Grandma Spencer's Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening or butter
1 egg (optional--mom says not to use)
2/3 cup molasses
2/3 cup hot water or buttermilk
3 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
approx 5 cups flour

Instructions:
Mix sugar, butter, add other items until soft.
Chill in fridge.
Roll it with the homies.
Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.

Makes approximately 4 1/2 dozen round cookies.

Icing that hardens:
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 t. light corn syrup
1/2 t. vanilla
Mix all and put in ziplock bag, snip corner and pipe onto cookies.

Strawberry Shortcake

recipe from my mom

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 T. sugar
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
6 T. butter
2/3 to 3/4 cup milk

Instructions:
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter. Finally, stir in milk to make a soft dough. Put entire dough on floured surface at an inch thickness. Use a round cutter to cut out the biscuits and place in round cake pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Cut up strawberries. Shortly before you are ready to eat the dessert, pour some sugar over them and use cutter to cut them into very small pieces. Spoon over biscuits and serve with whipped cream.

Shrimp Dip

I don't think this appeals to most people, but I grew up eating it so I often find myself looking for the recipe. It came off the side of a soup can.

Ingredients:
Campbell's Cream of Shrimp Soup
8 oz. package of softened cream cheese
1 tsp. lemon juice
dash garlic powder
dash paprika

Instructions:
Mix with beater. Overbeating makes thin. Chill. Serve with potato chips.

Sugar Cookies

These are really thick and fluffy, not thin and hard. Kinsey and I made these a couple weeks ago for playdates and let the kids decorate them. I think I ate just as many as they decorated.

Ingredients:
3 sticks butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 t. baking powder
2 t. salt
5 cups flour

Instructions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Chill in fridge for 1 hour (any longer and the dough is really hard to roll). Roll 1/4 inch thick. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. (I use 10 minutes at my house). If you bake them too long they might end up more crunchy.

Buttercream Frosting

My go-to cupcake frosting:

1 lb. powdered sugar
1/4 lb (1 stick) butter, softened
1/8 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
3-4 T. milk

1. Cream 1/3 of sugar with butter and salt in a large bowl
2. Blend extract, 2 T. milk and remaining sugar into mixture
3. Gradually stir remaining milk into frosting until desired consistancy is reached

For Chocolate Buttercream Frosting add:
1/3 Hershey's cocoa for light flavor
1/2 cup for medium
3/4 cup for dark

DeMarco's Subs

This is a sub we used to get at DeMarco's in Lansing. I think it's closed now, but my mom has been trying to figure out the recipe for the yummy subs we used to get there. They were always a special treat.

Ingredients:
Sub Size French Roll (Aunt Millie's French Roll Old World, it's a little bit heavier)
thin sliced salami
capacola (italian ham)
thin sliced shaved ham (no funky flavorings)
Provolone Cheese
leaf lettace
tomatoes sliced thin (optional)
Hellmans Mayo (no other will do!)

Instructions:
Split bun and butter both sides
Toast bun on a flat griddle until lightly brown
Add yummy toppings
Enjoy!

Mom's Famous Molasses Cookies

My mom makes these by the ton and EVERYONE loves them.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses (mom prefers Grandma's Sweet Molasses Brand)
2 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cloves
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger

Instructions:
Mix together all ingredients
Chill dough for easier handling.
Form dough into balls; Roll in sugar
Placed on ungreased cookie sheets
Bake at 350 degrees. Baking time varies by size. Golf ball size may take about 16 minutes.

For a soft cookie do not overbake. If they turn out harder than you like, place the cookies in a covered container with a slice of bread or two and some wax paper and they will soften.

Mom's Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs (large)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups Quaker oats (old fashioned, uncooked)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coconut
2 cups cornflakes (do not crush)
1 cup walnuts

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well
4. Add combined flour, baking soda and powder and salt; mix well.
5. Stir in oats; mix well
6. Add coconut, cornflakes and walnuts
7. Place golf ball size balls onto ungreased cookie sheet; flatten on cookie sheet
8. Bake up to 17 minutes for golf ball size until golden brown. Do not overbake.
9. Cool one minute on cookie sheet and move to wire rack.

Mom usually makes a quadruple batch and freezes them.

Mom's Egg Casserole

Growing up this was our traditional Christmas morning meal.

The night before layer the following ingredients in a greased 9x13 pan.

Bottom: Butter and cube 5 slices of bread
Middle: 3/4 lb. colby mild shredded cheese
Top: 1 lb. meat (bacon or sausage), browned

Mix together the following:
6 beaten eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard

Pour over layers. Cool in fridge overnight. In the morning bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (metal pan) or 325 degrees (glass pan). Enjoy.

Mom's Potato Rolls

Ingredients:
USING ACTIVE DRY YEAST
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 t. dry yeast) +1/4 cup warm water + 1 tsp. sugar
1 cup milk, scalded
4 T. Butter
1/4 cup instant mashed potatoes
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup cold water
1 large egg
4-4 1/2 cups flour

Instructions:
1. Dissolve 1 pkg dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast) in 1/4 cup warm water
2. In regular mixing bowl (or bread machine, if using) pour 1 cup scalded milk (2 min. 20 sec. in microwave until scum forms on top)
3. Add 4 T. butter, 1/4 cup instant mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup sugar, 1.5 teaspoons salt
4. When butter is mostly melted add 1/4 cup cold water, 1 large egg, 4-4.5 cups flour (start with 4) and yeast mixture.
5. Start Bread Machine (Select #8 for dough, 1 1/2 hr.), The ball should be smooth. If sticky add more flour. If firm, add more water.
6. Flour counter and knead dough for 5 minutes
7. Place dough in greased bowl, cover with saran wrap, and let rise in warm place (oven at 200 degrees for one minutes and then turn off) for 1 hour

USING FAST-ACTING DRY YEAST

1 cup milk, scalded
4 T. Butter
1/4 cup instant mashed potatoes
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup cold water
1 large egg
4-4 1/2 cups flour

Instructions:
1. In regular mixing bowl (or bread machine, if using) pour 1 cup scalded milk (2 min. 20 sec. in microwave until scum forms on top)
2. Add 4 T. butter, 1/4 cup instant mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup sugar, 1.5 teaspoons salt
3. When butter is mostly melted add 1/4 cup cold water, 1 large egg, 4-4.5 cups flour (start with 4).
4. Add yeast after flour
5. Start bread machine (select #8 for dough, 1.5 hour). The ball should be smooth. If sticky, add more flour. If too firm, add more water.
5. Flour counter and knead dough for 5 minutes

6. For Plain Rolls:
Shape into 12 rolls and place in greased 9x13 pan, cover with saran wrap, and let rise for 1 more hour in warm place
Bake in 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes

OR

6. For Cinnamon Rolls:
Roll Dough into 10x15 inch rectangle
Combine 5 T. melted butter, 3 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 cup sugar
(Paige's version = 7 T. butter, 4 t. cinnamon, 1 C sugar)

Spread evenly over rectangle
Roll into long log and cut into one inch slices (usually get 12-15 rolls)
Place in greased 9x13 pan, cover with saran wrap
Let Rise for 1 more hour
Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes