Valinda's Cranberry Relish
I've been making this for many years. It began when my dear friend, Suzanne Williams shared her mother's (Valinda's) recipe with me. Thanksgiving was Valinda's favorite holiday and I feel like every time this recipe is followed, another part of her legacy lives on. ​
​Ingredients:
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 4 cups cranberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)
Directions: 
  • Bring first 5 ingredients to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium high heat.
  • Heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
  • Add cranberries and cook until berries pop, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in pecans.
  • Pour into bowl, cool, then refrigerate until well chilled.

Pineapple-Banana-Coconut Bread 

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Ingredients:
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup  organic unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
  • 1 -1/2 cups fresh pineapple. Cored and mashed
  • 1 banana, mashed
  • 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
​Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Lightly coat a 9" x 5"-inch non-stick loaf pan with avocado oil; set aside.
  • Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Whisk together eggs, applesauce, and vanilla in a medium bowl; stir in banana, pineapple, almonds and coconut. Add to flour mixture; Stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan
  • Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean.
  • Let stand 10 minutes before removing from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
  • Note:  The pineapple in this bread will remain very juicy. It will set up as the bread cools to room temperature. For that reason, it's best to allow bread to completely cool before cutting.  
Grandma Hill's Holiday Spice Cake
​Ingredients:
  • 1 Cup Canola Oil
  • 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Cup Cranberry Sauce
  • 1 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
  • 1 Cup Seedless Raisins
  • 2-3/4 Cups Cake Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 3/4 Cup Buttermilk
​Directions:
  • In a medium sized bowl; Blend Oil, Sugar, Salt, and Eggs,Cranberry Sauce, Buttermilk, Nuts, and Raisins
  • In a separate bowl; Mix Flour, Baking Soda, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon together.  
  • Gradually Mix the ingredients from the 2 Bowls together.
  • Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. 
  • Pour into a greased tube pan and bake for approximately one hour or until toothpick comes out clean. 
  • Ice with your favorite Cream Cheese Icing while still warm.. 
  • Allow to cool completely before serving. (overnight if possible)
​
Aunt Linda's (better than) Robert Redford Holiday Dessert
​Preheat to 350 degrees
Ingredients- Layer One:
  • 1 Stick Butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 Cup Flour
  • 1 Cup Pecan Pieces 
​​Directions - Layer One:
  • Mix ingredients together and spread evenly over bottom of an 9" x 9" Pyrex Baking Dish
  • Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, then let cool
​Ingredients- Layer Two:
  • 8 oz. Cream Cheese. softened
  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1 Cup Cool Whip, thawed
​​Directions - Layer Two:
  • Mix ingredients together, scatter in teaspoon size amounts over bottom layer and  then spread evenly
​​Ingredients- Layer Three:
  • 1 Box Chocolate Flavored Instant Pudding
  • 1 Box Vanilla Flavored Instant Pudding
  • 3 Cups Milk
​​Directions - Layer Three:
  • Mix ingredients together, whisk for two minutes , then spread evenly over Layer Two
  • Place in refrigerator and let set for at least three  hours
​​Ingredients- Layer Four (Final Layer):
  • 1 Cup Cool Whip, thawed
  • Chocolate  Shavings and Pecan  Bits  for Decorating
​​Directions - Four (Final Layer):
  • Spread Cool Whip over Chilled Pudding
  • Sprinkle  with Chocolate  Shavings and Pecans
  • Chill overnight and serve​
Grandma Hill's  Oyster Dressing
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
  • 1 Cup Chopped Celery
  • 1 Cup Diced Onion
  • 2 Loaves Dried Bread Crumbs - Note: Grandma would use Wonder Bread. She'd break all of the slices into small pieces and let them sit overnight in a large roasting pan so they could dry out.
  • 2 Tbsps. Dried Parsley
  • 3  Cups fresh Oysters- Drained
  • 2-3  Cups Warmed Chicken Broth
  • 3 Eggs- Beaten
  • 1 Tsp  Ground Sage
  • 1 Tsp Poultry Seasoning
​Directions:
  • Prepare Bread Crumbs as mentioned above.
  • Preheat Oven to 325 degrees. 
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Add all of the spices (Salt/Pepper/Sage/ Parsley/Poultry Seasoning)
  • Mix in the bread crumbs and and remove from the heat.
  • Add the oysters and eggs, and mix together well.
  • Stir in enough Chicken Broth to moisten and mix everything thoroughly.
  • Transfer to the casserole dish.
  • Bake, uncovered in the preheated oven until you begin to see the mixture bubbling up in the center and the top is nicely toasted., (about 45 minutes.)​

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