Grandma Holmes's LBJ Brownies

UPDATE: After publishing this post, my Mother-in-Law Patti sent me a photocopy of the recipe that she had clipped from the Detroit News in June or July 1966. It turns out that Grandma Holmes got the recipe from Patti. The recipe was created by LBJ's daughter, Luci Baines Johnson. Patti recommends baking the brownies at 325 for 40 to 45 minutes to prevent the edges from getting too brown.

Who knew that LBJ liked brownies? MDS has read the entire Robert Caro biography (all four volumes, to date) of Lyndon Baines Johnson, but does not recall a single reference to brownies. But MDS's Grandma Holmes did have a recipe for "LBJ Brownies" that appears to be copied from a newspaper. And, a Google search revealed the exact recipe under the name "Mrs. LBJ's Brownies." I suspect that the recipe was published in a newspaper during an election season. Could Grandma Holmes have anticipated that her grandson would read over 3,200 pages about LBJ? Probably not. But, her grandson does like brownies, as do I, so this recipe was a hit.

When I made the recipe, I left out the nuts. Now, I like nuts and I like brownies, but I have never liked nuts in my brownies. I have no good explanation, but to me, nuts have always spoiled good brownies. With or without nuts, this recipe is guaranteed to be delicious.

LBJ Brownies

• 1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Melt the butter in a sauce pan; while it is melting, put the sugar in a mixing bowl. Add about 3/4 of the melted butter to the sugar. To the rest of the butter, add the chocolate squares and stir often on low heat to melt the chocolate. Add the chocolate mixture to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat in the eggs one ata time. Stir in the nuts, flour and vanilla.

Bake in a greased 8X8X2 pan at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Do not get too done; test with a finger or straw. Cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

What I remember most about Mom's beef stroganoff is that she always served it with egg noodles. When I found Mom's recipe, it stated that it could be served with rice or noodles. To me, beef stroganoff should always be served with egg noodles. Mom's recipe also called from ground beef. Again, I am sure that ground beef would be just fine, but Mom always used round steak, and so did I.

In doing a Google search, it turns out that beef stroganoff is Russian in origin and has been around and in recipe books for quite some time. There are variations, but the key ingredients are beef, mushrooms, onion, and sour cream. If you don't have dry mustard, your could easily substitute any prepared mustard. You could also use canned mushrooms instead of fresh mushrooms. It had been years since I had had beef stroganoff, but it tasted just as I remembered it.

Beef Stroganoff

• 1 pound round steak
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 8 oz. fresh mushroom, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• cooked egg noodles

Slice or cube the steak. Saute the first five ingredients in a skillet until the beef is browned and the onion is tender. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and beef stock, then stir it into the meat mixture. Cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve over the cooked noodles. Enjoy!

Crab Rangoon Dip

In looking through Mom's recipes, I found one for Crab Rangoon. Now, I don't actually remember Mom making Crab Rangoon, but my very own Crab Rangoon Dip has become a popular appetizer at our family Easter get-togethers. Crab Rangoon is a deep fried appetizer filled with cream cheese and crab. I have no interest in actually deep frying anything, so I just make the filling and serve it as a dip with crackers and pretzels. Mom's Crab Rangoon recipe is just about the same as mine, but does call for using wontons and deep frying these tasty treats. I take the easy way out and make a dip.

MDS claims not to like cheese, but he loves Crab Rangoon Dip. When I tell him that the main ingredient is cheese, he just claims that the main ingredients are crab and "rangoon." What is "rangoon"? I haven't the slightest idea. I doubt that this recipe has any connection to Rangoon, the former capital of Burma, because it seems to be an American creation. As to the ingredients, I typically do not closely measure the ingredients, so the amounts below are approximate.

Crab Rangoon Dip

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 4 oz. crab, finely chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Soften the cream cheese so that it can be easily mixed (about 30 seconds in the microwave). Mix in the remaining ingredients. Serve with crackers, pretzels or vegetables. Enjoy!