Old Fashioned Beef Stew

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

 

1 1/2 pounds beef stew cut into pieces

2 tablespoons oil or shortening

2 chopped onions

3 cups hot water

3 medium potatoes, pared and cut into fourths or smaller

2 carrots, cut into 1 inch slices

1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned green peas

1 beef bouillon cube

 

 

Mix flour, salt and pepper. I put in zip-lock bag.  Add beef to bag and coat beef in flour mixture.

Heat oil or shortening in a 4 quart dutch oven until melted.  Brown beef.  Stir in chopped onion.  Cook 5 or 10 minutes, stirring frequently, drain off fat.

 

Add hot water and bouillon cube.  Heat to boiling and reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 2 hours.  ( you can use crock pot and cook about 6 hours on low or about 3 hours on high)

 

Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 min if cooking on stove.  Thicken stew if desired by shaking 1/2 cup cold water and 1 or 2 tablespoons flour in tightly covered jar.  Stir into stew.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir one minute.

 

Serve over rice or noodles.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Grandmother Johnson's Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup self rising flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise

2 tablespoons bacon grease

 

Heat oven to 350. Put bacon grease in iron skillet and get hot.  Mix cornmeal, flour, milk and mayonnaise together.  Put cornbread mixture in skillet and bake about 20 min or until golden brown.

A couple of tips...

 

*** If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute with regular milk and add 1 teaspoon lemon juice.  Let sit about 15 min or until the milk looks like it's getting thick.

 

*** If you don't have self rising flour, you can use all-purpose and add 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  You can use this in any recipe.

Grandmother Johnson's Salmon Patties

1 can salmon (size of soup can)

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1 tablespoon flour

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon milk

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

oil for frying

 

 Scrape "black film" off salmon. (As much as you can)  Put salmon in a bowl and take out all bones.  (they're small circles).  There will be a bunch of them.  Mix all ingredients together except oil.  Place oil in iron skillet.  Make round patties about the size of sausage patties. Put patties in hot oil in skillet and fry on medium heat until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.

Grandmother Johnson's Pinto Beans

1 package dried pinto beans

salt

ham pieces, cut in bite size pieces

water

 

 

Pick through dried beans and take out all the bad ones.  Wash 2 or 3 times.  Soak overnight if you want them to cook fast.  Granddaddy liked them to cook all day so you get more brown gravy with your beans.  Add ham and salt to taste.  Start to boil.  Turn down real low.  Cook 2 1/2 or 3 hours.

 

A note from momma...

"I got this recipe from Grandmother July 7, 1992.  She didn't know it, but I wrote it down as she was giving me the recipe over the phone.  I also wrote down her recipe for salmon patties and cornbread that same day."

Cocoa Fudge from Granny York

2/3 cup cocoa

3 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

 

Combine cocoa, sugar and salt in large pan.  Add milk gradually.  Mix thoroughly.  Bring to a boil on high stirring continually.  Reduce heat.  Continue to boil without stirring.  When ready add butter and vanilla. Pour in greased platter and let cool before cutting in squares.

Granny's Buttermilk Pralines

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, frozen

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cup pecans

 

Combine sugar, buttermilk, syrup and baking soda.  Cook slowly in a heavy pot until mixture forms a soft ball in a cup of water.  It will be about 234 or 235 degrees on candy thermometer.  This will take about 20 min.  Let stay there for 1 min or so.  Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla and pecans.

Beat mixture until smooth and creamy.   (use wooden spoon).  Drop by tablespoons on waxed paper. 

 

Makes 18 to 24 pieces.

This is something that my momma wrote about this recipe...

 

"I remember making this many times with Louise.  One year at Christmas we made these with brownies, cookies and divinity and I think peanut butter balls.  We made sweets ALL day.  I remember it took all day because Derek and Lindsey were just babies, but Louise wanted to make enough so we could take something to everyone on our visiting teaching route.  I remember we had more sweets than we could fit on the Christmas plates we had bought.  I think we put Martha Stewart to shame that day!"

Heavenly Hash Cake from Granny York

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

4 tablespoons cocoa

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

marsh mellows

 

 

In bowl melt butter.  Add sugar, then eggs and beat.

Sift flour and cocoa together and add to mixture, then add pecans and vanilla.

Bake at 350 in greased 9 x 13 pan for 1 hour or until done.  Put marsh mellows on hot, cooked cake and cover with foil to melt marsh mellows.  When melted and then cooled, cover with icing.

 

Icing

 

1/2 cup butter, melted

4 tablespoons cocoa

1 box powdered sugar

milk

 

Mix melted butter, cocoa and sugar.  Gradually add enough milk to make icing.

I actually remember everyone from my Granny's church requesting this from her. She was known for making some awesome sweets! :)

I'm horrible...

So, I haven't blogged in forever and I feel horrible about it... However, my mom has sent me a TON of recipes that are some of my families favorites! Everything from beef stew to fudge. Yum Yum! I hope you enjoy! Tchau!