See You Soon!

After many weeks of struggling through internet, technical and hardware issues, I feel I need to take a little blogging break. You can still find me on Facebook and on Twitter, and please come back to Prairie Story in the Fall! Prairie best to you all until then!

Recipe Swap #50

Welcome to Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday! This week we're celebrating the big 50! 50 wonderfully delicious Recipe Swaps!!

The most popular recipe from Receipe Swap Thursday last week was Better Than Coach Cake @ Everyday Mom's Meals. Oh my!! 

This week I'm sharing my Great Aunt Clara's Coffee Cake. I was so happy to find a little section in one of my Grandma's recipe scribblers called Clara's Korner where there were many of my great aunt's baking recipe!

How to swap:

1) Link directly to your recipe. Scroll down to "Click here to enter" button. You will be prompted to enter the URL (link directly to your post), Name of your recipe, and Email (not visible), and then select a Thumbnail to upload.

2) Visit the other recipe links!!

3) Please include a link back to Prairie Story so everyone can see all the delicious recipes. Feel free to grab the Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday badge, or Tweet/Facebook this swap to your friends and followers.

Thank you to all recipe swappers, blog hoppers, my loyal readers, Twitter and Facebook followers, fellow foodies, family and friends for your support. I'm so happy to be able to share my Prairie Story, and appreciate that you take a precious moment or two out of your busy day to visit my blog!

Clara's Coffee Cake

My Grandma Agnes Pitura's sister, Clara, married my Grandpa's brother, and their farm was a few miles down the road from ours. Crazy, eh?! Anyway, I do remember visiting my Great Aunt Clara often and it seemed liked she always had something good baking. Needless to say, I was so happy when I found "Clara's Coffee Cake" handwritten in one of my Grandma's scribblers that she wrote recipes in!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 60 Minutes | Serves: 9

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon Cocoa
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (I used margarine)
3 eggs
3 cups sifted flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups sour cream

Instructions:
- Prepare filling by combining 1/2 cup sugar, walnuts, cocoa and cinnamon.  Set aside.
 - Beat butter/margarine until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 cup sugar, and add eggs 1 at a time.
- Mix in flour, baking powder, and baking soda, alternatively with sour cream.
- Pour 1/2 of cake mixture into greased 9" angle food pan (I used 9x9 baking dish), and sprinkle 1/2 of filling.
- Pour rest of cake mixture over and top with filling.
 - Bake @ 350 for 50-60 minutes.
-  Enjoy with a cup of coffee!

 

Coffee Helps

I just can't put down my Grandma's 1927 Household Helps book! I find all of the tips so interesting and find myself referring to it often. We were at our cabin last weekend and ound my weekend coffee out there needed some improvement... so I looked up the helps on Coffee.

Coffee Test - Stir a teaspoon of ground coffee in a half glass of cold water; if coffee is good quality, it will who but little discoloration and very few grounds will sink to the bottom of the glass.

Another Coffee Test - Add a few drops of lemon juice to a glass of cold water; if pure, coffee will remain on top of the water; if not the water will at once change to brown color.

For a Good Cup of Coffee - put the ground coffee in a saucer and place it into a fairly hot oven for three minute before making; this will bring out the flavor.

When Making Coffee - always warm coffee-pot first; then sprinkle little salt on the coffee before pouring on the boiling water and the flavor will be greatly improved.

To Keep Coffee Pot Sweet  & Clean - put a tablespoonful of bicarbonate of soda in it, nearly fill it with water and boil awhile; rinse in several lots of clear warm water.

To Keep The Best Coffee Urn Sweet - drop a small piece of charcoal in it, or a lump or two of sugar, and prop the lid open with a toothpick.

Instead of Using Cream - bring milk just to the boiling point and pour it steaming hot into the hot coffee, using enough to make it golden brown.

Darn... all I can think of now is an Grande Non-Fat Carmel Macchiatto from Starbucks.

Recipe Swap #49

Welcome to Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday!

The most popular recipe from Recipe Swap Thursday last week was Petite Lasagnas @ Sensible Shoppers. Totally cute! I need to try these!

This week I'm sharing my Blueberry Sour Cream Cobbler. I love this recipe because it works with almost any fruit, it's not overly sweet, and the top of the cobbler cake has a nice little crunch to it! Soooo good!

How to swap:

1) Link directly to your recipe. Scroll down to "Click here to enter" button. You will be prompted to enter the URL (link directly to your post), Name of your recipe, and Email (not visible), and then select a Thumbnail to upload.

2) Visit the other recipe links!!

3) Please include a link back to Prairie Story so everyone can see all the delicious recipes. Feel free to grab the Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday badge, or Tweet/Facebook this swap to your friends and followers.

Thank you to all recipe swappers, blog hoppers, my loyal readers, Twitter and Facebook followers, fellow foodies, family and friends for your support. I'm so happy to be able to share my Prairie Story, and appreciate that you take a precious moment or two out of your busy day to visit my blog!

Blueberry Sour Cream Cobbler

I have been making this cake for years and it is one of my all time favorites! And the best part is you can use almost any type of fruit - I've even used canned pie filling.

Fruit Bottom

2-3 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Cobbler Top
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

- Place blueberries in bottom of deep dish pie plate. Sprinkle sugar over, and drizzle lemon juice.
- In a bowl, cream together margarine and sugar. Beat in eggs.
- Mix in baking soda and sour cream.
- Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.
- Dollop batter over blueberries.
- Bake @ 350 for 45-60 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
- Always best served warm!!

Household Helps Poem

I like to have a clean, neat and tidy home, but it doesn't always mean I enjoy the endless picking up, laundry, sweeping and monotony of it all! Oh how I remember my working days when I had cleaners come to do the dirty work... but for now I'll just have to keep motivating myself. I found this cute little poem in my Grandma's Household Helps book that has inspired me to remember to take pride in housekeeping. As always, thanks Grandma!

With such a book of "helps" as this,

Housekeeping should not go amiss;

So, housewives, all - and others, too,

Prove how each "does its bit" for you.

Each "help" herein is "true and tried"

And some good housewife's honest pride-

Some home's delight;

Yet should your effort prove in vain,

We'll say not where to put the blame-

'T were impolite!

Happy housekeeping!

Recipe Swap #48

Welcome to Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday!

The most popular recipe from Recipe Swap Thursday last week was Zucchini Cookies @ Angel Foods Kitchen. Oh how we love baking with zucchini!

This week I'm sharing my Borscht. Borscht really is the BEST soup ever. As kids we used to beg our Grandma to make it with her garden fresh veggies... and it's still one of my favorite comfort foods. Be sure to check out a few of my other favorite Prairie Story Beet Recipes too! 

How to swap:

1) Link directly to your recipe. Scroll down to "Click here to enter" button. You will be prompted to enter the URL (link directly to your post), Name of your recipe, and Email (not visible), and then select a Thumbnail to upload.

2) Visit the other recipe links!!

3) Please include a link back to Prairie Story so everyone can see all the delicious recipes. Feel free to grab the Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday badge, or Tweet/Facebook this swap to your friends and followers.

Thank you to all recipe swappers, blog hoppers, my loyal readers, Twitter and Facebook followers, fellow foodies, family and friends for your support. I'm so happy to be able to share my Prairie Story, and appreciate that you take a precious moment or two out of your busy day to visit my blog!

Beet Helps

Here are some more old school Household Helps... this time on Beets! Don't you just love these tips and tricks! And be sure to check out a few of my favorite Prairie Story Beet Recipes.

For Washing Beets use a small brush. It does the work better and saves time and fingers.

To Skin Beets Easily place them in a basin and pour boiling water over them; let stand a minute, then drain.

Best Way to Skin Beets Without Bleeding - put them in cold water as soon as cooked; then draw the hand gently down each beet and the skins will come off easily. Leave stems an inch long on beets and the color will not cook out.