Rhubarb Cake

Another delicious Rhubarb dessert! Mom (Shan) has been making this favourite for a long time and since I tasted it while in Thunder Bay a few years ago, now our household is enjoying it too. It is especially tasty when served slightly warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Rhubarb Cake

Cake batter:

1 ½ cups white sugar

½ cup softened butter

1 egg beaten

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda in

  1 cup sour cream (will increase in volume after a short while)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

2 cups rhubarb

Topping:

¼ c softened butter

½ c brown sugar

½ c coconut

Cream ½ cup butter with sugar. Add egg, flour, baking soda/sour cream mixture.

Blend in vanilla & cinnamon. Fold in rhubarb.

Spread evenly in a greased 9" x 13" (we use Pyrex) pan.

Mix topping ingredients and spread gently on top of batter.

Bake at 350 F for 35 min or ‘til done.

Hamburger Stew

From Auntie Shan (as discussed at Irene's 88th birthday):
This is the perfect  "recipeless" recipe.......

Ingredients: hamburger (extra lean or drained regular), Chopped onion
 
Brown these together.... then " throw in " chopped carrot,celery,potatoes, salt & pepper

Add water to just keep it all moist enough to bubble around the veggies and meat...I added several times sparingly ,after the first cup or so....(.it all depends on your quantities)

I usually add about a cup of frozen mixed vegetables for the peas& corn & green beans .

I then add a can of sliced mushrooms drained And a sprinkle of Worcestershire Sauce and finally ....a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup.....the soup and liquid I keep "thick" like gravy ...Patty's version is a thinner broth.....which needs a spoon.....

My sister Irene's version.....is all but the potatoes, and she cooks & mashes them separately....and then puts the meat over or under the potatoes......I wants to mash the potato pieces in the mix as I eat it.....it was the first table food for all my Mom's grand kids and it's still a very favourite "comfort food" for most of the Forstrom descendants ....It's  a wonderful easy and relatively quick meal after work.... Could probably be done in a crockpot.

Hope this isn't too vague, but I don't know of a written version....
xoxo
Shan

Thin Bread

John Philp mastering the art of rolling Thin Bread.....along with Kaleigh who is now ready as well as Patty mastering the oven duty.......we were a well oiled machine.....We are up for hire now, and made it thin like Dawn's.. xox Shan

Recipe at http://shansbeans.blogspot.ca/2009/01/thin-bread.html

Shan’s Muffins (adapted from Doris Arnold’s recipe)

Dry ingredients
4 c all-purpose flour
4 c cooking bran
1 ½ c white sugar
4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
Fluff all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

1. Combine 2 mashed bananas and 1 whole navel orange (no seeds). Shan processes in food processor or blender to make into “mush.”

2. Combine ½ to ¾ of each or any of: cranberries, dates, coconut, walnuts or other nuts. Other options: molasses, applesauce, chopped apple, carrots. Stir all of these into the dry ingredients.

3. In an 8 c. Measuring cup or bowl mix together:
4 beaten eggs
4 c buttermilk or milk
1 ½ c canola oil

Gradually stir into dry ingredients the liquids (eggs, etc) with banana/orange added into it. Don’t use beaters, just a gentle spoon action.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (the more dense, the more time)

Makes 4 doz muffins. Grease cups or spray or use muffin papers or upgrade to silicone muffin cups.
You can bake them all at once or refrigerate the batter for a couple of weeks.

Shan's Beans

contributed by Mary Lou

Cook frozen green beans (I like French, mum likes regular)
"Pam" casserole and add beans
Add 1 can sliced mushrooms (I use fresh)
Thinly slice 1 can water chestnuts (drained) and add to the mixture
Add 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 can water (mixed)
Mix and cover and bake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes (until hot)

You may add buttered crumbs or chow mein noodles as topping but then do not cover.