Coconut Cream Pie

This Coconut Cream Pie comes from my grandmother, GG.  It is really easy to make and it has a wonderful taste.  Instead of a meringue top, I make homemade whipped cream.  Very refreshing.

Applesauce Nut Bread

The Applesauce Nut Bread comes from my mom's recipes and it has a really good texture, but we were expecting more of an apple taste from the applesauce and it didn't have it.  Might think about adding fresh apple chunks on the next try.

Applesauce Cake

This Applesauce Cake was actually a recipe from my mother's friend, Mrs. Hattie Welch.  But as I was compiling our recipes, Gary's Nana also had it. This cake makes me think of a spice cake and although neither recipe had a frosting, I decided on a Cream Cheese Frosting, which I think is a really nice addition.

Oreo Truffles and Sausage Pinwheels

What does one do when it snows outside?  I bake, these are Oreo Truffles dipped in white chocolate and drizzled with milk chocolate. 

Also made Sausage Pinwheels today as a snack before dinner.  This recipe was given to me from someone I work with, Kasey Stokes.  They are really easy to make and quite a party pleaser.

Hershey Bar Cake

This recipe comes to us from Gladys Cleghorn, who was a friend of my mom.  Someone asked if I had a good chocolate cake recipe and I remembered seeing this in the recipes, so I made it today and I thought it would be real rich, but it isn't.  It's really good.

Apple Cake

This cake recipe comes to us from Mrs. Shivley, she was a friend of Myrtle Maurer, which is Gary's Nana.  The first one didn't come out so good, so I changed the recipe a little to make it easier to make.  The taste is still the same, just has a little Mel's touch added to it.

Escalloped Corn

This recipe came from a wife of someone I worked with at JOY 108 radio, her name was Alana Chambers and this is her Escalloped Corn.  It's really easy to make, taste good and serves alot of people.

Cheeseburger Loaf

GG was always coming up with interesting dinners and after reading the ingredients of Corn Flakes, I wondered about this one.

But they turned out really good and they were very moist inside.  Not sure about the stewed tomatoes, may have to try them with some salsa or rotel tomatoes next time.

Apple/Raisin Pie

This is a recipe for Apple and Raisin Pie from Gary's Nana. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, because the ingredients seems rather dry when I placed them into the pie shell.

Well it didn't turn out too pretty and it seems that the juice from the apples took care of my previous concerns, hoping to give it a little taste test soon.

Super Slaw

This recipes is from my grandmother, GG and when I read the ingredients I wasn't so sure about a cole slaw with no mayonnaise.  This will be part of dinner tonight, but I have to admit I've already sampled it and I am quite surprised at how delicious it is.  Well Gary has now said, "I think I like this better than regaular slaw". 

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This recipe comes to us courtesy of my mother, it was really easy to make and it turned out onto the plate easier than any other pineapple upside down cake that I had made before.  Can't wait to have it for dessert tonight.

All Spice Cake

I baked this cake on 1/16/2011 and it comes from the recipe files of Gary's grandmother, Mrytle Maurer (Nana) and she got it from a friend of her's, Mrs. Lays.

7-Up Cake

I baked this cake on 1/15/2011, it's a recipe from my mom, who got it from a friend of her's, Nancy DeLang.

Pumpkin, Pecan and Coconut Cream

These are my three most requested pies, Pumpkin, Pecan and Coconut Cream.  The Pumpkin is from GG, the Pecan is from my mom, but found it interesting that Nana's matched my mom's recipe.  The Coconut Cream is from GG and Nana.

Pumpkin Pie

This Pumpkin Pie recipe is from my grandmother, Mildred Wiggins (GG) and I've been told from some of our friends, "I like the fact that you aren't afraid of using spices".

Pecan Pie

This Pecan Pie recipe came from my mother, Lovey Hussey and has been in great demand over the Thanksgiving holidays.

Monkey Bread

This is an easy recipe for Monkey Bread and it's great to make with your grandchildren.

Marvelous Coconut Cake

This is a recipe that brings back alot of childhood memories, my grandmother, Alma Hussey made this Marvelous Coconut Cake for every family get together.

Peanut Butter Cookies, Oatmeal and Iced Oatmeal

These are some more of the cookies I sent out for Christmas...

Peanut Butter Cookies with Reese's Cup

Oatmeal Cookies

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Chips and Soft Molasses Cookies

Chocolate Chip and Soft Molasses Cookies

These are some of the cookies that I make from my own recipes and give as Christmas gifts.

Spice Cookies

These are my husband, Gary's favorite cookie - he says, "They are the BEST cookie!"

My Thoughts

For Christmas 2010 we gave our three daughters a copy of this Blended Family Cookbook.  But my thoughts were this, some of these recipes I've never even tried and before I attempt to publish my own cookbook I need to try them.  So from a suggestion of someone I work with, I've decided to do my own Julia/Julie thing and blog about my ventures while baking through A Blended Family Cookbook.

Introduction

When Mel finished this labor of love I told her she needed to do an “Introduction” to thank the recipe providers and to explain a little about this recipe book. She accused me of being a better writer and asked if I would do this. After a brief “discussion” it was decided that the intro would be done by me, although I still think that after all the work she put into it, she should have done this. So, humbly, my intro to Mel’s cookbook, “A Blended Family Cookbook.”

First, I would be remiss to not offer up the “thank you’s” to those family members without which there would be no cookbook. These fine ladies gathered their recipes on index cards, sheets of paper, newspaper and magazine clippings and many other typed, hand written and scribbled notes. They were passed down, with love, and ended up in the hands of a very capable, lover of cooking, Melanie Maurer. So, for her many weeks of putting this together and her lifetime of baking and cooking (so that every person who tastes her food asks for the recipe) the biggest thanks go out to my beautiful wife, Mel. The recipes come from the files and hearts of: Lovey Hussey, Mel’s mother; Mildred Wiggins, Mel’s maternal grandmother; Alma Hussey, Mel’s paternal grandmother; and my grandmother, Myrtle Maurer. To these grand matrons of our blended family, we owe this cookbook and eternal gratitude for passing these recipes down so that they may be enjoyed by generations to come.

Now a few words about the enclosed recipes: they were collected by the people mentioned where names were available. The names in parentheses are the collection they came from and when known, the original person who passed on the recipe is given credit at the beginning of each recipe title. The majority of them were collected by our grandmothers from their family and friends, fellow church members and associates. So, although this is a blended family cookbook of Mel and my families, there are many other families represented here. So please, cook, bake, eat and enjoy!

                                                                                                            -Gary Maurer