Quick Marshmallow Cake - 1948

Quick Marshmallow Cake

2 egg whites (or 1 whole egg)

melted butter

milk

vanilla

1 c. sugar

1 1/4 c. flour (pastry)

2 tsp. baking powder

In a large cup, the egg whites (or whole egg), fill to half with melted butter, and fill with milk. In a mixing bowl, the sugar, sifted flour, and baking powder. Combine all and beat five minutes. Add vanilla, bake in square pan in moderate oven and frost with marshmallow frosting (see below).

Marshmallow Frosting

3/4 c. sugar

1 egg white

2 tbsp. water

6 marshmallows

Boil sugar and water until spins a thread, pour over beaten egg white. Beat until stiff; add cut marshmallows and trim with marshmallows cut in points.

I will be joining Designs by Gollum, Life as Mom, Grocery Cart Challenge, Mom Trends, Ann Kroeker, and Amy's Finer Things for their swaps today. We'll be back to business as usual next week starting with Menu-Planning Monday. Thanks again for joining me for a week of old recipes! Have a great weekend!

Pioneer Soup - 1948 Cookbook

Pioneer Soup - 1948 Cookbook

1 1/2 lb spare ribs

6 medium-sized potatoes (diced)

1/2 c. diced tomatoes

3 onions (sliced thin)

salt, pepper

Put spare ribs on in cold water, and when coming to a boil, skim. After 1/2 hour of boiling, add onions and tomatoes. Then 1/2 hour later, add salt and pepper to taste and the potatoes. Simmer until ribbles (see below) are added, then boil.

Ribbles

1 egg

2 c. flour

1 tbsp. salt

Beat egg until light, sift flour into beaten egg until fine ribbles are obtained by working between your fingers. Ten minutes before serving the soup, remove the meat. Add as many ribbles as will thicken soup nicely. If there are any left, they will keep in a covered jar. Boil ten minutes.

I will be joining Life as Mom and Joy of Desserts for their swaps today. Remember to join me tomorrow for the final installation in our series of old recipes from 1948! Have a great Thursday!

Old Candy Recipe - 1948

Famous Pulled Cream Candy
2 lb. granulated sugar
small 1/2 tsp. of cream of tartar
2/3 C. water
vanilla

Combine sugar, cream of tartar, and water. Boil without stirring until forms a ball in cold water. Pour into buttered pan to cool. Turn into center once or twice while cooling. When comfortable to handle, pull flavor and cut with scissors.

I will be joining King's Court IV, Turning the Clock Back, and We are that Family for their swaps today. Be sure to come back tomorrow for more old recipes!

Old Recipes All Week Long

Kraut Salad

(Family Size)

1 qt. kraut (washed and drained)

1 green pepper

1 onion, cut fine

1 C diced celery

1/4 C salad oil

1/4 C vinegar

1 C sugar

Mix sugar with vinegar and oil and toss over other ingredients. Pimento can be added for color.

I will be at Orgjunkie for MPM today. Join me all week for old recipes!

1948 Cookbook from Nebraska Farmer

I found the old cookbook that I'm reviewing today at a flea market in Canton, Texas. A Modern Kitchen Guide is a 1948 book of, "up-to-date recipes" and household hints". It is a Bunting Publication (North Chicago, Illinois), but of course there's no ISBN. The cover looks more like it would be a mechanic's manual; it's a faded red paperback with sturdy binding, and appears to have been a give-away from Nebraska Farmer (maybe an insurance company?) In fact, if anyone out there has anymore info on Nebraska Farmer, I would love to have it-leave it in my comments, please.

The claim inside the yellowed pages is that: "Beginners will value it for its simplicity; experienced cooks will use it to refresh their memories of forgotten dishes." And I have to say, it lives up to its claim! This little book from the 40's would be useful to "newbies" and folks who "know their way around the kitchen".

There is a wide array of recipes in this "handy little helper" of a book. To be honest, there were some old recipes that I hadn't heard mentioned in quite a while (some, "old dishes" I'd forgotten). Along with the nice section on soups, there are several main dishes, and a wonderful dessert and candy chapter! Thanksgiving is drawing near and luckily this book has lots of old pie recipes. If you like to can, there are a bunch of recipes for conserves, preserves and pickles; you don't always find that in modern cookbooks! In fact there's a delicious-sounding recipe for Pear Conserve; it will be our sample recipe for today. (P.S.-I actually enjoyed this old book so much that it will be our theme next week- look for one recipe each day; you gotta have Pioneer Soup!)


Page 197 Pear Conserve

7 lb. chopped pears, peeled and cut fine
5 lb. sugar
3 oranges, rind and juice
3 lemons, juice
1 lb. raisins
Let stand over night, then add 1/2 lb. freshly shelled walnuts. Add cut rind of oranges and juice of both lemons and oranges and raisins. Cook slowly about 1 1/2 hours. Just before taking from fire add broken walnuts. Put in sterilized jars and seal.

I will be joining these swaps today:
LifeasMom
DesignsbyGollum
Grocerycartchallenge
Momtrends
AnnKroeker
Finerthings

Carmel Corn

Here's a very-yellowed and crumpled recipe that I found stuck in the Nebraska Farmer Cookbook from 1946 (which I plan to review tomorrow). With the cool Fall weather and football games on TV, I thought a popcorn snack might be a good choice for today. Enjoy!


Caramel Corn

2 C brown sugar
2 sticks margarine
1/2 C white syrup
vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
14 C popped corn (I'd throw in some peanuts, too!)

Place popped corn in a shallow pan. Mix all ingredients in heavy sauce pan except flavoring. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Stir through and pour over popcorn. Bake 1 hour in 250 degree oven stirring every 10 or 15 minutes to coat corn.

I will be at these recipe swaps today:

-LifeasMom.com
JoyofDesserts

Free Halloween Game Apps

I found this list of free game apps for your smartphone (or iPod Touch) in the weekend magazine that comes in our Sunday paper. I thought it would be a fun list to share with you. You or your kids might enjoy these holiday-themed games. Have a good Wednesday!

- Dragon and Dracula 3-D (GetJar)
- GhostHunters-Casual (Apple)
- Halloween Candy (GetJar)
- IQ Halloween (GetJar)

***Book I'm reading: The Help (I highly reccomend it!)***

My Mother-in-Law's Spaghetti Sauce

My dear mother-in-law, Louise, Has been on my mind constantly this week. She has some serious health concerns and is in the hospital. She is a wonderful mother-in-law and I would ask that you all put her on your prayer lists.
Through the years, Louise Davis has cooked-for and cared-for more people than I can name. She is a very kind person with a giving heart... and she's a great cook. You just can't beat that combination! Love you, Louise. We're all praying for your return to good health. Here's Louise's recipe for her delicious spaghetti sauce. She gave it to me as we were sitting at her kitchen table chatting one day.

Louise Davis' Spaghetti Sauce

Brown a pound of ground beef and a chopped onion. Add 1 medium-sized can tomato paste and 1 jar of spaghetti sauce. Add 1/2 tsp each:
-oregano
-rosemary
-basil
-garlic powder

Simmer all day. One half hour before serving, add a handful of pepperoni (take pepperoni out before serving). Mushrooms or Italian sausage may be added.


I will be at these blogs today for their recipe swaps:
-Blessedwithgrace
-Gypsy'scorner
-Balancingbeautyandbedlam
-Allthesmallstuff

October Menu for Week of 18th-23rd

I realized as I did the Monday fridge/freezer assessment this morning that I need to clean out and use up what I have. When we got back in town last night, I bought a gallon of milk, so along with what I have, I'm set for the week. That's a good feeling!

Monday, Oct. 18

Chili (shredded cheese)
Crescent Dogs
green beans
Cinnamon Apple Crisp


Tuesday, Oct. 19

Blueberry Pancakes
Ham slices


Wednesday, Oct. 20

Tuna Broccoli Casserole
winter squash
corn

Thursday, Oct.21

Pasta Bake
Garlic Bread
Brussels Sprouts

Friday-Travel

I will be at Orgjunkie for MPM today!

Pillsbury Bake-Off Book from 1968

If you get in a rut of "what do we have for dinner?" our cookbook choice today would be helpful. It does not include desserts, appetizers, or punch recipes; no, this book is all about entrees! Pillsbury's Bake-Off Main Dish Cookbook from 1968 has page after page of ideas for casseroles and main coarse items; some have meat and some do not. There are several recipes that actually mention the fact that you could leave out the meat and have a great side dish.

Like most of Pillsbury's Bake-Off Books, this one has several full-color photos of the wonderful recipes. I also appreciate the section in the front of the book on selecting the right casserole dish or container, along with a page of helpful tips and a list of definitions for the cooking terms that are used. If you are a beginning cook, these additions to a cookbook set you up for success, if you are a Domestic Diva, you can skip on ahead...but leave the rest of us alone to read, " why deep casserole dishes are better for do-ahead recipes." Don't you just love it when you're cooking (especially trying a new recipe!) and you don't have someone "helping you". As a new cook, I certainly scorched my share of pans, and had gravy and fudge that wasn't the right consistency. One Christmas, I ended up making my fudge that didn't set into "Peanut Balls"! Hey, I had too much money in the fudge to toss it...and the nut-covered candy was delicious.

Enough about my past kitchen woes. I predict that you won't have dinner time woes if you can hunt down this great old cookbook. Mine was snapped up from someone's yard sale this summer. Sorry...no ISBN given. The front cover is a red background with a Pepper Steak and Biscuit dish featured. Happy hunting!

Page 37 Creamy Onion Delish

2 (10 oz. packages) frozen onions in cream sauce (note: I think fresh onions in homemade sauce would be better)
3 oz. package cream cheese, cut in cubes
2 C cubed ham
4 oz. can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/4 tsp paprika
2 TBSP butter
1/2 C dry bread crumbs
Oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare onions as directed on package. Place in 1 1/2 qt. casserole.(I would always spray the casserole with cooking spray, first-easier clean-up) Add cream cheese and stir until blended. Stir in ham, mushrooms and paprika. Melt butter, blend in bread crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Tip: Prepare ahead, cover and refrigerate. Bake at 375 degrees. For a vegetable side dish, omit ham; serve with ham, roast beef, turkey or chicken.

***CONGRATS to Blake, son #2, who finished his "midterm mania" today!!***

I will be joining these blogs today for their recipe swaps:

-LifeasMom
-DesignsbyGollum
-Grocerycartchallenge
-Momtrends
-AnnKroeker
-Simplysweethome
-FinerthingsFriday

Chicken-Green Noodle Casserole Freezes Well

I love spinach noodles. In fact, when I pick up the tri-colored rotini that I use for my pasta salad at the store, I try to get the box with the most green pasta! So, imagine my excitement when I found this old clipping from a Southern Living Casserole book (1987). How great it is to find a chicken casserole made with spinach noodles! They're trendsetters there at Southern Living!


Chicken-Green Noodle Casserole

One 3 1/2 lb. chicken
1 C chopped green pepper
1 C chopped onion
1 C chopped celery
1/2 C butter or margarine, melted
1/2 lb. American Cheese, cut into cubes
1 (6 oz. can) sliced mushrooms
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 C cheese crackers, (like Cheez Nips) crushed

Cook chicken; reserve stock. Remove cooled chicken from bones and cut into bite-size pieces. Saute green pepper, celery and onion in butter until tender. Add cheese and stir gently until melted. Add mushrooms and chicken, blending well. Stir in soup and mix well.
Boil spinach noodles in chicken stock. Drain and combine with chicken mixture. Place in a greased 2- qt. casserole dish, and top with crushed cheese crackers. Cool; seal and freeze. To serve, thaw and heat. Yield: 8 servings.

I'll be joining LifeasMom and Aroundmyfamilytable today for their recipe and tip swaps!

Baked Bean Sandwiches from 1946

When we were little, My brother, Greg, and I would eat some weird sandwich combinations. During those summer days of  the 1960's we enjoyed carefree play outside with portable lunches. I remember loving ketchup or Kraft Sandwich Spread (it had pickle relish in it). My younger brother's tastes leaned toward mustard or mayonnaise. He went through a phase, once he figured out that I had a weak stomach and could be really "grossed-out," where he made "sardine sandwiches". My stomach would absolutely churn as he would eat a "culinary mess" between two slices of bread-sardines, peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, mayonnaise, cheese, mustard...uuggghhh! Little brothers! He usually performed this stunt when we were staying overnight at Mammam and Pap's (our paternal grandparents') house. Even though he was a pest, he was my partner in crime and best buddy. Between grabbing snacks, we would play out in the sun, imitate "Batman and Robin" (our favorite TV show) in two of Mammam's bath towels and twirl on the spinning part of the swing set while singing the Batman theme song. That's right...we were those tough, living-on the-edge kids from the 60's: playing outside all day; eating ketchup sandwiches, riding with the car windows down and scooping bugs out of Mammam's rain barrel.

When I spotted this recipe for Baked Bean Sandwiches in a cookbook from 1946, it reminded me of my childhood when simple ingredients constituted a sandwich filling. These would be a good source of protein and fiber, and sound yummy to me.

Baked Bean Sandwiches

1 lb. can baked beans
3 strips crisp bacon, crumbled
2 TBSP tomato catsup
3 TBSP pickle relish
16 slices whole wheat bread

Mash baked beans until smooth. Blend in catsup and relish. Spread 3 TBSP filing on each of 8 slices of bread. Scatter crumbled bacon over each.; top with the other slices of bread.

I will be at these blogs today for their recipe swaps:
-Wearethatfamily
-Diningwithdebbie
-Turningtheclockback
-Kingscourt4
-Krazykitchen
-Kellythekitchenkop

Old Treasured Recipes from P.C. H.S. Concession Stand

In the small town where I grew up there were around 3500 people, and if it was a "home game" on any Friday night in Fall many of the townsfolk were at the football field to cheer for the Wildcat football team and championship marching band (can you tell that I was a "band baby"?) It was a great chance to support the local kids, see your neighbors and friends, and buy amazing concession stand hotdogs!

I guess all the wonderful food offered at the Texas State Fair yesterday has me in a concession-stand-food kinda mood! So, today I'm going to share two of the very special recipes that I've had for years. The first is chili that the P.T.A. served on hotdogs (for school fundraisers) and the second is the Paden City Band Patrons' Football Concession Stand Hotdog Sauce (my favorite because it is meatless). Go Wildcats!

P.T.A. Hotdog Chili (fills 250 hotdogs)

4 lbs. ground beef
1/2 C minced onion
3/8 C sugar
1 pkg. dry chili mix
2 qt. tomato sauce
1 qt. tomato juice
2 qt. pizza sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 green pepper (cut in thin strips)

Brown meat; drain fat off. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Freezes well!


Paden City Band Patrons' Hot Dog Sauce
(Mary Jo Price)

1 gal. ketchup
3 large cans tomato juice
3 large cans tomato paste
10 lb. onions, chopped fine
2 lb. brown sugar (or to taste)
a few drops of Tabasco Sauce
3 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP dry mustard

Put tomato juice and onions on stove and cook down for 1 hour. Add the rest of the ingredients. Divide recipe by 1/3 for home use. (This recipe was popular, and sold on hotdogs to raise money for the Paden City Band Patrons back in the 60's and 70's.)

**Book I'm reading now: The Help by Kathryn Stockett (great recommendation by my sister, Becky!)**

I will be at these great recipe swaps today:
-Blessedwithgrace
-Thewell
Gypsy'scorner
-Balancingbeautyandbedlam
-Allthesmallstuff

Menu for the Week of Oct. 11

Happy Columbus Day! I only have to plan food for a partial week because of some travel this weekend. We plan a visit to the Texas State Fair this week, as well, so I'll be chatting about that in the next few days. I'm very excited to go and look around. We plan to take a train ride into the fair to avoid traffic and parking hassles, so that will be fun, too!

Monday, Oct. 11

Cold cereal
fruit

Tuesday, Oct. 12

Pork Loin Roast w/ carrots
Baked Potatoes
Broccoli Salad
Fruit

Wednesday, Oct. 13

Spaghetti
Garlic Buns
7 Layer Salad

Thursday, Oct. 14

Pork BBQ
Onion Rings
Corn

Friday, Oct. 15

On the road

Saturday, Oct. 16

Oatmeal
Toast

Fish
Au Gratin Potatoes
Green Beans


Sunday, Oct. 17

Toasted Turkey Subs
Chips
Apple slices

I will be at Orgjunkie today for MPM!

The Ideals Country Kitchen Cookbook

I picked up my wonderful paperback cookbook that we're reviewing today from a Goodwill Superstore in Texas. I didn't realize, before my happening-by there, that superstores existed where thrift stores were concerned...but I was thankful and did a "happy dance" in the parking lot (just kidding, but I was excited!) They even had a Goodwill Cafe. So whether you bought cookbooks or coffee or any of the other items, your money went to a great cause.

The previous owner of my Ideals Country Cookbook must have appreciated it, because she had it laminated. That's right, a magazine-sized paperback cookbook with plastic coating so it would last and not get the cover splattered in the kitchen. Now that is love! What a smart home cook to think of such a thing. I wish that she had put her name in the front.

The front cover of the cookbook has a picture of blue enamel pans with golden loaves of homemade bread and a copper tea kettle. It was published by Ideal Publishing, but I'm not sure of the year and there's no ISBN. I can give you the address of the publisher: 11315 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226. Mine is a third printing and Ideal was a very popular publication, so you should be able to find one. And believe me, you want to search for this one if you are a fan of country cooking!

This cookbook entertains with blocks of food history intermingled with the wonderful, classic recipes. For instance, did you know that doughnuts were originally called, "olykoeks" or oily cakes and brought by the Dutch to the New World? But one clever Yankee home cook's idea caused the doughnuts' fame to spread worldwide. Her son was setting off to sea and she wanted to send a type of pastry with him that had lemon in it and would prevent scurvy and colds. She inserted a hazelnut in the center of each to insure that the centers cooked all the way through! Her son's ship left with 1500 doughnuts and by the time he got back, doughnuts were popular at every port of call and its popularity spread across America.

This book has a wide array of practical, common ingredient recipes. These are the types of dishes that have made country cooking popular over the years. I love the abundance of yeast bread recipes, both wheat and corn-based, along with pancakes, fritters and doughnuts. For the chilly weather that's coming up there's: Ham and Pea Soup with Dumplings; Chicken Booyah ; Oxtail Soup and Old-Fashioned Vegetable Soup. If you want to know how to make "Dutch Pocketbooks" or Cornish Pasties this is your book! There are so many old-fashioned down-to-earth goodies in here that I can't name them all, but I will share one from page 35.

Lima Bake

1 1/2 C dried Lima beans
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 C chopped celery
1/4 C chopped green pepper
2 C stewed tomatoes
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
4 slices bacon

Soak beans in cold water or overnight.Drain well. Place limas in large kettle, cover with water and bring to a boil. Add onion and salt. Lower heat and let simmer slowly until beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain beans well, reserving 1/4 C liquid. Combine limas, celery, green pepper, tomatoes, hot pepper sauce and reserved lima liquid in 2 1/2 qt. casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees about 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, fry bacon to desired doneness. Arrange bacon as desired on top of casserole before serving. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Have a great Friday!

Join me at these recipe swaps at the following blogs:
-LifeasMom
-DesignsbyGollum
-Grocerycartchallenge
-Momtrends
-AnnKroeker

Texas Potato Beef Stir-up

On Thursdays I like to dip into my clippings drawer; my Mom has a big tin box that she keeps her clippings in. Yes, everyone who loves to cook usually has a stash of recipes that they have clipped or thrown into a box to "try later". If you've been guilty of this, make sure that "later" is now! Try at least one new recipe a week, and if there are other people or pets in your household, take a thumbs-up/thumbs-down vote after everyone has tried the new item (if you are a single-person household-you rule supreme!). If the new dish turns out great, copy it to a card for your file, if not, toss it in the "plastic Hefty white kitchen file" under the sink! At our house Hubby has veto power, and if the Lab turned up her nose, you might reconsider that food item (Labs will eat rocks!). Here's the recipe from my clippings drawer that I want to share with you today. Let me know if you like it in my comments box. I love to hear from other cooks!!

Texas Potato Beef Stir-up

1/2 pound ground beef (or sausage)
1 small onion, chopped
3 C O'Brien style frozen potatoes, thawed
1 C salsa

Brown your ground beef and onions in a large skillet (I like cast iron!). Pour off all drippings and stir in the potatoes. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa and continue to cook 10 minutes longer. 6 servings.

Join me at Life as Mom and Around My Family Table for their recipe swap today!

Juicing Plums in Your Crock Pot

Not too long ago I received a call from my friend, Earlene. The plum tree in their yard was overflowing and she offered me some of the overflow. What a wonderful offer! Not only did she pick the plums and bag them for me, (her husband, Kenneth probably was a big help) but she and Kenneth (the "Green Tomato Salsa Master") delivered them to my door! I am always appreciative of fresh produce...unless it's okra (we've established this fact in a previous post). My dilemma on this particular day was that I had an annual chamber banquet to attend that evening and was leaving the next morning for a trip, but I never turn down beautiful fresh fruit!

I came up with a solution. I rinsed the plums and picked off stems and leaves. Using a sharp paring knife, I got rid of the few bad places in the fruit. I placed the fruit and just enough water to barely cover the plums in my large crock pot, set it on low and went about my busy day and evening. That night when I returned from the dinner, I changed out of my good clothes and got to work. It was simple; using a strainer, I mashed the plums and poured all the strained juice into a pan. Because the juice was already hot, I was ready to add the sugar and Sure-Jell and make jelly (I had my containers ready to go).

Another time that I was blessed with a gift of fresh fruit and didn't have time to make the jelly that day, I followed the same steps with the crock pot and sealed the strained juice in a plastic container with a tight lid for the freezer. Now, whenever I want to make some more jelly, I have juice to thaw and put on the stove!
If you want to know how jelly done this way turned out, it was a hit. I shared some and got compliments on it. To be fair, the real reason that jelly was sooo good was the wonderful flavor of Earlene and Kenneth's plums. It's nice to have friends who come bearing fruit....no matter what day it is!

I will be at these great blogs today; please give them a look!
-We Are That Family
-Dining with Debbie
-The King's Court IV

My Version of Cranberry (Apple) Cobbler

As I mentioned in my first blog post back (Friday) after my summer break, our family had some exciting changes this summer. My husband accepted a great opportunity to work with a Chamber in Texas; Son #1 moved into his own place and continues his work at the University ; Son #2 began work as a grad assistant as he pursues his Masters Degree in Tulsa; Son #3 got his learner's permit and entered a new high school (more on that later; high school ain't what it used to be! Amazing, just amazing!); and in the midst of all this-we traveled back to West Virginia to see family for 2 weeks (yes, we are crazy). Now that you've heard how I spent my break, it is easy to see why it was a challenge to fit in my cookbook quest to auctions and yard sales; thrift stores and used- book stores are easier and more accessible when you are limited on time.
So get ready, this fall and winter you will be subjected to hearing about my adventures in the great state of Texas! (Hey, did you see that Texas/OU game last Saturday?!....still an OU fan :-) I plan to cheer for Texas when they play other teams.

Enough about my busy summer. Here's a wonderful Fall recipe for cobbler. The original was just for a cranberry cobbler, but after I had it on one of my husband's business trips to The Greenbrier (in WV...you've got to go eat there before you die!) I realized that apples make it better, and if you want to really break your diet in style, add a simple vanilla glaze to the top. Serve it warm!

Happy Tuesday to all!


Cranberry (Apple) Cobbler

1 lb. fresh cranberries
1 1/2 C sugar, divided
3/4 C walnuts, chopped (if you're lucky enough to be in WV-use Black Walnuts)
2 eggs
1 C self-rising flour
1/2 C butter or margarine, melted
1 can apple pie filling

Rinse berries and place in rectangular baking pan, uncooked. Sprinkle with 1/2 c sugar and nuts.Dump can of apple pie filling on top and spread evenly. Mix together all remaining ingredients. Pour evenly over all. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for about an hour. When it is just warm (not hot) out of the oven, drizzle glaze over the top.

Glaze :

1/2 stick butter
confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
a little warm water
Beat to glaze consistency.

I will be at these joining these great blogs today; join us to find some great recipes!

-Blessed with Grace
-Gypsy's Corner
-Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
-All The Small Stuff

My Weekend was a "Weiner"!

What a wonderful weekend we had for Southlake's Oktoberfest! The weather couldn't have been any better. OK, now I will try to mention the Wiener Dog Races, without rambling-on. It was my absolute favorite part of the three-day festival!! Thanks to my son, Justin we have pictures (I was helping with the registration). The costume parade was a "hoot"! There were little dogs dressed as butterflies, hotdogs with condiments, pirates, a princess coach and a fly-fisherman (first prize!) That's just a brief description; over 200 dogs were entered in the races, and a large part of that number came decked-out in costumes. It was a dog-lovers paradise.
The races are exciting and just plain fun! The only event that I can compare it to is a little kids' T-ball game. You have these proud dog owners, each hoping his dog will perform as it is released on the count of three, and just like children, dogs are very unpredictable. "Max" might go full-steam ahead down the lane, or he might decide to lay down! It was very funny to see what items were used at the end of the coarse to entice the dogs. You see, just like at T-ball games where you have a Dad who usually gives the child bits of advice from the sideline, and a Mom who cheers from the stands, it's a team effort at weiner races, as well. In addition to the petlover who releases the dog, there is a petlover at the end of the lane, who's equally excited and can urge the racer on with his favorite treat or snuggle object. Usually the snuggly is a toy or stuffed animal, in one case it was the dog's best pal, a Tea-Cup Chihuahua. That little dog was shivering with excitement... or terror, it was hard to tell (he did remind me a little of the old movies where someone's being held over a pit for sacrifice). In the end, a a fast , intense little dog named "Rocky" won and I was thrilled because his handlers were two little boys. The picture of them with trophy and their prize-winning dog is precious!
We kept very busy this weekend along with several wonderful volunteers who gave up time on a glorious Autumn weekend to help out. Three of our volunteers were our sons who were a big help; thanks guys!
If you ever have a chance to come watch or participate in the Southlake, Texas Oktoberfest, don't miss it!

Here's my menu:

Monday, Oct. 4

Chili
crackers
salad


Tuesday, Oct. 5

Baked Fish
Au Gratin Potatoes
corn


Wednesday, Oct. 6

Chicken Bacon Pizza


Thursday, Oct. 7

Beef Stroganoff
Noodles
green beans

Friday, Oct. 8

Travel throughout the weekend

Fall is Here and I'm Ready to Blog!

I'm so glad to be back jotting down my thoughts, plans and recipes...along with reviews of my collection of old cookbooks. It was a great summer, full of excitement and changes in our family. I can't wait to fill you in! I spent some precious days of my writing break at estate auctions, thrift stores and yard sales hunting for some of the oldest, most-beloved, raggedy-edged, splattered, recipes and cookbooks (if they are pristine, and have someone from the Food Network on the cover they're OK, but they don't make my heart skip a beat!) I plan to share with you some of my favorite haunts for cookbook hunting, so please join me, starting Monday, when we chat about my menu plan for the week and the Wiener Dog Races (this weekend!) that I will be enjoying at the Oktoberfest in Southlake , Texas (I can't wait!.....there will be a Wiener Dog Costume Parade, as well! I will try to take pictures!)


Please give these other great blogs a look! I will be linking to them today.
-LifeasMom
-DesignsbyGollum
-Grocerycartchallenge