Orange and Onion Salad

ORANGE AND ONION SALAD

4 medium seedless oranges
1 medium red onion
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
6 tbsp (90 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) sherry vinegar
12 black olives
Fresh flat-leaf parsley

Peel oranges carefully with a sharp knife and slice, removing any seeds. Arrange on a large plate.  Slice onion in thin rings. Arrange over oranges. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and sugar.  Drizzle all over with oil and sprinkle with vinegar. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Trim with olives and parsley and serve.

Oma's Christmas Walnut Slices

1 cup flour

pinch of salt

1/2 cup butter

Mix like crumbs and pat in the bottom of an 8 inch square pan.  Bake in moderate oven for about 10 minutes.

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs well beaten

1 tsp. flour

1/4 cup coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 tsp. baking powder

Combine above ingredients and spread on top of first mixture.  Bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes.  Ice with plain white icing.

Oma's Five Minute Holiday Fudge

Combine 

2/3 cup (small can) undiluted evaporated milk

1 2/3 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 tsp. salt 

in saucepan and cook over medium heat.  Heat to boiling, then cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.  

Add 

1 1/2 cups (16 medium) diced marshmallows

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla and 

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Stir 1 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows melt.  Pour into buttered 9 inch square pan. Allow to cool. Cut into squares.  

Grace's Danish Pastry

Found the following recipe for Amy and Jenny's great-grandmother Grace Bender's Danish in the recipe book pictured below, compiled in memory of Grace and another community member.  The recipe for the Danish was handwritten by Amy and Jenny's grandmother Doreen. The handwriting is like a work of art in itself. 

Amazing to find out that one of Grace's favorite recipes was for Danish, which has become a Christmas staple in our family over the years.

This a basic sweet dough.  It has a bit more sugar than the Christmas Danish http://jennyamysoulsisters.blogspot.ca/2011/12/danish.html

that we have been making.  For mace I substituted ground nutmeg. 1 yeast cake is the same as 2 1/4 tsp. yeast or one package of yeast.  

This recipe can be followed as is or modified to suit the baker's preference.  I followed the recipe with the exception of the preparation of the butter.  Instead of mashing the butter and placing it in small bits, 

I spread the butter on wax paper, chilled it 

and placed it on the rolled dough. 

What I would do the next time I make Danish is-

1) Use the ingredients from Grace's pastry 

(add grated lemon peel if available)

2) Use the directions from 

http://jennyamysoulsisters.blogspot.ca/2011/12/danish.html

to prepare the dough but cut the refrigeration time 

to as short a time as possible. 

Oma's Carrot Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspooms baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup oil

4 unbeaten eggs

3 cups shredded carrots

2/3 to 1 cup chopped nuts

Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oil and eggs with mixer.  Stir carrots and nuts in by hand.  Makes about two 8" x 8" or one 9" x 13" pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Frosting

1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

4 cups icing sugar

Oma's Bread and Butter Pickles

12 medium cucumbers

5 medium onions

1/4 cup salt

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

1 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 cup vinegar

1/2 cup water

Wash cucumbers.  Peel onions. The original recipe called for the cucumbers and onions to be cut into 1/4 inch rings but Oma's pickles were always sliced thin.  Arrange in layers sprinkling salt on each layer.  Let stand 2 to 3 hours.  Drain.  Combine remaining ingredients and heat to boiling.  Add cucumbers and onions and simmer 10 minutes.  Pack in hot sterilized jars and seal.  Makes about 4 pints.  

Note:  Oma always added a bit of red to the pickles so one could add pimento.

Sterilize jars and lids then process  in canner by covering with water and boiling for 20 minutes for a jar the size of a Classico spagetti sauce jar.

Fresh Blueberry Pie

What a wonderful way to celebrate Barbara's birthday!  We enjoyed 
Linda's Fresh Blueberry Pie  with sparkling water and sparkling wine. Served with a choice of yogourt toppings. This has to be absolutely the world's best summer dessert.  The perfect combination of fresh and sweet. 

Thanks Linda for sharing the recipe!

Pie crust

glass pie dish/ oven 350/~15 mins or lightly browned

mix w a fork 1/2c any liquid veg oil w 2 T milk (I use skim)
and pour into pie plate .. swirl to coat

dry ingredients : 3/4 each white and whole wheat flour
1 T sugar and pinch of salt

whisk together
dump dry mix into pie late and blend with fork, then use fingers to press up sides and bottom... bake/ let cool 

Filling

original recipe calls for 1 c berries to cook with 3 c fresh berries
I never use less than 5 fresh and 8 fresh is really good 
but the more fresh berries req slight tweak w thickening agent
original recipe uses a slurry of 1/4c cool water/3T cornstarch... w 8 c berries that is not enough 

so I add 1/2pkg of Knox gelatine to the lemon juice

 so the pie will hold together

  better presentation
So the recipe:
prepare slurry of 1/4c water w 3T cornstarch... mix to blend
zest 1 lemon and put on top of bowl of 8 c fresh berries
place juice of lemon in bowl and sprinkle w gelatin
now
1c berries in large saucepan w 1/2c water.. simmer 3-4 mins (med heat through whole process)
add 1 c white sugar and stir to blend 
add slurry stirring continuously until mixture thickens and becomes clear ( on my gas range takes maybe 5 mins)
add lemon juice w gelatin and stir maybe 1 min more on heat
remove from heat 
let cool maybe 10 mins stirring occasionally 
add fresh berries stirring to coat w cooked mixture

Pour/dump into cooked pie shell
best if refrigerated over night
ENJOY