Tag: Cemetery Recipe

Cemetery Recipes: Scotcharoo Bars

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After taking a break from gravestone recipes over the summer, I’m excited to dive back in with a sweet treat that has a story. Kari Jo Lozenski’s Scotcharoo Bars seemed like the perfect place to start.

Kari was known for her energy, kindness, and the way she brought people together. She managed the AmericInn Hotel in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where she was named National General Manager of the Year in 2015.1 She was also a devoted mom and an active part of her community.

Baking was one of her favourite things to do, and she earned the nickname “Betty Crocker” from friends and family, who loved her treats.1 Kari passed away from breast cancer in 2020, leaving behind memories of good food, laughter, and a whole lot of love.1

  • Gravestone of Kari Jo Lozenski.
    Gravestone of Kari Jo Lozenski. Photo by Tasha Tietz, Graveyard Girl. Used with permission.

According to her gravestone, which can be found in Riverside Cemetery in Aberdeen, this recipe was one of her favourites:

Scotcharoo Bars

  • 6 Cups crushed Rice Crispies
  • 1 1/4 Cup Corn Syrup
  • 1/4 Cup Honey
  • 1 Cup Peanut Butter
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 Bag Butterscotch Chips
  • 1/2 Bag Chocolate Chips

| Crush the Rice Crispies in a big bowl and then measure them out. In a Pan | Add Sugar, CS, PB & Honey. | Heat that until the sugar is dissolved. Do not bring to a boil. Put in pan and melt chips over top and that’s it!!

  • Gravestone of Kari Jo Lozenski
    Gravestone recipe found on the gravestone of Kari Jo Lozenski. Photo by Tasha Tietz, Graveyard Girl. Used with permission.

In The Kitchen

I went into this recipe thinking it would be quick and simple, but the more I studied the recipe, the more tiny question marks popped up. A quick online search cleared some things up, so I gathered my ingredients and cookware and got started.

  • Ingredients to make Scotcharoo Bars

When I reached out to Tasha Tietz, also known as Graveyard Girl, to ask for permission to use her photos for this post, I also asked if she had any advice for making these bars. Her biggest tip was to use the largest bowl I owned because the crushed Rice Crispies will get everywhere. I usually try to follow gravestone recipes as closely as possible, but I decided I wouldn’t be crushing mine up. I did take her bowl advice, though.

From there, it all came together pretty quickly. I measured out the sugar, corn syrup, honey and peanut butter, then warmed everything on the stove. I kept a close eye on the mixture to make sure it didn’t boil and waited until the sugar was dissolved completely. Once it looked smooth, I poured it over the Rice Crispies and gently folded everything together with a spatula. Then I pressed the mixture into a 9×13 pan, having forgotten to butter it, of course.

The topping was supposed to be a mix of butterscotch and chocolate chips, but my butterscotch had definitely seen better days. I stuck with straight melted milk chocolate chips, which gave the bars a thinner top layer, but honestly, considering the sugar load in this recipe, it didn’t feel like a loss.

That unbuttered pan did come back to haunt me when I tried to cut the bars after they had cooled. Thankfully, a few minutes in the oven at 350°F loosened everything enough for me to pry them out. Crisis averted!

  • Scotcharoo Bars

The final result was sweet and chewy, and perfect with a cold glass of milk. Although I didn’t make them exactly according to Kari’s recipe, I did have a lot of fun trying, and they still tasted delicious in the end. I hope I did her memory justice by bringing her recipe to life in my own kitchen.

Recreating Kari’s Scotcharoo Bars was a great way to ease back into gravestone recipes. This recipe is simple, sweet, and exactly the kind of treat that disappears fast. A nice way to spend an afternoon experimenting in the kitchen, remembering Kari and sharing food.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Kari Jo (Ulmer) Lozenski (Obituary) | Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary & Crematory

Cemetery Recipes: Snickerdoodles

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For this month’s cemetery recipe, I decided to venture back into the world of cookies. After recently finding this recipe etched in stone, I thought it would be a perfect time to try another Snickerdoodle recipe.

This will be the second Snickerdoodle gravestone recipe I have tried, and I was curious to see how this version would compare.

This cookie recipe comes from the gravestone of Sharon Faye Johnson Lawrence, who is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City, Missouri.

Sharon passed away on May 25, 2020, at the age of 73, after a sudden illness. A beloved mother, grandmother, and member of the community, Sharon was known for her love of gardening and spending time with her family—especially her grandchildren.1

Her obituary also mentions how much she enjoyed baking and cooking for her family, which makes this recipe engraved on her tombstone even more special.1

This snickerdoodle recipe is now forever part of her legacy, engraved on her tombstone for future generations to discover and enjoy. It’s a beautiful memorial, accented by the lovely image of a cookie jar and plate of cookies.

Snickerdoodles recipe on the gravestone of Sharon Faye Johnson Lawrence. Photo by Find a Grave contributor M’lynne Snyder.

Here is the recipe, as written on the gravestone:

Snickerdoodles

  • 1 cup soft shortening (part butter)
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 ¾ cups gold medal flour
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp soda
  • ¼ tsp salt

Heat oven to 400° degrees. Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs thoroughly. Measure flour by dip-level-pour method or by sifting. Blend all dry ingredients. Stir in. Roll into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll in mixture of 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Place 2 apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. (These cookies puff up at first then flatten out)

In the Kitchen

In my kitchen, the baking experience was straightforward and fun. This gravestone recipe was more detailed than most, so it was very easy to follow. Mixing the ingredients was a breeze, and I loved the smell of cinnamon that filled the air. Rolling the dough into small balls and rolling them in the sugar mixture was my favorite part of the process.

I didn’t have the exact flour that Sharon’s recipe called for, but I used the Great Value all-purpose flour I had on hand. Even though it wasn’t the Gold Medal brand specified, the cookies still turned out wonderfully.

I did learn that there is a name for the way I usually measure out dry ingredients. I was curious about the dip-level-pour method that was named in the directions, so I did a quick Google search.

Apparently, this is a common measuring technique, where you scoop the flour into a measuring cup till it’s slightly mounded at the top, then you level it off with a flat edge, like a knife, and then pour that into your mixing bowl.2

The recipe made a big batch of cookies. I ended up baking two and half trays full. I think I maybe should have spaced them out a wee bit more, as most of them spread out into each other. In the end, that wasn’t a big deal, though.

The smell as they baked was lovely, and the warm, slightly crunchy cookies that emerged from the oven were just perfect!

There is something really heartwarming about baking a recipe with such a personal story behind it. Sharon’s love for baking and sharing meals with her family lives on in this recipe. It’s easy to imagine her making these delicious Snickerdoodles for her grandchildren, sharing the happiness and comfort that only homemade cookies can bring.

Will you give this recipe a try? I’d love to hear how they turned out! Whether you enjoy them with a glass of milk (my favorite) or as a treat to share with friends, they are a sweet way to remember Sharon’s love for her family and her passion for baking.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Sharon Faye Lawrence obituary | Parker Mortuary and Crematory
  2. Measuring Flour–The Right Way | The Cook Along Podcast

Cemetery Recipes: Peg’s Sugar Cookies

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The holidays are the perfect time for baking, so this month, I wanted to try out another gravestone recipe. This sugar cookie recipe seemed like a perfect fit.

This recipe can be found on Mitchell Edward Neal’s black granite gravestone in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Charleston, Arkansas. Engraved on the back of the stone is a recipe for Peg’s Sugar Cookies, a sweet tribute from his wife, Peggy Sue Loughridge Neal, who is still living.

Mitchell Edward Neal passed away on March 20, 2019 after a long battle with dementia. An avid outdoorsman, Neal enjoyed hunting, fishing, and gardening.1 Based on the recipe engraved on his tombstone, it’s clear he also loved his wife’s cookie recipe. Neal met his wife Peg in high school, and they were married for 53 years, raising four children together.1 The addition of the cookie recipe is such a heartfelt way to honor their sweet memories.

  • Peg’s Sugar Cookie recipe on the gravestone of Mitchell Edward Neal. Photo by Rosie Grant.

Here is the recipe as inscribed on the gravestone:

Peg’s Sugar Cookies

  • 2 Cups Sugar
  • 2/3 Cup Oil
  • 2 Eggs
  • 3 Tbls. Water
  • 1 Teas. Vanilla
  • 3 1/2 Cups Flour
  • 1/2 Teas. Salt
  • 2 Teas. Baking Powder

Mix all together. May have to add more flour as rolling out. Cut into cookies. Bake on greased pan at 350 for 6-8 minutes.

In the Kitchen

This was a pretty straightforward recipe. The Ingredients are all staples, so I didn’t have to make an extra trip to the store. I love those kinds of recipes.

After gathering all my ingredients, I mixed them in the order they were engraved on the stone. I was a little worried about the amount of flour, as it seemed like it might have been too much. I did my best to mix everything with a fork, but after adding the last cup of flour, I switched to a small hand mixer, just to make things a bit easier.

This did create a really flaky dough, so I did have to spend some time working it into a smooth ball. The instructions are brief but clear, and I didn’t have any issues following along.

This recipe makes a big batch of dough. I had only prepared two baking sheets, but quickly realized I would need a couple more. I ended up baking three and a half cookie sheets full.

Since I was planning to share these cookies at a Christmas family gathering, I tried my best to make them festive. I was hoping I had some star-shaped cookie cutters, but all my cookie cutters are Halloween-themed. I settled on a gravestone and a coffin shape. Luckily, my family knows me well and probably expects this kind of thing from me by now!

I baked the cookies as instructed, for 6 minutes at 350°F, then checked to see if they were done. They needed an extra minute, so I continued baking the rest for 7 minutes.

Once they were done, I moved them to a cutting board to cool a little before frosting. I went with a red frosting to keep with the festive theme. I had hoped that I had white sprinkles for a nice contrast, but I didn’t. So, I used some colorful nonpareils instead.

I think they turned out quite pretty! They also taste pretty good, too. They did turn out a bit chewy, which I wasn’t expecting, but they still have that sweet sugar cookie taste. The frosting adds a bit of sweetness as well, perfect for pairing with a fresh glass of milk.

Christmas time always calls for something sweet, and what better way to bring a little extra sweetness than by baking cookies with a story? As I baked these sugar cookies in Mitchell’s memory, I couldn’t help but think of the love and tradition behind the recipe.

Trying out this recipe seemed like a fitting way to honor the season of giving—and of course, I’m always up for a delicious sugar cookie!

Will you be giving this recipe a try? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Mitchell Edward Neal | Find a Grave

Cemetery Recipes: Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Cookie Book

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Over the summer I took a little break from making gravestone recipes, but I think it’s time to try another one. Fall is coming, so what better time to make chocolate chip cookies? They are always the best when they are still warm from the oven.

I came across this gravestone on reddit, posted by user ubercrabby. So, today on the blog, I want to try making Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Cookie Book gravestone of Jennifer P. Ferrante.

  • Cookie Book gravestone of Jenny P. Ferrante. Photo by Reddit user ubercrabby.

Ferrante’s red granite gravestone, found in a cemetery in upstate New York, is shaped like a book, with “Cookie Book” inscribed on the side. The recipe can be found on the back side of the stone.

Jennifer Peggy Allan Ferrante was only 54 when she passed away suddenly in August of 2019. According to her obituary, she was a consulting engineer for many years, traveled extensively, and loved spending time with her family and pets.1 She was also an avid baker and was known for her chocolate chip cookies, which she often shared with her loved ones.1

It seems fitting that they would honor her by inscribing her famous recipe on her gravestone for others to make and share.

  • Chocolate chip cookie recipe on the gravestone of Jenny P. Ferrante. Photo by Reddit user ubercrabby.

Here is the recipe as inscribed on the gravestone:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

9 to 11 min 375’F

1) 2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2) 1 cup Crisco
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar

2) 1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

Combine dry
Combine wet then add dry

Making the Recipe

Although this recipe is similar to the famous Nestlay Toulouse recipe, also known as Nestle Toll House, there are some small differences—most notably the substitution of Crisco for butter, and the omission of nuts.

It also looks like there might be a typo on the stone, as it has two step 2’s, BUT it might not be a mistake. Both step 2’s contain wet ingredients. Is it possible that it is direction on how to mix the ingredients?

That is the way I read the recipe when I tried it. I mixed the dry ingredients in one bowl, and then in a second bowl, I mixed the ingredients from step 2. Then in the same bowl from step 2, I mixed the vanilla, eggs, and chocolate chips. I was a bit worried about the amount of chocolate chips, it seemed like a lot! When that was mixed well, I then combined the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, forming a nice cookie dough.

The ingredients consist of pantry staples so it was nice not having to make a special grocery trip to make this recipe. I was curious about the use of Crisco instead of butter. Crisco or shortening, is made from 100% hydrogenated vegetable oil and contains no water.2 It has a higher melting point than butter, so it tends to produce more lift and holds its shape better.2

I try my best to stick to the recipes as written on the gravestone and only make substitutions when necessary—like when ingredients are not available. That being said, shortening has no flavor, so baked goods made with it do miss that buttery taste that only butter can produce. If I made this recipe again, I would make the switch and use butter.

Otherwise, following this recipe was incredibly easy and was a quick one to make. The trickiest part for me was spooning the cookie dough from the bowls to the parchment-lined cookie sheets. I had a bit of a hard time getting uniformed portions so after the first cookie sheet was full, I put a little oil on my hands, to prevent the dough from sticking, and rolled the rest of the dough into balls for the second cookie sheet.

In the end, both cookie sheets came out the same, with the cookies spreading out into each other. I should have given them more space and used one more cookie sheet.

My worries about the amount of chocolate chips were also unwarranted as they didn’t come out a melty chocolate mess. These cookies are incredibly decadent, and delicious!

This is a tasty cookie recipe and easy to make. I can see how this would quickly become a favorite. It’s also a simple recipe with room for modifications if desired. I would make this one again the next time I am craving a nice chocolate chip cookie.

Have you tried this recipe? Or do you have another gravestone recipe suggestion I should try? I would love to read about it, in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Jennifer Peggy Allan Ferrante | Find a Grave
  2. Butter vs. Shortening in Baking | Land O’Lakes

Cemetery Recipes: Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

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I have been craving something sweet and chocolatey for the last two weeks, so when I came across a gravestone recipe for chocolate oatmeal cookies, I knew I had to try them. The bonus is that it’s a no-bake recipe! 

This recipe is found on the gravestone of Bonnie June Rainey Johnson, who is laid to rest in Nome City Cemetery in Nome, Alaska. Johnson, also known as the “driver’s license lady”, worked for the Division of Motor Vehicles in Nome until she retired in 2000, after 30 years of service.1 She was also known for the sweetness of her no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies.2 In interviews, Johnsons’ daughter Julie, has said that even the person who cleared the snow from their front yard made sure to do a good job because they would get payment in a batch of these cookies.2 Johnson loved spending time in the kitchen, cooking dishes that brought her family and friends together.1 

Bonnie Johnson was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2004 and moved to Anchorage to be with her daughter in her final days. She passed away peacefully on May 8, 2007, surrounded by family.1 She was 71. Her famous oatmeal cookie recipe was inscribed on her gravestone in 2007, along with an image of a Cool Whip container—She was known to collect dozens of them!2

  • Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie recipe on the gravestone of Bonnie Johnson. Photo by Find a Grave contributor, Janelle Otton. Photo used with permission.

Here is the recipe, as written on the black granite obelisk:

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (No Bake)

Everyone’s favorite

  • 2 Cups of Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup of Milk
  • 1/4 Cup of Cocoa (Swiss Miss)
  • 1/4 Cup of Margarine (1 Stick)

Bring to a full boil in a saucepan

Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes

Then add

  • 3 Cups of Quick Oats
  • 2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter
  • 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

Drop on Wax Paper and Let Set Until Firm

Making the Recipe

This recipe is high on my list for being so easy to make. I had all the ingredients on hand, which was nice as I didn’t have to make an extra grocery trip. I did make one substitution though, as I didn’t have any Swiss Miss cocoa, only a generic store-brand version. 

The recipe is very straightforward to follow. There are also not many steps so it was a quick recipe to make. I added the ingredients in the order they were listed, making sure the margarine was melted and everything was well incorporated. I brought it all to a boil, making sure to watch it so it didn’t burn. I then removed it from the heat and let it sit for five minutes. 

During this time, I prepared two baking sheets with wax paper. I was not sure how big of a batch this recipe would make, but I thought two cookie sheets would be a good start.

After the five minutes, the chocolate mixture had a bit of a film on it. I didn’t stir it, but instead just added in the next ingredients. At this point I did change the order of things, adding the vanilla and peanut butter first. My thought was to melt the peanut butter to better incorporate it into the mixture. Then I added the quick oats, doing so a little at a time and mixing it well. 

All that was left to do was to drop the mixture onto the waxed paper and let them set. Using two spoons, I made my cookies a little too big on the first sheet. I only fit six cookies on a sheet. I spread them fairly thin but they were large. On the second cookie sheet, I tried to pull it back a bit and make smaller dollops, which I flattened out a little after all the remaining mixture had been spooned onto the sheet. The second cookie sheet had about 12 cookies on it.

  • Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. Recipe from the gravestone of Bonnie Johnson.

Because I made one sheet of larger cookies, I opted to put that one in the freezer to set. The second cookie sheet I put in the fridge to set. After a couple of hours, I pulled out the tray in the fridge to give them a try.

They turned out so good! I was a little nervous, considering my problems with the last gravestone recipe I tried. But I think there was no way to mess this one up. I was afraid they were going to be too sweet, but the oatmeal helps cut some of the sweetness, I think. 

  • Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. Recipe from the gravestone of Bonnie Johnson.

This is a great recipe, and I think will be my go-to the next time I need to whip something up fast the night before a family gathering, to share.

Have you tried this recipe? Do you have a favorite recipe that you would put on your gravestone? I would love to read about it in the comments. 

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Bonnie Johnson Obituary | Anchorage Daily News
  2. Tombstones with family recipes, from Alaska to Israel | The Observatorial

Cemetery Recipes: Chocolate Mint Brownies

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This past Wednesday was Valentine’s Day, and like many others this past week, I wanted to make a little sweet treat for my sweetheart. So earlier in the week I tried out another gravestone recipe. My fiancé is quite supportive of my gravestone hobby, so I knew he wouldn’t mind where I got the recipe from. 

For this month’s gravestone recipe, I made chocolate mint brownies. This tombstone recipe can be found on the gravestone of John Rodda, in Maple Grove Cemetery in Wichita, Kansas. 

John Harold Rodda passed away on January 18, 2019, following a brief but courageous battle with cancer. He was a compassionate Funeral Director and Embalmer, having worked at Cochran Mortuary for 54 years. He enjoyed music, cooking, and collecting recipes and cookbooks.1 He was famous for his chocolate mint brownie family recipe, so famous that it was inscribed on a black marble plaque that can be found on his gravestone.2

  • Chocolate Mint Browne recipe on the grave of John Harold Rodda. Photo by Find a Grave member Lynda.

Here is the recipe, as written the gravestone:

Chocolate Mint Brownies

  • Bake: 350 
  • Time: 20 Minutes

By Sharon Wiens (Aunt Marie McKee’s recipe)

  • Beat: 4 beaten eggs, 1 cup melted margarine, 2 cups sugar.
  • Add: 4 squares melted unsweetened chocolate, 1 tsp peppermint flavouring, 1 cup flour.
  • Beat.
  • I put in a greased and floured small cookie sheet (can use a 9×13 baking dish).
  • Bake 20 minutes 350. Bake a little less with the thinner brownie.
  • Cool.
  • Frost with > for a 9×13 top: 1/4 cup margarine, 2 tbsp cream, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tsp peppermint flavoring (I go 1.5 of this to frost the cookie sheet top).
  • Place the frosted brownie in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Melt 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate, 2 tbsp Margarine. 
  • Cool. 
  • Drizzle over brownie and sprinkle with crushed peppermint.

This is one of the most complete gravestone recipes I have made. The directions are very straightforward, and they even include variations for bake time and measurements depending on what you bake the brownies in.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a 9×13 pan so I opted to bake my brownies in a 9×9 pan. In hindsight, I should have tried baking them on the cookie sheet. Because the 9×9 was deeper than both the cookie sheet and the 9×13, I had to bake my brownies for about an extra 15 minutes. After the initial 20 minutes in the oven, I could tell right away that the center was not cooked through so I put it back in for another five minutes, which then turned into 10 more. I knew it was done when the toothpick I pushed into the center of the dish came out clean.

I followed the cooling instructions and frosted the brownies. I thought about adding a bit of food coloring to the frosting to make it red for Valentine’s, but I also wanted to see how it would look without the added color so I decided against it. You could add whatever color you like to the frosting easily by adding a bit of gel food coloring. 

Because I used a 9×9 pan, I think the two squares of baker’s chocolate for the drizzle were a bit too much since I had less surface area to cover. I should have reduced it to half. I then took a candy cane and put it into a zip-lock bag to crush up for the topping. I wrapped the bagged candy cane in a dish towel and used a pint glass to crush the candy, as I didn’t have a rolling pin. It worked perfectly. 

Chocolate Mint Brownies
Chocolate Mint Brownies
Chocolate Mint Brownies

Chocolate Mint Brownies. Recipe from the gravestone of John Harold Rodda.

These are super minty, and sweet, but I would have liked them to be a bit more chocolaty. I think maybe my peppermint extract was a bit off because my batch has a bit of an aftertaste, or perhaps I just used too much? Either way, I still think they turned out decent and would try this recipe again with some slight modifications. Learning and experimenting are all part of the fun, after all. 

Have you tried this recipe before? Do you have any helpful tips for me? I would love to read them in the comments! 

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. John Harold Rodda Obituary | Cochran Mortuary & Crematory
  2. John Harold Rodda | Find a Grave

Cemetery Recipes: Chicken Soup

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We recently had our first big winter snowfall, after enjoying a pretty mild start to the season. The snow and cold weather have me craving warm and cozy comfort food, so I thought this might be a good time to try out another gravestone recipe—Chicken Soup!

This gravestone recipe comes from the tombstone of Valerie C. Volpe, of West Seneca, New York. I’m not sure exactly where Volpe is laid to rest, but her pink granite gravestone topped with an open book design features her chicken soup recipe in her own handwriting. I thought that was a beautiful touch. 

The recipe, inscribed on the open book is laid out like a recipe card and even has her signature. In life, Volpe was co-owner of Valerie’s Family Restaurant where she not only fed her family but her community as well.1

  • Gravestone of Valerie C. Volpe, with Chicken Soup recipe. Photographer unknown. If this is your photo or you know who the photographer is, please contact me for proper photo credit. 

The epitaph reads: “Beloved Daughter, Mother / Wife, Grandmother, / Sister, Aunt & Friend / Valerie C. Volpe / She was a lady raised by a lady / Apr. 18, 1947 / Sep. 10, 2016”

Unfortunately, the only photo I could find of the gravestone is not the highest resolution, so the handwriting is a bit hard to make out. I did my best to transcribe the recipe, as inscribed on the gravestone. Here is the recipe:

Recipe for Chicken Soup

From the kitchen of Mommy

  • 1 Perdue oven stuffer
  • Cut in 10 pieces
  • 1 small Parsnip
  • 1 small Turnip
  • 2 stalks Celery
  • 4 Carrots
  • Parsley —
  • Dill —

This makes 1 large pot or 2 — pots / Clean chicken. Cover with / cold water — / Celery, Carrots, parsnip – turnip / Bring to a boil — / — / — / — / Cook about 2 1/2 hours.  / Valeria C. Volpe

Since I had such a hard time reading the recipe from the photo, I went by this recipe description from Billion Graves:

“Cut an “oven stuffer” into 10 pieces. Place in a pot. Rinse and cover with cold water. Add salt. Cut up 1 small parsnip, 4 carrots, 1 turnip, and 2 stalks of celery. Add to the pot and bring to a boil. Sprinkle with dill. Cook for 2 1/2 hours and then remove the bones. Top with chopped parsley when ready to serve.”

This is one of the more detailed recipes I have made so far, so once I had the above instructions I didn’t have too much to decipher to make it. The recipe does call for a Perdue oven stuffer, which I did have to look up. A Perdue “oven stuffer” is an American brand, of fresh whole chicken. These chickens, also called roasters, are older chickens and usually weigh between 5 and 7 pounds. I made a shopping trip specifically for the ingredients of this recipe and although we don’t have Perdue brand in Canada, I was able to find a fresh chicken that would work for my needs. 

I have trimmed a roasted chicken before, but trimming a fresh chicken was new for me. I didn’t end up using 10 pieces of the chicken, as the thighs, wings, drumsticks, and chicken breasts were more than enough. I was also worried about smaller bones being lost in the soup and causing a choking hazard, so I was happy to have just some larger bones in the pot. 

I should note that this was my first time making soup from scratch! Aside from getting the chicken ready, this soup is pretty simple with hearty ingredients. 

Once the soup was at a boil I lowered the heat to medium and let it simmer for 2 1/2 hours, checking on it now and then to stir. I will admit I did need to add water periodically as it boiled off leaving more of a stew at times. I made sure to re-season the pot every time I added fresh water, but in the end, I still needed to season it when it was ready to serve. I’m not sure if that was supposed to happen, or if I didn’t really need to let the pot simmer for that long, but in the end, the soup still turned out. I was of course mindful of making sure the chicken was cooked through.

Since it took so long to prepare, I didn’t have soup for supper that night, but I did make sure to do a taste test after removing the bones. It wasn’t as seasoned as I would have liked, but the cozy warm chicken soup taste is unmistakeable. I ended up enjoying a bowl for lunch the next day.

This one was a little tricky for me, and I would tweak the cooking time if I were to make it again. This recipe took me out of my cooking comfort zone. I think I would prefer to stick to sweet gravestone treats, but at least I tried.

Have you made this recipe before? Do you make soup from scratch often? I would appreciate any tips in the comments! 

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Gravestone recipes so good they are set in stone | Billion Graves

Cemetery Recipes: Spritz Cookies

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It’s the holiday baking season! A time when many family members are baking delicious sweet treats to share with loved ones. What better time than to try out another gravestone recipe? 

For this month’s recipe, I wanted to try Naomi Miller-Dawson’s Spritz Cookies. I have been saving this recipe to try specifically for this month. I hope to share these cookies with my loved ones this Christmas, at our annual family get-together. 

This cookie recipe can be found on the grave of Naomi Odessa Miller-Dawson. Beloved mother, aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother. She passed away in June of 2009 at the age of 87. Her gravestone, which can be found in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, features an open-book design.

Commonly a book represents the Bible or book of life, but an open book is sometimes used as a device to display the deceased’s details, like names and dates. Miller-Dawson’s son, Richard, told Medium in 2019, “It’s probably from the design that [one would] use if someone was putting a Bible verse onto the headstone, but instead of having the Bible verse, we put the part of the recipe from spritz cookies.”1  

Naomi Miller-Dawson was a first-generation American, her parents and two older sisters having been born in Barbados. Her family immigrated to America before she was born. She lived in Brooklyn, NY and supported her family by working as a postal worker for over 20 years. She was also an excellent baker, so much so that her two children immortalized her cookie recipe on her gravestone.1

  • Spritz Cookies recipe on the grave of Naomi Odessa Miller Dawson. Photo by Find a Grave member Brenda Barr-Gilbert.

Here is the recipe, as written on the gravestone:

Spritz Cookies⁠

  • 1 cup of butter or margarine⁠
  • 3/4 cup sugar⁠
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla⁠
  • 1 egg⁠
  • 2 1/4 cups of flour⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder⁠
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

You may have noticed that this gravestone recipe only lists the ingredients. I have not baked a lot of cookies in my lifetime, so I did need to do some extra research to figure out the directions of this recipe. I learned that spritz cookies are similar to a sugar cookie but more buttery, and require some extra care when combining the ingredients. 

I found some tips for making spritz cookies online and added the ingredients together in the order they are listed on the gravestone. First, I whipped the butter and sugar together, until it was light and fluffy. I used a hand mixer for this part. I then added the vanilla and egg and used the hand mixer again to incorporate them.2

Another tip I found was not to overwork the dough, so I added the flour slowly and folded it into the butter mixture by hand. I then added the baking powder and salt. Making sure not to overwork the mixture created a light and fluffy dough. This is very important for the next part.2 

This is where the cookie press comes in! Spritz cookies are named from the German word spritzen, which means “to squirt”. The soft fluffy dough is squirted or pushed through a cookie press to make fancy designs.3 I had heard of a cookie press before but had never tried one. I did specifically buy a cookie press this summer for this recipe. I purchased my Wilton Cookie press at a local thrift shop, making sure to clean it thoroughly before using it. Since I had never used one before, and my thrifted press didn’t come with instructions, I turned to YouTube to learn how. I found a quick tutorial video that made it look incredibly easy.

Unfortunately, my press has a crack in it where it connects to the barrel, so the process of pressing my cookies was a little difficult. It was a bit of a struggle, but I was able to make it work. Luckily, because the dough is so light and soft, mistakes could be easily scrapped up and put back in the barrel to try again. 

To make them festive, I decorated them with red cherries. Sanding sugar and sprinkles. I had hoped to also use green cherries, but unfortunately, my local shops don’t carry them anymore. 

This recipe makes a fairly large batch of cookies, but because my press was malfunctioning, I don’t know how accurate of a count I can make. I ended up baking 5 full cookie sheets in the oven, at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes each. You need to keep an eye on your cookies, as you only want to bake them until they are golden brown on the edges. They should still be very light in color when they are done. 

All in all, these were a very fun recipe to make, and the cookies turned out delicious. They are similar in taste to a sugar cookie but much more buttery. These would be great to make as an activity with friends or young children because they are so fun to decorate, the possibilities are endless. These spritz cookies also make a great big batch, which is perfect for sharing with friends and family while also enjoying a few, or several yourself.

Will you be trying out this recipe? Or do you have another gravestone recipe that you are dying to try? I would love to read about it in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Refernces:

  1. Memorializing a Mother Who Fueled Lives With Spritz Cookies | Medium
  2. Tips To Make the Best Spritz Cookies | Go Bold with Butter
  3. Classic Spritz Cookies | Gold Medal Flour

Cemetery Recipes: Dr. Death’s Ranch

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I am still on the hunt for Canadian gravestone recipes. The majority of the ones I have learned about are in the United States. Hopefully one day, I will have a Canadian recipe to share with you. Until then I will keep trying out the gravestone recipes I learn about online. 

For this month’s gravestone recipe, I wanted to try out Dr. Death’s Ranch!

  • Cemetery Recipes: Dr. Death's Ranch

This is the first savory gravestone recipe I have tried, and it looks like it will be an easy one to make. I first learned about this recipe through Rosie Grant, who you may know as Ghostly Archive on TikTok. This gravestone belongs to Marty Lee Woolf, who passed away suddenly on August 21, 2022.1 

According to Woolfs’ obituary, he was a hard-working family man with a good sense of humor. He leaves behind a wife and three children.2 I would like to think this recipe was one of his favourites. So much so, that his family chose to inscribe it on his gravestone for others to remember him by. I wasn’t able to find much information about this ranch dressing recipe, so I am very curious; who is Dr. Death? Was this Woolf’s signature dip recipe? Was this his go-to recipe for family gatherings or get-togethers? 

What I could find about this stone, is that this gravestone was most likely made in Washington state. The only photo I have been able to find of this gravestone looks to have been taken before the stone was installed at the cemetery, possibly after it had been engraved.

I have recently been able to confirm that Woolf is laid to rest in Saltese Cemetery, in Greenacres Washington. Thank you to a fellow taphophile and reader for sending me a note about this graves location!

Woolf’s Find A Grave memorial also lists a photo of the front of his gravestone. His epitaph reads “The Legend. The Laugh.”

  • Backside of the gravestone of Marty Lee Woolf. Photo by Rosie Grant (Ghostly Archive on TikTok)

Here is the recipe, as written on the gravestone:

Dr. Death’s Ranch

  • 1 C. Mayonnaise
  • 1/2 C. Buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
  • 1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper
  • 1/8 Tsp. Paprika
  • 1/8 Tsp. Garlic Powder

This has to be the easiest gravestone recipe I have made so far. There are only 6 ingredients and there is no baking or cooking involved. My kind of recipe! The hardest part for me was gathering the ingredients. Being in Canada, we sometimes don’t have the same name brands of foodstuffs. I wasn’t able to find any Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix, so I substituted in some Club House Ranch Style Dressing and Dip Mix. I tried to compare the mix ingredients to see if the mix I had found was close, but I wasn’t able to tell since both mixes don’t go into detail on what spices are actually in them. Hopefully, the flavors aren’t too off! 

After easily mixing everything by hand with a whisk, until smooth, I let the mixture sit in the fridge for a few minutes to let the flavors combine. While the dressing was resting, I sliced up some cucumbers and red bell pepper to make a little veggie platter. I also threw some cherry tomatoes and baby carrots on there for some variety.

When the veggie platter was ready, it was time to try Dr. Death’s Ranch.

This is a super tasty recipe! I wasn’t sure about the buttermilk as I don’t think I have ever had it before like that, but the bright flavor combination is a winner. I also love how quick & easy it is. I was surprised at the amount of dip this recipe makes too. The addition of the buttermilk helps smooth out the texture and thins it out a little, making it a decent-sized batch.

This would be the perfect thing to bring to a Summer get-together with friends and family, or maybe to some game day festivities. The next time I go to a potluck, I know I will be reaching for this recipe again for super easy veggies and dip platter.

Have you heard about this gravestone recipe before? Are you going to give it a try? Tell me about it in the comments! 

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. ‘I’ve made 23 recipes I found engraved on gravestones – they’re to die for’ | Mirror
  2. Marty WOOLF Obituary | Legacy.com

Cemetery Recipes: Heavenly Daze Ice Cream

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The August heat is starting to wane, as the cooler Autumn weather is starting to take over here in Northern Ontario. In an attempt to hold onto the last Summer has to offer, I thought it might be a good time to make another gravestone recipe. This month, I am trying out Marian’s Heavenly Daze Ice Cream.

That’s right, an ice cream recipe that can be found on a gravestone! 

This recipe can be found on the gravestone of Marian Woodward Sheaffer Montfort. Marian passed away at the age of 86, in Portland, Maine. According to her obituary, she was a dedicated wife and mother who also enjoyed sewing and knitting. She was also very independent, living at home until the end, enjoying the company of her cats and the wildlife in her yard. By that description, she reminds me a little of my own mother.

Marian is laid to rest in Robertson Cemetery in Weld, Maine, beside her husband Robert Montfort, who passed away in 1991. Sadly, her daughter Amethyst also rests in Robertson Cemetery, having also passed away in 1991. I couldn’t find more information about Robert and Amethyst, but I was grateful to see they were laid to rest in the same cemetery.

Marian’s gravestone also boldly states “I Loved To Cook”. So what better way to remember her, than by making and enjoying her ice cream recipe!

  • Grave of Marian S. Montfort. Photo by Find a Grave contributor Catonlocke123. Photo used with permission.

The recipe reads: 

Heavenly Daze Ice Cream

  • 1 cup Apricot Preserves
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/4 cup Dried Apricots in tiny pieces
  • 3 cups Cream
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Stir preserves, apricots, and sugar on low heat so preserves melt and sugar dissolves.

Cool and mix in cream. Chill. Add vanilla and nutmeg. Stir during freezing.

This recipe was easy to make but ended up taking way more time than I thought it would. It’s been a while since I made an ice cream recipe, but I made sure to make some room in my freezer and put my ice cream machine bowl in there to freeze for a couple of days before attempting this recipe. For the ingredients, I used apricot jam instead of preserves because I couldn’t find any. I think the jam probably has some extra sugar in it, so I was a little worried that it would be too sweet, but I took the chance.

I melted the jam, sugar, and apricot pieces on low heat, but I wasn’t sure how long it would need. I kept an eye on it to make sure it didn’t burn and kept stirring it until the sugar looked like it was melted and incorporated into the jam.

Like with most gravestone recipes, I did have to look up some best practices for cooking and cooling times. Luckily, I have an ice cream recipe book. So I did refer to that to see how long I should be cooling it. I followed the book’s instructions, and put the saucepan in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool. After that, I incorporated the cream and put it back in the fridge for 3 hours to chill. It was about 9 p.m. when my timer went off to take it out of the fridge. I was too tired to start up the ice cream machine at that point, so I left the saucepan in the fridge overnight to chill more. 

The next day, on my lunch break, I mixed in the vanilla and nutmeg and started up the ice cream maker. I forgot how loud that thing is! I let it run for 30 minutes and checked on it now and then. I love seeing the consistency get thicker over time. I also had to sneak a taste. The nutmeg really makes this recipe!

After enjoying a little bowl for dessert, I removed the machine bowl and placed it back in the freezer. I recommend letting it sit over night so the flavours can really combine and the extra time in the freezer also brings out that ice cream texture we all love.

This was such an easy recipe to make, made even easier by the use of an ice cream maker. The flavours of the apricot and nutmeg work so well together. I think I like apricot a little more because of this recipe. As for my use of jam vs. preserves, I don’t think it made much of a difference. My ice cream didn’t turn out nearly as sweet as I thought it would because of it. 

I would love to learn more about how this recipe came to be on Marian’s grave. Was this her favourite ice cream? Did she make it often? In any case, I think it’s so sweet (pun intended) that this recipe lives on along with her memory. 

Do you have a favorite gravestone recipe? What family recipe would you put on your gravestone? I would love to read your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

References: