Time for a cookie recipe

These are John's all time favorite cookie.  He especially loves them frozen. That also keeps them out of my sight.

Hello Dolly Cookies
1/4 cup butter,melted
1 1/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Mix butter and graham crackers. Press into 8x8 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and walnuts on top.  Pour sweetened milk evenly on top. Then sprinkle with coconut.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Cut into bars when cool. Yield 12 bars.

Grapefruit Slush

It's trying to get warm and we know that overnight Summer will appear and it will be in the 90's. So this recipe will cool you down on those hot days.

 Grapefruit Slush
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 (16 oz) grapefruit sections with juice
2 (13 oz) crushed pineapple with juice
1 med bottle maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
Conbine sugar and water, bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Cool. Add grapefruit, pineapple and cherries. Freeze to slush.
Spoon slush into sherbet dishes. Cover with guava juice, cranberry juice or ginger ale. Add a tounch of grenadine it desired.

I was looking through Grandma June's recipes. I came across this one dated 1952 from the kitchen of Ingrid Olsen. It's in June's handwriting. The directions in parenthese are also included in the recipe. Poppy Seed Dressing Makes (3 1/2 cups) 1 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp dry mustard 2 tsp salt 3/4 cup white vinegar 3 tsp onion juice 2 cup Wesson oil (never olive oil) 3 tsp poppy seeds Put in electric blender sugar, salt, mustard,vinegar. Add onion juice and mix thoroughly (get onion juice by putting onion in blender and straining) Add oil slowly, beating constantly and continue beating until thick. Add poppy seed and beat for a few minutes. Store in refrigerator. Will keep indefinitely! Have oil at room temperature.

We'll miss you!

Today our beloved grandmother finally got to join her sweetheart.  I know that everyone is grieving in their own way.  Here is something that I did this evening as I reflected on Grandma June's influence on my life.  (Wish I had more pictures, but they're at my mom's).

So, what do you remember about Grandma June?

Roast Beef Sloppy Joes (Christmas Eve)

Ingredients
4-5 lbs. round bone pot roast
1 onion-diced
Salt & pepper
Potato rolls

Brown onion, put with roast. Add salt & pepper to taste--cook like a pot roast but a little longer than usual keeping water on it. Put juice in freezer until grease comes to top then remove it from juice and make gravy out of juice. Shred meat with fingers then pour gravy over meat and freeze until ready to serve. Just warm it and serve on potato rolls.

Note from Jen: I'm sorry that I hanven't updated in forever. And I have to admit that this recipe didn't technically come from Grandma's recipe box. One of you gave it to me at my wedding shower. But it does have Grandma's name on the recipe card, so I hope it's close enough.

I always look forward to Christmas Eve and being together with family. And just the smell of these sloppy joes makes it seem like Christmas. Happy Holidays, Holts!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Cut chicken breasts into strips. (Do this with raw meat)
2 tbs. cooking oil
Cook 15 minutes in fry pan

Add:

1 diced green pepper
1/2 c. mushrooms
2 thinly sliced carrots
1 c diced celery
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 c chicken broth
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 1/3 c pineapple tidbits

Simmer 10 minutes. Mix 2 tbs. corn starch with 2 tbs. cold water.
Add, stirring to thicken. 1 tbs. lemon juice helps flavor.

Serve with rice.

Herb Bread Spread

From the kitchen of: Grace Stevens (1979)

Ingredients:

4 oz. butter
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 Tbsp. Tarragon Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Thyme
2 tbs. parsley
1/4 tsp. sage - rubbed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. prepared mustard

Spread on French Bread slices. Place slices together back in loaf shape. Wrap in foil, bake 20 minutes at 300 degrees.

Hoot Nanny

From the kitchen of: Marg Garff

Ingredients:

1 square of butter (1/4 lb.)

Melt in 425 degree oven in 9" x 13" pan.

6 eggs, beaten well (or in blender)

Add to eggs:
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat and pour into butter in pan.

Cook 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees.

Serve with berries and whip cream or with hot maple syrup.

Note from Jen: I asked Grandma if she had any recipes that she traditionally made for Easter. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember any. But if you have that you remember and would like me to post, let me know!

Suki Yaki

From the kitchen of: Carolyn Holt

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (not minute rice) prepared as directed on package
1 lb. steak, sliced into thin diaonal pieces

Brown steak in 1 tbsp. cooking oil and 3 tbsp. soy sauce. Add 2 cans beef broth or bullion.

When broth is heated, add:
4 stalks celery, diced dianonally
1 large onion, sliced
4 green onions and stems, cut in 1 inch pieces
1 4 oz. can sliced button mushrooms
1 green pepper sliced in pieces

Cover and cook 5 minutes only. (Don't overcook vegetables!). Add 1 or more tbsp. of cornstarch to thicken.

Serve over rice.

Note from Jen: Since it's too cold for a dessert, how about a main course. Kathy mentioned she liked this recipe in July. I've never tried it before. Can't wait to try something new.

Christmas Dessert (aka Peppermint Cake)

From the kitchen of: June Holt

Crust Ingredients:
1 lg. box vanilla wafers--12 oz.
1/2 c. melted butter or margarine

Crush wafers--combine with butter and press 2/3 in bottom of 9x13 pan. Reserve rest for top.

Chocolate Layer Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. butter softened
4 eggs
2 sq. melted unsweetened chocolate
2 tbs. Hershey cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix these ingredients in order given. Mix long enough for mixture to thicken (5-10 minutes). Spread over crust.

Peppermint Layer Ingredients:
7 oz. jar marshmallow cream
1 c. whipping cream whipped
1/2 c. crushed peppermint candy--crush in blender
1 c. nuts (optional)

Whip cream--add marshmallow cream and peppermint candy. Spread over chocolate layer. top with rest of crust. Freeze---Allow to defrost 1/2 hour before serving.

Note from Jen: Buffer asked me for this recipe before Christmas. Sadly, I didn't check my email until this week. But it was a good reminder for me to start working on this blog again. I think that once a week was a little overwhelming. Let's try once a month. And I'm all for requests!

Pavlova

From the kitchen of:

Ingredients:
5 egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Whisk egg whites until fluffy and holding in peaks. Fold in 1/2 of sugar and all other ingredients. Add remaining sugar and whisk for four minutes until stiff peaks.

Use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a 10" circle. Shape pavlova mixture into a round about 2 inches high. Back at 275 for 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven and turn upside down onto a serving plate. When cool, frost with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Note from Jen: A truly international dessert. I was told Grandma June got this Australian dessert named after a Russian ballerina while serving their mission in Ireland. I know that my family has shared it with people from Germany, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, Italy, Mexico, and Argentina to name just a few. How about your families? Who have you shared it with?

Pictures from Sandie

Playing dress up with Grandma June's clothes

Huston enjoying "Death by Chocolate" at Laguna.

Best Home Made Root Beer

From the kitchen of: Diane Perkins

Ingredients:
1 Bottle Hires Root Beer Extract
5 lbs. sugar
4 gals. water

Mix ingredients thoroughly. Add 50 cents worth of dry ice, chopped in smaller pieces.

Note from Jen: Here's another fun summer recipe. I've never made root beer before. But I bet that dry ice is more expensive than 50 cents now.

Pineapple & Coconut Sherbet

From the kitchen of:  Evelyn I. Vernon

Ingredients:
1 can #2 crushed pineapple
1 can condensed milk
3 c. sugar
4 1/2 c. milk
1 c. coconut
Juice of 2 1/2 or 3 lemons
1 pint shipping cream (whipped)

Dissolve the first three ingredients, heat until sugar melts.  Add rest of ingredients putting whipping cream that has been whipped in last.  Have everything cold when you add it.  Freeze and serve.

Note from Jen:  I thought something cold for the Fourth of July might be nice!  (Mom's guessing that #2 can is a 14 oz. can for the pineapple.  Try it and see.)  Happy Independence Day everyone!

Death By Chocolate

From the kitchen of:  Relief Society
Date:  8-11-97

Ingredients:
2 pkg. Jello No-Bake Chocolate Silk Pie
1 pkg. Chewy Fudge Brownies
1 twelve ounce Cool Whip
1 pkg.  Skor Bar Bits or 4-6 Skor Bars

Make pie filling according to pkg. directions (discard crumbs).  Refrigerate.  When brownies are cool, cut in 1 inch pieces (9x13 pan).  Make two layers in each bowl.

Each layer has:
1/4 pan brownies
1/4 c. Skor Bits
1/4 of Chocolate Mouse
1/4 pkg. Cool Whip

(One of  Sandie's favorite--even though she doesn't like chocolate)

Note from Jen:  I think this is supposed to be in TWO triffle bowls.  But I'm not sure.  Try it and see.  Enjoy!

Welcome Holts, One and All

With the current situation with Grandma June, I felt that we needed a way of sharing all of our wonderful thoughts and memories of our beautiful grandmother.

Rather than the "Julie/Julia Project,"  I propose the "Grandma June" project.  Someone will post one of Grandma June's recipes.  The rest of us should try and cook that recipe during the week then post our reactions/thoughts to it.  Was it amazing?  Did you not like the texture?  What memories do you have associated with this food?

I'm not sure how many recipes Grandma has, but it might be fun to find out.  (And remember, calories don't count when cooking with Grandma June.)