FRENCH DRESSING 1963

Aunt Marie with Uncle Duane


FRENCH DRESSING  1963

From Marie Reid

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
2 cups oil (or less)
Worcestershire sauce
1 cup catsup
1/2 t. salt
small onion, grated

Mix all ingredients well.

SEVEN SEAS CASSEROLE 1963

SEVEN SEAS CASSEROLE

From Billie Reid

1 can condensed cream of mushroom or celery soup
1  1/4 cups water or milk
1/4 t. salt
dash of pepper
1  1/3 cups Minute Rice (5 oz.)
1 can tuna or salmon, drained, flaked
1 frozen peas, thawed
cheese slices
paprika

Combine the soup, water, salt and pepper in saucepan.  Mix well.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. 

Pour half the soup into a greased  1 1/2 qt. casserole.  Then, in layers, add the rice (right from the box), tuna or salmon, and peas.  

Add remaining soup, top with cheese, sprinkle with paprika.

Cover and bake in moderate oven - 375 degrees - for 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.  

Note:  For extra flavor, add 1/4 cup finely chopped onion and 1 t. lemon juice to the soup mixture.


For Fish Casserole - 

Use cream of celery soup and substitute fresh or frozen fish (perch, cod, haddock or flounder - 1/2 lb.) instead of using tuna.

Cut fish in strips or cubes and saute in 3 T. butter for about 3 minutes.  If desired, add 1 can of mushrooms,
saute with fish. 

SPANISH RICE PRONTO 1958

Dad and Mom 1947

SPANISH RICE PRONTO 1958

From Billie Reid

1/4 cup bacon drippings

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 medium green pepper

1  1/3 cups Minute Rice

1  3/4 cups hot water

2 cans tomato sauce (8 oz. cans)

1 t. salt

dash pepper

1 t. prepared mustard (optional)

Melt bacon drippings in skillet or saucepan. Add onion, green pepper and Minute Rice (right from the package).   Cook and stir over high heat until lightly browned.  

Add hot water, tomato sauce and seasonings.  Mix well.

Bring quickly to a boil.  Cover tightly and simmer 10 minutes.  

A fiesta for 4.

Addition in 1963 - she made it with 2 cups rice and 2 cups hot water. She changed the optional mustard amount to 1/2 teaspoon.

SALSA VERDE

SALSA VERDE
From Kristi Templeton

1 lb. tomatillos
2 jalapeno peppers
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 medium onion, quartered, plus 1/3 cup finely chopped onion, divided
1 cup chopped cilantro,  thicker stems removed first
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
kosher or sea salt, to taste
1/2 t. ground cayenne pepper, optional

Remove the husks from the tomatillos; discard husks.  Rinse fruit well to remove sap.

Cut the stemmed tops off the jalapenos then split them in half. Using a spoon, scrape away the seeds and veins.  This is where the main heat lives. If you don't mind the heat, leave the peppers whole.

Lightly grease a griddle or skillet, rubbing excess off with a paper towel. Place on medium heat.  When it's hot, place the tomatillos, peppers, garlic and onions on the hot surface. Allow to blister, turning veges over with tongs to soften and slightly blister as much surface as possible.  The peppers, onions and garlic will soften and blister the fastest.  After about 5 minutes, remove the onions, garlic and peppers to the bowl of a blender.  Continue roasting the tomatillos for another 5-8 minutes.  Optional, carefully slice the tomatillos in half to accelerate the roasting.  Once the tomatillos have started to soften and are just starting to release their juices, remove them to the blender.

Alternate broil method to paragraph above (from Kristi's friend): Instead of stove top, you can put a little oil on all the items (except cilantro) and put them on a cookie sheet or baking pan and put under broiler for a few minutes to get a nice char. Then put in oven for about another 10-15 minutes and let the tomatillos break down some more for a really good flavor.

Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add 1/3 cup water, place the blender lid on loosely, holding it in place with a kitchen towel and puree until just slightly chunky to smooth, depending on personal preference.  Add more water if a thinner consistency is desired.

Pour the salsa into a bowl, add salt to taste.

Stir in the cilantro and the chopped onions (feel free to add these to the puree if you don't like the chunky cilantro and onions.  Adding them after the fact adds texture back to the salsa).

If more heat is desired, add the cayenne, to taste.

Place in an airtight container-preferably a glass jar-and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Add a squeeze of lime juice to freshen as needed. 

MACARONI CASSEROLE

Mom, her brother Damon, and sister Barbara

MACARONI CASSEROLE
From Barbara Thompson

1 7-8 oz. pkg. macaroni, cooked (penne)
4 T. butter
2 sliced onions
1 lb. hamburger
1 t. salt
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup tomato soup
1 cup milk
dash of pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Fry onions in butter.

Add meat and seasonings and brown.

Arrange layers in casserole of cooked macaroni, meat and cheese.

Mix soup and milk together and pour over all.

Top with buttered bread crumbs and bake 30 minutes.

PASTA SHELLS WITH BACON, PEAS, RICOTTA

PASTA SHELLS WITH BACON, PEAS, RICOTTA

From Vicki Troyer Bernardi

A quick dish...sauce can be made while pasta boils!

1/4 lb. lean bacon

5 oz. frozen peas, thawed

Salt

4 oz. ricotta1 lb. pasta shells
1  T. butter

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Pepper, freshly ground

Boil 4-5 quarts water, 1 T. salt and the pasta. Drain pasta when tender, but firm to the bite, al dente.

Saute bacon strips until lightly browned, less crisp than you might eat for breakfast; drain fat, leaving about 2 T. fat in the pan.

Add to the bacon thawed peas, stirring and cooking so they absorb the bacon flavor, then turn off the heat.

Into a serving bowl, spoon ricotta and butter and crumble with a fork.  Add pasta and toss 2-3 times with the ricotta and butter.

Pour the bacon and peas over the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly.

Add grated cheese and pepper and toss 2-3 more times.

Serve at once.

GUMDROP COOKIES

John, Tricia Coffey Keefer, Bob, Rick

GUMDROP COOKIES

From Jessie Lee Troyer 
(recipe from Grandma Florence Troyer)

In honor of John's birthday tomorrow, I'm blogging GUMDROP COOKIES today. His family made these every Christmas.


2 cups light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 t. water
2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 cup gumdrops, cut into fine bits
1 cup chopped pecans

Add water to eggs and beat until fluffy.  Add sugar and mix well.

Sift flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder and add to mixture.  

Stir in gumdrops and nuts.

Spread mixture in a greased jelly-roll pan.  

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown about 25-30 minutes.  

Put icing on cookies while they are hot.

Orange Butter Icing

4 t. softened butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 t. cream
orange juice, several tablespoons

Mix well.

After icing the cookies and while cookies are hot, cut them into squares.