Old Fashion Lemon Icebox Cake

Old Fashion Lemon Icebox Cake
Dorcas Annette Walker

Right in the middle of a heat wave the other week our refrigerator of over twenty years quit cooling. It had been a faithful standby that we took for granted, as our kids grew from childhood to adult. In fact when remodeling our kitchen years ago we had our kitchen cabinets custom built around our refrigerator. As I worked to keep my food from spoiling in the heat, I had an insight into the life of my ancestors who didn’t have the convenience of an electric refrigerator. As soon as my husband came home from work we raced to town to purchase a replacement. I was quite unprepared for all the new fangled designs and gadgets that accompany modern refrigerators today. As my husband and son excitedly pulled me from one enthralling model to another, citing all the new features available, I felt rather dazed. “All I want”, I tried to tell my fellows, “Is a simple refrigerator that works.”

Families used to settle beside a creek or spring where food was cooled in spring houses. Some dug holes in the ground- cellars- lined with wood or straw and packed with snow or ice for refrigeration. Then came iceboxes made of wood with hollow walls that were lined with tin or zinc and packed with insulating materials such as cork, sawdust, straw, or seaweed. A large block of ice was placed in a compartment near the top of the box so that cold air could circulate down around the lower storage compartments. Some modern models had a spigot for draining water from a catch pan or holding tank. In cheaper models a drip pan was placed underneath the box that had to be emptied daily. A horse-drawn ice wagon made regular door-to-door deliveries with blocks of ice. Some apartment buildings had small doors that opened up to the icebox from the back porch where blocks of ice could be inserted by the ice man. Children would climb up on the ice wagon to get chips of fallen ice. America hit an industrial high in the mid 19th century to the 1930’s when the refrigerator was introduced into the home. Oliver Evans is known for designing the first refrigeration machine in 1805. The first practical refrigerator was built by Jacob Perkins in 1834 using ether in a vapor compression cycle. Today my modern refrigerator is built on wheels and has a fan at the bottom that cools the coils down automatically. I love the storage shelves in the door that holds a gallon of milk and the clear see-through shelves in the main part. I passed up the door feature of ice and cold water on the front- I know I’m hopelessly old fashioned- and I found a model without an automatic ice maker as I prefer to make up my own ice. I’m as thrilled over my new refrigerator as the ladies before me were with their fancy iceboxes.

This Old Fashion Lemon Icebox Cake is a quicker and simpler version of the original recipe, but still has the cool tangy taste of lemon that is refreshing to the taste buds on a hot summer day, like a cold glass of lemonade. Total preparation time is around one hour and fifteen minutes (30 minutes of cooling cake included) and this recipe serves sixteen. The Old Fashion Lemon Icebox Cake is made up the day before and makes a mild refreshing lemon summer dessert.

Old Fashion Lemon Icebox Cake

1 lemon cake mix
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
½ c lemon juice
1 (16 oz) cool whip

Prepare lemon cake mix according to the directions on the box and bake in two layers. Cool for thirty minutes and cut both layers in half.

Beat condensed milk and lemon juice until slightly thickened with mixer. Then fold in cool whip with a Wisk until well blended. Ice between layers and frost entire cake. Chill overnight in refrigerator before serving. May garnish with sliced lemons or lemon curls and mint leaves!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@yahoo.com. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake
Dorcas Annette Walker

I remember when I first was married and living on a college campus, which my husband attended, Dana and I saved up and bought an old-fashion crank ice cream freezer. Hot summer evenings would find a bunch of us couples gathered together to make homemade ice cream. We all lived in poverty, barely scraping by, so we’d call each other to come up with enough ingredients. The guys would take turns cranking the freezer out on the porch, as we visited waiting with anticipation for the first taste, until the ice cream was deemed ready. There is nothing as refreshing as homemade ice cream on a hot summer night. You had to pace yourself and eat it slow or you’d get a monster of a headache. Today it is actually cheaper to buy ice cream already made at the store, but no store-bought flavor can beat the taste of homemade ice cream. As for my old ice cream freezer, it now is a plant holder on my back porch; a conservation piece of fondness to those who remember the good ole days and one of sheer unbelief to the younger generation.

By the end of the 19th century ice cream was firmly established in American society. With its popularity came new inventions. There are differing opinions and claims about who actually made the first ice cream sandwich. The earliest recorded was in the Washing Post July 5, 1900 from the New York Tribune, which had an article about an ice cream sandwich man who sold ice cream from a tin mold, between slabs of wafers, for one cent out of a pushcart on the Lower East Side of New York City within the district inhabited by the Russians. George Whitney in 1928 began what is now a San Francisco tradition, ice cream sandwiches where vanilla ice cream is placed between two large oatmeal cookies and then dipped in chocolate. In Australia ice cream sandwiches are given the name of Giant Sandwich wrapped in blue, pink and white. In the Eastern states is it called a Monaco Bar recognized by its gold and black metallic cover. In Ireland ice cream sandwiches are known as sliders and in Singapore not only does the ice cream come in different flavors (some exotic flavors: Red Bean, Yam, Sweet Corn, Durian, and Honeydew), but vendors also sell blocks of ice cream between slices of multicolored bread instead of wafers or a cone. Speaking of different flavors, I found recipes for homemade pumpkin, Ladyfinger, and Shamrock ice cream sandwiches. The most popular homemade ice cream sandwich is by placing vanilla ice cream between two chocolate cookies.

My Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake evolved from a recipe I saw in a magazine that used ice cream sandwiches. My brain cells went crazy at the potential of making a frozen dessert using only a couple of ingredients and so quick to make. When my son began his teen years I started making ice cream birthday cakes that were an instant hit, but they involved a lot of work. I even tried Dairy Queen’s ice cream cakes- and was usually passed on quickly to the manager when I would suggest something different from the two choices offered. How I wish now that I had thought about using ice cream sandwiches. My Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake takes only fifteen minutes to prepare and serves twenty. This ice cream cake, using ice cream sandwiches, is full of endless possibilities when you check out the different flavors of ice cream sandwiches now available. My Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake is a sure winner for both kids and adults with the peanut butter/chocolate mixture.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake

1 box of 12 peanut butter ice cream sandwiches
1 large cool whip (16 oz)
1 chocolate candy bar

Lay four ice cream sandwiches in a row on large plate. Spoon cool whip over layer of ice cream sandwiches. Add second layer of four ice cream sandwiches. Cover with cool whip. Finish with third layer of ice cream sandwiches. Completely cover cake with cool whip. Garnish with chocolate curls and freeze overnight. Slice with sharp knife and serve!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@yahoo.com. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.

Cucumber Fruit Salad

Cucumber Fruit Salad
Dorcas Annette Walker

Cucumbers and squash have a way of multiplying in one’s garden. In fact in a good year one begins to feel like they are being overtaken by the vines and the abundance of produce, almost like a Jack in the Beanstalk effect. You pick all the ripen cubes only to find the vines loaded the next day. The solution is either to sell the extra, give away to neighbors and friends, or even resort to begging unless one is fortified with recipes and ideas. A family favorite was my grandmother, Annie Lehman’s, Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad where you peeled and thinly sliced a couple cucumbers, added one cup of water, two tablespoons vinegar, one teaspoon salt, and one tablespoons sugar. I’ve even tried all kinds of pickles- if you ever want to enliven up a guest dinner just bring out a new experiment of pickles- until my pantry shelves were loaded with the lovely cubes. The problem is you can pickle your family to death so I always keep my eyes open to new recipes that involve cumbers. We were out on the road in a revival service up in Indiana, where my husband was preaching, when at the parsonage I tasted a different kind of salad that intrigued me. I couldn’t believe my ears when I found out that the main ingredient was cucumber. I immediately begged for the recipe and have used many times since.

Sour cream has become a staple in most kitchens. It is used to make quick dips, thicken sauces, and as toppings on baked potatoes etc. Sour cream is a dairy product rich in fats obtained by fermenting regular cream, which produces lactic acid souring the cream. Sour cream can be stored in the refrigerator for more than a month after the expiration date, but if any mold forms on the cream’s surface the entire container should be discarded. See my tip for extending the use of sour cream on my blogspot under cooking tips. Sour cream is used primarily in the countries of Europe and North America often as a condiment. In the Ukrainian and Russia sour cream is added to borscht and other soups, in Mexican cuisine it is used to cool hot pepper components, and Hungarians use it as an ingredient in their recipes for ham-filled crepes. Crème fraỉche is a French heavy cream slightly soured that can be mixed with air into whipped cream and cooked without curdling. Smetana is a variety of a much heavier sour cream used in Central and Eastern Europe that is blended in thick soups, served on a plate with boiled dumplings, or mixed in salads.

Cucumber Fruit Salad is a smooth-tasting summery salad that blends cucumbers with fruit. This light, yet filling, cold salad is quick and easy to make ideal for hot summer days. I’ve also served the Cucumber Fruit Salad in the winter to bring back a whiff of summer. The Cucumber Fruit Salad adapts to any type of simple or formal meal. This recipe takes around twenty minutes to prepare and serves ten.

Cucumber Fruit Salad

Peel, slice, and dice up 2 large cucumbers in a medium bowl.
Mix in:
1 diced red apple
2 c red grapes sliced in half
½ c nuts (your choice)

Mix together:
3 tb sugar
1 (16 oz) sour cream

Pour over chopped mixture and blend well. Chill and serve. May garnish with fresh fruit!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@yahoo.com. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.

Blueberry Smoothie Cheesecake

Blueberry Smoothie Cheesecake
Dorcas Annette Walker

To beat the heat this month I plan on giving recipes that are not only cool to the taste buds, but easy to whip up and serve. Each year the summer months find me avoiding my kitchen as much as possible. As the heat increases my body tends to feel sluggish and my appetite wanes- a condition that for some reason doesn’t affect the men of my household. After spending the day in the kitchen canning garden produce or trying to stay cool by hibernating in my air-conditioned house all I want is a menu that is fast and easy. Am I lazy or what? Thankfully there are plenty of recipes that fit that category. Now is the time of year to indulge in fresh fruits and veggies.

Smoothies are a cold beverage made from fresh fruit that is blended with crushed ice, frozen fruit, or yogurt with a milkshake-like consistency. Unlike milkshakes, smoothies do not contain cow’s milk or ice cream. Stephen Kuhnau the founder of Smoothie King claims to be the inventor of the smoothie drink in the late 1960’s. He worked as a soda jerk in his teens serving people milkshakes that he could not drink himself due to his dairy intolerance. So he developed a non-dairy blend of fruit drinks that he called smoothies. Today Smoothie King is the second largest smoothie franchise in the United States. Smoothies appeal to a wide range of people due to the sweetness of fresh fruit, the high nutritional value of dietary fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Not only are smoothies simple to make and a quick thirst quencher, but the possibilities of fruit blends are limitless. All you need is fresh fruit and a blender. You can even make your own home-made yogurt to use as a basis for smoothies.

Blueberry Smoothie Cheesecake is a creamy, cool-tasting, summer dessert that is sure to be an instant hit. This dessert is quick and easy to make and can be made up ahead of time. You can also substitute the blueberries for strawberries, raspberries, peaches or other fresh fruit to indulge your taste buds. This Blueberry Smoothie Cheesecake recipe takes around fifteen minutes to prepare and serves sixteen.

Blueberry Smoothie Cheesecake

Mix one package of crushed graham crackers with one melted stick of butter in a 9 x 13 baking dish, bake for ten minutes at 350º, and cool.

In a blender on high speed, grate up 2 c fresh blueberries or 1 pkg of frozen blueberries.

Mix together until smooth:
4 pkg cream cheese
1 c sugar
1 (8 oz) cool whip
Fold in grated blueberries and pour on cooled graham cracker crust. Chill and serve. May garnish with cool whip and fresh fruit!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@yahoo.com. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.

Picnic Fare

Picnic Fare
Dorcas Annette Walker

Summertime is often when thoughts turn to outdoor picnics. The heat doesn’t seem quite as hot when one is at a park enjoying a picnic with family and friends. I remember when our children were young after spending a hot summer day canning garden produce in the kitchen I would often grab leftovers while my husband put our kid’s bikes in the trunk, we’d pile in the family car, and head to the local Pickett State Park a few miles down the road from our home. After eating our impromptu supper, my husband and I would relax in the shade while Dawn and Dwight rode their bikes or played in the park playground until dark. There was something soothing and relaxing feeling the mountain air slowly cool down around us for the night. Picnics don’t have to be confined just to summer. We started going to the park in the early spring and autumn finding out that we enjoyed those excursions even better than summertime when the park would often be filled with campers. There was something exhilarating about discovering newly opened spring flowers in the quietness of a spring evening or listening to autumn winds rushing through the treetops while watching our children play in the piles of colorful leaves swirling all around. No matter the season picnics are great bonding experiences. So to help celebrate summertime I’ve enclosed a couple of easy-to-make favorite picnic recipes for you to try.

Picnic Macaroni Salad
Boil 3 c macaroni with 6 c water and 1 tsp salt. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Add:
1 hard-boiled egg (chopped)
1 small onion (chopped) or 2 tb minced dried onions
3 tb sweet pickle relish
½ c fresh celery (chopped) or 1 tb dried celery leaves
1 tsp dried parsley
1 small red tomato (chopped)
2 c mayonnaise or salad dressing
salt and pepper to flavor
Mix all ingredients until the macaroni is well coated. Chill until ready to serve. Preparation time is thirty minutes and this recipe serves ten.


Fast & Easy Baked Beans
Bring to a boil and simmer together:
2 (16 oz ) cans or 1 large can of baked beans
¼ c brown sugar
1 tsp mustard
1 c catsup
¼ c dark syrup
Preparation time is thirty minutes and this recipe serves six.


Zesty Hamburgers
Mix together thoroughly and form into round patties:
2 lb ground beef
2 tb dried onion
½ c shredded cheese
½ c bacon bits
¼ c ranch salad dressing
Grill or fry in iron skillet each side until brown and cooked through. Place on hamburger bun and serve with favorite hamburger toppings. Preparation time is five minutes and this recipe makes six large hamburgers.


Homemade Lemon-aide
In two-quart pitcher mix:
1 c reconstituted lemon juice
1 c sugar
Fill with the rest of the pitcher with cold water and mix thoroughly until sugar is dissolved. Serve with ice. Preparation time is five minutes and this recipe makes two quarts of beverage. *Warning: This lemon-aide is an old-fashioned tart beverage drink!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@yahoo.com. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.

Watermelon Summer Dessert

Watermelon Summer Dessert
Dorcas Annette Walker

Summer days often bring hot and humid weather. There is nothing like the taste of a cold watermelon on a hot afternoon or evening to quench your thirst. Every summer growing up I looked forward with anticipation to the first taste of watermelon. It wasn’t until I was married and living in the Mountains of Tennessee that I had my first experience of tasting a yellow watermelon grown by a local farmer. Surprisingly enough yellow watermelons taste just as sweet as the red ones. I didn’t believe it until I had tasted one for myself.

I was amazed at all the facts available about watermelons. The first recorded watermelon harvested occurred 5,000 years ago in Egypt. History says that a watermelon was once thrown at the Roman Governor Demosthenes during a political debate. He used the rind of that watermelon for a helmet as fought Philip of Macedonia. The word watermelon first appeared in the English dictionary in 1615. Early explorers used watermelons as canteens. The first cookbook published in the United States in 1796 contained a recipe for watermelon pickles. Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown in ninety-six countries worldwide. In 1990, Bill Carson, of Arrington, Tennessee grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds. The world record for eating a watermelon is held by Richard LeFever who ate eleven-and-one-half pounds of watermelon in fifteen minutes. Forty-four states grow watermelons; the three top producers are Florida, Texas, and California. By 1999 over four billion pounds of watermelon was produced in the United States. In Southern Russia beer is made from watermelon juice (do me a favor and don’t tell the bootleggers up here on the mountain) and they also boil down the watermelon juice to a heavy syrup like molasses for its sugar. While watermelons are found in various sizes and shapes Japan takes first place for its latest addition of square watermelons. Yep, farmers actually put the watermelons in square tempered glass boxes while the watermelon is still growing on the vine, which allows the full-grown watermelon to fit conveniently and precisely in a refrigerator shelf. I didn’t run down any prices, but it was noted that square watermelons are priced at a very high premium. If that doesn’t boggle your mind read this. Watermelons are African in origin and classified as a vegetable because they are related to cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash! Every part of the watermelon is edible; the seeds can be roasted while the watermelon rind can be used to make preserves, pickles, and relish. Watermelon is considered to be an ideal health food because it doesn’t contain any fat or cholesterol, it is an excellent source of A, B6 and C, contains fiber and potassium, and is certified as a heart healthy food by the American Heart Association. Watermelons are made up of 92% water and the National Watermelon Day is August 3rd.

This Watermelon Summer Dessert is a colorful and ideal summer dessert for picnics and family reunions. It takes about thirty minutes to prepare the Watermelon Summer Dessert and this recipe serves around twenty.

Watermelon Summer Dessert

Take one large ripe watermelon and cut lengthways (one-fourth off of the top) with a sharp knife. Scoop out the watermelon with a large spoon and set aside. Decorate the edge of the rind by cutting out inch, up-side-down triangles all around the top giving a zig-zag effect.

In a large bowl mix together:
watermelon cut into chunks
1 cantaloupe (peeled and sliced into chunks)
1 bag of frozen blueberries or 4 c fresh blueberries
Pour the mixed fruit into the watermelon rind until full and heaped up. You can store the remaining fruit in an air-tight container to refill the rind as needed. Chill and serve with a large spoon!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@yahoo.com. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.