Village Spiced Nuts

Original Recipe from:  Kay Johnson-Tomblin

This treat is a village favorite!  I am not a fan of candy coated nuts because the coating usually overpowers the flavor of the nuts and the coatings tend to be a hard shell.  This recipe complements the flavor of the nuts with a hint of sweetness and spice and no hard coating.  They taste great right out of the oven or days later.  Store in an air tight container and they will stay tasty for a few weeks….if they last that long!  I have packaged this tasty treat in many cute ways to give as gifts much to the delight of the recipients.  Make a batch today and prepare for your taste buds to be impressed.  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients

1 pound whole Pecans and/or Walnuts

1 Egg White

1 tablespoon Water

1 cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

 

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, beat the Egg White and Water until foamy.  Add Nuts and coat thoroughly.

 

In a small mixing bowl, combine the Sugar, Cinnamon, and Sea Salt and pour over the nuts.  Stir to coat well.

 

Generously grease a 15x9x2 inch baking pan with Butter or Margarine.  Spread spiced nuts on the pan in a single layer. 

Bake in 275 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Stir every 15 minutes (very important). 

Cool on a sheet of wax or parchment paper. 

Store in an air-tight container.

Note:  If you are making a large batch, it is best to work with one pound of nuts at a time.  I like to use both Pecans and Walnuts, although either one tastes great on its own.  When I make them I do the Pecans first and then the Walnuts and mix the finished products together for serving and packaging. 

Barbeque Meat Loaf

Original Recipe from:  Virginia Bowers-Johnson

Yes, my mother really did have more than one meat loaf recipe.  While she was famous for her Motown Meat Loaf, this one is very good too.  This is her original meat loaf, the one from my early childhood.  Meat loaf is one of those family dinner entrees that makes enough servings for your dinner and there is enough leftover for tasty sandwiches the next day.  Serve with mashed potatoes, a vegetable and some hot biscuits fresh from the oven and you’ve got comfort food to warm you family body and soul.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1.5 pounds Ground Beef

1 cup fresh Bread Crumbs

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1 Egg

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

2-8 ounce cans Tomato Sauce (or one 15 ounce can)

1/2 cup Water

3 tablespoons White Vinegar

1 tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons Yellow Mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Directions

Mix Ground Beef, Onions, Bread Crumbs, Egg, Salt and Pepper, and 12 ounces (1.5 cans) Tomato Sauce.   Form into a loaf. 

Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the loaf.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

Pam’s Potato Soup

Original Recipe from:  Pamela Tomblin-Schultheis

My daughter, Pam, has been so inspired by this blog and learning to make some of the family recipes that she decided to tackle potato soup all by herself.  This mother couldn’t be more proud of her….and the results are so very tasty!  This is a very easy soup recipe, perfect for a cold winter evening!  Make the soup, a salad and a fresh loaf of bread and you will have an easy meal for your family.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

5 lbs Russet Potatoes, washed but not peeled.  Diced into 1/2(ish) inch cubes

1 large Yellow Onion, diced

10 cloves Garlic (you can use whole, crushed, or minced)

8 cups Chicken Stock

16 ounces Cream Cheese (Pam used 8 ounces regular and 8 ounces low fat)

1 tablespoon Salt or All-Purpose Seasoning (Pam used Aunt Cora’s Soulful Seasoning)

Garnishes

Crumbled Bacon

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Green Onion sliced

Directions

Add potatoes, onions, garlic, seasoning and chicken stock to a crock pot

Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours

Remove and puree the garlic cloves (if you used whole cloves) along with 1/2 to 1/3 of the soup, and

Then reintroduce to the remainder in the crock pot

Stir in the Cream Cheese and allow it to melt.  Stir every 10-15 minutes until the soup is well blended.

Top with you choice of garnishes and serve!

Makes 10-12 servings

Post Script:  Pam has found since first writing up this recipe, that adding the Cream Cheese to the 1/3 of soup that you’re pureeing helps integrate it better.  Both ways taste fantastic though! 

Simple Sloppy Joes

Original Recipe from:  Lucy Griffin-Bowers

This is my Grandmother’s recipe.  I remember this recipe from my childhood.  When we would visit Grandma in Ohio, we would often have the big family get together.  With so many mouths to feed, Sloppy Joes were a good menu item.  Inexpensive and easy to make with the bonus that the kids would love them!  The menu would usually include potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, and an assortment of dessert treats.  Simple food to prepare, but oh so comforting…even all these years later.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pound Ground Beef

1 medium Onion, chopped

1/2 cup Ketchup

3 tablespoons White Vinegar

2 tablespoons Water

1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon Dry Mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Hamburger Buns

Directions

Cook meat and onions in a large skillet until meat is browned; drain off drippings.  Stir in next 7 ingredients, and heat thoroughly.  Serve on warm buns. 

Yields 4-6 servings.

Village Chili

Original Recipe from:  Kay Johnson-Tomblin

This is a mild chili that even the kids will like.  It is also very simple to make and is ready in about 45 minutes making it perfect for a busy day when you don’t have a lot of time to devote to preparing dinner.  You can make it ahead of time or right before serving.  Leftovers are great the next day and it freezes well too.  I love a good, spicy chili as well as anyone, but when my kids were young they didn’t have the same taste buds and wouldn’t eat anything too spicy.  I found this recipe to be one the entire family would eat.  If you want to kick it up a notch, have a bottle of hot sauce on the table to add to your bowl.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pound Ground Beef

1 medium Onion, chopped

2 tablespoons Oil

15 ounces Tomato Sauce

16 ounces Kidney Beans (optional)

1 tablespoon Flour

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 tablespoon Chili Powder

1/4 cup Water

Directions

Cook meat and onions in a large skillet with the Oil until meat is browned; drain off drippings.  Stir in Beans and Tomato Sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Combine Chili Powder, Flour, Salt, and Water in a small bowl.  Spoon some of the hot mixture into this and mix thoroughly.  Add the Chili Powder mixture to the pan.  Stir and simmer covered for 30 minutes. 

Serve with Shredded Cheddar Cheese and Sour Cream.