Grandma Carol's Stuffing

 This is from Carolynn:

Start with her good homemade bread or some other lovely white stuff - toasted - on a cookie sheet - carefully watched in the oven on broil.  I choose a good white bread, add a few slices of sourdough - toasted.  Make up a box of jiffy mix corn bread (I cook it in a round cake pan).  She always made this the night before and broke the bread into small pieces and left in in an open container sort of dry out.  (Brake up a portion of the corn bread into this-the next day-made also the day before.  The mix of the breads gives added flavor and a good texture.  

Over the bread shake some salt and pepper, ground sage, and poultry seasoning.  Chop onions and celery and sauté in butter low and slow.  Shake a bit of the same seasonings over this also.  she just boiled water in the teakettle, but I take a carton of Swanson chicken broth and bring to a boil in the microwave. 

  Add onions and celery to the bread, and moisten with the broth, stirring.  I add some pieces of butter into this.  Saturate the bread mixture, not to mush, but quite moist.  Taste to made certain of your desired taste.  Transfer to a buttered baking dish.  Smooth out and dot with butter, of course.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Shrimp Cocktail

Dad's Shrimp cocktail--every ingredient quantity is a guess:

1 bag frozen or fresh large shrimp, boiled briefly until they turn pink
2 cans tiny shrimp
2 quarts Spicey V-8
1 quart tomato juice
1 C ketchup
4-5 stalks of celery, chopped
2 T. Horseradish
2-3 T. Lemon Juice
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
garlic salt, to taste
2-3 avocados, diced - (add right before serving)

Mix these amounts together.  Then check taste and texture and decide what to increase, if anything.

Good luck!

Gourmet Sweet Potato Classic

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 25 Minutes Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:

5 sweet potatoes 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup butter 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1/4 cup butter, softened 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2.	Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften. Cool slightly, peel, and mash. (OR you can peel them first, cut, and boil until they're tender just like regular potatoes and then mash them.)
3.	In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
4.	In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
5.	Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/gourmet-sweet-potato-classic/

Basic Cream Pie

5 Tbls cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2-1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup half n half cream
3 egg yolks
2 Tbls butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
baked 9" pie shell

Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a 3-quart saucepan.  Add milk and cream and cook over medium heat until smooth and thick, stirring constantly.  Pour a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; blend thoroughly, then pour back into saucepan.  Cook another 2 or 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.

Coconut cream pie:  Add 1/2 cup coconut (toasted, if desired) to pie filling,   Pour into baked shell.  Chill 3 to 4 hours.  When ready to serve, whip the cream and spread over the top.  Top with another 1/2 cup coconut.

Banana cream:  Slice 2 bananas into pie shell.  Pour the filling over.  Add whipped cream.

Pumpkin Pie

• 6 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 large can pumpkin (Libby’s)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1-1/3 cup milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Ginger
• 1/2 tsp. Cloves

Mix ingredients in order. Pour into 2 large, or 3 small uncooked pie crusts. Bake at 425 for 15 min. Reduce temp to 350 for 45 min or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 2 large pies may take 20 min & 50-60 min

Pie Crust

PIE CRUST

• 5 Cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups lard
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1 egg
• 1 T. vinegar

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Cut in lard with a fork or knife. Mix water, egg and vinegar together, then add to dry ingredients. Do not over mix. (Should look marbled)

Lemon Meringue Pie

Mix contents of Jello pie filling with:

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 1/4 Cup water

Stir in 2 cups hot water. Stir and cook on medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Take off heat and add 2 T. lemon juice.. Pour into already baked shell, put in oven while making meringue as follows:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar

Beat whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar. Beat until stiff. Spread over filling making sure that it is sealed to the crust (no gaps). Brown at 425 degrees for 5 minutes.

Chocolate Fluff Pie

Shell:

• 4 – 5 egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Beat egg whites, salt, & tartar until it forms soft peaks. Add sugar slowly, at high speed. Blend in 1 tsp vanilla, beat until very stiff. Pile into 2, 9” well, buttered pie shells. Bake at 275 for 1 hr. Turn off oven & let cool in oven.

Filling:

• 9-3/4 oz.Hershey Candy Bar (or equivalent)
• 1 pint whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 T. cold water

Combine chocolate, water & vanilla in sauce pan until melted, cool. Add to whipped cream. Pour into pie shells. Refrigerate.

Banana Cream Pie

• ¾ Cup Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Flour
• ¼ tsp salt (or less)
• 2 Cups Milk
• 3 Egg Yolks, Beaten
• 2 T Butter
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• ½ to 1 Cup Cool Whip

Combine sugar, flour, salt. Add milk gradually, put on medium heat. Bring to a boil, cook for 2 minutes take off heat. Mix a little with egg yolks, then add to the rest. Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add vanilla & butter. When cooled add cool whip! Line shell with bananas add ½ of filling then more bananas, etc.