Today in American history…Dolley Madison was born on May 20, 1768 in New Garden, North Carolina (present day Greensboro, North Carolina).

She married James Madison on September 15, 1794.

She was First Lady from March 4, 1809 to March 4, 1817.

She was a very popular First Lady and hostess and was known for her social graces and hospitality which helped contribute to her husband’s popularity while he was President.

Known for her love of entertaining and afternoon tea, one of the items at her famous tea parties were her Woodbury Cinnamon Tea Cakes.

Woodbury Cinnamon Tea Cakes

Ingredients

1 large egg, separated

Pinch of salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup of flour

2 TBSP melted butter

1 tsp baking powder

1 TBSP ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease either a bundt pan or mini bundt pan (I used mini loaf pans). You can also use a square baking pan.

Butter and then flour the pan so the cake will easily come out of the forms after baking.

Beat the egg white with a pinch of salt until still soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg yolk, and vanilla; slowly fold it into the egg whites.

Fold in the flour, melted butter, baking powder, and cinnamon until just combined.

Pour mixture into prepared baking pan or mini pans.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Invert the cake onto a metal rack for cooling.

Immediately, while the cake is still warm from the oven, brush on the additional 2 tablespoons melted butter. Then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the cake.

Today in kitchen I made Olivia Walton’s Applesauce Cake.

Some of you may be wondering…who is Olivia Walton? She is a fictional character of the popular classic television show The Walton’s which aired from 1972-1981. Olivia Walton was the matriarch of this beloved family.

The show took place in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and was about the Walton family and how they survived through the tough times of The Great Depression and World War II.

The show was narrated through the eyes of their eldest son, John Boy Walton, whose only dream in life was to be a novelist.

The show is based on the life of Earl Hamner, Jr (who was the creator of the show) and his family growing up in Schuyler, Virginia.

The Walton’s is my husband’s all time favorite television show – he has seen every single episode and we watch the movie The Homecoming every year at Christmas.

In the fall of 2020, we had the pleasure of visiting Schuyler, Virginia and it was wonderful to see the museum dedicated to The Walton’s television show and strolled through Earl Hamner’s boyhood home – which was based on the television show.

Olivia Walton’s Applesauce Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

2 cups light raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp baking soda

3-1/2 cups flour (sifted)

2 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cloves

2 tsp nutmeg pinch of salt

Directions

Sift together: Flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Take 1/2 cup of flour mixture and stir into the nuts and raisins.

Set both aside.

Cream butter until whipped soft. Add sugar a little at a time until mixture is smooth. Beat in eggs vigorously. Alternately stir in flour mixture and applesauce. When all mixed together, add nuts and raisins and mix well.

Pour batter into a well-greased cake mold (I used a Bundt Pan).

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for one hour.

Cool ten minutes, then turn out on cake rack.

Frost if desired

Bess Truman’s Ozark Pudding was one of President Harry S Truman’s favorite desserts. During the Truman Presidency, there were many who wrote letters to The White House asking for the recipe.

Ozark Pudding is kind of a cake-like fruit pudding with pecans. My husband (aka official taste tester) said it tasted like a pecan pie and apple crisp combination. He loved it!

This original recipe is from the Social Correspondence Office Files of the official Truman Papers and was sent to everyone who asked for the recipe.

Ozark Pudding Recipe

1 egg

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1/2 cup raw apples (finely chopped, I used granny smith)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat eggs and sugar a long time until very smooth.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and stir into the sugar-egg mixture.

Fold in apples, nuts, and vanilla.

Bake in a buttered pie pan in preheated oven for 35 minutes.

Cool to room temperature and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

(Source: Archivist, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum)

I had leftover blueberries. A few lemons. So I thought…what a perfect combination for a cake! It’s a delicious cake that reminds me of Springtime and the reminder of all things fresh and new on the horizon.

The recipe that I used today is from one of my favorite “go to” sites: Sally’s Baking Addiction. I adapted/tweaked a few things to make it my own but here is the original recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 TBSP baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup whole milk

2 TBSP lemon zest

1/2 cup lemon juice (would be about 3 lemons)

1 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen will work too!)

Ingredients (for the Lemon Buttercream Frosting)

3 Cups powdered sugar

1/3cups butter or margarine, softened

3 TBSP lemon juice

1/2teaspoon grated lemon peel

Directions (for cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease three 9-inch round cake pans or 8-inch round cake pans (8-inch pans produce thicker cakes), line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper.

Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until creamy – about 1 minute.

Beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2-3 minutes.

Beat on medium speed until everything is completely combined, about 2 full minutes.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat on low speed for 5 seconds.

beat in the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice just barely until combined. Toss the blueberries with 1 Tablespoon of flour and gently fold into the batter. Batter will be very thick.

Let the cake cool for about ten minutes then remove from pans onto a baking cooling rack.

Start to make your frosting.

Directions (for Lemon Buttercream Frosting)

Beat butter, lemon peel and lemon juice in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat 2 to minutes longer or until light and fluffy.

Once the cake is completely cooled – time to frost. (Hint: Add extra blueberries and lemon zest for garnish!)

I love sweet potatoes in basically every way possible. My favorite? Sweet Potato Pie! Then there’s also…sweet potato muffins…sweet potato chips…sweet potato French fries…sweet potato pancakes…see? I’m a total sweet potato junkie! 🤣

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Ingredients

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 cup of yellow cornmeal

1 tbsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of baking soda

1/2 cup of cooked and mashed sweet potato

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

1/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup of milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a cake pan with cooking spray or butter.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the mashed sweet potato, sugar, melted butter, and beaten egg until well combined.

Add the sweet potato mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly, until a thick batter forms.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

Let the cornbread cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serve the sweet potato cornbread warm as a delicious side dish for soups, stews, or chili.

It’s National Oatmeal Cookie Day! Fannie Farmer wrote the first recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies in 1896. The cookies soon became incredibly popular because they were a healthier alternative to other baked goods.

Quaker Oats started putting their oatmeal raisin cookie recipe on their oatmeal containers as early as 1900. The Quaker Oats Oatmeal Cookie recipe is my personal favorite and the only one that I’ve used throughout the years. I’ve tried several others but there is nothing compared to the original Quaker Oats recipe for Oatmeal Cookies.

For Quaker’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe click here.

Quaker Oats Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 Cup(s) firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 Cup(s) trans-fat free vegetable shortening

1/2 Cup(s) granulated sugar

1/4 Cup(s) Water

1 Teaspoon(s) vanilla

3 Cup(s) Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

1 Cup(s) all-purpose flour

1 Teaspoon(s) salt (optional)

1/2 Teaspoon(s) Baking Soda

1 Egg(S)

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening and granulated sugar on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.

Add egg, water and vanilla; beat well. Add combined oats, flour, salt and baking soda; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Everyone has their own personal spin and touches on how to make a meatloaf. My stepmom used to sauté the onions+ green peppers and add in those delicious bread crumbs and seasonings and always ketchup on the top. My mom? Well…she tried to make MeatLoaf. Once. I’ll never forget how it was so terrible that my stepdad vowed from then on HE would be the Meatloaf maker (thank God!)

I’ve always done my own thing with Meatloaf too. Onions. Salt and Pepper. I use crunched up crackers in the mix (whatever buttered crackers I have in hand) and two eggs. I leave out the green peppers because my husband doesn’t care for them. Ketchup on top. Easy Peasy.

It was interesting to read Mrs Nixon’s personal recipe for Meatloaf. She used Thyme, Marjoram and S&P for her spices. As well as chopped parsley. The recipe even called for breadcrumbs on the top. It was totally different than what I’ve ever made but I thought I would give it a go. My husband was hesitant at first and a little unsure of how this different concoction would taste. But he loved it 👍 He even said that it’s the BEST meatloaf that I’ve ever made. Wow!

Meatloaf was absolutely President Nixon’s favorite food. He also enjoyed cottage cheese + ketchup for breakfast (but that’s another story!) So it’s an honor to have this recipe and eat something that President Nixon once enjoyed. It’s really special too being that it’s Mrs Nixon’s personal family recipe.

Former first lady Pat Nixon’s meatloaf recipe appeared years ago in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In the article, it states, “This recipe for family-style meatloaf is from the Nixon administration and belonged to first lady Pat Nixon. It was so popular that the recipe was printed on White House stationery to be mailed on request.”

Here’s the recipe…make it and eat like a President tonight 🇺🇸

Pat Nixon’s Meatloaf

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used minced garlic)
3 slices white bead
1 cup milk
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 tablespoons tomato puree (I used tomato sauce)
2 tablespoons bread crumbs

Directions

Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Melt butter in a saute pan, add garlic and saute until just golden — do not brown. Let cool.

In a small bowl, cube the bread and soak it in the milk.

Sauté the onions

In a large mixing bowl, mix ground beef by hand with sauteed onions and garlic and bread pieces.

Add eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme and marjoram and mix by hand in a circular motion.

Turn this mixture into the prepared baking pan and pat into a loaf shape, leaving at least one inch of space around the edges to allow fat to run off. Brush the top with the tomato puree and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to penetrate and to firm up the loaf.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake meatloaf on lower shelf of oven for 1 hour, or until meat is cooked through. Pour off accumulated fat several times while baking and after meat is fully cooked. Let stand on wire rack for five minutes before slicing. Makes 6 servings.

Click here for the full recipe and for more information about Mrs Nixon’s Meatloaf.

I’ve been doing some research on how to eat healthier and to get more fruit + vegetables in my daily diet. It would be nice to be able to live off of donuts and cake for the rest of my life but let’s face it – that’s not the real world unfortunately.

This fruit salad is packed with all of the delicious nutrients that you need plus it’s so incredibly delicious. Especially with the Honey Lime Dressing! It’s so easy to make and you can really use any type of fruit available to make it your own – although watermelon isn’t recommended due to its potential to soak up the dressing.

Rainbow Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Ingredients

1 pound fresh strawberries (hulled and quartered)

1 can (15oz) of diced pineapple (drain the juice!)

12 oz of fresh blueberries

12 oz seedless red grapes, halved

1 can (15oz) mandarin oranges (drain the juice!)

2 ripe bananas, sliced

Honey Lime Dressing

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions

In a large bowl, combine all of the fruit.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and lime juice. Drizzle over the fruit right before serving.

Gently toss the fruit to coat evenly.

I adapted the recipe from I am Homesteader. Make sure to check out their site with thousands of delicious recipes!

Today in American history…James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791 in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania. He was our fifteenth U.S. President – serving from March 4, 1857 to March 4, 1861.

An article from the Daily Democrat and News published on 20 December 1859 pretty much summed up a “day in the life” of President Buchanan:

“If Mr. Buchanan does not enjoy his politics; he is in full enjoyment of his usual robust health. He rises early, reads the newspapers, breakfasts, transacts business, takes a walk, dines plainly, receives visitors, and goes to bed at ten o’clock” (Daily Democrat and News, 20 December 1859, page 2: column 3, Chronicling America, LOC).

For dinner, he may have eaten his favorite sauerkraut and pork along with the cookies he enjoyed the most for dessert: Apees.

I have never heard of this cookie so, of course, had to do a little bit of research. Apees were a spiced butter cookie of German origins that were very popular in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Dutch country. They used to be be made with spices but later on, because of the cost and the hassle of being imported, they later turned into somewhat of a butter cookie.

For the history of the cookie and the original recipe from 1828 click here.

Here’s the modern recipe that I used in the kitchen today:

Ingredients

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup of sour cream

2 c all-purpose flour

Directions

Cream together the butter and sugar till the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Fold in the sour cream.

Stir in the flour a little at a time, beating until the mixture is well blended.

Wrap the dough and chill thoroughly. I refrigerated the dough overnight.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 3/8 an inch thickness.

Cut with a floured 2 inch round cutter.

Place rounds on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees until the edges are a golden brown – about 10-12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool.

The cookies are delicious plain but I prefer to add buttercream icing – which makes them even more delicious!

Today in American history…former First Lady Lucretia Garfield was born in Garrettsville, Ohio on April 19, 1832. She married future President James Garfield on November 11, 1858.

Mrs Garfield became First Lady when her husband became our 20th US President on March 4, 1881 until his untimely death on September 19, 1881 (President Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881 and succumbed to his injuries).

In her short time as First Lady, she was known for her cheerful social events at The White House. She even lifted the ban on alcoholic beverages that were banned by her predecessor, Lucy “Lemonade” Hayes. Mrs Hayes was not a fan of having alcohol during social events at The White House and banned them. Hence the press and the public gave her the nickname of Lucy “Lemonade” Hayes.

Lucretia Garfield was interested in researching the history of The White House as well as the history of the previous First Ladies. She also began to inventory the historic objects contained in The White House – similar to Jacqueline Kennedy’s project when she was the First Lady in 1961-1963.

President Garfield’s favorite foods were squirrel stew, fresh baked bread, mashed potatoes, parsnips and apple pie. He also enjoyed milk.

His ultimate favorite food was potato bread.

Mrs Garfield had a collection of several recipes – including her potato bread. I thought about making a few things today to honor her birthday and potato bread was the win. Squirrel Stew??! Not so much!

Lucretia Garfield’s Potato Bread

Ingredients

1 large russet or log white potato

1/4 cup butter, cut up

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 1/4-4 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 packages active dry yeast

2 eggs

2 cups water

Directions

Peel and cube potato. In saucepan, combine potato and the water. Bring to boiling. Cook, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of hot cooking liquid. Set liquid aside. Mash potato cubes with a potato masher (should have 1 cup). Set aside.

Combine reserved cooking liquid, butter and salt. Cool to 120 degree F to 130 degree F.

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the 4-1/4 cups flour and the yeast. Add reserved cooking liquid and eggs. Beat with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping side of bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in mashed potatoes and as much of the remaining flour as you can.

On a lightly floured surface, knead in as much of the remaining flour as you can to make a moderately stiff dough that’s smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled (1 to 1-1/2 hours).

Punch dough down. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Shape into loaves or rolls. For loaves, shape each half of dough into a loaf. Lightly dip tops of loaves into additional flour. Place loaves, floured sides up, in 2 greased 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. For rolls, divide each half of dough into 12 pieces. Shape into balls. Lightly dip tops into flour. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover bread or rolls. Let rise until nearly doubled (30 to 40 minutes).

Bake in a 375 degree F oven. For loaves, bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped (if necessary, cover with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning). For rolls, bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans; cool on a wire rack. Makes 2 loaves or 24 rolls.

(Recipe from Midwest Living)