Tess’ TableBy: Tess Morgan

Hey, y’all! I’m Tess. This cookbook is a small compilation of my favorite recipes served at my table. All of the recipes come from my mother’s side of the family, the Jarrett side. These recipes come straight out of their personal cookbooks. It’s full of classic Southern and Adventist cooking. So have a seat at my table, enjoy some of the same foods I did growing up. I can’t promise you a quiet meal, but I can promise you good conversation and even better food.

Table of Contents

Tomato Bisque Pg. 3

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes Pg. 5

Quick Yeast Bread Pg. 7

Macaroni and Cheese Pg. 8

Cottage Cheese Loaf Pg. 9

Oatmeal Cookies Pg. 11

Oatmeal Cake Pg. 12

Chocolate Cake Pg. 14

Donna’s Tomato Bisque

Ingredients3 - 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes2 tbsp. salt1 tbsp. sugar2 tbsp. chopped onion2 tbsp. chopped parsley2 slices lemon1 bay leaf1 cup hot water3 tbsp. margarine3 tbsp. flour1 3/4 cup milkMozzarella or Parmesan cheese shredded

Directions Cook the first seven ingredients together for 15 min-utes. Remove bay leaf and lemon then blend together for 5 seconds. Add the hot water and mix the margarine and flour together. Add tomatoes and cook for five minutes. Add the milk just before serving.

A tip from Donna: Put a small amount of shredded cheese in each bowl and parsley on top to garnish.

10 to 12 Servings

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients5 lbs. baking potatoes 1/2 cup butter8 oz. cream cheese 1/2 cup milk8 oz. sour cream 2 tbsp. onion salt

DirectionsPreheat oven at 350 degrees. Boil the potatoes until tender, drain, and add the rest of the ingredients. Beat with a mixer until smooth and fluffy. Pour into a 13” x 9” pan and bake for 50 minutes.

12 to 15 Servings

A note from Tess:These mashed potatoes are so thick and creamy that it’s hard to stop after just one serving.

Darlyne’s Quick Yeast BreadIngredients

4 cups warm water1/2 cup oil3 tbsp. yeast

1 tbsp. salt1/4 cup sugar4 1/2 cups wheat flour4 1/2 cups bread flour

Directions Add water to your bowl, then sugar, salt and 1/4 cup of oil, mix well. Then sprinkle yeast into the mixture, but be sure the water is not too hot, or it will kill your yeast. It should be luke-warm or slightly above. The sugar, salt, and oil usually cools it enough. Add the flour a cup at a time and mix well. If you do not have a table mixer, mix four and a half cups of flour in and then mix with the hand mixer for about two minutes. Then add the other four and a half cups of flour, kneading until you get it into a soft ball. It may take a little more or a lit-tle less flour, depending upon how you are mixing it. The dough should not be stiff, but if you don’t add enough flour, the loaves will fall. You kind of have to play with it a little. Pour the other 1/4 cup of oil in a large bowl. Turn out the dough into the bowl and turn the dough to oil it on all sides. Let rise until double in bulk, usually about 30 minutes. Putting the bowl in the oven will help the dough to rise faster. Once it’s done rising, take out the dough and make it into loaves. Let loaves rise for another 30 minutes or until the loaves are about 1/2 an inch above the pans. Place them in the oven at 350 degrees and bake the small loaves for about 20 minutes or the large loaves 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Mama’s Mac n Cheese

Ingredients 8 oz. elbow macaroni 1 egg 2 cups cottage cheese 1 teaspoon onion salt 1 cup sour cream 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta for 8 to 10 minutes. While the pasta cooks, combine all other ingredients into a bowl. Once the pasta is cooked, drain all the water out and combine all ingredients. Pour into 9x13 inch pan and cook for

10 to 12 Servings

A note from Tess:This macaroni and cheese is by far my favorite because it’s not your average macaroni and cheese. I’m pretty sure I could eat half a pan of this stuff.

Cottage Cheese Loaf

DirectionsMix all ingredients together in a mixer and pour into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour.

Ingredients1 stick melted butter1 cup chopped onions4 cups Wheaties or Special K1 cup chopped nuts5 eggs2 cups cottage cheese1 tablespoon McKay’s chicken seasoning1/2 cup milk3 envelopes George Washington’s broth

10 to 15 Servings

A note from Tess: While this is clearly not the most photogenic food, it’s very tasty. That’s why I added it to my cookbook. Growing up, the scent of cottage cheese loaf filled the house every Sabbath afternoon.

A tip from Grandma Elliot:Add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, or coconut.

Grandma Elliot’s Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients3/4 cup shortening, softened1 cup brown sugar1/2 cup sugar1 egg3 cups Old Fashioned Quaker Oats, uncooked1/4 cup water2 cups flour, sifted1 t. salt1/2 t. baking soda1 t. vanilla

DirectionsMix shortening, sugars, egg, water and vanilla, beat thoroughly. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to mixture, mixing well. Blend in oats. Drop by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Makes 2 Dozen

Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake

Cake Ingredients1 cup quick or regular oats1 1/4 cup boiling water1/2 cup Softened butter1 cup sugar1 cup firmly packed brown sugar1 tbsp. vanilla2 eggs1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, sifted1/2 tbsp. salt1 tbsp. baking soda1 tbsp. cinnamon1/2 tbsp. nutmeg

Frosting1 cup melted butter1 cup firmly packed brown sugar8 tbsp. half and half1 cup chopped pecans1 1/2 c. Shredded coconut

Directions Soak oats in boiling water for 20 minutes. Beat butter until creamy; gradually add sugars and beat until fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add oat mixture; mix well. Sift flour with salt, soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix into oatmeal mixture. Pour into 9x13 inch baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Do not remove cake from pan. Spread frosting over hot cake then broil until bubbly.

15 to 20 Servings

A tip from Grandma Elliot:When spreading on frosting, be careful not to tear the top of the cake.

Darla’s Delicious Chocolate Cake

10 to 15 Servings

Cake Ingredients2 cups sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon soda1 3/4 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt3/4 cup cocoa 2 eggs1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup milk1/2 cup oil 2 teaspoons vanilla1 cup boiling water

Cake DirectionsHeat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in boiling water. Pour into three greased 8” cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake and let cool again.

Frosting Ingredients1 1/2 stick butter 1 cup cocoa4 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1/2 cup milk1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting DirectionsMelt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed. Lastly, add vanilla.