Thank you.

The 5 or 8 bananas you would pickup at the store that are still connected to each other.
Most of us will call that a bunch…but a bunch is what comes off the tree.

Anybody know what a hand of bananas is?

Tiki, that sounds so unbelievably good. I’ll thank your Dad before I make it because I know I’m gonna love it.

Great to see this again!!—heres one that is TOO EASY—but my Dad LOVED it—it wasz one of the very few real goodies that they got during the depression—-the family now refers to it as "Figgy Pudding"–but Dad just called it "Fig squares and Bannanas"—-take a oack of Fig Newtons—o4 you fave fig squares—and dice them up really fine—mix in a hand of ripe bannanas—fold in a pint of whipped creaqm and let it sit 24 hrs in the fridge—AWESOME STUFF that my family demands at the Holidays![:p] BE CAREFUL—its very rich and filling!

Stuffed cabbage, an unbelievable recipe, I have from mom I’ve made twice. It takes alot of time but its really good and better 2nd and 3rd day, the spice mix is great. I’ll find it and post it this week.

quote:

Originally posted by EliseT

Thanks so much Ruby Rose! That potato filling story is amazing!I would have just laughed for days. By the way, do you actually fill anything with it or is it a side dish served as is?

Elise, it’s always served as a side dish. It’s especially good with ham.

Mamaw Dye’s Pecan Pralines (pronouced pah Kwan Praw leens)

3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/3 cups pecans, chopped

Cook in 3 quart double boiler as it forms up in cooking.

Combine sugar, soda, buttermilk and salt in top.

Cook briskly, stirring frequently, scraping bottom and sides, for 5 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 1/3 cups chopped pecans. Stirring continuously, not forgetting bottom, for 5 minutes or until forms a soft ball in cold water.

Remove from heat. Let cool a little, then beat until thickened and creamy.

Immediately drop by teaspoonful on wax paper.

Great now I’ve got everything I need to go along with the Swamp Gravey. Chow Jim

This bread makes my FAVORITE toast in the world!!!Wonderful with butter and a perfect match to go along with the frittata and fried smelts that we traditionally served it with for Easter breakfast.
Hope you all enjoy it much as we all do! I know my grandmother and mother both loved to share their food and recipes and this one is a family favorite they both prepared.
——-Noni’s Easter bread—-
12 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup Romano cheese, grated
1 yeast cake
flour
1 egg, beaten
1. Mix in order

2. knead in flour until until finger pressed into dough comes out clean

3. devide,punch down and place in oiled loaf pans to rise

4. brush with beaten egg

5. Bake at 350 for aprrox, 45 mins

Mom’s Mashed Potatoes and Carrots

1 lb. potatoes (russett?), peeled & cubed
1/4–1/2 lb. carrots (Test until you find proportions you like.)
Milk
Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

Boil carrots 15 minutes
Add potatoes
Cook until "mashing" consistency, but not mushy! Keep ’em a little chunky.
Mash, adding milk until you have the consistency you like
Add butter, as much as you can add without giving your cardiologist a job!
Season to taste, preferably with fresh-ground pepper and Kosher salt.

I loved this dish as a child. Not until I was grown did I find out that it was a "poverty" dish, made when we were seriously low on potatoes and Mom had to find a "stretcher." My kids loved it and still request it when they come for a visit.

Per a request, this is the sheet I gave out at my mom’s memorial service. I XX’d out some of the names.

RECIPES FROM HELEN XXX S KITCHEN

My mother was a very good cook and loved to invite friends over for tea and cookies. Here is her recipe in her words, which she sent to me many years ago:

BUTTER COOKIES

1 cup butter at room temp. (don t you dare use margarine!)
1/ 2 c. confectioners sugar
1/ 2 c. regular white sugar

Cream well until fluffy. Add 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp. vanilla (I also put 1 drop almond extract). Beat until creamy.

Mix
2 1/ 2 c. flour
1/ 2 tsp. baking soda
1/ 2 tsp. cream of tartar

Add to butter mixture and mix. I cool mine in refrig. for couple hrs. (this makes them stiff enough). Make into small round balls, put on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten by pressing with thumb. Sprinkle with ground nuts & cinnamon, or put sliced maraschino cherries or a raisin on top. Bake at 375 for 5-8 minutes. I leave them get slightly brown on bottom.

You can add chopped mar. cherries to or grated Hershey dark chocolate bar to the dough to make cherry or chocolate ones. Can sprinkle with a little sugar before you bake too. Makes a lot.

Everyone liked her Chicken Pot Pie. Unfortunately, she never wrote the recipe down but she did teach me and my daughter how to make the dough and I can finally reveal her secret. Instead of shortening, she would use the chicken fat from the broth to lighten up and give the dough squares extra flavor.

Another recipe that made its appearance at everything from family holiday dinners to the V.F.W. to church potlucks was her potato filling. Her maiden name was XXX and my grandmother Ruth cooked all types of PA Dutch recipes and of course, never wrote them down. My mom cooked the same way but finally did write down her recipe in 1986 for the XXX Civic Club s Cookbook. One night many years ago, she had dinner at the Eagle Tavern and she mentioned to the waitress that the potato filling tasted just like hers. She ended up going back to the kitchen to meet their new chef and tacked up on the wall was her potato filling recipe from the cookbook. That was one of the big thrills of her life, knowing that hundreds of people would be enjoying her recipe and here it is:

EASY POTATO FILLING

4 lb. potatoes
3 stalk celery, diced
2 eggs
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup butter, cut into slices
Parsley flakes
Celery salt (to taste)
4 eggs
5 slices broken bread (preferably stale)

Peel and quarter potatoes; add diced celery and onion. Cover with water and cook until ready to mash; drain, leaving a little water in pan. Mash first with hand masher, then add eggs, butter, and half of bread and whip with electric mixer. Add parsley, celery salt, remaining eggs, and bread and whip. Add milk as needed to make real creamy. Pour into big casserole dish. Dot with butter. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

I hope you will enjoy these recipes and think of Helen when you make them.

When I think of my mom in the kitchen when I was little, I see her beating by hand with a wooden spoon the batter for her delicious Raw-Apple Cake; we didn’t have an electric mixer then.

RAW-APPLE CAKE

2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (using dip-and-sweep method of measuring)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups unpeeled and grated Granny Smith apples
1 cup toasted chopped pecans

Position oven-rack at center of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour one 9 x 5 loaf pan. Mix together sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet mixture and beat well. Fold in apple and pecans. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until wooden tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out of pan and place on cooling rack to cool to room temperature.