by jphilo | Nov 25, 2015 | Recipes
Our extended family is celebrating both Thanksgiving and Christmas this weekend. That means I’m making Grandma Josie’s tapioca fruit salad. We only make this versatile dish–it works as a side dish, dessert, or breakfast food–for Christmas and eat it as greedily as hobbits eat mushrooms. Here’s the recipe.
Holiday Tapioca Fruit Salad
1 box (8 ounces) large pearl tapioca
4 cups water, divided into two equal parts
1/2 cup sugar
1 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1-2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1 cups chopped walnuts
2 apples, cored and diced
2 bananas, sliced
2 oranges, diced
The night before the meal, put tapioca in a medium bowl. Add 2 cups of water to the tapioca, cover, and let soak overnight.
Several hours before serving, place soaked tapioca in heavy saucepan. Add 2 cups water and the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until most of the tapioca is translucent and the mixture is very thick. Pour into a large bowl and immediately add pineapple (juice and all) into the thick tapioca. Stir thoroughly. Put in the refrigerator or on the porch to cool.
An hour before serving whip the cream. Add sugar and vanilla. In a large bowl mix the tapioca, fruit, (except the bananas), and whipped cream together. Immediately before the meal, slice the bananas and stir them in, along with the nuts.
by jphilo | Jul 2, 2014 | Recipes
The sour cherries, also known as pie cherries, are ripe! Thanks to generous neighbors who invited us to pick their tree clean, over the weekend the man of steel and I froze enough for three pies. And, there were enough left over to make a small cherry cobbler, the perfect size for the two of us.
I halved this recipe from the 1976 Betty Crocker Cookbook, which was a wedding shower gift from my Grandma Josie Hess. The cookbook she was pleased as punch to give because it was the latest thing in cooking. The one she inscribed with the famous words, “May you have many happy hours planning delicious meals for a happy, contented husband.”
The cherry cobbler was mighty tasty, though as usual I cut the sugar significantly, and Grandma’s inscription has me smiling again.
Cherry Cobbler
1 1/4 cups sugar (I used 2/3 cup)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (I almost doubled that, and the fruit was still runny)
4 cups sour cherries
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
Heat oven to 400º. Measure flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt into bowl. Cut in shortening. Add milk and stir with fork. Set aside.
Put cherries in medium saucepan. Blend larger amount of sugar with cornstarch. Add to cherries and stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens.
Pour into ungreased 2 quart baking dish. Spoon small dollops of flour mixture onto hot fruit until surface is covered.
Bake 20–30 minutes until topping is golden brown. Best served warm!
by jphilo | Jun 25, 2014 | Recipes
Strawberry season is here! In honor of these few weeks strawberry lovers dream about most of the year, (and because I’ve been traveling and haven’t had time to test a new recipe or write a post) here’s the dairy-free version of Grandma Josie’s recipe for strawberry shortcake. (The dairy version can be found here.)
We’re having the dairy-free version for dessert tonight, along with the last of our CSA fresh strawberries. Definitely a night to remember!
Grandma Josie’s Original Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
1 small cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking power
1 egg
2 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks
Stir in rich milk substitute of your choice until semi-stiff. Bake at 350 degrees until golden and toothpick comes out clean. Top with fresh strawberries. Recipe can be doubled to fit in a 10 inch pan.
Grandma Josie’s Strawberry Shortcake
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup softened Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks or coconut oil
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup almond, rice, or soy milk
1 quart strawberries, washed, hulled, sliced and mixed with 2 tablespoons sugar
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening. Add eggs and milk substitute. Mix with a fork until all ingredients are moistened. Pour into a 9 inch square pan. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Top with fresh strawberries.
by jphilo | Dec 11, 2013 | Recipes
Our extended family will celebrate Christmas the weekend between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. And Grandma Josie’s tapioca fruit salad will grace our table. The recipe for this delectable family favorite debuted on this blog in January of 2012 and is making a return appearance for two reasons: it’s making the round on Pinterest and I’ve been to busy for the past few weeks to try any new recipes.
Today’s recipe comes from my mother’s mother, Josephine Newell Hess. She made huge batches of this tapioca fruit salad when her 8 children, their spouses, and her 39 grandchildren gathered for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Once she was unable to host the gatherings, the recipe was lost for many years. Finally, my sister and I were so hungry for it, we recreated the dish with help from Mom. Now we serve it at Thanksgiving and Christmas and eat it as greedily as hobbits do mushrooms.
Though the recipe below doesn’t make as big a batch as Grandma whipped up in her prime, it’s still enough to fill a large Tupperware bowl. Why make so much? Because we love to eat what’s left over the next morning for breakfast!
Holiday Tapioca Fruit Salad
1 box (8 ounces) large pearl tapioca
4 cups water, divided into two equal parts
1/2 cup sugar
1 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1-2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1 cups chopped walnuts
2 apples, cored and diced
2 bananas, sliced
2 oranges, diced
The night before the meal, put tapioca in a medium bowl. Add 2 cups of water to the tapioca, cover, and let soak overnight.
Several hours before serving, place soaked tapioca in heavy saucepan. Add 2 cups water and the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until most of the tapioca is translucent and the mixture is very thick. Pour into a large bowl and immediately add pineapple (juice and all) into the thick tapioca. Stir thoroughly. Put in the refrigerator or on the porch to cool.
An hour before serving whip the cream. Add sugar and vanilla. In a large bowl mix the tapioca, fruit, (except the bananas), and whipped cream together. Immediately before the meal, slice the bananas and stir them in, along with the nuts.
by jphilo | Apr 29, 2013 | Daily Life
The weekend’s warm weather gave us
The oomph to clean the sun porch
So the wintered over plants could be moved there
To start adjusting to outdoor air.
But when the plants, previously scattered around the
Dining room, living room, and two bedrooms,
Were gathered in one place,
I wondered if the yard would be big enough to hold them all.
I stood on the porch wondering if I’d overdone
The fall repotting,
The late winter pruning,
And the early spring rerooting.
I wondered if I had too many plants.
Then Grandma Josie whispered in my ear,
Silly girl, you can never have too many plants.
Now, take this piece of sugar bread outside to eat,
So you don’t spill on the floor and attract ants.
My thoughts filled with plants,
Grandma Josie, sugar bread, and an ant-free home,
I walked indoors,
Grateful for spring.
