Welcome!!

My Grandmother was a phenomenal cook and was well known for her cooking and baking. She loved to cook for her family, friends and neighbors and everyone used to always tell her that she should open a restaurant or a bakery. I am grateful to have learned from her and to have her recipes to share. Like most good cooks, she gathered recipes from a lot of different sources over the years and if it came from someone else, she always noted that on her recipe card. She loved to pass on a good recipe that she found.  I have been asked so many times for her recipes so today, on what would have been her 91st birthday, I celebrate her by passing on some of her recipes to you. Since there are a lot of recipes, I decided to create this blog that I will continually update. From here on out, every time I make one of her dishes, I will take a photo and post it on this blog. This will be helpful for some of her recipes which only list ingredients and not measurements. I will also post photos of my beloved Grandmother along the way and will include anecdotes and stories. All I ask is that if you ever pass any of these on to someone else, ...and you will because everyone will be asking you for the recipe when you make one of her dishes or cakes....please be sure to credit Fritz Nowicki (Fritz was the nickname she went by, in case you didn't know). I would also very much appreciate any memories or comments as you make these recipes. "Gram," as I called her, has been on my mind a lot this week so I'll begin this blog with several recipes and I'll update with new ones from time to time so check back!  

BLUEBERRY BUCKLE CAKE:

When Gram passed away 6 years ago, I was still teaching at Sanford School. The outpouring of love and support I received during that difficult time from faculty, staff, students and parents was overwhelming and is something I will never forget. When I returned to school, I decided that a proper thank you would be to bake (using her recipes) for the Sanford community. I baked an awful lot of treats and put them in the faculty room.  I immediately became bombarded with emails asking for the recipes. Her famous Blueberry Buckle Cake, was the number one requested recipe. On Grams's recipe card she wrote - "Very good cake & easy to make!" ENJOY!

Cake:
1/4 cup butter    
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries

Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and milk. Blend in flour, salt, and baking powder, then blend in blueberries. Pour batter into a greased and floured 7" square pan. Put crumb topping on top of batter (see below)

Crumb Topping:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Work ingredients together with fingers or pastry cutter. When done making this, put crumbs on top of the batter and bake until done - 45 to 50 minutes at 375 degrees. Gram notes that this makes a small cake and that she doubles the recipe in a 9 x 13 pan to make a bigger one.

POUND CAKE (DAVID'S):

Gram got this recipe from Uncle David. I make this cake A LOT because it's so easy and so good. I have taken it to many parties and have received many compliments on it over the years.  I like to serve it with powdered sugar on the top and with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream, but other people in my family like to put a glaze or light frosting on top. It's up to you!

3/4 lb. butter (softened)
8 oz. cream cheese
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 eggs

Cream butter, sugar, and cream cheese together. Beat in one egg at a time until you use all six. Beat in one cup of flour at a time. Then add vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake at 300 degrees for 1.5 hours. NOTE: I have found that the time varies with different ovens and often takes longer than 1.5 hours.

PORK CHOP CASSEROLE:

Ok this dish is so easy that it's almost ridiculous that it could taste so good. Gram often had impromptu dinners at her house and she would call everyone in the family that day and say, "I'm making dinner tonight at 6:00 if you want to come." This is a dish that she sometimes would make for those dinners because she could put it together quickly.  I inherited the corningware pan in which she made this (see photo below) and in honor of her birthday, I am making it tonight! This is one of those recipes without measurements because it depends on how many people you are cooking for.

Pork chops (bone in)
Potatoes (peeled)
Green Bell Pepper
Canned Tomato Soup
Salt and pepper

Cut raw potatoes in round slices and layer in bottom of pan (I usually put in 2-3 layers of potatoes). Lay pork chops on top (I usually use 4 pork chops).  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour in tomato soup to cover meat and potatoes (I usually use 1-1.5 cans). Slice green pepper in thick rings or thick long pieces and lay on top of meat and potatoes. Put lid on dish and bake at 350 until potatoes are done. In my oven, it takes an hour. This is so easy and very flavorful.

                                                      

This is what it looks like before you put it in the oven

GERMAN HOME FRIES:

I love home fries with breakfast so much more than hash browns. I have a couple of different recipes but this is  my favorite for several reasons, 1.) They are different, 2.) They are delicious, 3.) They always remind me of Gram. UPDATE: I just learned from my mom that this recipe is one that my Grandfather brought home from Germany during World War II...I never knew that!

This is one of those recipes where she lists no measurements. It's all done by the eye and by taste so there may be some trial and error. I remember the first time I made them without her there, I put in way too much celery seed and ruined the dish so be careful on the celery seed! The sauce should cling to the potatoes. If it is too thin/runny, turn the heat to high so that it will evaporate some...or you can add more butter. I made them this morning so I can tell you how much of everything I used.

Potatoes peeled and cut in small chunks ( today I used 4  medium sized)
Diced Onion (today I used half of a large onion)
Diced Celery (today I used 2 large stalks)
Large chunk of butter (today I used 2 tablespoons)
Water (today I used about a 1/2 cup)
Salt and pepper (to taste, but be generous with the salt)
Celery seed  (today I probably used a 1/2 teaspoon or maybe a little more)

Put all ingredients in a frying pan with lid and cook on high (occasionally stirring) until the butter and water thicken to become a sauce. Then reduce heat to very low and cook until potatoes are done. Stir occasionally, adding more water if necessary. I took these photos this morning!

CHOCOLATE CHIP CINNAMON CAKE:

This is a family favorite for sure. Gram credits Cioci Tina with this recipe. If you don't already know, Cioci (pronounced Chuh-chee) is the Polish word for Aunt. Cioci Tina is Gram's daughter and my father's sister. Naturally, being Gram's daughter, Cioci Tina is also an outstanding cook.

Batter:

1/4 pound butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (1/2 pint) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix butter and sugar and eggs together. Add in sour cream and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda and add in.

Cinnamon Mix:

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 oz chocolate chips

Mix together using hands or a spoon

Pour half of the batter into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture on top. Pour in remaining batter and top with remaining cinnamon mix. Bake at 350 for one hour or until cake is done (tester comes out clean). YUMMY!!

This is is a photo of Gram taken in 2000 at 81 years of age: