Scalloped Potatoes

I love my mom's Scalloped Potatoes that she put in the skillet and then baked in the oven. Of course, she had the heavy duty stainless steel pans they had back in the day, I cook mine in a rectangular baking dish, or "dripper" as my mom called them.

To make the dish, chop up an onion (the amount you would like because I was taught by my mom to never measure), and place in a pan with about 2 T. of butter. Stir and cook over moderate heat until the onions turn clear. Wisk into the mixture, about 3 T. of flour until it is well mixed without any lumps. Add to this mixture about 3 ½ cups of milk. Simmer the mixture and prepare the potatoes.

While the sauce is simmering, peel about 4 large potatoes or more if they are small. Slice the potatoes very thinly! Butter the bottom of your baking dish and layer the bottom with the first layer of potatoes. Cover that layer with some of the sauce mixture. Continue the layering process leaving the top layer as sauce. Cut ½ cube of butter into bits and place around the top of the mixture.

Cover the baking sheet with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Take off the foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and golden (press a fork into the potatoes to check tenderness).

*You can grate cheese and add to the top if you like the last 5 minutes of baking.


When my mom wasn't baking she could be found cleaning, canning, doing embrodry, sewing,  quilting, or painting. I never saw my mother sit still much except to read the daily paper or watch our nightly dose of "Perry Mason" on late night TV (during my sleep deprived teen years).  She did get hooked on the show Dallas, but I doubt she would ever admit it!

This beautiful painting, I believe, is in the possession of her son Ellis or Ed as her prefers to be called. It is a rendition of Horseshoe Mountain, a favorite spot for all us North Sanpete folk.

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Mom's Pot Roast

This is a picture of my Aunt Effie Hansen VanBuren, known as "Aunt Faye." Because my maternal grandmother died almost a decade before I was born, my mother's oldest sister "Faye" filled the slot of grandmother for me. I truly loved spending time at her house, playing on her pump organ,  swinging on that tire swing, and admiring her pansies.  I also loved  having her come and visit us at our house in Chester.

She was always so thoughtful and kind to me, even making it a point to make it to my high school graduation to hear my speech. Sadly she died only a month before my wedding, this broke my heart because I wanted her to be a part of that day.

I love this picture of her cooking in her kitchen in Manti. I wonder what is hidden under the lids of the pots? Perhaps Delicious Pot Roast?

Theresa's Pot Roast

1 Beef Roast
2-3 cups water
1 onion cut into cubes or strips
1 chopped celery stalk
2 beef bullion cubes
3 T. butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Put the roast in a covered pot (just like Aunt Faye's) and bring to a boil. Turn heat to a medium simmer for about an hour.

Mix into a paste: 3 T. flour into 1/4 cup water. Add this mixture to the pot and stir it in. (This will make a gravy base to the pot roast).

Add to the pot cubed potatoes and carrots; cook until the vegetables are tender and the meat is cooked as desired (apx. 45-60 minutes). While the Pot roast is cooking, add water as needed.

When serving strain all of the cooking juices for a yummy gravy. Thicken with more flour if necessary.




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The Best Home Canned Peaches Recipe

Why are your peaches so much better than my mom's? That is the question friends of my children would ask when they had some of the yummy golden delights.

I had two secrets. The beautiful organic peach trees in my garden and Theresa's "How To Can Peaches" recipe. I loved canning peaches with my mom, it was a yearly date to can peaches together each September. ( I miss those times).
Today Scott and I canned 42 quarts in our new canning kitchen.

Here are the step-by-step directions.

Sanitize the jars in the dishwasher.

Put seven of those jars facedown in a shallow pan of water and boil for about 5 minutes.

Start a pot of water boiling that will be used to dip the peaches in for easy pealing. Turn heat to med. after water boils.

Take the jars from the boiling water and add 1/4 cup sugar to each. (You can add more if you like sweeter peaches).

Heat water and add just above the sugar in each jar and stir.

Stir the sugar water until the sugar is dissolved.

Wash the peaches.

Add the washed peaches to the water and set timer for 3 minutes.

Turn the heat off of the pan used to heat bottles but keep on burner. Add the seven lids and rings.

After 3 minutes in the hot water, remove peaches and run under cold water.

Cut the peach in half, and the skin will slide right off.

Fill the jars with peaches.

When jars are full, add hot water to the peaches to fill the jar, leaving ½ inch headspace.

Wipe the top of the jar to remove any residue.

Place a lid on each jar.

Tighten the rings.

Place the jars in the water bath canner.

Fill the canner with water until the water touches above your fingernail. 

Turn the heat onto high on your stove. *We love to use our gas camping stove so that we can do two pots at a time and keep heat and mess outside. 

When the water begins to boil, turn the head to med. high and time for  40 minutes. (This is for my altitude, check the internet for your boiling time.

Remove the bottles from the water bath.

Place the peaches to cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Then check that all are sealed, remove rings if you wish and put in your pantry.

Carolyn, Theresa, Kathy, Aunt Faye, Sheila

Thank you mom for teaching me how to can! Your method makes delicious fresh tasting peaches that are not ruined with heavy syrup.

Cowboy Cookies

I loved when my mom made my favorite cookies. I have no idea why she called them cowboy cookies, but they were delicious! Still today when I think of them I smell that delicious waft in the air. In fact, I think I might whip up a batch right now just for the smell alone.

Theresa's Cowboy Cookies

2 c. flour

1 t. soda

½ t. salt

½ t. baking powder

1 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 c. oats

1 t. vanilla.

Sift together and set aside the flour, soda,  salt, and baking powder. Blend together the shortening, sugar, and eggs. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the flour a cup at a time and mix well. Add the rolled oats and vanilla. Drop by teaspoon on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

*Note: If you are like me and don't want to run to the store to find the shortening, you can substitute 1 cup shortening for 1 cup + 2 T. of butter. It works and the cookies are still yummy, but not perfectly Theresa.

I love this picture of Theresa and her best friend Grace showing a little leg in the 1930's. Pretty racy mom!

Vanilla Ice Cream

Summertime just wasn't complete without some delicious homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. It was so much fun to gather in the evening and take our turn at the crank. We would play games like Annie Eye Over as we called it, play a little tether ball, or laugh hysterically as we played The Bishop's Cat. It was great time spent together with my mom and siblings. My dad would appear from the milk barn just as the delicious treat was ready.

Theresa's Vanilla Ice Cream

Makes 1 ½ Quart

1 Quart Half and Half Milk (of course living on a farm we just skimmed cream from the milk tank)
1 T. Vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
½ t. salt

Mix ingredients together and fill can 2/3 full. Put center cap on can rest. Pack ice and salt around the inner can. Pour 1 cup cold water on the ice and salt. Add more as it settles to completely cover.

Crank the ice cream maker for about 30 minutes to 1 hour,  checking consistency. Or, you might want to get this new fangled ice cream maker from amazon then everyone can play the games while you let the motor do the cranking!

Theresa and Ed on one of their many Saturday rides.

Mama's Sweet Bean Chili

My mom made the most delicious chili (probably because of the brown sugar)! I loved those cold winter evenings when its delicious smell filled the room. My stomach is growling right now thinking about it!

Of course, when served, the chili was presented with homemade rolls, muffins or corn bread; and ice-cold raw milk, right from the milk barn.

I have talked before about my mom's thriftiness. I am sure it found its roots deep in her childhood. My mom was the youngest of 12 children. The picture below shows my grandma in the center surrounded by her 4 sisters. Their names: Faye, Delia (Mary Effie their mother), Mary, and Beulah. In the front center is my mom Theresa (pronounced Thres-sa). To this day I follow her meal-saving "thrifty" rule. The first day with the hamburger is for tacos, but fry enough to have leftovers to make the next day's chili or spaghetti.

I hope you enjoy one of my favorite Mama Recipes: 

Sweet Bean Chili

Ingredients:

1 large (or 2 small) can pork and beans

1 small can lima beans

1 small can kidney beans

1 large onion

1/2 green pepper

1/2 cup brown sugar (or molasses)

1/lb. ground beef

1/2 cup ketchup

1 T. dry mustard

Dash of chili powder

Directions:

Cook the ground beef, onions and green pepper. Add all of the ingredients in a large bowl (drain all beans). Place in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

*This is a recipe that I love to adapt! I have added salsa, barbecue sauce, chili sauce, green chilies, can of stewed tomatoes, I just add “there-abouts” just like my mama taughted me. I have tried numerous types of beans. I especially love to garish with chopped green onions, sour cream and grated cheese. 

It is an easy meal to make early in the morning, throw in the crockpot, and cook all day! 

Old Fashioned Mustard Plaster

Because I have been sick for a week now, and very sick of being sick, it has made me think about my mom's home remedies. For example when I had a stomach ache, my mom would put a brown paper bag on my stomach. When I had lung congestion, like I do now, she would treat me with a mustard plaster. And, yes! I am making one for me to use right now. I am hoping that it works as good as when my mom made it.

Mustard Plaster

1 T.  dry mustard
Scant 3/4 cups flour
Warm water.

Mix the dry mustard with the flour. Add warm water a little at a time until the mixture looks like pancake batter.

Spread the mixture on a thin cotton towel (my mom used flour sacks). Lay the towel on your chest for about 20 minutes or so.

So here goes. In honor of my mom's home remedies and always making me feel better, here goes the mustard plaster. Set the timer for 20 minutes and go!