Cocktail Weenies

I recently made appetizers for Thanksgiving and I wasn’t planning to post a recipe but everyone was asking for it so here it is. I remember my Mom making these and keeping them warm in a fondue pot. I used a one quart crockpot. They are small and inexpensive if you get them at Walmart.

Ingredients:

1 package 24 ounce Little Smokies

1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Original)

3/4 cup grape jelly

In a saucepan, combine jelly and barbecue sauce. I heated the two until the jelly had combined with the barbecue sauce. I added the Little Smokies to the the saucepan and heated the Little Smokies until they were hot. I transferred the warm sauce and Smokies to the crockpot and kept it on warm setting during the day. Have toothpicks nearby for serving. This is an old vintage recipe my Mom made when I was a kid. Simple, easy and tasty. Enjoy!

Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes

This is a recipe from my past. My Aunt Juanita gave this recipe to my Mom between 40-50 years ago. Losing my handwritten recipes was heartbreaking but I knew I had put the recipe in a school or church cookbook. My dear Aunt didn’t remember the recipe. I sure remembered it. You have two options, use sweet potatoes or yam patties. I used yam patties because that’s what my Mom always used. This old vintage recipe is a keeper.

Ingredients for Glaze:

2 big navel oranges, zest only

2 cups orange juice, I used pulp free

1/3 cup white granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons corn starch

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook until thickened.

You may use raw sweet potatoes or frozen patties (if you buy or use frozen patties, thaw them before using in this recipe). It’s easy to find the patties at your grocery store during the holiday season. They freeze well too if you want to make this recipe for Easter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For raw sweet potatoes, cook in boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender. Cool, peel and slice. Place sliced in a baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the glaze over the slices and bake for 30 minutes.

For prepared patties, place patties in baking dish. Pour the glaze over the patties, bake for 30 minutes.

Mom’s Waldorf Salad

My Mom loved Waldorf Salad. It was on our Christmas Table every year. I think it also made an appearance on our Thanksgiving Table too. I haven’t had this in many years. This is her recipe and Mommy, this is for you. ❤️

Waldorf Salad was created at the Waldorf Astoria in New York by a dining room manager in 1896. The original recipe only had apples, celery and mayonnaise. My Mom’s recipe also had walnuts.

Ingredients:

3 apples cored and cut into bite size pieces, you want at least 2 cups cut into pieces

1 cup of celery, diced

1 cup of walnuts, chopped (I chopped the walnuts and lightly toasted them under the broiler)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut apples, chop celery and nuts and set aside in a large bowl. Mix dressing up in a separate bowl and pour on top of apples, celery and walnuts. Mix well, refrigerate and enjoy.

Side note, this is the identical bowl I used to eat my Waldorf Salad in when I was growing up. Straight out of the 1960’s, The is a Blenko bowl and I have a set of 7. I own 6 small bowls and one larger salad bowl. I treasure these and my Mom’s recipe.

Banana Pudding Pie

I remember my Mom cooking banana pudding with sliced bananas on the stove when I was growing up. It came from a box but still a sweet memory. I took that memory and converted it to a homemade Banana Pudding Pie. Simple, delicious and easy to make. My Dad even had seconds, so I know it was good!  

Crust:1 11 ounce box of vanilla wafer cookies

1 sick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush cookies and stir in melted butter. Form a crust in your pie plate. Bake shell for 8 minutes and set aside. 
Pudding Pie Filling:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 Tablespoons cornstarch 

2 cups of milk, divided 

3 egg yokes, beaten

2 Tablespoons butter

3 bananas sliced 

2 teaspoons vanilla

In a saucepan, add sugar, flour and cornstarch and whisk together. Over medium heat, add one cup of milk and whisk, add in egg yokes and butter. Pour in the remaining cup of milk and start adding the sliced bananas. Bring to boil and stir frequently to prevent scorching and burning. Once pudding is very thick, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour in pie shell and refrigerate overnight or until set and firm. Decorate with whip cream. Enjoy!

Mom’s Orange Jello Salad

I grew up eating this jello salad as a child in the late 1960’s.  My Mom made this salad a lot. This is definitely a 60’s retro recipe.  Back in the day, meals, especially holiday meals had jello salads on the table.  I usually do not like fruit in jello but since it’s crushed pineapple and mandarin oranges, I do make the exception here. You will find this orange jello salad tangy, light and refreshing. Enjoy this blast from the past.

Ingredients:
1 box of orange jello (6 ounces), you can substitute sugar free if you wish just use 6 ounces of dry jello

6 ounces of frozen orange juice concentrate, I could not find a 6 ounce can, they were all 12 ounces so, measure out 3/4 cup.  Make juice with the leftovers or put back into the freezer for the next jello salad

1 can of crushed pineapple (20 ounces), do not drain

2 cans of mandarin oranges (15 ounces), drained

Whip cream, optional
Pour dry jello in a 13 x 9 pan. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. I used a Pyrex measuring cup and microwaved it for about 3 minutes. Pour boiling water in jello pan and whisk until dissolved. Add your frozen orange juice concentrate.  I cut it up so it would dissolve faster. Next mix in your crushed pineapple, whisking to blend and lastly add the mandarin oranges.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set. This makes a great addition to any family meal as a side dish or even as a light dessert.

Joan’s Apple Cake

I am very happy to present January’s Food Blogger of the Month, Debbi Horseman Powers. Debbi may look familiar, she sent in the delicious Pumpkin Muffin recipe in November. This recipe is a vintage recipe, I love those. Joan’s Apple Cake is named after Debbi’s Mother’s friend, Joan Dobie. Supposedly this is a recipe from an old Kansas City restaurant, Stephenson’s Apple Orchard. This recipe has been prepared in Debbi’s family kitchen since 1968. You might notice that there is not any liquid in the recipe. That is not a mistake. I made this cake and it is fabulous. Thank you again Debbi for sharing this wonderful recipe with us.

Debbi Horseman Powers

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
5 cups diced apples
1/2 cup black walnuts, chopped

Mix ingredients in order in glass pan, 13 x 9. Bake 1 hour at 350. Spread icing on top while cake is still warm.

Icing

3 Tablespoons cream or condensed milk
3 Tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla