Fudge

 Deanna has kept this Christmas tradition alive for at least the 33+ years I've been married.  Her annual packet of Christmas Fudge arrives and is almost as anticipated as the actual Christmas Day itself.  I had a  good decade or so where I was able to keep it as my dirty little holiday secret... but at some point the children got smarter!  This was a much sought after recipe of my moms.  She even had about 20 extra copies of it stored in the box for quick disbursement.  

Also, I have it on good authority that Sylvia's FUDGE can be improved in the following ways:

• Canned Milk refers to EVAPORATED MILK, not sweetened condensed milk
• Use 2 T Vanilla, not 2 t
• Use MILK CHOCOLATE, SEMI SWEET & High COCOA (60%+) Content Chips - 3 flavors
• Recipe was created when product sizing was larger.  Use 1 1/2 C of each flavor of chips and approximately 2 1/2 C or a 7.5 oz jar of marshmallow creme works
• Pecans are just as good as Walnuts - Chef's choice
• Do not use cold butter.  Cut it up small for easier mixing (so funny that the recipe mentions "margarine".  My mother did NOT do margarine!  Or cool whip... Ever!)
• Reduce cooking time to about 6 minutes
• And finally, there is no mention of MINIATURE MARSHMALLOWS, but get them and use them!  Use lots of them they are the best part!  I'm going to say a cup a pound (3-4 C)... mix them in after all the chips have melted and just before you pour into the buttered pan, do NOT overstir

Special thanks to Deanna for sharing her improvements... No one reads my blog, so your secrets are very safe!  ;)

Campers Cocoa Mix

 

Lemon Meringue Pie...

 For my first Yellow Recipe Box Recipe, I'm picking one of my all time favorites!  I know it was one of mom's favorites too!  If I remember right, not a favorite of my brother Michael... Sorry Mike!

The Yellow Recipe Box...

 

There are many things my under 10 age mind remembers that made my childhood magical.  Family & friend get togethers, huckleberry & raspberry picking with clorox container buckets tied with nylons, grits n eggs, swedish pancakes/hotcakes, early morning scripture reading, the dock, sledding down a dark,snowy driveway, walking in the woods, the pond, the rope "Kodak picture spot" swing, lining up for Christmas morning on the stairs, and mom's cooking with the YELLOW RECIPE BOX.

As a gift to my children, my siblings and most definitely, MY SELF... I am going to attempt to post some of my favorite recipes from mom's iconic Betty Crocker 1970's yellow recipe box.  Mom's best and most familiar recipes are typed using a cursive typewriter or if I'm lucky, in her own handwriting!  Funny how those things mean so much when a person is gone...  I'm not sure I'm even familiar with any of the Betty Crocker recipes that came with the box.  But the box and the delicious instructive contents are definitely right up there with my favorite symbols of a magical, happy childhood in north Idaho on Hayden Lake.  This box accompanied us to Hawaii and Utah.  It followed mom to back to Idaho, California and Virginia.  I borrowed it for a few days once and hand copied some of my own favorites that reside in my "tan recipe box".  Somehow after 50 years I have ended up with it.  I am going to do it proud and share.  My mom was a master in the kitchen.  I don't believe she actually needed to look at the recipes, but I'm so glad she recorded them.

Some of the recipes will be repeats to what is already on my blog.  This is where many of those originated! You can search for the deliciousness by topic under various lables of pastry, soups, desserts etc... but I will also include the special label The Yellow Recipe Box when adding something directly from the box.

I'm excited about this project... Not yet sure if it will take me a few weeks or a few years. 

Enjoy!