Several Christmases ago, I watched my grandmother (Jean) make the gibblet gravy for the turkey. And of course, there’s no measuring of anything, so just keep adding stuff until it looks and tastes right. Over the the years, she passed off various cooking duties to other people, but this was pretty much the last recipe she did herself, largely since everyone else was busy fixing all of the other food.
Print Recipe
Gibblet Gravy
Instructions
Boil the turkey gibblets. Cut them up and set aside.
Strain some of the broth from the turkey into a small pot and heat it on the stove.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 3-5 big spoonfuls of flour a little at a time.
Depending on how much turkey broth is used, add about 1/2 of the can of chicken broth.
Add in the chopped gibblets, celery, and onion.
Stir continuously on high heat until it thickens.
A staple at Auntie’s house, she was famous all around for her sugar cookies. She made sugar cookies so often, the kids at her church called her “The Cookie Lady”.
Print Recipe
Sugar Cookies
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar and beat until creamy.
Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Mix well.
In a small bowl, sift together baking soda, flour, cream of tartar, and salt.
Add to ingredients in the large bowl and mix well.
Cover dough and refrigerate for at least two hours (or over night).
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the colored sugar and/or sprinkles.
Flatten on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 350° and bake until edges are light brown (about 12 minutes).
Let the cookies cool slightly before removing from the cookie sheet.
This is Mom’s deviled egg recipe. It’s always made for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Sometimes she has to make a whole separate batch for my Uncle Mike, or he’ll eat them all before anyone else can.
Print Recipe
Deviled Eggs
Instructions
Carefully shell the eggs and cut in half. Put the yolks in a separate bowl and set aside.
Mash the yolks and mix ins the mustard, mayo, relish, and Tabasco.
Scoop the mixture into the halved egg whites.
Sprinkle paprika on top and serve.
In our family, its not stuffing, its dressing.
Instructions
Make cornbread according to the instructions on the packages. Leave slices of bread out overnight to dry out.
Saute onions and celery in a pan with butter or a little olive oil.
Tear bread and cornbread into small pieces and put in a large roasting pan.
Stir in eggs, celery, onions, and seasonings.
Pour in broth. Make sure the bread/cornbread mixture is soaked, but not runny.
Add more sage to taste (or more specifically, Dad's taste).
Bake in oven at 350 degrees until brown.
Almost good enough to eat by itself.
Print Recipe
Spanish Rice
Instructions
Fry bacon and break each piece in half.
Saute rice and onions in bacon grease until brown.
Place rice and onions in a casserole dish.
Add all other ingredients.
Cook for 10 minutes in microwave.
Stir and test if rice is fully cooked.
If needed, add more water and cook 10 minutes longer.
Recipe Notes
Cooking the rice in the microwave could take longer than 10 minutes depending on the power output of the microwave.
Alternatively, you can put the rice in a pot or large, deep sided, pan and cook on the stove top, covered, on high. Not sure how long that will take (30-40 minutes?), but you should check it every few minutes.
One of my favorite Auntie recipes.
Print Recipe
Tiger Butter
Instructions
Line a 15½ x 10½ inch jelly-roll pan with wax paper.
Break white chocolate into 1-inch pieces in a 1 ½ quart microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until melted. Stir until smooth.
Add peanut butter and microwave on high for 2 minutes until melted; stir until smooth. (Microwave an additional 30 seconds, if needed.)
Spread mixture into prepared pan.
In a 2 cup microwave measuring cup, melt chocolate on high for 1-2 minutes.
Pour melted chocolate over peanut butter mixture; swirl through with a knife; refrigerate.
When firm, cut or break into pieces. Makes about 2 pounds. (about 32 servings)
This is a staple of our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. I’m fairly certain if Dad had his way, Mom would make it at least once a month.
Print Recipe
German Potato Salad
Instructions
After the potatoes have been boiled and skinned, cut into about 1" cubes and place in a large pot.
In a deep pan, fry bacon until almost done; pour off half of the grease.
Add onions to the pan and saute in the remaining bacon grease.
Add vinegar with a "big drop" of water or the onions; Add Tabasco to taste.
Simmer mixture in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes.
Pour mixture from the pan into the pot with the potatoes and fold well.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Notes
Serve hot. Can be refrigerated and reheated.
This is one of Grandma’s (Mabel Eggen Melby) recipes passed down from Auntie (Claire Arlene Melby) to Mom (Margaret Melby Lee).
Print Recipe
Sweet Cream Pie
Instructions
Mix sugar, corn starch, and cream. Let stand while beating whites.
Beat egg whites until frothy and fold into cream mixture.
Pour into 9" pie pan, sprinkle nutmeg on top and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes (375 for glass pan).
This is my dad’s recipe. Its very popular at parties and, if you’re not careful, it’ll knock you on your butt.
Instructions
Combine in a blender. Serve over ice, with or without salt.
Recipe Notes
For frozen margaritas, replace the can of water with a handful or two of ice.