The Season's Favorites

My favorite time of year is fall. I love all things fall — football, hot cider, chai tea, bonfires, and gold, yellow, and red leaves. I love Halloween, even though I don’t often dress up for Halloween — I have fun dreaming up Halloween costumes (my kids won many contests!). I love Thanksgiving, for the simple reasons of cooking our most requested recipes (and trying out some new ones) and gathering together with family and friends. This time of year, when I go out in the early morning to feed the cats, I enjoy spotting freshly woven webs, glistening with morning dew and my mind always drifts to — ”When the frost is on the punkin“ — Happy fall, Y’all!

Fresh Apple Cake

1⁄2 cup shortening
2 eggs well beaten
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cup chopped, peeled Golden Delicious Apples
2 cup sugar
2 cup self-rising flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup blackberry jam
1 cup chopped black walnuts

Cream together shortening and sugar; add eggs one at a time. Sift together flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add this slowly to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts, dates, raisins, jam and apples. Bake in well greased, floured tube pan for 1 hour 20 minutes at 325, or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Icing

1⁄2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 3⁄4 cup powdered sugar 1⁄4 cup milk

Melt butter and brown sugar over low heat, add milk and bring to a boil. Cool, add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.

Jodie’s Sweet Potato Pie

2 cups of boiled, mashed sweet potatoes 1 tablespoon flour
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg

Generous pinch of ginger
3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 1⁄2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 unbaked pie crusts

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Pour 1⁄2 mixture into each pie shell. Bake for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Settlers Beans

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained 1 onion chopped
16 0z can kidney beans, drained
1⁄4 c brown sugar

1⁄2 c ketchup
1/2 lb bacon, fried and crumbled 16 oz can pork and beans, drained 16 oz can butter beans, drained
1⁄4 c white sugar

Mix and cook in crockpot.

This is one of my mom’s recipes that I love, with cornbread, in the fall! There is no cook time listed, but if you put this in the crockpot in the morning, you’ll have a satisfying dish for supper! Enjoy.