My Grandma's Recipe Box

4 lb. Lean Stew Meat with water to cover 10 Med. Potatoes, chopped 2 Onions, chopped 1 1/2 c celery, chopped 2 qts. tomatoes 1 qt. carrots 2 cans of corn 1 can peas 1 qt. green beans 1 pt. black eyed peas 1 small can tomato sauce 1/4 c. ketchup Hot sauce salt and pepper season-all oregano, small amount sugar garlic salt Makes 10+ quarts This stew was definitely designed to serve a crowd. There are no instructions, simply "stew." The instructions to use quarts of carrots and tomatoes are indicators that Grandma was almost definitely using home-canned vegetables. She always canned many different things, from wonderful green beans to frozen peaches and cherries.

1 1/2 pt. oysters 2 eggs 4 T water 2 to 3 c. dry bread crumbs or cornmeal Kettle of deep fat Wash and drain oysters. May be marinated in French dressing 20 minutes. Roll in crumbs, meal, or meal mixed with flour and salt. Dip in egg mixed with water and in crumbs again. Fry in deep fat 1 min. and drain on brown paper. Shrimp may be fried in the same way.

This recipe is an example of doing something with very little. Lessons from the Depression. Break one box of spaghetti into tiny pieces and boil until tender. Drain and add 2/3 c. butter and a little black pepper. Mix well and place into a casserole. Then take 1 can mackerel, separate into good sized pieces, salt to taste, and place pieces around over the spaghetti. Press down into the spaghetti, add a dash of pepper over all. Bake in moderate oven for 20 minutes.

12 chicken breasts (skinned and boned) 1 12 oz. can apricot nectar 1 t. ground allspice 1/2 t. salt 1/4 t. ground ginger 1/4 t. pepper 3/4 c. apricot preserves 1/2 chopped pecans, toasted Place chicken in a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. Combine apricot nectar and next 4 ingredients. Stir well. Pour over chicken-cover and chill 8 hours. Take from refrigerator, let stand at room temp. for 30 min. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Uncover, drain off liquid, and discard. Heat preserves over low heat until warm. Brush over chicken. Bake uncovered 20-25 min, basting occasionally with preserves. Sprinkle with pecans. (Grandma had an enormous pecan tree in her yard. We would leave her house eating pecans in the car until we were practically sick!) Serve With Rice: Saute 1 c onion and 1 c celery in Dutch oven with garlic and 1/4 c butter. When tender, add 4 2/3 c. chicken broth, 2 c rice, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 40 min. Stir in 1 c. chopped carrots and cook 10 more minutes

My grandma's name was Ollie Marie Vinson Lee. But she hated the name Ollie and always went by Marie. She grew up in rural central Texas, born in a town that is now at the bottom of Lake Leon near Eastland. She had a master's degree in education, loved fishing, raised three great kids, including my dad, and had her world turned upside down when my grandpa died twenty years ago. She was brave and always faithful to our Lord and Savior. She died in 2010 and that is how I came into possession of her recipe boxes. I will blog her recipes here in hopes that her love of serving good home-cooked meals to her children and grandchildren will live on.