Lots of memories

When I was little, I got lucky and my Aunt Teresa and I both received the ABCs of Cooking Cookbook.

We definitely went through and made the whole alphabet of recipes, some successful and others not so much (haha remember the mistake of putting in 3 Tablespoons of salt instead of 3 teaspoons?).  My first recipe I ever made on my own was B for Banana Bread.  Every time I make the recipe it turns out great.  I always get compliments on the recipe and most of all, each time I make the bread, it reminds me of Grandma's kitchen and the summer Teresa and I decided to cook the alphabet of recipes.

RECIPE:
3/4c. sugar
3 bananas
3/4c. oil
2 eggs
Blend these together until mixed thoroughly.
2c. flour
1tsp. soda
2tsp. vanilla
1/2tsp. baking powder
1/2tsp. salt
Mix above ingredients together and then slowly mix into wet mixture.  Stir until flour is mixed in.
Pour in either a bread tin or a muffin tin.  Bake at 325 degrees until lightly brown.
Makes either one loaf of bread or 12 muffins.

Perfect every time!

So next time you have you some browning bananas, try this family favorite!

Recipe #1: Plachenta

When I was little, each fall my mom would use our pumpkins to make one of my dad's favorite dishes plachenta.  So in honor of fall, I thought it would be appropriate to start my first dish with this recipe.  Plachenta is definitely best eaten with some rivel soup, but that's for another recipe day!  Now plachenta can be either apple or pumpkin flavored, though I don't like the apple flavor.  I thought I better follow grandma's recipe exactly so I even made two apple ones.

RECIPE:
PLACHENTA

2 eggs
1/2c. milk
Beat eggs and add milk and add together.
1/2 T. salt
6 c. flour
5 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2c. shortening
Mix the next four ingredients together into a dough and make smooth.  Add egg and milk mixture with the flour mixture.  Add 2c cream and slowly add into dough.

Here is the dough consistency finished product.

Filling: (measurements are approximate as there were none written)
Fresh pumpkin cooked or canned pumpkin ~4 cups
~1 1/2 T. Salt
~ 1 1/2 T. Pepper
~1 T. Sugar

Approximately this much pumpkin.

Press dough flat.  Add filling and form into pastry.  

Right before baking.  Not very conformed but they turned out!

Poke tops of pastry with fork.  Bake at 350 degrees until light brown (~20 minutes).
Makes 19

The finished product even on Great Grandma Splonskowski's dinnerware!

Some people including my mom thought I was pretty brave attempting plachenta as the first recipe but on a crisp fall November Day, it was perfect!  My house now smells delicious with fond memories of plachenta as a child.

Heirloom recipes...Am I crazy?

I love cooking and have many fond memories growing up cooking with my Grandmas as well as mom.  Great conversation, scrumptious food, and lasting bonds were created in the kitchen.  As my Grandmas have begun to age and my interest for cooking has increased, I've decided to try to start a journey of heirloom recipes.  My goal is to archive all these great recipes into one cohesive place so that whenever I want a dish from home, I know where to turn.  There will be one VITAL missing ingredient during this process, my Grandmas and mom.  Attempting to cook these German dishes is definitely going to be a learning process but one that will last for generations...A guarantee that the dishes passed down from ancestors will be around for future family members!