Diva's Grandma Sarah's Blackberry dumplings

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Grandma's little helper, I would help her pick the berries.  One day I ate them all and brought her a bucket full of kittens instead:) Good thing she loved me Grandma Sarah's Blackberry dumplings
Inspiration: My German Grandma Sarah Rutz always had wild blackberries growing in her yard near Scottsbluff, NE.  It was an awesome treat for her to make her dumplings.
Ingredients: 1 quart Blackberries 2 cups water 1/2 cup sugar 2 TB butter ________ Dumplings: 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp salt 1~1/2 baking powder 1/2 cup milk 3 TB sugar 2 TB oil or melted butter	Instructions: Wash and cook berries until tender in a large heavy kettle.  May need to adjust sugar if not sweet enough. Cover and bring to a boil. Drop tsp's of dumplings into boiling mixture.  Cook 10 minutes without lifting the lid.
Variation:  Serve warm with cream me and Grandma Sarah at her house on E in Scottsbluff, NE in the 70's.  Right through that backdoor was where she did her magical cooking and teaching. her kitchen was 6x6, but the most awesome cooking came from her little space in the world.  Grandma has been gone since 1996, but every now and then when I cook her recipes, I smile and say hi Grandma:)

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

⬗⬗   ButterBalls ⬖⬖

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Inspiration from: This is a Volga German tradition in our family, Both the Rutz and Zemanek families enjoyed this in our soups.  Grandma Margaret always used the fresh cream from the milk cows and fresh eggs from the hen house...YUM! The allspice makes it a wonderful divine taste.  Wonderful for that left over Turkey!

Ingredients
6 cups fine bread crumbs (almost 2-15 oz plain crumb pkg) 2/3 cups sweet cream  (can use cream or half and half + 1/2 c sugar) 3-4 large eggs	1 cup butter, melted 1 tsp salt 1 tb allspice, i like more for taste and usually use 2-3 tablespoons.

Directions

Put bread crumbs, salt and allspice in a large bowl; make a well.  Heat cream in a small saucepan and pour into well of bread crumbs.  Mix well with hands; pour in melted butter and mix again.  Add eggs 1 at a time; if it is dry, add another egg.  (Testing: make a ball and cook 10 minutes in boiling water, if the ball does not separate, it is ok.  If it falls apart, add another egg)  Roll into balls about the size of a walnut.  This is the diva test:  when making the balls, if the butter squishes and the ball is firm; it's perfect!

Variations

boil 10 minutes in Home made Turkey or Chicken and noodles.  You can find my noodle recipe on an earlier post.


The butter balls freeze nicely for later use.  Warning:  the are very rich and most people can only eat a couple at a time.  


Yields: 50 butter balls

Diva's Rhubarb Crisp

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

⬗⬗   Rhubarb Crisp  ⬖⬖

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Inspiration from: Rhubarb was always plentiful at every family member I had including myself.  It grew like wildfire in our yards.  Excellent topped with Grandad's home made ice cream.

Ingredients
2 eggs 1 1/2 Cup sugar 4 TB flour 6 cups diced rhubarb	Topping: 8 TB butter 2/3 Cups brown sugar 1 1/3 Cup Flour

Directions

Beat eggs well in a large bowl.  Stir in sugar and flour and mix.  Add rhubarb and pour into a 9x13 baking pan.
In a medium size bowl, combine topping until crumbly and sprinkle over rhubarb mixture

Variations

Bake 40 mins at 350 degrees F

Will Serve 10 people

Diva's Grandad Dales Homemade Ice Cream

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Homemade Ice Cream
Inspiration:  On the Zemanek farm in Bayard, NE, milk was plentiful since we had milk cows and chickens.  Sunday's were family days and we always made Homemade ice cream.  There were 6 cousins and we all fought over who turned the handle and who got to poke the stick in the ice during the process.  We also knew when Grandad pulled the beater out of the ice cream, we all got a lick.
Ingredients: 2 cups milk 1~1/2 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 5 eggs, beaten well 1 TB vanilla approx 2 Quarts milk rock salt ice	Instructions: Scald milk, sugar, and salt. Continue to beat eggs in large bowl and slowly add hot milk mixture.  Cool. Pour into 5 quart ice cream maker.  Add vanilla and enough milk to reach the "fill line". Freeze according to your manufacturer's directions.
Variation: can make any flavor you wish.

Diva's Upside Down Apple Tart

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Upside Down Apple Tart
Inspiration:  We had a huge apple tree in the yard at the Zemanek farm.  Grandma would use a caste iron skillet to cook the apples in and also bake.
Ingredients: 1 cup cold butter, cut-up 2 cups flour pinch of salt 1~3/4 cups sugar, divided 1/2 cup ice water 3 lbs Granny Smith Apples, peeled and quartered 1/2 cup butter, cut-up	Instructions: Freeze 1 cup butter for 30 minutes.  Put cold butter, flour, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in food processor and pulse 8 times.  should resemble coarse meal.  Add 1/2 ice water, 1 TB at a time.  Pulse just until mixture comes together and forms a dough.  Turn dough out on a piece of plastic wrap & shape into a disk.  Chill 2-24 hours.   Gently stir together Apples, 1/2 cup butter and remaining sugar in a large bowl.  Put apple mixture into a 10 inch skillet.  (will be very full)  Cook over low heat for 1 hour or until liquid is reduced and thickened.  Put in a 10 inch baking dish. (I line the bottom with parchment paper). Pre-heat oven 425 degrees F.  Unwrap chilled dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll into 12 inch circle & place over apples tucking edges of dough around apples.  Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.  Invert on serving plate.
Variation:  Yields 8 servings Can add nuts before putting in the apples to baking dish.  I have also added cinnamon to the recipe for that added boast. wonderFUL with a scoop of Granddad's home made ice cream.

Diva's Green Beans with Garlic and Bacon

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Green Beans w/Garlic n Bacon
Inspiration:  I loved sitting out on the porch snapping fresh green beans with grandma.  We always had huge gardens and raised our own livestock. This is my favorite vegetable.  It brings back warm memories of the farm, the hot sun and conversations with Grandma.  The best advice came from Grandma on the porch.
Ingredients: 3 lbs Green beans, ends snapped off 1 garlic clove, minced 2 TB olive oil 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled salt & pepper to taste	Instructions: Steam Green beans until tender.  Cook garlic in oil in a large pan over medium heat for 1 minute or until golden.  Add beans and salt and pepper. Add bacon and cook for 3 minutes.  Serve
Variation:  Yields 10 servings Green beans are low in carbs, great for diabetics like me

Diva's Grandad Dales Divinity

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Grandad's Divinity
Inspiration:  another one of Grandad's recipes he made in the sugar factory lab during campaign.  It takes patience's but well worth it.
Ingredients: 2 egg whites 2-1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup light corn syrup 3/4 cup chopped nuts 1 tsp vanilla	Instructions: Beat egg whites in a large glass bowl until stiff and set aside.  Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a large saucepan.  Cook to a thin stage (230 degrees F) and pour 1/2 syrup over egg whites; stirring constantly while pouring.  Cook remaining syrup to a hard stage (260 degrees F).  Pour over other mixture and beat until it forms a stiff peak and add nuts and vanilla.  Drop by teaspoon's on waxed paper.
Variation:

Diva's Grandma Sarah's German Grebel

Diva’s Memories of Recipes German Grebel
Inspiration:  This was Grandma Sarah's German Grebel.
Ingredients: 1 Cup buttermilk 4 eggs 3 TB mazola oil 1/4 Cup sugar 4 1/2 - 5 Cups flour 1 Cup sour cream 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt powdered sugar or cinnamon & sugar for sprinkle's	Instructions: Mix buttermilk and sour cream.  Then add baking soda; sugar; salt; oil; eggs.  Beat well.  In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together and add to buttermilk mixture.  It will make a soft dough - so this is what determines the flour amount. Start with lesser amount and add if need be. Put in refrigerator overnight; and may also be frozen for a later time. Roll out onto floured board until the dough is 1/8 inch thick.  Cut into squares or rectangles.  Make two slits in each square and twist or make one slit in each and pull one corner through slit. Fry in deep fat fryer 350 degrees F until brown.  Turn with fork to brown on both sides.  Drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with sugar
Variation:  can be used to make yummy donuts too.

Diva's Sweet Turkey Dressing

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

 Sweet Turkey Dressing 

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Inspiration from:  Grandma Margaret always made 2 types of dressing during the holidays.  Grandad always insisted on his sweet dressing too.  We had a huge apple tree and they were plentiful and tasty.

Ingredients
1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped onion 4 cups chopped apples, peeled 2 cups raisins 1/2 cup water 1 cup apple cider	1 stick butter 8 cups cubed bread, day old 2 TB sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp salt

Directions

In a skillet, saute the celery and onion in 2 TB butter; transfer to a large bowl. Add the apples, raisins, bread, sugar and salt. In a small bowl, beat eggs, cider, remaining butter and water. Pour over bread mixture and toss lightly. Stuff into the turkey and bake or you can put it in a casserole dish and bake.

Variations

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.

Diva's Flaky Pie Crust and Pie Crust Cookies

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

 Flaky Pie Crust & Pie Crust Cookies

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Inspiration from:  This was past on to me by my Czech Grandma Maragret... This pie crust has never failed me and it's tradition to bake the leftover scraps covered with cinnamon and sugar (kekse kuchen) Cookie pies in German.  My kids would never forgive if I didn't.

Ingredients
4 Cups Flour 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tb vinegar 1 3/4 Cup Crisco	1 egg, beaten 2/3 Cup iced water

Directions

Sift flour and salt together in a large bowl.  Combine vinegar, iced cold water and egg in small bowl.  Make a well in flour mixture and add liquid mixture in center with crisco and cut til moist. Turn out onto a floured counter.  Knead only slightly and roll out.  (Grandma always said the less you mess with the dough, the flakier the crust)

Variations

Makes 2 double pies or 4 shells.  Bake according to pie recipe


Bake leftover scraps on a cookie sheet sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar in a
350 degree F oven for 12-15 mins.

Memories Never, Ever Forgotten on the farm...

If you hang on to anything long enough, what was old becomes new again.  My Paternal Grandparents lived on a farm just at the base of Chimney Rock, close to Bayard, Nebraska.  It was always a  blast as a kid to visit.  Getting up at 4 am to milk the cow's and feed the chickens before the sun even decided to come up.  I can remember walking back to the farm house in the dawn of morning from the milk barn watching the sun come up. Was and still is my favorite time of day.  So peaceful as the sun burns off the night dew.  God makes the most beautiful art.

This is just outside Grandma's kitchen with her VW bug she bought with her milk and egg money

As my brother and I approached the little farm house which did not have indoor plumbing til 1965, we could smell the bacon cooking and the coffee brewing in Grandma's little kitchen with a wood burning cook stove in the corner.  Grandma would pull up a stool and put down the oven door to warm our feet and hands.  Breakfast at the Zemanek farm was always like a 5 course meal.  Bacon & liver from their pigs, eggs from their henhouse, pancakes very delicately whipped up by Grandma Margaret, home made rhubarb jam made with perfection from the massive garden they always had.  Grandad Dale always ended breakfast with a bowl of cereal he mixed up with 4 different cereals and warm milk from the cows.   Funny how things like that embed in your brain.  I won't forget because I learned to not like milk from these early days.  It was always warm and it was like putting solid lard on the roof of your mouth.

The reason I brought up if you hang on to things long enough...  Grandma and Grandad never got rid of anything, EVER.  When they sold the farm in the late 70's we went through the attic, all the barns and every inch of the farm inner fields.  Grandmas attic was massive.  I remember Aunt Janet handing things down to us and some of the ladies taking grandmas' stuff to the wood pile.  I cried in tears to watch Grandma's face.  The leather packed barn's smelled so good, but they too were cleaned out.  The inner fields were packed with anything automotive from as far back as the early 20's.  My brother and I played on each and every one of them pretending to be grown ups living in Paris.

Those were the days.  I will continue to write the memories as they surface.  Enjoy!