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Crazy Good Chocolate Cake
Mom's famous chocolate cake recipe. With a light, tender, crumb and rich chocolate flavor, it is the BEST chocolate cake out there. It's great with a variety of frostings and toppings, whether as a simple sheet cake, fan-favorite cupcakes, or elegant layer cake.
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Grandpa’s Tomato Salad
This salad tastes like summer. Juicy, sweet, tangy, savory, spicy, creamy, tomatoey summer. My Dad would always make it with garden-fresh tomatoes, and everyone wanted in on that flavor party. In fact, I always thought my Dad invented the recipe, until I later learned that it was my Grandpa Bullough who deserved some of the the credit for passing this food tradition along. Grandpa was known for his love of mayonnaise, and drenching everything in it was his idea of a great no-cook meal. In this case, a little mayo, ranch dressing, and parmesan cheese go a long way in making this a standout salad. It’s great as a lunch,…
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German Pancakes
Also referred to as “Dutch baby pancakes,” “puffed oven pancakes,” or even “oversized popovers,” all I know is that whatever you call them, they taste incredible. Apparently these were first created in the United States by Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, and fortunately the tradition continued from there. They’re light, buttery, not too sweet, and entirely delicious. They’re leavened with eggs, so they rise tall and golden in the oven, then after baking, they collapse into a perfect “bowl” for holding your toppings. These have been a family breakfast hit for as long as I can remember, and I make them often for my own kids now too. My Dad (who grew…
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Banana Bread Muffins
I can’t seem to get enough banana bread, and I especially love banana muffins. These are perfect for an on-the-go breakfast (or a lazy leisurely one too, with a mug of tea or warm milk), and they make a great snack any time of day. Even better, the flavor and texture improve overnight, so you can make them in advance and enjoy them for a few days (if they last that long). This recipe is a slightly adapted version of my great-grandma Florence Robinson Beck’s (1905-1998) banana bread. (Mainly, I took her bread recipe and turned it into muffins instead.) It yields muffins that are light and moist (not soggy…
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Special Tossed Salad with Old-Country Dressing
This recipe comes from my great-aunt, Janet Beck Clark (1936-2012). I remember Aunt Janet as a fun, kind, charismatic woman who loved spending time with family and friends, and was always hosting and organizing events, both large and small. She organized our extended family reunion for many years until she passed away, and she was good at spotting specific talents and strengths in certain people and delegating responsibilities accordingly. I remember she would always ask my Dad to be in charge of the games, which is his forte for sure, and then she would enthusiastically participate in all the games and activities, either as a player or a cheerleader. Not…
