Boston Creme Pie

Boston Creme Pie
After requesting Gram’s Hot German Potato Salad recipe, Terry asked if anyone had Gram's Boston Cream Pie recipe, his favorite birthday dessert.

Terry noted that Father once said, "Gram would take that one to the grave”. Terry wondered if Gram did.
 
Terry recalled how Gram always asked us kids, "What do you want for your birthday dinner"? Then that is what she would make for us. Also you got to sit at the head of the table in Pa's stair. Terry made the point that this treatment kind of made you 'King of the Hill' prior to the TV version.

Found the Boston Creme Pie recipe in Father’s handwritten stack of file cards. There is no reference to Gram on the index card.

Ingredients:

3 tblsp. sugar
2 cups milk (divide)
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
1 tblsp. vanilla
2 layer cake (below)

1 - Dissolve sugar in 1 1/2 cups milk. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup milk. Combine mixture.

2 - Add egg to mixture and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Add vanilla. Spread between layers of cake. Cover top of cake with chocolate icing.

Cake:

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder

1 - Cream 1st three ingredients.
2 - Add milk and cream well.
3 - Stir together flour, salt and powder. Add to cream mixture with vanilla.
4 - Grease two 8” cake pans.
5 - Bake 375˚ - 20 - 30 minutes.

Baked Potato Soup

St. Patrick’s Day


Ingredients:
4 large baked potatoes
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) milk
2 tablespoons green onion, diced
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
1 cup sour cream
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (for garnish)

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Stir in potato pulp, diced green onion and grated cheddar cheese. Cook on low heat until heated through, Then stir in the sour cream and heat through. Garnish with crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese.

To compliment this soup we bought a Wegmans Corn Beef sandwich on wheat with coleslaw and Russian Dressing.

Gram’s Hot German Potato Soup

Terry sent me this video.

This got me to wonder if Pa was working in the prison at the time. Called Greg who affirmed Pa's presence behind the walls at the time of the riot. Mother would have been around 9 years old.

In a subsequent email Terry recalled the story that Gram went to the prison to pick up Pa at the time of the riot. According to Terry, family forklore has Gram putting Pa and herself into a closet in the pharmacy until someone came to get them out.

Also, in his email, Terry mentioned that Terri and he went to a German Restaurant the previous evening. It hit Terry that he did not have Gram's recipe for Hot German Potato Salad.

Joan found Gram's recipe.


Here is Gram's recipe:

Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes
16 slices bacon
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
2/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons parsley

Cook potatoes in skins until tender. While potatoes are cooking, fry bacon until crisp; remove form skillet, drain and crumble. Pour off al but 4 tablespoons bacon fat; add onions and cook 1 minute. Blend in flour, sugar, celery seed, salt and pepper; add vinegar and water; cook and stir until thick. Add crumbled bacon.

Peel and slice potatoes, toss lightly. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

I can clearly visualize Gram standing over her stove top on Linn Avenue gently tossing the potatoes in her silver-colored electric fry pan.

Pasta Bake Florentine

After Brad received a good report from Dr. Thomas Smallman, Brad and Kim joined us for dinner. Joan prepared this delicious baked pasta. The variety of vegetables made this dish colorful and appealing. Joan served this bake with a fresh garden salad and multi-grained rolls.

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. red pepper, chopped
1/2 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 (26-oz.) jars pasta sauce
1 c. marinated artichokes, drained and chopped
10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
16-oz. pkg. rotini pasta, cooked
8-oz. pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onion, red pepper and mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in ground beef, salt, garlic salt and pepper. Cook until beef is browned, about 5 to 7 minutes; drain. Stir in pasta sauce, artichokes and spinach until well combined. Stir in cooked pasta. Transfer to a lightly greased 13”x9” baking pan; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

8 servings