My Godmothers Squash Casserole

My Godmother’s Squash Casserole


Squash Casserole – no one does it better than my Godmother, Charlotte Noble. Her Squash Casserole didn’t start off as that but began from just using the abundant squash and onions grown on nearby farms in South Carolina.

There are five important ingredients. Which are ten small yellow summer squash, one large onion, cup of low fat sour cream and two cups of shredded cheddar cheese. To add extra crunch, add a sleeve of Ritz crackers.

 Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat the dish with butter. Put all the sliced onions and sliced squash in a big pot with an inch of water, put a lid on it and let that boil for 10-15 minutes. Drain excess water and mash the mixture with a fork. Mix one-cup low-fat sour cream and 2 cups of shredded cheese with cooked vegetables. Bake for about 30 minutes. This will serve eight people.

A Saucy Story!

            A great family recipe that had been passed down from my great grandmother is a story worth talking about! With my great grandmother having lived in Sicily, Italy, it is no surprise that the recipe I am talking about is for spaghetti sauce. Throughout the years, this recipe has been a family favorite! However, I do admit that we have made a change to it since my great grandmother passed it to my grandmother. The original recipe called for regular tomato paste, and we changed it to Italian seasoned tomato paste. This new change gave the sauce much more flavor (which my great grandmother would approve of). Now what makes this spaghetti sauce recipe unique and interesting is that it calls for crushed red pepper flakes! This is used to add some spiciness to the sauce but of course can always be skipped for those who don’t like a little bit of extra heat. Also, you may ask, why not use real tomatoes? Well, my great grandmother used tomato paste because when she was around, you couldn’t find tomatoes when they were not in season. She used tomato paste so that this recipe could be made all year round, which after you taste this sauce, you will agree that it was a fantastic idea! My family and I are so proud to hold onto this recipe for spaghetti sauce, and I couldn’t be happier to share it with all of you!

Recipe:  

Authentic Sicilian Spaghetti Sauce

• 3 small cans Italian style tomato paste
• Water
• 1lb ground beef 80% lean
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 ½ tsp minced fresh garlic
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• ¼ cup minced fresh onion
• 1 tsp oregano
• ¼ tsp crushed pepper flakes

Brown onion and meat in a large sauce pan. When the meat is brown, add spices and mix, then add tomato paste. Stir and cook over medium heat for four minutes. Add enough water to cover tomato paste (about an inch) lightly stir. Turn heat on low. Do not stir sauce! Otherwise it will bubble all over your stove. Let simmer for two hours. Serve with pasta.

A Picture of Spain

Tortilla Española is a well-known dish in Spanish speaking countries.  This recipe was invented during the siege of Bilbao by Carlist general Tomás de Zumalacárregui because the Carlist Army needed an easy, fast, and nutritious meal to satisfy hunger.  My father, who learned it from his father, makes it often.  I want to make this dish for my kids and continue our Spanish legacy in our family. 

            Making a Tortilla Española is easy.  The ingredients are six peeled potatoes (sliced thinly and uniformly), half an onion, three cloves of garlic (minced), two cups of oil, and five eggs.  First, heat two cups of olive oil in a deep skillet or pot.  Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil, and when they start browning, add the potatoes.  Cook at low temperature until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.  Strain the oil out of the cooked onions, garlic, and potatoes and place mixture in a bowl.  Beat five eggs in separate bowl and combine the potato mixture.  Coat a frying pan with olive oil.  Cook the egg and potato mixture in a frying pan over low heat with the lid on.  Use a spatula to make sure the eggs do not stick to the sides of the pan.  When one side is fully cooked, get a plate, flip the tortilla over the sink to catch any dripping oil and slide it back into the pan to cooking until set.  Let cool and serve.  Serves six.                

From Imperfections to Perfections

           From Imperfections to Perfections

Hello! I am Kimberly and I enjoy baking, but my skills may not be as great  as my passion. Working in the Hiram Terrier Bakery has taught me skills that I didn't think were necessary. Every step of the transformation in getting the ingredients from Sam's Club to the Bakery is a critical job. It takes multiple hands and cooperation to measure the ingredients, to mix properly, and to shape the dough, then carefully let it rise and bake within a time limit. Having freshmen status gives you the opportunity to improve and perfect your skills not only in baking but in interacting with others as well. Every part of the whole bakery team is crucial.   I am not only one of the bakers on the team, but also a photographer. Being a photographer is a fun job, especially when I know the products took lots of effort. I move and zoom on a perfect angle to take multiple snaps. I love the photography job! I see the products as an art that I am portraying to sell. From the up-close pictures, I sometimes see the imperfections of presentation and shape that I have made. There is always room for perfecting it. But don't forget! We make these products from scratch with the very best ingredients and with our love/passion.