November 11th 2008

Editorial

Wow… the response to the “I’m looking for” requests was amazing. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. I also got quite a few yummy reader recipes and frugal tips. The result is one of the best newsletter issues to date. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed putting it together for you this morning.

You also don’t want to miss this week’s featured article all about frugal gift ideas. I would love to make that article even more helpful by having you include your own favorite gift ideas. Just take a moment to leave a comment and don’t forget to come back and check out all the other great ideas HBHW readers have come up with. I believe this will become an invaluable resource for this and many coming years.

After the last issue of the newsletter the emails came pouring in about the recipe ebook. Myself and my wonderful assistant Patti are already working on compiling all the recipes for it. I’ll keep you up to date in this newsletter and on the blog on the progress of this ebook and will of course let you know the moment it is available.

Last but not least, keep an eye out next week for a special thanksgiving edition of the newsletter full of yummy recipes and tips to help prepare for that wonderful holiday.

That’s it for this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com

Warm Regards,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Sponsor

Grab yours at www.hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm

You can now get the popular Dining on a Dime book as and ebook.

Inspirational Quote

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden

Reader Questions

My question pertains to homemade breads—how long can I keep bread/biscuits/muffins before they go bad?
I am starting to make my own bread and am worried about how long it will be fresh. I am a single gal in my 30s (no children) so its just me eating!

Thank you so much in advance,
Robyn K

Hi Robyn, the shelf live of homemade bread is very similar to that of store bought bread. I would make it in small batches, or make it, let it cook and freeze a portion of it for later use. For example if you find that your loaf of bread will go stale before you can eat it all, slice and freeze half of it and use it for toast later on. Biscuits and muffins can also be frozen and then reheated as needed.

Question: will you be archiving those homekeeping sites you have in
your poll? I have never heard of most of them, and don’t have time to
look at them all now, but it would be great to be able to access them
at a later time!

Thank you for all that you do!

Sally

I sure do… if you look at the most recent poll, you will see a link below it that says Polls Archive. All previous polls will be on that page.

Featured Article

This week’s featured article is all about frugal gift ideas. I came up with a few of them and you can read them here, but more importantly, I’d love to hear your ideas. I think between all of us hillbilly housewives, we can come up with a gift for anyone and any occasion and still not break the bank. I hope you will find some ideas that will get your own creative juices flowing and help you make this the best Christmas yet, even though money is hard to come by for many of us this year.

Here’s the article – Frugal Gift Ideas For Christmas

Feel free to leave a comment with your own frugal gift ideas. I look forward to reading them.

Frugal Tip – Entertainment on the Cheap

The holidays are a big time for entertaining and when it’s cold outside, we’re more likely to go out for some fun or head to the store to grab a good book or movie to curl up with on the couch. It’s pretty easy to spent a good bit of cash on entertainment for the month, but on the other hand depriving yourself of any fun isn’t the answer either. Instead, why not entertain yourself (and others) on the cheap. Here are some frugal ideas.

• Rent books and movies free from the library.
• Make your own fancy coffee mixes or copy cat foods instead of heading to Starbucks or your favorite restaurant. Take a look this week’s featured recipe for a yummy coffee drink that won’t break the bank.
• Make your own takeout food. You can find delicious recipes for anything from Chinese food to Italian online. A great place to start is making your own homemade pizza.
• When you do go out to eat, split an entree or order from the appetizer menu. You’ll save cash and calories.
• Trade babysitting with a friend or neighbor to give you a chance to go out without the kids every once in a while.
• Get a free movie from the library, pop some popcorn and enjoy a movie night at home.
• Look for free days (or reduced admission days) to visit museums and galleries.

Frugal Tips From Our Readers

I have 9 grandkids. A big part of their Christmas is a stocking or gift bag full of candy and dollar store goodies. After Halloween I buy candy that keeps well: pixie stix, pop rocks candy, individually wrapped gummies, gum, fruit snacks – - as long as it doesn’t have themed wrappers – - and use it for their gift bags.

I also buy bags of kisses after Halloween and sort out the red and silver for Christmas use and gold for Thanksgiving. This can be done all year if you want to separate colors according to holidays. After Christmas buy kisses and separate according to color: silver for New Year’s, red for Valentine’s Day and green for St. Patrick’s Day.

April Grider
Cordova TN

On your last article about home heating this winter, one suggestion I’d like to pass on.

One of the biggest “air leaks” in most homes, especially older ones, are around electrical outlets.
They usually don’t get insulated that well due to pulling electrical wiring through that section.

A way to check is, using an old birthday cake candle. Light it, and hold it up next to the outlet.
Mainly the ones on outside walls. (Works best on windy days). If the flame flickers, you’ve got an air leak.

These are easily repaired, but if you’re not comfortable or knowledgeable around electrical, get someone
who is!!! They have several kinds of insulators. One of the easiest is just remove the cover, add the insulator you can get at just about any hardware store, and replace the cover. You don’t need to touch the outlet or
the electrical part. Just be aware, the wiring COULD be exposed, so please be careful.

Shawn

I just wanted to pass on a heat/energy saving tip that I know of – which you may or may not have already published at some point. A really cost effective step that you can take to keep the heat in the house and the cold air out is to plug any unused electrical outlets that are on an outside wall with the baby plugs. Those things we all used when our kids started to get mobile to keep them from sticking their fingers or other small things into the outlets. This actually works and most homes – even new ones – will have a draft coming in from these outlets, just put your hand in front of one when it’s cold out and you’ll see. The plugs are really cheap to buy as you can get them at the dollar store if you don’t have any still hiding in drawers around the house.
So that’s my tip and I hope someone finds it useful as I use it and it does work.

Monette G

First of all I love your site. I was reading your tips for hotdogs and wanted to share mine. After cooking the hotdogs in your favorite way. Open the package of hotdog buns, place a cooked hotdog in each bun and place buns and dogs back in the bag. Put the twist tie back on and let it sit for about 10 minutes. The warm hotdogs steam the buns. Hope you will try this.
Dawn

The reason I am writing is I was just reading on what to do with all those leftovers folks have and I have an idea you can put on your website. I am sure you have heard of it already. Sometimes, I just take my leftovers and put them in the freezer, then add to it when I feel like it. Over time it will become a huge thing of leftover whatever. Then I thaw it all out, dump it in a big ole pot, add some water or broth, and make Garbage Soup! Very handy in the winter time…It is never the same thing twice. Sometimes if I have a lot of meats in there, I will add some veggies to it…or pasta, or rice, or whatever is handy in the cupboard.

Just a little thought.

Keep up the good work! I am going home to make my first loaf of bread in a bread machine I got for free!! Brand new!! Love free!

Julianna

I read the heating article, and
I had a tiny suggestion, but having houseshoes has been great! We
just moved into a 60 year old house, so needless to say, it’s a bit
drafty and has cold floors! I personally use my old Crocs and fuzzy
socks, and as soon as I get in, the “outside” shoes are off and the
Crocs are on. THe kids are getting houseshoes of some kind soon, too.
We also have one bathroom, which was a relatively recent addition to
the house (LOL!) so it’s far away from teh upstairs bedrooms.
Following baths, we have housecoats that the kids wear until they
either get upstairs to dress, or get a little more comfortable and
then put on their jammies. Then, they’re not toting a wet towel up to
their bedroom!

Sally

My husband, James and I have been living the frugal lifestyle for 30 years and NOW we are in
the majority and have people asking us for ideas. The main thing is to use your BRAIN. James
works with several men who have no idea on how to live well cheaply (the wifes don’t either)
James and I have been married 30 years and when we married he worked in a body shop on
commission and I have always worked full time. In the summer we would buy buy buy and in
the winter we would live off what we had purchased and my pay. This became a way of life after
the first year when in December and January we were really short on cash and needed toilet paper. I keep a list of what we use and still we put money back and stock up in September of so on items to get us through winter and spring.

James and I are now making much more than we did 30 years ago but still every cents helps.
I buy alot of food items and cleaning items at a Salvage Grocery about 5 miles from here. It
is only opened thur-Sat and since I work full time I try to be there at opening on Saturday unless
I know that they received a shipment in on earlier in the week. I have taken off early several days about an hour and gone shopping. You may think this defeats a purpose by losing an hours pay but I can assure you I make up the difference in the saving on the food cost. We
have told so many people about this that they now go also and if I wait until Sat most of the
items are gone.

I know what I would pay in stores and compare prices. I also check condition and dates on
the items and again it is COMMON SENSE.

What I started this email to you is that like your family we eat chicken breast and when I fix
dark meat guess who carries it for lunch several days in a row. We have a chicken processing
plant in our town and about every 6 weeks they have a public sale. The last sale it was 20 lbs
ob boneless skinless chicken breast for 27.00. This works out to $1.35 a lb. The chicken is also flash frozen and comes in 4 5lb bags in a box. You do not have to do anything but pick up and put in freezer. My brother and his wife was talking that they got chicken breast for $.98 a pound with rib bones and skin and they went home washed, skinned and froze and thought they
had got a good deal. Until I told them about the above. The next sale date here is Nov. 22 and the company puts ads in the paper the week before. They also sale several items and it is sold
until they run out. The sale time is 8:00-10:30 or while supplies last. I got there at 8:06 and was about 45th in line.

Sorry to be so long and run together but thought that if other members live in a town with any processing plants they might be able to call and get in on some good deals also. Really enjoy your site.

Marlene M

I look forward to reading about your take on things.

Featured Recipe

This week’s featured recipe is one of my favorites this time of the year. I love a nice cup of cafe au lait, especially on a cool afternoon. Unfortunately going out for a cup of this yummy stuff isn’t usually within our budget, but this instant cafe au lait recipe allows me to get my delicious treat for a fraction of the cost of enjoying it at a coffee shop. It’s even quite a bit cheaper than those gourmet mixes at the grocery store and tastes just as good.

Reader Recipe

This week I received quite a few yummy reader recipes. Here they are – Enjoy!

• Homemade Onion Soup MIx
• Mayonnaise Cake
• Corn Dog Muffins

I have a few more recipes but am running out of time … look for them on the blog in the next few days.
I’m Looking For?

This section is going to be all about you. If you are looking for a particular recipe or a tip on how to do something, email it to me and I will post it in an upcoming newsletter. I’ll give you my input and will also post any suggestions other readers of the newsletter come up with. So take a moment to write me your questions and of course if you have a tip or idea for any question posted in this section feel free to send me that as well.

Here’s this week’s requests:

I am looking for a recipe for those instant packets of gravy like you get at the grocery… Can’t be THAT hard to make~ Any one have a recipe?
Thanks
Paula in NE

A homemade “Spray’n Wash” type of solution. My kids clothes get so messy & I buy a ton of this stuff!
Hollie

We are on a septic system and wondering what to use to keep the toilet clean and fresh smelling without using harsh or damaging chemicals?
Caryn

I have been looking for a recipe for tamales with the corn shucks on them and made out of ground beef and cornmeal. I would like to find the real Mexican tamale recipe. Thank you for your help.
Susan

And here are last week’s requests followed by the recipes and ideas submitted since then:

I look forward to reading about your take on things.

I am looking for a pie recipe that my mom used to make for me. It was a white pie and she called it angel food pie. It did not brown at all and it had a bit of vinegar in it I believe.
Lavonne

While there are many recipes for ‘Angel Food Pie’ on the internet, I could not locate one that used vinegar. But, I located a recipe for Vinegar Pie from Emeril that contains vinegar and can be found at this link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/vinegar-pie-recipe/index.html

Kim B.

Angel Pie
Ingredients

* 4 egg whites, room temperature
* 1 1/3 cups sugar
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 2 teaspoons white vinegar
* 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

* 1 (2-ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
* 4 egg yolks
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons water
* 1 cup heavy cream, whipped

To finish:

* 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
* Chocolate shavings

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan. To make the meringue, beat egg whites with a hand held electric mixer until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together, then add 2 tablespoons at a time to the egg whites, beating well between each addition. After the third addition, add the white vinegar. Before the last addition, add the vanilla extract. Place into the pie shell and press against sides to form a pie crust. Place in oven and turn off oven heat. Leave pie in oven at least 3 hours.
For filling, melt chocolate in a bowl over a double boiler. In another bowl, beat the yolks, sugar, salt, and water thoroughly. Stir mixture into melted chocolate. Cook mixture over double boiler stirring constantly until very thick. Cool mixture completely. Fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream. Pour into cooled shell and chill overnight. Top with remaining whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings.

Jenn

White Pie

2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1 dash salt
4 egg whites
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons white vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 9 inch pie shell, baked
2 cups fat-free whipped topping
2 tablespoons ground almonds

1. In a saucepan cook flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt,egg whites and milk until bubbling, stirring constantly; continue to cook and stir another 3 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and add butter, white vanilla and almond extract, stir.
3. Lay plastic wrap on pudding surface and allow to cool; pour into cool pie shell and chill, again covering surface with plastic wrap.
4. When ready to serve top with whipped topping and sprinkle with ground almonds.

April

I don’t think this is the recipe that Lavonne is looking for as it does not contain vinegar, but it is a “white pie” recipe that I have and it is very good. This is more like a custard pie and came from my Mom and Grandma.

Bob Andy Pie:

1 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups milk

Mix ingredients. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until it is done.

Debra

My husband and I grew our first garden this year. We tried pumpkins and were happy to find that we actually grew 8 of them! I was wondering how to cook pumpkins or how to make recipes with them. I have NO idea how to go about baking or making anything with them. I was hoping you or maybe one of the other readers could give me some ideas. Thank you so much!
Kathleen in MA.

Dear Kathleen,

To use pumpkins from the garden, wash them, cut them open, scoop out the seeds, and cut into pieces. Place the pieces inside down on foil-lined baking sheets and bake at 350 until soft, 10-45 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. If they are browning, reduce the temperature a bit. When soft, cool the pieces on a rack until you can easily handle them. Slice off the rinds, chop into pieces, and process in a food processor until smooth or put through a ricer or fine sieve. (The food processor gives more pleasing results- I’ve tried all three.) You can then measure it into 1 cup or 1 1/2 cup portions and freeze it. Pumpkin supposedly doesn’t can well because it is very thick and it is hard to heat it thoroughly enough to kill all bacteria.

You can use this pumpkin in any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin. If you want to make it thicker, place it in a jelly bag or strainer lined with cheesecloth and let it drip. A particular favorite of ours is pumpkin custard. I have made it several times from squash and you would never know that it wasn’t pumpkin. This may also be baked in an unbaked pie shell for pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin Custard

1 1/2c. cooked pumpkin, strained
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2c. evaporated milk or scaled milk
1 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly and pour into a buttered baking dish. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes, until a knife poked into the middle comes out clean. Chill well and serve with whipped cream.

We also like to eat toasted pumpkin seeds. Here is a good method.

Roasted pumpkin seeds

When cleaning out the pumpkin, place the pulp in a bucket and pour boiling water over the pulp. Let it stand for an hour or more to loosen up the seeds. Most of them will sink to the bottom. Separate the pulp from the seeds, dry on a towel, and toss with olive oil and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350 until golden brown, stirring several times during the baking.

Here is one more recipe that we look forward to in autumn:

LIBBY’S GREAT PUMPKIN COOKIE RECIPE

4 c. unsifted all-purpose flour
2 c. quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 1/2 c. butter, softened
2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 c. cooked pumpkin
1 c. real semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, oats, soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. Cream butter, gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mix well.

Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in morsels. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto lightly greased cookie sheet; spread into pumpkin shape using a thin metal spatula. Add a bit more dough to form stem. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets; cool on racks. Yields: about 32 large cookies.

VARIATION: Substitute 1 cup raisins for morsels. NOTE: Dough may be frozen in an air-tight container. Thaw in refrigerator, bake as directed.
I hope these tips and recipes were helpful.
Sincerely,
Mae from PA

For the lady who needed tips in preparing pumpkins. I have found that the easiest way to cook the pumpkin is to cut the it into chunks (after taking out all of the pulp and seeds of course). I leave the skin on it. I put the chunks in a heavy saucepan and add enough water to keep it from sticking or burning. I cover the pan and cook it till the pumpkin is tender. Then I let it cool enough to handle and the peeling just slides right off. Then I whip the pulp until fairly smooth and freeze it for later or use it then.

Martha

This site has step-by-step instructions, with pictures, on how to process a fresh pumpkin to puree to canning, and many easy recipes. http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/pumpkincooking.php

Kim B.

We live in Uganda, so preparing fresh pumpking is our only option. Cut the pumpkin half; scoop out seeds. Wash the seeds and set aside for roasting. Cut the pumpkin into large pieces and cook in pressure cooker according to directions. Scoop the soft pumpkin off of the skin and make smooth by either processing in a food processor or mashing with a potato masher. Measure into resealable bags and freeze. Use for any recipes calling for canned pumpkin.

The Ugandans also steam the large, cut-up pieces and eat as a vegetable with salt. Very Good!

Jo S.

This is in response to the “I’m looking for” from this week’s newsletter. She wanted to know how to cook and use pumpkins. We always just peel the pumpkin and cut it up into chunks. Put it in a large kettle (we use the same pot that we use for hot water bath canning), add a little water, and let it cook on warm for a couple of days. If you stir it every now and then, and it cooks down, you will eventually get something very similar to canned pumpkin.
Another little tidbit. Did you know that canned pumpkin is usually not pumpkin? It is actually hubbard squash, or something similar.
Thank you again for all you do, I really appreciate it!
Suzi

Kathleen,

There is a pictorial tutorial for cooking pumpkins that you can find at http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t–1180/how-to-make-pumpkin-pie.asp It actually goes thru and shows how to make a pumpkin pie. I also just posted on my blog a very moist pumpkin cake that you can find via this link- http://glimpseofsonshine.blogspot.com/2008/10/autumn-pumpkin-bundt-cake.html You can also cook and freeze pumpkin! What I do is cook it, scoop it out of the skins and let it cool then put it in containers or freezer bags and place in the freezer it is good for 6 months!

Ann

Kathleen, pumpkins are easy to process. You just take out the seeds (you can put them aside to roast), cut the rind up into pieces and boil (like a turnip). When it is soft, you drain and remove the skin and mash the pumpkin. Put it in a cheesecloth-lined collandar overnight to drain (you can put it in the fridge or in an enclosed porch with a cover on it). A LOT of water will come out, so leave plenty of room! You can save this liquid for baking or cooking – it has a lot of vitamins in it. What you have left you can use in any recipe instead of canned pumpkin, and it’s much fresher! Now, you have some options. You can put it into zip-lock baggies a cup at a time and freeze it for later, or here are some ideas to try:

1) Use in your favourite banana bread recipe, replacing the bananas with Pumpkin! Be sure to include some Pumpkin Pie spice (or Cinnamon and Nut Meg).

2) You can make a Pumpkin Cheesecake.

3) Pumpkin Muffins taste great, too!

4) Try making the Hillbilly Housewife’s Banana Cake recipe, but change the banana for Pumpkin for a neat twist!

I’ve also heard that there’s a way you can make a Pumpkin Marmalade. I’ve never made it myself, but it sounds like something that you could probably make, bottle and sell pretty easily.

Hope this helps to inspire you!

Kim

My great grandmother used to cut the top off the pumpkin, take out the seeds, (clean and roast and salt the seeds for snacking on), then she would add apple juice inside it about half a thumb deep little more little less, then bake in the oven (when I tried this I just had the oven on 350) until the flesh becomes soft. Then use the flesh for any recipe calling for pumpkin. I made pumkin pie and my husband made his pumpkin bread from it and it was quite tasty. It was quite tasty right out of the oven too for that matter. HTH
~Tee

I have a recipe for pumpkin soup that I just love that Kathleen in MA might like.

It is really simple and doesn’t require anything more than pumpkin,

Stock (chicken or vegetable) and an onion or two.

Cut up the amount of pumpkin you want into large cubes, cut up onion, about

1 onion per ¼ to ½ a pumpkin. Put in enough stock to just cover vegetables and

Cook until tender. This can be done in a slow cooker.

When cooked, puree and enjoy.

As a variation you can put a bit of curry into the finished product or also cream.

Great served with crusty bread.

Another thing that Kathleen might enjoy is mashed pumpkin. Cook like you would

Potato and mush with a little butter and nutmeg.

Peta

They can be cooked several ways. You can bake it in the oven, in the micro-wave or cook it in a pot.

Cut the pumpkins in pieces, take out the seeds and cover with foil ( if you are doing it in the microwave, cover it with something to keep the microwave clean but not foil), Bake until soft. Can’t give you a time, because it will vary with the pumpkin and the size of the pieces. You could even stuff one whole with a rice/meat type mixture and bake that in it for a main course. After the pumpkin is soft, mash it or puree it in a food processor. At that stage it can be used as you would use canned pumpkin from the grocery store.

If you choose to cook it in a pot or pressure cooker, peel it as you would potato, cut in pieces, add a little water and cook on low heat so it doesn’t burn. You can pressure can it or freeze it to keep it.

Grammy Biddy

It was something my aunt made when I was younger. She called it wagon wheel dip. It seems similar to pimento dip, but somehow different. I can remember that there were chunks of cream cheese in it. Totally fattening, but SO GOOD!!!
Anne

When the bridge ladies came over, my grandmother used to make this dip.

Wagon Wheel Dip
1/2 cup Sweet pickles
1/2 cup Pimiento stuffed olives

1 small Green Pepper
1 Garlic Clove
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon of Cream (milk can be used to thin instead)

1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Ketchup

Chop pickles, olives, onions, pepper and garlic very fine. Blend softened cream cheese with cream (or milk); add mayonnaise and ketchup – blend well; then you add all chopped ingredients and blend well. Chill at least one hour – serve with potato chips or crackers.

Kim B.

I found this recipe for Wagon Wheel Dip at bigoven.com:

Wagon Wheel Dip Ingredients
1/2 c Sweet pickles 1 pk (8oz) cream cheese
1/2 c Pimiento stuffed olives 1 tb Cream
1 sm Green pepper 1/2 c Mayonnaise
1 Clove garlic 1/4 c Ketchup

Instructions for Wagon Wheel Dip
Chop pickles, olives, onions, pepper and garlic fine. Drain off all the juices. Blend softened cream cheese with cream. Add mayonnaise and ketchup, blend with rotary beater. Add chopped ingredients and blend. Chill and serve with potato chips or spread on fancy crackers.

Hope this is what Anne is looking for.

God Bless,
Jan
Montgomery, AL

Wagon Wheel Dip
1/2 c Sweet pickles 1 pk (8oz) cream cheese
1/2 c Pimiento stuffed olives 1 tb cream
1 sm Green pepper 1/2 c mayonnaise
1 Clove garlic 1/4 c ketchup
Chop pickles, olives, pepper and garlic fine. Drain off all the juices. Blend softened cream cheese with cream. Add mayonnaise and ketchup, blend with rotary beater. Add chopped ingredients and blend. Chill and serve with potato chips or spread on fancy crackers.

April

I’m looking for the “classic” hershey’s cocoa fudge recipe (I lost my recipe card) and any tips on how to make it stiffen here in Florida. (I always have to pour it over ice cream, it doesn’t harden).
Chris

Here are the fudge recipes (verbatim) from the 1930 “the Hershey recipe book.”
One of them should be the “classic” requested.
Read carefully before starting because the directions are not in “modern” style.

Angel Fudge

2 cupfuls granulated sugar…8 tablespoonfuls HERSHEY’S Chocolate Syrup…1cupful milk…1tablespoonfun butter…1 teaspoonful vanilla…small can marshmallow whip.

Place the sugar, chocolate syrup and milk in a deep kettle and stir until the ingredients are well blended. Bil without stirring until the mixture will form a soft ball when dropped into cold water. Remove from the fire and add the butter, vanilla and marshmallow whip and allow to stand until the mixture ahas cooled to lukewarm. Then beat until creamy and pour into buttered tins. Cut into squares.

Chocolate College Fudge

6 tablespoonfuls of HERSHEY’S Cocoa or 1/2 cake (1/4 pound) HERSHEY”S Baking Chocolate…1 cupful milk…3/4 cupful boiling water…4 cupfuls granulated sugar…2 tablespoonfuls butter…dash of salt…1 teaspoonful vanilla.

Use a large kettle to make this fudge as it will boil very high. Break the chocolate into pieces and add the water, or simply mix cocoa and water; cook till thick. Mix the sugar, milk and salt and add to the chocolate; cook slowly, stirring all the time, until the sugar is dissolved, then boil more rapidly until the mixture will make a soft ball when dropped into cold water. Add the butter without stirring and let the mixture stand until it is cold. Now beat vigorously till nearly dry. Place in oblong, shallow pans, which have been well buttered, and cut into squares. A cupful of broken nutmeats or candied fruit may be added for variety.

Chocolate Gelatin Fudge

2 cupfuls sugar… 1 tablespoonful gelatine…1 3/4 cupfuls milk…4 tablespoonfuls HERSHEY’S Cocoa or 2 ounces HERSHEY’S Baking Chocolate… 1 cupful pecan meats… 1 tablespoonful butter…1/2 teaspoonful vanilla.

Soften the gelatin in a little of the milk, add the sugar and melted chocolate or cocoa to the rest of the milk and bring to the boiling point. Cook to the soft-ball stage, add the softened gelatine and the butter; also a dash of salt and the vanilla. Stir frequently while cooling and add the nuts, chopped coarsely. Spread in a buttered pan and set aside to cool and harden. Cut in squares.

Condensed Milk
Chocolate Syrup Fudge

2 cupfuls sugar…1 can HERSHEY’S Chocolate Syrup… 1/4 cupful sweetened condensed milk..1/4 cupful water…1 tablespoonful butter…1 teaspoonful vanilla.

Mix all the ingredients but the butter and vanilla together and heat to the boiling point, then cook slowly to the soft-ball stage, remove from the fire and add the butter and leave it become quite cold. Then add vanilla and beat till creamy.

Whipped Cream Fudge

6 tablespoonfuls HERSHEY’S Cocoa or 1/2 cake (1/4) pound HERSHEY’S Baking Chocolate…1/2 pint milk…2 tablespoonfuls butter…1 1/2 pounds brown sugar…dash of salt…1/2 pint whipping cream…1 teaspoonful vanilla…1/4 pound walnut meats.

Melt the chocolate or add the cocoa to the sugar and milk, bring to the boiling point and cook to the hard-ball stage. Remove from the fire and add the butter, cool for a few minutes, then beat thoroughly. Next fold in the cream, stiffly whipped, and the vanilla. Continue beating and add the walnut meats. Pour into buttered tin and mark into squares.

Molasses Fudge

1 can HERSHEY’S Chocolate Syrup…2 cupfuls sugar…1/4 cupful molasses…1/2 cupful milk or cream..1 tablespoonful butter…1/2 cupful chopped nut meats…1 teaspoonful vanilla.

Mix together the sugar, molasses, chocolate syrup, milk and butter, which has been melted, heat to boiling point and cook slowly without stirring to the soft-ball stage. Cool, add vanilla and beat well, stirring in the nut meats during the beating.

Cocoa Fudge

4 tablespoonfuls HERSHEY’S Cocoa…2 cupfuls sugar…1 teaspoonful vanilla…1 cupful milk…2 tablespoonfuls butter.

Place cocoa in saucepan and rub into smooth paste with part of the milk. Add 2 cupfuls of sugar, butter and all of the milk except 1/4 cupful. Place on fire and boil. Then add 1/4 cupful of milk and cook until it forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water. Take from fire, add vanilla and beat until it is just thick enough to pour into buttered tins. By adding 1/4 cupful of milk last you will find fudge to be free from grain and very smooth. When cool, score into blocks 1 inch square and break.

Sour Cream Fudge

2 cupfuls sugar…1 can HERSHEY’S Chocolate Syrup…1 cupful sour cream…1 teaspoonful vanilla…dash salt.

Mix the sugar, salt and chocolate syrup together over the fire till hot, then add sour cream gradually, bring to the boiling point and cook without stirring to the soft-ball stage. Cool, add vanilla and beat till thick.
For variety, add 1/2 cupful of chopped Brazil nuts or 1/2 cupful of any preferred candied fruits, beating them in after the fudge has cooled.

Dann M

Chris, I always stick my fudge in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. After that, it should be able to be kept out on the counter.

Pleasantly,
Kat in PA

Hershey’s website lists all their recipes, including their fudge recipe at this link … http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/detail.asp?id=5303&page=1&per=10&category_id=17&CategoryPage=true&keyword=rich

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-does-hard-shell-ice-cream-topping-harden.htm

“Edible, food-grade paraffin wax is mixed with the chocolate mixture, along with a little soybean oil, together, these ingredients form the hard shell topping … hard shell topping mixture is kept in a warmer so it will remain in a liquid state – when wax cools, it hardens, so when the hard shell topping dip hits the cold ice cream, the hardening is almost immediate.”

Kim B.

Chris was looking for the recipe for the “classic” Hershey’s Cocoa Fudge. I got this recipe off the Hershey’s web site:

Rich Cocoa Fudge
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa or HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Line 8-or 9-inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter foil.

2. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in heavy 4-quart saucepan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil. Boil, without stirring, until mixture reaches 234°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water, forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water. (Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of saucepan.)

3. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR. Cool at room temperature to 110°F (lukewarm). Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens and just begins to lose some of its gloss. Quickly spread into prepared pan; cool completely. Cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature. About 36 pieces or 1-3/4 pounds.

NOTE: For best results, do not double this recipe.

VARIATIONS:
NUTTY RICH COCOA FUDGE: Beat cooked fudge as directed. Immediately stir in 1 cup chopped almonds, pecans or walnuts and spread quickly into prepared pan.

MARSHMALLOW-NUT COCOA FUDGE: Increase cocoa to 3/4 cup. Cook fudge as directed. Add 1 cup marshmallow creme with butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR. Cool to 110°F (lukewarm). Beat 8 minutes; stir in 1 cup chopped nuts. Pour into prepared pan. (Fudge does not set until poured into pan.)

HIGH ALTITUDE DIRECTIONS:
– Increase milk to 1-2/3 cups
– Use soft ball cold water test for doneness OR Test and read thermometer in boiling water, subtract difference from 212°F. Then subtract that number from 234°F. This is the soft ball temperature for your altitude and thermometer.

I hope this is what Chris is looking for! God Bless!
Jan
Montgomery, AL

I found the recipe of the Hershey’s Classic Rich Cocoa Fudge that Chris asked for in a previous newsletter.

* 3 cups sugar
* 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (Hershey’s)
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1/4 cup butter (half stick)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.
Line an 8 or 9 inch square pan with aluminum foil, butter the foil.
2.
Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in a 4 quart saucepan, add milk.
3.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a full boil.
4.
Boil without stirring until mixture reaches 234 degrees F on a candy thermometer (soft ball stage).
5.
Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla, do not stir.
6.
Cool at room temperature to 110 degrees.
7.
Beat with a wooden spoon until fudge begins to thicken and loses its gloss.
8.
Spread quickly into pan, let cool to room temperature, cut into squares.

Jenn

Does anyone have a sour dough bread recipe that can be used in a bread maker?
Nancy F

Here are a recipe for Nancy F:

QUICK SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD (no starter needed)
Source: Pillsbury bread flour bag

Cut recipe in half for bread machine!

4 to 5 cups flour, divided use
2 pkgs. yeast
2 Tbsp. wheat germ
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees)
1 cup dairy sour cream, room temperature
2 Tbsp. vinegar

Place in your machine in order recommended by manufacturer.

Jenn

I have a bread machine recipe for sourdough bread:

1.5 pound loaf
Basic Sourdough Bread

1-1/2 c. starter
1/3 c. milk
3 T butter
3 c. bread flour
1-1/2 T sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. yeast

Add ingredients to the machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Use the LIGHT setting. Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing. Place loaf on a rack to cool completely.

Note: Taken from “Sourdough Baking” by Susan Draudt. Excellent book! There is a great section on bread machine sourdough recipes.

Carol

I’m looking for an old salad recipe I’ve had many times. The woman who made it for me called it “Ma Cole’s salad” after her mother, but I am pretty sure she didn’t actually make it up, so if anyone recognizes it I’d be grateful! It’s a chopped salad that has lettuce, tomatoes, green olives, cauliflower and cheddar cheese. It might have some other things too. I think the dressing had pickle brine and parsley in it too, but again I’m not sure.

Megan

I searched the Internet and could not locate an exact recipe – I am suggesting that you make a basic salad, with the veggie’s you listed, make this recipe for the brine dressing and pour over the top.
Dill Pickle Brine Dressing

1/4 cup canola oil

2 tbsp Dill Pickle brine (from jar)

2 tsp white vinegar

2 tsp white sugar

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp chopped fresh dill

1/2 tsp dry mustard

Directions:

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl or place in a glass jar and shake to combine. Toss with fresh mixed greens and homemade croutons. This recipe makes about a 1/2 cup of dressing – recipe can be doubled or tripled, too.

Kim B.

Cauliflower Couscous by Matt

Serves 3 to 4

Finely ground Cauliflower salad with Greek olives and Mediterian herbs from Matt’s RAWvolution book

Ingredients
o 2 heads cauliflower, finely ground
o ½ cup fresh lemon juice
o 1 cup olive oil
o 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon blac pepper
o ¾ teaspoon sea salt
o 1 bunch fresh parsley leaves
o 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
o 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
o 13 ounces jar pitted Greek olives

Preparation
Put the cauliflower in a food processor or blender and pulse until the texture is somewhat like couscous. If you are not sure what is couscous, the texture it will be rough and grainy, with the bits a little larger than grits, but smaller than rice.

In the large bowl, combine all the ingredients and thoroughly mix; then refrigerate. The refrigeration is important, because it allows the flavors to blend. You should leave it in there for at LEAST an hour, but six hours is better. (Sometimes it is hard to be that patient, because this stuff is so good!)

(source http://goneraw.com/recipes/2037-Cauliflower-Couscous-by-Matt )

Judy L.

I had a recipe request for the newsletter. Ages ago I worked at a restaurant that had the best Cream of Chicken Soup. I know they started with Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup, but then added other ingredients to really doctor it up- and it was so good. I’ve made homemade soups trying to duplicate, but they just aren’t as creamy and good. Just curious if anyone makes their Creamy Chicken soup this way and would share the recipe. Thanks!

Peggy

Since Peggy asked for a recipe that starts with a ‘can’ soup, I would suggest making the ‘can’ as directed, but to use real cream, not milk, to obtain the thick and creamy base texture. Also, add bits of real chicken, veggies, etc … until it ‘looks-like-she-remembers’. Also, there are many home-made recipes on the internet, too.

Kim B.

I am looking for 2 things:
1. A recipe from around 20 years ago that came in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It is for Cranberry Conserve. It contained fresh cranberries, chopped pears, sugar, and orange juice. You could can it in a water bath canner.

2. Any ideas for a windfall of hard, crisp cooking pears. These are not the fancy store bought (soft) kind. What would you do to preserve them?????

Thanks bunches!
Jan H., Georgia

The actual Good Housekeeping Website has a few recipes using these same ingredients, but use the name ‘relish’ instead of conserve. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/cranberry-pear-relish?click=main_sr

Kim B.

I found a Cranberry Pear Relish on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette web site from 1999. The recipe was originally published in Parade magazine. Here is the recipe (I hope it is what Jan H. in Georgia is looking for!)

Cranberry Pear Relish
When choosing pears, either Anjou or Bosc will do. Anjou pears are juicier.

4 cups (about 1 pound) fresh cranberries, picked over
2 cups sugar
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 slightly underripe pears, cored, peeled and cut into 1/3- inch dice

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and stir well. Place pan over medium heat and boil until berries pop open, about 10 minutes. Skim the foam off the surface with a metal spoon and let the relish cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 months. Makes 10 servings.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 206 calories; 53 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; no fat; no cholesterol.

God Bless!
Jan
Montgomery, AL

Here a recipe for Jan H from an old newletter:

Cranberry Conserve

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 whole orange, seeds removed, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup peeled and chopped apple
1 cup peeled and chopped pear
1 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:
In a medium heavy saucepan combine cranberries and water and cook until berries burst, about 10 minutes. Add all other ingredients except pecans and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 25 minutes. Add nuts, stir to combine, and allow to cool. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl or jar and refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 weeks. Conserve may also be frozen in plastic food storage bags for up to 1 year. Alternatively, you can process hot mixture in sterilized jars and keep in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

I did some research and found these articles: What to do with hard pears?

I had some hard pears and discovered a way to prepare them, and they are very tasty.
Peel and cut the pears to bite size, and boil them in a little water. Add cinnamon candy and cook until they are tender. The cinnamon candy gives them a very good taste and turns the pears a pretty color. You don’t need to add any sugar, as they are sweet enough. This is very good with chicken dishes. — Kathryn from Texas

Jogger’s Paradise
3 oranges
2 hard pears
1 small yam
Here is a muscle-blasting, power-pushing juice recipe for joggers. Juice fasters
often experience periods of phenomenal strength and endurance. Clean blood, clean
muscles, and enzyme-rich, nutrient-packed, fuel make for intense aerobic activity.
Water fasting usually requires rest, but not so with juice fasting. Look out!
You can clean your house, run and lift weights with the best of them. Try this
juice out on a five-mile jog. Add a little crushed ice and let your taste buds
sing. Sip slowly.

Pickled Pears In Sweetened Vinegar
Yield: 1 Servings

Ingredients

2 lb hard. cooking pears
2 ts cloves
2 ts allspice
1 ts crushed cinnamon stick
1 small piece crushed ginger
8 oz sugar
1/2 pt vinegar

Instructions

Crush all spices together and tie in a piece of muslin [cheese cloth].
Place the bag of spice and the sugar into the vinegar, and heat gently
until the sugar is dissolved. Peel and core the pears and cut into
1/4 or 1/8ths. Simmer the pears in the sweetened vinegar until they
are tender but not overcooked or broken. Lift out and pack into
clean jars. Meanwhile continue to boil the vinegar until it thickens
slightly. Pour over the pears, filling each jar. Tie down and seal
securely when cold. Best kept for 2 or 3 months before use. Brought
to you from Ron’s Plaice in Blackpool:)

Spiced Pears for Canning
PREP TIME: 2 Hours
YIELDS: 10-12 (1-pint) Jars

COMMENT:
During the summer, when fresh fruits are abundant, you should preserve some to enjoy during the winter, when they are scarce. This great recipe for preserving hard Louisiana cooking pears contains an aromatic mixture of ground spices that will make the whole house smell wonderful.
INGREDIENTS:
7 pounds cooking pears, peeled, cored and quartered
2 cups vinegar
4 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp whole cloves
METHOD:
Immediately place peeled, quartered pears in cold water with lemon juice or Fruit Fresh preservative to prevent them from turning brown. In a 3-gallon stockpot, blend vinegar, sugar, water and spices. Drain pears, add to pot and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until pears are tender and can be pierced with a fork. Using a slotted spoon, remove all pears from the syrup. Pour ¼ cup syrup into each jar then add pears and 2-3 whole cloves in a decorative fashion. Fill the jar with syrup up to ¼-inch from the rim. Cover jars and place in boiling water for 20-25 minutes. After boiling, tighten lids completely and place upside down until cooled. These wonderful spiced pears can be poured over ice cream or cakes, chopped and spread on toast, or eaten right out of the jar.

Jenn

For all of you wanting to know what to do with hard pears- I cooked them down into pear sauce , added a little Kool aid- 1 tsp pre quart then dried it in my dehydrator for homemate fruit rollups. After they are dry- it will be sticky, remove from tray. dust with powdered sugar and roll up in freezer paper. We love it.

Charlotte

I too had a windfall of hard pears. We picked two trees from a neighbors and spread them on newspapers in the basement until they were yellow. Then we made Pear Honey. My father remembers it from his youth and requested it. The recipe calls for lots of sugar and I am hypoglycemic so I combined three recipes to make a no sugar added version. I am including both recipes.

Old Fashioned Pear Honey

8 cups peeled, cored and chopped pears
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
8 cups white sugar

Place chopped pears into a large pot, and pour pineapple juice over them to prevent them from browning. Stir in sugar, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. When the pears are at a full boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is the color and texture of honey. The longer you cook it, the thicker it gets. Cooking time is usually 2 to 3 hours.

Ladle into hot sterile jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth, and seal jars with lids and rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes

Kim O.

My grandmother use to work for a hospital, where she cooked for the people. She use to make these ruben sandwiches that were so so good. I can still remember how they tasted. No one in my family seems to have the recipe that she used. I think she baked them but some in my family think she grilled them on the stove top. I just remember that she made a lot all at once and the were always on a big baking sheet when she brought them over. I have that baking sheet and now I need the recipe. Does any one happen to know of one. Thanks,

Tiffany

My husband loves these sandwiches and makes them up on the stove, just like a grilled-cheese.
Ruben Sandwiches

2 slices of Dark Rye Bread
1 Tablespoon of warmed Sauerkraut (drained)
3 slices of Deli Corned Beef (thin sliced)
2 slices of Swiss Cheese
Using a non stick skillet, heat on medium; lightly butter one side of the bread and place butter side down in the hot skillet.

Next, layer in 1 slice of Swiss Cheese, 1 Tablespoon sauerkraut, corned beef, another slice of cheese and top with second slice of Rye Bread, with its buttered-side facing out.

Brown one side, flip sandwich, brown the other side, and serve when the cheese is melted – best hot.

Kim B.

I’m just writing to let Tiffany know about the Rubens.I worked at a Hospital for
seven years and we had Rubens on the menu.Start by spreading 1000 isand dressing on two slices of
rye bread.Then layer corned beef,sauerkraut and swiss cheese.Cook in skillet that has been
buttered.You could grill them on an electric griddle,but I wouldn’t cook them in the
oven………Patty

In response to Tiffany who was looking for an oven reuben recipe,…

My Gammie used to make reubens in the oven on a cookie sheet and it was one of the first recipes I learned as a child. You start with a slice of rye bread and top it with thinly sliced corned beef, drained sauerkraut, thousand island dressing, and finally a slice of Swiss cheese (all in that order). Then put the cookie sheet filled with as many of the sandwiches as you need into the oven to broil on the low setting. It only takes maybe 5-10 minutes or so for the ingredients to heat up and for the cheese to melt and get bubbly, but watch it carefully to be sure.

Gammie always served them open-faced, but if you want, you can include an extra slice of bread that will be lightly toasted in the oven along side the sandwiches and then top the sandwich with that extra bread. It will stick to that melted cheese for a perfect reuben.

Jennifer H., Powder Springs, GA

When I worked in hospital foodservice, all grilled sandwiches were actually made in the oven. Grease a large sheet pan w/ margarine, lay out your bread slices. Fill sandwiches as desired (for Reubens, 1000 Isle Dressing, Pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut), top w/ another slice of bread. Butter the top slices of bread, then top all sandwiches with another baking sheet. Two is even better, if they stack together, to add weight. This helps the sandwiches “grill” on both sides at once. Bake at 350ºF for about 15-20 minutes, or until grilled as you like them. Serve hot off grill pan.

Rebecca
Many Many years ago, I visited a home in VT where the hostess made this spectacular crock pot recipe that included either sweet potatoes or butternut with apples. If I remember it also had honey and perhaps there was even sausage or some other meat in it. I have tried for years to reproduce this without success. I am hoping one of your readers, or even you could help me recreate this delicious dish.

Kerry C.

My mom makes this recipe all the time, but usually omits the meat and uses raw sweet potatoes/yams instead of pre-canned mix you buy at the store.
Crock-pot: Sweet Potatoes and Sausage (optional) Stew

3 c. peeled and sliced apples (Granny’s are tarter and Gala’s are sweeter)

1 (16 oz.) can of sweet potatoes*, sliced

1 link of kielbasa sausage (optional)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. lemon rind, grated

1 tbsp. Butter

Instructions: Spray empty crock-pot with non-stick spray; place 1/2 of the apples, sweet potatoes and kielbasa (optional) into the greased crockpot.

Then, combine sugar, salt, spices, lemon rind and sprinkle half of mixture into crock-pot; add the remaining apples, sweet potatoes and kielbasa (optional).

Top with remaining spice mixture, and dot pats of butter over the top of mixture. Cover and cook on low setting for 3-5 hours. This will make about 6-8 servings.

Kim B.

I once had a terrific mac and cheese recipe (handwritten by a friend and long lost) that included to beaten eggs and cheddar cheese. It made a light and delicious dish and I would love to find it again.
Thank you for helping with this.

Louise

Here is the recipe that has been used in our family for many, many years.

Mac and Cheese – oven

1 (8 oz. pkg.) elbow macaroni — cooked and drained

2 1/2 cups (10 oz) shredded cheddar cheese — divided

1 1/2 cups milk

2 large eggs — lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Paprika

Butter

Grease a 2 qt. Casserole with butter; Layer in 1/3 noodles then 1/3 cheese –repeat these layers, but save the last layer of cheese until the final 10 minutes of cooking. In a bowl, combine milk, eggs, salt and pepper and pour over casserole.

Dot pats of butter over the top of the casserole mix.

Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Then, uncover and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with paprika.
Bake an additional 10 minutes – then, let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Kim B.

Inspirational Story

THE BRIDGE BUILDER
By Will Allen Dromgoole

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned, when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim, near,
“You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide-
Why build you a bridge at the eventide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head:
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followeth after me today,
A youth, whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm, that has been naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.”

Final Thought

That’s it for this edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I had creating it for you. I also hope that you have found the information helpful and useful. And by all means feel free to forward the newsletter to family and friends or even better, encourage them to subscribe to it.

Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you’d like to share with us? Email it to me and I’ll include it in a future issue. Can’t wait to see what you have to say.

Warm Wishes,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

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