Apple Cake

Mom fondly remembers making this apple cake. I did not remember it, until I made it. The lovely smell of apple, cinnamon and nutmeg brought back this cake to my memory. For Megan, it took just one bite to remember this cake. The cake is sweet, but not overwhelming. It is an excellent treat on a nice fall day when apples are in season.

Apple Cake tastes a bit like apple pie, but is much easier to make. Most of the ingredients are staple ingredients that will be sitting around your kitchen. The cake itself is about half cake batter and half apples. Any type of apple will do. I used Golden Early apples from my farmer's market. Also, I did not include nuts, but Mom's recipe calls for walnuts, but any nut could work. Mom's recipe says to frost the cake with cream cheese frosting, but Mom never did use frosting, and this cake does not need any frosting. In fact the top of the cake had just a bit of caramelizing from the apples and sugar in the cake that added a great taste from which frosting would distract.

Apple Cake 

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. soda
• 2 tsps. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 4 cups peeled and diced apples
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, oil and vanilla. Add flour, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg gradually. Blend well. Stir in the apples and nuts. Pour into greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Grandma Holmes's Zucchini Bread

I found this recipe in the collection of recipes that Aunt Paula had. In late summer and early fall, zucchini is plentiful at all the local farmer's markets, so I thought this would be a good time to make it. MDS does not remember his Grandma making this recipe, but that has never stopped me before.

This zucchini bread has a unique addition: crushed pineapple. The result is a very moist zucchini bread that has an extra sweet taste on account of the pineapple. I highly recommend this recipe. I did not add the optional nuts and raisins, but I am sure the addition of nuts and raisins would be delicious.

Grandma Holmes's Zucchini Bread 

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups grated zucchini, drained
• 1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Blend together the eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, and pineapple. Add in the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well. If desired, add in raisins and nuts. Grease two 9x5 pans. Fill with batter. Bake at 350 for 75 minutes or until done. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Grandma's Orange Cloud Jello

Growing up, and, even still, jello is a common feature at family parties. As Mom says, the kids love it. Jello is famously a "kid food." These days, Mom is usually talking about her grandkids, but I think most of my siblings still eat jello when Mom makes it.

This jello salad recipe comes from Grandma and features the addition of actual fruit. I do remember Grandma making this jello, often for a summertime family party. But in my memory, Grandma's version was fluffier. Nevertheless, this jello was tasty, especially with the small pieces of mandarin orange mixed in.

Grandma's Orange Cloud Jello 

• 1 package orange jello
• 1 can mandarin orange segments
• 1 container cool whip

Drain the mandarin orange, reserving the juice to be part of the cold liquid in the jello. Prepare the jello according to the package direction with the reserved juice for part of the cold water. Allow the jello to cool for about an hour in the refrigerator so that it is cool, but not set. Use a form to mash up the orange segments. Mix the orange and cool whip into the jello. Refrigerate for at least a few hours or until needed. Enjoy!