We just finished a magic-filled Sunday. We needed some family input for a coming up event. An invitation was sent out suggesting we meet this past weekend for an afternoon of discussion and snacks. The response was great with eight of nine kids and two “bonus” daughters present. The invitation read "after lunch with only snacks" for the afternoon. But you know nothing comes above good Sanders food. Would you believe that it was after three o'clock before we got down to business? I thought we would intersperse our discussion with a small dessert paper plate with a few potato chips and carrot strips holding it down. Not so! We had peach cobbler, vegetable plates, dips, crackers and watermelon, etc. So what could we do but take care of the “snacks” first. We did finally make a few decisions about the business at hand, but greatest of all was listening and observing all siblings enjoying each other. That is a God given blessing.
It has been a long day and this OLD lady is weary. Perhaps this will hold my place on page three if we just go to food. Many years ago, when money was very scarce and the mouths to feed were many, somehow I managed to procure a four volume set of hard back cookbooks. Bet they cost me $5.00 for the whole set! That was before I started working at the elevator. The date in them is 1968 and they have been a proud possession of mine ever since. I think they make a nice addition to my built-in hutch that was designed by my “bonus” brother when he remodeled my kitchen. Thanks, Tony. I decided to go there for recipes this week. They are all before Cool Whip, cake mixes, instant pudding, etc., so they are very basic cooking. My last trip to the grocery store made me think we may all have to go back to more basic cooking. I hate to give up eating completely, but $5.00 a pound for butter and nearly that for a gallon of milk. One small brick of cheese today cost me what I usually liked to pay for four of them when on sale. Compare that to the interest I can get on a bit of cash that I have been lucky enough to stow away.
Better get back to the issue at hand and give you the recipes I found in my treasure of casserole recipes. I deliberately did not look at the dessert volume. The first recipe is called “Mexican” I do not know why except perhaps for the chili powder. It was submitted by a Home Economics teacher in Illinois.
MEXICAN LUNCHEON MEAL
1 pound ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium to large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups tomatoes
2 cups canned kidney beans
1 cup diced carrots
1 can mushroom pieces
1 cup uncooked rice
Chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. Brown meat, green pepper and onion in butter. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on high until steaming. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
FRANKFURTER HASH
12 wieners
4 boiled potatoes, peeled and diced
3 onions, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
3 green peppers, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
That sounds like a lot of green pepper and the onions depends on their size. But who am I to criticize some on else’s recipe. Adjust to your and your family’s taste. Cut wieners into I inch
slices. Lightly brown potatoes and onions in butter. Add green peppers and wieners. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and seasoning. Cook 10 more minutes.
I have another new great-grandson this week, Tobias Raphhael (Toby) Sanders born to Aaron and Lindsey who live in North Carolina. He and his cousin Noah Damian, in Ft. Wayne make two that I have not seen, but their photos on FaceBook show us that they are very positive additions to the Sanders clan!
