Ruth's Sweet Potato Casserole

Here is my mother's sweet potato casserole recipe. This is lighter than the Sweet Potato Souffle that I make - but it is still delicious! Give it a try.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

Combine the above ingredients and pour into a baking dish. Follow the directions below for the topping:

Topping Ingredients
1 cup coconut
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cuup chopped pecans
1/4 cup flour

Mix topping ingredients well and sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cabbie's Cabbage Soup

This is simmering on the stove as I write this. It smells divine! This is a great diet soup since there is virtually no fat in it (depending on how lean the ground beef is). You can leave out the ground beef if you want a vegetarian soup which would make the soup fat-free. However, I personally like the flavoring and extra oomph that the beef adds. This makes a large pot of soup - enough for freezing some for later. Or better yet, put some in a quart jar and take it to a neighbor or friend. I like to put leftovers in small individual serving plastic containers, and take it to work to heat in the microwave for a quick and delicious lunch.

Cabbie's Cabbage Soup

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 large onions, diced
1 small head cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 green bell pepper, diced (or use a mixture of green, red and yellow bell peppers)
5 stalks celery, diced
3 large cans of diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
enough water to cover (2 - 4 cups)

Brown the ground beef in a large pot. Add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Let it simmer until all the veggies are tender. Serve with crackers or cornbread and a salad.

Heavenly Mashed Potatoes

Most people like mashed potatoes, and I'm no exception. Here is my recipe for ”Heavenly Mashed Potatoes.” They really are divine!

Heavenly Mashed Potatoes

5-6 medium white potatoes

4 Tablespoons butter

1 can evaporated milk

salt and pepper to taste

Wash and peel the potatoes. Quarter the potatoes and place in a saucepan. Cover with water. Boil gently until a fork inserted in the potatoes goes in easily. Drain the potatoes and place in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and salt and papper. Add approximately 1/4 cup evaporated milk and mix using a potato masher. I previously used an electric hand mixer, but that sometimes made them gluey. So use a little arm strength to mash them. Mash vigorously with the potato masher to make them as fluffy as possible. You can add more or less evaporated milk - depending on the consistency you like best. Enjoy!

Corn Salad - Yummy!

My daughter-in-law gave me this recipe. It is one of my son's favorite salads. Now we all love it and make it often. It is scrumptious!

Easy Corn Salad

1 can white whole kernel corn, drained well

1 can yellow whole kernel corn, drained well

1/2 cup mayonaise

1/2 cup diced green onion

1/2 cup diced tomato (remove the seeds before dicing)

1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon (or use Bacon Bits)

Mix all the ingredients together well. Salt/Pepper to taste. Refrigerate.

It is just about the easiest thing in the world to make - and it goes great with a summer meal. You can use light mayonaise to cut down on the calories and fat grams.

Sweet Potato Souffle (the BEST in the world!)

Here is a recipe that’s been in my family for ages. I think it was my mother-in-law’s originally. I’m not sure where she got it. However, it is the most delicious sweet potato dish in the world. It is almost like a dessert. Actually, at times I have had an extra serving of this rather than eating dessert after a meal. It’s PERFECT for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Both my daughter and my daughter-in-law now make it for holiday meals.

SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE’

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 stick margarine
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick margarine
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix together the first seven ingredients, blending until smooth. Pour into a large casserole dish. Combine the topping ingredients and spread over the top of the potatoes. Bake in 350 degree oven until topping is a light brown. Makes 8-10 servings.

Spirited Turnip Greens

(Dictated entirely by R.T.)

Here’s my recipe for turnip greens. I made it, I ate it, and I liked it. Nobody else had none, but they sure were good, and I wanted to share it with you.

Spirited Turnip Greens

Select fresh leafy turnip greens. They may become soggy in the cooking process, but it is always best that they are crisp when started. Wash to remove all grit. Remove large stems. Place turnips in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Season with your choice of salt, ham hock, chicken boullion, beef boullion, and/or bacon. Bring to a rapid boil and then cook your turnip greens. Prior to serving, add a shot of Jack Daniels or Jim Beam. You will be amazed at the rich, fullbodied flavor that your choice of bourbon or whiskey brings to your turnip greens.