Shrimp Salad

Crazy Cake

"Magic" cake that Marilyn made for Michael and Ryan's 7th Birthday Party.  She always came through with the cutest birthday cakes!!  This one is a rabbit coming out of a hat.

Makes a 9x9 cake – Double for 9 X 13 pan or 24 cupcakes

Note: I increased the amount of cocoa since my husband likes it really chocolately! The original Lavin recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of cocoa.

1 ½ cups flour
1 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Sift & blend in large bowl.

1 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup salad oil
1 cups water


Make 3 holes in dry ingredients mixture. Put in oil, vanilla, vinegar. Pour 1 cup water over all and mix. Bake at 350 degrees:

30 min. for 9 X 9 pan
40 min for 9 X 13 pan
13-15 min for cupcakes

Cranberry Cream Cheese Jello Salad - Marilyn

1 (6-ounce) package cherry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 large apples, peeled and grated
2 cups chopped pecans or pecan pieces (toasted is best)
2 cups cooked or 1 (16-ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
Cream Cheese Topping
Additional pecans
~
Dissolve cherry gelatin in boiling water. Cool slightly. Add apples, chopped pecans and cranberry sauce. Turn Into 13x9 inch glass baking dish and refrigerate until firm.

Spoon Cream Cheese Topping over top, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with additional pecans (about 1/4 cup chopped) or garnish with pecan halves, if desired. Cover and chill overnight until set. Makes 12 servings

CREAM CHEESE TOPPING

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (1 pound, 4-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained.
1 (1.4 ounce) envelope whipped topping mix (Dream Whip)
1/2 cup cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
~
Blend cream cheese and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in crushed pineapple. Whip topping mix with cold milk until stiff. Stir in remaining powdered sugar and vanilla. Gradually add to cream cheese mixture.

Pic of salad w/o cream cheese topping:

NOTE: Instead of using reconstituted whipped topping mix, 2 cups of frozen whipped topping (omit sugar) may be used.

Marilyn's French Dressing

Marilyn's Corned Beef & Cabbage

Place Corned Beef Brisket (flat cut) into Dutch oven, cover with water.

Add bay leaves, garlic, and ¼ c. vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then simmer 3 hours on low heat.

At the last 20 minutes, add cabbage wedges.

Green Chile Casserole - Marilyn

2 4oz. cans green chiles
1 lb. grated sharp cheddar cheese*
1 lb. grated jack cheese*
4 eggs
2 T. flour
2 lg. cans evaporated milk
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

Split chiles, remove seeds. Line baking dish with chiles, cover with half of the cheddar cheese and another layer of chiles and cheese.

Beat eggs with mixer, add some milk then flour and remainder of milk. Pour over chiles & cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and cover with Jack cheese and then cover with tomato sauce. Return to oven for 15 min. or less

*Some have suggested that using half the amount of cheese is just as delicious, but a little lower in fat!

Dad's Biscuits

Brown Rice - Marilyn

Meringue

Serve strawberries stirred with some sugar on top. Can also add whipped cream!

Mandarin Jello Salad - Marilyn

Dinner is almost ready. 

The Mandarin Jello Salad is on the left!

Mandarin Jello Salad (Mandarin Gelatin Mold)

Dissolve 2 - 3 oz. pkg orange Jello in 2 c. boiling water.

Add pint of orange sherbet at once, stir until it melts.

Add an 11 oz. can of mandarin oranges, pour gelatin into a quart ring mold.

When firm, turn out onto a plate and fill center with:

1 c. each:
mandarin oranges
pineapple tidbits
shredded coconut
miniature marshmallows
sour cream
(refrigerate filling long enough for flavors to blend.)

Orange Coconut Cake - Marilyn/Audrey

August 17, 2011 update:  So I was looking through Marilyn's cake decorating supplies today and I found a bag of tips labeled "baby buggy cake".  So for anyone brave enough to attempt this one (Chantal, you've made this one, right?) here is the list of tips for the Baby Buggy Cake:

Tips #1, 5, 16 (3 of them), 76, 104 and 352

Banana Date Bread - Marilyn

Marilyn's Punch

Marilyn's Apple Cauliflower Salad

Rub bowl (wooden preferred) with cut garlic clove

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

½ or less of a cauliflower head, cut into bit size pieces

1 bunch watercress, rinsed & torn into small pieces

3-4 medium red delicious apples, chopped

¼ cup (scant) grated onion

3-4 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise

Combine with same amount of Marilyn’s French dressing

Mix dressings & toss with salad ingredients.

 French Dressing:

 Sooo good!

 

Thanksgiving Turkey - Marilyn's Recipe

Note: I cook the sausage in a fry pan first, but I don't think she did. Marilyn grinds the onions and celery together for the dressing and grinds the giblets and adds them to the gravy. Use unsalted butter - you can always add salt later.

Cook breast down, then breast up last two hours.

My cook times - 20 lb turkey 2008:

8 hours (1st 2 hours = 300)

Easy Gravy:

Use gravy separater cup.

Shake togther in glass jar with lid: 2 c. chicken brother 1/3 c. flour.

Take 2 c. liquid from turkey pan, whisk in above mixture, cook in saucepan until thickened.

Lavin's Caramel Rolls

 

Update: Use 1 Tablespoon butter & 1 teaspoon brown sugar and the rolls will come out of pan really easily!

 

Bisquick roll recipe: 2 cups Bisquick mix & 2/3 cup milk.

Marilyn's Spaghetti & Meatballs

Don't let the amount of parsley in the sauce scare you - its one of the things that make the sauce so good.  Fresh parsley is best!

Marilyn told me that she got this recipe early in her marriage. She heard it on the radio when living in Santa Rosa where her husband was in the army.

I like to double the sauce portion and use only half the flour. Yummy!

Marilyn's Potatoe Casserole

The first time I made this, I didn't know a couple of things and it didn't come out as good as hers.  You cook the potatoes for 25 min., with the skins on (easier), then peel and grate after boiling. Any starchy potato works - I usually just use the russet potatoes because you can get a 10 bl. bag so cheap!

The key thing is to bake it for close to an hour (the original recipe says 25 min.).  It'll get some crispy spots around the edges and that is good - some people scoop out that part first!

It should have the texture of a big baked potato. Baking it longer takes away the hash brown texture.

 

6 potatoes 

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
¼ c. melted butter
1/3 c. chopped green onions
1 tsp. salt
2 c sour cream

Par boil potatoes with skins on for 25 minutes, then let potatoes cool at little.  Peel and grate on cheese grater. 

Mix ingredients together. Bake in casserole dish with lid on at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Feathery Fudge Cake

Clifford Cake

May 2001

Michael & Ryan's 6th Birthday

2/3 C. Soft butter or marg.
1-3/4 C. Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
22 OZ.(Sq.) UNSWEET.Choc.
2 ½ C. Sift. cake flour
1 ¼ tsp. soda
½ tsp. salt
1 ¼ C. ice water

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs & vanilla till fluffy (beat 5 min. high speed). Blend in cooled choc. Sift together flour, soda & salt, add to creamed mixture alternately with ice water, beginning and ending with
flour. Beat after each addition. Bake in 2 9 x 12 pans 350 deg 30 to 35 min.

FROSTING

2 ½ Sq. Unsweet choc.
2 C. sift.conf.sugar
3 Tbsp. hot water
1 egg
1/3 C. soft butter or marg.
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt choc. in mixing bowl over hot water. Remove from heat. With elec. mixer blend in sugar & water. Beat in egg, then butter & vanilla. Frosting is thin, so place bowl in ice water & beat until spreading consistency.

Spicy Green Beans

1 Pkg. (9 oz.) frozen French style green beans
½ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp. chopped pimento
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp oil
tsp dill seed
salt
pepper

Measure oil, water, and salt into saucepan. Add frozen beans. Cook over low heat, stirring often with a fork to separate beans. Cover and cook until tender. (Add water, if needed.)

Add remain­ing ingredients, toss lightly and heat. (celery and onion will be crisp) Makes four servings.

Spanish Okra Rice

6 slices bacon
2 tsp. salt.
1 onion (chopped)
1 tsp. Lawry's season salt
#2 1/2 Can Tomatoes
1 Cup water
1 Can okra
1 Cup rice

Cook onion in 3 Tbsp. bacon fat till yellowish in color. Add remaining ingredients and cover till simmers then turn heat down and simmer for
40 min. Place in dish and sprinkle crushed bacon over top.

Mocha Torte

MOCHA TORTE

You will need a 10” angel food cake for this. Slice the cake horizontally so that you have 5 slices.
FILLING
Cream 1/2 lb. butter. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar and cream together well. Add a pinch of salt, 1 tsp. vanilla & 2 egg yolks. Beat it thoroughly & add 2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and 6 Tbsp double-strength coffee. Then fold in 2 egg whites beaten stiff, and spread between layers of cake.

Chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next day frost with whipped cream, (1 pt.) sweetened and flavored with vanilla, 2 tsp, 4 tbsp. pow. sugar. Sprinkle chocolate jimmies over. Chill in ref. till. serving time.
mmmmmmmmmm good!

GUMDROP COOKIES

l cup shortening 2 ¼ cups flour
1 cup brown sugar ¼ tsp. salt
1 cup white sugar 1 tsp. soda
Cream above and add 2 eggs 1 tsp. baking powder
Sift above and add to creamed mix.

ADD: 1 cup coconut, 2 cups oatmeal, 1 cup nuts, 1 cup cut-up gum drops.

Shape into small balls on cookie sheet and mash down with fork. Bake 10-12 min. in 375 oven.

Marilyn's Lemon Lime Jello Salad

Mix 1 – 3 oz. pkg. Lime Jello with
1 cup hot water and
1 small can crushed pineapple
LET SET.

Mix 1 – 3oz. pkg. Lemon Jello and
1 cup hot water
Let set until partly thickened.

Add 1 cup cottage cheese
And 1 cup Cool Whip or Whipping Cream, whipped.

Fold cottage cheese and whipping cream into Lemon Jello. Pour Lemon mixture on top of Lime mixture and let set until firm.

Marilyn's Infamous Carrot Cake

CAKE
3 c. grated carrots (about 5 carrots
4 eggs
3 tsp. cinnamon.
1 tsp. allspice
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. salad oil
2 tsp. soda
2 Tbsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt

Cut ingredients in at one time, except carrots. Start with dry ingredients add oil, nuts, eggs, vanilla. Add carrots to mixture last. Bake in 3 - 9" round pans. Bake at 325° for 30 min.


ICING
1 stick butter
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 pkg. powdered sugar
1 c. nuts (Pecans)(toasted)

Note: There is no milk or water in this. Just mix and bake.

Icing makes ample amount for the 3 layers and all frosting.

Refrigerate the first day and it keeps for weeks. You can cut off what you need while frozen and I let thaw as you use it, 15 min. It is a large cake.

Diann's Almond Toffee

(Lighter than the traditional toffee, and just as tasty!)

40 saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 12 oz. package chocolate chips
1 pkg. sliced almonds (toast first for best taste!)

Line a cookie sheet (with an edge) with the crackers. Set aside.
In a saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Stir & melt; then bring to a boil (stirring constantly) for 3 minutes. Pour over crackers & spread with knife to cover crackers.
Heat in a 350* oven for 5 minutes or until crackers "wiggle" when pan is shaken. Remove from oven and top with chocolate chips. Let sit for a minute and then spread with a knife. Top with sliced almonds.
Put pan into freezer to set. Break up candy into desired sizes. You may want to keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Marilyn's Zucchini Bread

Marilyn's Rump Roast

3 to 4 lb. Rump Roast
Garlic Salt
Seasoned Salt
Pepper
Flour

Brown both sides of roast in Cast Iron or other oven-ready type pan (w/o plastic handle).

Season roast with garlic salt, seasoned salt and pepper.

Fill pan with a little water (replenish as needed to always keep ¼ to ½ in. in pan).

Place roast in pan and cook with fat side up. Don’t turn roast over, just move it so it doesn’t stick to pan.

Cook at 325 degrees. 4 lb. roast takes 2 to 3 hours.

Add flour paste mixture to water and drippings (add about ½ cup), cook in pan a few minutes to desired consistency; keep gravy warm until served.