Mama Lane Cooks
Food from My Kitchen
Sour Cream Raisin Pie
A friend called me to see if I had a recipe for a Sour Cream Raisin Pie. His wife was going to be turning 70 years old and he told me that her mother always made her this special pie and how much she loved it.
I have many handwritten recipes that my mother has passed along to me through the years. I’ve made many of them, but this type of pie was new to me.
I had never heard of such a pie- which is hard to believe because PIE is my favorite dessert. But, I remembered that my mother had given me a recipe for some type of raisin pie many years ago and told me that it came from my Great Grandmother Garrison. I looked through my massive amount of handwritten cards and found it.
I called my friend back to tell him that I did have a recipe, but had never made it before. He asked if I would make it and bring it to the farmers market on Saturday for him. (I work as a market manager for a local farmers market and the couple were vendors there).
Come Saturday at market we sang “Happy Birthday” to our friend and presented her with this special pie. She emailed me that night and told me how much the pie meant to her and that the taste reminded her of her childhood. Anytime a cook can get a compliment like that- it’s treasured.
I still had no idea what the pie tasted like myself, as I only was able to sample the custard filling, so the next day my Caston and I rolled out another pie dough and made another Sour Cream Raisin Pie. Let me tell you- the taste is priceless!
Sour Cream Raisin Pie
1 vanilla bean (optional)
3/4 cup raisins
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
1 9-inch baked pie shell
MERINGUE:
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons sugar
In a small saucepan, place raisins and vanilla and enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; set aside.
In a large saucepan, the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cloves and cinnamon. Stir in sour cream and milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Drain raisins, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Gently stir liquid into filling. Add raisins, and nuts if desired. Pour into pie shell.
For meringue, in a small bowl, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Spread over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour; refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
Every Princess Needs a Castle
One of Cora’s birthday gifts that she loves to play with,
Nurturing A Relationship
My mother and I were always very close, best friends in fact. I was not one of these young ladies that turned against my mother when I became a teenager or argued with her every wish (although, I did from time to time roll my eyes at her).
Now, that I have a daughter I find myself watching Cora and thinking about all the wonderful times I spent and continue to spend with my mother. Baking cookies in her farm kitchen, swimming in Brush Creek with her and even our shopping trips are all memories that make me smile.
How do I nurture that same bond with my daughter as my mother did with me?
I have a very strong bond with my son. He is protective of both myself and his sister and he and I talk daily about everything. I know that when Cora grows that we will also talk, laugh and even cuddle…just as I do with Caston. But…how do I ensure that once she becomes a teenager it doesn’t all just blow-up?
The majority of my girlfriends were not close to their mothers, in fact it was the opposite. The older many of my friends became, the more they pushed away their mothers, at a time in their lives that they needed them the most. What is it about a switch that goes off in a teenage girl’s body that tells them: “I will NOT listen to that woman…what does she know?” Don’t laugh, you know it’s true.
Girls, whether they are young or old, need their momma. I am a grown woman now, with two children and I need mine even more now than ever it seems.
I pray that God gives me the patience that my mother had with me and the ability to always be mindfully present in my daughter’s life as she grows and matures into a young woman. Additionally, I pray that He blesses me with a good sense of humor- my mother says that helped her get through years of raising babies, toddlers and young adults.
Homemade Carrot Cake
My favorite cake has to be carrot cake. I’ve been trying to develop my own recipe that will knock the socks off of any other recipe and I think I have it finally. This cake is great in the morning with a cup of coffee or served at any family party.
The best part of carrot cake in my opinion is that you can acutally feel as though you are also eating healthy, while eating cake. Now how many desserts can make you feel that way. I mean it is a “carrot” cake and it has actual carrots in it, so it is somewhat healthy right?
My father requests this cake almost every year for his birthday. I top it with whole pecans and cinnamon sticks for a little added touch.
Mama’s Carrot Cake
2 c. sugar (half white, half brown if you want)
½ tsp. salt
3 c. ap flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. all-spice
2 c. grated carrots, packed
1 ½ c. vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
8-10 oz. crushed pineapple, mostly drained
1 c. chopped nuts, optional
Spray or grease and flour two nine-inch round cake pans or on 13×9-inch rectangular pan. Sift or toss the sugar, salt, flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and app-spice in a bowl. Then stir or toss in the carrots. Make a well in the mix and add the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat that mix and then stir in the pineapple. If desired stir in the nuts, Scrape the mix into the pan or pans and bake at 350 degrees until done. For the round pans that is usually 30 minutes, rectangular pan will take 45 minutes to an hour. Rotate pans after 25 minutes.
Cream cheese frosting:
8 oz. Cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 lb. powder sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. Cinnamon
Soften the cream cheese and butter. Blend together in a mixer. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth, beat cinnamon into any remaining frosting and swirl on the cake for decorations. I like to take walnuts and garnish the top of the cake with them. I stack one round cake on a platter, then frost the top of it. I then place the second round cake on top of it and frost the entire cake.
Mom’s Shrimp & Grits
It’s usually about this time of the year that I realize that REAL produce isn’t almost in full bloom at the farmers market and I can again experience fresh, local produce. Yes, I’m kinda a produce “junkie”. Sorry but those cardboard tasting tomatoes in the grocery store just doesn’t cut it.
Do you buy local? That is do you buy food (or any good or service) produced, grown, or raised as close to your home as possible. There are endless opportunities to buy local in Missouri (and I’m sure in your own state), and by doing so you will get exceptional taste and freshness, strengthen your local economy, support family farms, safeguard your family’s health and protect the environment. Become a localvore in 2013!
Today a true southern classic- Shrimp and Grits! Yes, this recipe will be a little hard to buy local for, unless you live by the gulf to get your shrimp, but there are more and more shrimp farmers’ in Missouri or you can stop in at Farmers Market of the Ozarks in Springfield and get fresh shrimp from Big Pop.
Mom’s Shrimp and Grits
1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup heavy cream (try buying local cream)
2 cups water1 1/2 cups hot stock (shrimp, chicken, or vegetable)
1/4 cup butter (buy local butter for a dairy)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup stone-ground grits**
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and black pepper to taste
6 bacon slices (I always use Burgers Bacon)
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped green or red bell pepper or both
To add flavor, place the shells of the shrimp in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer over low heat approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat and strain the broth, discarding shells. Add shrimp broth to hot stock, makes for an incredible stock.
** If using quick-cooking grits (not instant), reduce cream to 1/2 cup and reduce stock to 1 cup.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cream, water, and hot stock; bring to a gentle boil. Add butter, salt, and pepper. Slowly add grits, stirring constantly (so that the grits do not settle to the bottom and scorch), until all are added reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (be carefully not to scorch mixture), or until the grits are tender. Grits should have absorbed all of the liquid and become soft and should have the same consistency as oatmeal (moist, not dry). If the grits become too thick, add warm stock or water to thin. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle shrimp with lemon juice, salt, and pepper; set aside. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon until brown but not crisp. Remove from heat and pat dry with paper towels; set aside. Coarsely chop bacon when cool. Reserve 4 tablespoons bacon great in the frying pan. Add onion, garlic, and green or red bell pepper; sauté 10 minutes or until the onion is transparent. Add shrimp mixture and bacon; sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until shrimp are opaque in center (cut to test). Remove from heat. To serve, spoon hot grits onto individual serving plates and top with shrimp mixture, then sprinkle with green onion tops.
Mushroom Barley Soup
I vowed that in 2013 I would incorporate lots of healthy nutritious foods into my family’s diet. More whole grains, the least amount of processed foods as possible and many new recipes- and we’ve kept that promise thus far. I try to think in “Whole Foods” these days, not white, refined and processed. Whole meaning real foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains) not highly processed and what I call “fake foods.” When I look at a label I want to recognize ingredients, not a long list of words I can hardly pronounce. And, if’s it’s white (sugar, potatoes, rice or flour) I’d rather pass and so should you. Those things are like cocaine for your body and they are in everything we eat today.
As a farm kid I grew up homemade country cooking. My mother is an exceptional cook and baker. The only problem with a lot of good ole Ozark food is it’s typically loaded with fat – lard and butter were essential items in the kitchen. Not that I still don’t use both in my own kitchen, but I am trying to turn a new leaf and focus on healthy eating for life.
So, while browsing through the health food store I saw a bag of barley starring me down. Barley. Nothing pretty or unique-looking about it. But, it’s packed full of fiber, low in cholesterol and provides a huge heart healthy punch! “I can figure out how to incorporate barley in our diets…I know I can,” I thought. And I did.
Nothing warms the soul like a pot of soup. Well you can add barley to about any soup for an added nutritional punch. Here’s my own Mushroom Barley Soup that we enjoyed this week.
Mushroom Barley Soup
by Lane
3 cups of sliced portabella
Olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 large carrots, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 T. whole wheat flour
1 cup of Cabernet wine
2 quarts of beef broth
1/2 tsp, marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup whole barley
1/2 cup half and half
In a large stock pot or Dutch Oven over medium high heat place 2 T olive oil. Add mushrooms, onion, carrots, pepper and garlic and sauté for 6 minutes. Add the flour and toss lightly for 1 minute.
Deglaze the pot with the wine and add broth and spices, then return to a light boil. Add the barley and cook for about 25 minutes until the barley is tender and the soup is thickened on medium-low heat. Finish by adding the half and half and mix to incorporate.
Avocado For Baby
I think avocados are the best first finger foods for little ones. Not only are avocados rich and creamy, but they are packed full of the healthy “good” fats and nutrients.
One of Cora’s favorite baby foods I make has avocado, banana and prune juice- and it’s the perfect trick for when the wee ones are suffering from constipation. Take half a banana, avocado and mash together, then add a little prune juice and mix well.
I will warn you though…avocados in the hands of a exploring baby creates quite the mess. But, like I say, “Embrace the mess” it’s worth it!
417localista
Mama Lane Cooks 