Hunting for a Recipe

Today, I am hunting for a recipe. Not one that I am going to make today. Tomorrow is the women's group  or circle to which I belong at the church and it is having its bi-monthly meeting. The request is to bring your mother's favourite recipe.

Now the question is, is it the one she loved to make or one she liked to eat. I really can't recall one off the top of my head.

So where can I look to get an idea of one that she would have said was her favourite? Do I look in her cookbooks that I have? Did she write notes in them to suggest adjustments to what is printed? Do I look for pages that look well worn? Do I look at the recipes that she clipped? Did she ever make them?

Perhaps her favourite may be one that she submitted for the church cook books? In a small booklet entitled Cookies put together by Hilltop Messengers Unit, she submitted "Secrets". I see that I submitted "Butterscotch Mallow Squares" (likely one of my mother's recipes that I knew how to make). In another one, her contribution was "Peach Pudding" served with a brown sugar sauce. Yum Yum!

The last place I will look is a three ring binder. The entries have been done by three different people. The first was my Aunt Bessie (my mother's sister - Agnes Elizabeth Barlow nee Love). The second was my mom. The third was my sister. 

In my aunt's handwriting  is a favourite recipe for carrot cake and the brown sugar sauce. There are recipes for pies, cakes and cookies made from scratch.

My mom included recipes that she obtained from friends so I am sure she made them. 

Some of her favourites may not be written down as I can't find them.

What did she make that I love? -- Leftovers -- fried up potatoes and turnips; stew both cooked in the oven and on the stove top and her macaroni and cheese

Here is a recipe for stew called 
Gourmet Stew (recipe of Marg Passmore)
 1 1/2 lb stewing beef
2 potatoes cut in cubes
3 or 4 carrots
2 onions
4-6 pieces of celery cut up
frozen peas  -- doesn't say how much
1/2 can water
1 can tomato soup
1 bay leaf (remove after cooking)

Sprinkle the above with salt and pepper. Cover tightly and cook at 275 degrees for 4 1/2 hours.

DON'T PEAK

Which one will I take with me? I haven't decided yet.


© 2017 Janet Iles

Advent Calendar of Memories - 2013 December 14 - Cookies

Did your family make Christmas Cookies? How did you help? Did you have a favorite cookie?

My mother made cookies for both the family and church bazaars. I do not remember helping her. One year as an adult, I made many angel shaped sugar cookies for the church bazaar - "Invite an angel for tea". I don't remember how many but it was lots!

My favourite Christmas cookie is the melt in the mouth shortbread cookies. My mother also made cookies using a cookie press.
This is the shortbread recipe found in the small binder of handwritten recipes. Note - few instructions or details. I am not sure if these are the ones I remember.
1 cup lard
1 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cups All purpose flour
1/4" thickness - 375 degrees F (note that there is no time limit given)

 Here is another Shortbread recipe from the cookbook

There are few details written down
1 cup butter beat
 3/4 cup brown sugar
2 3/4 cup flour

Spread on cookie sheet
at 300 degrees F for 50 minutes

I have not tried either of the above recipes so I can not vouch whether they are tasty. The last one looks easy. 

In the 1970s, when the library had its "Butcher, a Baker, a Candlestick Maker" bazaar, the library staff (the women) had a cookie making party. We had lots of fun with each person given a task. The recipe was from the Canadian Living magazine - date unknown.
Check out the Canadian Living web site for the sugar cookie recipe.

When talking about cookies, I must also talk about the "Cookie Walk" at our church bazaar. We didn't come up with this idea. For many years, members of the congregation were asked to contribute at least 7 dozen cookies. People lined up to fill containers with this delicious and often colourful items. There were 2 sizes of containers. The price was a bargain but still a few people liked to cram the boxes extremely full. We always wondered if the cookies were smushed when they got home. The last time we had the cookie walk, volunteers gathered the day before and pre-packed an assortment in the boxes. 

The Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories (ACCM) allows you to share your family’s holiday history twenty-four different ways during December!

© 2013 Janet Iles

Bound for Mom Milepost #2 - Roadside Cafe

My mom was a good cook. I don't think I would call her a gourmet cook but food was always tasty and of course, prepared with love. I can't recall any disasters in the cooking department.

My mom had a number of recipe books. -- Special is the one with the handwritten notes by her sister. She had church cookbooks, sold as fundraisers. Several she received as hostess gifts when we had billets stay during conferences. When our church put together cookbooks from favourite recipes submitted by the women of the church, my mom would have hers included. I can't find the one that was well used.

I did find one with just recipes for soups 'n stews. She submitted "Pumpkin Soup" and one called "Supper Soup" that featured Italian sweet sausage. In a tiny booklet with just cookie recipes, hers was called "Secrets"

Secrets
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup butter
4 Tbsp coconut
pinch of salt
34 arrowroot cookies
24 coloured miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup red & green cherries

Mix together sugar, eggs, butter, coconut and salt. Cook until thick, then cool. Crush arrowroot cookies. Mix with marshmallows, nuts, cherries and add to cooled mixture. Put in greased 8 x 8 pan and refrigerate.

When you look at cookbooks from your own church and/or community, the names bring back memories of the person who provided their favourites.

In the collection are several from the local Salvation Army, some from Manitoulin Island, Shallow Lake, Waterloo, etc.

She also cut out recipes from magazines and gathered them together in binders.

Roast beef or pork were served on alternating Saturdays when I grew up. In the latter years, mom had a number of delicious ways to serve chicken and fish.

Mom regularly served the hot meal at noon. When I was working, even if she had been down at the church in the morning, she'd be home in time to get a meal ready. As I got out of the car, I would often hear the beep, beep of the microwave as something was given the last minute warm up.

My nephews and niece enjoyed my mom's cooking too. As they left the table, you would always hear, "Thanks Grandma."

Do I ever miss my mom and her cooking!

Favorite comfort foods

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote Around the Table - Kitchen Style, for the Canadian Carnival of Genealogy. This week's writing prompt is In your kitchen.


I told about some of our favourite foods when I was growing up. I have remembered a couple of other dishes that I didn't mention. These could be classified as comfort foods.


Creamed Salmon on Toast
It is years since I had it. I am sure my mother made a white sauce for it. It is a great family meal especially if you can buy canned salmon at a good price. If you don't wish to make a white sauce, use mushroom soup or comparable straight from the can.

Macaroni and Cheese
The way my mother made it is so easy. My brother says that I can almost make it as good as my mother did.

I do not know exact quantities. I never judge correctly. I usually cook too much macaroni.

Boil water with a little bit of salt. Cook macaroni (about 8 minutes). Drain.

While the macaroni is cooking, grate old cheddar cheese. If you can't be bothered with that just buy grated cheese, but honestly, I don't think it is as good. Grate lots so that you can have enough for about 3 layers of cheese.

Put the following in the greased casserole dish.
A layer of macaroni and then a layer of cheese. Alternate until the dish is almost full with a good layer of cheese on top.
Pour enough milk over the layers until it is almost to the top of the casserole dish. The milk will trickle down between the macaroni.
If your family likes tomatoes, put some drained canned tomatoes on top.

The oven should be pre-heated to about 325 to 350 degrees F.
Bake about an hour. You want the cheese to form a crust.

[As you can tell, there isn't a written recipe for this. I checked my mother's recipe book and it is not there. You make the size you need for your family, or the size of dish you are using.]

Carnival of Genealogy 54th edition - Family Language

The Family Language...Does your family use words and phrases that no one else knows or understands? Where did they come from? Did you ever try to explain your "family language" to outsiders? Tell a story about your family-coined words, phrases, or nicknames. This topic was chosen by Donna Pointkouski who will be hosting the next edition of the COG


Well, when I saw the topic, I thought, I can't think of any words that our family uses that would be unique or that I might have to explain what it meant. Then I read Jasia's posting about gook.

We don't have gook; we have "slop".

If you check the definition of slop in a dictionary, you get a variety of possibilities but none come close to defining what "slop" is in our family. I actually ate "slop" when I visited my sister on the weekend.

So what is "slop" in the Iles household? In reality, it is a tuna noodle casserole. If we serve it for company, we'd call it a tuna noodle casserole but for family it is "slop".

How and when did it get its name? I believe it was my dad who gave it the name when I was in high school and it was my task to make supper on Saturday evenings. I must have done it regularly. When I was shopping at our supermarket for groceries, my dad would ask "Are we having slop for supper?" "Yes," I would reply. It was great meal to prepare when everyone did not necessarily have the same supper hour depending on their work schedule.

Now the recipe. -- Well, it can vary according to what you have on hand. You can cook it all on the stove top or put it in the oven if you want to make it look good for company.

The basic ingredients are canned tuna, egg noodles, grated cheddar cheese, milk, can of mushroom soup, salt, pepper and canned tomatoes. You could throw in some vegetables but we didn't do that for family.

Prepare egg noodles according to the directions. If you want leftovers, do a larger quantity. Drain water.

Now - stove top, just put all the other ingredients in and stir. Unless you are doing a large quantity, 1 can of tuna and 1 can of mushroom soup will do. If you are doing a larger amount put in 2 cans of tuna and 2 cans of mushroom soup. Put in the grated cheese and a small quantity of milk to make it creamy and as sloppy as you want. Add some canned tomatoes. Stir often so that it doesn't stick to the pot. Reduce heat when it is hot through.

If company is coming or you are taking it do a potluck supper then I cook it the oven. Put ingredients in the casserole dish in layers with some grated cheese and tomatoes on the top. Put in a 350 degree oven for about a half hour or so. Reduce the heat if you have to keep it warm.

You can serve it with a salad if you want.

Yummy! I still love it.

Geneabloggers Picnic

The Geneabloggers are having a virtual picnic. We are bringing our stories of picnics we remember.

What food should we bring? cold baked beans, potato salad (no onions in it please), salmon sandwiches, tomatoes. I honestly can't remember the food that we ate at some of the picnics that I have attended. Today when I attend a function, I take my pistachio salad. I have a thermos style bowl with a lid to keep the salad cold.

Pistachio Salad (can be doubled)
1 package of pistachio jello pudding
1 container of cool whip or equivalent
1 can of pineapple chunks or crushed pineapple with the juice.

The day before the event, put the cool whip in the refrigerator so that it softens.
Mix all the ingredients together. Put it in the thermos container and leave it in the refrigerator until it is time to leave. Put in a container to keep cold until it is time to eat. [If I am making this for a gathering at home, it goes in a glass bowl. To fancy it up, I add fruit salad without the juice and small coloured marshmallows.]


When I checked our family photograph albums, I found photos of family picnics with my mother's side of the family up on the Manitoulin Island. I am quite young in the photos so I don't remember them at all. I imagine the picnics were quite informal with my older cousins watching the younger ones.

Love family picnic 1955 at Lake Mindemoya, photo in possession of Janet Iles

We went to Sunday School picnics when I was a child. This were held on Wednesday afternoons if I recall. There would be races and prizes for each age group. Now we have church family gatherings with barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers. The last couple of years we have gone to Storybook Park. That is fun for everyone young and old.

My dad's side of the family have had a number of reunions (descendants of my great-grandfather). The last one was in 1994. Several times, we had potluck and I can remember the food being tasty. Many years we had the meal catered to so that family members could visit and not have to spend time in the kitchen cleaning up.

A favourite event of these reunions would be the entertainment by the Iles family band. Many of the Iles relations play a musical instrument. I was never part of this band. A couple of times, the band performed for the public at Sauble Beach.

Iles family band 1981 or 1982 at Sauble Beach, Ontario photo in the possession of Janet Iles

We also have a magician in the family. Young and old enjoy watching the tricks.


Magician Jack Fearnall, watched by David Iles and Adam Duffy. 1980 at Sauble Beach Community Centre, photo in possession of Janet Iles

At one family reunion, each of the senior members introduced their children, who then introduced their children. It was fun to make the connections.

It never really mattered at the reunions or family gatherings what we did or what we ate, what made it special was being together.

Christmas Cookies

December 8 - Christmas Cookies

Did your family make Christmas Cookies? How did you help? Did you have a favorite cookie?

My mother made cookies for both the family and church bazaars. I do not remember helping her. One year as an adult, I made many angel shaped sugar cookies for the church bazaar - "Invite an angel for tea". I don't remember how many but it was lots!
My favourite Christmas cookie is the melt in the mouth shortbread cookies. My mother also made cookies using a cookie press.
This is the shortbread recipe found in the small binder of handwritten recipes. Note - few instructions or details. I am not sure if these are the ones I remember.
1 cup lard
1 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cups All purpose flour
1/4" thickness - 375 degrees F (note that there is no time limit given)
In the 1970s, when the library had its "Butcher, a Baker, a Candlestick Maker" bazaar, the library staff (the women) had a cookie making party. We had lots of fun with each person given a task. The recipe was from the Canadian Living magazine - date unknown.
Check out the Canadian Living web site for the sugar cookie recipe.

When talking about cookies, I must also talk about the "Cookie Walk" at our church bazaar. We didn't come up with this idea. For many years, members of the congregation were asked to contribute at least 7 dozen cookies. People lined up to fill containers with this delicious and often colourful items. There were 2 sizes of containers. The price was a bargain but still a few people liked to cram the boxes extremely full. We always wondered if the cookies were smushed when they got home. The last time we had the cookie walk, volunteers gathered the day before and pre-packed an assortment in the boxes.

Recently, a nephew sent me a link to a web site with lots of Christmas related recipes. Check the side bar for other Christmas related links.

Holiday Foods filled with tradition

December 3 - Holiday Foods

Did your family have any traditional dishes for the holidays? Was there one dish that you thought was unusual?

I do not remember any unusual dishes at our home. Some years we did not have the big turkey dinner meal on Christmas Day. Instead we had it on Boxing Day (26^th). Meals were kept simpler on Christmas Day. The Christmas season was a very busy one as my parents had first a corner store and then a supermarket. In my teen years, the supermarket was open to 10 p.m. and Christmas Eve was a hectic work day so we kept Christmas Day as simple as possible.
When my nephews were young, we had a birthday cake for Jesus to remind us all of the reason we were celebrating Christmas.
My mother made a Christmas carrot pudding and the most delicious butterscotch sauce. Okay, I must admit that it was really the sauce I liked. My first try at making the Christmas sauce had to be thrown out as it was not edible. I have never made Christmas pudding myself.
I have my mother's recipe book that has hand-written recipes. Although it is in a newish binder, some of the original recipes are in the handwriting of her eldest sister. This one includes her comments.
Carrot Pudding
1 large cup brown sugar
1 cup grated potatoes
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup shredded apple
1 cup suet
1 cup raisins
1 cup currants
1 cup mixed peel
1 cup blanched almonds
1 cup figs or dates
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 small nutmeg
Mix altogether. Steam 3 hours. I usually put in oven to dry off with oven door open. Keeps better open to air.
I sometimes omit egg, nuts
I don't know if my mother added her own variations to the recipe.
Sauce for Carrot Pudding
1 cup brown sugar
1 heaping tablespoon flour
1 heaping tablespoon butter
rub all together well. pour over same 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Boil up once, stirring all the time to thicken evenly. may add any desired flavouring (e.g. vanilla)
Do you have a family recipe book?