Mom and Dad had nine kids when they could barely afford two. So, we all learned how to stretch a dollar — because we had to.
And Mom could make a meal out of the most meager of menu items. So, even today I’m always looking for quick, EZ, and inexpensive treats to make for my family. One thing I always tell my kids is a recipe is just a guideline. Mom never had all the ingredients but that didn’t stop her from baking, cooking, and making some pretty memorable meals. So, I change recipes whenever I want to suit what I like best or what I have on hand. Like the Easy Toffee Bars below — instead of using two cups of butter, I only used one, 
and instead of using saltine crackers, I used graham crackers.
I asked a couple of my friends what recipes they remember most from home and the holidays. Here’s a sampling:
Easy Toffee Bars:
1 tube saltine crackers, set entire tube on cookie sheet over foil
Melt 2 cups butter and 1 cup brown sugar, boil for 3 minutes
Pour over crackers and bake in 425 degree oven for 5 minutes
Sprinkle 2 cups chocolate chips over top, spread when melting
Sprinkle with nuts if desirable.
Break up in bite-sized pieces. Very important to bake on foil to get out of cookie sheet.
Here’s another yummy recipe:
APPLE SAGE MUFFINS with or without nuts
¾ cups butter
1 ½ cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 ½ cups sour cream or yogurt
21(ish) oz apples
1 cup chopped walnuts
6 sprigs of sage (however much you like)
¼ cup white sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
(sprinkle on top before baking)
In a large bowl mix 1 ½ cups sugar, butter, eggs & vanilla
Add flour, baking powder & soda, and salt
Add sour cream, apples & nuts
Lightly greased muffin tin
350 degrees for 16-18 min
And here’s one of my favorites:
Caramelized Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 15 oz cans of whole potatoes
2 cups of white sugar
Heat sugar over heat slowly until the sugar turns to a light brown liquid
drop (carefully) the potatoes into the sugar mixture and coat until well-covered
Continue to heat until potatoes are warmed through. Serve and enjoy!
Do you have any favorite holiday recipes? Share them in comments if you don’t mind revealing secret family yummies.
For some reason, Nestle Toll House pan cookies instead of individual cookies. The recipe is on the back of the bag of chocolate chips.
Also, every Christmas Eve, my husband makes an amazing buche de Noel (yule log) for our dessert on Christmas Day. He makes the frosting look like bark, then he adds a couple of meringue mushrooms and some powdered sugar snow.
Have mercy! Carmelized potatoes! Good grief!
We love homemade pizza on Christmas eve. On Christmas morning we have easy caramel rolls: 24 Rhodes dinner rolls dropped frozen into a greased bundt pan. Cover with a package of cook & serve butterscotch pudding (dry, unprepared) and a mixture of 1/4 C melted butter, 1/2 brown sugar, 3/4 t cinnamon. Let sit overnight and bake at 350 for 35 minutes the next morning. YUM!