By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… The American Cookery Cookbook (Happy Newspaper Features, Algonac, MI; July 1976, p. 37)
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. boneless lean pork, cut in ¾-inch cubes
2 TB shortening
1 cup water
4-6 tsp chili powder
½ tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 medium potatoes, pared and cut in 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
INSTRUCTIONS:
In large saucepan, brown half the meat at a time in hot shortening. Drain off excess fat; return all meat to pan. Add water, chili powder, salt, and garlic. Cover and simmer 35 minutes. Add potatoes. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes more or until meat and potatoes are tender. Makes 4 servings.
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in The Second Helping of Secret Recipes (National Homemakers Newsletter, Pearl Beach, MI; July 1977, p. 30)
INGREDIENTS:
½-lb almond paste
2 or 3 egg whites
¼ tsp salt
1 cup fine granulated sugar
½ cup Powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
Knead almond paste with hands until soft then break into small pieces. Put egg whites with salt in bowl of [countertop] electric mixer. Add sugar and almond paste (a little at a time), mixing until all is added, and mixture is smooth and thick. Beat in powdered sugar, up to ½ cup if necessary, to make batter thick enough to hold its shape.
Cover baking sheets with 2 layers of heavy brown paper. Drop batter onto paper by teaspoonfuls, into mounds about 2 inches apart. Bake at 300°F until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from oven. Slide paper off baking sheet onto a damp dish towel folded to same size as baking sheet. Let stand until macaroons are cool or can be removed from paper with small metal spatula. Cool on wire racks. Store in tightly covered container. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… The American Cookery Cookbook (Happy Newspaper Features, Algonac, MI; July 1976, p. 40)
INGREDIENTS:
1 (1½-lb.) lamb shoulder
¾ cup French Dressing
1 clove garlic
4 slices [thick] bacon
½ pound button mushrooms (optional)
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Cut lamb into 1-inch cubes. Pour French dressing over meat; add cut clove of garlic unless dressing already contains garlic. Let stand at least 1 hour or over night in refrigerator.
Cut bacon into 1-inch pieces. Alternate lamb, bacon, and mushrooms on metal skewers. Allow space between for thorough cooking. Season with salt and pepper.
Broil 3 inches from source of heat, about 15 minutes, turning once. Makes 6 servings.
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… The Joy Of NOT Cooking – Any More Than You Have To (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; Nov. 1983, p. 182)
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup hot milk
¼ cup melted butter or margarine
2 tsp vanilla
Dash of salt
1-lb powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
As listed, put it all into your blender and blend on high-speed about a minute or until smooth. Drizzle over warm, baked cakes or coffeecakes. Makes about 1 2/3 cups icing.
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… The Joy Of NOT Cooking – Any More Than You Have To (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; Nov. 1983, p. 182)
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup oil
18-oz box yellow cake mix*
2 eggs
½ cup water
20-oz can fruit pie filling*
(cherry, apple, strawberry, or blueberry)
*[NOTE: You can substitute “sugar-free” or “no sugar added” products.]
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place oil in 9½x13½x2-inch cake pan, tilting pan back and forth until oil covers bottom of pan evenly. Combine cake mix with the eggs and water, using low-speed of electric mixer about 3 or 4 minutes or until batter is smooth.
Fold the pie filling into the batter [gently] with a rubber scraper, making a marbled effect. Spread batter evenly over bottom of oiled cake pan. Bake at 350°F – about 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan on wire rack for about 15 minutes and then drizzle top of cake with 1 recipe of our “Thin Vanilla Icing”. Cool completely before cutting to serve 6 to 8.
2 oranges (freshly grate the rind and then slice for garnishing)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Separate eggs, yolks from whites, into two large mixing bowls. Add the sugar to the yolks, blending for 10 minutes [with electric hand/countertop mixer]. Beat the whites until peaks form when electric mixer is removed.
To the egg whites, fold in the pecans. To the yolk mixture, blend in bread crumbs [then] rum extract. [Then] fold in the whites mixture.
Spread evenly in a 17x11x2-inch pan. Bake at 350°F, 30-35 minutes or until “tester” inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. While still warm, spread with frosting and, on top of that, sprinkle the walnuts and orange rind. Garnish with orange slices. Refrigerate. Cut to serve 50. Leftovers freeze well!
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… Gloria Pitzer’s Cookbook – The Best of the Recipe Detective (Balboa Press; Jan. 2018, p. 76). [A revised reprint of Gloria Pitzer’s Better Cookery Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; May 1983, 3rd Edition).]
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup bottled apple butter
1 cup ketchup
1 cup Catalina dressing
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix together, [ingredients, as listed]. Refrigerate in covered container up to 3 months. Makes 3 cups sauce. Recipe may be cut in half or into thirds. To add zest, stir in Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce, to taste.
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… Gloria Pitzer’s Cookbook – The Best of the Recipe Detective (Balboa Press; Jan. 2018, p. 92). [A revised reprint of Gloria Pitzer’s Better Cookery Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; May 1983, 3rd Edition).]
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Coca-Cola
1 cup A-1 Steak Sauce
2 cups ketchup
¼ cup bottled Italian salad dressing
INSTRUCTIONS:
Blend until smooth, [ingredients, as listed]. Keep it refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 weeks. Sufficient to cover about 2 ½ to 3 pounds of chicken wings.
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… Gloria Pitzer’s Cookbook – The Best of the Recipe Detective (Balboa Press; Jan. 2018, p. 239). [A revised reprint of Gloria Pitzer’s Better Cookery Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; May 1983, 3rd Edition).]
Big Boy restaurants have several good pies – this was always one of my favorites. Simple to prepare! Have a good, rich pie crust handy – I suggest my Butter Crust recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
2 partially baked, 9-inch, Butter Crust pie shells
¼ lb. (one stick) butter or margarine
1 lb. brown sugar
½ cup milk
3 eggs
1 TB vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups broken pecans
INSTRUCTIONS:
Have the Butter Crust pie shells in the oven, partially baking per the crust recipe. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in brown sugar, a little at a time, using an electric mixer on medium speed until very creamy. Add milk in small amounts until completely incorporated. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vinegar and vanilla. Beat about 3 minutes on high-speed.
Remove the beaters and stir in pecans. Divide mixture equally between the 2 partially baked pie shells. Place the pie pans on a cookie sheet and bake on center rack of 350°F oven for almost an hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool the pies before cutting to serve. Garnish top of each serving with a dollop of whipped cream. Each pie will serve 6 to 8 nicely. If you want to cut the recipe in half, to bake just 1 pie – use 2 medium eggs, in place of the 3 eggs (above.)
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… Eating Out at Home (National Home News, St. Clair, MI; September 1978)
INGREDIENTS:
1 (20-oz) can pineapple chunks, in heavy syrup
¼ cup + 3 TB melted butter or margarine
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 ½ cups sifted flour
½ cup granulated sugar
2 ¼ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp mace [pepper]
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup pineapple syrup
½ tsp grated lemon peel
INSTRUCTIONS:
Grease sides of a 6-cup ring mold. Drain pineapple, reserving syrup (add water, if needed, to equal 2/3 cup). Combine 3TB of the melted butter/margarine with the brown sugar, in bottom of the mold. Add pineapple chunks and set aside.
Resift flour with the sugar, baking powder, salt, and mace [pepper]. Add egg, pineapple syrup, ¼ cup of the melted butter/margarine, and lemon peel. Blend well, for 1 minute, by hand. Spoon batter over pineapple chunks, in mold. Bake in center of oven at 350°F for 35-40 minutes.
Cake should spring back when touched lightly. A small, wooden skewer inserted in the center should come out clean when cake is done. Let stand 10 minutes then invert over serving plate. Best when served warm. Makes 8 servings.
WYOMING LAMB KABOBS
