MASHED POTATO SALAD

In my time I have made many different types of potato salads. The old stand-by of boiled potatoes paired with mayonnaise, mustard, onions, pickles and boiled eggs...New potatoes with bacon, cheese, and Ranch dressing...Mustard potato salad which was my Aunt Nan's recipe that I have never been able to make taste like hers...that is just to name a few, but recently I ran up on this version in an old church cookbook and made a run of it and my husband Larry has given it his highest rating. It is delicious. Creamy..dreamy..and tasty as all get out...

Prepare a pot of mashed potatoes just like you always do adding milk, butter, salt and pepper. Add to this several globs of mayonnaise and  a healthy squirt of mustard. Chop up a dill pickle (or whatever pickle you have or like), some sweet onion, about 4 hot boiled eggs, and more salt and pepper to taste. Chill well in the fridge or just dig right in...

"I never met a potato salad that I did not like."~Adele Forbes

STEVEN MICHAEL MILLINGTON'S BETTER-THAN-THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steven is one of my best buds on Facebook and he is all the time posting fabulous pictures of the food he cooks. He was very kind to share one of his favorite cookies with me and so I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!

                                                                                                                            

Beat together until fluffy:
1 lb. butter~that would be 4 sticks~oh me oh my
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
Add:
4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time until fully mixed in. Use a medium cookie scoop (heaping Tbsp. size) and place 9 to 10 of them on a cookie sheet with no oil on it. With a WET thumb wiggle the centers out and make a dip in them to allow for the jam...USE JAM...not jelly, and fill the divits...sprinkle with a contrasting color of sugar~ grape jam and hott pink sugar makes um' really sparkle and so delicious. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes depending on your oven, on the center rack...let them cool on the sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before removing...use a piece of waxed paper to finish cooling on. LET THEM SIT until all the way cool or they will taste like hot flour...when fully cooled (Steven says he prefers them the next day) the flour is undetectable and they are the 'flippin' bomb!
Yield: 3 to 4 dozen

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."~Albert Schweitzer

IT'S CRYIN' TIME AGAIN BABIE'S 'CUTTIN'-UP' THE HORSERADISH; By: Adele Forbes; appeared in the Avery Post newspaper in April of 2001

And the story goes:
We were sittin' on the back deck, enjoying one of the first days of spring with a delicate piece of smoked salmon for the evenings appetizer and who should appear but our new found friend and neighbor, Richard Rink of Edgemont Road; a true connoisseur of the goodness of the earths bounty.
The subject of cocktail sauce came up and I enlightened him of my 'secret ingredient'...none other than horseradish...and lots of it!
"Horseradish", he said. "Girl, I can show you some horseradish." As quick as a wink he was gone with a promise to be right back, and back he came with a jar of home-canned horseradish in all its glory. It was a first for us and it did not take long to be addicted for life.
With one of those 'thin wheat crackers' in hand we placed upon it a bite of salmon, a dollop of ketchup, and a healthy spoonful of this special horseradish...a gift from nature. It took no time at all for our eyes to start runnin' along with our noses and our cheeks to light up with the ruddiness of roses.
Richard went on to explain how the goodness in this jar came to be~now i would like to share it with you as he shared it with me. He invited us to his yearly canning, explaining how we had to go about it soon, for the root was just beginning to poke its green crown through the ground.
We showed up early a couple of mornings later and set in to 'cuttin' up horseradish roots freshly dug. The potent heat of the root opened up not only our sinuses, but all of our senses. We cried and we cried and we cried some more. Larry's hair began to straighten and the chickens were fainting in the yard and straining through my tears I could have sworn I seen the paint beginning to peel right off of my car!

These 'horseradish memories' will be with us forever. Thank you Richard Rink for making them possible.               

HEALTH BENEFITS

Valued medicinally for ages, this mis-shapen member of the mustard family is a close cousin to the meeker broccoli, kale and nasturtiums. A vitamin lovers dream, it is rich in vitamin C, calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium.
When chewed or grated it's mustard oil compounds are released and this is were it gets its mucous loosening properties making it beneficial to the respiratory system. It is highly antiseptic which makes it useful when treating urinary tract infections.
To promote proper digestion and bring intestinal activity back to normal, grate fresh daily and enjoy in salad dressings, yogurt, and on your morning eggs. Daily use has been known to decrease allergy symptoms as well.
For coughs accompanied by sore throat mix 1 teaspoon of the freshly grated root in a small amount of water with honey and use as a gargle. Do this two to three times a day.
To relieve a cold with congestion make Horseradish Wine by boiling 1 cup of red wine with 2 teaspoons of the grated root for 10 minutes. Strain and drink while still warm.
CAUTIONS: If you suffer from chronic kidney disease or ulcers avoid the root as it can further irritate these conditions. Excessive amounts can also cause diarrhea and induce night sweats.

And now for the RECIPES!

We might as well start off with a BLOODY HORSE OF COURSE:

46 ozs. Bloody Mary mix
2 to 3 tablespoons home-canned horseradish (recipe follows)
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
hot sauce to taste
celery salt, salt, and pepper to taste
2 cups vodka (omit for a virgin horse)
Garnish: coarse salt, lemon wedges, celery sticks

Mix all ingredients together except for garnishes, stir well. Chill. Squeeze lemon wedges around rim of glasses then dip in salt. Add celery sticks and ice.

HOME-CANNED HORSERADISH

Take clean pint jars and pour in 1/2 tablespoon salt. Fill 3/4-inch from rim with horseradish you have pureed in a blender or food processor. Pour over this white vinegar straight from the jar to cover. Seal and refrigerate. Will keep for many a day. Does not last long at our house. 

COCKTAIL SAUCE A'LA CAREY'S FLAT

Ketchup and Home-Canned Horseradish with a generous splash of fresh lemon...that's it! Pure and simple. Be generous with the horseradish. You'll be glad you did!

MASHED HORSERADISH POTATOES

Boil 8 medium potatoes until tender, drain and mash. Add 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons horseradish and 1/2 to 2/3 cup buttermilk. Salt and pepper to taste.

"The horseradish was pungent, hot to the palate as it should be and beautifully white."~James Beard

CREAMIEST PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE EVER

This is the creamiest peanut butter fudge that I ever did have the pleasure of meeting up with. I took a whole plate of my homemade Christmas goodies to one of my neighbors and the lady of the house went right for the fudge. There were four pieces of fudge on the plate and after the first piece she took another, ate it, then took the third piece and was rolling her eyes around and uuhhing and aahhhing and then looked over at her husband who was watching her and said, "if you want that last piece you had better put it in your mouth." I wanted to roll on the floor laughing but I held my composure. So if you want to make someone happy who loves peanut butter fudge be sure and try this recipe. It is easy to make and a real keeper.

                 
2 1/2 sticks real butter (10 oz.)
1 1/4 cups smooth peanut butter
pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and peanut butter together and when it comes to boil let it boil for 1 minute then remove from heat. Add salt and vanilla, stir in powdered sugar until smooth and fudge begins to leave the size of the pan. Pour into dish and smooth the top with the back of a wooden spoon. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly over the fudge and refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour. Cut into squares and return to refrigerator to store. 

COOKS NOTE: Have all of the ingredients ready prior to making the fudge so that everything goes smooth as silk.

"I never met a peanut butter fudge I didn't like!"~Adele Forbes

MILDRED FORBES' ANGEL BISCUITS

Mildred is my mother-in-law and she always made the best yeast rolls this side of heaven. I received a 'special request' for this recipe and was happy to oblige the requester. Be sure to have some good butter on hand when these gems come out of the oven!
                                     
1 pkg. yeast or 1 yeast cake
2 to 3 tablespoons warm water
5 cups plain flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shortening
2 cups buttermilk


Dissolve yeast in water. Stir flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and soda together; cut in shortening. Stir in yeast mixture and buttermilk. Roll out on floured board, cut into biscuits; brush with melted butter. bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
NOTE: Dough will keep in refrigerator for several days but allow biscuits to rise before baking. Three-fourths cup butter may be substituted for shortening.

"In the Virginia of the olden time no breakfast or tea-table was thought to be properly furnished without a plate of these indispensable biscuits.....Let one spend the night at some gentleman-farmer's home, and the first sound heard in the morning, after the crowing of the cock, was the heavy, regular fall of the cook's axe, as she beat and beat her biscuit dough.....Nowadays beaten biscuits are a rarity, found here and there, but soda and modern institutions have caused them to be sadly out of vogue."~'Virginia Cookery Book' (1885)

ORANGE NUT BALLS

Bite into one of these tasty little morsels and your taste buds will do the 'happy dance'! As my hero Justin Wilson use to say...'I gar-on-tee it. 

                                          
1 (12oz.) pkg. vanilla wafers, crushed ( I put them in a large zip-lock bag and beat them with my meat mallet)
1 (1 lb.) pkg. confectioners sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 (6 oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup flaked coconut

                                         
Mix the vanilla wafers, confectioners sugar and pecans in a bowl. Add the orange juice concentrate and butter. Stir until well mixed. Shape into bite-size balls. Spread the coconut on a plate. Roll the balls in the coconut. Store in an airtight container and chill until ready to serve.
Yield: 4 to 6 dozen depending on the size of the balls.

COOKS NOTE: Dip your hands in cold water now and then when rolling out these balls to prevent sticky fingers.

CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY 2010

I would like to think my readers for their support of my blog since December of 2009 when I first traveled down the bloggers path. In celebration of my year long journey I am hosting a Christmas Giveaway.

Two copies of The Culinary Institute of America's 'A TAVOLA!'; RECIPES AND REFLECTIONS ON TRADITIONAL ITALIAN HOME COOKING will be awarded. All you need to do to enter the contest is comment on this post and click on the LIKE application. If you are not a FOLLOWER I would appreciate it you would take the time to become one. Two winners will be announced on Christmas Eve. Good Luck!