Cousin Jerry's Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients for Cupcakes:
1 box white cake mix
1 cup water
1 pkg (3.5 oz) instant lemon pudding
4 egg whites
2 tablespoons oil

Directions for Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 345 degrees. Mix ingredients together and beat at medium speed for two minutes. Pour into muffin tins (Gr. Jean recommends only filling about 21 muffin cups instead of the full 24 so that the cupcakes are larger, rise higher out of the pan, and thus are easier to frost). Bake 16-17 minutes. Frost when cool.

Ingredients for Frosting:
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approx. 1 lemon)
zest from lemon

Directions for Frosting:
Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add lemon juice and zest, and gradually beat in powdered sugar.

Notes:
For the frosting, remember to zest the lemon before you juice it. Also, the frosting makes a TON. You could either find some use the extra, halve the frosting recipe, or double the cupcakes.

Source:
Grandma Jean

Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup butter

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup walnuts, very finely chopped

whipped egg white

Directions:

Cream shortening and butter together. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and brown sugar. Stir in flour and salt. Form dough into 1-inch balls and roll in egg white, then nuts. Place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake 375 for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and press thumb into each cookie. Return to oven and bake 8 minutes more.

Frost centers with butter cream frosting, tinted green or red.

Yields:

A baker's dozen.

Notes:

Very unique cookie recipe, very delicious. Great for parties and display. Grandma recommends pushing the dough into the nuts a bit, so they stick well--a good idea. My thumbs sometimes get burnt if I press them into the hot cookie, so instead, I try to use something similar-sized, like a small measuring spoon.

Source:

Grandma Jean

Ginger Snaps

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar, plus additional sugar for rolling dough

3/4 cup butter

1 egg

1/4 cup light molasses

2 cups flour (sometimes more, if dough is very sticky)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon dry ginger

Directions:

Cream sugar and butter. Add egg and molasses, and blend well. Sift together dry ingredients and add to the sugar and butter mixture. Form dough into small balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes.

Notes:

The one and only ginger snap recipe for me. Thanks, Grandma Jean! I love her cookie recipes because they aren't massive. This makes about 2 dozen cookies, depending on how big you roll them out.

I often add extra flour if the dough is really sticky. Just enough so it is no longer wet, but still very soft. I find that my cookies come out nice and plump, not flat, if the dough is not so wet. This applies to all cookies. Also, I like my cookies soft and chewy, so I remove them just before they start to get the golden color on the edges, and allow them to sit on the hot cookie sheet a minute after baking.

Source:

Grandma Jean

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
salt & pepper
1 can chicken gumbo soup
1/4 cup ketchup
mustard to taste
large spoonful of brown sugar
hamburger buns

Directions:
Brown the ground beef with the onion and salt and pepper. Add soup, ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. Heat through. Serve on buns.

Source:
Grandma Jean

Grandma Jean's Hot Rolls

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon oil
flour for rolling
extra melted butter
sugar

Directions:
Combine the yeast, 1/4 cup water, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a measuring cup and allow to rise. Beat the eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, 1 cup lukewarm water, and melted butter. Add yeast mixture to the egg mixture. While mixing, sift in the flour. Makes a soft dough. Beat hard. Rub top of dough with oil, and let rise to top of bowl, about one hour.
Punch down, cover with a plate, and chill 4-6 hours, or overnight.
Remove dough to a floured surface, and knead slightly. Divide dough in half. Roll out to 8in x 10in and spread lightly with butter and sugar. Roll up, like a jelly roll. Cut into 12 equal sections. Place in well-greased muffin tins. Repeat. Cover with towels and allow to rise 2 hours.
Bake 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Notes:
Best rolls ever!! This also makes for a fabulous cinnamon roll recipe. Just sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar before rolling up, and place on cookie sheets instead of in muffin tins. Frost while warm. Yum! I like to add a little almond flavoring to the frosting.

Source: Grandma Jean (cinnamon rolls version from my mom)

Grandma Jean's Sweet and Sour Chicken over Rice

Ingredients:
1 green pepper, sliced thin
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:
Boil oil and pineapple juice. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, water, vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir until well combined, then add to pineapple juice mixture. Over medium heat, stir with wire whip until thick. Add chicken, pineapple, and peppers. Heat through. Serve over rice. Pass soy sauce.

Time: about 30 minutes
Servings: around 5

Notes:
I usually try to get a large can of pineapple so that I have enough juice. However, that usually ends up being too much pineapple, so you may not want to use it all. Also, I usually use much less cornstarch because I find that the food is much too thick when used a day later as leftovers. All in all, an easy and very good recipe created by Grandma Jean after her sister got back from China.

Source:
Grandma Jean

Grandma Jean's Chili

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
large onion, chopped
garlic salt
1 (29-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can S&W kidney beans
1 (29-ounce) can chili beans (or 1 (15-ounce) can of both chili and white beans)
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
bay leaf

Directions:
Cook the ground beef with the onion and garlic salt. Simmer until onions are tender. Then add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, two hours.

Time: 10 minutes prep, simmer two hours
Servings: I'm not sure, but we usually have enough to freeze half and eat the remaining half for two days. 12 maybe?

Notes:
This is comfort food! A family favorite. Sometimes I add a third can of tomato sauce if it looks too thick. I usually rinse and drain all my beans, but not draining could make it not so thick. Also, I don't usually have time to let it simmer for two hours, but it is still very good. I like it on the spicier side, so I add a lot of chili powder. I also like to use half chili beans half white beans for color and variety. Very easy, filling, and tasty!

Source:
Grandma Jean