From My Grandmother's Recipe Book

From My Grandmother’s Recipe Book

As I go through my recipes, I can’t help but think of my grandmother. We called her Mormor (Danish for grandmother), and between her Danish roots and the variety of places she lived, she had an array of unusual recipes. Some were a little too unusual for my tastes, but others have become classics in our family. The two I’ve chosen to share are her homemade spaghetti sauce and her delicious pound cake. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

2 lbs. hamburger meat
3 stalks green onion, chopped finely
1 tablespoon diced garlic
24 oz. tomato paste
56 oz. tomatoes (diced or whole)
2 to 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 large package pepperoni
Salt to taste

Cook and drain hamburger meat. Place in a large pot. Add onions, garlic, and tomato paste. Add tomatoes. (If your tomatoes are whole, mash them and the liquid by hand before adding.) Separate pepperoni and add to the sauce. Add Italian seasoning, salt, and water as needed. Simmer on the stove for at least thirty minutes—the longer the better.

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Mormor’s Pound Cake

4 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add flour (mixed with salt and baking powder) one cup at a time, alternating with milk. Add pudding and vanilla and almond extract. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until done.