I just found a treasure of recipes that I’ve had for eons. It’s funny what you find when you are looking for a can of WD-40. I didn’t find the WD-40, but writing this column will give me time to think where I might have put it the last time I used it. The problem with that is, what seemed like the logical place to put it after I used it, doesn’t seem logical today.

After looking through this large box, seems I wrote receipts down like I put things in logical places. No name of what the recipe is, written on a sales slip that the print is using every available piece of space there is, then running up and down the sides.

Here is one I can actually read. And, that’s because I didn’t write it. The paper is very yellow, so it is an antique!

Standard Cake

21⁄4 cups sifted cake flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

11⁄3 cups sugar

Directions: Sift the above into a bowl; then add:

1⁄2 cup Crisco

2⁄3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat 1 minute with electric mixer. Stop and scrape bowl and turn batter over 3 or 4 times. Continue beating 1 minute longer. Stop now and add:

1⁄3 cup milk

2 eggs

Beat 1⁄2 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Continue beating 1⁄2 minute. Evenly pour batter into two greased and floured 9-inch baking pans. Bake in a 375 F preheated oven for 25 minutes.

I remember making this cake and when it came out of the oven, I either put our favorite icing on it or we ate it plain which was good as I remember.

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Here is another cake I remember very well. My mother-in-law made this cake quite a bit. The best part is she would make it while all the men folks were gone and when it came out of the oven it was just me and her! We slathered on the butter and feasted while it was hot! One difference between the cake above and this cake is the texture. This cake has a much denser texture to it which makes it ideal for butter or jelly.

Two-Egg Quick Cake

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

2⁄3 cup sugar

11⁄4 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 cup margarine

1⁄2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

Directions: Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into small bowl. Add margarine, vanilla and all but 1⁄4 cup milk. Beat 2 minutes. Add eggs and remaining milk; beat 1 minute.

Grease and flour pan iron skillet and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 30-35 minutes.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

21⁄2 cups oats

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

12-ounce package semisweet chocolate pieces

4-ounce bar milk chocolate, grated

1-12 cups chopped nuts

Directions: Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

Mix butter-egg mixture with flour mixture until just blended. Add chocolate pieces, milk, and chocolate and chopped nuts. Roll into balls about size of golf balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 F in a preheated oven 12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

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And my very own special pie. This is the only pecan pie that I really love. Maybe it’s because it was my mother’s recipe for pecan pie. We all think our mom made the best anything. I can remember the night my mother-in-law nearly killed my father-in-law with her glaring eyes when he stupidly said, “I think Bonny makes the best biscuits I have ever eaten.”

Bonny did make good biscuits, probably better than mine, too. Henry had the good sense not to say so anyway. Bonny was Mrs. Crawford’s sister-in-law. And I have to say one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met!

Pecan Pie

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup Karo

1 cup pecans

Directions: Beat eggs then add sugar, Karo and pecans. Bake at 400 F. Check it see if its browning to fast, turn oven down and bake about 40 minutes. I always jiggle it until just the middle jiggles, then I call it done. Bake in an unbaked crust.

l

If you have recipes or tips to share, or a request, please send to: Solutions by Gin, P.O. Box 334, Clute, TX 77531, or email to: ginscolumn@hotmail.com.