Mum cut this recipe out of the Woman’s Day. It would make a great hot lunch dish as well as being easy to transport to a picnic or when you have to take something to share with family and friends.
EASY PICNIC SLICE
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HOMEMADE LIQUEURS
In the 1970s there was a craze for people to make their own liqueurs. I’m not sure that Mum ever made any of these as she didn’t drink all that much but these sweeter liqueurs may have appealed to her. The most successful one that we tasted was made with peaches, it wasn’t all that good at the time, but when we found the bottle at the back of the cupboard almost 20 years later it had mellowed very nicely…… To be honest I’m not sure if I’d make these, but if you feel like experimenting – good luck.
ZUCCHINI SOUP
Soup has always been a family favourite with us. In the early days Mum made soup using soup bones from the butcher to which she would add lots of vegetables – onions, carrots, celery, turnips and whatever else she had on hand. Once it had all boiled for a couple of hours it was left to cool, the bones were removed and the fat skimmed off the surface before reboiling and eaten. This recipe is one I gave her and I expect she liked it as it was quicker and easier to make.
ZUCCHINI SOUP
- 30g butter
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 4 chopped onions, chopped
- 6 medium zucchinis, sliced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
- Salt & Pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
- 4 cups chicken stock
Heat oil and butter, cook vegetables 10 minutes, add stock and seasonings simmer 10 minutes, pulverise, serve with cream.
APRICOT LOAF
It looks like this recipe has been cut off the side of a packet, although I’m not sure which packet it came from. I do know that it makes a great slice, really good for afternoon teas or to take on a picnic.
APRICOT LOAF
- 155g dried apricots
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 level teaspoon bi-carb soda
- 2¼ cups Self Raising flour
- ½ level teaspoon salt
- 60g margarine
- 125g (½ cup) sugar
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1 egg
- Topping:
- 30g margarine
- ½ cup oats
- 1 level tablespoon brown sugar
- 50g walnuts, finely chopped
Chop apricots, place into a basin with boiling water and soda, cover and stand ½ hour. Sift flour and salt into a basin, rub through margarine, add sugar, egg and apricot mixture, mix to combine. Grease loaf tin 22cm x 9cm x 6cm deep and sprinkle some oats over from the topping, then spoon in apricot batter. Melt margarine, add topping ingredients and mix well. Spoon topping over batter. Bake in a moderately hot oven 190ºC for 45-50 minutes. Cool slightly in the tin, remove and cool. Serve sliced and buttered if desired.
ORANGE CRISP BISCUITS
These biscuits are a little unusual as they use jelly crystals in place of sugar. The original recipe has orange flavoured jelly, but I’m sure you could use other flavours successfully. I top them off with a chocolate button just to add an extra kick.
ORANGE CRISP BISCUITS
- 125g butter
- 1 packet orange jelly crystals
- 30g sugar
- 1 egg
- 60g coconut
- 60g ground rice
- 125g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Chocolate buttons
Cream butter with jelly crystals and sugar. Add beaten egg and the dry ingredients previously mixed together. Place in small spoonfuls on a tray lined with baking paper and bake 15-20 minutes at 180ºC.
MINI HAM FRITATTAS
Although similar to the Individual Ham & Cheese Quiches this recipe for Mini Fritattas, which Mum cut out from the New Idea, would be a great gluten free version.
INDIVIDUAL HAM & CHEESE QUICHES
These little ham & cheese quiches are great for school lunches or to take on a picnic. I’m not sure where or when Mum collected this recipe, but while the recipe will make 8 to 10 quiches I’m not sure that the cost would now be $5.
LAMB, SPINACH & TOMATO MEATBALLS
Mum seems to have collected this recipe from the Herald Sun as there is a completed crossword on the other side. Until recently Mum did the crossword every day, while she doesn’t do them now she is still does read the paper every day.
BEEF GOULASH
As well as handwritten recipes in Beb’s Recipe Drawer there were many recipes cut out from newspapers and magazines. This Beef Goulash recipe comes from the New Idea and would be a great dish on a cold winter’s day.
MRS WOOD’S XMAS CAKES – 2 SOLDIER’S CAKE TINS
I’m sure Mum would have gotten this recipe from Mrs Wood to bake cakes to send over to Dad in England during WW2. Mrs Wood was Mum’s sister’s mother-in-law. She was a wonderful cook and I can remember visiting her house in East Malvern where there would always be plates of biscuits and freshly baked cake for afternoon tea. The Soldier’s Cake Tins referred to were used to bake a cake in to be sent overseas to the troops. The tins came with a lid so the cakes were baked then sealed to be sent off. Cake shops also sold fruit cakes that fitted into the special “Willow” cake tins. Fruit cakes with brandy were usually the cakes made this way as the brandy stopped the cake going mouldy during the time it took to reach the soldiers, wherever they were serving.
MRS WOOD’S XMAS CAKES
- 500g butter
- 8 eggs
- 500g castor sugar
- 500g plain flour
- 125g Self Raising Flour
- 1kg sultanas
- 500g raisins
- 250g currants
- 125g mixed peel
- 60g almonds
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon carb soda
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
Combine the fruit and brandy, leave overnight to marinate. Beat the butter and sugar together, add eggs one at a time. Add sifted flours and spices. Add fruit and nuts. Combine boiling water and carb soda and mix in well. Bake in prepared tins – 3 hours, turn after 1½ hours. Soldier tins measured 7½ inches = approx 20cm. So the mixture makes 2 x 20cm cakes – the ingredients can be halved for 1 cake.
Beb's Recipe Drawer 