Sunday, July 16, 2017

Guest Post and Giveaway! Welcome Kathy Kaminski, Blogger and Sisters in Crime Chapter President



Please welcome former police officer and current mystery maven, Kathy Kaminski! To honor her longtime support of mystery writers, we're sharing a giveaway to inspire your mystery reading. Congrats to the winners of our two gift cards. Scroll down to find out who won! Now...take it away, Kathy! 
~ Cleo


I’ve been a fan and follower of Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen for years, so you can imagine my delight when Cleo Coyle invited me to join you today. For those who may not know, I’m the Kathy behind the cozy mystery blog, Cozy Up With Kathy. I’m also the President of Murder on Ice, the Western and Central New York Chapter of Sisters in Crime.

This is a very special year as Sisters in Crime is celebrating its 30th birthday. Dedicated to promoting female crime writers, SinC is an amazing organization. It’s not just for writers either. While Sisters in Crime provides tremendous support for both published as well as aspiring authors, it also welcomes other members of the publishing and book community-and that includes fans. If you enjoy mysteries, I encourage you to seek out a local chapter and join in the fun. If you live in or near Western or Central New York, I hope you’ll consider coming to one of our meetings or events. I’d love to meet you in person!



Now for the food. 

From watching Wok with Yan on PBS as a kid to being a devotee of the Great British Baking Show now, I consider myself a bit of a foodie, but, when contemplating a recipe to share I came across a dilemma. I consider myself a good cook, but I take after my Grandma Gertie. When it comes to dishes I’ve developed, I use a bit of this and some of that. 


"How much chicken?" 
As much as you’re going to eat. 

"How much parsley do you add?" 
Keep putting it in until it looks right.

I admit, not so helpful. My other recipes, which have actual amounts written down, are more autumnal and holiday based, and I wanted to share more summery fare. Then it dawned on me. While Grandma Gertie never wrote down her recipes, my other grandmother, Lucy, did.


Once my mom was married and out of the house, her mom started making a recipe that once she shared everyone requested. Having a party? Ask Lucy to bring her pineapple squares! 




Lucy’s Pineapple Squares


A note on this recipe: I went to my mom’s house and the two of us made her mother’s recipe (this very one!) for the first time. We hadn’t eaten it in over 20 years, and since neither of us ever saw her make it, we had to make a few educated guesses and may make some changes in future efforts. My mom wasn’t happy with the filling and thought we didn’t use the tapioca correctly. She found another way to make the filling, so I’m including both versions, the first is from the original recipe. --Kathy

For the Crust:

4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1-¾ cup butter
¾ cup cold milk



Directions: Work dough as for pie. Divide dough in half. Put one half in the bottom of sided cookie sheet.



For the Original Filling (version 1):

2 medium size cans crushed pineapple 
7 Tablespoons tapioca 
1 cup sugar 


Directions: Mix and spoon into pie crust. Top with remaining rolled out dough. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes.


OR



For An Updated (Improved) Filling (version#2)


2 cans (20 oz each) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions: Combine the first 4 ingredients and cook until thickened and clear (3-5 minutes). Stir in butter and lemon juice. Cool slightly. Spoon into pie crust. Top with remaining rolled out dough. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes.


For the Topping:

Small package of cream cheese (We actually used half of a large package, which is slightly more, and that worked perfectly.)
2 Tablespoons softened butter
1-½ cups confectioners’ sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla (We estimated.)
milk "small amount to get spreading consistency" (Mom and I didn’t need any.)
Walnut pieces, crushed (1/2 cup or so)



Directions: Beat together the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla. If the frosting is too thick, add a little milk until it has a good spreading consistency. (Mom and I didn't need to add any milk in our version.) When the pineapple pie is completely cool, then frost. Sprinkle the frosting with crushed walnuts if desired. Cut into squares. 









Thanks so much for joining me today! I love passing down recipes from the past. I hope you give my grandmother’s pineapple squares a try-and please, let me know if you make changes and how it all worked out! I'd also like to know...


DO YOU HAVE FAMILY RECIPES? 


Kathleen J. Kaminski is a bookworm with a myriad of interests including art deco architecture and Victorian funerary art, not to mention mid-19th century Utopian societies.

As a former police officer who currently works on the forensic unit of a psychiatric center, Kathy is naturally drawn to mysteries. She’s the Kathy behind the blog Cozy Up With Kathy which features author interviews, reviews, and other mysterious topics. Although the focus of the blog is cozy mysteries, Kathy is a voracious reader and welcomes all genres to her library and her blog.

Kathy lives in Western New York amid piles of books, five cats, two rats, and an off track thoroughbred named Harley. She currently serves as President of Murder on Ice, the Western and Central New York Chapter of Sisters in Crime.



Visit Kathy's Blog Cozy Up With Kathy
Join Kathy on Facebook 
Follow Kathy on Twitter: @KatreaderKJK 


Learn more about
Sisters in Crime by clicking here. 


Learn more about Kathy's
SinC Chapter "Murder on Ice,"
by clicking here.


Thank you so much
for joining us today, Kathy! 




GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY!

Answer Kathy's question - DO YOU HAVE FAMILY RECIPES? -- in the comments below, and you will be entered in our random drawing for two $10.00 gift cards (to Amazon or Barnes & Noble.com, your choice). 

The contest is now over.

Congratulations to our two winners:

MARGO B.

&

BECKY (@ Becky's Place)




148 comments:

  1. My mother snipped a Sunshine Pasta recipe from a woman's magazine in the 80s and made it every few weeks in the summer, because it seemed never-ending. She made changes but never wrote them down, so I make it as best I can and go by smell/taste (except for leaving out the bell peppers, which I'm allergic to). When I make it, my nephews close their eyes and sigh happily because it brings up taste memories for them.

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    1. Taste memories are the best, though it can be so difficult to recapture them exactly!

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  2. I have a cookie recipe from my Aunt for molasses cookies. I asked my cousin for it as they were my Dad's favourites when he was young. We made them for him and it brought a smile to his face.
    And I love Kathy's blog!!
    karen(dot)kenyon(at)rogers(dot)com

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    1. Thanks so much. I'm glad you stopped by. I love a good molasses cookie!

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  3. Yes we had a biscuit and a roll recipe that was in the family and my Grandmother made both to perfection. Unfortunately I did not inherit that talent. My Sister does though.
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

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  4. My grandmother died when I was 2 and my mom hated to cook so I became the cook in the family and now I'm the one passing down recipes some that I have made up and some I've taken from a published recipe and changed it up to my liking.

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  5. Aunt Effies Devil's Food cake is from my Mom's family . and is amazing. It is actually better the 2nd and 3rd day. When it makes it to t b e 3rd day which is rare.

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    1. LOL. When my grandmother made these pineapple squares there were never any leftovers!

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  6. We have 4 recipes in particular that we like and have passed down. The newest since 70's which is post roast & dummplings, a deluxe sugar cookie recipe and frosting "paint" for detailed decorating, from the late 50's. A peanut butter fudge recipe from the 40's And My grandmothers potato salad that her mom always made. They migrated to the States just before the Great War. And that recipe came with a side recipe for using left over mashed potatoes to make candy. Della at deepotter [at] peoplepc [dot] com.

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    1. What great recipes. I'm curious about the mashed potato candy!

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  7. Yes, my mom's Swedish pancakes and Swedish coffee bread. The coffee bread is an especially family favorite at Christmas

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  8. Welcome, Kathy! I have a family recipe from my paternal grandmother - her special Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It's a tradition to serve the cake for family birthday celebrations, in her honor. EMS591@aol.com

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    1. Thanks for the welcome! What a nice tradition. My Grandma Lucy loved pineapple-there are a bunch of pineapple recipes in her cook book journals.

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  9. Kathy - Thanks again for being our guest at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen! Marc and I loved hearing about your grandmothers (both of them), and we can see why Lucy's Pineapple Squares were such a hit. They look amazing! As for your question, both Marc and I grew up in families that cooked plenty. We didn't have much money, but we ate great! Some of my favorite recipes were the Italian cookies (holiday and wedding cookies). My late mother and Aunt Mary were both born in Italy, and they left us with plenty of beautiful memories--and recipes. Thanks again for sharing with us today, and good luck to everyone in the drawing!

    xoxoo
    ~ Cleo

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    1. Thanks so much for inviting me and allowing me to share Lucy's pineapple squares.

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  10. Some of the things my mother made have been lost,since they were never written down. But, I have her original Betty Crocker cookbook; I just look for the pages with spatters that show the ones she made most often. patwalkerp(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I have that cook book too! And so does my mom. LOL.

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  11. No recipes, so I wish I had paid attention when my mother cooked. Some favorites that I would like to replicate.

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    1. I know. It's so frustrating years later when we discover we don't know how favorite dishes are made.

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  12. I have a pumpkin bundt cake recipe from my grandmother that is made with canned pumpkin, buttermilk, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice...super moist and flavorful and the smell with all the spices is fantastic. Kuzlin(at)aol(dot)com

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  13. My grandmother's hot fudge sauce and lemon meringue pie. My mom's spaghetti sauce, apple slices, eclairs . . . I could go on, they were both wonderful cooks.
    And I love Cozy Up With Kathy!
    sallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thanks for the love! I adore lemon meringue pie.

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  14. Yes, I have several of my late mother's recipes for traditional Japanese dishes that we ate several times a month. You can't find these at most restaurants, so they are dishes that we enjoy at home. grace dot koshida at gmail dot com

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    1. That's wonderful that you have those recipes.

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  15. I have my grandmother's recipe for Booyah that she gave me years and years ago. It is in her handwriting and I treasure it. I now have it in a protective plastic sleeve so that I can still use it, but it won't get ruined. sharonquiltsatyahoo.com

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    1. Handwritten recipes are so special. I have several in my Grandma Lucy's journals. Some recipes she just pasted in from newspapers, but some she wrote out, like this one.

      What is Booyah?

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  16. My mom always mad Pistachio Sour Cream cake for meetings and potlucks. Everyone loved it and asked for her to bring it every time. mustangsally616(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. That sounds wonderful. It's great to have a recipe you can always count on when asked to bring something!

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  17. No, I have no family recipes and can't remember them.
    jslbrown2009 at aol dot com

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  18. Hi Kathy! I understand completely about family recipes! My husband has been trying to replicate his father's crab cakes for years (my MIL lost the recipe card) and has never been completely satisfied with the results. My own mom did pass down recipes of her own to me, but many are of the "1-2 of this, 1/2 - 3/4 cup of that" variety - lol! I have one, and only one, recipe from my grandmother which quite coincidentally is pineapple based as well. Sort of like ambrosia but not really. It's known in our family as "Pineapple Stuff" - lol! Happy Sunday! Nicole :-)

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    1. LOL I think pineapple was big back in the day. Lucy had several pineapple recipes in her books! My mom has tried for decades to recreate my other grandma's potato pancakes with no luck. Even though she actually watched her do it!

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  19. I have many of my mom's recipes, but my children remember my mom's Yum Yum Squares the best! They used to make a big deal out of who got to them first! I still make them to take to their homes when I visit as a treat and in remembrance of my mom.

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    1. Yum Yum Squares sound yummy! What's in them?

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  20. My grandma was German, my grandpa was Bohemian. I cannot say from which side the recipe originated, though I would assume it was my grandmother's. They lived a couple of hours away from us. But when we would visit, my grandmother would often make boiled, big, fluffy dumplings and a spiced tomato gravy for them. Throughout the years my mother and my sister have tried to recreate that magical meal. While the sauce turned out great, the dumplings couldn't seem to be mastered and would turn out as a dense, compact... stone-like ball. Didn't keep us from eating them, of course, ha ha! (beckri1 at yahoo dot com)

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    1. Those dumplings sound amazing...well, your grandmother's version of them. I'd love to try that recipe.

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    2. Becky - Congratulations, by random number draw, you are the second winner in our gift card giveaway! We hope you enjoy it! xoox - Cleo

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  21. Sounds like a great recipe! I have a cookbook my mom gave me for my birthday one year of recipes from all of the extended family. She also has a recipe for the special breakfast rolls my grandma used to make at Christmas that she now makes and will pass down to me.
    mcastor07(at)gmail(dot)com

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  22. Welcome! Looking forward to trying your recipe...love pineapple..yes, Our family has done a family cookbook to keep for future family members...favorite recipes...we even include like you did the original recipe...along with enhancements by other family bakers.
    cmeier2001@live.com

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    1. Thanks for the welcome! Family cook books should be a requirement! lol

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  23. I have a Cookie Recipe that was handed down from my Mom's Grandmother that it would not be Christmas for my family if my Mom & I did not make them
    It is an Italian Cookie Recipe that you put whiskey in & shape into bowties & fry them up & immediately pour sugar over. They are so good.
    Mary Meyers-Mannella

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    1. Gotta love whisky in cookies! They sound great!

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  24. I have many family recipes. The most requested one is my grandmother's traditional Jewish Chicken soup. One of my goals is to scan/type them so everyone can have copies. cheers (at) MarjimManor (dot) com

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    1. That sounds so good. Your goal is a great one!

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    2. Margo - Congratulations! By random number draw, you are the first of our two gift card winners!

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  25. Yes I do , and the recipes that are handed down from my grandma and mom are the kids favorites ! I love that when I make them they help me remember my mom and grandma. Two of our very favorites are a recipe we always called Mexican Madness , and my moms Mexican wedding cake cookies , made with chocolate and maraschino cherries 😍 kathambre@yahoo.com

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    1. It's so wonderful to keep memories alive by cooking!

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  26. I have a lot of family recipes, but our favorites are our Great-Great Aunt Bernice's homemade caramels and two of Grandma's pies, Chocolate and Lemon Meringue.
    peggyhyndman(at)att(dot)net

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    1. I bet those caramels are amazing! I love caramel...and lemon meringue pies!

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  27. I have many of my mom's recipes as well as her tin recipe box, which have all become special treasures with her passing in February. Mom was known for the gazillion various Christmas cookies and fudge she made every December but one of my absolute favorites was the chocolate drop cookies she would make for family road trips. The cookies had a chocolates cake-like texture and were frosted with a rich chocolate frosting. I haven't had one in years. Hmmmm, maybe I should correct that situation!

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    1. You should definitely correct that situation! That tin recipe box certainly is a treasure.

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  28. One of my family's favorite recipes is Oriental Salad for picnics and parties. They would love the Pineapple Squares

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    1. I hope you try the recipe! Let me know what your family thinks.

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  29. I don't come from a cooking family but my sister and I grew up eating this wonderful fudge that was a recipe from my grandmother. It was flat and shiny and whenever we heard our mom scraping the pot in the kitchen while we were in our bath we knew she was making it. I still make it occasionally but am guilty about how much sugar it requires. When will we get pineapple squares at SinC meeting, Kathy?

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    1. LOL, I'll bring Lucy's pineapple squares when you bring your fudge! lol

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  30. My husband's grandmother was famous for her rum cake. Since her death I have become the official cake baker. My family's signature dish is a cheesy, bacon potato casserole that we've always called super duper potatoes. I find food to be so tightly bound to memories of my favorite people and events. Thank you for the chance to win. Dmskrug3(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. I'd love the recipe for that cheesy, bacon potato casserole!

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  31. I have many of my mother's recipes and I loveto make them, but my grandmother never used a recipe---just tossed things together and she was the greatest baker ever. I so wish I would have watched her more closely and taken notes on what she was doing.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

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    1. Those grandmothers! LOL I admit, as much as I complain, I do the same thing. Baking is sooooo tricky though.

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  32. My mom had a fruit cake recipe from probably the 20s or 30s that I still make.
    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  33. YES!!! It's not Christmas without my Grandma s walnut cookies, not Thanksgiving without my mom's stuffing, not a summer day without my aunt's cherry pudding and not a special lunch without my aunt's Marshall Fields special sandwich!!! And this is just for starters!!!!!
    Oneponychick66@hotmail.com

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    1. It's wonderful how certain foods truly complete the holidays! I'd love your cherry pudding and walnut cookie recipes!

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  34. I have my mother's cookbook with all her notes and handwritten recipes stuck inside. Several are ones that I still use.
    elainehroberson@gmail.com

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  35. My favorite family recipe is the delectable Apple Cake which is incomparable. Every special holiday we would have this treat. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  36. Hi Kathy! Welcome to Mystery Lovers Kitchen--we're thrilled to have you! This recipe looks divine and how nice that it's been handed down in the family. My grandmother cooked like yours--a handful of this, a pinch of that! It always turned out delicious though!

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    1. Thanks so much, I'm so happy to be here. I think mom and I will attempt more of her mom's recipes. We had fun cooking together.

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  37. What a fun post! And dozens of responses about family recipes! My sister has my mother's well-used Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (remember the oversized red-and-white check cover, anyone?), and I have a few of her handwritten recipes. My favorite is a cookie recipe she got in Ipswich, MA, at a historical event, a recipe for Old Fashioned Jumbles that does not require many of today's ingredients. Think I'll dig that out and try it! :-)

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    1. Definitely dig it out! My mom has that Better Homes and Gardens cookbook!

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  38. My family does have a myriad of recipes, but most of them have just been passed down with no written instructions. In the South, it's called, "from the wrist" :)

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    1. I hope you'll consider jotting down some notes about those recipes.

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  39. My grandmother was a great cook. I have some of her recipes including for beef stew but unfortunately I don't cook much. Janngrogan@yahoo.com

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    1. It's nice to have the recipes even if you don't actually cook them!

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  40. This looks delicious! I am definitely going to try it! My great grandfather owned a bakery. Our family has several of his recipes. Thank you so much for the chance to win!
    magicgirl2357@yahoo.com

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    1. Let me know what you think after you try it! How fun that your great grandfather owned a bakery, and even better that you have some of those recipes.

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  41. Welcome Kathy! The pineapple bars look scrumptious. My mother in law used to make the best spice bars. My son was only 8 months old when she passed away. A few years ago he was in from college and we made them. They ameere delicious. I think the secret ingredient in the icing makes them taste great. (Mayonnaise) kristilewis dot lrc at gmail dot com

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    1. Thanks for the welcome. Those spice bars sound delicious. It's great that recipes can keep those that have passed with us.

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  42. Love this recipe! Thanks for sharing! I have recipes from 4 generations & am just now reorganizing them. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Good luck reorganizing. I imagine that's quite a project!

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  43. Unfortunately no one in my family ever measured anything so there weren't any written recipes. There were several things my aunt and grandmother made that I would have like recipes for.
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

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    1. What did they make? Why not try to recreate them?

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  44. We do have family recipes and love using them! My dad's chili, my dad-in-law's appetizer dip for little sausages, my grandma's cherry pie, sooo many yummy things. Those pineapple bars look amazing! Thanks Kathy for visiting and for the giveaway!

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    1. It's great that you keep those family recipes going!

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  45. My Grandmother and Mom both have handed down some very good recipes -- Oysters Johnny Reb, Chicken Divan, Chocolate Icebox Cake, Tapioca and many more. I was fortunate enough to receive all my Grandmother's cookbooks, some of which are quite old, that don't give exact measurements, and call for things like a temperate oven, a pinch of this, a dash of that, and a lot of lard! I really need to dig into them and try to see if I can make one of those recipes and have it turn out okay. (I'll start with desserts or bread) bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net

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    1. Oohhh, so lucky about those recipes. I'd love to hear how you make out after translating them! lol

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  46. Some family recipes, but not nearly enough.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  47. Kathy, we're DELIGHTED that you joined us today on MLK, and it's clear, your topic is a popular one! Lots of people make strawberry rhubarb pie, but my mother was the only person I knew who ever made rhubarb custard pie, even though it came from the red & white Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. Such a hit in our house that I included it in TREBLE AT THE JAM FEST, the 4th Food Lovers' Village Mystery -- and now a few readers have told me they too thought only their family made it!

    Thanks again for a charming story and recipe!

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    1. Thanks. I'm so happy to be here. I've never used rhubarb, but have eaten strawberry rhubarb pie. I think adding custard is genius and want to eat some...now!

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    2. Kathy, me, too! Alas, the rhubarb is done for the season, and I didn't freeze any. As gardeners always say, next year!

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  48. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. I have some of my Mom's recipes I love them, One of my favorite she made every year was this one, Mom's Bourbon Balls
      1 c vanilla wafers, crushed
      1 c pwd sugar
      1 c chopped nuts
      2 T cocoa
      1/4 c bourob
      1 1/2 T white corn srup
      extra pwd sugar

      Mix well, form into balls, roll in extra pwd sugar, wrap in sqs of
      foill, store in covered jar.

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    2. Oh yum. I love bourbon. Thanks so much for sharing your mom's recipe, I'll have to try it!

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  49. cake sounds fantastic. Yes Mom had a "Poor Man's Fruitcake" recipe that is fantastic. Just raisins in a most spiced cake. It is out of this world great!!!! embam1969 at Comcast dot net

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    1. I'm not a huge fan of raisins, but that does sound good!

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  50. The recipe sounds great minus the nuts(allergy). My favorite "hand down" recipes would be Sausage Quiche and Cirak. Cirak is a Slovak recipe also known as Easter Egg Cheese. Those are my two favorite Easter recipes! Thanks for the chance!
    Jamuller312 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  51. You know, the recipe you shared looks like great fun and seems like the currently very fashionable style called "slab pie." Thanks for sharing it. Recipes from my husband's family have certainly been passed down from generation to generation. Much of it is specialized Christmas foods from Denmark, special cookies, red cabbage as a side dish, caramelized potatoes. However, the ones I am finally learning and most coveted are my mother-in-law's preserves and jams. I have loved them since first being gifted various containers of them at the beginning of marriage. And I loved opening the pantry in fall or winter and seeing all of the shelves laden with jars filled with glorious jewel tones. It is a quite a sight to behold.
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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  52. Welcome, Kathy! I had no idea you were once a police officer. I'm so proud of you! I can't wait to try this recipe. It sounds wonderful!

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    1. Thank you! I'd love to hear your results...and which filling recipe you try!

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  53. My grandmother's blonde brownies are a family favorite. Even thou we have the recipe, they never taste quite as yummy as the ones my grandmother made. She must have added in some grandmother love while baking them.
    turtle6422(at)gmail(dot)com

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  54. I have some cookie recipes and a peach cobbler recipe that came down from my paternal grandmother. I particularly like the cobbler as it is a batter you pour over the peaches so it come out soft and cake-y.
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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  55. Since our youngest son is a chef, for Christmas 2015 I published a family cookbook with stories and anecdotes about our family's German American heritage. I taught my sons to cook. Family favorites are Beef Rouladen and Goulash. Then oatmeal Cookies and Sour Cream cake.

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  56. I have a few family recipes and they are very different. My mother is from Germany and I love her rouladen and schnitzel recipe. I also love her potato salad recipe that is nothing like any German potato salad out there. It is more a southern mish mash, lol. Also we all love her dressing recipe which is a cornbread one and truly southern. She also makes a fabulous chess pie, another southern treat. When she came over here with my father, she had to learn some southern goodies and she did!

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    1. I'd love to have some of her schnitzel and am curious about her potato salad!

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  57. No written recipes - my Mom cooks the same way as Grandma Gertie, so I cook that way too.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  58. My grandmother had a recipe for what she called blueberry pudding. It was more cake than what we think of as pudding. She made a medium hard sauce to go over it, usually vanilla but sometimes lemon. (Grandpa didn't like the lemon so it was usually vanilla.) I have the recipe, but it's just not quite right. The texture of the cake is a little off. But, it's close.

    harbingerdc(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. That sounds delicious. No matter how hard we try, our results are never quite right. Good, but just not the same.

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  59. I actually have my Mom's recipe box with he handwritten recipe cards. My Sister and I still make quite a few of the recipes, especially during the holidays.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  60. I have recipes given to me by my mother in law and several of my mother's. Of course I worked side by side with my mother and learned many of her ways of cooking so those were instilled into my memory. Thanks for sharing the pineapple cake recipe. robeader53(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. That's great that they shares their recipes.

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  61. My grandmother would cook from memory the most enticing meals and bake the best pastries, and cakes. Wish I could. Blintzes, roly polys, and roasts, brisket. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  62. I have a few family recipes from both of my grandmas, but the one I wish I could make is Lefse, which is a crepe like pancake made from cold mashed potatoes. I have tried to duplicate but cannot quite get them right. I really enjoyed your story and will be trying your pineapple squares soon!
    debbie.erickson14@gmail.com

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    1. Thanks. Lefse sounds interesting, kind of like a placki.

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  63. My Husband who passed away 8 months from Kidney Cancer had a recipe he got from his other for Homemade Fudge that was so delicious. I'm going to have to try to make it on my own this Holiday season. Your recipe sounds so delicious I'm going to have to try it. Thanks for this very generous giveaway.
    lindamay4852@yahoo.com

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    1. I'm sorry about your husband. I make fudge every Christmas too.

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  64. Kathy, I go have many family recipes. A majority of them are traditional Dutch recipe brought to the US by either my Mom or Dad (they met in the US). Thoughts on your recipe. It is really important to use instant tapioca. Any other form can make a recipe fail. Also, you might consider adding finely chopped coconut to the crust. It greatly enhanced the tropical taste/flavor. If you are planning to revisit this recipe these options might be considered. I do follow your big and appreciate it. servedogmom@yahoo.com

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    1. I'm pleased to hear you follow my blog. Yes, Mom and I did use the instant tapioca. I'm not a huge coconut fan, but adding it sounds good for fans!

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  65. My aunt made French Coconut Pie for many, many years and she graciously shared the recipe with me. I often take these pies to church potluck dinners and make them for the annual fundraiser for our volunteer fire department. Thanks for sharing your recipe and for this giveaway.
    Connie
    cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com

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  66. Yes, my Mom's German Potato Salad and Chicken Macaroni Sald. My Mom passed away almost ten years ago. Fortunately, she wrote the recipes down and I have been making them ever since. I plan on teaching one to each of my nieces and nephew so they can carry on the tradition. I know they love eating them!

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    1. Thank goodness for writing them down and congrats for passing them on!

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  67. YES! Thankfully one of my cousin's organized a Family Cookbook in early 1990s. Everyone was asked to submit 3-4 of their FAVORITE recipes. We received great variety and suprisingly no dulpicates! The other side of my family liked that idea & also did a family cookbook & included a family tree! I still use both cookbooks and cherish these family recipes. bckey76(at)comcast(dot)net

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  68. My grandmother made a Yellow Rice Casserole with Chestnuts that we had every Christmas. It was so good. I need to make it again.
    clarksrfun at gmail com

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  69. I have a small Hungarian Recipe Cookbook that we ordered from one of the churches in Elyria Ohio-it has a lot of my mom's recipes and I have made quite a few plus I remember cookin/baking with my mom and learning hoe to make certain dishes

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    1. I love getting church and community cookbooks!

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  70. My mother is an excellent Polish cook but tends to horde her recipes from me and my sister! She learned from my grandmother, her mom and will pass them down when she no longer feels like cooking for us. Hopefully she'll leave out Nana's turtle soup recipe, although I've heard it was delicious!!!

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    1. Yes...I think you can keep the turtle soup as well as the czernina! lol I hope you get those recipes at some point-and share them with me!

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  71. Those pineapple bars look so refreshing on a hot summer day.

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  72. My grandmother made the absolute best tomato gravy and huge fluffy biscuits. They are my favorite!!! Unfortunately grandma is long gone and no one can make it like she did.

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  73. My dad's family has passed down a lasagna recipe that came over with his great-grandparents from Italy. It is so good, and also follows the "a pinch of this and just ebough of that" school of measuring. LOL

    Comet9443 at yahoo dot com

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    1. So glad the recipe got passed down, even if it's not exact!

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