Grandma's Vintage Recipes

HOMEMADE ZUCCHINI RELISH

2026-04-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

When I was a young wife and mother living in Indiana during the 70s, I grew lots of zucchini in my garden. This is one of the recipes for preserving them.

10 cups peeled, ground zucchini
4 cups ground onions
5 tablespoons salt
2 1/4 cups vinegar
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon each of nutmeg, dry mustard and turmeric
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 red bell pepper*, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper*, chopped fine

Combine the zucchini, onions, and salt together and let stand overnight. Next morning, drain and rinse with cold water. Combine the mixture with the remaining ingredients and cook for 30 minutes; mixture must be hot. Pour into hot clean jars and seal with hot lids. Makes 7 pints.

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CHICKEN CASSOULET

2026-04-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is from a small booklet from Better Homes and Gardens 70 years of favorite recipes published in 1979.

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FLOSSY MEXICAN CORNBREAD

2026-04-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

one of my old recipes from my old metal recipe box

OMA'S GERMAN POTATO SALAD

2026-04-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from an old lady who was a German citizen.

4 lbs potatoes, cooked
1/2 cup diced or chopped onion
1/2 lb bacon, fried crisp and crumbled (save drippings)
4 large, boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
DRESSING:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup bacon drippings (add enough oil to make the above drippings 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in 3 cups water

Peel and slice the cooked potatoes. Sprinkle the diced onion, chopped eggs and crumbled bacon over the potatoes; set aside.
In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, salt, pepper, and the bacon drippings. This mixture will be like paste. Add the vinegar and bouillon mixture. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 or 3 minutes stirring constantly. Add to the potatoes and stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for about 4 hours before serving.

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BROWNIE BISCOTTI

2026-04-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, melted
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
4-oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter, eggs, and vanilla until mixed. Reduce speed to low; gradually add the flour mixture and just beat until blended. Using your hands, knead in the almonds and chocolate until combined.

Divide the dough in half. On a large ungreased cookie sheet, shape each half into a 12-inch by 3-inch log. Place logs about 3-inches apart. Bake logs for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove from oven and cool on the cookie sheet that is placed on wire racks.

When logs are cool, place on cutting boards and cut each log crosswise, using a serrated knife, into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Using a long metal spatula, place slices, top side up, 1/4-inch apart, on the same cookie sheet. Bake slices 20 minutes at 325 degrees to dry out. Remove from oven and cool completely on cookie sheet on wire rack. The biscotti will harden as it cools.

Yield: 36 cookies

Store the cooled biscotti in a tightly covered container at room temperature up to 2 weeks. May be kept in the freezer up to 6 months.

I originally got this recipe years ago from an old Good Housekeeping Magazine. The author said the recipe was an old family favorite her aunt baked for the whole family ever since she could remember. She said they were dessert cookies at family gatherings and also eaten with morning coffee and afternoon cappuccino.

GOLDEN NOODLE BAKE

2026-04-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

This recipe was from an Indianapolis, Indiana department store restaurant when I was young.

1 lb egg noodles

4 tbsp butter

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 /2 cup sour cream

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to suit taste

1/2 cup cornflakes

8 strips bacon, fried

Cook the noodles in boiling salted water just until tender. Meanwhile, sauté the onion in the butter until the onion turns clear; remove from the heat.

Butter a 2-quart casserole dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drain the cooked noodles and toss in a large bowl with the sauteed onions and butter.

In separate bowl mix cottage cheese, sour cream, and the egg. Stir in the sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix into the noodles, mixing until well blended.

Put the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the cornflakes over the top and bake 5 minutes more or until the cornflakes are toasty brown. To serve, divide into four servings and top each serving with 2 strips of the bacon.

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ESKIMO COOKIES

2026-04-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

This very old recipe was handwritten on a piece of scrap paper in my late grandmother's old recipe box that I purchased from her estate in the 1970s. I have no idea how long she'd had it or where she got it. I am assuming she copied it down from a local radio program that was popular in our rural community when I was a child. It was a program where neighbors shared recipes, items they wanted to give away, sell, etc. All we have here is a list of the ingredients. There are no instructions for making.

1 1/2 stick butter

3 T. cocoa

1/2 t. vanilla

1 T. water

2 cup oats

3/4 cup sugar

It amazes me the number of recipes I come across in old files that only list ingredients. I guess the cooks from our past did so much cooking and baking that it all just came naturally to them.

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KRAUT CAKE AND GLAZE

2026-04-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

2/3 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup water
2/3 cup sauerkraut, drained and chopped

Cream sugar and butter. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients. Add alternately with water to egg mixture. Stir in kraut. Turn into 2 greased 8 inch pans. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until done.

Glaze:
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup canned milk
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla

Cook for 7 minutes and put on cake immediately.

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TOMATO SOUP MEATLOAF

2026-04-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

This recipe was from an old newspaper column in the 1950s in my hometown in Southern Indiana.

1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs or 2 cups corn flakes crushed
2 lbs. ground beef
2 tsp. chopped parsley
1 egg, slightly beaten
dash pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Shape firmly into a loaf and place in a shallow baking pan. (Thorough mixing and firm shaping will result in a moist, easy-to-slice loaf). Bake at 350 degrees about 1 1/4 hours. For sauce combine 1/4 cup drippings with an additional can of tomato soup, heat and serve over loaf. Makes 8 servings.

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AMISH POTATO SALAD

2026-04-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

When asked for her potato salad recipe years ago, the late Amish Cook Elizabeth Coblentz said she didn't have a recipe. She went on to say she just started putting it together and the family always ate it and thought it was good. After being asked often for the recipe, she came up with the following:

2 1/2 lbs potatoes, which have been cooked until tender
6 eggs, hard-boiled and cut-up
1 cup celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups salad dressing (mayo-type)
2 teaspoons yellow prepared mustard
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons salt

Dice potatoes or put through slicer, whichever you prefer. Stir the potatoes, eggs, celery and onion together in a bowl. Then in a separate bowl, stir salad dressing, mustard, vinegar, sugar, milk, and salt together. Pour dressing over the potato mixture and stir together.

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STRAWBERRY DESSERT BREAD

2026-03-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

3 c. flour

1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. sugar
2 pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed
4 eggs, well beaten
1 1/4 c. oil or melted shortening
1 1/4 c. chopped pecans

Sift dry ingredients together into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Mix remaining ingredients and pour into the well. Stir just enough to dampen all ingredients and pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour.

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HAMBURGER ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

2026-03-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

1 lb hamburger

1 medium onion

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 cup water

1 small zucchini, chopped

salt and pepper (as desired)

garlic or chili powder (optional)

1/2 stick butter

4 to 5 slices day old bread, crumbled

Brown hamburger and onion; drain. Add tomatoes, water, salt, pepper, and garlic or chili powder if using; mix together well. Stir in the zucchini. Cook on low for about a half hour or until the liquid is absorbed. Pour the mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with the butter and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Brown under the broiler for about 6 minutes or until golden brown but be careful not to burn.

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MUSHROOM SOUP SLOPPY JOES

2026-03-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from an old family friend.

1 lb. hamburger
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can water
1/2 cup catsup
diced peppers, mangoes* and onions
salt to taste

Brown hamburger in a skillet. Add diced peppers, mangoes, onions, and salt. Add the mushroom soup, water, and catsup. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.

*In Southern Indiana mangoes are green bell peppers.

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PRESSURE COOKER MASHED POTATOES

2026-03-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

This recipe has been modernized to use the electric slow cooker. Back in the day, our pressure cookers were not electric.

2 lbs medium russet potatoes, peeled

3 cups water

1 1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/3 cup milk or buttermilk

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tbsp butter

1/4 tsp black pepper

Optional: Chopped chives for garnish

Add potatoes, water 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Lock lid and close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure cook on high 10 minutes. Quick-release pressure.

Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Add potatoes back to pan. Add the milk, sour cream, butter and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Mash until of the desired consistency, adding some reserved cooking liquid, if needed. Garnish with the chives, if desired. You can also top with a few thin slices of butter, if desired.

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UPSIDE DOWN CHILI PIE

2026-03-19T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I have had since we left the USAF and moved back to Indiana around 1970.

1 tablespoon salad or olive oil
1 1/2 lb ground chuck
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 can (8.25-oz) tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8.50-oz) kidney beans, undrained
1/2 cup red wine*
1 pkg (12-oz) corn muffin mix
1 can (8.75-oz) cream-style corn
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
Chopped parsley
Catsup

Put the oil in a hot heavy 10-inch skillet. Sauté the beef, onion, and garlic until the beef is browned--about 5 minutes.
Add the chili powder, salt, oregano, basil, and tomatoes; mix well. Cook over low heat, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in kidney beans and wine and cook 10 minutes longer.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine the corn muffin mix, corn, egg, and milk; mix just until the muffin mix is moistened.
Skim the fat from the meat mixture in the skillet and discard. Spread the muffin mixture over the meat mixture evenly.
Bake 25 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let stand in skillet for a couple of minutes. Invert pan onto a serving plate. Garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve with catsup.

Yield: 8 servings

*If you don't want to use wine, substitute water.
Note: Instead of catsup, I like to use salsa.

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PRIZE-WINNING COCONUT CAKE

2026-03-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

This is one of the many recipes I inherited in the treasure trove of recipe boxes from my mother's estate.

1 3/4 cups cake flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup coconut
extra coconut for sprinkling over frosting, if desired

Sift together three times: flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream shortening with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Then add the flour mixture, alternately with the milk, beating until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and coconut.

Pour batter into two round 8-inch layer cake pans, lined on bottom with waxed paper. Bake in a moderate oven (375) for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and frost with your favorite frosting and sprinkle top and sides with additional coconut, if desired.

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COFFEE ANGEL FOOD CAKE AND BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

2026-03-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the 1960s when it was a favorite in the South.

1 1/2 cups sifted sugar, divided
1 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups egg whites
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant coffee powder or granules

Sifting is important to this recipe and directions should be followed for best results. Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar with the cake flour and sift together 4 times.

Add the salt to the egg whites in a clean and cool mixing bowl; beat until foamy. Sprinkle the cream of tartar into the egg whites and continue beating until soft peaks form. Add the remaining cup of sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Fold in the vanilla and coffee. Fold in the flour mixture, a half cup at a time, beating well after each addition.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert pan over a wire rack.

Ice the above cake with this icing:

Coffee Butter Cream Icing
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp instant coffee
slivered toasted almonds for garnish, if desired

Cream the butter and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Sift the sugar into the creamed mixture, a little at a time, beating well after each time. Add enough milk to make the icing of a good spreading consistency (icing that is too stiff is hard to spread on angel food cake) and mix well. Add the vanilla and coffee and beat until light and fluffy. Spread over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with the almonds, if desired.

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MYSTERIOUS ORANGE CAKE

2026-03-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

Here is an old recipe clipping from an old women's magazine from my late mother's recipe stash.

HOMEMADE SWEET LIME PICKLES

2026-03-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Some of these old recipes are sadly lacking in directions. The housewife back then knew what to do.

This is a perfect example.

Slice 7 pounds of cucumbers and soak in 2 gallons of water. Add 2 cups of lime. leave in this for 24 hours. Wash well and soak in water for 3 more hours.

Cover with this solution: 2 qt. vinegar 9 c. sugar 1 tbsp. salt 2 tsp. whole cloves 2 tsp. celery seed 1 tsp. mixed spices Let stand overnight in this solution. Bring to a boil and can.

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PINEAPPLE AND CHEESE SALAD

2026-03-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from a small Southern Indiana church community many years ago.

1 (No. 2 1/2) can sliced pineapple
1/2 lb cold Velveeta or American sliced cheese
18 large marshmallows, cut into fourths

Drain the juice from the pineapple. When well drained, dice the pineapple. Cube the cheese.

Mix:
3/4 cup sugar
Lump of butter (size of a small egg)
2 tbsp flour (rounded)
2 eggs

Stir in pineapple juice and cook, stirring constantly, in double boiler until thick, about 5 minutes. Let this custard get cold, then combine with diced pineapple, cubed cheese, and marshmallows. Sprinkle ground nuts on top (optional). Serve on a bed of lettuce leaf when chilled. Keep in refrigerator.

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HELLMAN'S CLASSIC POTATO SALAD

2026-03-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

1 cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise

2 tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups cooked, cubed, peeled potatoes (about 5 or 6)
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar, and pepper. Gently stir in the potatoes, celery, onion, and eggs. Cover and chill until serving time. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves, if desired.

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LIST OF OLD TIME SAYINGS

2026-03-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

This is a list of some old-time sayings I have gathered from old cookbooks. Hope you will enjoy them.

Willingness without action is like a cloud without rain; there may be lots of thunder and lightening but no parched ground is watered.

Too little to save, Too much to dump. That's what makes the housewife plump.

"A smile is a light in the window of the face by which the heart signifies it is at home and waiting. A face that cannot smile is like a bulb that cannot blossom." Henry Ward Beecher

You find yourself refreshed by the presence of cheerful people. Why not make earnest effort to confer that pleasure on others?

"Whatever is set before you eat, asking no questions for conscience sake." 1 Cor. 10:37

Be grateful for your doors of opportunity--and for the friends who oil the hinges.

I set out to find a friend, but couldn't find one; I set out to be a friend, and friends were everywhere.

"We may live without poetry, music and art,
We may live without conscience, and live without heart;
We may live without friend, we may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks."

"He may live without books--what is knowledge but grieving?
He may live without hope--what is hope but deceiving?
He may live without love--what is passion but pining?
But where is the man that can live without dining?"
By Owen Meredith

There is no indigestion worse than that of trying to eat your own words.

We do not know how inexpensive the seeds of happiness are or we should scatter them oftener.

Little acts of kindness are stowed away in the heart like bags of lavender in a drawer to sweeten every object around them.

Strive always to be like a good watch--open face, busy hands, pure gold, week regulated, full of good works.

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MARSHALL'S MARINATED MUSHROOMS

2026-03-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

This recipe was a favorite of actor and singer Ken Curtis who played Festus on the old TV series Gunsmoke, and his wife Torrie.

1 hard boiled egg yolk, mashed
1/2 cup malt vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 pound fresh mushrooms (small or medium)

Combine all ingredients except mushrooms in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add mushrooms. Cover and let boil for exactly 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat immediately and put in a quart jar. When cool, refrigerate overnight.

Makes 1 quart.

MAXINE'S BAKED PORK CHOPS

2026-03-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

This recipe was made frequently by Maxine back in my childhood Southern Indiana area over 50 years ago.

4 pork chops (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

1/3 cup diced celery

1/2 cup water

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 tbs. brown sugar

juice 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

2 cans (8-oz. each) tomato sauce

Brown chops in fat. Place in shallow baking dish. Combine tomato sauce, water, celery, brown sugar, lemon juice and seasonings; pour over chops. Cover and bake in 350 degrees oven for 1 1/2 hours or until chops are tender.

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MOM'S SUGAR CREAM PIE

2026-03-04T14:37:00.000-08:00

This recipe was my late mother's. When my mother passed away, a gentleman came up to me at the visitation and told me she made the best sugar cream pies he had ever eaten.

1 baked pie shell
1/4 cup corn starch (don't skimp!)
1 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 stick oleo
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon
nutmeg

Mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and milk. Cook until thick. Remove from heat and add vanilla and oleo. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into the pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.