For many people, family reunions begin in June. Late June or early July is when our family usually holds theirs. That being the case, for this month’s “From the Kitchen,” I am including three recipes for items that I often take to family reunions. I included these recipes in the handmade recipe book I made for our children as a gift about five years ago.
Grandma Champion’s Homemade Potato Salad: this recipe was handed down to me from my mother when I got married 52 years ago. I make it all throughout the year and don’t save it just for picnics and reunions. The amounts I have here are for making a salad that has only four servings. The ingredients can be adjusted to fit your needs.
Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes
5 hard-boiled eggs
Finely chopped radishes, celery, onion and dill pickle (to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup Miracle Whip™
Squirt of mustard
1 Tbs. or so of milk
Paprika
Directions:
Boil the eggs and cool in the refrigerator. Peel the potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces. Boil in water until slightly tender. DO NOT overcook. Drain and place in a bowl and set in the refrigerator to cool. While the potatoes and eggs are cooling, finely cut up the veggies and pickle. Then, shell and cut four of the eggs into bite-size pieces and add to the potatoes. Add the veggies and pickle.
Mix the Miracle Whip™, milk and mustard in a separate bowl and mix until smooth. Fold this into the potato-egg-veggie mixture. Top with the remaining egg-sliced and sprinkle paprika on top. Chill until served.
Grandma Siwik’s Oatmeal Cake: (Serves 12)
The next recipe is one my mother-in-law gave to me when we got married. It was her go to recipe when she needed something to take to a picnic, reunion or a potluck banquet. I haven’t made it much since our children left home as it is too much for just my hubby and me to eat.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 eggs
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. salt
Directions:
Combine first three ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then add the next six ingredients and mix well. Add the flour and salt last. Pour ingredients in a greased 9 x 13 cake pan and bake at 350° for 40 minutes.
Prepare topping ten minutes before cake is done.
Topping:
6 Tbs. melted butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup hot milk
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup shredded coconut
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and boil for three minutes, stirring while it boils. Spread topping on hot cake.
Mom’s Lime Bavarian Crème Salad: (Serves 10-12). This last recipe I have been making for at least fifty years. I found the recipe in a magazine that contained an ad for Jello™ Lime gelatin. I sometimes put it in a Jello™ mold but for reunions leave it in a glass casserole dish. The original recipe called for pecans but since so many people have an allergy to nuts, I never added them.
Ingredients:
1 large package lime Jello™
½ tsp. salt
1 cup Cool Whip™ (the recipe called for whipping cream but makes the salad not last as long)
3 Tbs. sugar
1 cup hot water
1 cup pineapple juice (from the can) + necessary cold water to equal a cup
1 cup crushed pineapple…drained
Directions:
Dissolve the package of Jello™ and the salt in the hot water in a large mixing bowl. Add the pineapple juice and water. Chill until slightly thickened. Fold the Cool Whip™ into the Jello™. Add the 3 Tbs. sugar to the 1 cup crushed pineapple. Fold this mixture into the Jello™ and place the entire mixture evenly in a 9 x 12 glass dish. Chill until firm.
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These would have been great for my family reunion in June. I especially like the jello salad.
So, my Mom’s potato salad is always the biggest hit!
I know oatmeal cookies but never heard of oatmeal cake. I will be trying that one. Thanks for sharing this, I love it.
All of these recipes look so delicious!! Thank you for sharing!
I know of oatmeal cookies but not oatmeal cake! I will try that one
I love how you use recipes handed down from family! That makes them even more special.
I’m always on the lookout for great potato salad. This recipe sounds so easy, I don’t know what I do wrong.
But, at least mine isn’t as bad as my mom’s – she either overcooked the potatoes, or didn’t let them cool completely, because it was always more like mashed potatoes! 😵
I cook my potatoes so they just start to get soft. Then, I drain them and run cold water on them to cool them off.
I love potato salad!
Some great options here! The potato salad is similar to the one I make with my homemade mayonaise!
The potato salad sounds just like the recipe my Oma used to make! YUM!
I would love to try that oatmeal cake!
I’m always looking for good summer salad recipes. Thanks so much!
I love a good potato salad, I’ll have to try making this one for my next family get together.
Mom’s Lime Bavarian Creme Salad sounds good!
Great recipes!! I am looking at trying the Creme Salad, it looks like an amazing summer treat!
I’ve never heard of oatmeal cake but it sounds delicious! I think I’d go with that one!