potato salad (just like mama used to make)

My grandma made the best potato salad and I'm always happy to make it for our family holidays or any time really. It's the perfect side dish and everyone always smiles when I put the bowl on the table. It's like my grandma is right there with us in spirit.

I love how easy this is to throw together and especially like that you don't have to peel the potatoes first.  I mix everything up in a huge roasting pan and then transfer it to a serving bowl before adding the sliced eggs and a dash of paprika on top. Be sure to stir really well and you'll get that perfect blend of diced and mashed potatoes that gives that wonderful creamy texture. Try this out for your 4th of July festivities. It's sure to become a fast family favorite.

Potato Salad (Just Like Mama's)

5 lbs Idaho Potatoes

Half Medium White Onion, finely chopped

Sweet Baby Wholes, small/medium chop
6 Hard-Boiled Eggs
Hellman's Mayonnaise
Yellow Mustard
Celery Salt
One teaspoon sugar

Boil potatoes with skin on in salted water, cook just until soft. Allow to cool. Peel and dice potatoes. Add a few tablespoons of pickle juice to potatoes. Peel and mash 3 or 4 eggs (leave rest for top).   Stir in mayonnaise, about a tablespoon of mustard, eggs, onion and pickles. Add celery salt and sugar to taste.  Taste and adjust accordingly.  Just before serving, slice remaining eggs and place on top, followed by a light sprinkle of paprika. (I was out of paprika when I made this for Father's Day as the photo shows). 

Enjoy!

cinnamon rolls

Last weekend I made cinnamon rolls to go along with a pot of chili. I love that combination - it's just so cozy and delicious. Landon helped me with the cinnamon rolls. He is seriously the best little kitchen helper. Talking to him while we rolled up the dough, I realized that I've been using the same recipe for over 20 years. What?! I'm not sure how that's even possible. I obviously started baking at a VERY early age. Ha! 

Anyway, sometimes it's best to stick with what works, so that's what I've done. The original recipe does give the option of butter, margarine or shortening for the dough, but I've only listed butter here. I've also included an additional cream cheese frosting recipe. We prefer that over the traditional glaze.

To get the best rise on your dough, heat your oven for a few minutes to 200 degrees and then turn it off.  I used to just turn my oven light on during raising, but that just heated oven really does make a difference.  I hope you'll give these a try! Be sure to let me know.

Cinnamon Rolls

1 package regular or quick-acting active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115)
1/2 lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, unsalted
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
 
Filling
3 tablespoons softened butter (I use salted)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
 
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water in 2 1/2 quart bowl. Stir in milk, sugar, butter, salt, egg and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased 2 1/2 quart bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 1/2 hours. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched). Punch down dough.
 
Flatten dough with hands or rolling pin into rectangle, 15x12 inches, on lightly floured surface. Spread with softened butter. Sprinkle sugar/cinnamon mixture over rectangle. Roll up tightly. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal well. Stretch roll to make even. Cut into 12 even slices. Place into greased 9x13 pan. Let rise until double, about 40 minutes.
 
Heat oven to 375. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Spread rolls with glaze while warm. 

If using the cream cheese frosting, prepare it while the rolls are baking. Spread on still warm rolls (but not right from oven or the frosting will just melt).

Enjoy! 

Biscuits and Gravy

I'm sharing this post from 2009 today. We had a wonderful breakfast Saturday morning, complete with biscuits and gravy made  just like my grandma taught me. If you've never tried bacon gravy, you're in for a treat. Enjoy!! 

You can't grow up in West Virginia & not like biscuits & gravy (I think it's actually a law). It's definitely one of my favorite comfort breakfast foods. It always brings back memories of mama in the kitchen, all of us grandchildren gathered around the table watching while she worked her magic, waiting eagerly for a piece of biscuit dough to eat.  And if you were lucky, you got to be the one to carefully cut out the biscuits with a floured glass. When everything was finally ready to serve, we'd all tear piping-hot biscuits into bite-sized pieces & mama would cover our plates with a ladle-full of gravy. Delicious. 

Mama definitely spoiled us with this meal. And it's so easy to prepare. There's nothing fancy about it - if you have bacon, flour, buttermilk & evaporated milk, you're ready to go. Give it a try - you won't be disappointed.

Biscuits and Gravy

Put one pound of bacon on to fry 5 to 10 minutes before you start making your biscuits.

Buttermilk Biscuits
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup bacon grease

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, stir together flour & buttermilk. Add bacon grease. Stir with a fork until dough holds together.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and form into a disk. Knead lightly just a few times until smooth. Form dough to a 3/4-inch thickness. Using a biscuit cutter or glass dipped in flour, cut out biscuits. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Gather the trimmings and repeat. Bake about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. This should make 12 biscuits with a little dough left over.

Bacon Gravy
Bacon grease/drippings
1/3 to 1/2 cup flour
Equal parts evaporated milk & water (combined)

Over medium low heat, whisk flour into grease until smooth & just starting to bubble. REMOVE FROM HEAT.  Slowly stir in milk/water, whisking constantly, until desired thickness. Add salt & pepper to taste. 

Enjoy!!