It is amazing the new, old recipes I am discovering in my grandmother’s book. These women didn’t let anything go to waste, and the combinations of things they put together were so creative and delicious.  
I found unique recipes for things we don’t even use today. Many recipes call for frying beef in beef suet for flavor. Now, we put suet out for the birds over winter. I do save bacon grease to fry up potatoes or burgers or use as oil in bread recipes. I guess Grandma’s cooking philosophy rubbed off on me.
I very rarely make Jell-O salads. As a child, there was always a salad on the table for every meal. My favorite was a salad one of my great aunts always brought to the McConnell summer family picnic. I’m still searching for it in Grandma’s book. Here are some recipes I’m really looking forward to serving to my family in the next weeks.  
I’ve always cooked the ham bone after Easter dinner to make a broth for ham and navy bean soup. I never thought to use the broth to make ham dumplings, but I found this recipe. Mark loves buttered dumplings or halusky (cooked cabbage with dumplings), so this will be a new favorite for him.
The best part about these old recipes is how these farm wives were just as busy as we are today and still wanted to put a hot meal on the table after a long day of working on the farm. I think the names of shipwreck casserole and potato burgers make them winners from the start.
It was pointed out that I forgot to say how much sugar goes in the eggless apple spice cake: 2 cups sugar!

Club salad
2 small boxes orange Jell-O
2 cups hot water
3 (9-ounce) cans crushed pineapple, drained
1 pound marshmallows, cut fine
2 packages cream cheese
1 cup Miracle Whip
1 pint cream, whipped
4 small boxes cherry Jell-O (or any flavor)
8 cups hot water
Cook orange Jell-O and hot water until slightly thick. Let cool. Mash cream cheese with crushed pineapple. Blend in marshmallows, Miracle Whip and whipped cream. Mix into cooled orange Jell-O. Pour into serving dish. Let set. Mix cherry Jell-O and hot water until dissolved. Let cool until just slightly thickened and pour over first mixture. Chill in refrigerator until set. Serve.

Frozen lemon dessert
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup cream, whipped
1/2 pound vanilla wafers, crushed
Beat egg yolks. Cook yolks, sugar and lemon juice together in a heavy bottom pan or double boiler until thick. Beat egg whites until stiff and add 4 tablespoons sugar. Fold stiffly beaten egg whites into custard. Cool. Using the last tablespoon of sugar, whip 1 cup cream. Add to lemon mixture. Line bottom of pan with crushed vanilla wafers, reserving 1/2 cup for topping. Pour in filling and top with reserved crumbs. Let stand in freezer overnight. Serve in squares or slices.

Ham dumplings
Boil ham shank until done. Remove from broth. Mix thoroughly 2 cups flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Moisten with milk to make soft dough. Drop by spoonful into boiling broth. Cook 20 minutes in uncovered kettle.

Shipwreck casserole
Slice 1 onion into buttered casserole dish. Over onion, arrange thin slices of raw potatoes. Over this place thick layer of chopped beef. Cover meat with layer of uncooked rice. Next a layer of chopped celery, then 2 cups of drained kidney beans. Season each layer lightly with salt, pepper and paprika. Top all with 2 cups tomato sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for two hours. If necessary, add more water during cooking period. Serve with sliced pickles as garnish. Alternatively, you can layer in slow cooker and cook over low for the day.

Potato burgers
1 pound ground beef
2 cups coarsely grated potatoes
1/4 cup coarsely grated onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup shortening
Combine ground beef, potatoes, onions, salt and pepper. Shape into eight patties. Fry in hot fat until brown 3-5 minutes per side. Serve with buttered peas and glazed carrots.
    As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.