Homemade Vegetable Soup

This is a soup recipe that has evolved over the years. It is made primarily for my hubby who is known affectionately as "sweetman". He eats this at least once a day. He does not care for sandwiches but loves soup for his "light" meal of the day.

Now I want to address this recipe especially to my 8 grandchildren, 7 boys and 1 sweet girl. Most of them are on their own and doing most of their cooking. There will be days or weeks when the cash is a little low. You will find soup to be a great meal during those times. And who knows, someday Pa-Pa may have to visit you and you can make this for him.

Rule #1--Boys, pay attention--wash the top of those cans before you open them.

Rule #2--Open cans, drain juice in can and then rinse vegetable in can with water. It gets all of that "canned" and preservatives taste out that was used in the canning process.

Rule #3--Cook slowly

Rule #4--Those leftover vegetables and small pieces of meat you had from earlier meals, put into a plastic bag and freeze. You can use them in this soup.

You will need the following:

2 cans of mixed vegetables

1 can of small lima beans

1 small can of green peas (or if you love peas, buy a larger size)

1 can black eyed peas

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can chicken broth (or beef broth if you prefer)

1 can crushed or diced tomatoes. (This is optional as some people (like Pa-Pa) do not care for tomatoes.

1 teaspoon sugar

Any leftover vegetable or meats, cut small

In crockpot or large boiler, place all of the above ingredients. Add enough water to cover all of the ingredients. If you like lots of liquid in your soup, add a little more water.

Add the following.

1 bay leaf (And don't forget to remove the bay leaf before serving soup into bowls. One bayleaf in the throat is not a good thing!)

1 tablespoon of minced onions (Don't tell Pa-Pa. He thinks he doesn't like onions. Little does he know!)

1 teaspoon celery salt. (If you have fresh celery in house you can chop up one stalk and add to mixture.

Salt and pepper to taste.

If cooking in crockpot, cook on slow 4-6 hours. If cooking on top of stove, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook about two hours.

Serve and enjoy.

Pound Cake

I love this pound cake recipe. It is so moist and versatile. It was given to me by one of my co-workers when I worked at Sears Commercial Credit Department. So to Miss Pam, a big thank you as our family has enjoyed it for years.

Pre-set oven at 350 degrees

3 cups plain flour (I like White Lily--for you non-southern ladies, it is a flour made in the South)
But just any plain flour would probably work.
2-1/2 to 3 cups sugar. I usually use 2-1/2 cups.
2 sticks soften margarine or butter
6 eggs
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon flavor (optional)

Spray tube cake pan with Pam
Flour cake pan
I cut a piece of wax paper the size of the bottom of my cake pan, fold into fourths and cut the center out--just a 1/4 circle. Place in bottom of pan, spray and flour.

Cream butter and sugar. Alternating, add one egg, mix in, then 1/2 cup flour, mix in. Do this with the 6 eggs and 3 cup flours, ending with flour. Add vanilla and lemon flavor. Slowly add in whipping cream. Beat just until incorporated well into batter

Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes . I like to check to make sure it is done with a toothpick or bamboo skewer. It should come out clean. Remember every oven is different so I would start checking after an hour of cooking. When done, let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove to cake plate. You have to take it out of cake pan and then turn it upside down so it will sit on cake plate correctly . Remember to remove the wax paper on the bottom.

We love to have crushed strawberries over our pound cake.
Hope you enjoy.

5 Cup Salad

This is a wonderful tasting salad and so easy to prepare. But you have to enjoy all the ingredients as none should be omitted. You can add, but can't take away

1 - 20 oz can crushed pineapple--well drained. Save the juice
1- 15 oz can mandarin oranges--well drained. Cut in half crosswise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup flaked coconut (I use the coconut in a can)
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped pecans. (These can be omitted)

Mix all together, well. I like to add some of the leftover pineapple juice back to the mixture to make it like a thick ambrosia.

Options: Add 1 - 8 oz container of Cool Whip
Refrigerate until used. This will keep in the refrigerator up to a week.

PaPa's Mincemeat Cookies

Many of you have heard this story, but just in case you missed it I will once again tell about Papa's Mincemeat Cookies.

Mincemeat cookies was Papa's favorite Christmas cookie when he was growing up. And his sweet Mother would always make them for him at Christmas. Remember, he is the baby of the family! Then when we married she continued sending him mincemeat cookies at Christmas. Her Christmas present to her six boys was to make their favorite childhood cookie or dessert. So for years we could always expect a package of mincemeat cookies and shelled pecans. The mincemeat cookies were immediately hidden. And that was O.K. as I did not care for them nor did any of our four kids.

Them Momee died. No more mincemeat cookies came in the mail. After about three Christmas Papa asked me to please, please try to make mincemeat cookies. So I started trying to learn to make them close to his mothers. First they were off in the taste. Then they weren't shaped like hers. But after several years of trial and error I got them down exactly like he likes them. I know they are not exactly like his mothers, but close enough for him to look forward to having them at Christmas.

Here is the recipe:

3/4 cup Crisco shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups prepared mincemeat

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening; gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add mincemeat, mixing well. Combine flour, soda and salt and stir into creamed mixture. Drop dough by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper-ungreased) and bake at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes.

Here is the trick to make them like his Mothers. Drop three 1/2 teaspoons in a row with mixture touching to make a rectangle cookie.

Cookies will be soft on top but should be just a little brown on bottom.

Mincemeat can be bought in a jar or can be bought in a box (concentrated). If you buy the concentrated you have to follow directors on box. I always buy the concentrated, make it up the day before I make cookies and use a slotted spoon when measuring out so I do not get too much liquid in the cookies.

Hummingbird Cake

This is one of our favorite cakes. It is the one most of the grandchildren request for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And it is so easy. YOU DO NOT NEED A MIXER FOR THE BATTER.

Here is the recipe. Hope you enjoy. And maybe I can get a picture up after Christmas.

I mix the batter by hand not a mixer.

3 cups all purpose flour (I use White Lily)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 cups bananas, mashed---(about 4 bananas)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl: add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not beat. Stir in vanilla, pineapple and bananas. (I mash bananas up with fork)

Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove frompans and let cool completely on wire rack. (I have made cupcakes and also used a rectangle pan to cook this cake in)

Ice with Cream Cheese Icing.

1 1/2 sticks of butter or margarine at room temperture
5 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
6 Tablespoons milk or 1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese.

Cream Butter. If using cream cheese, add cream cheese to butter and beat until smooth.
Gradually add powdered sugar beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. If mixture appears too firm, add a little milk until smooth enought to ice cake.
Ice cake between layers and then top and sides.

This is a very moist cake and best if kept in refridgerator after one day.

Enjoy.

Karo Pecan Pie

This is just the very best pecan pie recipe I have ever made. It is in a cookbook titled Rattling Those Pots and Pans by Leah Tower. Leah and Jim Tower were in our Sunday School classes at two churches, Atkinson Road Baptist and Sunrise Baptist in Lawrenceville, GA. When Jim died, Leah wrote this wonderful cookbook in memory of Jim.

Southern Pecan Pie

1 deep dish pie shell

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup, Karo syrup is what I use

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 eggs, well beaten with a fork or whisk

1 cup chopped pecans

Combine sugar, syrup and melted butter. Add beaten eggs and pecans, mixing thoroughly.Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees, for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Middle of pie will puff up when it is done.

Note: Picture of ingreidents shows vanilla and pie does not call for vanilla.

Pecan pies are best if made the day before you need them.

Enjoy.