From Donna C. Horsfield

Yum Yum Cake - Donna's Grandmother
1 c shortening
2 c sugar
2 c water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 box raisins

Boil above ingredients together and let cool. Dissolve 1 tsp baking soda in 1/2 cup of hot water and add to the boiled mixture. Add 4 cups of flour. Mix well. Grease and flour 9x13 pan. Bake 1 hour at 375. 

Molasses Cry Babies
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c crisco (or other shortening)
1 1/2 heaping tsp baking soda
12 oz molasses
3/4 cup boiled coffee
3 eggs
2 lbs flour
1 tsp ginger

Place sugar, shortening, molasses, eggs, ginger, and cinnamon in large mixing bowl. Mix baking soda with hot coffee slowly adding it to the coffee and using a bowl big enough so it won't overflow. It will bubble up. Add coffee mixture to the other ingredients and mix well. Slowly add the flour a little at a time. (I suggest buying a 2 ib bag of flour because its easier to measure that way).

Drop on greased cookie sheets by the tablespoon. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes - more or less according to size. Let cool and store in airtight container.

Corned Beef Hash
My mom just made her regular mashed potatoes and then added a can of corned beef, broken up and shredded and mixed into the potatoes.

Lima Beans and Corn
Mom would take fresh lima beans and cut corn off the cob and boil them in water and butter and then add a little bit of milk to it. That was a side dish for us in the summer.

Broiled Hamburger
Mom would take two pounds of hamburg, add some salt and pepper, shape it into a big square, pour catsup (ketchup) all over the top of it and then broil it for (I'm guessing) 20 minutes or so, until it no longer has red drippings coming from it.

Fresh Strawberry Pie
This is the best with fresh picked strawberries - not store bought. To die for!

4 c fresh strawberries, washed and capped
3 TB cornstarch
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
Few drops of red food coloring
1 baked 9 inch pie shell

Spread 2 cups of whole berries over bottom of cooled, baked pie shell. Mash or break up remaining berries. Add sugar, cornstarch, baking powder and mix thoroughly in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil gradually. Reduce heat and cook stirring constantly for about 10 minutes or until thick. Add a few drops of food coloring to deepen the mixture color. Cool and pour over whole berries in pie shell. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Top with whipped cream.

Bacon Soup
My mom made this when she could get bacon on sale. I tweaked it a bit to use the center cut bacon (less fat) but mom made a big pot of this and it usually lasted a couple meals.

2 lbs bacon (I use the 3 pack of 12 oz center cut from BJ's - less fat)
4 large cans (28 to 32 oz) tomato puree
2 large (46 oz) cans V8 veggie juice
1/2 1 can water (or add more to desired thickness - start with 1/2 can and then adjust when you add the macaroni)
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 large onion chopped
3 or 4 stalks celery chopped

Salt and pepper to taste (you don't need much salt because of the bacon) Cut bacon into 1 - 1/2 inch pieces. Try to separate pieces as you put them into the pot. Using large stock pot, cook bacon for about 10 minutes and then throw in the onion and celery and sauté for another 10 minutes. Add tomato puree, veggie juice, water, salt and pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the macaroni and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes. (You can cook the macaroni separately and add it, but it will require less water if done that way). This is where you adjust the amount of water, and you'll only have to cook it another 10 or 15 minutes. If you freeze some, you'll probably have to add a bit of water again.