Category Archives: Original Cookbook

Homemade Pumpkin Pie

1 ½ c mashed pumpkin*
¾ c sugar, half white, half brown
½ t salt
½ t 1 t ginger
1 to 1 ¼ t cinnamon
¼ to ½ t nutmeg
¼ to ½ t cloves
6 oz evaporated milk
3 eggs

Mix well. Fill 9” unbaked pie shell and bake at 400 for 50 minutes.

*To prepare pumpkin, break it into small pieces (about 1-2” chunks). Boil 7-10 minutes in water. Let drain in colander. Scoop pumpkin pulp away from skin and put in blender. Blend until smooth. Use 1 ½ c pumpkin for each pie. I can usually get 2 pies from a small pumpkin.

Cherry Coffeecake

From Good Housekeeping. Jim and the kids love it.

All purpose flour
Sugar
1 t baking powder
¼ t baking soda
¼ t salt
10 T butter or margarine, melted
½ c milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
¼ t lemon juice or extract
21 or 22 oz can cherry pie filling

Grease and flour a 9×9 baking pan. In large bowl with fork, mix 1 ¼ c flour, ½ c sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add ½ c melted butter or margarine, milk, egg, and vanilla. With spoon, beat just until well mixed. Pour batter into baking pan, spread evenly. In small bowl, with fork, combine 1/2 c flour, ¼ c sugar, and remaining 2 T margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle half on top of batter. Stir lemon into pie filling. Spread over crumbs on batter, then sprinkle with the rest of the crumbs. Bake at 350 for one hour or until the top is light golden.

Zucchini Nut Bread

Mix 3 eggs, 1 c salad oil, 2 c sugar, and 3 t vanilla. Sift together and add to above:
3 c flour
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t salt
½ t baking powder
½ c chopped nuts
2 c finely grated zucchini (peel and chunk, then grate in blender)

Grease and flour two 8×5” loaf pans. Pour in batter and bake 1 hour at 350. Remove immediately.

Almond Coffee Cakes

Lots of work, but great taste!

1 ½ c butter, softened
¼ c flour
¾ c milk
1/3 c sugar
1 T salt
½ c very warm water
2 pkg active dry yeast
1 egg
3 ¾ c flour
Filling:
8 oz almond paste
¾ c crushed zwieback crumbs
½ c melted butter
1 egg
½ t almond extract
Frosting:
2 c confectioner’s sugar
3-4 T milk

With a wooden spoon, beat 1 ½ butter and ¼ c flour until smooth. Spread on wet wax paper to a 12×8” rectangle. Refrigerate wax paper on cookie sheet until firm. Heat milk slightly. Add sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Put warm water in large bowl. Stir and dissolve yeast.Stir in milk mixture, egg, and 3 c flour. Beat until smooth. Add rest of flour, kneading dough until dough leaves sides of bowl. Refrigerate, covered, ½ hour or longer.

Turn dough out onto floured board; roll to 12×16” rectangle. Place chilled butter mixture on one half and peel off waxed paper. Fold dough over butter and pinch edges to seal. With the fold at your right, roll out from center into 16×18” rectangle. From short side, fold into thirds, making three layers. Seal edges. Chill one hour. Repeat rolling to 16×18” and folding. If butter breaks through, cover with flour. Seal edges; chill ½ hour.

Roll and fold again, seal. Chill, wrapped in foil, three hours or overnight. Cut dough in half. Roll one half into a 22×8” strip; keep the other half chilled. Cut strip into thirds lengthwise. Mix filling. Take half of filling and fill center of each strip, dividing filling equally among strips. Close long edges together over filling and seal as much as possible. Braid strips. Form into a ring. Let rise in warm place for one hour. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Mix frosting ingredients and ice. Makes 2.

Stuffed Manicotti

Great to do ahead for guests. Serves 6-8.

1 pound ground beef
½ c chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 6-oz cans tomato paste
2 c water
2 T chopped parsley
1 T dried basil, crushed
1 ½ t salt
Dash pepper
1 ½ pound fresh ricotta or cream-style cottage cheese, drained
2/3 c grated romano or parmesan cheese
2 slightly beaten eggs
¼ c snipped parsley
½ t salt
Dash pepper
8 manicotti shells
½ c grated romano or parmesan cheese

Brown meat lightly. Drain off fat. Add next 8 ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for thirty minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, combine ricotta, parmesan, and next four ingredients. Cook manicotti shells in salted water until tender. Drain. Rinse in cold water. Stuff with cheese mixture. Use a small spoon or cut shells open to fill. Pour half of the tomat-meat sauce into a 12×7.5×2” baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti shells on top. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

7-Up Salad

From Mom Kimmet

2 small pkg lemon jello
2 c boiling water
2 c cold 7-Up
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained; reserve syrup
2 or 3 sliced bananas
Miniature marshmallows
2 T flour
½ c sugar
1 egg
1 pkg Dream Whip

Dissolve jello in boiling water. Add 7-Up. Add drained pineapple and bananas. Pour into oblong (13×9”) pan. Sprinkle with enough miniature marshmallows to cover top. Chill. Add enough water to reserved pineapple syrup to make one cup. Mix flour, sugar, and egg in saucepan, and slowly add juice. Cook until thick and smooth over low heat. Chill. Whip Dream Whip according to package directions and fold into chilled mixture. Spread over top of jello after jello sets.

Chili con Queso

I got this from a friend who lived in Bolivia. A great party dip!

Brown 3 slices diced bacon and one small onion, chopped, until bacon is crispy and onion is slightly brown. Add 1 small can (10 oz) tomatoes, drained, 2 jalapenos finely chopped, 1 clove of garlic finely chopped, and ½ t salt. Cook over low heat for ten minutes. Melt in 1 pound of Velveeta cheese very slowly, stirring occasionally. Serve over a candle with Dorito chips.

Puerto Rico Picadillo 1977-1979

One of Tom’s favorites.

Brown ground beef, green pepper, onion, and garlic in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, a can of tomatoes, 1 T vinegar, a chopped chili pepper, ¼ t cumin, pinch of ground cloves, and ½ c raisins (that have been soaked in ¼ c hot beef bouillon for 10 minutes). Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve on rice, topped by fried egg if desired.

Pittsburgh Blue Cheese Balls 1975-1976

In the fall of 1975, we moved to Pittsburgh. Although we never felt as though we really liked it there, we were surprised to realize how many people we were really sorry to say goodbye to when the time came.

¼ lb margarine
4 oz blue cheese
1 can buttermilk baking powder biscuits

In saucepan, melt margarine and cheese. In 8×8” pan, place balls of biscuit dough (divide each biscuit layer into quarters and roll each piece into a ball). Pour cheese and margarine over and bake until golden brown. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. Makes 40. Can be frozen.

Chicken Divan 1974

Kate, Jim, and Michele spent Christmas of 1974 with us in State College. The Kimmets gave our kids a big can of “Lincoln Logs” like Grandma Smith used to have. We had Chicken Divan for Christmas Eve dinner.

In bottom of casserole, place 2 10-oz packages of frozen broccoli, cooked. On top of this place 2 c chicken, sliced and cooked. Blend 6 T flour into 6 T melted butter. Add 3 c chicken stock, gradually stirring until thick. Add to sauce: ½ c heavy cream, ½ t Worcestershire sauce, 1 C shredded parmesan, 4 t prepared mustard, 2 T minced onion, 2 T dry sherry, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Pour over meat and broccoli. Refrigerate or freeze. When ready to serve, bring to room temperature and bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.

Kate, Jim, and Michelle spent Christmas of 1974 with us in State College. The Kimmets gave our kids a big can of “Lincoln Logs” like Grandma Smith used to have. We had Chicken Divan for Christmas Eve dinner.

In bottom of casserole, place 2 10-oz packages of frozen broccoli, cooked. On top of this place 2 c chicken, sliced and cooked. Blend 6 T flour into 6 T melted butter. Add 3 c chicken stock, gradually stirring until thick. Add to sauce: ½ c heavy cream, ½ t Worcestershire sauce, 1 C shredded parmesan, 4 t prepared mustard, 2 T minced onion, 2 T dry sherry, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Pour over meat and broccoli. Refrigerate or freeze. When ready to serve, bring to room temperature and bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.