McGregor Cake

 McGregor Cake

I've got a bonus recipe for you and boy am I glad I made it.  This cake came out better than I'd hoped. It is moist, and sweet, but not too sweet. You have a little crunch from the pecans and chewiness of the coconut. It is sooooo good.  Don't walk, run, and make this cake! I found this recipe while looking for a recipe to use for my #FiftyTwoInTwentyTwo project.  The recipe is in a thin, paper, recipe pamphlet, produced by Crisco Oil, in 1965. There's a little bit of prep work, but it is so worth it. Be careful when you get to the broiling part. I either had the rack too close to the top and/or just plumb broiled it for too long. I checked on my pan about half-way through the final step and the top was burning! I removed the pan and frantically scraped off the topping and managed to save the cake. Luckily I had enough ingredients to re-do the toppings and when I put my pan back in to broil, I watched it really closely and I think I just broiled for two minutes.  

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup Crisco Oil (or other vegetable oil; I actually used canola oil and it was just fine)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Frosting Ingredients:

1/4 cup soft butter or margarine (I used butter and softened it in the microwave)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup flaked coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13x2 inch pan. Add boiling water to oats in a bowl and let stand for 15 minutes. Thoroughly combine sugar, oil and eggs. Stir in the oatmeal. Sift dry ingredients and add to the batter, followed by 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 30 to 5 minutes. You can use a toothpick to help ensure the cake is done. For the frosting, combine butter/margarine, 1/2 cup brown sugar, evaporated milk, pecans and coconut. Immediately spread with the frosting and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned. 

McGregor Cake

McGregor Cake

The artwork on the cover page of the Crisco Oil recipe pamphlet

Week 42 - Fruit & Oat Squares

 Fruit & Oat Squares

Week 42 of 52

Dessert #6

    This yummy recipe comes from Best Loved Cookies published in 2000.  You can use your favorite flavor fruit preserves and I used peach preserves.  I liked that in this recipe, there aren't a lot of ingredients and it was pretty easy to make. This recipe makes 12 to 16 servings, depending how large you cut them.  Notes in italics.

Ingredients: 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup uncooked quick oats

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted (I used unsalted butter)

3/4 cup apricot, cherry, peach, or other fruit flavor preserves

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch square pan. I used cooking spray as the directions recommended in the book, but if you lightly grease with butter or margarine, that's just fine. Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Mix in margarine/butter with a fork until crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture (for the topping). Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of your greased pan. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Spread preserves over the crust and sprinkle the reserved crumble mix over top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. You can set the pan on top of a cookie rack, to help it cool quicker (what I normally do).

Fruit & Oat Squares

Fruit & Oat Squares
Ready to Enjoy!

Week 41 - Fried Fish & Swamp Gravy

 Fried Fish & Swamp Gravy

Week 41 of 52

Meat/Fish Entree #6

    When I picked this recipe, I had no idea of the story behind it. I found the recipe I used in a tiny cookbook I bought at a Buccee's gas station store North of Dallas. It's titled Texas White Trash Cookbook. The author is Betty Ann Stout. I picked it purely because of the name, because "Swamp Gravy"?? I had to know what it was. So, Swamp Gravy is a stew like dish that starts with oil drippings from frying fish. It is indigenous to the area of Colquitt, Georgia. It is a very, simple dish, without much seasoning, but that's one of the things that is so great about it. If you have seasonings you can add them, in addition to the salt and pepper called for in the recipe, by all means do so. I added garlic powder and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and drizzled hot sauce over my serving. The other thing that is so great about this dish, is that you can make it pretty inexpensively, depending on the cost of fish. There are not many ingredients, you don't need much of any of the individual ingredients, this made a huge amount and it is filling. So, if you're looking for a budget friendly recipe to feed several people, check this out.  My modifications in italics. I would definitely make this again. 

Ingredients:

Catfish, cleaned and dressed (I used boneless tilapia fillets, because I couldn't find catfish; I prefer fillets, so that's what I will use in the future)

Cornmeal (I used a package of Gladiola brand cornbread mix)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

Oil

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used 3 medium sized)

1 large onion, chopped

1 14oz can whole kernel corn (It doesn't say to drain, but I drained the corn)

1 14oz can cut okra (I couldn't find just okra, so I used what I found, which was Trappey's brand cut okra and tomatoes)

28 oz can crushed tomatoes (Do not drain; save the can for measuring water)

water

Directions:

    I'm going to give directions for using fillets. I rinsed off my tiliapia fillets and patted them dry. Pour about an inch and a half or so of oil into a large skillet and heat. The oil is ready when a sprinkling of cornmeal sizzles in the oil. Pour your cornmeal/cornbread mix into a gallon size zipper top plastic bag. Add salt, pepper and extra seasoning as desired to the cornmeal/cornbread mix. Add fillets to the plastic bag and shake. Coat each piece of fish individually; remove and set aside. When your oil is ready, gently place fillets (no more than two at a time) into the hot oil. Fry for three to four minutes (until golden brown) on each side. Remove to a plate with a towel to catch grease. I actually ended up transferring fillets to a pan and placed in my oven to keep warm, while I made the Swamp Gravy. Continue until you've fried all of the fish. 

    Pour out most of the oil from the fish (into a metal coffee can and save for frying fish in the future), reserving a tiny "skim" of oil on the bottom. Mine had bits of cornmeal in there also. Place back on the stove.  Add all of the vegetables. Use the empty tomato can to measure out 28 oz of water and pour that over the vegetables. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are softened and the mixture has thickened. I ended up using some corn starch to thicken it up, because it wasn't as gravy like as I wanted. To serve, place a fillet on a plate and cover it with Swamp Gravy. Add extra seasoning as you like. You could serve hush puppies or cornbread with this, but it was plenty filling for me by itself. 

Fried Tilapia & Swamp Gravy

Nom, nom

Week 40 - Braised Celery and Tomatoes

 Braised Celery and Tomatoes

Week 40 of 52

Side Dish #6

    So, I never thought I'd be trying a dish like this, but I really liked it! This recipe comes from Vegetable Cookery, published in December 1966 by Extension Service Kansas State University of Manhattan, Kansas. I thought it was both tasty and healthy. I enjoyed this both as a side like it was intended and as a main dish, served over rice. Modifications/notes in italics. 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cups celery, cut in 1 inch lengths (I used 3 stalks of celery)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion salt (I used onion powder)

2 cups quartered, peeled tomatoes or 1 No. 2 (20 oz) can tomatoes, drained (I used about 5 or 6 nice Roma tomatoes)

Directions:

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add celery, salt, pepper and onion salt/powder. Stir, then cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the celery is tender, yet still a bit crisp and the tomatoes are hot.  

Braised Celery and Tomatoes

Week 39 - Apple Pancakes

 Apple Pancakes

Week #39 of 52

Bread #6

    This recipe is from the Physical Culture Cook Book by Bernarr Macfadden and Milo Hastings and published in 1933. Interestingly enough, in between two pages of this book are a pencil drawing of an airplane and the cut-out shape of a plane in the same style of the drawing, on dark blue construction paper.  There's no name or date on this art, so I have no idea how long it has been in this book. The book does not appear to have been used much over the years, so I've no idea how long the art has been in the book. I just think it is pretty cool, so I'm going to add pics. On to the important business.  These pancakes use whole wheat flour instead of regular white flour. The original recipe calls for finely grated apple. I forgot and used finely minced, which I thought was just fine.  I really enjoyed these pancakes and plan to make them again. My changes/tips in italics.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour (Full disclosure: I may have accidentally used 1/4 cup instead of 1/3 cup and they were fine)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon melted butter (cooled)

1 cup milk

2 eggs

3 sour apples (I had a container of mixed, sliced apples and used about 3 apples worth)

Directions:

Sift flour with baking powder, sugar and salt. Beat eggs thoroughly and add milk and the cooled, melted butter. Quickly combine the dry and wet ingredients. Add apples and spoon batter onto a hot griddle. Cook on one side until the pancake is full of "holes" and flip.  Cook until the bottom is lightly browned.  Serve with honey or maple syrup. 

 

Apple Pancakes

The 1930's era construction paper plane and drawing of a plane, which were in between pages                 of the cookbook.

Week 38 - Pear Pecan Salad

Pear Pecan Salad

Week 38 of 52

Salad #6 

Y'all, I finally used the Jello ring mold that I've had for at least 15 years! This Pear Pecan Salad recipe is in The Wednesday Matinee Musical Club's The Saga of the Refreshment Plate (85th Anniversary Edition). This club is located in Marlin, Texas. The officers listed are for the 1983-1984 year. It has a cool photo of members in 1900 and historical information about members.  This recipe was submitted by Chris Pilcher. This recipe turned out good and I, along with my taste testers, really enjoyed it.  Definitely a success! You should try it.  

I'll show my modification in italics. 

Ingredients:

1 (1lb 4oz) can pears (I used two 14.5 oz cans, sliced pears)

1 (3oz) package lemon Jello

1 (8oz) package cream cheese (softened)

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (Pecans were somehow left off the list of ingredients, so I guessed at the amount and it was the perfect amount)

Directions:

Drain pears, reserving one cup of juice. Heat pear juice to boiling in a small pan. Remove from heat. Stir in the Jello and chill until partially set. Blend pears and softened cream cheese in a blender until creamy. Pour into a bowl and stir in the Jello, then the pecans.Whip the whipping cream (I used my whipped cream maker from Pampered Chef) and fold into the other ingredients. Pour into a large mold or 16 individual molds. Yield 16 servings.

Pear Pecan Salad - Picture #1

Pear Pecan Salad - Picture #2