My Nanny's Kitchen: Lancaster County Good Eats!

Calling All Reinholds Pennsylvania Fans of The Carnival!

2011-05-30T19:30:00.000-04:00

I'm sending out some shouts to anyone who is or has been a fan or attendee of the wonderful Reinholds Fire Company Carnivals. I grew up going to The Carnival and have incredible and fond memories of those days.
What I am searching for is a recipe for the unique Pork Barbecue Sandwiches that have been served at The Carnival for many, many years. For those of you who have had them, you KNOW how different and delicious they are. For those uninitiated, they are not tomato based, I don't recall a vinegar essence either. They are comprised of tender shredded pork, in a thick, savory sauce that sticks to the meat and is in no way thin or runny. Served on a hamburger bun, there is nothing like it.
I've messed around with my best guesses to the recipe but would LOVE to be able to post the real deal here.

I'm contacting folks back home to see if they have the recipe or know someone that does. If you have any ideas, please comment me here!
The Carnival burgers are easy...thanks to Earl and Mabel Weaver :)

Welcome To Spring 2011!

2011-03-18T09:06:00.000-04:00

Some of the first signs of Spring are the scallions, sugar peas and asparagus bounties from our gardens or at the roadside farmstands. What a welcome sight!

Winter is done. It really wasn't all that bad from this viewpoint. At least there was no blizzard this year :)

The Easter season is very special and important to me. And not for the bunnies and chocolate :)

It's time for Spring cleaning, going over the grounds and gathering up downed twigs and branches, planting some favorite things, just sprucing up overall. I do have plans for a firepit group area to relax by at night. Also I want to work on my grill area too.

There will soon be more recipes here. I have many to go through from the family stash :)

Have a glorious Friday! It's supposed to be in the mid 70s here today!

Fall Is Here! My Nanny Is A Great Grandma, Cuttting The Carbs and Other News!

2010-09-27T05:59:00.000-04:00

Fall has arrived and now there's more time to devote to blogging and sharing some of my favorite foods, recipes and activities that make up my sense of home, family and good stuff!
There's been quite a bit of change since I last blogged here!
We welcomed baby Stevie to our family in August :) What a precious, precious baby :) He is happy, healthy and growing in leaps and bounds. I can honestly say that I never had a clue what being his grandma would mean to me. You can't possibly comprehend, prior to having your own children, just how much love you can have for another human being. Having a grandbaby is that PLUS! :) There is no feeling like it in the world. Just holding and cuddling that sweet little baby lets me know that all is right with the world, no matter what! I won't post any pics of him here to prevent the usual risk of internet fun and games. I believe that to alter others' photos, especially of their loved ones is virtually sacrilegious.

Another shift in the cosmos....
Fall signals the advent of comfort food cooking but with a twist here. In my ongoing and ever-present attention to health, I've been bumping up my low carb cooking and recipe research! There are thousands upon thousands of incredible recipes with carb counts that are low enough to help anyone not only manage their blood sugar but weight also. Most recipes can be "de-carbed" with very little effort and just a tad of expense. You can substitute white and wheat flour with almond, peanut and coconut flours. The choices for sugar free sweeteners is almost open ended!
I have some incredible friends who have shared their knowledge of alternative ingredients with me and I thank them wholeheartedly for their expertise!
Each time I post a recipe that is low carb, that will be clearly indicated. You'll see them interspersed with family favorites and those that make no attempt to cut the carb level whatsoever.

I've already started the interior Halloween decorating and have the outside to finish. I love, love, love Halloween! I like to celebrate it and it's theme all October long. The feel of the spooky holiday is one I adore!

I know that my Nanny was smiling at me yesterday :) It was a day of cooking down some neck pumpkins for the season! Here in Delaware, neck pumpkins are almost nonexistent! Most folks have no idea what they are, or else they refer you to butternut squash, which is a totally different item!
I was so, so lucky to find Fifer Orchards in the Wyoming area. Micheal is a pure treasure! I was able to buy quite a few there. I also got a call from Willey Farms in Townsend. They now have them too!
To avoid this scarcity situation next year, I'm saving the seeds! I'm not sure if I'll have the time for a garden next Spring, but I do know that I will, at the very least, have neck pumpkins! Pies made with the neck pumpkins are nothing like pies made with the rounder, dark orange variety. Back home, in Lancaster County, PA, we never, and I mean NEVER, used a standard pumpkin for pies. I recall them being earmarked only for carving into Jack O'Lanterns and then given to livestock as a type of feed.

I'll be posting a homemade crust and pumpkin pie recipe here as well as a low carb tweaked version. Pumpkin is so good for you and with the right substitutions, it fits perfectly with a low carb lifestyle!

It is finally raining here on Delmarva. It's way too late to help the farmers but homeowners are starting to worry about the water table. It was such an odd and unfamiliar sound this morning, to wake up to the sound of the rain! But it sure makes it feel like Fall. We've had some days with temps in the high nineties this past week, so this is a welcome change!

On a final note, I'm making a product recommendation. If you have never tried Greek-style yogurt, I suggest you do! And if you do, please try Fage brand. It's thicker, creamier and just delicious. In keeping with low carb intakes, which recommend a high fat intake in conjunction, try to find the full fat version of the unflavored Fage. The cultures actually eat the carbs for sustanence, so the carb level is low, but the taste is fantastic. Mixed with some flax (the praises for flax will be in an upcoming post!), fresh fruit, some sugar free flavoring syrup, it's absolutely delicious! Some of the local stores here carry Fage but in the lower fat versions. It's been a struggle to find the full fat version but we're constantly tracking it down and we've contacted Fage as well.

I've been resuming my auction lists as well lately. Fall is chock full of special activities that I don't do in the Summer months. So between work, auctions, family research, my work on the Marian Baker Story, traveling back home to Pennsylvania, visits to New Jersey and other areas, it's going to be a very, very busy season!

Drop Box

2010-08-22T13:46:00.000-04:00

White Peaches!

2010-06-13T23:10:00.001-04:00

We're looking forward to August, the advent of the local peach season. A very dear neighbor who has since passed on taught me about his appreciation of white peaches. There really is no comparison.
A few years before he died, he asked me if I would can some for him. I spent an entire day canning white peach halves in a medium syrup for him. We split the batch. When winter came, it was as if we had just picked them!
Once the season is here, I'll post several recipes I have using the delicious white peaches!

Here's A Live Shot Of The Inlet!

2010-06-08T08:43:00.001-04:00

http://www.indianriverinletcam.com/

Fresh Strawberry Pie! The Best Of The Season!

2010-06-08T08:39:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 (8 inch) pie shells, baked
2 1/2 quarts fresh strawberries
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin

Directions

In a saucepan, mix together the sugar and corn starch; make sure to blend corn starch in completely. Add boiling water, and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mix, and stir until smooth. Let mixture cool to room temperature.
Place strawberries in baked pie shells; position berries with points facing up. Pour cooled gel mixture over strawberries.
Refrigerate until set. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Being Human and Having One's Butt Handed To Them :)

2010-06-06T20:33:00.000-04:00

I believe that each day presents many, many moments in which we can actively choose what kind of person we are or want to be.
If you know me, you know that it's hard work! :)
I'm outspoken, not shy and have an opinion on every damned thing!
And I am fallible and human. Fact.
Today, I am wondering how much of a sin it is to garner a little bit of satisfaction from observing someone get what they deserve.
I've finally come to embrace the realization that evening the scales isn't my job. It's not my duty.
But if you know of a person who thrives on meanness, on mocking innocent people with horrible abandon, and by a twist of fate or a turn of God's hand, they become the recipient of a little bit of a bad time at the bidding of another, how evil is it for me to have to smile about it?
Much like great scenes in great movies, where the entire theater crowd erupts in a voluminous roar of powerful joy when the bad guy 'gets it', I was able to observe a bully being bullied.
And they didn't and don't like it much! Go figure.
They certainly have it coming. They have been a horrid tormentor of many good people. And now, another bully is on their tail.
I have to confess. I wished for a minute that the newest bully high up on the food chain would latch onto the lower form like a bad, relentless rash. Guilty as charged.
It's wrong. I know that. And if I take the time to think about it and pray about it, I'll be able to reach inside and find the compassionate part of myself.
I've learned that bullies are to be pitied. They have large holes in their soul and that is heartbreaking.
But today, for a minute, it was secretly okay for me to see a bully get a dose of their own medicine.
I need to work on that part of my humanity. I know that.

2010-06-06T10:27:00.000-04:00

I Need To Say....

2010-06-05T16:03:00.000-04:00

My previous post was certainly full of I and me....

I also wanted to say thank you for this beautiful day. I've been praying about the oil spill and I am truly heartbroken for the effect on those who live at its current site of devastation, and for all of the creatures that are dead, dying and gasping for air to survive.
This catastrophe is big. Too big for us.
God is the only help we can truly rely on to get past this.
Yes, BP is responsible, but we are all responsible. We all demand more. We demand so much more. We demand bigger, better, cheaper. We demand it all.

BP never should have conducted off shore drilling without a back up plan for disaster. As my DD said, we all have shut off valves for the plumbing in our homes. Why wasn't that a requirement before we started any drilling? I am not well versed in the mechanics of the oil and gas industry so maybe it's a really stupid question. But I do know that not one step should have been taken if we are unable to deal with the accidents or catastrophes.
Dear God, I am so sorry for our misuse of the planet and its resources. I am so sorry we are gluttons.
And so full of ourselves that we just forge ahead, pillaging what you created as if it's easily replaceable.
Please help us stop the leak, save the lives of humans and creatures. Let us learn from this. Please.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Happy Saturday From The Beach!

2010-06-05T15:51:00.000-04:00

Today I was lucky enough to enjoy a bit of the Ocean City Air Show while I was working down there...it really does take your breath away to watch those pilots defy gravity and the odds!
I love summer but this high heat and humidity is a bit too much, too soon :)
I made a pit stop, actually, it was a side road trip, to get some strawberries at Magee Farms near Williamsville.
They have the best strawberries! The lady at the farmstand warned me that they will be finished next week, so I'll call them on Monday and make sure I get some of the last of the season.
Our strawberry beds did very well for three straight years. Now, we'll replant next year. Makes it awfully easy to just step out in the backyard and pick some fresh berries. Ditto for the apples! It looks like this year will be a good one for the apple tree. I just have one tree but when it's having a good season, I get tons of apples and make loads of applesauce. Miss Becky uses the applesauce I give her to make the very best applesauce cake!
My son is taking the day off and resting a bit. He's caught the current bronchitis/pneumonia that had hit alot of us in the past few months. I told him stay in the AC and drink alot of fluids. And stay away from Mommy to be and baby too :)
My daughter and her husband are celebrating their first wedding anniversary today! They gifted each other in the sweetest ways. They are so imaginative and so good to each other!
It's been a very long, hot day. I had one employee pull a no show/no call. Done. Unless I find out that she had an accident or other legitimate reason for not showing up, we won't be speaking at length in this lifetime :)
Sometimes, you make a choice for the right reasons and end up with the wrong person.
Well, back to the stack of resumes. So many people are looking for work.
I was planning on heading out of town for a few days but that's on hold for right now. I'd prefer to make the trip when it's not quite so hot and humid. The 80s are fine but nearing 100 is a bit much.
It just might be more than nice to enjoy a few days off right here at home, with the boys, enjoying my space :)
Maybe I'll make an early venture to the beach tomorrow morning, before the tourists wake up ;)
More later, I need to cool off, get a cold drink and relax in the AC!

One Of My Favorite Spots :)

2010-06-03T17:17:00.000-04:00

It Breaks My Heart That People Feel This Way, But They Really Do Sometimes

2010-06-03T14:36:00.002-04:00

No one knows what it's like

To be the bad man

To be the sad man

Behind blue eyes

No one knows what it's like

To be hated

To be fated

To telling only lies

But my dreams

They aren't as empty

As my conscience seems to be

I have hours, only lonely

My love is vengeance

That's never free

No one knows what it's like

To feel these feelings

Like I do

And I blame you

No one bites back as hard

On their anger

None of my pain and woe

Can show through

But my dreams

They aren't as empty

As my conscience seems to be

I have hours, only lonely

My love is vengeance

That's never free

When my fist clenches, crack it open

Before I use it and lose my cool

When I smile, tell me some bad news

Before I laugh and act like a fool

If I swallow anything evil

Put your finger down my throat

If I shiver, please give me a blanket

Keep me warm, let me wear your coat

No one knows what it's like

To be the bad man

To be the sad man

Behind blue eyes

The Who: Behind Blue Eyes... This Reminds So Much Of Someone I Used To Know

2010-06-03T14:34:00.002-04:00

Last Night On Public Television.... James Taylor and Carole King At The Troubadour/Forty Years Later :)

2010-06-03T14:20:00.000-04:00

Family Time

2010-05-31T17:50:00.000-04:00

Family time is the ultimate! What a holiday weekend :) We're tired, we're happy, we're full and we hate to have to go back to work tomorrow! LOL
This weekend was a tease. A taste of summer for everyone :)
Lots of cleaning up to do and getting organized for the week to come.
I hope all of you had a wonderful, family-filled holiday weekend.
My son and his fiance moved into their new home this weekend :) I remember how much fun it was to be just starting out in your first real house of your own! Fixing it up just the way you like, adding your own personal touches to your own personal space :) These are some of their good old days. They just don't know it yet.
I have to say this....I also said this to a friend earlier today....I have been mocked for my comments about our blessings. That's sick stuff, but so be it.
I will never not be grateful for all we have and all that we have been blessed with. We never take it for granted. And we truly have been richly, richly blessed.
We have family, we are happy and we're doing just fine. We aren't the richest, we don't have it all, but boy do we have what's important :)
And for that I say prayers of thanks every day of my life :)

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls! Yum!

2010-05-27T16:23:00.004-04:00

INGREDIENTS

1 medium head cabbage

For the Filling:

1-1/4 pounds lean ground beef (or combination ground pork and beef)
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice, cooked according to package directions (about 2 cups cooked)
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 can (14.5 ounces) whole tomatoes, crushed with fingers, and juices
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Juice of a small lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of cinnamon

There are several techniques for blanching the cabbage leaves. I prefer to cut the bottom of the stem of the leaf, gently remove it from the head, then cook 3 or 4 at a time in lightly salted boiling water until tender, about 4 minutes. When I get to the inner portion of the cabbage where the leaves are too tight to remove without ripping, I immerse the remaining head into the water and remove the outer leaves as they become loose. Separate the cooked leaves on a clean towel so they can drain and cool quickly.
To make the filling, place the ground beef in a medium bowl. Add 1-1/2 cups of the cooked rice, reserving any remaining rice for assembly, and the remaining filling ingredients. Mix well with hands until all is combined. (To taste for seasoning, take a small piece of the mixture and cook in a skillet or in the microwave.)
To make the sauce, heat the buter and oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until just starting to brown. Add the tomatoes, sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Add the pinch of cinnamon and taste for seasoning.
To assemble, first cut a slit in the thick portion of the leaves so they will roll easily. Starting with the largest leaves, place about 1/4 cup of filling at the thick end. Start to roll, tucking in the sides as you go. Roll as tightly as you can. This will make about 16 rolls, depending on the size of the leaves. When you have used up all of the filling, take the remaining leaves and lay them on the bottom of a baking dish or roasting pan large enough to hold the rolls in one layer. Top with the remaining cooked rice. Spoon just enough of the sauce over the layer to moisten. Place the cabbage rolls, seam-side down, in rows on top of sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over all.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Bake for about 1 hour or until hot and bubbly.

Lovin' Every Minute Of It!

2010-05-26T20:55:00.000-04:00

I've had a great week so far! Given the luxury of working mostly from home, I've been able to get the website work done, files updated, spreadsheets and formulas finished, and of course, spend time on the online forums!
It surely helps to have key people in key positions. I can work on the paper end of the business while they take care of the hands on portion of the business.
That's about to change though :) Tomorrow is my last scheduled 'administrative day' for a while. We've acquired more corporate clients, added some staff and I need to be out and about from job site to job site, meeting with clients and taking care of the advertising meetings, etc.
So I'll enjoy tomorrow while it lasts LOL
Memorial Day Weekend is like the starter's pistol at the track! It'll be that way till after Labor Day :)
I have a vision of me....after tomorrow.....

Ready, set.....Wait! I can still have my coffee and a nice, relaxing start to the day tomorrow! :)

One Of Our Favorite Fresh Water Fishing Holes

2010-05-26T17:47:00.000-04:00

Wonderful Quotes and Thoughts

2010-05-26T17:21:00.000-04:00

Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illumines it
--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
(Matthew 5:44,45)

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self.
--Joan Didion quotes (American Journalist and Novelist, b.1934)

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.
John F. Kennedy

These Are My Mantras

2010-05-26T16:50:00.002-04:00

Get thee behind me, Satan.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

I am a child of The Most High God. You do know WHO you're dealing with, right? :)

Quiet Time....

2010-05-26T16:44:00.000-04:00

Being able to work from home is a blessing and a curse. I can take as many breaks as I feel I want to, and it gives me a chance to work uninterrupted on paperwork and website changes.
On the other side of that coin is the time and space to let my mind wander to things unrelated to work.
I got word today that a friend received some questionable news in results from a chest xray. There's a 'spot' on the lower right lobe of her lung. Such a small word, spot. And such far-reaching ramifications it can and might have.
Let's pray that it's a touch of pneumonia. Or a blip on the screen.
The other possibilities just aren't good. And they aren't happy. And she deserves so much better and more than that.
Health issues here in my circle have arrived in a cluster. They usually do. But we can only take it as it comes.
One of the hardest parts is being smacked in the head with the fact that we are powerless and have no control when you think about it. Our bodies do what they will in this respect.
We can follow advice. We can take the meds and do the treatments. But our bodies will do as they will.
Focusing on the good and the positive and keeping an open hotline to the Powers That Be is really all we can do :)

Favorite Things!

2010-05-26T16:10:00.000-04:00

Some of my favorite things are...wisteria...and honeysuckle....

My wisteria has gone crazy! If allowed, it will cover the summer kitchen and the back portion of the house in no time! It has bloomed from the first season after we planted it, without fail, every year. I've trimmed it a few times but I hate to mess with success.

I have such wonderful memories of the honeysuckle that grew wild near my Nanny's house in the southern end of Lancaster County. Being a kid, I never even thought to wonder if any of it was toxic or could make me sick. I never hesitated to taste it :) And the smell of wild honeysuckle takes me back to those days in a heartbeat!

An Absolutely Beautiful Morning!

2010-05-26T06:22:00.000-04:00

The sun is up, it's a bit cool and there's just the slightest hint of a breeze....It's absolutely gorgeous!

Waking up to this is NOT a problem! :)

Reading Is Fundamental :)

2010-05-25T19:10:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, you just need to take a deep breath, sleep on things and not wantonly give in to your impetuous side :)
I've always seen things in concrete terms. Black or white.
Right or wrong.
And facts are facts.
I've never been too comfortable with people putting on 'airs' or pretending they are something they are not.
Especially when they misuse or abuse others. Then it's time to call a spade a spade.
I'm still taking my time here to not give in to my petty side.
I want to level the scales. Oh do I ever :)

But I need to determine just what benefit that will produce.
Who will it help? Who will it hurt?
Simply revealing people for what they really are could stand on its own.. Clearly.
Let the world know just what kind of folks are slinging the most crap.
They'd be shocked to know the truth. I know I was.
Just when you believe that you can't think any lower of a bunch of people who thrive on evil, you learn more.
I need to take a walk, fix dinner and decide what I want to do next :)
Do I type or do I just let it go?
I'll let ya know!

What A Wonderful Weekend!

2010-05-23T18:19:00.000-04:00

A surprise visit from my daughter and son-in-law, weather that really wasn't too shabby and tons of action at the Cruisin in Ocean City has made this a wonderful weekend!
It's time to kick back, relax and enjoy a quiet Sunday evening :)
I'm remiss in posting some recipes but I swear I'll get to it this week :)

Tucking The Puggles In For The Night!

2010-05-20T00:20:00.000-04:00

Time to call it a night here :) We're all 'dog tired'! I'll approve the comments tomorrow. I see there are a few.
Thanks for visiting my blog!
Nite!

More Recipes Coming!

2010-05-19T19:58:00.000-04:00

I pulled out the box with more family recipes and hope to get to it this weekend I've saved recipes not just from my own family but that of my husband and my best friends as well.
I keep forgetting to ask my husband's relatives, who still live in Denver and Stevens, if they have anymore that I could add to the family collection. Hopefully I'll remember to ask next time!
My cousin, who lives in Quarryville, has graciously offered to give me a community cookbook that was published several years ago, and which includes some of my Nanny's recipes in it!
Nanny's kitchen was my favorite room in the house :)

2010-05-18T10:32:00.000-04:00

Today my thoughts are with a very special someone. She's been going through some 'stuff'. Today is one of the many milestone days that we may be experiencing. We're a lucky bunch and I don't ever forget that. I just pray that today is good news. And if we have some challenges ahead of us, then we'll just tighten our hold on each other and take it one step at a time.
You can't help being fearful about the people you love. It goes without saying. You worry about them and want only good days and good times for them. If it were only that easy :)
So today, I will do all I can to surround myself with positive energy. I truly do believe that it has an effect.
And I also believe that each day we have a choice. We choose to stand on our character, our integrity and our outlook.
Keep us all in your prayers :)

Wow :)

2010-05-12T22:20:00.001-04:00

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the small child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

God said, You will simply call her, "Mom."

Blessings All Around!

2010-05-12T19:22:00.000-04:00

We're all in love!

This precious baby is the newest member of our family and we cannot wait to hold him, kiss him and love him!

August can't come soon enough!

Life is good and it's only getting better :)

2010-05-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

Old Fashioned Quince Jelly

7 1/2 cups sugar
3 fluid ounces liquid pectin
4 1/2 cups water
3 pounds quinces, cored and chopped, peels on
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

Sterilize 8 (1/2 pint) jars in boiling water for at least 5 minutes, and have new lids ready.
Place the quinces in a large pot, and pour in water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Strain off 4 cups of the juice. Mix juice with sugar and lemon juice in a heavy pot, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin, and return to a boil. Boil for 1 full minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Ladle into hot sterile jars, and process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath to seal. Refrigerate jelly after opening.
Store sealed jars in a cool dark place. Refrigerate jelly after opening.

Expanding Horizons: Beyond The Kitchen Window....

2010-05-12T08:17:00.000-04:00

My Nanny's kitchen was a warm, sunny, bright place no matter the day, no matter the weather. The warmth and goodness came from within, from the love of family and from the heart. Many wonderful memories were lived and made in that space, in that two-story farmhouse in the 'southern end'.
My hours spent with her in that kitchen have stayed with me, to this day. It's because of her that I love to cook and bake. There's a feeling of comfort in rolling pot pie dough or taking Aunt Dora's sugar cakes out of the oven.
I learned many things in Nanny's kitchen without realizing at the time that I was. My view of things, people and the world were formed in part during those hours at her kitchen table. I can't say that I mirror her outlook completely, for she saw the goodness in everyone. One of her phrases that we all heard thousands of times is "God love em!" She even found redeeming qualities in Charlie Manson. She was sure that he was hurt badly as a little boy. Forgiveness was her forte. She was a devout Catholic and held to her beliefs and tenets. She was wonderful lady who gave me far more than she ever knew.
In that vein, this site is going to be a bit more than just a recipe compendium.
I'll still include the recipes from Nanny's kitchen, our family favorites and others that I have come to love. But I'll also include other offerings from cooking/baking to family stuff :) The only rule is that it has to be positive and uplifting :)
My Nanny's view of the world was much like the view from her kitchen window....there is a whole world out there full of warmth and good stuff, of good people and good memories to be made. That's the stuff that matters.....

2010-05-11T20:48:00.000-04:00

Amish Raisin Pie

2 (9 inch) pie shell
2 cups water
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (225 degrees C).
In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, butter or margarine, and lemon juice. Mix well, then stir in raisins. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
Pour raisin mixture into pastry-lined pie pan. Cover with second pastry. Seal edges and cut steam vents in top.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes. Note! This pie can also be made with a crumb topping!

2010-05-11T06:21:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1 3/4 quart fully ripe strawberries
1 package Sure Jell Light Fruit Pectin
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided use
1 cup corn syrup

Directions:

Hull and thoroughly crush strawberries. Measure into a large bowl. You should have 4 cups of strawberries.

Combine fruit pectin with 1/4 cup sugar. Gradually add pectin mixture to fruit, stirring vigorously. Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add corn syrup; mix well. Gradually stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar until dissolved.

Ladle quickly into freezer containers. Cover at once with tight lids. Refrigerate overnight, then store in freezer. Small amounts may be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Trust Me, There's A Reason For This

2009-11-03T12:36:00.001-05:00

Again, don't ask LOLOLOL

The rubber misrepresents an aircraft within an expensive diet.

Nothin' Beats Lancaster County Shoppin' :)

2009-10-30T17:17:00.000-04:00

Neck pumpkins, cup cheese and lots of goodies from Earl Weavers.....great finds, great prices and getting to spend time with some folks I haven't seen in a while :) That's a great way to spend your time!
I got some research done, worked on a few other projects and came home laden with goodies from Lancaster County too :)
This is going to be a great weekend!
Lots of cooking to do, and a few more of Nanny's recipes to post sometime this weekend :)~

The Cashew Butter!

2009-10-10T13:54:00.000-04:00

Made the Cashew Butter yesterday.... YUM.

Alton Brown's Cashew Butter

2009-10-02T11:30:00.000-04:00

2 tablespoons honey

1/3 cup walnut oil

10 ounces (approximately 2 cups) roasted cashews

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place the honey in a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave for 15 seconds. Remove from the microwave and add the oil to the container.

Place the nuts and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for 5 seconds.

Then, while the processor is running, very slowly drizzle in the honey and oil.

Process until an emulsion is formed and the mixture is smooth; this will take approximately 45 seconds to 1 minute.

If the mixture is too thick and doesn't spread easily, add a little more oil.

We're Open For Business!

2009-10-02T09:04:00.000-04:00

We're open, we're linked! Happy reading and updating!

A New Look!

2009-10-02T08:04:00.000-04:00

I chose this particular template because it reminded me of being a little girl :) I loved Pixie Stix!
They were just one of my favorite buys at Gus Mandros' store on Lemon Street.
I still love that store.
This was back in the day....I could actually walk to the store in the early evening or anytime of the day, actually, and not fear strangers.
Gus, Athena and the family were like extended family.
I have memories of my best friend's Italian grandmother's house on a Saturday morning. I believe it was bread baking day on Saturdays. I can still remember the wonderful aroma of hand-kneaded and home-made Italian bread filling the kitchen of her Lemon Street home.
Good times :)
And I figured, I give part of myself to my blogs. I take them seriously and they aren't meaningless no matter what the subject. I spend my time, offer my thoughts, memories and emotion to the blogs. They need to reflect me. And they need to be taken care of. Hence, the Pixie Stix!
Besides, this template is just FUN!

Coming Soon! Cashew Butter...Alton Brown and Jeff Lee Style!

2009-09-28T23:01:00.000-04:00

Hopefully this week, we'll test the recipe...I finally found the Walnut Oil!

Egg Noodles In Brown Butter....

2009-05-20T21:32:00.001-04:00

what more do I need to say? :)

The Ice Box Pie....

2009-04-26T17:22:00.001-04:00

...was more than a hit! It is much better with the fresh lemon juice, but in a pinch the bottled will work too!

Lemon Icebox Pie

2009-04-20T13:50:00.000-04:00

¾ stick butter

½ box vanilla wafers

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 eggs

¼ C sugar

6 lemons (7 TBL)

Preheat oven to 350˚. Melt the butter, crush the cookies, then mix and press into 8” x 8” baking dish. Place extra whole cookies around the sides of the dish. Zest 2 lemons, and juice all of the lemons. Separate the eggs, and mix the yellows with the sugar and milk, then beat thoroughly. Mix in the lemon juice, zest and pinch salt. Pour mixture over crust. Whip the egg whites with 4 TBL sugar and a pinch salt until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over lemon mix, and bake for about 10 min, until lightly browned. Let sit for 6 to 8 hours.

The Cup Cheese Results!

2009-04-19T11:30:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to let you all know that the Cup Cheese Recipe attempt was a success! I've never tried to make that before and it really turned out well!
Hopefully this coming week I can post more family recipes!
Have a wonderful Sunday!

Nanny Kelley's Black Joe Cake

2009-03-15T23:40:00.000-04:00

This cake is the absolute best chocolate cake on the planet! Moist and rich, we usually make some creamy peanut butter icing for it but it is also wonderful with a light and airy cooked icing too!
This is the cake that everyone asks me to bring to any pot lucks, community dinners and get togethers. It has withstood the test of time!
Enjoy!

Nanny Kelley's Black Joe Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (I prefer Hershey's, naturally) Suze's note!
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup hot black coffee
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Sift all the dry ingredients and add oil, coffee milk and mayonnaise. Mix for two minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla flavoring and mix well for two minutes more. This batter will not be thick.
Pour into two greased and floured 9 inch cake pans.
Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or longer depending on your oven. Start checking with a toothpick at 25 minutes and take it from there.
Cool the cake for fifteen minutes before removing from the pans. Cool the cakes on wire racks.

Light and Airy Cooked Icing

I cup milk
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Combine milk and flour in a saucepan and cook until thick. Cover and refrigerate. In mixing bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla till creamy. And the chilled milk and flour mixture and beat for ten minutes or more. Frost the cooled cake.

Nanny's Cracker Pudding

2009-03-10T21:28:00.000-04:00

This cracker pudding is incredible! Sweet, creamy with a little bit of the cracker lumps...Just what I needed after a long, hard day at ........ school! :)

Nanny's Cracker Pudding

1 quart milk
2 eggs
Scant 1/2 cup sugar
Vanilla to taste
1 cup Ritz crackers
Baker angel flake coconut (short kind)

Heat milk but don't scald or burn. Add sugar and dissolve. Crush crackers and add to the milk.
Turn off the heat under the milk. Take a small amount and slowly beat into the eggs, making sure the pudding base is cooled a bit.
Once its well mixed, put it back into the pudding base and cook a bit longer.
Add the coconut, stir.

Nanny's Roly Polys!

2009-03-09T17:58:00.000-04:00

There really is no recipe for these treats but I never want to forget them!
My grandmother often made pot pie. Usually chicken, sometimes beef and on rare occasions I can even remember sugar pea pot pie and once made with clams.
When she had leftover pot pie dough, which I remember as being every time, and now I doubt by accident, she would make us these little pinwheels as a treat!
They were so good and to us they were so special!
Play with the level and sweetness and spice that suits you!

Nanny's Roly Polys

Leftover pot pie dough, rolled into a rectangle
Sugar
Cinnamon
Softened butter

Spread the softened butter over the rectangle of dough.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, to taste. (I usually use the ratio that we like for cinnamon toast).
Roll the dough as you would for a pumpkin roll, etc.
Slice into 1 1/2 inch pieces and place cut side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
I use Pam, and only use it sparingly since the butter from the polies will melt out onto the sheet.

Bake until light brown and bubbling. I used a 350-375 degree oven.

Enjoy!

A Recipe For Homemade Cup Cheese!

2009-03-07T20:34:00.000-05:00

I was given this recipe by a fantastic Mom who loves gardening and earth/nature as much as I do!
She is an expert at making her own cottage cheese and from that came the recipe for the Cup Cheese. I am trying the recipe this weekend, so I'll post a review for it here.

Hello Suze,

Yes, I do have a recipe for Amish cup cheese. This recipe was given to me by a Mennonite friend of mine. She grew up here in Lancaster PA.

~Cup Cheese~

5 cups dry curds 1/4 cup butter

1 Tblsp. Baking soda 1/2 cup cream

1 tsp. salt

Add soda and salt to curds. Let set 3 to 4 hrs. In double boiler, crock pot, or iron skillet melt the butter. Add curds. Melt stirring occasionally, to keep from sticking to sides and bottom. When melted add sweet or sour cream. Let come to boil, pour into a dish. If a thinner cheese is desired, add more cream or milk. If the curds don't want to melt right you can put in the blender, before it's cold.

Tip: Even if it's lumpy it's still good, a special kind of cheese in itself...... Whatever suits your taste. Cheddar powder, sour cream and onion powder, maybe even fresh herbs. Crumbled bacon and thin cheese makes a good sauce, a thick cheese you can spread on bread, makes a nice sandwich. It's also good with pretzles or crackers.

Enjoy,

~Joyful Mama~ :)

Miss Lizzie West's Cornbread/Sussex County, DE

2009-03-07T20:04:00.000-05:00

This is a wonderful recipe that was given to me by one of my neighbors shortly after we moved into our wonderful, old house here at the beach. This is a recipe that was a favorite of Miss Lizzie West, one of the former residents of our house. She was a wonderful old woman who was all that is good about the southern part of Sussex County, Delaware.

This is an Eastern Shore wet cornbread, not at all like the dry, crumbly version that I was accustomed to prior to moving here.

Miss Lizzie's Cornbread

4 cups of boiling water
2 cups of cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
1/2 stick of butter
2 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk
1 cup flour

Mix together, then add 1 cup of milk, again. Then mix all together with a mixer.
Grease baking pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for one hour or until brown.
Miss Lizzie's sister, Margie, was a resident of a local nursing home and had some very interesting things to say about Miss Lizzie's experiences in our house. Suffice it to say, when we wondered about finding a lock of hair in the fireplace in the dining room, Miss Margie told our neighbor that Miss Lizzie often stated she saw a woman in green shoes, rocking in that room....and she had no head.....

Sadie Lebo's Famous Coconut Cake!

2009-03-07T19:55:00.000-05:00

Sadie Lebo and I aren't related, but she was a dear, dear woman I met through our many trips to the now-defunct Reinholds Athletic Club. She was a waitress there and she and her husband, Popeye, were great people.
This cake was famous throughout the area and no one could ever hope to duplicate it.
Thanks to Sadie's daughter-in-law, Janet Miller for sharing it with me. When I was a Charge Nurse at the Denver Nursing Home, Janet's father was a patient there. I asked her about the recipe and she not only got it for me, she handed it to me, in Sadie's handwriting! I value this as I do my own grandmother's recipes. Thank you Janet, and thank you Sadie.

Sadie Lebo's Coconut Cake (as served at the Reinhold's AC)

2 cups of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of butter
4 egg yolks
Mix these three together.

2 cups of flour
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup of sweet milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup of coconut
1 tsp vanilla
4 egg whites beaten stiff ( mix in last)

Cream the butter, sugar, egg yolks, adding ingredients alternately with the milk.
Add the vanilla, then coconut.
Lastly fold in egg whites.
Put in oven, bake at 360 degrees for 4o minutes.

Enjoy!

Nanny Kelley's Bread Pudding

2009-03-07T19:51:00.001-05:00

This comes from a fading piece of paper, now tan with the 'receipt' written in ink, by my grandmother herself, Belva A Kelley.

This was a favorite of my late husbands. He adored her and her cooking. And she adored him right back :)

Nanny Kelley's Bread Pudding

1 1/2 cups of stale bread cubes
3 cups of milk
1/3 cup of sugar (you may alter this to taste)
2 eggs
pinch of salt
vanilla (I usually go with two tsps)

Scald milk and soak bread in it till soft.
Add sugar, beaten eggs, salt and flavoring.
Bake in moderate oven. The paper shows 325 degrees but there is a note in the margin that
says "I use 360 degrees.)
Note: She also wrote: You can add raisins if you like them.
Bake for 45 minutes.

I can tell you that I have always had to double this recipe. It disappeared too fast otherwise!

My Nanny's Kitchen.....

2009-01-30T18:10:00.000-05:00

My grandmother, Belva A. Kelley, was born on February 2, 1897 in Pennsylvania. She remains with me today although she has been gone from this earth since 1989. Daily I am aware of her spirit, her sense of comfort and her goodness.
In honor of my grandmother, who we called "Nanny", I created this blog. I will post her recipes and her stories and memories of my wonderful times spent with her.

To Nanny, I love you. I miss you and I am so grateful that you remain with me. To be more like you is the goal of my life. What I wouldn't give to hear, just one more time..."I love you double double!"