I could write multiple pages about these recipes that were handed down to me from my mother, who passed away recently. Because I know she would love to have me share them, I pulled out my recipe box, found the index cards covered with her neat penmanship, and typed these recipes up just for you.

This hearty, stick-to-your-ribs soup is a family staple featuring beef and cabbage. Making this meal-in-a-bowl is definitely time well spent. Over the years, this soup and bread were shared with too many people to count and my siblings and I all carry on the tradition. When my own children were growing up, I made this soup often, as well as four loaves of bread every week for school lunch sandwiches and morning toast. Warm from the oven, it was also a popular after school snack when covered with a generous spread of peanut butter.

Then there are the cookies, which are really more like a Scottish oat cake. Although our family has always called them “cookies,” they aren’t all that sweet. However, they are extremely satisfying, especially when served with a cup of strong tea laced with milk and sugar. These cookies were often found in our cookie jar and also in our grandmother’s farmhouse kitchen up the road.

We were blessed.

First Soup

1 (2-3 pound) boneless chuck roast
2-3 pounds beef short ribs, prime rib bones, or meaty soup bones
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 quarts water
1 large onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons thyme
2 teaspoons parsley
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (16-ounce) can sauerkraut
6 cups cabbage, shredded
2-4 teaspoons beef-flavored Better than Bouillon
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Season roast and ribs with salt and pepper and brown on all sides in a large Dutch oven. Add water, cover, and allow to simmer for two hours until meat is almost tender. Add all other ingredients and simmer another 1½ hours or until vegetables are tender and meat falls off the bone. Remove meat and bones from soup. Cut meat into bite-size pieces and return to soup. Yield: 8-10 servings

Country Crust Bread

2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes or 4½ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6-6½ cups flour
Softened butter for loaf tops
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, oil and 2 cups flour. Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Mix in remaining flour a cup at a time until dough is easy to handle.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic for 8-10 minutes. Place dough in oiled bowl then flip dough so oiled side is up. Cover with a clean towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. The dough is ready if an impression remains.
Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll each into a rectangle approximately 18-by-9 inches. Roll up, beginning at short side. Seal ends then fold them under to form a loaf. Place seam side down in two buttered 9-by-5-by-3-inch buttered glass loaf pans. Brush loaves with a bit of oil. Cover with towel and allow to rise until doubled, about an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place loaves on lower oven rack so tops of the loaves are at the center of the oven. Bake 30-35 minutes or until the loaves are a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans and brush with butter. Allow to cool. Yield: 2 loaves

Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until well-blended. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into batter. Add oatmeal one cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until well-combined. You may have to use your hands to incorporate all the oatmeal; the dough will be very stiff.
Roll dough out to 1/2-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter. Bake cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 12 minutes. Yield: 18 cookies

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