Showing posts with label Grandma Bunni's recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grandma Bunni's recipes. Show all posts

Cabbage Soup ~ Grandma Bunni's family favorite

Grandma Bunni's Cabbage Soup ~ A super easy & really tasty soup that's simple to make.  A wonderful soup for the chilly nights of autumn.
 
As I was going through an old cookbook of Grandma Bunni's, I came across her recipe for ~ Cabbage Soup.  It's a simple & easy to prepare soup that is full of the flavors I remember from my childhood.   It just so happens, a few weeks ago J & I found some late season cabbages to harvest over at the Community Garden.  This recipe was the perfect way to use them!

When I was cooking this soup, its aroma filled the kitchen & I was taken back, probably 20+ years, to the last time I enjoyed a bowl of this comforting homemade soup.  I'm so glad that I found Grandma Bunni's old Cabbage Soup recipe & I'm looking forward to finding other recipes of hers.  I have a habit of stashing recipes (those written on slips of paper) in random cookbooks & it seems she did the same thing, too.



Who knows what, where and/or when I'll find the next recipe of hers.  Let me just say, I get such a kick out of sharing old family recipes, it makes my heart happy.  Grandma Bunni is now gone, but it's like she's still in the kitchen with me when I use her old, handwritten recipes... and I like that, I like it a lot. :)


Grandma Bunni's Cabbage Soup
a big soup pot full

Ingredients
  • 1 pound lean ground beef ~ cooked, drained & crumbled
  • 1 28 oz. can diced/chopped tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 tomato can of water
  • 1/2 medium cabbage, chopped
  • 1 16 oz. can of kidney beans with juice (or your favorite kind)
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 4 beef bouillon cubes
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
Directions

Brown beef, then add remaining ingredients to a big soup pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover & simmer for one hour.  Stir occasionally.  Taste before serving & adjust seasonings as needed.  As I remember it, we used to eat this will lots of fresh bread & butter.  Enjoy! 
 



Easy Chili Mac Soup

Easy Chili Mac Soup ~ This family favorite is easy to make and if you have leftover macaroni & cheese already made up ~ it's a great way to clean out the fridge, too.  :)

Grandma Bunni used to LOVE eating Chili Mac Soup.  It was one of her favorite soups to make & as she got older, one of her favorites to order when she went out for dinner.  Since I had sooo much left over Macaroni & Cheese from a recent meal I made (read the post on that meal here), I decided to make a big ol' pot of Chili Mac Soup with the leftovers.  J was VERY enthusiastic when I made this & he declared it his very favorite soup of all-time!  Grandma Bunni would have been so pleased ~ I can see the apple didn't fall far from the tree on that one.   :)  Enjoy!

Easy Chili Mac Soup ~ a favorite soup of Grandma Bunni :)
makes a big ol' pot

Ingredients
  • 1 pound lean hamburger, cooked, drained & crumbled
  • 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 can chili beans, with/in sauce
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 packet taco seasoning mix
  • 4 cups precooked elbow macaroni (or leftover macaroni & cheese, like from this recipe)
  • salt & pepper, to taste
Directions

Place first 8 ingredients in a large pot, stir well & bring to a boil.  Reduce heat & simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the onion & green pepper are tender.  Add a little extra water if it gets too thick.

Add the precooked elbow macaroni & gently stir to combine.  Simmer all together for an additional 5 minutes.  Add salt & pepper, as desired. 

Serve as-is or with your favorite toppings and/or sides.  Some of our favorite extras are ~ shredded cheese; crushed tortilla chips; sour cream; crackers; corn bread.


Hot German Potato Salad ~ Grandma Bunni's

Hot German Potato Salad ~ This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy a potato salad.  It makes a perfect side dish for home or for a potluck & it's also good cold.

I grew up eating Hot German Potato Salad.  Grandma Bunni always made it whenever Grandpa Al asked for it, which was often.  :)   (his parents were German & he loved his German food!)  I really enjoy making this dish whenever we've grown our own potatoes in the backyard.  I always save all the tiny potatoes that we've harvested for what has become a homegrown, veggie harvesting ritual. 

This year, I didn't plant any potatoes (just as well with all of this horribly hot weather & drought, we are under strict watering restrictions), so I've just had to make due with store bought potatoes.  This potato salad makes a great side dish that can be enjoyed anytime of year & it's also good for a potluck.  Enjoy!

 Grandma Bunni's Hot German Potato Salad
  • 4 large red potatoes ~ peeled or unpeeled (or 2 cans of sliced potatoes, drained
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil 
  • 1 small white onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup diced celery 
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley  (or 1 Tbsp dried parsley)
  • 2 Tbsp Dijon style mustard 
  • 1/2 tsp salt  ~ or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper ~ or to taste
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp Hormel Real Bacon Bits
  • 1 tsp melted bacon grease ~ or more, to taste (optional)     FYI ~ I keep a small jar of bacon grease in my freezer, just so I can add a touch to recipes like this.  It gives me the richness & flavor of real bacon when I use bacon bits, without actually having to fry up bacon.  Bacon is a rare treat in this house, so keeping a little grease around is a compromise.  :) 
 
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.

While the potatoes are cooling ~ Heat oil in skillet, add onions & celery and saute until just tender.

Sprinkle flour, sugar, parsley, salt, and pepper over the cooked onions & celery. Add the cider vinegar, water, mustard & bacon bits and stir all together & cook over medium heat until the dressing is thick.

Gently toss the cooked, chopped potatoes (or the drained, canned sliced potatoes) with the hot bacon dressing & heat through.  Taste & adjust seasoning if necessary.  Enjoy!

  

Salisbury Steak with Beef & Mushroom Gravy

Salisbury Steak with Beef & Mushroom Gravy ~ good ol' homestyle cooking, that's still as good today, as it was way back when.  This was Roy's plate, he had to wait until I took the picture ~ poor hubby!  The meat is hiding under all that tasty beef gravy, so full of fresh mushrooms.  He said it was worth the wait ~ Yum!

When I need to make a quick meal, one that I'm sure everyone will enjoy, I know I can always count on ~ Salisbury Steak.  It was a meal I always enjoyed as a kid.  I know this budget friendly recipe has been around for decades ~ no, make that eons.  :)   I like the idea of still making it for my family today, just like Grandma Bunni did for ours, all those years ago.  It always gives me the warm fuzzies to think of how food that has been enjoyed by our family, for decades, can still be enjoyed today.  Across time & space, recipes link the generations.

I throw together my version of  ~ Grandma Bunni's Salisbury Steak ~ just like she did.  She didn't have a recipe, per se, she did it all by memory & using what was needing used up. The Salisbury Steak always started out with... 

Grandma Bunni's Salisbury Steak
makes 4~5 servings
  • one pound of lean ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • a shot of Worcestershire sauce
  • a handful of bread crumbs
  • a few rings of onion, chopped & some spices...

but from there it could include anything that she thought would be a good addition, like...
  • a little sherry
  • some canned green Ortega chiles
  • some chopped, stewed tomatoes
  • or maybe some minced garlic 
Then it would get all mixed up together, be shaped into 4 or 5 oval patties & then cooked in a skillet with a little oil.  While the meat was cooking, in a separate pan she'd make the beef & mushroom gravy.  When the meat was finished being cooking/drained, she'd pour the gravy over the meat & let it all simmer together for a few minutes, then it was ready to serve.
 

Grandma Bunni would make her beef & mushroom gravy from scratch, like so many cooks from her generation did, but I always just use Bisto Beef Gravy.  I'll add either some canned mushrooms or fresh, sauteed ones to the prepared gravy.   I'll serve the dinner with whatever veggies/sides I have handy.  I found this recipe, that says it's from a Weight Watchers Salisbury Steak recipe, that sounds really quick & easy.  I think I'll give it a try myself, next time I make this meal.  I always like to try out new recipes, especially when it gets such good reviews from other cooks.  :)

Watergate Salad ~ Classic dessert that still pleases!

Old Fashioned Watergate Salad

I decided at the last minute to make a dessert/salad to add to our Easter dinner table spread.  I wanted to make a little something that would remind me of Grandma Bunni & making recipes that she used to make is always the way I like to remember her.  I decided that the pastel color & light, fresh taste of her Watergate Salad was just the thing make.  Lucky for me I usually have all the things needed to make it.  It's perfect for today's Easter meal & it also makes a great dish to bring to a potluck, too.  I can hardly keep J out of it, he just loves it!  Good thing we are eating in a couple of hours.  :)    Happy Easter!


Grandma Bunni's Watergate Salad

1 20oz can              crushed pineapple, with juice
1 small box             instant pistachio pudding mix ~ regular or sugar/fat free

1/2 cup                    chopped walnuts
1 cup                       mini marshmallows
1 tub                        Cool Whip, thawed ~ regular, lowfat or fat free


1)  put pineapple with juice in a large bowl & stir in dry pudding mix
     stir until well mixed

2)  fold in nuts, marshmallows & Cool Whip

3)  pour into a bowl & refrigerate for one hour or until ready to serve



Deviled Eggs ~ Simply Perfect

Simply Perfect Deviled Eggs


I love deviled eggs, I've enjoyed them ever since I was a child.  Now that I think of it, I don't have a childhood holiday memory that doesn't include this food on the table.  Grandma Bunni was the queen of deviled eggs, at least I thought so.  She grew up in an era that always included this tasty morsel at every holiday party, get-together, cocktail party or just because.  If there were friends & family present, you could count on there being a tray of her deviled eggs, just waiting to make their appearance.

She would make them several different ways. Sometimes she used for the creamy bit ~ Best Foods mayo, Miracle Whip or even cream cheese. She then might add (in no particular combination)  minced bits ~ sweet pickles, purple onions, celery, spring onions or capers.  Then she would garnish them with whatever struck her fancy ~ sliced garnish ~ black olives, green olives, pimentos, capers, parsley or paprika.  She would mix & match the creamy bit & minced bits with the sliced garnish ~ according to her mood & what she had in the kitchen.  As I got older, I sometimes took over the preparation of the deviled eggs & I would look to some fancier ingredients/presentations, Ă  la 1980's frou-frou recipes from Bon AppĂ©tit or Gourmet magazines.

But of all her/my many combinations, I think the one I like the most is the simplest one she made.  She would make it this way when it was just the two of us ~ for either lunch or dinner.  Sometimes it's the simple things in life that are the best.   Here is the very easy, simple and perfect (at least to me) way to make deviled eggs.  The beauty of this recipe is that you can make just one or one hundred deviled eggs.  When they are this easy to make, there is no need to wait for a special occasion to enjoy these tasty tidbits ~ you just need the longing to enjoy a little taste of home cooking, as it used to be.  I still use Grandma Bunni's white deviled egg plate & still have her old, white hen dish.  They have been a part of eating deviled eggs for as long as I can remember.  Now, J has them as part of his childhood memories, too.  Just as it should be...



Grandma Bunni's Simply Perfect Deviled Eggs

(amounts of servings/ingredients are varied ~ depends on how many you are making)




~           hard boiled eggs, as many as you want (each egg will make two
             deviled eggs)
~           Best Foods or Hellmann's Mayonnaise ~ has to be this kind,
             it's got the perfect flavoring, can be regular or lowfat, but not
             fat free (fat free is sweeter, blah) (it's called Best Foods on the
             west coast & Hellmann's out east ~ don't ask me why, it just is)

~           salt & pepper, to taste
~           paprika & chopped parsley, for garnish




1)          hard boil as many eggs as you want ~ from one egg to as many as
              you need (ie. six eggs will make 12 deviled eggs)

2)         cut each egg in half & pop out the yolk into a bowl

3)         mash yolks with a fork until all yolks are nicely smashed & 'fluffy'

4)         add one heaping teaspoon of mayonnaise per egg yolk
            (or a bit more if you like your deviled egg centers really creamy,
              I like mine a bit firmer ~ so I can really taste the richness of the yolk) 

5)         combine yolks & mayo until well blended & creamy,
            add salt & pepper to taste




6)         put the yolk mixture into the center of each hollowed out egg
            either by spooning it in, or using a baggie with the end cut off,
            or a fancy pastry bag (spooning is easiest)

7)         garnish with paprika & chopped parsley

8)         let them sit in the fridge for at least one hour before serving ~
            so the flavors can develop  


Enjoy!


St. Patrick's Day ~ Green Food & Beverage Fun


Looking for some fun 'green food' for your St. Patrick's Day celebration?  Then look no further. 

Whether you are celebrating the love of all things Irish for the entire week, or just for the day, on March 17th ~ here are some vibrant green drinks & foods, both savory & sweet, that are sure to please!

It's time for breaking out all the 'Kiss Me I'm Irish' t-shirts, hand knitted Irish sweaters, Clancy Brothers & Chieftains  CD's, pints of Guinness, Soda Bread, Corned Beef & Cabbage, &...  the list just goes on & on.  

Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter
Lullabies, dreams, and love ever after.
Poems and songs with pipes and drums
A thousand welcomes when anyone comes.
~Author Unknown

 
I will say to you, now, as so many will say to those they meet on the 17th ~ Cead Mile Failte!


Colors of Ireland Jello Parfait

Old Irish Saying ~ “An old broom knows the dirtiest corners best.”
(The elders in the family know the family secrets)

Colors of Ireland Jello Parfait ~ Grandma Bunni was a true green eyed, red haired, Irish lass.  She might not have been born in Ireland, but she certainly had the fiery temperament  & fierce loyalty that the Irish women are known for.  She was an amazing cook & loved making Corned Beef & Cabbage every March 17th, as well as all the foods & drinks that celebrate that day.  She was also fond of jello salads/desserts, as so many of her generation were.   This is a dessert that she liked to make for special occasions.  It's a pretty & versatile treat ~ you just change up the colors of the jello & fruit to suit the holiday you're planning for.                      
                                                                                                                                        







TO MAKE GRANDMA BUNNI'S JELLO PARFAIT 

Take prepared green jello, cottage cheese (or vanilla pudding if you want a more modern spin) & diced peaches or mandarin oranges ~  Find a pretty glass & layer the ingredients as follows: your favorite green jello, diced,  as the bottom layer, cottage cheese or vanilla pudding for the middle layer & diced peaches or mandarin oranges as the top layer.  Finish it with a dollop of whipped cream & little bits of green jello sprinkled around the edges of the glass.  Enjoy as either a starter or as a dessert.


Baked Kale Chips

St. Patrick -- one of the few saints whose feast day presents the opportunity to get determinedly whacked and make a fool of oneself all under the guise of acting Irish. ~  Charles M. Madigan

You can't get any fresher or greener than this.  These Baked Kale Chips are an amazing treat.  I was skeptical when I first read about these on the Internet, but since I am trying to eat more kale, I decided to give the recipe a try.  I'm so glad I did, these are absolutely addicting!  So crispy, crunchy, healthy, easy to make & so darn tasty, too.                        Lucky me ~ Lucky you!  







Broccoli Soup

Irish Saying ~   What is Irish diplomacy?  It's the ability to tell a man to go to hell, so that he will look forward to making the trip.

If you want a quick & healthy green meal for St. Paddy's Day, try this incredibly easy, tasty & low-cal Broccoli  Soup ~ from Gordon Ramsay's cookbook ~ Healthy Appetite






  
Baby Bok Choy with Vinaigrette
                               
Irish Saying ~
There are only two kinds of people in the world, The Irish and those who wish they were.
If you want a little different spin on cabbage for the big ~Luck 'o' the Irish ~ day, try this simply prepared & low-cal Bok Choy recipe from Alicia Silverstone's  ~  The Kind Diet

Traditional Irish Toast
 "May those who love us, love us; and those who don't love us, may God turn their hearts; and if He doesn't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping."


If March 17th inspires you to find unusual cocktails to try & if you love the fresh taste of Key Lime Pie ~ then try this low-cal, fun & festive martini from ~ Hungry Girl








Green Tea Swappuccino  

 Irish Saying  ~  Life is like a cup of tea,  it's all in how you make it!
Looking for something smooth & creamy to kick-start your mornings?  Then try beginning your day drinking this mock Starbuck's  Green Tea Smoothie.  I think it would be a fun way to start your St. Patty's Day reveries.  Another low-cal treat from   ~ Hungry Girl







What color should be seen, Where our fathers' homes have been, But their own immortal Green?  ~~Author Unknown
If drinking something green is right up your alley for the upcoming St. Paddy's Day parties & you want something that is good for the you, the kids, is alcohol-free & really does taste just like cake batter ~ than this bright green smoothie is for you!

Poor Man's Lobster ~ Cooking with Cod

Poor Man's Lobster ~ served with melted Lemon Butter
I was feeling a bit nostalgic today & decided to go through some old family cookbooks.  While I was going through one of Grandma Bunni's old cookbooks, I came across a time worn, tattered & torn, clipped newspaper recipe for ~ 'Poor Man's Lobster'.

I remember her making that for us when I was young.  I always loved lobster as a kid, but when we had it, it was only ordered at The Castaway Restaurant & then only on very special occasions.  Since she knew how much I liked it, she would sometimes make her 'special lobster' for us ~ aka 'Poor Man's Lobster' ~ at home, using cod.  We were kids, we didn't know any better.  She would put the lobster/fish on a big plate, with a big saucer of melted lemon butter & away we'd go.  Happy as clams, we were! (excuse the pun)  Dipping the 'lobster' in melted lemon butter was always half the fun anyway.  We were happy, her pocketbook was happy & life was good.

I just so happened to have bought a few pounds of cod (on sale) the other day ~ I'd call that serendipity.  I also called that today's lunch.  It was a blast from the past having 'Poor Man's Lobster' again.  I'll have to make it soon for J.  Maybe one day he will find the recipe, just like I did & hopefully, he'll remember it as fondly as I do...  :)

Homestyle Green Beans ~ a traditional family favorite

I just love this picture of Grandma Bunni & Grandpa Al.  That is her Old Rose china bowl & the Mouse/'Meeses' Christmas Tree she got me over 30 years ago.  My nickname was the House Mouse.

Christmas is a time for making & serving family favorites.  The one dish that is always made for our holiday table is one that has been around for at least 60 years. You guessed it, I'm talking about a grandma recipe.  Grandma Bunni made the BEST Green Beans, EVER.  As a kid I would turn my nose up at canned green beans, crunchy steamed green beans & the mushroom soup green bean casseroles that are so often on a holiday table.  If it wasn't the 3-hour, slow cooked, deeply flavorful, full of bacon, Green Beans that she made - I wasn't having anything to do with them!  I admit it, I am a green bean snob & Grandpa Al was, too.  Hers or nothing.




Grandma Bunni's Green Beans
 I now have all of Grandma Bunni's old cookbooks, they are full of scribbles in the margins & splatters on the pages. I also have her handwritten notebooks, full of her own recipes & clippings of newspaper recipes.

When I was going through one of her notebooks the other day, I was really happy to see her Green Beans recipe, and was reminded of  her teaching me how to cook them.  I remember sitting at her feet, 'snapping'  pounds of green beans, while she would tell stories.  As I think back on learning to cook, it all started with her.  She was a cook who cooked by feel & taste, just as I do.  It is no wonder I cook the way I do, all you have to do is look at her recipe for the Green Beans ~ no measurements, just the ingredients and how long to cook.  A lot is left up to you, she gives you the culinary road map, but it is up to you to get there... 

Roasted Chicken, Green Beans, Veggies, Cinnamon Red Hots Applesauce




The Green Beans were wonderful with tonight's Christmas dinner.  One day I will teach J how to make them, too. It is a family tradition that hopefully will keep on going through the generations. I'm pretty sure Grandma Bunni sat at the feet of her own Grandma, learning how to make them.  I never thought to ask her.  If so, that would make the recipe over 100+ years old. Not as old as the West Virgina hills of her birth, but old, none the less.  I have a nice thought whenever I make her Green Beans, it is like having her at the dinner table with us, once again.  That thought always makes me smile...   :)   ~ Merry Christmas  ~
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