I have selected some of my recipes that I would like to share with you. Many are old ones, and have been passed down from my Grandmother Christian.

This page is dedicated to my Grandmother Christian, ...the matriarch of our family for many years. (1894-1986) She was a "good" Grandmother and taught me many things.

I would spend hours with her in her kitchen as she prepared three meals a day for a large family and any friends who might "drop by" for a visit at mealtime... which seemed to happen often as she was a wonderful cook.

I loved her and this is one small way I am able to say, "Thank you, Grandma...I know you are watching from your heavenly home. You will always remain in our hearts and homes." And so, it is with much love I dedicate this page to her and the many wonderful memories of warm mornings and pleasant, sweet evenings spent with her in her kitchen.

GRANDMOTHER CHRISTIAN'S APPLE DUMPLINGS

Pastry Dough (recipe to follow)

15-20 large apples, peeled and grated 1 pound box Brown Sugar 2 sticks butter or margarine water (as directed) 1/2 cup ground cinnamon

2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (Optional)

In large bowl grate apples and then wring as much juice from them as possible by hand, saving all of the juice.

Place apples and juice in separate containers. On stovetop, use 9x12 baking pan - slowly melt butter in pan, being careful not to burn. Using very low heat -

Add brown sugar to butter. Stir.

Pour apple juice into baking pan with brown sugar and butter. Stir and mix well.

Add enough water to fill the baking pan 1/2 full. Stir again!

(You will now have made the syrup for the dumplings.)

Remove from heat and set aside.

Roll out pastry dough onto floured surface. (this takes some space....it is a lot of pastry!) Make pastry approximately 1 1/2 feet by 2 1/2 feet in size after rolling. (Make sure you do not roll it too thin.) Cover pastry with shredded dry apples. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. (optional)

Roll into a pinwheel (Do not worry about being neat! if you make a few holes...it's ok!) by gently rolling dough over. ( I use a spatula to do this.) Roll it as tight as possible.

Slice into 1 1/2 inch sections.

Gently lay each section into the baking pan of syrup, side by side. You may have to squeeze them together!

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 1 hour, or until golden brown. Place a piece of aluminum foil under this pan, before baking, to avoid messy clean up if it spills over.

Serve hot or cold with milk, ice cream or whipped cream if you like!

PASTRY DOUGH

4 cups flour

2 cup shortening

2 teas. salt

2 teas. baking powder

12 tablespoons cold water

Combine all of the above ingredients and blend with pastry blender until dough forms ball. Do not over work the dough. Form it into large ball and then refrigerate until ready to roll out onto floured surface.

ALABAMA BISCUITS

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 teas. soda

1 teas. salt

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons shortening (Crisco)

1 cup buttermilk

1 package dry yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water

Dissolve yeast and sugar in lukewarm water.

Mix with warm buttermilk and allow to stand in warm place.

In separate bowl mix flour, soda and salt

Add shortening to dry mixture and blend ( I like to use a pastry blender)

Add buttermilk, water and yeast mixture.

Blend well, working the dough only enough to be able to roll it out on flat surface.

Roll and cut about 1/2 inch thick.

Bake a 400 degrees F. until golden brown on top.

Yeild: a baker's dozen

FILLED CARROT CAKE

2 cups sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teas. soda

2 teas. ground cinnamon

1/4 teas. salt

1 1/2 cups butter-flavored salad oil

I teas. vanilla extract

3 eggs beaten

1 cup crushed pineapple, well drained

1 3/4 cups grated raw carrots

1/4 cup peeled, grated apple

1 cup chopped pecans

Icing (recipe follows)

Combine sugar, flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

Combine oil, vanilla, eggs, pineapple, carrots and apple. Beat well.

Stir in dry ingredients and pecans.

Spoon batter into 3 greased 8 inch cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes in pans.

Remove from pans and cool completely.

Spread icing between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Yield: One 3 layer cake

ICING

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

Combine butter, and cream cheese; cream until light and fluffy.

Add sugar, mixing well.

Stir in pecans.

Yield: enough for one 3 layer cake

SHRIMP or CRAB DIP

1 1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1 1/2 cup of chopped crab meat or shrimp (cooked)

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 teas. horseradish

1 teas. French dressing ( Catalina is best)

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill before serving with crackers or raw veggies.

PINKIE'S PUMPKIN SOUP

Ingredients needed:

large pumpkin (big enough to hold about 5 quarts when cleaned out)

4-5 ounces of dehydrated onion

2 boxes of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice

2 large cans of Campbell's cream of chicken soup

2-3 pounds of lean ground beef (browned and drained)

water as directed

Clean out your pumpkin, being careful not to make it too thin in spots.

Remember to leave the lid on when baking.

To the inside of the pumpkin add:

cream of chicken soup and 2 cans of water

onion and 2 cups of water

rice and ingredients as directed on box (water and butter and packet)

fried ground beef

(add water as the pumpkin bakes to reach the consistency you prefer)

Stir and then bake until outside of pumpkin shell is golden brown @ 350degrees. (usually takes about 1 hour 30 minutes)

Serve in the shell. Be very careful that you use a very heavy metal pan for baking and serving, as this will be very heavy. You may need help lifting it out of the oven! Have fun and hope you enjoy!

KALUAH (a GOOD fake!)

First Mixture -

7 cups sugar

7 cups water

Combine these and boil for 7 minutes.

Allow this to cool.

Second Mixture -

2 ounce jar MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee...DO NOT USE FREEZE DRIED!

2 cups of heated water (not boiling, but almost)

Add these 2 together and stir.

Allow to steep until completely cooled.

Mix First and Second mixtures together.

Add 1 quart of 190 proof grain alcohol.

Add 1 ounce vanilla flavoring.

Pour into GLASS containers and seal.

Allow it to sit for at least one week before use...better if 2 weeks...but I can never wait that long...LOL!

Makes 1 gallon.

POPPAW'S SWEET PICKLES

Select fresh small pickling cukes.

Wash cukes and place them in a crock or food suitable plastic container.

Add 1 cup of pickling salt to I gallon of water and make enough of this mixture to cover the cukes.

Let stand for 7 days.

Cover well and weight down the lid with a brick or whatever you need to keep critters out of crock!

After 7 days pour off the brine.

Slice the cukes.

Put cukes back in the crock.

Cover with cold water and 2 heaping tablespoons of Alum for every 2 gallons of pickles you are making.

Cover and let stand for 24 hours.

Drain.

Cover with boiling water and 2 heaping tablespoons of Alum for every 2 gallons of pickles.

Cover and let stand for 24 hours.

Drain.

Cover with cold water and let stand 24 hours.

Drain well and dry cukes with a bath towel.

Syrup

5 pints of vinegar

6 quarts of sugar

cinnamon sitcks

cloves

(fresh horseradish is optional - remove before canning)

Make enough of the syrup to cover the cukes you are making.

For 3 more days, drain the syrup and boil it and pour it back on the cukes.

On the last day, place the pickles in canning jars.

Boil the syrup and pour into jars and seal.

PIONEER BREAD PUDDING

Bread cubes, 4 cups

Milk, 4 cups

Butter, 6 tablespoons

Sugar, 1/2 cup

Eggs, 4

Salt, 1/4 teas.

Vallina, 1 teas.

Use day old bread, crusts and all, cutting it into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes. Place these in a buttered 2 quart baking dish.

Scald the milk with the butter and sugar.

Beat the eggs slightly; add the salt; then stir in the warm milk and the vanilla. Pour over the bread cubes.

Set the baking dish in a pan containing warm water up to the level of the pudding and bake @ 350 degrees F. about 1 hour, or until a small knife comes out clean when inserted in the center of the pudding.

Makes 8-12 servings

PLAY DOUGH (Not Edible! LOL!)

1/2 cup salt

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon Alum

2 cups water

3 tablespoons cooking oil

Food coloring

Combine salt, flour and alum.

Bring water to a boil.

Pour into dry ingredients.

Stir QUICKLY!

Add cooking oil and food coloring.

Pour onto table and knead until cool.

Place in air tight container and refrigerate until use.

ELEPHANT EARS!

2 cups warm water

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon shortening

1 teas. salt

1 package dry yeast

4 cups flour

Combine first 5 ingredients and let it stand...allow yeast to dissolve...then stir.

Then, add the flour and stir.

Place in air tight container .

Put this in the fridge for 1 hour.

Then POKE down.

This dough will keep for several days.

To prepare -

Make 2 inch ball of dough and work with hands to flatten it in the middle and leave edges thicker until you have made what looks like an Elephant's Ear!

Deep fry in hot cooking oil until golden brown. Drain grease onto paper towels after frying.

Sprinkle with cinnamon, powdered sugar, or serve with jam, jelly or marmalade.

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