Memory Monday: The Next Two Generations of Cooks

(We don't have a lot of pictures of us. I'm usually behind the camera. - Daughter)

THE NEXT TWO GENERATIONS OF COOKS

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve shared recipes from my mother and mother-in-law. Now I want to share two of my recipes and a couple of my daughter’s as we celebrate her first Mother’s Day with her daughter. They are pictured above. (By the way, the coat my granddaughter is wearing was sewn by my mother for my daughter more than thirty years ago.)

My recipe is a variation of my mother-in-law’s Pineapple Upside-down Cake. Growing up, my mother’s recipe for this desert always used pineapple rings with a whole cherry in the center of each ring. She baked her cake in a round pan. My mother-in-law used crushed pineapple, chopped cherries, and pecans in a 9” x 13” pan. I can’t remember the exact proportions that she used so I made up my own recipe using the same ingredients that she used.

Here is my version of Pineapple Upside-down Cake. Also, I am adding a second recipe, which is my variation that I created for a cooking contest (I didn’t win, but it was sure fun making and sharing the tries until I came up with the perfect recipe.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

1 stick of margarine or butter

1 lg can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup brown sugar

1 jar of maraschino cherries, halved and drained

1 cup pecan halves

1 box of yellow cake mix with ingredients on package instructions

Combine 1^st five ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour into a 9x13" pan.

Prepare yellow cake mix, according to package direction.

Carefully spoon batter over hot pineapple mixture.

Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. When done, immediately invert onto serving tray.

PINEAPPLE RIGHT-SIDE-UP PIE WITH PRALINE TOPPING

Prep time: 15 minutes (Ready in 1 hour and 45 minutes)

Filling: 2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup (½ stick) margarine

1 can (15 ¼ oz.) crushed pineapple, in its own juice

1 cup pecans pieces

1 (6 oz., approx. 25 cherries) jar maraschino cherries

Topping: 1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup (½ stick) margarine

1 cup pecans pieces

1 package (2 crusts) refrigerated piecrust

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium saucepan, mix cornstarch and 1 cup brown sugar. Add 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) margarine, pineapple, and 1 cup pecans; heat mixture over medium-high heat. Drain and cut the maraschino cherries in half and add to the mixture; stir frequently.

3. In a small non-stick saucepan, combine the remaining brown sugar, margarine, and pecans. Mix well and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently while preparing crusts.

4. Unwrap and line a 9” pie pan with one pie crust. Unwrap and score second piecrust.

5. Pour boiling pineapple mixture into the prepared pie shell. Place scored piecrust on top the hot mixture and crimp the edges of the pie crusts.

6. Pour nut mixture into the small saucepan on top of the pie, spreading out the nuts evenly.

7. Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges of the pie are lightly browned. Let the pie cool for 1 hour. Makes 10 servings.

Here are my daughter’s recipes:

FAUX STROGANOFF

1 bag of Amish noodles

2 cans of Amy's semi-condensed cream of mushroom soup

2 lbs ground beef

1/2 cup sour cream

Garlic, salt, pepper to taste

Parsley for garnishing

1. Brown meat with garlic, salt, and pepper. Drain after.

2. Boil noodles as per package directions

3. Mix cream of mushroom soup and meat, heat in a saucepan until warm.

4. Take meat sauce off the heat and add sour cream, mixing thoroughly.

5. Pour over prepared noodles.

6. Garnish with parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN RICE

3-4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

2-3 cans of Amy's semi-condensed cream of mushroom soup OR chicken stock

1-2 bunches of asparagus chopped into 1-2" pieces (exclude any really woody parts)

1 cup of uncooked rice

1. Place chicken and asparagus into the slow cooker with 2 cans of soup or stock. Cook on low for 6 hours.

2. Shred chicken with forks in the slow cooker.

3. Add rice to the slow cooker and turn up to high (20 minutes or to taste for white rice, 40 minutes or to taste for brown rice). Add extra soup or broth if needed.

Makes 4-6 large servings.

(Just a note, I, the daughter, am a very "by my gut" kind of cook, which is why my recipes are not terribly precise. I just go with what feels pretty right at the time and it almost always turns out okay. Except when I am baking. I am very precise with that.)

Well, over the last three weeks, I have shared the recipes of three generations. I can’t wait to see what the next generation’s favorite recipes will be. (A little added note: my grandmother-in-law, my mother-in-law, my daughter, and granddaughter all share the same middle name. Another little fun fact about our family across the generations.)