Family Recipe Friday - Polish Cold Beet Soup Borscht

Summer is HERE, and with a vengeance! 

Down here in the South, we are being treated to weather that feels like August already.

Hot and humid, with temperatures in the 90's

and the A/C cranked up high!

What on earth did our ancestors do?

The Poles and East Europeans made Borscht,

a beet soup. 

Beets are Sooooo good for you! 

And this recipe doesn't require cooking, unless you want

to count the hard-boiled eggs!

This recipe is from "ma"-

Hank's mother, Anastazia (Nancy) Kocinski Vissotzky. 

I think I'll plan on Cold Beet soup for dinner tomorrow,

with a big chunk of artisan bread,

and enjoy a  mint julep on the porch. 

It IS summer down here in the South, ya'll!!!!
(Haha - I just realized I posted this for Geneablogger's Family Recipe Friday..
trouble with that is, today is THURSDAY!
It is Friday somewhere on this Earth already!!! 
Did you ever have "one of THOSE weeks"?)

Way Out West Wild Mustang Grape Juice - Family Recipe Fridays

Summer's coming! 

With summer, comes berries, wild berries!

And grapes!  Wild grapes!

Sorry to not have posted anything for sometime, but life kidnapped me.

We took a trip to Texas, where we were met by my favorite college freshman (son!)!

We stayed on a family ranch, where I took a gazillion pictures.

All sorts of wildflowers provided a feast for our eyes!

Staying on the place brought back memories

of driving on country roads in the summer time,

searching for sand plums so Mom could make plum jelly.

YUM!

By the time there are sand plums, the grapes are usually in season too.

or close anyway!

I found this recipe that Henry Vissotzky had written on some memo paper

from his desk at Tarleton State University.

Maybe this will be the summer for me to try to make

Wild Mustang Grape Juice!

My Amazing Spaghetti Scallops

Life has been hectic, too say the least!

Just look at the time in between my blog posts!

Life is funny.

You throw together a recipe from things you have in the fridge,

because you are so darn busy!

All of a sudden everyone is telling you that you need to keep the recipe!

Only problem with that is there is NO recipe!

You threw it together from scratch.

So you grab the nearest paper -

which happened to be the back of a Rottweiler puppy shaped notepad -

 and write down the recipe.

I always meant to write it on a decent recipe card!

Really I did!

It never made it, and my college son really likes this recipe!

and he really loved our rotties.

So, in deference to nostalgia and telling it like it is,

here is the rottie notepad recipe! 

Cook with love!

Hash Browns, French Fries, French fried Potatoes, and Mushroom Gravy

Hash Browns! 

If I would have had potatoes on hand, I would have surpised

my dear hubby with hash browns and eggs this morning!

But, alas, no ptoatoes!

Sacriledge!

Growning up with a mother from Germany,

how on earth can ANYONE be without POTATOES in the house?

 Some of you can probably relate!

But there you have it.  Not even a box of instant Mashed taters in house!

SSHHhhhh!!!

Please don't tell my mom! 

In the meantime...

I think a good plate of nicely browned

hash brown potatoes

with mushroom gravy on top

sounds delicious!

AND inexpensive!

Now excuse me while I go to the store to get some potatoes! 



Kraft Gaucho Dinner a la June

You know, this sounds pretty good.  And easy. 

And I am a sucker for anything that sounds
like even a resemblance to Mexican or Tex-Mex food!

I don buy or make processed foods much. 
Not because it seems to be a trend. 
I'm just that way.

But I looked up Kraft Mexican dinner on their website,
and I am not sure they make it anymore!

So when I make this I will probably just buy a box of good ole
Kraft Macaroni and cheese

and then make it as posted here. 

Yum!

Oh - and the 20 gold stars for Gebhardts Tamales?

What can I say - it was in June's recipe box! 

And I like the art.

And Gebhardts!

Let me know if ya'll stumble upon any Kraft mexican dinners!

Pretty Please!

Spring into Easter with Cheese Bunnies

Cheese Bunnies.   Easter falls on a late date this year. 

If your kids or grandkids are driving you hopping crazy (sorry...couldn't resist!) 

settle them down with cheese bunnies! 

But for the life of me, I can't figure out why they are called bunnies -

unless it because they are round (the bun) with a little white tail (the egg). 

But I can't keep myself from wondering - where are the bunny's ears? 

Or his head for that matter! 

The more I thnk about the more it worries me. 

All different scenarios flash before my eyes...

and as I hum in my head
"Here comes Peter Cottontail, hoppin down the bunny trail..."

it quickly becomes

"little rabbit FuFu, I don't wanna see you,
scoopin up the field mice and boppin them on the head!" 

Oh my.

SO - in order to save questions from inquiring 4 year olds,

and so that I can sleep at night without worrying about the bunny...

Here is an addendum to the Cheese Bunnie Recipe:

After cooking the recipe as per the instructions above,
serve the bunnie onto the plate,

take the part of the bun that you cut out with the cookie cutter,
(you may want to toast that part as well)

and place it above the bigger bun with the egg.

Voila!

The bunny now has a head!

Just remember you are looking at the backside of Mr. Bunny.

"But what about the ears?" says your inner 4-year old voice.

You have options here.

Either cut off a piece of bread in ear shapes from the bunny head,

(Oh no - I am hearing little rabbit FuFu again!)

and place above the head for ears, or slice a piece of fruit -
 banana, apple, or what have you,

and place above the head.

Just make sure you give it a nice bunny ear shape.

You want your bunny to have ears he'd be proud of, don't you?

Okay.

I am back to humming "Here comes Peter Cottontail, hoppin down the bunny trail,

hippity hoppity, Easter's on it's way....!"

I can picture June Vissotzky making this for her 2 children when they were little, can't you?

Family Recipe Friday: Easy Cheesy Pizza Sandwiches

AT LAST!!!  It's Friday!!!

AND April Fool's Day!

And I can't think of one thing to do for a prank.

It has just been one of THOSE kind of weeks! 

So instead of a prank - here's an easy cheesy dinner that everyone should like! 

When I make this, I usually use colby jack cheese

instead of processed cheese...

nothing personal, I just don't usually buy that stuff.

Probably because of the word "processed" in front of it.

I have been known to devour it when served as a hot dip with chips however.

I do break my standards every once in a while. :)

So here you go. 

Processed cheese or otherwise...

Pizza sandwiches can fit the bill for an easy cheesy lunch or dinner!

And I bet that is why it was in June's recipe box!!! 

She liked to fix fancy sandwiches for her folks!

Happy Friday and April Fool's Day everyone! 

McCall's How to make basic crepes perfectly

June Parker Vissotzky was a recipe collector extraordinaire!

After she passed away, we found recipes EVERYWHERE!

In books.

In pockets.

In envelopes.

In drawers.

In her car.

In purses.

In her bathroom drawers.

In her closet.

And of course, in her kitchen!

It was really overwhelming!

She loved to make things for her family and friends.

I think she would have liked this blog.

Now go forth and make some perfect crepes! 

Fried Navajo Indian Bread from Mrs. Robert Pacheco (like Sopapillas)

I MUST TRY THIS! 

First, let me start by saying that we are talking about American Indian Fry Bread...not the flatbread variety!

We had Fried Indian Bread when we traveled to the Southwest last summer.

I had had some before that. 

I make some for my resident tomato hater hubby to take along on hunting trips.

But they are NOTHING like the Indian Fry Bread we had last summer! 

 Unfortunately I have no clue what paper this is from, which makes it hard to give any credit, where credit is due.  Maybe the Alberquerque, New Mexico paper?  June Vissotzky and her crew lived there for a short while.  It would make sense!  This clipping is a little hard to read,

so here is the typed recipe. I'll post some pictures later after I make this recipe! 

Mrs. Robert Pacheco, whoever you are, wherever you are, THANK YOU!!!!

 4 cups unsifted flour

1 teasoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 cup lukewarm water

Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. 

Add water and knead throughly. 

Cover and let stand 10 minutes.

Roll dough into balls about 2 inches in diameter and roll out flat with a rolling pin into a circle.

Cut two slashes in the center of the circle and ease it gently in to the hot grease in a frying pan.

Fry the dough until both sides are browned.

Serve with salt

(my note - also delicious with honey, or sugar and cinnamon!  Enter the danger zone at your own risk!!!)

Makes 10-12 servings. 

Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

Shrimp Cocktail  Sauce! 

Fantastic Friday's recipe....with hints of things to come for the big FIVE-O weekend!. 

 Bernice Faires Parker would be happy I am using her recipe. 

I am happy because here's a recipe I can use to control the amount of horseradish!  

My resident tomato hater hubby LOVES horseradish!  

Here we go!

Cream of Tomato Soup

Tomatoes and basil=TO DIE FOR!

Unless you happen to be married to the world's foremost hater of tomatoes.

In which case he will simply have to eat leftovers...umm, I mean planned-overs!

Tis yet another of the Vissotzky recipes that calls for a pressure cooker.

I must be missing something, because I have never used one. 

All the stories I have heard of pressure cookers include

explosive endings with sticky liquids splattered all over everything! 

It would be just my luck...

Instead, I think I will try this in a slow cooker set on low

while I scramble to catch up on things that need to be done during the weekend.

I love Cream of Tomato soup...

it's a Sunday kind of thing,

along with a nice crunchy green salad and a loaf of sourdough bread. 

Ok, mebbe I'll be nice

and share the sourdough bread with the resident tomato hater. 

Bar-b-que BBQ Chicken in Foil

BBQ Chicken in Foil! Easy cook, easy clean and I bet this dish is delicious! If it is YOUR night to cook AND clean up, then this is the recipe for YOU!  I'll post pictures of this one after I make it. 

You guessed it....After "THE DIET" Or maybe I'll even cook this while on "THE DIET"!  

This recipe is not that loaded up on sugars (I know, catsup is, but there are only 2 teaspoons!)  

I could cut the butter/margarine with no problem and probably not even miss it!  

Stay tuned!  

I wonder if June ever cooked this? 

This would also be a good recipe to adapt for camp cookin'!

Tamale Cheese Pie

I have no idea what magazine or newspaper or author to contribute this to! 

Sorry about that...but it sounds delicious and it was in June Vissotzky's recipe box!  

This is on my list to make after my diet is done. 

If you wanted to cut down on the fat content, you can use very lean ground beef, or bison. 

You'll never taste the difference!  HONEST!

 I imagine you could also use chicken and it would also be yummy. 

I plan to add some cilantro and a can or two of green chiles,

but that's just because hubby and I are used to spicier foods.  

Tamale-Cheese Pie and a green salad...there's dinner for you!  

Riker's Mexican Corn Casserole from Creede, Colorado

This almost sounds like a  kind of tamale casserole.  I haven't made it yet (on a diet) but I definitely will! 

I prefer more spicy food, so I'll probably add some green chiles and chopped cilantro.

And maybe some cheese.

Oh yes.  Almost forgot the diet.  Maybe just a LITTLE cheese, followed by a walk with the dogs.

Happy now?

I am not sure who the Rikers were. 

I DO know that my husband's family used to go to Creede on vacation in the 60's. 

This is where the genealogy part of my blog comes into play.  Stay tuned about the Rikers!  I googled it hoping it was a restaurant in Creede, but all I came up with was a Riker's island prison that sounds like it makes a darn fine carrot cake!  Talk about running around in circles.  Now I want carrot cake.

Oh yeah.  THE DIET! 

Carrot cake AND Riker's Mexican corn casserole will just have to wait.