Everyday Recipes from the Kitchen of Ada

Ada's Cookbook and one of her "Blue" Bowls

 

 

 

Let the Chicken Stew!... Grandmother Ada used to stew her chicken until tender in a pot on top of her little gas stove.  She would add her onions, celery, salt, pepper and garlic powder to her chicken parts and bring to a boil, stir then simmer for awhile.  The smell was delicious and the chicken would be sooo juicy.  She really enjoyed her dark meat and wasn't on the white meat bandwagon.  This is where I get my love for chicken legs!

 

Slow-baked Roast and Gravy was another favorite.  With cast iron skillet at hand, Ada would season the roast with salt and pepper then brown the roast in a little oil in the skillet, then place her cleaned cut carrots, celery, onion, and garlic powder in with the roast and drippings, stir in a little water to make more gravy in the end and bake for a couple of hours at 325 degrees.  You could cut this meat with a fork and the gravy was so tasty I could never stop dipping my roll in it in an attempt to clean my plate. 

 

Green Beans with Steamed Pototoes were always on the stove top.  Ada never went more than a day without her green beans seasoned with bacon strips, onion, salt and pepper.  She never grew tired of this green veggie.  She would sometimes add cleaned sliced new potatoes to cook over top the steam from the green beans while they were simmering...this would sometimes be a meal in itself... I remember the smell of the flavored steam saturating her kitchen her kitchen and it makes my mouth water!

 

Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing was the only dressing Grandmother Ada would drizzle on top of her lettuce salad.  I remember as a child, standing in front of her stove, watching the apple cider vinegar, sugar and occasionally a few bacon drippings simmer in the sauce pan until the sugar would dissolve.  She would top her salad made with lettuce, onion, tomatoes and green pepper and toss altogether.  The sweetened apple cider would compliment all the garden veggies in the salad so well because it satisfyed all the taste buds!

 

Blackberry Cobbler was made with fresh blackberries from Ada's backyard when they were in season. 1C flour, 1/8t salt, 1/4C milk,1/3C sugar (usually a little more for added sweetness), 1T butter, 1C blackberries (or a tad bit more), 1t baking power were the ingredients.  In a mixing bowl, make sure to sift the flour and then add baking powder and salt or use the all-purpose flour we can find today and skip adding the baking powder and salt.  Cut in butter, and add milk to blend.  Grease a baking dish, preheat your oven 450 degrees.  Place berries in greased baking dish and sprinkle with sugar. Place dough mixture on top of berries and bake in hot oven for 30 minutes. *Can boil 1/4 c sugar in 1/4 c water for 4 minutes then add a little vanilla to make simple syrup.  When cobbler has baked 20 minutes add syrup then bake the additional 30 minutes.  Can serve with vanilla icecream or pour a little milk over top like me and Grandma used to do.  You will be in cobbler heaven!

 

 

Homemade Applesauce... "An apple a day keeps the Doctor away" . This is probably one reason Grandma Ada lived to be 96 years old!  She had a couple of tablespoons of applesauce everyday!  I remember her opening the door leading to her basement where she stacked her jars of canned applesauce she made each year from the apples growing on the trees in her backyard.  She was faithful to do this each year and considered herself blessed to have the fresh fruit.  In her later years, she would just by the applesauce already made in the cans at the grocery store.  Ada would top her one slice of buttered toast each morning with applesauce instead of using jam or preserves and she would eat again on warm toast with butter at night.  Her recipe was pretty simple and although she would make very large quantities, I will condense this homespun recipe down to a smaller quantity that can be doubled or tripled if you so desire.  Ada's Applesauce:  4C pared Apples, Sugar, can add Nutmeg or Cinnamon.  Slice apples, cover with water.  Cover and simmer until soft.  Add spice to taste, simmer until sugar is dissolved.  When you have the disired thickness of "sauce", pour into cleaned canning jars or a small sealed container if you are cooking a little bit that will be eaten within a couple of weeks.  If using canning jars, place waxed lids in boiling water to warm wax rim then place on canning jar, add ring and twist to seal.  Place filled and sealed canning jars in boiling water until top of jar is covered.  Let jars sit in this hot water bath for a bit, then use tongs to remove jars from water, placing jars on counter for cooling purposes.  You will hear jar lids begin to pop as if to say, "It's time to tighten the lid"...this will preserve your homemade applesauce for later use.

 

 

Simmered Sweet Rhubarb is a recipe I remember Grandma Ada making occassionlly.  In a saucepan, she would place cleaned cut pieces in water, add sugar and sometimes strawberries, bring to boil and reduce to simmer covered until rhubard softened.  We would eat this mixture on our toast usually in the Summertime.

 

In Grandma's kitchen, there was always a plate of sliced onions and tomatoes on the table along with a dish of softened butter.  Her vintage refridgerator always had her favorite breakfast mainstays on the shelves like sliced bacon, sausage and eggs to go along with her daily dose of orange juice.  You could always find a 7up or Sprite or two on hand in case she or family had an upset stomach.  There was always a loaf of the original multigrain Roman Meal bread on the counter because her favorite Dr. Dolfe Daniels told her this was the healthiest bread choice for her and it just so happens, it sits on my kitchen counter too! So thanks Dr. Daniels, your advice lives on.

 

One of my favorite teacups that used to sit in Grandma Ada's kitchen on the indented wall shelf beside her kitchen/dining table area.  It belongs in a set of three which are in the colors of yellow, mauve, and the jade color you see here.

 

 

 

Reminising about all of this good food from the past makes me hungry!  I'm going to my kitchen and fixing myself a little toast with butter and applesauce to hold me over 'til dinner.  May God bless you and the meals you prepare for the ones you love!