Recipe Swap: Recipes from the family vault

I am busy getting ready for our family reunion over the Independence Day weekend. We have family come in from about 12 states and usually host 100 to 125 people. It takes a lot of planning, shopping and cooking to feed everyone for several days. I have a large master notebook and keep records from year to year, which helps. I also keep all of the recipes we use, but some we use every year because they are a tradition. I thought for fun I would share a few of those recipes with you today. If you have traditional family recipes please send them in so others can read about your family traditions.

Missouri Bar-B-Q Basting Sauce

This recipe is used for the barbecue chicken we serve at every family reunion. My uncle Bill Watterson was basting chicken with this sauce when I was a baby and we still use it today. We increase the recipe many times to barbecue 20 to 24 chickens in one cooking.

2 1/2 cups cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

3/4 pound butter or margarine

2 tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

Halve or quarter chickens. Dip chicken in basting sauce and place on the hot grill. Turn chickens every 5 to 7 minutes and baste. Continue this for about an hour or until almost done. Finish chickens the last 15 minutes with barbecue sauce mixed with the remaining basting sauce. The key to this is turning and basting often and doing the same with the sauce at the end.

Tuna Grape Salad

My grandmother Powell made this salad recipe quite often and I grew up eating it and loving it when it was made fresh. When our family put together a cookbook, several people turned it in as a favorite and a memory to grandma. My sister Barb makes it now for every reunion.

Tuna

White seedless grapes, washed and pulled from the stems

Coarse pecan pieces

Miracle Whip, just to moisten and hold together

Mix together equal portions of tuna and pecans, or to your taste. Add 1 bunch of grapes. Add enough Miracle Whip just to hold the salad together.

Anna Mae's Pie Crust

2 cups flour

1 cup Crisco shortening

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup ice water

Put flour in bowl. Take out 1/4 cup and set aside in a small container. Add salt and shortening to the larger portion of flour and cut shortening in well. Add water to the 1/4 cup flour and mix well. Gradually add this to the shortening and flour mixture, tossing with a fork. If necessary, an extra teaspoon of water can be used if too dry. Roll out and place in pie pan. Fill with your favorite filling and bake.

Grandma Powell's Rhubarb Custard Pie

4 cups rhubarb

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon flour

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces and place in pie shell. Mix together sugar, flour, margarine, vanilla, salt, eggs and milk. Beat until blended. Pour over rhubarb. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes until custard is well set and crust is browned.

Crispy Rice Ice Cream Dessert

2 cups crispy rice cereal

1 can coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1 stick margarine, melted

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

Toast first 4 ingredients on a jelly roll pan with 1-inch sides in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir brown sugar into hot toasted ingredients on the hot sheet pan. Let cool. Spread half of the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch pan. Soften the ice cream enough to spread or slice into thick long slices and lay in the pan to fit. Spread remaining toasted ingredients over the ice cream and freeze. Before serving, remove from freezer and allow to set out for about 5 minutes before cutting to serve. Top with a drizzle of chocolate syrup when served, if desired.

Marilyn's Homemade Ice Cream

Liquid pasteurized eggs (Egg Beaters) to equal 6 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 (3-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 envelope Dream Whip

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 quart liquid vanilla coffee creamer

2 percent or whole milk to fill canister, about 1/2 gallon for a 6-quart freezer canister

Beat eggs slightly to loosen up from the carton. Mix all other ingredients together, except the finishing milk. Pour mixture into a 6-quart freezer and finish filling to 2/3 full with 2 percent or whole milk. Freeze according to your freezer instructions. Pack in plenty of ice and salt for about 1 hour to allow the cream to harden up completely. You can also add fresh peaches or strawberries or if desired, add 1/2 cup cocoa mixed in with the sugar for chocolate. Serve up and allow the kids to lick the dasher clean.

Aunt Celeste's Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

My Aunt Celeste has brought these cookies to reunions for many years, but she will be unable to come this year due to health concerns with my uncle. They will be terribly missed, but my sister Barb is making the cookies in their honor this year.

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 squares unsweetened chocolate (4 ounces), melted

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix oil, chocolate and granulated sugar. Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla. Measure flour by spooning method or by sifting. Stir flour, baking powder and salt into the oil mixture. Chill several hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into powdered sugar and roll around until well covered. Shape into balls and place about two inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes; do not overbake. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Fluffy Lemonade Salad or Dessert

This is so light and cool on hot July days and goes well with the chicken. Years ago, the first time I made this, several people thought it was scrambled eggs and thought it was strange we had scrambled eggs with the chicken dinner. But one taste and they were all pleasantly surprised. My niece loves this I always think of her now when I make this.

5 (3 ounce) boxes lemon gelatin

6 cups boiling water

1 (12 ounce) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

Zest of 1 lemon

1 (12 ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in lemonade until dissolved. Chill until partially set. Fold in whipped topping. Pour into a large flat baking dish or serving bowl to chill until ready to serve.

I hope you have enjoyed some old recipes and a little trip down memory lane for me. Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.