A Taste of Memories: Comforting Foods From Our Past

These recipes are simple, hearty fare, but all are tried and true family favorites, like meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, chicken pot pie, banana pudding and more. Book Size: 8.25”X8.25”, paperback, 108 pages. ISBN 978-0-9802244-8-1 Price: $8.95 E-Book: $2.99 Try a few of the recipes on this blog.

This cookbook makes a great housewarming or bridal shower gift or a "moving away from home" gift.

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Chicken Pot Pie From: A Taste of Memories: Comforting Foods From Our Past

Frozen Pie Crust Shells

Pet Incorporated introduced their frozen pie crust shells in 1962, and housewives enjoyed the convenience of having them on hand to whip up pies, both savory and sweet, in a jiffy. Chicken pot pie has been a popular comfort food for decades, but the following recipe is quick and easy, using frozen pie crust shells.

Chicken Pot Pie

Two frozen, deep-dish 9-inch pie crust shells, thawed (or use homemade pie crust for a two-crust pie in your own pie plate)
2 cups, chopped, cooked chicken
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
3/4 cup chicken broth (or use 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water)
3/4 cup milk
1 cup frozen peas and carrots

Preheat oven to 425º. In a large saucepan, melt butter and sauté onions and celery until tender. Blend in flour, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook over low heat for 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth and milk. Heat to boiling; stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in chicken and peas and carrots. Heat to boiling; remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Pour into pie crust shell. Cover with top pastry, seal edges and cut slits in top crust to vent. Place pie on cookie sheet and bake 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cover edges with strips of foil if they become too brown during baking. Let pie stand 15 minutes before serving.

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Lime Sherbet Punch From: A Taste of Memories: Comforting Foods From Our Past

During the 1960s the “in” party punch served at all wedding and baby showers was Sherbet Punch. This frosty concoction is simple to make, and you can use any flavor of sherbet you like to complement your party theme colors.

Lime Sherbet Punch

1 (half-gallon) carton Lime Sherbet (or flavor of your choice)
2 (32 ounce) bottles ginger ale, 7-Up or Sprite, chilled

Place sherbet in punch bowl and slice into chunks. Slowly pour in ginger ale and mix well. Makes 16-18 (6-ounce) servings.

A Taste of Memories: Comforting Foods From Our Past

More than 100 recipes for favorite American comfort foods, spanning a period from the early 1900s to 1980s, plus a bit of history about popular food trends during each decade and family comfort food stories and photos that will warm your heart as well as your tummy. These recipes are simple, hearty fare, but all are tried and true family favorites, like meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, chicken pot pie, banana pudding and more. Size: 8.25”X8.25”, paperback, 108 pages. Price: $8.95

E-Book: $2.99

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Saucy Meatloaf From A Taste of Memories: Comforting Foods From Our Past

Few foods are considered more comforting than homemade meatloaf, which fits in perfectly with the type of filling meals that were popular during the 1950s.

Saucy Meatloaf

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 (10-3/4 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, mix ground beef, soup mix, bread crumbs, egg and 1/2 cup of the tomato soup until well blended. Pack into loaf pan and bake, uncovered, for about 1-1/4 hours or until done. Drain fat. In a small saucepan, blend remaining soup with the 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to boil. Serve as a sauce with meatloaf.

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Spinach Dip From A Taste of Memories: Comforting Foods From Our Past

During the 1980s my husband’s favorite contribution to any party was his famous Spinach Dip. It’s actually the original recipe found on the Knorr’s Vegetable Soup Mix box, but after years of perfecting his mixing techniques, he claims it as his own.

Spinach Dip

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and diced
1 (1.5-ounce) package Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
1 (10-ounce) package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Mix all ingredients together and chill several hours or overnight before serving. Serve with cut up veggies and bread sticks.

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Mock Apple Pie From: A Taste of Memories: Comforting Foods From Our Past

One of the most ingenious recipes ever created was using crackers as a substitute for apples in “Mock Apple Pie”. No one knows who first invented this recipe or when, but it was definitely improved in 1934 when the National Biscuit Company introduced Ritz® crackers. They had a buttery flavor and were crispier than other varieties on the market at the time. If you’ve never tried this pie recipe before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Mock Apple Pie

Pastry for a two-crust 9-inch pie
36 saltine (or Ritz) crackers, coarsely broken (about 1-3/4 cups)
1-3/4 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Grated zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place the cracker pieces in a 9-inch pie plate that is lined with pastry. In a saucepan, bring water, sugar and cream of tartar to a boil; simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and rind. Let cool. Pour syrup over cracker crumbs. Dot with butter; sprinkle with cinnamon. Place remaining pie crust over pie. Trim, seal and flute the edges. Cut slits in top crust to vent. Bake at 425º for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm.

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Banana Pudding From A Taste of Memories: Comforting Foods From Our Past

Warm, creamy puddings are comforting for us at any age. Banana pudding has been a popular favorite for many years. This recipe was passed down from by great-grandmother, Sara Frances Roberts (shown in the photo), through four generations of family members. She had a big bowl of banana pudding sitting on the counter in her tiny farmhouse kitchen for many of our Sunday afternoon visits.

Banana Pudding

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Dash of salt

2 eggs

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Box of vanilla wafers
5 or 6 ripe bananas, sliced (about 4 cups)

In a saucepan, blend sugar, flour and salt. Stir in eggs and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.Spread 1/2 cup of custard into bottom of a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Place a layer of vanilla wafers over custard. Top with a generous layer of bananas. Pour about 2/3 cup of custard over the bananas. Repeat with two more layers of vanilla wafers, bananas and custard. Crush about 1/2 cup of wafers and sprinkle over the final layer of custard. Serve pudding warm or cold. Optional: top each serving with sweetened whipped cream if you like.

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