Sweet N’ Sour Brisket

1 can of beer
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce (Canned)
½ cup catsup Combine above ingredients.
2 Tbs. oil
4.5 lbs brisket
1 large onion, sliced

Brown brisket in oil in dutch oven. Transfer brisket to plate. Brown onions in same pot. Place brisket in onions. Pour beer mixture over brisket. Bring liquids to boil. Cover pot tightly. Bake 350 degrees about 3 hours until tender. Let brisket cool 30 minutes before serving. Slice brisket. Reduce sauce before serving and thicken with a little cornstarch if needed. Place meat in sauce. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.)

This recipe I don’t remember specifically but I can see the splatters on the recipe card and well worn edges of the card as signs of a well loved recipe.

Chinese Cabbage Salad

Salad:
8 Tbs. slivered almonds
8 Tbs sesame seeds
1 medium head cabbage finely chopped
8 green onions, chopped
2 pkg. Romen noodles, crushed

Dressing:
4 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup salad oil
6 Tbs rice vinegar

Saute almonds and sesame seeds until toasted and set aside. Mix dressing ingredients together. Add dressing to cabbage, onions and romen noodles. Add almonds and sesame seeds. If not enough dressing make more and add.

The recipe provider is unknown, however there is a note to my mother that says:
 "Susan, I would make half this for yourself. The dressing soaks into the noodles so don't need to cook them."

Turtle Cake

1 German Chocolate Cake Mix (with pudding)
1 bag caramels
2 sticks butter
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 cup broken pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour 13"x9" cake pan. Mix cake according to directions on box. Divide in half. Mix 1/2 cake mix with 1/2 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk and 1 stick melted butter. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 45 min. or until done. Melt caramels with other stick of butter and beat. Add remaining milk and beat. Pour over cake and spread. Sprinkle with nuts. Pour remaining batter over top and spread. Bake 30 minutes or until done.

This recipe says "Mom" in the top corner so I'm assuming it's Grandma's recipe. I don't have any specific memories of this recipe but I've made very similar recipes and loved them.

Update March 17, 2010: I was making this recipe for a baking competition at work and had a major meltdown that the caramel was not melting and becoming a giant wad of taffy. I decided it must be the bag of caramel chips I purchased instead of the bag of individually wrapped square caramels that Mom used to use. After a meltdown that it was ruined, I called Grandma  for help on her recipe on my way to the grocery store. Grandma then coached me through the melting of the caramel (add a little condensed milk to get the caramel to combine with the butter). She stayed on the phone with me until the recipe was completed. This won't be the memory about the baking competition for work (although if we win it will be a highlight) but instead it will be the time Grandma and I made Turtle Cake together from 1,600 miles away.

Hyland-Croy Orchard Apple Crisp

6 cups sliced apples (approx 6)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Place apples in 7x10 greased pan. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and egg with fork until crumbly. Spread over the apples. Drizzle with butter. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake 30-40 min at 350 degrees.

This recipe is from a local orchard around the corner from our house that we would pick apples from each fall. My mother would always load up on apples and come home and bake this recipe. She also made sure that my brother and I burned off some extra energy by picking the apples and helping stir a giant pot of apple butter. The orchard has since been replaced with a housing development but the memories are still fresh.