Beefy Dog Biscuits

I usually make several batches of these as gifts for the dogs of family and friends during the Holidays. Dogs love 'em!

Beefy Dog Biscuits

Mom with cousin Terri's dog Whiskers
(Best dog in the world)

1 cup ground beef

1 cup beef broth

1 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 cup whole wheat flour

2 cup cornmeal

1 cup wheat germ

1 tsp salt

Using the paddle blade of a stand mixer stir the ground beef, broth, vegetable oil and eggs together on a low setting until well mixed. Stir the dry ingredients in a bowl then mix them into the wet ingredients. Pat or roll the mixture out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut to biscuit size. Bake on foil-lined cookie sheets at 350 F for 25 to 35 minutes until solid and slightly crispy. When cool, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes: You can usually purchase smaller amounts of wheat flour in the bulk foods section of the grocery.  Wheat germ is also usually near the natural foods section, in the refrigerator.

I’ve found it easiest to just pat the “dough” out on a piece of waxed butcher paper or another cookie sheet, then use bone-shaped cookie cutters near the edges of the dough and just slide it away from the rest of the dough (peel any excess from around the biscuits after cutting). Transfer the biscuits to the cookie sheets and re-pat the dough to cut more.

This recipe is easiest using a large “stand” mixer, but can be mixed by hand using a large wooden spoon and plenty of “elbow grease.”

Applesauce Fruitcake

The ubiquitous Christmas Fruitcake: It is typically dense and baked in a loaf pan (therefore shaped like a brick and heavy enough to serve as a doorstop), usually served in very thin slices (so thankfully one doesn’t have to ingest too much if forced to eat it out of politeness), crammed with nuts and dried fruit (by what stretch of the imagination are hard candied bits of citrus PEEL—the stuff you throw away when you’re eating an orange!—and translucent flavorless bright GREEN cherries considered fruit?), and is sometimes presented to family and friends during the Yuletide season (the gift that says “I really don’t like you very much.”)

In the middle ages fresh food was so hard to come by that having some withered pieces of dried fruit in the winter was a treat. Hell, times were hard, plagues were rampant, and having anything to eat was probably a treat! We have better transportation and refrigeration now—we can eat fresh fruit year-round. But traditions are traditions, so here’s my family’s fruitcake recipe. It includes cocoa, does not contain candied peel, and it’s actually pretty good.

Dad & Rick, Christmas 1953
(No cordless power drills in the 1950s)

Applesauce Fruitcake

2-1/2 cups flour

1-1/4 cups sugar

1-1/2 Tbs cornstarch

2-1/2 Tbs cocoa

2-1/2  tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp EACH cinnamon, nutmeg, 

    cloves, allspice

1/2 cup red wine* 

  (I confess: we use Manischewitz Blackberry)

2 cups applesauce

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

4 or 5 rings of dried, sweetened pineapple, chopped*

about 6 oz dates, chopped*

1 cup dried cranberries* 

   (or raisins if you prefer)

1 cup dried cherries*

 (or 1 small container glacé red cherries if you really must)

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Prepare one 10 inch tube pan by cutting parchment or waxed paper to fit bottom.  Grease pan, insert paper, and grease paper.

Sift dry ingredients into a very large bowl; then stir in wine, applesauce and oil.  Fold in nuts and fruit. Bake for about one hour, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

*NOTES: the natural foods section of most supermarkets is a good source for some of these dried fruits; it is usually easiest to cut these fruits using kitchen shears. If you do not wish to cook with alcohol you may be able to substitute a fruit juice (such as blackberry or cherry), however I haven’t tried it and would suggest you add just a small amount of vinegar with the juice to increase the acidity level and help the baking soda.

Turkey Croquettes

Aunt Peggy & Mom
ca. 1938 Oysterville, Washington

These croquettes are a good way to use up the Thanksgiving leftovers when you're tired of sandwiches.

Turkey Croquettes

4 Tbs butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

1-1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 to 1 tsp Poultry seasoning

(if available you can use abt 2 total tsp fresh herbs

such as sage, rosemary, thyme)

1 clove finely minced garlic

2 cups finely chopped cooked turkey

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup mashed potatoes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 cups finely ground fresh breadcrumbs

Oil for frying*

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until limp, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, seasonings and garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in turkey and cream, and cook until liquid is reduced, another 1 or 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Add potatoes, flour, and egg to turkey mixture, and stir to combine thoroughly.

Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the  turkey mixture into crumbs and turn to coat completely, flattening mixture into 2-inch patties. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to set.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook croquettes in a single layer until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Keep warm in oven while frying remaining croquettes. Serve immediately with cranberry sauce. Makes about 20.

*for added flavor you can use a mixture of melted butter and oil for frying.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Aunt Peggy & Uncle Lee
December 1961

Sweet Potato Casserole

A Volunteer Host brought this yummy dish to a Potluck at Fort Stevens State Park. She called it a side dish, but it is so sweet it really should be classified as a dessert, and is especially good during the Holiday season since it is fairly easy to make. Similar dishes are made with a marshmallow topping, but I much prefer this nutty crisp topping.This amount is enough for a 9-inch casserole, but can be increased for a 9 x 13 pan.

FILLING:

3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

TOPPING:

1/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix filling ingredients and pour into ungreased casserole dish. Melt butter, stir in sugar, flour and pecans. Sprinkle over potatoes. Bake 30 minutes.

Smoked Salmon Dip

Mom in the "uniform" she had to wear when
working at the Hyatt House in Burlinggame, CA

When Mom owned a Seafood market in Ocean Park, Washington we sometimes made this dip for customers to sample. Unfortunately, some customers thought “sampling” meant standing next to the bowl and eating all of it.

Smoked Salmon Dip

1 pound cream cheese (preferably Philadelphia brand)

1 Tb dried minced onion, reconstituted in about 1 Tb of water

1 Tb Mrs. Dash No Salt seasoning

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 Tb Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 pound smoked salmon

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Thoroughly blend all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. If consistency is too thick, additional sour cream and/or mayonnaise can be added. Serve with a fairly sturdy chip (I like Tostitos white corn chips).

EZ Beef Stew

My Dad and me, about 1953

This stew is fairly easy because you don't have to brown the meat first (but I usually do because I think it enhances the flavor just a bit!), and once you've got everything into the oven all you have to do is wait. Waiting patiently may not be easy during the last hour or so when your kitchen fills with the delicious aroma of the stew. The parsnips add a hint of sweetness--of course if you don't like parsnips you should add another potato.

EZ Beef Stew

2 pounds beef stew meat, cubed

2 onions, chopped (I usually use Maui or Vidalia)

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 Parsnips, peeled and chopped

6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into about 1-inch pieces

   (or you can use a large bag of ready-to-eat “baby” carrots)

2 lg baking potatoes, peeled and chopped into about 1-1/2 inch pieces

one 14-1/2 oz can petite-diced tomatoes

2-1/2 cups beef broth (abt one and a half 14-1/2 oz cans) 

3 or 4 Tbs red wine (optional)

3 Tbs Minute Tapioca

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning blend

2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 325° F. Scatter about 1/3 of the chopped onions in the bottom of a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Place the raw beef* on top of the onions (do not brown the meat), then cover with the remaining onions and chopped vegetables.

Combine the tomatoes, broth, Tapioca, sugar, spices and herbs and pour over the vegetables and beef. Do not stir. Cover and cook for 3 hours—do NOT peek!

* If you prefer you can sear the meat first--it usually has to be done in 2 batches--then remove and layer as described above.

Incredibly Easy Baked Chicken

This recipe is so simple, but the chicken turns out tasty and moist. Even better, the preparation time is ridiculously quick—about 5 minutes tops! As you can see, there is no quantity shown for the seasoning ingredients, it just depends on the how much chicken you’re baking.

Incredibly Easy Baked Chicken

Chicken (quarters or pieces--whichever you prefer)
Garlic powder
Salt
Other seasonings, if desired
Brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a pan with foil (you don’t have to, but it makes cleanup easier), and lightly grease the foil. Place chicken pieces on the foil. Generously season with garlic powder, and sprinkle with salt. If you want to get fancy, you can add other seasonings such as turmeric, paprika, dried lemon peel, etc. Sprinkle pieces with brown sugar. Place in oven and bake. Check after approximately 40 minutes, and cover with foil if chicken appears too dry.

Approximate total baking time:

Whole wings and/or drumsticks: 50 minutes

Thighs or thigh/drumstick quarters: 55 to 60 minutes

Breasts or breast/wing quarters: 60 to 65 minutes

My niece Treeva, with unknown friend, ca 1982