Shirley McMurtrie

Easy Batter Rolls

I am always looking for an easier yeast roll recipe. I found one. It only makes a dozen. Just enough, even if we are having company. We didn't have homemade rolls during the Great Depression. Mother yearned for a good homemade yeast bread. Her only cookbook was that old 1936 Detroit Times Cook Book put together by subscribers. Some of those recipes were downright awful. Either a mistake was made in transcribing them or they weren't any good in the first place. It's a shame what some people will call good. They say you can get used to almost anything.

Not a Pecan Pie

This is not a pecan pie. It's a peanut pie. I suppose it could be a black walnut or an English walnut pie, too. It is put together like a classic pecan pie, but, of course, it tastes peanuty.

If You've Got the Money . . ."

“You've got to get out more if looking through the phone book is fun.” That's what my daughter, Anne, said to me a while ago. You know, she might be right.

Well, maybe not. I was looking through the menus from restaurants in an old phone book. The selections were a bit different than what is offered now. I looked in vain for my favorite, “Liver and Onions.”

Salmon Turvet

Read through the ingredients of this tasty recipe. Then ask yourself, "How can such a simple recipe taste any good?" Try it and you will see. It's a keeper; cheap to make, too.

Scalloped Onions

When I have too many onions on hand, I will make this casserole. Do your eyes water when slicing onions? I chew on pieces of bread. That seems to work. Onions are another veggie I like just about any way you fix them. This is a good one.

Making Biscuits

We have had no company since the pandemic begin last spring, that is until Jackie came to spend a week with us. Jackie is married to Anne's brother Brian. They live in Albion, Michigan. She quarantined in place before coming to Tennessee to visit us.

One of the highlights of her visit was our biscuit making project. Jackie can make a decent biscuit. I made biscuits the day after she arrived. She loved them and wanted to know how I made them.

Calicorn

Fried corn cut fresh from the cob is great, but this recipe is prettier and just as tasty. Try it.

CALICORN
4 cups very fresh corn, cut from the cobs
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup chopped red peppers
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup, butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste

Floating Island

Now this is really an old timey dessert. I remember first making it when I was a 15 year old cook and housekeeper during World War II. (I was too young to get a job in a factory.) The lady of the house taught me to make it. It takes a while to make but is worth it. You should have everything in your pantry.

Fried Red Cabbage

I don't usually cook with red cabbage, but every once in a while a head of red cabbage looks so good. This is the only recipe that I have found that meets my taste test. Oh yes, I like a few strands of red cabbage in coleslaw sometimes, but this is my favorite way with the red.

Bride's Punch

Most everything at a wedding is white, even the punch. There is no alcohol in this one. It doesn't need it. The ginger ale gives it the tang. Make more as needed. It's not expensive to do. For the ice ring, remember to boil the water first, then cool it. The process works better if you do.

Baked Lemon Pudding

We all like Lemon Pie. This old-timey dessert is easier to make. It doesn't need a crust; no sauce, either. If you have a couple lemons in the fridge, you are all set to go.

Cooked Freezer Corn

It seems most everyone has a favorite way to freeze corn. Each of them says it turns out more like fresh sweet corn than other methods. If you don't have a favorite recipe, try this one.

Rosy Shrimp Dip

There are a jillion shrimp dip recipes. Well, here is another one, but there is a difference. It features tomato soup. I like shrimp cocktail. This dip reminds me of that.

Hats

I have been watching the Turner Classic Movie channel quite a bit lately. I found a mystery series based in the 1920s that piqued my interest in that era. The Great War was over. Veterans were trying to adapt to civilian life. Gone were the hobble skirts and ostrich- feathered ladies hats. It sort of reminds me of the aftermath of World War ll. We were in a time of transition then, too.

Country Style Potato Sausage Casserole

Bulk pork sausage is one my favorite "go-to" meats for supper. It's cheap to buy and stores well in the freezer. No worries about getting freezer burnt. It comes well wrapped from the store.
I remember when I was a housewife with small children at home. It seemed that my husband's paycheck had a hard time covering enough groceries to last until the next paycheck, but I always had potatoes and onions. Bulk pork sausage from the freezer was the basis for a number of meals.

Chicken Pot Pie

Here is an easy version of chicken pot pie. The hard work of cooking the chicken, preparing the veggies and making the sauce and biscuits is all done for you. It does take a while to bake, but you can be doing other things while it does. Nothing beats finding an easy entree for supper.

Oven Baked Zucchini Spears

Here is a use for that zucchini that got away from you in the garden and grew too large for most zucchini dishes. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and continue. If you don't have a “biggie”, make something else with your smaller ones.

Beets in Sour Cream

Must be my eastern European ancestry, but I like beets any way you fix them. This recipe is a bit different from what you may be used to. Try it on that cold winter day when you are feeling adventurous. It could be a keeper at your house, too.

Ramen Beef and Noodles

When I was working as a caregiver, one of my clients ate ramen noodles almost every day for lunch. I was to make it with half the water, all the seasoning packet, then fish out the noodles and toss the rest. Not me. I rather gussy up the mixture and make a real meal out of it.

Potatoes with Canned Luncheon Meat

Have you noticed the canned luncheon meat on the grocery shelf, next to the Spam? It resides there because it really is the same as Spam, just in a plain wrapper and cheaper. Use whichever one you like. I personally think the Spam tastes better. This simple recipe is delicious. It doesn't look like much as you stir it together, but you are in for a surprise. It tastes great.

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