FALL.... brings back fond memories of my mother and baking. Each year as the season transitioned from summer to fall, so did the smells in my childhood home.
When the days began to grow cooler and the nights colder, my mother started stockpiling baking ingredients. Several times a week the scents of cinnamon, apples and chocolate greeted me when I came home from school. Mom would always invite me to help her make cookies or bake a cake, but I was only interested in licking the beaters and stealing a spoonful of batter before heading outside to play with my friends.
My mother taught herself how to cook and bake. While us kids watched TV at night, she’d browse magazines for recipes and add them to her collection. After my mother passed away, my sister sent me a few of her recipe books. I appreciated the gesture, until I took a closer look and saw that the recipes were all main courses and appetizers. She’d kept the pastry and dessert books for herself. Sneaky sister.
Pioneer Woman to the rescue! A while ago I bookmarked Ree Drummond’s cooking blog on my laptop. I told myself if a Pi Beta Phi sorority girl and graduate of the University of Southern California could teach herself how to cook for the Marlboro man, then I could teach myself to cook for the golfer man.
Ree’s rum cake recipe is one of my favorites. After two trial runs at making this cake, I was confident enough to purchase a fancy Bundt pan and Ree’s vintage-looking cake platter. Each year I stock up on bottles of rum and make several cakes to give away at Christmastime. You can find Ree’s rum cake recipe HERE.
I’ll never be as good in the kitchen as my mother, and I’ll never keep my recipes as organized as she did. But when I do come across a recipe in a magazine or on the Internet that I’d like to try, I print it off and toss it into my vintage recipe tin, which sits on my vintage stool in the corner of my not-so-vintage kitchen.
Giveaway Alert!
Answer the following question for a chance to win a signed paperback or digital copy (winner’s choice) of TWINS FOR THE TEXAS RANCHER.(I’ll announce the winners name in the comment section of this post on Sunday October 1st!)
Of all the treats your mother baked when you were growing up, which was your favorite?
One of the blessings of this festive time of year is sharing good food with family and friends. During the holidays, mothers and grandmothers everywhere retreat to the kitchen and don’t emerge until they’ve baked a pile of goodies imbued with generation upon generation of family tradition.
In that way, holiday life in contemporary America hasn’t changed much from holiday life in the 1800s…including life in the White House during the turbulent years of the American Civil War. Surrounded by carnage, then-President Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary Todd Lincoln, and their sons probably took comfort in family traditions.
Abraham Lincoln with Mary Todd Lincoln and sons Robert and Tad (Curier & Ives lithograph, 1866)
One of the traditions Mrs. Lincoln took to the White House with her was a cake she called simply “white cake.” According to Lincoln’s Table by Donna D. McCreary, the confection was created in 1825 by a Monsieur Giron to celebrate the Marquis de Lafayette’s visit to Lexington, Kentucky—the First Lady’s hometown. The dessert proved such a hit that the prominent Todd family somehow convinced Giron to share the recipe, and the cake promptly became a Todd tradition. Mary Todd made the cake for Abraham while they were courting and continued the tradition after their marriage. Reportedly, Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Cake was her husband’s favorite sweet treat.
The recipe survives to this day. Here it is. (Instructions in parentheses are modernizations.)
image by Betsy Weber; used with permission (click cake to visit her online)
Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Cake
Six egg whites
3 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 cup butter at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped (in a food processor or blender) to resemble coarse flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
(Preheat oven to 350 degrees.)
Grease and flour a (10- to 12-cup Bundt) pan.
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites (with a mixer on medium-high speed) until stiff (about 4 minutes). Set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, sift together flour and baking powder three times. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar (with mixer on medium speed) until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add flour mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in the almonds.
Stir in the vanilla, then fold beaten egg whites into the batter until just combined.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake about 1 hour (until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean).
Let cake cool in pan about 15 minutes, then remove (to wire rack) and let cool another hour before dusting with confectioners’ sugar.
Allow me to be frank: This cake is a lot of trouble to make, but the result is worth every bit of effort. It’s now part of my family’s tradition, as well.
May your family’s traditions bring you peace and joy that follows you through the coming year.
I set REDEEMING the CEO COWBOY primarily in Reno, Nevada because it’s an extension of The Slades of Sunset Ranch Series and my hero Casey Thomas, is the CEO of Sentinel Construction from the Lake Tahoe area. Casey was born and raised in Reno and he’s come back to expand the business in his hometown. Well, that’s only one of the reasons…Susanna Hart has a little to do with the other reasons.
Reno was known in earlier days as “Sin City”, gaining its name and reputation for underground gambling and prostitution. After gold was discovered Virginia City, Charles Fuller decided to construct a bridge over the Truckee River charging a toll to cross, but the bridge wasn’t sturdy enough and his venture failed. Right before the Central Pacific Railroad came through the area, Myron Lake bought the bridge and land surrounding the area. The sturdier bridge he had constructed soon became known as Lake’s Crossing. In 1868 Lake’s Crossing was renamed Reno after Civil War hero, General Jesse Reno.
Reno became an important freight and passenger center. In 1928, the Reno City Council decided “Sin City” wouldn’t do, they needed a new slogan for their town and started a “motto” competition. The winner received $100.00 and the new slogan and now famous arch that hovers over the main street in town reads: The Biggest Little City in the World!
Susanna Hart owns a home-based business, Sweet Susie’s Pastries and More in Reno, Nevada. Here’s one of her recipes!
Rocky Road Chocolate Muffins (credit to Cupcakes Made Simple)
6 TBSP sunflower oil OR 6 TSP butter, melted and cooled
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
2 ounces unsweetened cocoa
Pinch of salt
1 TBSP baking powder
½ Cup super fine sugar
½ Cup white chocolate chips
1 ¼ ounces white mini-marshmallows cut in half
2 eggs
I Cup of milk
Grease a 12 hole muffin pan. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Stir in sugar, white chocolate chips and marshmallows.
Beat eggs in large bowl, add milk and oil and beat gently. Make a well with dry ingredients and add in beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined. Spoon batter into muffin pans.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Romantic Times Book Reviews: Sands continues the Slades of Sunset Ranch series with a heartfelt story, three-dimensional characters and a storyline that flows with relative ease. This is a SURE BET! Reviewed by: Susannah Balch
REDEEMING THE CEO COWBOY is available for pre-order and in bookstores August 1st.
Ten years ago = ancient history…right?
So what if former rodeo champion turned construction mogul Casey Thomas is back…living right next door? Susanna Hart is busy running her Sweet Susie’s pastry business and raising her two-year-old cousin. Why pay any attention to the man who took her virginity ten years ago, then left town?
Casey still feels guilty for taking advantage of his little sister’s best friend. A helping hand is just what her business—and his conscience—need. But guilt isn’t his only motivation. Casey’s got a sweet tooth for Susie. And the more she resists, the sweeter it gets!
Do you have a favorite muffin or cupcake recipe? How would you feel about your EX- moving in next door? Have you ever been to Reno or Lake Tahoe? Impressions? I’d love to hear from you!
Post a comment to any or all of these questions and a random blogger will be drawn over the weekend to win a $10.00 Amazon or BN Gift Card!
I have a thing for cookbooks. And especially church cookbooks. And especially especially old ones. Those church ladies have always been able to cook, haven”t they? I also have a thing for interesting tidbits of American history and enjoy learning how things were done and imagining the people. In the 80s I participated in putting together a church cookbook, and I bought enough copies so that my daughter”s could all have one once they were married. The recipes have become such family favorites that they are staples at gatherings and even weekday meals. One of my daughters wore hers completely put until it fell apart.
Years ago a friend from a writer’s listserv sent me a copy of a cookbook her grandmother had given her. Little did she know that all these years and books later, I would still be gleaning helpful tidbits from a booklet titled COOK BOOK compiled by THE LADIES of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Eureka Kansas, 1896.
making scones
From this little gem, I have used names, recipes and tips, and created businesses for the fictional towns in my stories. Cookbooks are pieces of history, especially those put together by the women of those early towns and cities. The advertisers who paid for space and thereby funded the ladies’ project were a diverse group. Leedy’s Dry Goods and Clothing House for example boasts the lowest prices guaranteed and quality unexcelled. Their tag line: Good cooking is most appetizing on neat linens. We have them.
Chas. A. Leedy sold dry goods, boots and shoes, fancy goods, clothing, and men’s furnishing goods. I have no idea what a men’s furnishing good was, but I am confident Mr. Leedy sold only quality in that line.
Interesting that listed among the directors of the First National Bank was none other than C.A. Leedy. Seems men’s furnishings were making him a tidy profit.
H. C. Hendrick called himself a dealer in pure drugs—my how the times have changed. No one admits to being a drug dealer nowadays. H.C. sold medicines, chemicals, oils, varnishes, glass, putty, fine brushes (my husband swears a little putty and a fine brush can conceal anything; he must have descended from the Kendricks). They also sold a full and complete line of fancy toilet articles, fine stationary, choice perfumes, books, dye stuffs and all other articles usually kept in a first class Drug Store. Prescriptions were accurately compounded.
Then there was H.C. Zilley, dealer in hardware, stoves and tinware who sold agricultural implements and wagons, with sidelines of furniture and undertaking. Why not get into the undertaking business? He already had the shovel and wagon.
Lewis’ Art Studio did photography in all its branches; proofs are shown and all work guaranteed. VIEWING A SPECIALTY. I don’t know what that means either, I’m just telling you how their ad reads. YOUR PATRONAGE SOLICITED. Those printers liked their capitals, and they had all kinds of fancy fonts. This place was opposite the courthouse, FYI.
Now, Frank B. Gregg, he sold Fire,…Lightning and Tornado… Insurance – and he liked effusive punctuation. Okay, this was Kansas, so that tornado insurance probably came in handy. Suppose Aunty Em took out a policy with Frank?
A.Frazer’s Transfer and Bus Line: Meets all Trains, All Calls Carefully Attended
Your guess is as good as mine here.
Miss Nellie Smith was pianist, teacher of piano and organ and a pupil of Rudolf King, Kansas City. Her terms were moderate.
W.W. Morris was another dealer in pure drugs and medicines. Also advertised were paints, oils, varnishes school andmiscellaneous books, stationary, window shades, wall paper, musical merchandise, jewelry, fancy and toilet articles. “We manufacture the following specialties and guarantee them to be the BEST articles for the purposes recommended: Calla Cream, Castole,
Excelsior Compound.” They were located NO. 23 OPERA BLOCK.
The church ladies who contributed to this publication had wonderful names like Madella Smith, Eva Downard, Katie Addison, Olive Sample, Hattie Kelley, Lydia Thrall, Cornelia Newman, Mabel Mueller, Lulu Kendrick and Lizzie Bell.
A big percent of the recipes contain lard, and many of them, like biscuits and Boston brown bread, ginger cake and ginger snapsare items we could whip up in our kitchens today, with the exact ingredients and directions. Others—not so much. Like suet as an ingredient. I’ve only fed suet to the birds. And what is black mustard? It’d required to make cucumber catsup.
Another example:
Scrapple: Scrape and clean well a pig’s head as directed in pig’s head cheese, put on to boil in plenty of water, cook 4 or 5 hours, until the bones will slip readily from the meat :::are you shuddering yet?::: take out, remove meat, skim off the grease from the liquor in pot and return the chopped meat to it, season highly with salt and pepper and a little powdered sage if liked, and add corn meal till of the consistency of soft mush; cook slowly 1 hour or more, pour in pans and set in a cool place. This is nice sliced and fried for breakfast in winter and will answer in the place of meat on many occasions.
As you can see the Methodist Episcopal Church Ladies have given me plenty of material for my stories. Little did they know so long ago that their contributions and ads would
be research and fodder for imagination.
WHAT”S NEW?
My newest venture is indie publishing, and I”ve just released three of my earliest books for Kindle and Nook. It was interesting to read over the stories I wrote so long ago, and it was great to have an opportunity to tweak things and bring them more up to date.
If you have a Kindle or Nook, you can start reading any or all of them within minutes by clicking on one of these links. If you”ve already read them or plan to, I would appreciate all reviews.
In this tale of hope and love, too-tall spinster Thea Coulson wants to be a mother to a child who arrives in Nebraska on an orphan train. When Booker Hayes shows up to take his niece, a marriage of convenience suits them both. Thea’s dreams are filled with the tall, dark army major, but she guards her heart. Booker’s first taste of home and hearth has him longing for more, but first he must win the hearts of both of the females in his life.
Joshua McBride returns from the war a changed man, ready to put down roots and plant his feet in the community. Prim and uptight Miss Adelaide Stapleton, leader of the Dorcas Society, doesn’t believe he’s changed—people are never what they seem. But she has plenty of secrets of her own—among them the inescapable fact that Joshua sets her heart to pounding and makes her long for his disturbing kisses. How long can she keep her own past hidden—and resist temptation?
Raised within the confines of a strict religious community, Lydia Beker longs for a simple touch, dreams of seeing more of the world. When handsome farmer, Jakob Neubauer and his family visit the bakery where she works, she is fascinated, but Outsiders are forbidden to her. Jakob is attracted to Lydia, as well, and she makes the difficult decision to leave everything she knows behind to marry him. He offers love and passion, but will she ever fit into his world?
After Hurricane Sandy devastated so much of the East Coast, help began to pour in immediately. But here in the farther inland parts of the U.S., we were left wondering what we could do, other than donate money?
In times of disaster, we all wish we were able to do more. Many people don’t want to give to a nebulous charity, fearing scams of all sorts.
One of my publishers, Rebecca Vickery, came up with the idea of a recipe book. The authors that write for her three imprints were asked if they wanted to contribute recipes to go in the book. The sales from the book would go, in part, to one of two charities, which we voted on. By a large margin, Save the Children was our choice.
The book was a work of love that we all participated in, some with more than one recipe. It’s filled with quite a variety, and even though on the cover it says, “Featuring favorite holiday recipes by various authors”, I promise there are several in this book that I will be making all through the year. Who can wait for the holidays to have some of these scrumptious treats?
I’m sharing my contributions with you today, but there are plenty more where this came from in this little gem of a book—many of them easy and geared for our hectic lifestyles.
I can certainly vouch for the two below—Blonde Brownies has been a staple in our family since I was born. It was on a “Brownie” recipe sheet when both of my sisters belonged to a troop, and my mom was a leader. This recipe is one of those that doesn’t last long around our house—the ingredients are items you usually keep stocked, and it’s easy to make. Same with the Hello Dolly Bars.
I’m giving away a copy of our AUTHORS IN THE KITCHEN cookbook today—just leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. If you can’t wait to see if you won, here’s the link!
Beat eggs well. Add brown sugar gradually, beating until well mixed. Add vanilla, flour, salt and mix well. Add chopped nuts and mix. Pour into a greased, 9×13 pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over top of the batter. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes (depending on your oven). This makes a 9×13 pan of brownies. You can half this recipe for an 8×8 pan, and reduce cooking time to 25 minutes.
HELLO DOLLY BARS
½ cup butter
1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
1 six oz. package chocolate chips (I always add extra!)
1 can Eagle Brand milk (sweetened condensed milk)
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
Pour melted butter into a 9×13 pan. Cover evenly with the following: graham cracker crumbs (press down to soak up the butter), nuts, chocolate chips, coconut. Pour milk on top. Bake at 350 F. until lightly brown or chips have melted (about 25 minutes). Cool before cutting.
(You can also add some butterscotch chips along with the chocolate chips for variation.)
I kept trying to think of a topic to write about and was coming up blank. During all this scouring of my brain, I was in the process of cooking one of my favourite summer meals: Hodge Podge. And then it clicked! I”ll do a recipe post, I told myself, and give the P&P readers two of my favourites! Problem solved!
Except both of these recipes aren”t actually written down anywhere. I just add whatever amounts seem right. So bear with me – the good news is you really can”t screw either of these up if you get a little too much of anything.
The first one is for Hodge Podge, or what some people call Poor Man”s Stew (because it doesn”t have any meat). We always just called it Beans, Peas and Potatoes and we only had it when the garden was on. Creative bunch, our family. And you MUST have it with fresh bread. The nice, soft, white kind like your Grandmother used to make. Ready?
HODGE PODGE
Approx 4-6 cups green or yellow wax beans, FRESH, stemmed and cut into <1 inch pieces
Approx 3 cups shelled peas (again, FRESH)
Six good sized new potatoes
Butter
Milk AND cream
Salt and Pepper
Prepare beans, wash, then put to boil in a large pot. Make sure you have enough water to cook ALL ingredients, not just the beans.
After they come to a boil, cook approximately ten minutes, then add peas.
Cook another ten minutes and add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender. Drain.
Add: a knob of butter (you can use margarine, but real butter is AWESOME), and begin with 1 cup of milk (we drink 1%, so that”s what we use) and 1 cup of cream (we use 5% fat cream in our coffee, so we use that, but a richer 10% or so is better). Use as much milk/cream as it takes to make it as wet as a stew but not brothy like a soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with that fab bread and butter, which is particularly good for sopping up the salty milk at the bottom of the bowl.
And my other go-to recipe in the summer, especially for feeding a crowd. Our favourite thing to serve it with is fresh coleslaw or a tossed salad.
EASY PULLED PORK
One 2-3 pound pork shoulder or butt (You can use a leaner loin roast but it won”t shred as easily)
Water
Steak spice
Garlic
Salt and pepper
1 bottle of your favourite barbecue sauce (we use one that is called Kansas City Barbeque, which is very dark and rich)
Put the roast in your crock pot, and add about 1 inch of water. Sprinkle roast with a little steak spice, 1 clove of fresh garlic (or equivalent of dried/minced), and a little salt and pepper. Let simmer 6 hours.
Remove roast to a large bowl (a bowl keeps the juices in) and drain most of the broth out of the crock pot (you don”t want this too watery!). Using 2 forks, shred the pork. Put back in the crock pot and pour in the sauce. Stir it in and then let cook another hour in the sauce.
Serve on your favourite bun – we like whole wheat kaiser rolls just lightly toasted. We”ve doubled this recipe and it fed nine hungry people (including teenagers, who eat like nematodes).
Well, it’s the day after the Fourth. We’re all cleaning our driveways and bearing up under the heat. I’m always looking for something quick and easy, yet home made, to fix on a holiday or a weekend. I created this one because so many of us love hash browns, and I love a good quiche.
No Fail, Quick and Easy Quiche
I was hungry for quiche, but wanted to make it fast, so I came up with this idea. This recipe is so versatile, you can’t mess it up. You may substitute or add ingredients to your liking. It’s quick because instead of a pastry crust, I use hash browns.
30 oz bag Mr. Dell’s frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
½ cup (I stick) butter or margarine, melted
salt and pepper
1 thinly sliced small onion or 2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
5 cups fresh chopped baby spinach leaves
8 oz bag shredded Mexican-style cheddar jack cheese
14 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk
2 cups sour cream (optional)
1 21 oz pkg ready to eat bacon or fry 12-15 slices.
Chopped or cut into small pieces with scissors
substitutes for bacon:
Canadian bacon, chopped ham, turkey
– about ¾ cup for each dish
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray or butter two quiche dishes or two 9” glass pie plates.
Divide hash browns in half and press onto the bottom and sides of the dishes. The bottom of a sprayed glass or jar will help. Don’t leave any hash browns above the edge of the dish or they’ll brown too quickly and burn when you bake the entire quiche.
Drizzle with melted butter; spread butter to sides with a spoon.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Whisk eggs. Add milk.
When crust is baked, spread half the sour cream onto each crust. Spread half the spinach in each dish.
Top with cheese and chopped bacon.
Pour egg mixture evenly over the layers.
Press down any ingredients that aren’t covered until egg mixture is above.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
Let stand about 5 minutes before slicing.
Serve with a side vegetable or a fruit, such as melon and grapes.
You can make these quiches ahead, serve the next day, and they are equally delicious.
You can also make each one different, such as one bacon and one turkey and add Parmesan to one. Exchange the spinach for steamed broccoli if you prefer.
Sift flour with sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir in cornmeal. Add eggs, milk, and shortening. Beat with rotary or electric beater till just smooth. (DO NOT OVERBEAT.) Pour into greased 9x9x2-inch pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Butter and serve warm. Good with soups, chili, beans–ANYTHING.
Corn Sticks: Spoon batter into greased corn-stick pans, filling 2/3 full. Bake in 425 degree oven 12-15 minutes.
Corn Cakes: pour onto hot griddle as you would pancake batter.
You can also use a cast iron skillet. My grandmother used to pour a small amount of oil in the bottom of a cast iron skillet, heat it in the oven, then when it began to smoke, pour the batter into it. It will bubble up around the edges, and this makes it “crusty” on the bottom and sides. Then put it into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or so. If you do this, make this easy substitution: rather that using 1/4 cup of shortening, use 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the batter, and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the bottom of the cast iron skillet when you heat it. This is equivalent to 1/4 cup of shortening.
(My mom used to break up leftover cornbread into a glass of milk for a treat and eat it with a spoon. This was a habit from when she was growing up–in her large family, their “dessert.”)
I love cooking and I usually cook to taste, so recipes are difficult to share.A touch of this and a touch of that is my usual explanation when asked for quantities.I test along the way and add a spice here, more salt there.In this I take after my grandmother who never measured anything in her life.
But here goes my best effort.
One of my favorite recipes is for roasted butter pecans.I make tons of them during the holiday season and give something around 15 tins to editors, friends and family.I generally make a huge dent of the Lions Club annual pecan sale. They love me.
I also take them to every family party.I think I would be barred without them.And every year I take several pounds to RWA National which makes my room very popular.
The recipe is ridiculously simple for the subsequent rewards, but it does take some time and attention.And since Texas is a great source of pecans, I’m delighted to include the recipe in the Fillies’ collection.
Ingredients: pound and a half of pecans.One and a half stick of salted butter.Salt.
I usually roast about a pound and a half of pecans in a shallow cake-size baking pan.You don’t want more than that in any one pan because you want to coat them all with layers of butter and salt.Did I tell you they are fattening?Frightfully fattening?And addictive?
But I digress and here’s the recipe.
Turn oven on to no more than 200 degrees.Place pecans in the baking pan along with a three quarters of a stick of butter.Once butter is melted, move the pecans around until coated in butter.Add salt.Make sure every pecan is butter and lightly salted.Bake for forty minutes in 200 degree oven, then add the rest of the stick of butter, tossing the pecans until once more coated.Salt lightly again.Bake at very low temperature for another thirty minutes or forty minutes.Add just a little more butter and salt, reduce heat to warm and let sit for thirty more minutes.
By adding butter in stages, it seeps into the pecans and bakes inside.
Taste frequently.(Alas, keep a larger sized pair of jeans or slacks handy.)
When finished, dry pecans on paper towels.
Patience and continuous stirring is the secret here.I usually take two hours per batch.If you use a higher oven temperature, they will burn.
Enjoy and be prepared to be invited to parties more often.
One of the blessings of this festive time of year is sharing good food with family and friends. During the holidays, mothers and grandmothers everywhere retreat to the kitchen and don’t emerge until they’ve baked a pile of goodies imbued with generation upon generation of family tradition.
Now, Frank B. Gregg, he sold Fire,…Lightning and Tornado… Insurance – and he liked effusive punctuation. Okay, this was Kansas, so that tornado insurance probably came in handy. Suppose Aunty Em took out a policy with Frank?
