Black Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
3 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 cup hot coffee (use 1 tablespoon instant coffee)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Mixture will be thin. Pour into 8 x 10 baking pan.

Bake in preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes. Cool completely before icing the cake.

Coney Island Sauce for Hotdogs

Growing up near Middletown, New York, the Coney Island restaurant was and still is a famous eatery where locals go to enjoy their famous Coney Island Hotdogs. This recipe is pretty close to the taste of their sauce.

Ingredients:

1 pound hamburger meat
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup minced onion
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt

Brown the hamburger meat, chopping the meat to small crumbly pieces. Add water, onion, tomato sauce and seasonings. Combine thoroughly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes.

Use this sauce on top on a hotdog in a bun. Traditionally, Coney Island restaurant always put mustard and chopped onions on the hotdog in addition to the sauce.

Enjoy!

Vegetable Soup

Here's a favorite for a cold winter day.

In a large stockpot bring the following ingredients to a boil:

• 2 beef shin bones
• 1 1/2 gallon of water
• salt to taste

Turn back heat to low and simmer for one hour.
After one hour, add these ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 1/2 small head of cabbage, chopped
• 4 potatoes, diced
• 1 quart of canned tomatoes

Continue to simmer until all ingredients are tender.

Enjoy!

Sloppy Beans - My Dad's Favorite

Whenever it snowed enough to be shut in the house, my dad would call me on the phone and lure me out saying, "Your mother just cooked up some beans and bread [homemade]." Of course, I couldn't resist...

So I'd hop right in my car (yes, through the snow) and drive over to keep him company (and eat)!

Here's the recipe:

• 2 cups pea beans, dried
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 or 3 slices of salt pork
• salt

Sort through and rinse the beans.

Cook the dried pea beans in a large heavy pot. Cover beans with water. Bring to a boil and let simmer about 1/2 hour.

Add 1/4 tsp. of baking soda and let cook for another 20 minutes to 1/2 hour. (Adding the baking soda will cause foam - that's normal).

Drain beans. Put beans back in pot, add salt pork, and cook about 2 hours until tender. The beans will give an appearance of being saucy.

These were especially good hot, topped with some ketchup along with a slice of mom's homemade bread.

Dad and I also liked them cold the next day. We would butter a slice of bread and spread the beans on one slice. Serve with ketchup and cover with the second slice of bread. OR ...

Instead of ketchup, my dad liked to pour some apple cider vinegar on top of the beans.

Try all of the above ways and it will sure bring a smile to your face!

Fawn's Cheesecake

I always liked the smooth taste of Jell-o Cheesecake... I would never have believed that the flavor could be duplicated until now. Thanks to my niece, Fawn.

12 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all the above ingredients together and until smooth. Pour into a graham cracker crumb pie shell. Chill until set. Enjoy!

Strawberry Pie

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 large package strawberry Jell-o
2 quarts strawberries, (crush 1/2, slice 1/2)
2 baked pie shells

Combine sugar, cornstarch and water. Cook over low heat until thickened and clear. Remove from heat and stir in Jell-o. Cool until slightly set.

Stir in strawberries. Pour into pie shells. Refrigerate until set.

Top with whipped topping.

Peanut Butter Balls

Ma died on Christmas Eve, 2003. But in my heart, I know this is a recipe she would have embraced. Thank you, Paula Ford, for this wonderful recipe!

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 lb. confectioners sugar
1/4 lb. melted butter
1/4 cup milk

Mix all ingredients together. Roll into balls.

In a double boiler, melt your chocolate (your choice - chocolate bark, chocolate melts, white chocolate, etc.)

Place balls on a cookie sheet and chill.