Recipes From My Family Tree

Marie Condon Gray

1945

I always remember my mom having a little black notebook full of recipes. She also had a little yellow tin with index cards and recipes cut from magazines. These were recipes that had been collected and used by my mother, my grandmother Marie Condon Gray and my great grandmother Audrey Allen Condon. Some of these recipes I can almost taste from the memories of them. A few of them I have actually made myself. Others, I have never tried and they are waiting for me to make and pass on to one more generation. I was reminded of one recipe today when I had tomato soup for lunch. It is a tomato soup cake. This is one I haven't tried yet, but I plan to make it soon. Since I started to think of these recipes, I thought I'd post a couple of them so anyone could try them. I have copied them from the little black notebook and the yellow tin and have saved them all to keep passing on. Enjoy and let me know how you like any of the recipes you might try. I will post more recipes in the future. I also apologize for the way this post looks in the recipe section. I did it all organized but it jumbled things up. Hope you can still read it well.

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TOMATO SOUP CAKE

Marie Condon Gray

Ingredients: 1 cup sugar; 1 can tomato soup; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1 tsp. cinnamon; 1 cup raisins; 1/2 cup shortening; 2 cups flour; 1 tsp. cloves; 1 egg; 1 cup chopped walnuts; salt

powdered sugar or creamed lemon sugar for frosting.

Method: Blend sugar, shortening, egg and soup. Add flour, spices and a dash of salt. Stir

well. Add baking soda which you have dissolved in a little bit of water. Blend well.

It will be a little thin. Add raisins that have been rinsed in hot water then

sprinkled with flour. Add walnuts. Bake in 8x8x2 pan at 350 degrees for

35-40 minutes.

For the frosting, sprinkle with powdered sugar or use a creamed lemon

sugar mixture.

***My notes: I don't know if the pan should be greased/floured or not.

I don't know how to make a creamed lemon sugar mixture, but maybe it's

with lemon juice and powdered sugar.

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RECEPTION SALAD

Audrey Allen Condon & Marie Condon Gray

My mom told me that this salad was made for many, many bridal and baby showers. It was always a hit and everyone expected it to be there!

Ingredients: 1 pkg. of lemon jello; juice of 1 large can of crushed pineapple; 2 pkg. of cream

cheese mashed with 1 small can pimentos, 1/2 cup celery finely cut, 1/3 cup

walnuts finely chopped; 1/2 pint whipped cream; 1/8 tsp. salt

Method: Heat the pineapple juice and mix with jello. Let cool and when mixture begins

to jell, add other ingredients in order given. Place in single large, or several small

molds and let set until firm.

***My notes: hmmm... I think you mash the pimentos, celery and walnuts with the cream

cheese. Maybe you mash all the remaining ingredients. I'll have to make it and

see. It sounds very similar to the cottage cheese salad they made as well.

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COTTAGE CHEESE SALAD

Marie Condon Gray

Ingredients: 1 12oz container of cottage cheese; 1 #2 can of crushed pineapple; 2 cups

boiling water; 2 pkgs. lime jello.

Method: Drain pineapple but SAVE juice. Dissolve jello in boiling water. Add

pineapple juice and 1 cup cold water. Chill. When nearly set add cottage cheese

and crushed pineapple. Put in any mold and let set. Can be served plain or

with mayonnaise.

***My notes: Not sure of the mayonnaise option. I also don't know what size a #2 can is, but I'm

guessing it's the small can.

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CHOCOLATE MAYONNAISE CAKE

Marie Condon Gray

Ingredients: 1 cup sugar; 4 tbls cocoa; 1 1/4cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmans, but any brand will work); 1 tsp. vanilla; 2 cups flour; dash of salt; 2 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 1 cup of water.

For frosting use either powdered sugar only, or a frosting recipe of your choice. My mom always used a thick marshmallow frosting that was yummy (I'll have to get that recipe too)

Method: Grease and flour a 10x8 pan (I use a 9x13 but it's a thin cake). Mix sugar and cocoa together. Add Mayonnaise and stir well. Add flour, vanilla, salt and baking soda that is dissolved in the water gradually. Stir well. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (varies) Check cake with toothpick in center to determine when it is finished.