Grandma's Vintage Recipes

GINGER BEER

2026-09-08T13:42:12.890-07:00

Ginger beer is like root beer; no beer is involved.

2 quarts water

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp grated lime rind

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and chill 4 hours.

Pour ginger mixture through a wire -mesh strainer into a large pitcher, and discard solids. Chill until ready to serve. Serve over crushed ice.

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MOM'S WASHDAY DINNER

2026-09-05T11:14:49.871-07:00

Remember when it took all day to do the family laundry with the old wringer washer and clothes lines? I can even remember watching my grandmother washing clothes in the big old black pots over a fire in her backyard. There was little time left for cooking, thus washday dinners. This one is made with potatoes and smoked sausage.

1 T. butter
1 medium onion, sliced
2 to 3 large potatoes, sliced
2 T. flour
1 can tomato juice, or V8 juice
1 pkg smoked sausage, sliced
water
salt to taste
1 cup shredded cheese

In a large casserole pan, melt butter. Line bottom of pan with thick layer of onions. Add generous layer of potatoes, sift flour over potatoes. Pour can of tomato juice over top. Cover with thinly sliced sausages. Add water to cover. Add salt to taste. Bake slowly for 3 hours. If sausages begin to brown too much, turn them over. When done (potatoes are tender and casserole is bubbly), sprinkle with the cheese and bake 10 more minutes.

OLD FASHION BLACK FOREST TORTE

2026-09-04T10:17:55.314-07:00

This is an old recipe from Imperial Sugar shared during their 150 year anniversary celebration.

1 3/4 cups Imperial Granulated Sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup (2 sticks) softened margarine
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs

Combine all ingredients except eggs into large mixer bowl. Beat at low speed to blend, then beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Add eggs; beat 2 minutes longer. Pour one-fourth of batter into each of four greased and waxed-paper-lined 8-inch layer cake pans; layers will be thin. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees about 15 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Two layers may stand while first two bake, if necessary. Cool slightly; remove from pans and continue cooling. Fill and frost layers with chocolate filling and whipped cream, alternately. Makes 16 servings. Frost and fill with chocolate frosting of your choice and whipped cream. Top off with maraschino cherries.

OLD TIME THREE CHEESE ENCHILADAS

2026-09-04T10:01:05.707-07:00

8-oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated
8-oz Cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb Velveeta cheese, cut-up
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans chopped green chilies
1 can (12-oz) evaporated milk
1 lb hamburger
1 chopped onion
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
8-oz tomato sauce
22 flour or corn tortillas, your choice

In a skillet cook the hamburger and onion until meat is crumbled and browned and onion is transparent. Drain and return to skillet. Add the chili powder, cumin, and tomato sauce; cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheeses. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the evaporated milk, green chilies, undiluted cream of chicken soup, and Velveeta cheese. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted. Set aside.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a long casserole dish. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll to form the enchiladas. Place side by side in the prepared casserole dish. Spoon the cheese/soup mixture over the enchiladas.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

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MUSTARD-GLAZED HAM LOAF

2026-09-03T12:44:00.866-07:00

This is a recipe from a small old cookbook from my late mother's recipe collection.

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

2026-09-02T17:09:04.590-07:00

This is another recipe that my mother clipped from an old newspaper years ago. I found it, after her death, among her boxes of clippings.

six or seven slices of white bread (I would recommend whole-wheat)
12 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb sausage, browned, crumbled, drained
1 tsp fennel seed
3 1/2 to 4 cups milk
2 tbsp chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or pan. Line the bottom of the dish with the bread. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over the bread. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees or until bubbly and browned. Done with a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serves 12.

file photo for reference

Note: May also add some cooked, crumbled bacon, if desired.

NEW MEXICO TORTILLAS

2026-09-01T13:13:48.281-07:00

I lived in New Mexico back in the 1960s. In July of this year, I visited a grandson there. I love the foods from there and the Tex-Mex where I live in Texas now. Both use a lot of tortillas. Here is a recipe from one of my old cookbooks.

Grandma's Old Fashion Tea Cakes

2026-08-31T09:18:25.608-07:00

I saw this online and thought some of you would like it, too.

LALLARELLE

2026-08-29T13:47:40.015-07:00

An old casserole recipe.

SCOTTISH MEAT PIE

2026-08-28T11:33:12.789-07:00

This recipe is cut from a very old Hunt's Tomato Sauce can.

3 cups diced, lean leftover, cooked meat (beef, lamb, etc)
1/4 cup Wesson, pure vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 teasp. salt
1/4 teasp. pepper
dash nutmeg
2 Tablesp. cornstarch
1 cup bouillon
1 8-oz can Hunt's Tomato Sauce
1 cup cooked peas
Pastry dough (2-crust recipe)

Brown meat in oil. Add seasonings. Dissolve cornstarch in bouillon. Add to meat. Pour in Hunt's Tomato Sauce; simmer 5 minutes. Add peas. Line a 1 1/2-quart casserole with pastry, saving part of dough for topping. Pour in the meat filling. Top with remaining crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serves 6.

file photo for reference

MY LATE MOTHER'S APPLE PIE FILLING RECIPE

2026-08-27T17:10:12.213-07:00

Came across this recipe in some recipes of my late mother's. I love it when I come across recipes, etc in her handwriting. I don't like apple pie, so I have probably never tasted it.

Apple Fritters

2026-08-26T12:31:52.110-07:00

CHEESE HOOIES

2026-08-25T10:50:20.774-07:00

Yes, the name is spelled correctly. This is, you guessed it, another old Southern Indiana recipe from my childhood days. These are great snacking tidbits for any occasion.

1/4 lb butter that is softened to room temperature

2 cups sifted flour dash cayenne pepper

1/4 lb sharp cheese

2 tsp salt

powdered sugar

Grate the cheese into the butter and cream together. Add the salt and flour, blending in well. Knead until smooth on a floured board. Chill overnight, by dividing in half and making rolls about as big around as half dollars (remember those?). When ready to bake, slice about 3/4-inch thick. Bake in a 375-degree oven, 12-15 minutes or until browned a little. Let cool 3-4 minutes then roll or shake in powdered sugar. (As we are more diet conscience today, I would recommend cutting back on the salt and using a lower fat cheese. But that is entirely up to you!)

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AUNT MARY'S BEEF SALAMI

2026-08-12T13:06:59.359-07:00

This is a recipe my late aunt gave me 50 to 60 years ago. I have made it many times over the years, and it is always a big hit. It is great for parties, snacks, gift-giving, lunch boxes, etc.

5 lbs lean ground beef
2 1/2 tsp garlic salt
5 tsp Morton's quck tender cure
2 1/2 tsp mustard seed
2 1/2 tsp hickory smoke salt
4 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp whole peppercorns

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl, mixing well. Place mixture in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Mix for the next three evenings right before bedtime. On 5th evening, mix again and then divide into 4 equal parts. Roll each part into log. Place logs on broiler pan in oven and bake overnight (8 hours) at 150 degrees. Remove from oven, cool, wrap in foil and refrigerate. Best if allowed to be refrigerated for 24 hours. Slice and serve.

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OLD FASHION JAM CAKE and CARAMEL FROSTING

2026-08-11T18:26:23.146-07:00

This is a recipe from a lady who lived a couple of blocks from my aunt when I was very young. I have never made this cake but have heard good things about it over the years.

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup butter or margarine

6 egg yolks

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 egg whites

1 box seedless raisins

1 cup nuts (black walnut best)

1 pint blackberry jam

1 glass blackberry jelly

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon soda

Cream the shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg yolks. Sift the dry ingredients except soda together, saving a little of the flour to dredge the nuts and raisins in. Then add sifted ingredients to the sugar-egg mixture. Add the beaten egg whites, then the nuts, raisins, jam and jelly. Last add the buttermilk to which the soda has been added. Transfer batter to 2 greased round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Caramel Frosting:

2 cups dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup water

4 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cook the sugar and water to hard ball stage. Mix remaining ingredients in large bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons of the cream. Pour the hot syrup over the mixed ingredients, stir until well blended. Let stand until cool and beat until thick and not glossy. Thin with the rest of the cream if too thick. This is enough for a two-layer cake.

file photo for reference only - credit on cake

HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS

2026-08-08T17:17:12.257-07:00

4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 packet active dry yeast

1 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

In a large mixer bowl combine 2 cups of the flour with the yeast. Heat the milk, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm - 115 to 120 degrees, stirring constantly. Add to the flour mixture. Add eggs. Beat at lowest speed of mixer for about 30 seconds. Beat at high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a spoon. On a floured surface, knead in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. (About 6 to 8 minutes time) Shape dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Turn once to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Punch down the dough, divide in half, cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Filling: 3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup raisins

Roll 1 one of the dough balls into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Melt butter and spread half over the dough. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle half over the dough. Sprinkle half the raisins over the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up from a long side. Seal well and cut into 12 even slices. Place the slices on a greased 9-inch round cake pan. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling. Cover pans and let rise until almost double (about 30 minutes). Bake rolls in a 375-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly, remove from pans and drizzle with the icing.

Icing: 1 cup sifted powdered sugar 1/4 tsp vanilla

milk

Combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make icing the consistency for drizzle.

file photo for reference

OYSTER STEW

2026-08-07T09:02:11.567-07:00

This is a repeat of a very popular post in 2011.

1/4 cup butter

1 pint fresh oysters
2 cups milk
1/2 cup light cream
1 tsp salt
dash of freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the oysters including the liquor and cook while stirring over low heat just until edges start to boil.

In another saucepan, heat the milk and cream. Stir in the salt, pepper, and oysters.

Yield: 4 cups

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BREAKFAST BUFFET BRUNCH

2026-08-06T13:40:23.045-07:00

1930s OLD-TIME CHOCOLATE FUDGE

2026-08-03T09:52:20.940-07:00

In the days before the creamy marshmallow creme fudge, cooks made delicious creamy fudge by beating and beating it to a creamy confection. Many of us still prefer our homemade fudge that way. If you are one of the die-hard old fashion fudge persons, give this recipe from the 1930s a try!

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk
2-oz unsweetened chocolate, cut-up
1 tsp light-colored corn syrup
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Walnut or pecan halves, optional

Line a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with foil, extending the foil over the end of the pan. Butter the foil and set aside.

Butter the side of a heavy 2-quart saucepan and combine the sugar, milk, chocolate, and corn syrup in the pan. Cook while stirring over medium-high heat until the mixture boils. Clip a candy thermometer over the side of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to boil at a moderate, steady rate, stirring frequently, until the candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees or the soft ball stage.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the butter and vanilla but do not stir. Cool, without stirring, until temperature lowers to 110 degrees. This will take almost an hour.

Take the thermometer out of the candy. Using a wooden spoon, beat the candy vigorously until the fudge just begins to thicken. Add the chopped nuts, if using. Continue beating for about another 10 minutes until the fudge becomes very thick and just starts to lose it's glossy look.

Immediately spread the fudge in the prepared loaf pan. Score the candy into 32 small pieces while the candy is still warm.

When the fudge is firm, use the foil ends to lift the candy from the pan. Cut into the squares. If desired, garnish each piece with a nut half. Store in a tightly covered container.

Yield: Approximately 1 1/4 lbs.

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CHERRY-KING MUFFINS

2026-08-01T09:17:54.727-07:00

I have had this recipe since the early 1960s.

1963 YEAST COUPON

2026-08-01T08:55:29.599-07:00

An 8-cent coupon today wouldn't be worth much. But in 1963, this was quite a savings. Don't know why my late mother never used the coupon. This coupon was good during my Junior year of high school!

Old Coupon

BANG'S SWEET PICKLE RELISH

2026-07-30T14:37:56.819-07:00

This is another old recipe for making your own pickle relish. Homemade pickles and relishes are oh-so-good!

1 gallon ground-up unpeeled cucumbers

8 onions, ground

1/2 cup pickling salt

4 cups vinegar

1 cup water

5 cup sugar

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp celery seed

1 tbsp mustard seed

2 red bell peppers, ground

2 green bell peppers, ground

Mix cucumbers, onions, and salt. Allow to set for a couple of hours; drain and rinse with cold water, drain again. Put mixture into a large stockpot and add the vinegar, water, sugar, spices, and bell peppers. Allow the mixture to come to a boil but do not actually boil. Put into clean hot canning jars and seal with hot lids. Be sure lids seal. When sealed, you will hear the lids pop and the centers will slightly indent. This may take a few minutes. Any jars that do not seal should be refrigerated.

file photo for reference. not this exact recipe

SEVEN LAYER CASSEROLE

2026-07-28T10:35:22.118-07:00

This is another old recipe from one of the now defunct craft/recipe magazines my mother received in the mail when I was a child. I can still remember how anxiously she awaited the little magazine each month and how she and my grandmother would go over the crocheting patterns inside. Then the recipes came after checking out those patterns. I never mastered crocheting, but I sure did master a love for the wonderful dishes she made from the recipes!

1 cup rice, uncooked
1 cup corn, whole kernel
2 small cans tomato sauce
3/4 cup water (or liquid from the canned corn)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper*
1 lb ground beef
salt and pepper to your liking
4 strips bacon

Place the rice then the corn in layers in a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Pour one can of the tomato sauce over the corn with 1/2 cup of the water. Layer the onion then the green pepper, uncooked beef and seasonings. Add the second can of tomato sauce with the remaining 1/4 cup of water. Cut the bacon strips in half and lay over the top. Cover the casserole dish and place in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes more.
*This is a bell pepper.

file photo of Workbasket Magazines

Vinegar Cake

2026-07-27T14:35:31.067-07:00

MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD DIVINITY

2026-07-25T14:46:40.149-07:00

This recipe is from the 1930s and was a favorite of my childhood.

2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup clear corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1 or 2 drops food coloring, optional
whole pecans for garnish

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook, stirring, over a medium-high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 260 degrees or reaches the hard-ball stage. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from heat and remove the thermometer.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until the whites are stiff (peaks stand tall when beaters are removed). Gradually pour the hot syrup mixture in a thin stream over the egg whites, beating on high speed for about 3 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the vanilla and food coloring, if using. Continue to beat at high speed just until the candy starts to lose its glossy look (about 5 to 6 minutes). When beaters are lifted, mixture should fall in a ribbon that mounds on itself.

Place a drop of the candy onto a waxed paper surface; if it stays mounded, it has been beaten enough. If not, beat for another minute and try again. If the candy is too stiff to spoon out, add hot water a drop or two at a time until the candy is softer. Quickly drop by spoonfuls onto the waxed paper surface and place a pecan half atop each piece. Press down lightly to adhere to the candy.

Store in a tightly covered container.

Yield: approximately 40 pieces