Good for you, Brad. I'd actually like the recipe for your Gram's lemonade, my girls love lemonade, and I'd like the recipe for the Vidalia onion dressing, if it's not too much trouble.

In return, if you'll send me your address, I'll be happy to send you a box for your recipe cards. I've got a couple of them and don't use them much anymore, since my recipes are on the computer and I've burned them to disks.

My email is annie1992 @ yahoo.com so if you send me an email (don't put any spaces in there), I'll be happy to send you one!

Annie

Hi Annie!

Oh thank you! That's very nice of you. I'll be sure to send you an e-mail! These cards are 4" x 6",so they're bigger than regular index cards. Mom's is full of index cards she typed up on a typewriter a long time ago.

No it's no trouble at all! I'm more than happy to share the recipes! :).

Lemonade (I did this from memory)

4 lemons
1 cup sugar
Water
Ice cubes

Roll and slice the lemons thinly. Place in a large bowl. Pour the sugar over the lemons. Mash with heavy spoon or potato masher. Stir well. Pour through strainer if desired. Add water and ice cubes. Place in fridge and let chill. Gram always makes hers in a kettle and it makes a lot! *Note: I soak my lemons for 15 minutes in hot water before rolling them out to get more juice. I know there are lots of methods but I read this one in an old household tips book mom has.

Vidalia Onion Dressing (Paula Deen's recipe)
1 cup onions, diced,
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar (I used red and it tastes delicious!)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together and let chill. Serve over fried green tomatoes. This also makes a good cole slaw dressing.

Thank you again, Annie!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

I think I have a box that's big enough for those, I'll go find it to be sure.

So you smash the lemons? I've never done that, I'll bet it gets a lot of the lemon flavor out of the peels too, what a good idea.

Annie

Oh okay! I hope you find one! If not, that's okay!

Yep! Just smash them up as good as you can get them. It's just really good once it's all ready to drink :). My gram uses an old wooden spoon (that was her mother's) to do the trick. It looks slushy at first before you add the water. Mmmm...now I'm thirsty for a glass or two lol.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

I've never had the discipline for a proper recipe box and cards. :( I have a messy binder and an expanding folder and a mish mash of computer files. Good for you for getting organized.

Good for you for getting your recipes in order.
I'd like the recipe for the "no panic Crab Casserole" if you have time to post it here.
Thanks, Linda C

Thank you everyone!

Barnmom, don't worry. I never thought I would either until I saw these cards lol.

Linda C, I'd be happy to give you the recipe!

No Panic Crab Casserole

1 16 oz. pkg. imitation crabmeat, flaked
1 cup half and half cream
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, divided
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine crabmeat, half & half, mayo, eggs, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, parsley and a little salt and mix well. Pour into sprayed 2 quart baking dish. Combine remaining bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over casserole. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Serves 6.

I have not tried this one. I thought it sounded good and I'd try it for myself someday!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad, you seem to have a real passion for food, like most of us that frequent this forum. Have you considered a culinary career?

Around here, HS students can attend their town's HS or apply for admission to a regional school that focuses on trades (like auto repair, plumbing, hairdressing, child care, culinary, etc). Do you have that option?

Not only do you come out of school with specific skills, there is a kinship and friendships fostered among the students in their various classes. It's nice for those that don't fit into a traditional HS setting.

Food for thought.

Brad, good for you. It is especially important that you get your family recipes recorded. I can't tell you how sorry I am not to have written down some of my Moms recipes. Especially her butter Tarts.

The Vidalia Onion Dressing sounds interesting. Please share !

Good for you. One suggestion, make a copy of them! They do tend to get lost or damaged occasionally.

And, in case you haven't noticed... usually if you mention a recipe around here, you'll be asked for it so you might want to save yourself some time of multiple posts and just post them all! :D

Everyone is a beginner at some point so be proud of a good start. I've found that what's easy for some is difficult for others. Go with your specialties and have fun. Not every dish turns out perfect for any cook so expect them and learn from them. Your excitement is contagious! Keep it up and enjoy. Happy cooking!

Paulines, a career in culinary arts is something I have considered as with my other two passions, gardening and writing. I'm trying to choose which one I wanna go with but I can't really go to school right now for any of those. Someday I will though. I really want to be a good cook, especially for when I meet that special someone someday. There is a Vo-Tech school that is local that offers culinary arts as a class. lol That is some food for thought!

Chase, I only have a few recipes from actual family members: the lemonade, Gram's Salad and my mom has a stuffing recipe that was her dad's. The Vidalia Onion Dressing is very simple! I posted it above when Annie asked for it along with the lemonade recipe :). I use it for my BLFGT's, fried green tomatoes and mom and I used it for cole slaw. It's really good!

Cynic, I'll be sure and make extra copies! It's not like they cost that much ($1 a pack at one of the local dollar stores) and they have different prints of the cards. lol Hey if you've got a good recipe, you might as well pass it along! That is true about what's easy for some is difficult for others!

Thank you again, everyone!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Here's the Vidalia Onion Dressing recipe for you all! Enjoy!

Vidalia Onion Dressing

1 cup onions, diced
2 T. rice wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 T. brown sugar.

Mix all ingredients together until well blended and let chill. Serve over fried green tomatoes or use as dressing for cole slaw.

I bet it would make a good salad dressing too. Sure tasted good on those BLFGT's!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad, that's great you found and used some nice recipe cards. I have recipes in all kind of places but I also have several recipe boxes. A cute 4x6 one came with it's own matching cards. Got that one as a present. You can hint those would be good for Birthday or holiday presents. Like Cynic said, if you want to make those extra cards you can get the plain cheap ones at the dollar store to use for the extra copies. Have fun. Love to see you enjoying your cooking so much.

Brad, Thanks for the lemonade recipe and tips. DGS and I have found 3 meyer lemon trees in the woods where we hike. He always wants to make lemonade when we get home so I need a Grammy worthy recipe.

At Peppi's urging, I documented my grandmother's recipe for spaghetti sauce that she brought from Italy and I have been eating since---maybe birth. I'm sure it's not to everyone's liking but in my family it is THE SAUCE.

Anyway on subject--in an effort to save this family treasure on something other than a recipe card and in an effort to decorate with purpose (learned that from RiverRat), I am handwriting it and having it aged, enlarged, matted, and framed or put on canvas.

Coconut-nj, I'll have to remember to take a picture of them later. My penmanship isn't too keen but the cards are pretty. I was looking up recipe card boxes online and I did find some cute ones.

Mustangs, you're welcome! Let me know how it turns out! Wow! That's an awesome way to preserve a recipe!

Here's a picture of what the recipe cards look like. Forgive my penmanship lol. They had more styles than this but I liked this style the best.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad, those are really cute cards! I love them.
But then, I still like hand-writing my recipes, putting them into plastic sheet protectors and into binders!!

Good job. Make duplicates or put them in sheet protectors and in a binder, till you get a recipe box. (or in place of a box)

Thank you, jasdip!

I shall be getting a box for them soon, thanks to a very nice member on here :).

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad, how about combining two passions and becoming a food writer, lol (seriously, I would love that job!).

Your posts are always very interesting and heartfelt-keep up the good work!

lol Not a bad idea ;). I could always write about gardening and cooking. I hate to say this for you guys but I think I could picture myself working in a big glass greenhouse (namely my own business) someday rather than a kitchen. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to cook, but I just love being surrounded by the beauty of nature.

I'm glad you guys enjoy my posts and I enjoy posting here on GW. 2011 was an interesting year in my life, more than a fair share of downs than ups but gardening and cooking help me. Anyways, like I said, anyone wants one of those recipes, post here or e-mail me and I'll get it to you :).

Brad AKA Moonwolf

I absolutely love things like that hand written. What a wonderful keepsake for future generations. Our descendants are missing out on so much. No body hand writes letters any more. I did some genealogy work a few yrs ago. Found out there were others researching the lines of the same family, and they shared some copies of handwritten letters etc that were very old. Plus copies of old pictures,some were copies of old tin types, military records, and marriage certs and more.

By the way Brad, thanks for the lemonade recipe, and am going to make some today.
Tammy

Brad great job on the recipe cards.

How much lemonade does the recipe make, please?

Tami

I loved the lemonade. nice and light and refreshing. Not so acidic as store bought canned powder. I made two quarts.
Tammy