make 4 or 5 *leaves* and put a hanging loop on the top. Go fry some eggs and keep your hand cool and comfy.

Jell-O Flower Pots

This is a 1953 pamphlet cookbook on Jell-O as it is listed here. I was intrigued by the Jell-O Flower Pots on the back cover. Here are the instructions:

For tulip time (as shown on cover)....Dissolve 1 package Strawberry or Lime Jell-O in 1 cup hot water.  Add 1 cup cold water and pour into custard cups.  Chill.

Make tulips from gumdrops, using a large round gumdrop cut in half for base and blossom, and a long green gumdrop for leaf and stems.  (Cut with scissors to shape petals and leaves as shown on cover.)  Put flowers together with toothpicks.  Place on firm Jell-O and garnish with whipped cream.

This seems like a lot of work. Why not just make a shape of a flower with several gumdrops and put it right on the whipped cream on the Jell-O? Imagine trying to serve these without knocking them over. Also - how on earth do you make a gumdrop into a flat tulip shape? There is a lot of suggestions for gumdrop art in the 1950's cookbooks. I have one recipe that calls for rolling it out with a rolling pin and tying it into a bow...

Handwritten Recipe Wednesday: Jello Salad

I've been researching Jello for a show in a few weeks on that subject. I found this handwritten recipe, with a comment:

Jello Salad good

cream cheese (I don't know why this is here - maybe part of title?)

1 pkg small lemon Jello

set solid

Beat following until:

1/2 pt. whip cream

1 3 oz. cream cheese

set aside.  moderately thick

cut up 1 small bottle mara. cherries

1 no. 2 can crushed pineapple

Drain well

1/2 C chopped nuts

add to cream mixture

after Jello is set mix cream with Jello. (over)

refrigerate & serve when solid

Interesting. Looks like it was wrtitten on scrap paper in a hurry. Someone clearly told it to someone else...

I had a great day at Lake Bluff Library yesterday doing  my Vintage Cookies and Candy show. Boy was I hungry on the way home, though!

Pecan Sour Cream Pie

This is the last of the Lincoln's Birthday vintage recipes for this year. This one just sounded fabulous!

Pecan Sour Cream Pie
1 recipe pie pastry (Ok, yes, that's vague, but you could get a crust already made.)
1 c. chopped pecans
2 tsp. flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 c. sour cream
2 eggs, well beaten
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
Whipped cream
Line a pie plate with pastry and sprinkle with pecans. Mix the flour, cinnamon, cloves and small amount of sour cream, then add remaining sour cream gradually.  Stir in the eggs, sugar and lemon rind and pour into pie shell.  Bake in 450 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake for about 40 minutes longer or until firm.  Serve with whipped cream.

Frosting for Prune Cake and Some Tasty Pies

I realized I forgot the frosting for Thursday's Kentucky Prune Cake. Hard to believe there is a frosting for this one, and it has even more prunes! This is also under Abraham Lincoln's Birthday recipes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 3 oz. package cream cheese
6 cooked prunes, chopped
1 box powdered sugar
Prune juice or cream (Again - is this really interchangeable?)

Mix the cream cheese and prunes in a bowl.  Add the sugar and enough prune juice for spreading consistency and beat until smooth.  Spread on cake.

Yikes.
This sounds better:

Peanut Crunch Pie
1/3 c. crunchy peanut butter
3/4 c. confectioners' sugar
1 baked 9-in. pastry shell
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. instant coffee
1 tall can evaporated milk (love the measurements here)
2 tbsp. butter
3 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Blend the peanut butter with confectioners' sugar until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Spread 2/3 of the mixture in bottom of the pastry shell.  Combine the flour, sugar, salt and coffee in a medium saucepan and stir in the milk.  Add the butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly; until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Stir 1/3 of the milk mixture into egg yolks gradually, then stir back into milk mixture in saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and remove from heat.  Stir in the vanilla.  Pour over peanut butter mixture in pastry shell and sprinkle with remaining peanut butter mixture.  Cool, then chill.

Retro Craft Friday: Funny Face Potholders

This is a 1955 craft pamphlet from Coats and Clark.  Here's the introduction:

Practically everyone we've ever known enjoys a good joke, a funny story or a clever cartoon, so it occurred to us to put a smile in the kitchen.  Even though pot holders are a necessity, they don't have to look dreary - and these are every bit as practical as any you've ever used! Here they are, then - light-hearted, happy-go-lucky, cook's best friends - pot holders to add a merry, decorative note to your kitchen...and to start a fad with all your friends!

Here's the basic information for the circles. The decorative parts are copyrighted but I found this on ebay if you want your own...

Starting at center of Head with Mid Rose Mercerized cotton (Craft stores have crochet thread now.) ch 2. 1st rnd:  6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.  2nd rnd:  2 sc in each sc around.  3rd rnd:  *2 sc in next sc ( 1 sc increased) sc in next sc.  Repeat from * around.  4th rnd:  Sc in each sc, increasing 6 sc evenly around.  Repeat 4th rnd until piece measures 6 inches in diameter.  Sl st in next sc.  Break off.

Abraham Lincoln Birthday Recipes: Kentucky Prune Cake

I have lots of chapters about Lincoln's birthday in my vintage holiday cookbooks. This is from Southern Living's Holiday Cookbook, from the late 60's. Of course they refer only to his Kentucky birth, and not his ILLINOIS life. I didn't want to investigate the recipe in this photo, so instead I'm putting up Kentucky Prune Cake. No doubt Molly MacRae will love this one...

Kentucky Prune Cake

1 c. oil or margarine (oh boy - those are not usually interchangeable in a recipe)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. sugar

1 c. buttermilk or prune juice (again - really? Are those interchangeable?)

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. allspice

3 c. flour

3 eggs

1 c. cooked pitted prunes

1 c. chopped nuts

Mix the oil, vanilla, sugar,buttermilk and soda in a bowl.  Mix the salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and flour.  Add to oil mixture and beat well.  Add the eggs and mix.  Chop the prunes and add to flour mixture.  Add the nuts and mix well.  Pour into a greased tube pan.  Bake at 350F for 50 minutes to 1 hour.  Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan.  Cool.

Wash it down with Blackberry Nectar:

12 lb. blackberries, crushed

1 qt. boiling water

5 oz. tartaric acid (not sure what this is or why you'd want to use it...)

Sugar (no amount) (My kind of recipe)

Combine the blackberries, boiling water and tartaric acid in a large glass or earthenware container and let stand for 24 hours.  Strain.  Add 2 cups sugar for each cup of juice and mix well.  Store in sterilized bottles or jars.  Mix with desired amount of cold water and pour over ice.

Handwritten Recipe Wednesday: Fabulous Fudge

Do you have a stack of handwritten recipes and clippings somewhere? Dig it out, and start scanning them in! Type each one in as well in case you can't read them. Here's one from one of my recipe box collections. I know it's a little crooked - I had some trouble with the scanner this morning. Here is the recipe exactly as written:

Fabulous Fudge

1 - 14 1/2 oz. condensed milk

4 1/2 C. sugar

Place in lg. pan, stir, bring to boil _ 15 min. Stir occasionally, place in lg. bowl the following

1 6 oz. pkg. milk choco pieces.

1 12 oz. choco chips

3 sticks margarine

1 9 oz. jar marshmallow creme.

Pour boiled mixture over choco mixture stir till blended.  Add 2 tsp. vanilla, 2 C nuts.  Pour in greased pans.

5#

I'm not sure what the 5# is - 5 servings? Still this does sound fabulous. It's in different writing than on the cards in the rest of the box, so perhaps someone gifted the owner of the box with this recipe.

How many of you have stacks of handwritten recipes somewhere in your basement? Let's get them out before rainy season!

Happy Valentine's Day: Oatmeal Lace Cookies

This is my favorite Valentine's Day gift from my husband from a few years' back. He tracked this volume of the Southern Heritage Southern Living series down. That wasn't easy - this seems to be the most popular volume of a popular series. In it are many cookie recipes I've done easily and successfully.

This is from the "Good - And Good For You" chapter. I don't know about that, but I love Oatmeal Cookies.

Oatmeal Lace Cookies (because they end up looking kind of lacy).

Oatmeal Lace Cookies

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine, melted

1 1/2 cups regular oats, uncooked

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Gradually add sugar to egg in a medium mixing bowl, beating well.  Add melted butter, mixing well.  Combine oats, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg:  add to egg mixture, beating well.  Stir in vanilla.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto lightly greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350F for 6 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from cookie sheets, and cool on wire racks.  Yield:  about 4 dozen.

Pink Meringue Hearts

This is from Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Book, c1959. They have lovely Valentine's Day menus for adult parties. When was the last time you've been invited to one? These look lovely even if there is no party...

Pink Meringue Hearts
Beat 3 egg whites with 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar, and dash salt till frothy.  Add 1 cup sugar, a small amount at a time, beating till stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves.  Tint delicate pink.

Cut heart patterns from a 4 1/2 inch square of paper.  Cover baking sheet with plain paper; draw 6 hearts from pattern. Spread meringue over each heart shape, making 1/4 inch layer.  With pastry tube, pipe on rim about 3/4 inch high.  Bake at 275F for 1 hour.  For crisper meringues, turn off heat; let dry in oven (door close) 1 hour.

To serve:  Fill meringues with scoops of vanilla ice cream (takes 1 quart).  Top with 1 pint fresh strawberries, sugared and sliced (or use one 10-oz package frozen strawberries, barely thawed).

Valentine's Day Recipe: Banana Sea Foam

This is also from the Foodarama Party Book, c1959. It's part of the Valentine Dinner. Here's the entire Menu:

Shrimp Cocktail

Roast Pork with Spiced Crabapples

Sherry Glazed Yams

Vegetable Medley Salad

Hot Rolls

Banana Sea Foam

Coffee

This looks a little weird, but here's the recipe for Banana Sea Foam:

1 pkg. (3 oz.) lime-flavored gelatin

1 cup boiling water

1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding

1 cup milk

3 fully ripe bananas

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Frozen strawberries, thawed

Dissolve the gelatin in the 1 cup water.  Chill gelatin, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.  Prepare pudding with the 1 cup milk.  Combine gelatin and pudding.  Mash bananas with a fork or rotary beater; blend in lemon juice.  Combine bananas and whipped cream; fold into pudding mixture.  Turn into a 1 1/2 quart mold.  Chill in the Fresh Food Compartment of your Foodarama until firm.  Unmold on serving plate.  Serve garnished with strawberries.  Makes 8 servings.

Of course they would have a plug for the Foodarama... That combo of flavors is a little odd. I can see lemon and strawberries, but also lime?

What are you making for Valentine's Day?

Retro Crafting: Quilled Hearts

These are photos from folks at my Retro Crafting shows. Their output is always better than my sample. Quilling is the art of winding thin strips of paper around a goose quill, and it's been around for centuries. For my shows, I do a modified version where we wrap strips around pencils. I got the strips from Jo-Anns online but you could use any paper cut into 1/4" or 5/8" inch strips.

To make a heart, wrap the end of a strip around a pencil. Then wrap the other end, and pinch the v in the middle. To glue, I use a glue stick and put down a heart shape then press the quilled strip to it. There are precision gluing tools but this is a fast and easy way to learn.  The last picture here is the quilled heart I've described but you can see that my students did awesome variations. The middle picture shows someone trying new shapes from my handout. Try a search online of "quilled heart shapes" for more ideas.

Mile High Raspberry Pie

This is from the 1959 Foodarama Party Book. They have two complete Valentine's Day menus. This is from Valentine's Party, and consists of: Claret Punch, Mile High Raspberry Pie, Nuts, Mints and Coffee. I can't remember ever attending a Valentine's Day party for adults. I'd love to do so, however! Especially if this was served:

Mile High Raspberry Pie

2 pkg. frozen raspberries

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

4 egg whites, stiffly beaten

2 cups heavy cream, whipped

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

Shredded Coconut

Thaw raspberries; drain juice into a measuring cup; add cold water if necessary, to make 1 cup raspberry juice.  Soften gelatin in the raspberry juice.  Combine sugar and water; stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Cook rapidly to 235F on candy thermometer, or until syrup spins a thread.  Add softened gelatin to syrup; stir to dissolve.  Slowly pour syrup mixture over egg whites, while beating rapidly.  Continue beating until mixture forms peaks when beater is raised.  Fold in cream.  Fold in drained raspberries.  Spoon into pie shell.  Garnish with shredded coconut.  Chill several hours, or until set.

This is a little tricky, but still sounds delicious.

Tonight after work I will head far north to the Zion Benton Public Library for my Crazy About Cakes show. That show is always fun to do, and I'm looking forward to the full crowd signed up for it tonight. Where's my red tomato colored vintage dress...

Handwritten Recipe: Rhubarb Cookie Squares

Since today is Wednesday I'm putting up a handwritten recipe. My new Wednesday blog feature is about Preserving Family Recipes. But this is not from my family, unless you count my 18+ collections of handwritten recipes I've purchased 'family.' I do sort of consider my collection a part of me, but that's an issue for another day. Or a mental health professional...

This one does have misspellings and commentary, making it charming - 10 me at least. Here's the typed out writing from the card:

Ruhbarb Cookie Squares (just as written) 11x7x2 at 350 degrees

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1/3 cup butter or marg.

FILLING:  1 cup sugar

1/4 cup + all purpose flour

2 eggs lite beaten, 1 teasp vanilla

3 cups finely diced fresh or froz. ruhbarb. 

-In bowl, combine flour, powdered sugar & butter to course crumbs.

Press into bottom of greased pan.  Bake 350 degrees 12 min.

For filling combine first 4 ingredients.  Stir in Ruhbarb and pour over warm crust.  Bake 35 - 40 min. until wooden toothpick into center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack.  Can serve warm or store in refrig. 

Travels good:  pot lucks - church etc.

I had a blast at the Palatine PLD last night for Nostalgia Foods, where I served Snoballs (pink), Moon Pies, GooGoos, Mallo Cups. It was a really fun crowd that came out in bitter cold weather. Tomorrow night I have a Cakes show at Zion Benton PL. 

Molly MacRae Monday: One More Flaming Thing

Can you stand one more flaming recipe? We just came through a whole month of fire and spice, great recipes for warming up those frigid, snowbound days of January. But I’ve stumbled across another fiery recipe – something I’ve never seen before – a flaming green salad. This is from A Taste of Class, a cook booklet given away by Landmark Real Estate in 1981. I wish there were a picture of the salad to share. I wish I had the half cups of bacon grease and brandy sitting around in my kitchen that the recipe calls for so I could make the salad and take a picture for you myself. Half a cup of bacon grease in a green salad? And you set it on fire? Wow. If anyone out there tries this, please let me know how it works out for you. And maybe let your cardiologist know, too.


Spinach Salad Flambé

1 lb. fresh spinach

3-4 hard boiled eggs

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ tsp black pepper, coarsely ground

6 strips bacon, fried crisp and broken up

½ cup strained bacon drippings (calling it strained drippings doesn’t change the fact we’re talking about half a cup of grease, here)

¼ cup tarragon vinegar

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. sugar

¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ cup brandy or cognac

Into a large bowl, tear spinach. Add sliced eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add bacon just before serving. Heat drippings, vinegar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce in a small saucepan. Warm brandy in a ladle, ignite, and pour into dressing gently. When flaming is done, add to salad and toss well. Dressing should be warm enough to wilt spinach slightly.

I’m quite overwhelmed by Amy’s generosity in dedicating the month of January to flaming and spicy foods to help launch Lawn Order. Thank you, Amy, and thank you to the wonderful authors and friends who contributed their time and favorite recipes. I had a flaming good time and hope you all did, too.
-Molly MacRae

Tidewater Tea

I'm putting up a quick post before I head to the conference again. It's been fun, filled with mystery author friends like Molly MacRae, Sarah Wisseman, Kathleen Ernst and Keir Graff.  This morning I'm going to talk on a panel with some lovely librarians about how authors and work with libraries. I'm actually putting on a vintage dress to help discuss programming. I enjoy going to conferences like this but find it exhausting!

Perhaps I need some Tidewater Tea. This is also from the George Washington's Birthday recipes that I wrote about last week.

1 qt. strong tea (any flavor?)
1 c. Bing cherry juice
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 orange
4 whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Simmer for 10 minutes and remove from heat.  Strain and serve. 4 servings.

Yes, I always love to eat "strain and serve" recipes.
Perhaps you can serve this up for your Super Bowl parties.

Vintage Table Settings

This photo is from the Better Homes and Gardens pamphlet guide from 1955. I chose it for my first Vintage Crafts Friday because it is accompanied by some pretty funny tips.

This is a patio. of some kind. I do like the little oven. Also the cranberry sticks on the table. But here's some advice:

The possibilities are endless, if you cultivate your imagination, and keep your eyes open to interesting contrasts of color and form present in everyday things you may take for granted.

Practice on your family, if you are unsure of yourself.  Then when they admire something you have arranged, make notes for a table setting file.

Sooner than you might believe, you'll have accumulated a backlog of ideas for interestingly arranged tables.  And more important, you will have trained yourself to see what gives settings originality and appeal.

OK. Then you'll want to see your doctor for some anti-depressants. If I start making matching chair coverings to go with tablecloths that my boys would spill something on within minutes, I'll have Kyle take me to a mental health professional. It's perfectly normal that I dress in 1960's polyester and go out to talk about cookbooks and crafts, right?

This is kind of cute, though. I'd attend a luncheon there. I just wouldn't want to host it.

I'll be spending the weekend at the Love is Murder conference. Molly MacRae will also be there. We will endeavor not to discuss prunes...

Cherry-Apple Dumplings and Clam-Cottage Cheese Mold

I have so many chapters of George Washington's Birthday recipes in my vintage cookbooks. So then I have lots of great cherry recipes to go with the old false legend of the cherry tree chopping, but of course also a few weird ones. Look at these lovely Cherry Apple Dumplings, from The Southern Living Holiday Cookbook, late 1960's. Here's the recipe, too:

Cherry Apple Dumplings
2 2/3 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. vegetable shortening
1 8-oz. jar red maraschino cherries
1/3 c. finely chopped walnuts
1/3 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
6 med. tart apples
Cream or milk
1 1/8 c. sugar
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl and cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Sprinkle with 6 1/2 tablespoons water and toss with a fork until mixed.  Press into a ball.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 14x 21 inch rectangle and cut into six 7-inch squares (Boy, that's pretty specific!). Drain the cherries and reserve syrup.  Reserve half the cherries.  Chop remaining cherries coarsely and drain on paper towels.  Combine with walnuts, brown sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon.  Pare and core the apples.  Place an apple on each pastry square and fill cavity with cherry mixture.  Moisten edges of square with cream.  Bring opposite corners of pastry up over apple and press together. Repeat with remaining corners and brush dumplings with cream.  Blend 2 tablespoons sugar with remaining cinnamon and sprinkle over dumplings.  Place dumplings on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake in 400-degree oven for 30 - 35 minutes or until browned.  Spread remaining sugar evenly over bottom of a large saucepan.   Place over low heat and let stand undisturbed until sugar melts and forms a light golden brown liquid.  Mix 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup reserved cherry syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add to caramelized sugar very slowly, stirring constantly, and cook, stirring, until clear and thick.  Add reserved cherries and serve warm or cold with dumplings.

And then there's this one:
Clamm-Cottage Cheese Mold
1 8-oz. can minced clams (uhoh)
1 env. unflavored gelatin
1 1/4 c. skim milk
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
3 or 4 drops of hot sauce
Dash of grated nutmeg
2/3 c. cottage cheese
1 tbsp. chopped green pepper
1/2 tbsp. onion flakes

Drain the clams and reserve 1/2 cup liquid. Mix the gelatin with reserved clam liquid in a saucepan.  Place over low heat and stir for 3 minutes or until gelatin is dissolved.  Remove from heat and add the milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt, hot sauce and nutmeg.  Chill until mixture is consistency of unbeaten egg whites.  Add the clams, cottage cheese, green pepper and onion flakes and turn into a 2 1/2 cup mold or small loaf pan. Chill until firm. Umold to serve. 3 servings

Pass the Pepto.

Groundhog Day?

If any groundhog has gone outside here in Chicagoland, it has likely expired. The snow is up to my mailbox and reaching the top of the cars on the driveway - and it's still coming down hard. Forget shadows today - anyone would be lucky to see the actual ground.

But I did say on Wednesdays I'd give hints on what to do with that box of clippings and recipes you likely have. I do workshops on Preserving Family Recipes and someone always brings in a bundle. We all love to see those. I actually collect (Is anyone really surprised at this?) collections of recipes in boxes. I love to figure out things about the people. I recently went through my thousands of clippings too and discovered that I collect many apple dessert recipes. Why? Because I love them and have had success with them before. What does your collection say about you?

Here's a scan from one of my recipe collections. This one was just banded together. I believe I got it from ebay.  I've also typed in what it says:

Maybe you would like to surprise Lilli with vegetable soup for lunch that is quick and easy. I like it especially this time of year.
Here goes:
Saute 2/3 cup of carrots, 2/3 cup of celery and half a medium onion sliced-in small amount of olive oil. (5 minutes)  Add two cans of Swanson's Chicken Broth and 1/2 can tomato sauce (4 oz.) Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes covered.  That is it. You can add other vegetables, garlic or other seasonings.  Also noodles or rice.

I love this. Who is Lilli? Why should this person surprise her? I love the comments like 'That is it.'

What's lurking in your recipe files? If you have an old handwritten one from a family member or even typed like this - scan it in, stains and all, then type what is on it. You can print out both and put them on a recipe album page. I use 3-ring binders in my workshops. Get some inexpensive page protectors, slide you page in - good to go.

I hope you are all safe and warm today!

Do you have a Kindle? You can now subscribe to Vintage Cookbooks and Crafts.

New Features and Pineapple Beets

January was so much fun! Molly and I had a blast lining up guests, putting up their posts and celebrating her book Lawn Order with the month long celebration. I'm leaving the schedule up for a bit so you can enjoy going back to read the guest posts. For those of you who told me they enjoyed the 'normal' recipes in January - the party's over. It's back to my Vintage Cookbook culinary delights. I do have some news here though. By request from folks at my shows, I'm incorporating some new elements. You can still depend on 3-5 vintage recipes a week and some will be edible - maybe. On Wednesdays now though I'll do a post on Preserving Family Recipes. That means handwritten recipes or ideas on how to organize that box of recipes and clippings we all have. On Fridays, I'll post something about a vintage craft or household decor tip. We'll still have Molly MacRae at least once a month, plus other fun guests from time to time. If you have ideas for topics or posts you are welcome to write me at amyalessio@sbcglobal.net.  Oh - that profile picture is courtesy of Rosemary Harris - she gave me that lovely Befana Scaccia when I saw her at Midwinter. I think of it as my good luck Kitchen Witch.

Today's Vintage Cookbook is Buffet Party Recipes by Thora Hegstad Campbell, c1964. Buffets and Smorgasbords were an entire genre of eating and home entertaining in past decades. The author lived according to the full page bio in back in the Chicago suburbs, and this copy is autographed. It was in my library's booksale. The bio also lists her credentials and publications, along with "she also takes an active part in the civic and church affairs of her community, where she is much in demand for her culinary skills." Good to know. I doubt lots are asking for this recipe, though:

Pineapple Beets (Come on, you've had normal recipes for a month...)

"This is a colorful vegetable served in a chafing dish." (Notice no one says delicious.)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

1 stick (3 ins) cinnamon

1 can (13 1/2 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained

1 can or jar (1 lb) cut beets, drained (That's a lot of beets!)

In saucepan, mix cornstarch, brown sugar, ginger, cloves, salt, and lemon juice.  Add cinnamon and undrained pineapple.  Cook and stir until thickened.  Remove cinnamon.  Add drained beets; stir gently and heat.  Serve hot. Yields 6 servings.

Yummy!