Elephant Stew - 2 ways!

If anyone gives this a try please let me know how it turns out.  I just don’t have that much time! :)

Recipe taken from – Feeding the Flock (1988)

1 elephant

100 lbs carrots

100 lbs potatoes

100 lbs onion

Take elephant after you have killed and dressed him.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.  This should take about 2 months.  Cook over low electric heat about 2 weeks at 465 degrees.  This will serve about 3,800 guests.  If you expect more people, you may add 2 rabbits, but do this only if necessary “cause most people don’t like hare.”

Recipe taken from – Texas State Foster Parent’s Incorporated Cookbook (1989)

1 elephant

2 rabbits

3 Tbsp salt

Cut elephant into small pieces.  Make enough gravy to cover pieces of elephant.  Cook over kerosene stove for about three months.  Serves 3,800 people.  If expecting more people add two rabbist, but only if necessary because most people don’t like to find a hare in their stew.

Hope this made you smile today!

Texas Hash

This recipe was better than it looked!  While combining everything I thought ‘what have I done?’ but in the end it turned out pretty good.  We served it with mashed potatoes, green beans, and French bread.  I used only 1 onion and 1 bell pepper.  I can’t imagine two of each.  Hubby and I were talking about some of the measurements/times on these recipes and we figure people made them from memory so much that when they wrote them down they weren’t entirely accurate?!  I also used olive oil not shortening and one 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes.

Recipe taken from – Heritage Cookbook (1976)

2 large onion, sliced or finely chopped

2 green peppers, finely cut

3 Tbsp shortening

1 lb hamburger meat

1 tsp salt

2 c canned tomatoes

½ c uncooked rice

1 tsp chili powder

¼ tsp pepper

Cook onions and peppers in shortening until onions are yellow.  Add hamburger and salt; cook until mixture falls apart.  Add tomatoes, rice and other seasoning.  Arrange in large casserole.  Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until done.  Yield: 8 servings.

Note:  In any recipe that calls for cooked hamburger meat I always season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and some Tony’s.  This adds some seasoning in case the recipe is under seasoned as most are when dealing with hamburger meat I think.  And with this recipe I decreased the salt to ¾ tsp since I added some to the beef.

Don’t be intimidated by different – give it a try!!

To You, My Friend

To each of you my friends.  I hold you dear to my heart.  Thank you for your friendships.

Recipe taken from – W.M.U Centennial Cookbook

Whatever wind it was that blew

Your friendship to my door –

I’m sure for me no greater blessing

My God could have in store –

Your gentleness – your love of beauty

The thoughts by which you live

Have added inspiration to my days

No other friend could give –

On the ways in which you serve –

May He bless you with happiness

That you so well deserve!

Mexican Wedding Cookies

There was a star next to these cookies so I knew I would have to give them a try.  They were super easy and super yummy!  My hubby took his first bite and said they were good then his second bite they were really good and then by the third bite they were delicious!  My husband made the comment when tasting the dough, quality controlJ that they were like sandies.  Sure enough when they came out of the oven that’s what they were.  It didn’t click for me before. 

I cooked mine for 15 minutes and that was perfect.  I did just two at first to make sure and I was disappointed there were only two because they were so good I wanted the next one right away but we had to wait patiently!  Also, she says to “drop” them on the cookie sheet I just used a cookie scoop and that worked perfectly.  I think it made about two dozen cookies.

Recipe taken from – Hearts of the Home (1982)

½ c butter

½ c plus 2 Tbsp shortening

1 c powder sugar

2 c flour

1 c pecans

2 tsp vanilla

Chop pecans coarsely.  Cream butter and shortening.  Beat in sugar, then flour, vanilla and pecans.  Mix well and drop.  Bake at 350 for 15-21 minutes.

Give these six ingredient cookies a try.  They’ll be done and in the oven in no time.

Smothered Steak

This was a recipe by mistake!  I had this page marked for another recipe but for some reason when I was making the grocery list I thought I wanted to do this one so I bought the stuff to make it.  After I made it I went to highlight it on my master list and to my surprise it wasn’t on there.  Oops!  I was very leery when making it wondering why I put it on the list!!  (you’ll see why when you read the recipe!)  I can’t say it was a happy mistake but it wasn’t a bad one.  My hubby said he’d eat it again.  He said it was poor man’s pot roast.  If I did it again I think I would leave out the flour which made it kinda slimy and I would season it more.

Recipe taken from - Thalian’s Society Cookbook

Sm. Round steak

1 med onion, sliced thin

1 c. flour

Water

Salt and pepper, to taste

Salt and pepper steak to taste.  Sprinkle flour on both side of steak.  Brwon steak in small amount of oil.  Place sliced onions on top of steak.  Drain grease.  Add water to cover steak.  Simmer for 2 hours, covered.

If you’re feeling adventurous give this recipe a try!!

Inspirational Quotes

Inspiration taken from – Thalian Society’s Cookbook

~  Doing nothing is the most tiresome job in the world.  Because it’s impossible to quit to take a rest.

~  Wrinkles should merely show where the smiles have been.

~  To communicate is the beginning of understanding.

Applesauce Oat Muffins

The name of these muffins caught my eye so I thought I’d give them a try.  Again, we were taking our friends dinner that had just had a baby boy so I wanted to give them something to munch on for a snack or breakfast.  I try to do what I want and I know I was always starving after I had my cutie!  Anyways, I thought the muffins were just ok.  They were not sweet enough to my taste!  My hubby liked them and our toddler thought they were good too.  I’m not sure what our friends thought but hopefully they liked them.

I followed the recipe as stated except for canola oil.  I think I baked mine closer to 22 minutes.

Recipe taken from – Wish Cookbook*

2 c Cheerios cereal, crushed (about 1 c)

1 ¼ c all-purpose flour

1/3 c packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda

1 c applesauce

1/3 c skim milk

½ c raisins

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg white.

Heat oven to 400.  Grease bottoms of 12 muffin cups (2 ½ x 1 ¼ inch).  Mix cereal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda in large bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Bake until golden brown about 18 to 22 minutes.

If you’re looking for a less sweet muffin and love raisins then these are for you.

*  This is from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas.  This is an amazing organization that was established to grant wishes of children between the ages of 2 ½ and 18 who have life threatening or terminal illness.  My family benefited through this amazing organization and we will be forever grateful.  If you ever are in need of a charity to donate to please keep them in mind as they help kids dreams come true.