Tag: Grandma Marilyn Mitchell's Recipes

Candy Bar Bars

This recipe comes from Jeff’s Mitchell Family Cookbook, so I definitely wanted to include it. The taste is similar to No Bake Cookies, but with a nice crunch from the peanut butter. Haha, it may be the only time I ever buy crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth.

For gluten free, you just need to use gluten free oats and make sure you use a new jar of peanut butter or one not contaminated with crumbs.

Candy Bar Bars

  • Servings: 12?
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print


From the Mitchell Family Cookbook.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 c. Butter

  • 1 c. Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. Vanilla
  • 1/2 c. Corn Syrup
  • 4 c. Quick Cooking Oats (or gluten free oats)
  • 1 c. Semisweet Chocolate Chips
  • 2/3 c. Crunchy Peanut Butter

Directions

Lightly grease a 9×13 pan. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Mix in the vanilla, corn syrup, and oats. Pat this dough into the greased pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes (don’t overbake). Meanwhile, over low heat, melt together the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Allow the cookie base to cool slightly, spread the chocolate peanut butter mixture on top. Cool completely and cut into bars.

 


Granola

Jeff has talked about his mom making granola as a special treat for Christmas morning when he was little. They would eat it with milk as a cereal, but this can also be a topping for yogurt. This is one of the two granola recipes from his family recipe book, and this one is credited as coming from Make a Mix Cookery 1978. FYI, wheat germ can be hard to find, but recipe substitution sites say you can use ground flax seed. Also, the recipe says to spread in 9×13 pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, but I spread it on a large cookie sheet, and even with more surface area, it took SO much longer than 20 minutes to get any sort of crispness. Like maybe even 38 minutes.

If you’re making this gluten free, make sure to use flax seed instead of wheat germ, use gluten free oats, and check all your bags to make sure they don’t say “May contain wheat.” I was going to make this gluten free so I could try it, but both the Kroger sunflower seeds and flax seeds said they may contain wheat.

Granola

  • Servings: 2 large cookie sheets full
  • Difficulty: easy-medium
  • Print


May take considerably more time to get crisp.

Ingredients

  • 5 c. Rolled Oats (or gluten free oats)

  • 3/4 c. Wheat Germ (or ground flax seed)

  • 1 c. Coconut Flakes

  • 3/4 c. Raw or Toasted Sunflower Seeds

  • 1 1/2 c. Chopped Mixed Nuts

  • 1/2 c. Brown Sugar

  • 3/4 c. Water

  • 3/4 c. Vegetable Oil
  • 1/4 c. Honey
  • 1/4 c. Molasses
  • 3/4 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
  • 2 c. Raisins, Chopped Dates, or Other Dried Fruit

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, water, oil, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla, stirring until dissolved. Pour over oat mixture and mix well. Spread evenly into ungreased 9×13 baking pans (we used large cookie sheets instead). Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Check for desired crispness–you may need to add a lot more time). Cool completely, then stir in dried fruits. Store in an airtight container.

 


 

Lemon Bars

Jeff loves lemon, and I enjoy making him lemon treats because I love him so much. This recipe comes from the family cookbook that Grandma Marilyn Mitchell compiled, with this recipe attributed to Louise Durman, Food Editor, Knoxville News-Sentinel. It’s great and less expensive than many lemon bar recipes because you may already have all the ingredients. Lots of lemon bar recipes require lemon zest, and I was afraid the lemon flavor wouldn’t be as strong without it, but Jeff says it tastes good as is. So it’s great just to use your bottle of lemon juice instead of having to buy and zest lemons.

I haven’t made this one gluten free yet, but of course you’d want to switch out the flour for a gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum.

Lemon Bars

  • Servings: about 12
  • Difficulty: easy-medium
  • Print


Cool before serving and use a wire strainer to cover with powdered sugar.

Ingredients

  • 1 c. Butter, softened

  • 1/2 c. Powdered Sugar (plus more to sprinkle over top when finished)

  • 2 c. Flour (or gluten free flour with xanthan gum, plus a few tablespoons extra)

  • 1/2 tsp. Salt

  • 4 Eggs

  • 2 c. Sugar

  • 5 Tbsp. Real Lemon® Juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream together butter and powdered sugar. Blend in flour and salt. Press mixture into a buttered 9×13 pan. Bake crust at 300° for 20 minutes. While the crust is baking, in a medium bowl, blend together eggs, sugar, and lemon juice. Pour over crust. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Cool on rack; when cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut into rectangles.

 


 

Quick Potatoes and Kielbasa

This comes from Grandma Marilyn Mitchell, and Jeff says they had this quite a bit growing up. They mostly just had potatoes with kielbasa, but the recipe says you can add vegetables as desired, so I added green beans for more fiber. FYI, the recipe calls for 1 lb. of kielbasa, but the package I bought was only 12 oz., and it definitely could’ve used more. So next time, I’ll just buy two packages and use it all so it’s extra meaty.

And this one is naturally gluten free as long as your kielbasa is gluten free, which most are. 

Quick Potatoes and Kielbasa

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print


Easy and great with ketchup.

Ingredients

  • A few tablespoons Olive Oil

  • 1 (32 oz.) bag Frozen Diced Potatoes

  • 1/2 tsp. Salt

  • 1/2 tsp. Pepper

  • 1 lb. fully cooked Kielbasa, sliced

  • (Optional: Bag of frozen vegetables)

Directions

Heat olive oil in a skillet, add potatoes, and brown slightly. Season with salt and pepper, and add kielbasa (and vegetables as desired), stirring well. Top with sour cream, salsa, or ketchup.

 


 

Coconut & Oatmeal Cookies

Jeff grew up making these cookies and even made them one year for a Christmas cookie auction, so I wanted to preserve it as a family recipe. The shortening makes the cookies nice and chewy. Note that the dough does tend to spread and flatten quite a bit in the oven.

I haven’t made this one gluten free yet, but make sure you use a gluten free flour blend (maybe with a few extra tablespoons), gluten free oats, and uncontaminated other ingredients.

Coconut & Oatmeal Cookies

  • Servings: 2 1/2 doz
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print


Don’t place the dough balls too close together because they will spread in the oven.

Ingredients

  • 2 c. Sugar
  • 3 1/2 c. Flour (or gluten free flour with a few tablespoons extra)
  • 2 1/2 c. Rolled Oats (or gluten free oats)
  • 1 1/2 c. Coconut Flakes
  • 4 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 2 tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 1/2 c. Shortening
  • 3/4 c. Corn Syrup
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Directions

In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, oats, coconut, baking powder, soda, and salt. Blend in shortening until the mixture is crumbly like pie dough. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the corn syrup, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Roll into balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies should be light golden on the bottom.

 


Orange Cottage Cheese Salad

Jeff’s family often makes this for family get togethers, and this recipe was in Jeff’s family cookbook from his mom, so I wanted to preserve it. In the picture, I didn’t make it with the pineapple, but I think it would’ve been a nice texture–so I think I’ll try it in the future. This salad is versatile enough to be a side for a BBQ or a nice Sunday dinner. I’ve even thought about making both the pistachio salad and this salad for Halloween to have green and orange.

And this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Orange Cottage Cheese Salad

  • Servings: 8?
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print


Add pineapple for some good texture.

Ingredients

  • 2 c. Cottage Cheese (small curd)
  • 2 c. Cool Whip
  • 3/4 c. Orange Yogurt
  • 3 oz. pkg. Orange Jell-O
  • 2 c. Crushed Pineapple (optional)

Directions

Lightly mix all ingredients until all dry Jell-O powder is dissolved. Refrigerate until set.


 

Waldorf Salad

This recipe was in Jeff’s family cookbook from his mom, and I wanted to preserve it. The original recipe calls for 2 cups of celery, but I think I only added 1 because we’re not the biggest celery fans. We didn’t use grapes in the picture, but it probably would’ve made a nice addition. Also, I didn’t add the tablespoon of vinegar because it seemed acidic enough with all the apples, but it would be worth a try.

And this one is naturally gluten free–just make sure to use a jar of mayo that hasn’t been contaminated with gluten from previous sandwiches or whatever.

Make it a meal with:

Waldorf Salad

  • Servings: 6?
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print


Light and delightful fruit salad.

Ingredients

  • 2 large Granny Smith Apples, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 large Red Apples, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1-2 c. Celery, chopped small
  • 1 c. Walnuts, chopped
  • 1 c. Red Grapes cut in halves (optional)
  • 2/3 c. Mayo
  • 1/4 c. Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar (optional)

Directions

Mix apples, celery, walnuts, and grapes in a bowl. For the dressing, mix the mayo, sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl, then pour dressing over salad and stir until fruit is covered.


 

Marshmallow & Cream Cheese Dip

Jeff’s family made this all the time growing up, and I love it–especially with apples. You could consider it an appetizer or dessert, since it’s such a sweet and delicious thing to serve with fruit. You can also make it more festive by adding food coloring–we colored it green for St. Patrick’s Day.

And this one is naturally gluten free–just serve it with fruit and stay away from graham crackers.

Marshmallow & Cream Cheese Dip

  • Servings: 8?
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print


Simple, yet incredibly delicious. Just remember to soften the cream cheese beforehand.

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 oz.) pkg. Cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (7 oz.) pkg. Marshmallow Creme
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla

Directions

Blend cream cheese and marshmallow creme until smooth. Add vanilla and mix. Serve with fresh apples, fruit, or sweet crackers.