Shirley Evans may believe in experimenting on her family with esoteric dishes, but there’s a lot to be said for the tried and true. So I’m sharing some of my family’s recipes that have been handed down for a couple of generations. Like all classics, they’ve stood the test of time— Grandma Jewell’s Pink Lemonade Salad, Aunt Mary’s Pumpkin Bread, and Mom’s Ridiculously Delicious Buckeyes.
Grandma Jewell’s Pink Lemonade Salad
(Yes, I named Lake Jewell after her!)
Ingredients
- Ritz cracker crumbs
- 12-ounce can partially thawed pink lemonade
- 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
- 16-ounce carton of Cool Whip
Directions
Crush half a sleeve of crackers with a rolling pin. Spread across the bottom of a 9-by-13 pan. Save some to sprinkle on top. Whip remaining ingredients in a bowl. Spoon onto the cracker crumbs. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top and refrigerate till served.
Aunt Mary’s Pumpkin Bread
My sweet aunt suffers from macular degeneration, so the pumpkin bread recipe I received from her is written in super-large print. She doesn’t let her vision issues get her down in the kitchen. She’s a wonderful cook, and this holiday treat is perfect for a cold winter day! Add a cup of coffee (not one of George Evans’s!) and you’ve really got something.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup oil (Canola is my choice)
- 2⁄3 cup water
- 2 cups pumpkin (Yes, I use canned pumpkin, but if you’re the clever sort, I’m sure you could use the real thing if you puree it down to a pie-filling consistency.)
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 31⁄3 cups flour
- Nuts (Aunt Mary doesn’t specify what kind or how much, so I file this under baker’s choice! Add them or not at your pleasure.)
Directions
Beat together all the wet ingredients, then add the dry one at a time, finishing with the flour. Pour into buttered, floured loaf pans (makes two loaves) and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour.
Mom’s Ridiculously Delicious Buckeyes
I have no idea why these last Christmas treats are called buckeyes, but they really are ridiculously delicious. My mom always says it’s because they’re made with love.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups peanut butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon burnt sugar flavoring
- 1 12-ounce package of semisweet chocolate chips
- 1⁄2 bar paraffin
Directions
Soften butter and peanut butter to room temperature. Mix and add powdered sugar and flavoring. Roll into small balls and chill for two hours. Melt chocolate chips and paraffin. Using toothpicks, dip balls into mixture, place on sheet of waxed paper, and chill.
Hope you enjoy trying some of my family’s special treats. Along with the holiday suggestions, please accept my wish for you and yours to have a blessed Christmas, and lots of love in the coming years.
Holiday Hugs,
Lexi
Get your copy of A COLDWATER WARM HEARTS CHRISTMAS HERE!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lexi Eddings is the pen name of multi-published author Diana Groe, who has written for Kensington, Sourcebooks, and Entangled. A classically trained soprano, she calls her historical work a cross between Grand Opera and Gilbert and Sullivan. Her historical romances have received glowing reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and RT Book Reviews. Connect with Lexi at her website!