"Tried and True" From My Recipe Box

Today I pulled out a few recipes from my "tried and true" recipe box. My obsession with collecting old cookbooks and recipes is "over the top". This is like "true confession time" ....but I have an antique librarian's cabinet that I use for a recipe file; it's huge- for a recipe file. This holds the recipes that I've hauled away from estate auctions and clipped from magazines...that I want to try! We're talking hundreds of them. In a smaller (not "small", mind you) wooden file I have my "tried and true" recipes from family; recipe clippings that I've tried and liked; and anything that I've had at an event or church dinner that was so good that I begged for the recipe.
This confession does not include the number of cookbooks I have accumulated; that number is a blurry figure existing in the "gray area" of life, to save my husband from the shock that the naked truth sometimes brings. He knows they're here in cabinets and drawers...we've just never actually counted them. I think it's better that way! He's fully aware of my addiction to all things related to cooking. He's at the auctions and estate sales with me. I believe he's what counselors who help addicts call...an "enabler". Bless his heart, he pays for the cookbooks and the seller's lifetime collection of recipes, and then carries them to the car for me! What a man.
Anyway, today I wanted to share some from the my "tried and true" box. Please leave a comment, and let me know if you liked them. They say that confession is good for the soul. I know that I'm feeling better, but not good enough to count those cookbooks and give you a number! Happy Thursday.




Party Pennies

2 pkg. hotdogs, sliced
1 small jar grape or apple jelly
1 small jar yellow mustard

Make sauce by combining jelly and mustard in crockpot until smooth. Add sliced hotdogs. You can use stick pretzels in place of toothpicks when serving these to children.



Microwave All-At-Once Spaghetti


1 TBSP butter or margarine
1 C onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 lb. uncooked spaghetti
grated parmesan cheese
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 C water
1/2 tsp oregano

Place butter and onion in a 2 qt. casserole dish. Heat in microwave on High 3 to 4 min. until onion is tender. Add ground beef and cook on High 3 to 4 min. until no longer pink; stir halfway through cooking time. Drain. Add salt, pepper, tomato sauce, water, oregano and basil. Cook in microwave, covered, on High for 6 min. Break the uncooked spaghetti into mixture and stir. Cover and cook on High for 18-20 min.-stirring every 6 min. After it's done, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.





Asian Beef and Noodles

1 1/4 lb. ground chuck (leftover beef or hamburger can be used)
2 pkg. ramen noodles-Oriental flavor
2 C frozen vegetables (bag of frozen broccoli or leftover veggies work, too)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 TBSP thinly-sliced green onions

In large skillet, brown meat over med. heat for 8-10 min. (or reheat cooked meat). Pour off any grease. Season meat with 1 pkg. of ramen seasoning mix; set aside. In same skillet, combine 2 C water, noodles (broken up), vegetables, ginger and the other seasoning pkg. from ramen. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 3 min. Return beef to skillet; heat thoroughly. Stir in green onions before serving. Good with a little soy sauce.