Mrs. Tucker's Candied Sweet Potatoes

No better time to start thinking of comfort food and the upcoming holidays.  One of the staples at the Tucker Thanksgiving has been Mrs. Tucker's Sweet Potatoes.  She was the master of sweet potatoes and by watching her for years, I have taken up the mantle.  My family will only eat these sweet potatoes.  They sure don't want any of the marshmallow type recipes.



Recently, I have been asked to share Mrs. Tucker's. but she didn't actually have a recipe.  Nothing was measured so I will try to share as best I can.  It has taken me 47 years to get it 'perfect', but I don't think one can actually mess this one up.  It may vary just a tad each time. but here are the basics. 

Mrs. Tucker's Candied Sweet Potatoes

Fresh Sweet Potatoes (peeled and sliced)

Brown Sugar

White Karo Syrup

Butter

Salt

Ground Cinnamon

You notice there are no amounts given, but I will try to give you some guidelines.  Mrs. Tucker tried to use smaller sweet potatoes.  After peeling
she'd slice them into probably 3/4 inch slices.  If you use larger potatoes, slice them and then halve the slices.  Place potatoes in a casserole dish that has a lid.  I usually use a 1 1/2 quart to 2 quart dish.

Cover the potatoes with lots of brown sugar, LOTS.  I have never measured nor did she.  Just make a pile of sugar over the potatoes.  Guessing, I'd use at least a cup of slightly packed b. sugar for the casserole.  Pour 1/2 cup syrup over sugar.  Dot with 1 tablespoon butter.  Add a pinch of salt and a sprinkling of cinnamon.  Don't overdo the cinnamon.  DO NOT STIR.  DO NOT ADD WATER.  The sugar and syrup will melt over the potatoes and that is what will candy the potatoes.  When done they will be slightly translucent.  They will also be slightly chewy.  Cover with the lid and put in 350 oven and cook a long time.  Look at them in an hour.  It has taken two hours.  Don't rush them.

If you have the oven on for the turkey or ham, you can put potatoes along side.  It might take a little more time if the oven is low.  Again, no need to rush them.




I hope you enjoy this recipe and make it as a tribute to my sweet mother-in-law.






I loved her and I love you. 

Perhaps It is All of These Things

 Do you have a favorite book or magazine that you use every year?  This is mine.  1967 Farm Journal Christmas Book. Despite the fact that the cover and back page have pulled away from the book, it remains intact and readable.  Take a look at what made me happy in 1967 and every year since.

This is my favorite recipe for anything cranberry, but nothing beats the basic relish recipe which I make each year.  I made 8 pints this week; ready for Thanksgiving and beyond.  Since it freezes, thaws, and refreezes well, a jar is almost always in my freezer.  A scoop of this delicious ice cold relish is always next to the turkey on my plate....and it is so pretty and red.  Make it, you will be amazed.  (You will need a grinder, but I bet you could use a food processor--not yet invented in 1967.)

That Yule Log Cake!  Need I say more.  I served this at my Christmas get-together way back in about 1978.  The room was warm even in December, but the cake was ice cold and refreshing.

 

I will admit I have never made the salad pictured here, but these type salads were the rage back in those days.  Thought I'd just throw this in for this look back.

This vegetable Christmas tree--I've made it many times over the years.  It is a pain to make, but it is quite cute.  If I make it again, I can see ways it could be improved. 

If you enlarge the photo, you will see the three dip recipes I made to have at the party when I served the cold cake. 

DIY was even popular in the 1960s.  Paper mache--remember?  1967 might have been the year my mom made a decorative item for my grandmother and herself.  I will try to describe it.  It was a pretty shaped larger vase, topped by a plate, another smaller vase, another smaller plate, and an even smaller vase--all covered by paper mache and painted.  It stood tall and majestic on the floor next to our front door.  It looked very expensive to me....back in the day.  The effect was quite nice.  Grapes and greenery adorned it.  I am still amazed at what a wonderfully talented woman my mom was.  I wonder whatever happened to it.  Probably threw it out.  Shame. 

And the candy...........safe to say I have made several of the recipes on these pages.  The Apricot Nugget was a pleasant change to all the chocolate.

I have bought many Christmas books much more elaborate than this thin little book, but none has brought me more smiles of satisfaction than this one.  Perhaps it is because the recipes were simple, perhaps it is because the pages remind me of certain parties, perhaps it is because I remember the day it arrived in the mail and my mother and me poring over it, perhaps it is all of these things.

I love you. 



Tomato Basil Soup Recipe using Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Tomato Soup





One of my favorite grocery stores in the whole wide world is Trader Joe's.  I discovered TJs back in 2000 when I was traveling to the LA area on business trips.  At first I was confused because almost all the products are the Trader Joe's brand.  There were none in Oklahoma at that time and it was many years before they were even in Texas. Finally, they made it to Dallas and ever since when traveling to Texas there has been a stop at Trader Joe's.  

Finally, a couple years ago they made it to the Oklahoma City area.  Now I go there at least once a month.  A couple weeks ago I bought a carton of their Organic Creamy Tomato Soup.  While this soup is delicious heated right out of the carton, I wanted to up it just a little.  I experimented and found a WINNER!!!!  This is a keeper and both my husband I loved it.  Even reheated, it was delicious and a recipe I will making all winter.  Before I forget, I want to get it in print for my recipe box.  I thought I would share it here for all you Trader Joe soup fans.

(Pictured above)

Regina's Almost Homemade Tomato Soup

(using Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Tomato Soup)

1 large clove of garlic (diced)

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 14.5 ounce can whole tomatoes

1 carton Trader Joe's Creamy Organic Tomato Soup

1/4 to 1/3 cup garlic basil butter

In a medium saucepan, sauté the diced garlic in the olive oil; making sure to watch closely so it doesn't burn.  Yes, it happened to me.  Add the can of tomatoes, juice and all,  breaking up the tomatoes into small bits as you add.  Cook a bit to meld the garlic with the tomatoes.  Add the carton of TJs tomato soup.  Heat slowly.  Add the garlic basil butter.  Heat, but do NOT boil.

Ladle into bowls.

Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese and basil leaves. 

(I had frozen garlic basil butter on hand that I made.  Just soften some butter, add shredded basil leaves and crushed garlic to taste.  Make into rolls, refrigerate until set.  Cut into slices, wrap and freeze for later use.  I will be making more garlic basil butter for soups this winter.  My basil still looks wonderful this year.)

Fruit Salad Pie

Good morning folks.

This morning I received a little surprise.  A pie recipe from way back...........a much simpler time or so it seems to me.  It is my grandmother's recipe for a Fruit Salad Pie.  She had shared the recipe with Toots Wyatt so the recipe card is in Toots' handwriting.  I love that Toots wrote a note that it was from her aunt, and the note about the ice box is precious.  I heard that term much more than refrigerator back in the day.

In the future I'm not sure how many of us will have a connection to our mothers/fathers in this visual way...their handwriting.  We get most of our recipes off the internet in one fashion or another.  I can't remember the last time I shared a handwritten recipe.  Just sent them the link.  We hardly ever send cards, and if we do they often have an imprinted name instead of a signature.  When was the last time we/our younger generation even wrote out a check?  If I do happen to see a note that my daughter has written, it is most often printed............certainly not cursive.   

Cursive.....another subject.  Nowadays cursive is only taught as an option.  Back in my day, (I hate to keep using this term because it defines me as elderly, but "back in my day") we couldn't wait to learn cursive because it was another step to being a grownup.  Big people wrote in cursive and once we decoded that secret writing, we could be privy to all sorts of things............like Santa's list.  And at 8 years old, who doesn't want to see Santa's list?

So Bob, thanks for sharing your mother's handwriting, thank you for Grandma's pie recipe, but most importantly, thank you for a quiet memory of them both this morning.  One thing I remember about this pie is how fast it can get "yucky".  Better eat it fast because those bananas are not a pretty sight the next day.

Enjoy your day, folks.

Handwriting must be an issue close to my heart because I have written several posts about it.  Here are a couple.

http://retirementthegoodlife.blogspot.com/2012/10/gone.html

http://retirementthegoodlife.blogspot.com/2012/05/to-cursive-or-not-to-cursive.html





Layered Iceburg Lettuce Salad

Good evening everyone and I hope you have had a nice Good Friday. 


Well...........I am through with the Senior Trip memories.  My hubby is as sentimental as I am and thought it was really neat that I found my old story.  He thought I ought to share with all you since this is the 50th anniversary of my high school graduation.  I am not so sure, even after posting it, that it was a good idea.......nonetheless, it is out there!  So.........let's get on with life.  Easter is coming............and coming in rather chilly this year, rain and high of 56 degrees!!!  Where are the little dusters mom made us all those years ago?


I have been searching websites and particularly Pinterest looking for some special recipes for my Easter dinner with my family, my sisters and their families.  I just couldn't find anything that rocked my boat.  Then I saw it.................my old green recipe file box................the tried and true or in some cases, the recipes from 1975 that I had cut out to make some day............sort of like my Pinterest pins of 2016.  You know, the ones that I know some day I will make, but down deep I know I never will.


Anyway............back in the box, I found a layered lettuce salad.  Remember those?  Iceburg lettuce on bottom and layer after layer of vegetables, English peas, a good thick layer of mayonnaise/sour cream dressing, topped with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese.  I think I will have to make this for Sunday.  Besides how good it is, I can make it the night before.  Probably not on my diet plan, but maybe if I scoop off the dressing, it will be alright. 


There will be a lot going on for me tomorrow, baseball game, cleaning, and cooking......probably in that order.  So just in case I don't get back with another blog, please have a very Blessed Easter.


I love you.

My Layered Lettuce Salad

Layer next 9 ingredients in 13 X 9 X 2" pan.

1 small head iceburg lettuce, torn

1/2 medium head cauliflower, cut into flowerets

1/2/ green pepper, chopped

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen English peas, thawed

1 c. chopped celery

6 green onions, sliced

6 radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled

6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 (8 oz) carton sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 (1 oz) pkg buttermilk-mayo salad dressing mix

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine sour cream, mayo, & dressing mix.

Mix well.  Spread over top of vegetables, sealing to the edge.

Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and refrigerate 24 hours

before serving.  (You can substitute or add ingredients.)

I sometimes add sliced water chestnuts.



 

Caramels

Today I made the BEST caramels EVER.  Today I made the EASIEST caramels EVER.

It’s Christmastime so you know the sugar comes out and calories goes in…….my body. 

Here’s the simple recipe; all made in the microwave so if you make it, remember this is MOLTEN LAVA. 

1.  Combine 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 white sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup white Karo syrup, and 1/2 cup Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk in a medium glass mixing bowl.  I mix this all together, breaking up the butter just a bit.

2.  Place bowl in microwave and cook on high for 6 minutes, stirring mixture every 2 minutes.   (Remove from microwave to stir.)  After 6 minutes, stir again before pouring into a buttered pan. 

3.  After the molten lava caramel  has cooled, cut caramels into cubes.  Wrap in small pieces of wax paper.

These are so pretty in my glass container and there they will be in my cool sunroom until closer to Christmas.  Why????  Because we will eat them ALL in the next two days if we don’t hid them from ourselves.

I love you.

Mom used to make lots of Christmas candy and she’d hide it on top of the freezer.  The thing is we all knew where it was, but none of the five of us kids got into it.  It just didn’t seem right to raid that candy before Christmas day.  Love you my momma.

Grandma Dawkins Noodle Recipe

Grandma Dawkins' Noodles

2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 beaten eggs

4 Tablespoons milk or cream

Beat eggs in bowl.  Add milk.  Mix well.  Add flour and salt, mixing well.

Knead on floured board until smooth.  Roll very thin and set 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with flour and roll up like a jelly roll.  Cut rolls in thin strips.

Unroll and dry.

Cook 10 to 20 minutes in hot chicken broth.

If you ever visited grandma the week before Easter, you'd always find these noodles

drying on tea towels on the bed of the front bedroom or draped over tea

towels on the kitchen chairs.  Once they were dry, she'd store them

in containers until time to put them in the broth. 

Maybe this will be my contribution to Easter dinner rather than my dumplings this year. 

My dumpling recipe is found here.  My family always requests these for any holiday.

Grandma Dawkins - oh the memories.  I am sure all of her grandchildren have the best memories of this remarkably kind woman.  To me she will always and always be my favorite grandma.  She's been gone now for 43 years, but I still think of her often, and, other than my own mother, I feel her influence in my life more than any other woman I've ever known.  I so wish my own children could have known her. 


I love you.

Let’s Have a Salsa Party

It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring!  What a wonderful summer shower we are experiencing.  I walked outside just now and that wonderful earthy smell brings back all sorts of ‘way back when’ memories.  But I’ve talked so much about memories so tonight I am going to show you something I canned this summer.

Ta-Da

 

Jars of salsa ready for the winter; however, we may have already opened a jar.

This is a recipe that has been known as Brenda’s salsa by the hubby, but we have

found out that it is actually Teresa’s recipe.  I got the recipe from Shawna so

you can see, the recipe is a family favorite.  I am not sure how the original

recipe reads, but here is a 4th generation of the original recipe.  It turned out pretty good no matter

how far off from the original recipe.

Teresa/Brenda/Shawna/Regina Salsa

4 quarts fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 large onions, chopped

1 cup jalapenos, chopped (seeds and membranes removed according to desired heat)

1/2 cup vinegar

1/8 cup sugar – I didn’t use that much

2 1/2 Tablespoon salt

1/4 cup finely chopped garlic

1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with a little water to make a paste

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons Mexican ground oregano

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine vegetables and spices in a large pot.  Stir in the cornstarch mixture and simmer for 45 minutes. 

Ladle hot salsa into hot sterilized jars.  Screw on new lids and turn upside down to seal.

 

Hey, anybody remember The Gossip Game?  You would set in a circle and someone would start by whispering something in

the next person’s ear.  That person would repeat what was whispered to him in the next person’s ear, and so on.  You could not

ask the person to repeat what he whispered to you.  It was always funny for the last person to say what was whispered to

him.  It never, ever was the same as the original whisper.  It was a good game to teach children how repeating something

can get misconstrued along the way…………so watch what you say!

 

I love you all.

Let’s have a salsa party. 

 

Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce with Green Chilies

Good evening.  I bet you never thought I was going to write again, but here I am. 


The other day I made some delicious Chicken Enchiladas with sour cream sauce.  I am posting this for a certain someone.  You know how I love to use up every little bit of a rotisserie chicken so here's just another version, but it was better than all the others I have made.

Sour Cream Sauce with Green Chilies:  I melted about 2 T. butter in a skillet and added probably 3 T. flour.  Stir and cook until it is slightly golden--a simple roux.  I added a tiny bit of garlic paste, probably 1/2 t. but that is subjective to your liking.  I stirred in probably 1/3 to 1/2 cup chicken broth.  At this point I added sour cream, a little over 1/2 cup.  I kept tasting until I got the right taste of sour cream that I wanted.  If it is too think, you might want to add more chicken broth.  While it was heating, I added a couple tablespoons of canned green chilies.  This sauce was so good, but as you can see, everything was added to "taste".  *See below

Enchiladas:  Shred a cup or more of rotisserie chicken.  Sprinkle a little cumin over chicken and I added a couple T. of the green chilies and a 1/2 jar of Trader Joe's Green Enchilada Sauce.  You don't want it soupy so be careful on the sauce.  Chopped onions would have been great in this, but I didn't think of it.  Add a layer of the chicken in a line across the center of a corn tortilla and roll up.  (I heated the tortillas in a moist paper towel in the microwave to make them pliable.)  Place in a casserole dish.  This recipe made 6 enchiladas.  I poured the rest of the Trader Joe's Green Chili Sauce and the rest of the can of green chilies over the tortillas.  Put it in the oven and bake till heated through.  About 10 minutes before it is done, pour the Sour Cream Sauce over the tortillas.  *Here's where it gets a little interesting.  Just before I poured the sauce over the tortillas, I realized I have a couple tablespoons of heavy cream in the frig that needed to be used so I added it to the sauce.  It really added a richness which I loved.......even just using a little.  So I poured it over the tortillas.  And then I saw a couple of softened butter and thought..........hmmm...........a little butter never hurt anyone.  So added pats of butter over the sauce and put the pan back into the oven.  Over all that, I added a couple torn white cheddar slices.  I was too lazy to shred.  After 10 minutes it was bubbly and hot and delicious.  The best sauce I have ever made. 

I am sorry for not being more precise, but I taste as I go and if I need salt, I add salt.  And I did add salt and pepper along the way.  If the sauce was too thick, I just thinned it with either more sour cream, more chicken broth, or more chilies.

Hope you can use this sauce recipe someday.  A lot of sauces seem start with a simple roux and you go from there adding ingredients for the flavors you want.

I love you.

   

Blaine’s 10th Birthday

Ten short years ago this little boy made his way into our lives and hearts.  Such a precious baby is not a 10 year old just on the cusp of being a teenager.  How can that be?  Time seems to be marching on.  The days may go slow, but the years disappear in a flash.


This is the first year he has not wanted a birthday party with friends.  He wanted to have salmon patties at my house and play volleyball with his family.  That is exactly what he got.  I have to ask you, though, when is the last time any of you had your child or grandchild ask for salmon patties for dinner, let alone a birthday dinner?


Blaine bragged and bragged on my salmon patties, thanking me over and over.  It was my pleasure of course.  I hope he comes back for his 21st and asks me to make him salmon patties again.


So in honor of Blaine's birthday and just in case Blaine wants to make them, here is the recipe.  Blaine, I quadrupled the recipe for your birthday and had plenty left over for you to take home.

Grandma's Salmon Patties

Canned Salmon, 1 14 oz can

1 Egg

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Any other seasoning you'd like to use.  I used Greek Seasoning last night

Plenty of finely crushed saltines

Drain the salmon, but reserve the liquid.

Mash and mash and mash the salmon to completely pulverize all bones.

This will take time, but important for the texture. 

Add an egg and mix very well.

If the mixture seems a little dry, you can add a bit of the reserved liquid.

Form your patties and roll into the saltine crumbs.

Cover the bottom of your skillet with oil.  I use olive oil.

Once the skillet is hot, drop your patties into the pan, turning when deeply golden brown.

Last night I used my cast iron skillet and cooked on the grill burner outside.

Blaine if you make these, call me.  I will be there.  Oh, by the way, I think they are

even better as cold leftovers.

I love you.



Spam Salad

I was looking at Pinterest this morning and someone I know pinned a recipe for Ham Salad.  Of course that brought to mind the old Spam Salad my aunts used to make. 


It seemed like at least once a month, my mother and her sisters would gather at my grandma's house and have a cleaning day.  Surely it was just twice a year, but to me it was every month.  Nonetheless, they always had to come up with something that they and all their kids would eat.  I don't know who ever told them that kids like Spam Salad, but they were definitely wrong!!!  Again, nonetheless, Spam Salad is what we got!  Spam Salad.  So without further ado, here's how you make it........gag!!


Shred one can of Spam (I can still picture my Aunt Wilma shredding it on the handheld grater.)
Chopped tomatoes (AND this is where it went wrong...tomatoes)
Chopped pickles (I don't remember whether they were sweet or dill.)
Chopped boiled eggs
Mayonnaise


Mix together.  All the ingredients were added to taste or perhaps to make it go further.  Spread on bread.  Be prepared for your children to gag.


I am not going to tell you that you are going to love this because, most definitely, you are not.  It will make do.


Yum, Yum, Spam Salad.  Now that I have that out of the way, I would like for my three sisters and my sister-in-law to come and clean my house.  I will not give you Spam Salad.  Bruschetta it is!!!!  Or maybe Mexican food.  I got you, hook, line, and sinker, on that one, didn't I girls?  I will get the cleaning supplies ready.  See you in a bit.


I love you.

Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

Good morning everybody.  How's life treating you?  Mine has been pretty good, but extremely hectic lately.  Tonight my boys are coming to spend the night so Nana will be preparing plenty of activities and crafts to keep them busy on this cold, almost wintry day.  Burr--as Mrs. Tucker would always say......the other Mrs. Tucker. 

Last week I made something out of this world delicious.  I just love caramel as you probably guessed by all the post about my caramel this or that coffee.  Clarification:  these coffees are just ground coffee with a flavoring of caramel..........no sugar..........no fat.  In fact, no coffee should ever have cream or sugar.........my opinion only!

Anyway, I digress........back to caramel.  There is a recipe in September 2013 Southern Living, page 98, which will rock your world, the Apple Cider Caramel Sauce recipe.  I didn't have any apple cider like the recipe uses, but I had apple juice.  I don't know how much more delicious this could have been using cider, but my version was delicious.

Here's my own Apple Caramel Sauce recipe.  Try it before Halloween and you will be making it again for Thanksgiving.

Reduce one cup of apple juice to just less than 1/4 cup by boiling, stirring occasionally.  Add 1 cup golden brown sugar, packed, and 1/2 cup butter.  Bring to a boil and boil constantly for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream.  Let cool and serve over just about anything your imagination can come up with.  Ended a sentence with a proposition...don't tell Mrs. Sutterfield.  I am going to try this as a change to my tried and true Caramel Popcorn recipe.  We shall see how it turns out.  I can also see this over any quick bread, muffins, or apple pies.  Delicious over ice cream as long as it is not overcooked to the point of setting up like glue......that might pull your teeth out.

Well that's about it this morning.  Boys will be here soon.  They get to choose the restaurant tonight so you may see us at Long John Silvers, Mazzio's, McDonald's, or even Sam's Club......fine dining at its finest.  Or maybe  they will want to have a weenie roast in the fireplace (fingers crossed).

I love you.