Almond Bark No Bake Cookies 2/5/15

Why does the weather man have to be so accurate when he predicts something so drastic?  I was certain that the worst of this would go north or south of us!  There must have been a bit of doubt because while I was out for a meal at the down town restaurant, I took advantage of the offer of going to church at 6:00 Saturday evening.  When I opened one eye this morning at the time I would have been leaving home I glanced out the window and ascertained that by golly this time it happened just like was predicted. So far today has been quite monotonous.  I made one phone call and had a return call from the same person. That is the total of my social activity.  To liven up my day, I cooked some beef and noodles and made some instant potatoes for my lunch. I fortified the potatoes with a large chunk of butter and used hot milk instead of water.  Not too bad!! I even watched a college basketball game.  The one I picked “just because” ended up winning so maybe that was my magic for the day.

With my isolated activities I have had a hard time running into much magic so think I will go back to one of my Christmas parties, really to a month or so before that.  At our regular monthly Homemakers Club meeting we had a guest speaker who was explaining their new program for pre-preschool kids-3 year olds!!  After her presentation she asked if there were any questions about the program.  I hate to let an opportunity go by without talking, so when no one else said anything I said I just wanted to make a statement.  I grew up in a home where we had only necessities, good parents but almost no toys, played jacks on the dining room table with hickory nuts and no ball! We had to use our imagination to fill our play hours and free time from daily chores. We didn’t even have kindergarten and all of my brothers and sisters turned out quite well.  She responded with the statement that I had my own answer—“good parents” who handled our situation well.  All kids aren’t so lucky. I have a secret pal who was tremendous with her gifts to me during the year. When I received my Christmas gift there was a bag with 6 or so small bags inside. In one was a Slinky, in another a bag of marbles, and a game of “jacks” with Two balls!  That is all that I recall that was in the bags.  I thought it was a very magical moment and thought she was trying to even the score years ago when I had her name.  I had purchased a flat wooden angel with golden wires for wings and halo, about 10 to 12 inches tall.  Inscribed on the angel were the words “God loves you and I am trying!!” She recently built a new home and we were guests there.  She pointed it out and said, “Yes, Max, there is my angel.”  My daughter asked for the marbles and I intend to someday see if I can mentally resurrect at least part of the game of jacks, now that I have two balls to bounce. I hope she didn’t get the marbles because she thought I had “lost mine”!!

I think that is a good place to return to food.  I had two soups picked out because of the weather, but by the time the paper comes out, I hope at least part of this snow has left us, at least most of the coldest weather is just a memory. If not I will look up those recipes again.  I am saving one for me to make anyway. One I am using today was supposed to be a meal for a bit over a dollar. You can tell it is an old cookbook because the seasonings would cost you more than that today.

            

UPSIDE DOWN MEAT PIE

1 pound ground beef

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped onion

¼ cup chopped green pepper

1 can (10 ¾ oz.)condensed tomato soup

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1 ½ cups biscuit baking mix

1/3 cup water

3slices Velveeta Cheese, halved diagonally

Over medium heat, cook beef, celery, onion and green pepper until meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender.  Drain fat. Stir in soup and mustard. Transfer to a greased 9 inch pie plate. Combine biscuit mix and water until soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 9 inch circle. Place over the meat mixture and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for five minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen biscuit dough. Invert onto a serving platter. Arrange cheese slices in a pinwheel pattern. Garnish with green pepper rings if desired.

            

ALMOND BARK NO BAKE COOKIES

1 package (24 oz.) almond bark

1 cup peanut butter

8 cups Captain Krunch cereal

1 cup salted peanuts

Melt almond bark according to package directions. (I like to melt it in oven at 200 degrees.) Add peanut butter and mix. Remove from heat and stir in cereal and peanuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper.

Our county is only at level 2 emergency now. Guess they didn’t need my opinion.  See you next spring.

Magical Edgerton Memories 1/22/15

Magic moments or a trip down memory lane??  It all started with an ordinary stop at the customer counter at the local Post Office. As I asked for a weight on a heavier than usual envelope to see if I needed extra postage, our new post master mentioned that he had something he thought I would be interested in!  I am not certain if it were my white hair hinting at my advanced age or if he might know about my interest in cooking and new recipes.  It seems that he had inadvertently become the owner of an old, old recipe book originating in Edgerton. It is unusual but he could not find a date in the whole publication.  He promised to bring it in to show me some day. One day he proudly had it in his possession, having rescued it from a box of things his wife had ready to go to the recycling bin, remonstrating her with the comment ” You can’t throw THAT away.”

I still can’t comprehend why he would give it to ME.  There were conditions attached that he did not want it back but he wanted to see what I wrote about it. I have been procrastinating about it not knowing just how to compile my thoughts and feelings. The time has arrived and after much thought and  mind changing here is what I have to offer.

The title of the book is “THE BEST IN COOKING”  in  Edgerton. It was promoted by the Edgerton Business and Professional Women’s Club. I knew personally or knew the names of most of the ladies who had contributed recipes. A big share of them have gone on to their eternal reward.  The list of advertisers brought back so many memories as I can remember when they were active businesses in our home town.  The only advertiser that I could think of to ask about when he thought it might have been printed was Karl’s Sinclair Service where the Huntington Bank Branch is now located. So I casually entered the antique shop where you can usually find Karl behind the counter and asked him if I could “pick his brain”.  He was very co-operative and said if he had advertised his station in this book it would have had to be in the  very early 1960’s as that is when he sold the business.  That is as close as I could come to a date. 

The list of most of the businesses with ads in the book really took me down Memory Lane because I can remember all of them as active Edgerton businesses.  How many can you remember?  The Edgerton State Bank (now Huntington), Bob’s Dairy Bar, Moffett’s Rexall Store, Gruver’s Market, (We had three grocery stores then.), Vic Miller’s Ford Sales, Day’s Furniture, Bible’s Sohio, Dolly’s Restaurant,  Edgerton Coin Laundry, Smart Shop (women’s apparel) Edgerton Lumber (on Depot Street), Day and Day (marketers of Sinclair products), Krill Funeral Home (been here ever since  1875!) and Fisher’s Implement Co. (Where the American Legion is now located and where I had my first job out of high school as bookkeeper for 25 cents an hour! That was more money than I ever had!)

Some of the ladies submitting recipes were important people in my life. Frances Sanders, my mother-in-law, who taught me many cooking tricks, Ethel Mowry, Uchrista Maxwell, Lucile Palmer, Home Economics teacher at Edgerton High School for many years,  Kate Lees, Hazel Brown, Post Mistress for many years, Harriet Fritch, Kathryn Flegal, Doris Flowers, Audrey Stark, Rose Walley, Mrs. Paul D. Krill, Bernice Schooley, my little brother’s school teacher, Sue Dietsch, better known now as Mrs. John Close,  Frances Dietsch, Mrs. Earl Landel, and Margaret Sanders, my little sister.

To honor a couple of others, I am using their recipe because I am tempted to try both of them.  One I will not include was from Odelia Wickerham which started out with 12 pounds of liver!!!

Now on to the other ideas. The first one is from Ruby Gruver whom I knew most of my life. When we both lived around Butler she was one of the big girls in my life. When we both ended up in Edgerton I admired her so much because she always looked as if she were immaculately groomed for a special occasion. I sneak down the alley to the grocery store, hoping no one will see me because I didn’t prepare for being out of the house!

            

CHINESE HAMBURGER HASH

Submitted by Ruby Gruver

1 pound ground beef

2 onions, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 can mushroom soup

1 can chicken soup

1 ½ cups water

½ cup uncooked rice

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ teaspoon pepper

Brown ground beef and onion in a small amount of shortening. Add other ingredients. Put in a casserole dish. Cover and bake at 35 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover with crisp Chinese noodles and bake for 15 minutes more.

The next recipe is similar to the one I had to bake when I was in 4-H in the mid 1930’s.

            

GINGERBREAD

Submitted by Nora Hopkins

2 eggs

¾ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup pure New Orleans molasses

¾ cup melted shortening

2 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ginger

1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cloves

1 cup boiling water

Beat eggs, add the sugar, molasses and melted shortening. Add dry ingredients which have been mixed. Add the boiling water last. Put in greased baking pan or muffin cups.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

This brought to mind many people whom I do not ordinarily think about and was a very pleasant walk down memory lane.  Thank you for thinking of me, Chris.

Pudding Cookies 10/16/14

Yikes!!  Here we have used up half of a new month. That means winter is closer and I am not ready for any more snow! Hope the weather forecasters don’t know what they are talking about and it won’t be another one like last year. I should be like my brother told me once in his slow laid back manner, “Don’t get excited until you see you have a real reason to be!”  So I guess I will just enjoy the nice fall days that we have still coming.

Today was a real empty day after a weekly schedule that I could barely keep up with.  It started with a lovely lunch at the Senior Center for all of the October anniversaries and birthdays. Since I was an honored guest with a birthday, it was extra special.  I keep thinking that I should go more often but I do not know today that I want to go tomorrow, so I can’t make a reservation! Besides that program is for OLD folks!!  My thanks go to all involved with that program and Hillside Living for providing games and prizes.

When I got home I had a phone call from my daughter who wanted to come to my house on Friday during her lunch hour to pick up a photo that she needed. I quickly said I would be home. Then she hesitatingly asked if I could also have 4 dozen rolled and cut out heart cookies made for a retreat she was planning. Her lunch hour is late and I could easily have them baked, frosted and packaged for her to pick up. The big bump in the road came when I remembered that I had a 10:30 appointment the next day for a perm!  I suddenly shifted gears and baked the cookies late Thursday evening, got up earlier than planned on Friday morning to get them frosted. Guess what. I was at my appointment one minute early! Came home and had them in plastic containers for her to pick up. Now time for relaxing in my new lounge chair. Rest time was quite short because I had made plans with another daughter and her husband to go to Angola to see my cousin who is a resident of Lakeside Nursing Home. They were going to pick me up shortly after three! We had a very nice visit with my cousin and her daughter, even though we stayed longer than we had planned because it was nearly time for her evening meal. To finish the evening we did some shopping and had a nice meal at Ruby Tuesday. By the time we got home it was nearly bedtime so I could not start anything that I had already ignored doing. It was a good day, but Saturday morning I had to fix food for my family reunion that could make a whole column of magic moments, which I will have to leave for another day. Thanks to Steve and Barb for all of their work and expense.

I changed my mind four times about recipes, but think I have settled on a couple. First, you have heard that you should put your actions where  your mouth is. Last week I mentioned that you should teach your young kids to do simple recipes, so they will be proud of their accomplishment and develop a desire to learn more difficult projects. So first of all is a recipe that you can start them on. Maybe you will like to try it just because it is so simple.

                        

PUDDING COOKIES

1 package (3 oz.) instant chocolate pudding

1 cup biscuit mix (Bisquick)

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 egg

Hershey’s chocolate kisses

Extra sugar

Mix pudding, biscuit mix, oil and egg. Shape into I inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees. As soon as they come from the oven, place a Hershey kiss in the center of each cookie. You could experiment with different flavored pudding, like vanilla.

Next is a simple meat loaf recipe.  I had an unusual one picked out but decided I should try it myself before suggesting it to you.

            

SIMPLE MEAT LOAF

1 ½  pounds ground beef

¾ cup oatmeal

2 eggs

½ cup chopped onion

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules

¼ cup barbecue sauce

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup tomato juice

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Pack firmly into a loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.

Tomorrow (after I sleep in) I will try to put the place back in a small degree of order.  After church today, I hid a few things, washed a few dishes and made my bed, so in case someone stopped in they would not report me to the health authorities. I can always plead that “it is just the way I like it!”

Western Style Beef and Beans 10/9/14

I am still a slow learner but I am starting this about two hours earlier than last week.  Maybe by spring I will have managed a better schedule.

Last week was a rather slow one compared to my usual hurry scurry days. It started out with a routine doctor’s appointment. I got an A-plus with a three months in advance appointment! My numbers were "excellent" with permission to do just like I have been doing. I guess that means cheating on my sugar allowance and resting a lot in my lounge chair!! Oh well, It has  served me well so far. Had to ignore my lounge chair a bit yesterday and this morning.  My kids were coming again to finish scheduling an important celebration for an amazing milestone in my life. There were too many pairs of shoes and newspapers in the living room, and the kitchen floor looked as if someone had been making mud pies. (Remember those that we made when we were lacking of toys and we played house and made mud pies in discarded zinc Mason jars lids baked in an imaginary oven! Those were special days that kids now can’t imagine.)  I “slop mopped” the kitchen so they would not report me to the health authorities. It was a great day filled with memories and laughter.

I told you last week that my oldest son had a birthday this week. Since I did not see nor talk to him, I decided to bake him a cake to celebrate today. He really likes apple pie so I had a small miniature one (with a small piece missing) that I gave him when he came in. He smiled and acted as if he appreciated the joke. There was a whole one resting in the oven for a surprise later on.  Wouldn’t you know, he brought Kentucky Fried Chicken to eat later and wanted to keep it warm so  he walked over to my stove and opened the oven door!  There sat my apple pie gazing back at him.  We all laughed and he shared it with anyone who wanted a sample.  An experience that has not improved one iota over the years is our vocal talent, but we all sang Happy Birthday with lots of love and best wishes drowning out the poor musical ability. If you have never heard a rendition of that song by the Sanders family you are one lucky person!

Better save some room for a couple of recipes. I had two yummy desserts picked out and the adage of my youth rang in my ears, “Practice what you preach”! So I put one way back in my mind to use  for the fall holidays and picked on an entrée for the dessert to rest on. This is a large amount to serve 10, so you can cut it in half easily.

            

WESTERN STYLE BEEF and BEANS

3 pounds lean ground beef

2 medium onions. Chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

2/3 cup boiling water

2 cans (28 ounces each) baked beans with molasses

1 ½ cups ketchup

¼ cup prepared mustard

3 garlic cloves, minced (I would use garlic powder)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, cook beef, onions and celery until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. Drain. Dissolve bouillon on water and add to the meat mixture. Add the beans, ketchup, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 350 for 60 minutes.  Top with crumbled bacon.

I should have been quicker with this one when bananas were 25 cents a pound at our local grocery! I think this recipe will be good enough that you can splurge on 3 bananas!! Maybe you should buy 6 because the recipe says it freezes well and you can bake two at the same time.

           

BANANA SQUARES

2 eggs, separated

2/3 cup shortening

1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium)

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup sour milk

½ 0teaspoon vanilla flavoring

12 cup chopped walnuts

Whipped topping, sliced bananas, optional

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside. Cream shortening and sugar, Beat in egg yolks and mix well. Add mashed bananas. Combine flour and soda. Add to creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Add vanilla. Fold in egg whites. Fold in nuts. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. If desired, garnish with whipped topping and sliced bananas.  (To make sour milk, place 1 teaspoon of white vinegar in a measuring cup. Add enough milk to make ¼ cup.)

Encourage your young kids to experiment with simple recipes. Their success will build confidence to try more difficult things and thereby form a love of cooking.  We need to teach them something besides having their noses in a cell phone!

Magical Memories 6/19/14

As per my usual,  I am a little late wishing all of you dads a Happy Father’s Day.  Hope it was very special for all of you. I was included in my daughter’s family celebration at noon. Then I came home early and had a great, long nap. (I thought I was reading the Sunday Journal Gazette!)

Last week brought a special, magic moment to my life which made me do some serious thinking. Hope I do not bore you with minute details but I hope it will inspire you to mentally recapture the special moments in your life.

I walked to the post office with a few letters to mail.  My white hair was showing and I went in to the counter to ask if the Times was late, or perhaps my subscription had lapsed. (It was close.) Dawn, who is especially nice to me, very graciously and patiently explained that it was Friday and there is no paper on Friday! To cover my embarrassment and change the subject, I asked her about the new Postmaster.  She pleasantly told me that he was in the back room and asked if I wanted to meet him.  That was fine with me, but why would he want to meet ME? Before I could rationalize the situation and make a decision, she had called him to the front counter. There were no other patrons in the office and we had a pleasant chat. Upon hearing my age, he asked me what was the most memorable moment in my life. I have had so many magic ones, but memorable?! This made me do a lot of deep thinking. First, I consulted the word memorable and found it meant “worth remembering”.   Now that opened up a great canvas in my memories. But how would you pick one that overshadowed the rest?

So I have decided to go back through my lifetime and mention some highlights. Before I  started school, my mother sent me to the basement to get two quarts of home canned tomatoes. I tripped over the end of a homemade bin which held our yearlong supply of home grown potatoes. Consequently, one jar broke in my arms. I still have a scar where my mother poured vinegar on the wound, tore strips of clean white cloth from an old sheet and tied it around my arm.  Think what would happen today and how much it would cost. 

Another time worth remembering would be the years I spent in a one room country school with 25 kids, one teacher who taught all eight grades and all subjects, no electricity, and a wood heating stove where she had to be at school early enough to have the room warm when we arrived. (Would you believe we had almost no discipline problems?)

Another great experience was moving to Edgerton, when I was a sophomore, in 1940, where I began to dissolve a bad case of inferiority complex. Here I was, the middle daughter of a family of seven kids, growing up in the early depression years with nothing but necessities and the love and guidance of special parents. (Guess that made me rich!)  My new classmates accepted me and made me feel that I was worth more than I thought. Graduation from high school brought my first job at Fisher’s implement store as bookkeeper, where I made a whole 25 cents an hour.

A memorable moment was our senior trip where I went on my first airplane ride at Put-In-Bay in an open cockpit plane. I was with the boy who later became my husband. We were both lucky that I did not kill him for talking me into going on that plane ride because we had a great marriage with a “bunch” of memorable kids. 

During my marriage I had a few memorable trips that became extra special after his untimely, sudden early death. For our 25^th anniversary, we spent five days in Hawaii. Later we flew to Alaska and met my brother and his wife who drove there. This was an unbelievable experience for anyone on our economic level. We also went on a wagon-train trip in the Teton Mountains with a number of relatives. After Johnny’s death, I went on a six week trip when relatives drove to Alaska, came home through the Rocky Mountains. camped along the Pacific Ocean, toured the Red Wood Forest, and arrived home safely - broke but very happy.

Pride is one of the seven corporal sins, but guess I am guilty of my enjoyment and pride of my job as the bookkeeper at the elevator for 19 years. I still miss “my farmers”!

Following my retirement,  I had the exciting experience for 16 years as a volunteer aide at the elementary school, most of the years with Mrs. Glore. A special memory passes by when I remember any of those students when they are mentioned in The Earth.

I must mention my memorable years of writing Magic Moments (for nearly 24 years) after my original goal of doing it for ONE year. Thanks for the encouragement of many of you readers. With a host of grandkids and greats, attending their weddings as a special guest, and receiving special attention from many of them, how can I pick out the “most memorable” one? I am sure that some that I thought of when I could not sleep a few nights ago did not come to mind today. but it made me realize how fortunate I have been and still am.

There were some negative moments to overcome like the death of my baby brother at 31, my mother’s death when I was 16, and my husband's death at the young age of 57, which I thought I could not handle, but God gives us the resources to deal with those tragedies.

Hope this jars your memory so you can, like I did, see that LIFE and GOD ARE GOOD. Also, stop in to see Chris at the Post Office. Help him see that Edgerton is a great place.

Now shall we go to the kitchen and fix something to eat? How about a strawberry and a peach simple recipe? They are both seasonal in the store. It is a little early for me to trust the peaches.  I want one to eat, then if I like it go back and get quite a few. I was not impressed with the first ones. Hard as rocks and six in a package for over five dollars! Things will get better, I am sure.

      

STRAWBERRY PIE

1 graham cracker crust

1 package (3 oz.) strawberry Jello

2/3 cup boiling water

2 cups ice cubes

1 carton (8 oz.) whipped topping

1 cup sliced strawberries

Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Add ice cubes. Stir until ice melts and Jello thickens. Blend whipped topping into Jello. Fold in strawberries. Chill until mixture will mound.   Spoon into crust. Chill at least 2 hours. Top with whipped topping, if desired.

    

PEACH YOGURT PIE

1 can (8 ¾  oz.) sliced peaches

2 containers (8 oz.) fruit flavored yogurt

1 carton (8 oz.) whipped topping

Buttered graham cracker crumbs

Combine fruit and yogurt. Fold in whipped topping. Blend well. Spoon into graham cracker crust. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs, if desired. Freeze for about 4 hours. Remove from freezer 30 minutes before serving.

Remember to count your blessings daily.

3/13/14

The best news I have heard lately is that Spring will be here in two weeks! Never in my life have I seen so much snow at one time and been so tired of it.  I do appreciate the beauty of a new snowfall, but a constant cover gets old very rapidly.  Now will someone please inform the weather man that spring is that near and cancel any snow showers he has planned for us? An unusual event in my life took me to the elementary school one day last week.  I still can’t believe there is as much snow piled there as I think I remember!  I thought there was a lot in my yard!

A real magic moment occurred the same week.  I drove my car across town to visit my sister. It was my first time driving since before Christmas.  I think it was a successful trip.  At least no one honked at me!  Since most off the week is supposed  to be above freezing and some of the snow should disappear, I plan to make a few more trips across town.

From baking a warm apple pie to serve to my daughter who brought a co-worker with her on one of my Tuesday lunch hour visits and sending a piece of apple pie back to the coworker who covers for her when she doesn’t manage to get back on the job in her allotted hour, I baked three pies for a workshop at her company with delegates from North Carolina and Nashville , Tennessee.  From this I managed to make a special new friend who has been introduced to Magic Moments!  You brightened my day and provided many magic moments for me, Anisha.

Maybe that is a sneaky way to bring our minds to food but it worked. I finally got to Bryan and picked up some whole wheat flour.  Would you believe that when I got home with it, I did not remember where I put the recipe?  Old age does have its problems.  Now I have them together and I am going to give you the recipe before my friend hides it from me again, even though I have not made any muffins.

                        

RAISIN OAT MUFFINS

¾ cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup all purpose flour

1 cup uncooked oatmeal, quick or old fashioned

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

¾ cup orange juice

¾ cup golden raisins

            

TOPPING: ¼ cup uncooked oatmeal

                                 3 tablespoons brown sugar

                                 1 tablespoon grated orange rind

                                 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Combine flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and orange rind.

Combine egg, sour cream, oil and orange juice. Add all at once

to the dry ingredients. Mix only until blended. Gently add raisins.

Line muffin tins with paper liners and spoon batter in cups until

almost full. For topping, combine oats, brown sugar, orange rind

and butter. Mix well. Sprinkle over muffin batter and pat gently.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  Makes 18 muffins.

Sometimes our eyes influence our food tastes more than we think.

I noticed this salad recipe in a magazine that I rarely read, but the

picture caught my eye and I saved it. Hope it tastes as good as the

picture looks.

                        

CARROT SALAD

I pound or 4 to5 cups coarsely shredded carrots

¾ cup raisins

2/3 cup dates, chopped

2/3 cup fresh pineapple, diced (I would use canned chunks, also)

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup pecan pieces

Lightly toss shredded carrots, raisins, dates and pineapple.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemons juice,

zest, sugar and salt. Pour over carrot mixture and toss to

blend well. Chill at least one hour. Right before serving stir

in pecan pieces. Makes 6 servings.

Thanks for all prayers offered for physical needs in my family. Had some remarkable results, but still have a few rough spots that need some work. Like one of my sons stated. Don’t leave out God because He is still in the miracle business.

Ranger Cookies Replay 2/13/14

We have another month nearly ready to be bygone days. The best thing about it is we have to be that much closer to spring. Never in my life time have I been so anxious for Spring to arrive.

Since more snow was broadcast for Saturday during the night, we agreed that it would be smart to attend Saturday evening Mass. My daughter and her husband were picking me up and we planned to go to our local restaurant after church services.  

We had two surprises. Another daughter and husband and a granddaughter and her family were also on the same schedule. The restaurant was surprisingly full, and there was not room for all of us to find a seat. So they opened the back room for us and we had a private party. My son and daughter-in-law and two of their granddaughters who were spending the night with them were nearly finished with their meal, so they came back and joined us.  Our party of three had grown to 15.  Once again, we found that the greatest magic moments can be found in family and unplanned gatherings.

Since I forgot to keep my promise to myself to do this earlier in the day, I will get right to food. My last week’s entry was almost a calamity. After I had hit “send” I read it over and it took two messages to correct my blunders.  Thanks to a capable staff at The Earth, they did a magnificent job of making it look as if I knew what I were doing.

I received a phone call a few days ago asking for a recipe for Ranger Cookies that I had previously used.  That took some thoughtful mind searching, but I remembered which pile, (that should be read as FILE) to look in and I found it in a few minutes.  She thought that reprinting it would be the easiest way to get it to her. Maybe someone else didn’t save it and will want to try it. It is an old recipe that a neighbor gave my mother when I was still in high school.  The lady who requested it had also been familiar with it but did not have a copy. I tell my grandkids and greats, that you have to have some good food in your stomach for desserts to sit on. So I am going to give you one that I was very pleased with that a niece had shared on Face Book. Thanks, Melissa and Peggy.

            

SMOKED SAUSAGE POTATO BAKE

1 package smoked sausage (the one I used was only 9 oz.)

5 medium potatoes, cut in chunks

1 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons cooking oil

Salt, pepper, thyme, paprika to taste

Handful of grated cheddar cheese

Slice sausage into bite size pieces and combine with the potato chunks. Drizzle with oil and seasoning. (You may use other seasonings of your choice.) Toss together with hands. Spread out in a baking tray. (Mine was  9 x 12.) Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees, Stirring every 15 minutes. Turn off heat and sprinkle cheese on top and allow to melt.

Hope  you are as pleased as I was.

            

RANGER COOKIES

I cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups oatmeal

2 cups cornflakes

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup each of coconut, chocolate bits, nuts

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, soda, baking powder, oatmeal, coconut and cornflakes. Add to mixture then add chocolate bits and nuts .  This is a very stiff mixture. You may add 3 tablespoons of milk to make it easier to handle. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork dipped in water. I used a medium scoop  to measure dough, made it into a ball , then flattened it. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Do not overbake.

Work Hard, Pray Hard, and Play Hard 6/27/13

I just had a depressing thought.  Here we have used up half of our new year.  What have you accomplished that you planned to do with your new year?  I am just going to look at my very short list and mumble “I do not think I understood your question!”  I hereby write in ink that I will try to do better the next six months. Then I try to push out of my mind the list of things that I really was going to accomplish once I retired, but most of them I forgot to start. For instance I was going to really make a project of assembling my photographs in an impressive manner.  I did get started at that a month ago when we put a shoe box for each family on my dining room table, then tossed each snapshot into the box that we felt would appreciate it the most. It was a start, but then I found another box or two carefully placed out of sight that I forgot about. Oh, well, maybe next year. 

Last Saturday morning was a very uplifting experience for me.  Since I had a granddaughter, a great granddaughter, two daughters and a son that were included in the group of  over thirty high school kids and a number of adults going to Louisville, Kentucky to spend the week at a work camp  working for individuals or families who cannot physically accomplish the needed projects and cannot financially afford to hire the work done, I went to the church parking lot to send them off on their mission.  The work camp experience is very valuable in the maturing of character and the feeling of being blessed with the circumstances that they come from. It was gratifying to me to be part of the outer circle of participants as they joined in prayer, asking for God’s protection and blessings for a profitable week.    Their motto was they were going to   “WORK HARD, PRAY HARD, AND PLAY HARD”.    Sounds like a good combination to me. In my own small way I contributed to the effort by furnishing  at least 12 dozen homemade cookies. My sister-in-law helped also, with some family favorites of molasses cookies.  My family always says no one can make those like Aunt Mary does. We owe the adults that were responsible for organizing the details and providing vehicles, trailers and drivers a special vote of thanks. Also the ones who accepted the responsibility of chaperones and helping with the details of the week.  May it be a magic filled week for both the recipients of their labor and the self satisfaction found in doing for others.

Since I do not have my mind completely removed from cookies, I will use a recipe that impressed me that I noticed in a magazine at my hair salon.  So I swiped, with the owner’s permission, the Woman’s Day magazine that published the recipe.  I was going to make some of them for the work camp, but I did not have all of the ingredients on hand. It is different than any cookies that I have ever tried. Hope you try them. The recipe says it makes over 3 dozen, but I find I must make larger cookies because I usually come up short. No, I do not eat any of the batter!  I use a medium size scoop and then press them down partially with a fork dipped in water. That way they are all the same size.

         

BANANA OAT COOKIES

1 ½  cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon soda

½  teaspoon cinnamon

 ½  teaspoon salt

I ripe medium banana

1 large egg

2 tablespoons canola oil

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¼  cups old fashioned oats

¼ cup dried cranberries

½ cup pecan pieces

Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt. In a bowl mash the ripe banana, Add the egg, oil, sugars, applesauce and vanilla. Gradually add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Fold in the oats, cranberries, and nuts. Drop by tablespoon  onto cookie sheets. Bake until golden brown at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool for five minutes before removing from sheets.

I will finish with a short and simple recipe for tomato soup.  I recently gave you a recipe that called for basil.  Since I do not use many herbs, I suggested any other seasoning.  A special friend of mine responded with ”Max, why do you not use basil?”  It was a family favorite at her house. So she knows that I heard her, I am using another basil recipe and I will use basil when I make it.

     

BASIL TOMATO SOUP

2 cans (28 oz. each) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14 ½  oz.) chicken broth

18 to 20 fresh basil leaves, minced (I might use dried because that is what I have on hand).

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup whipping cream

½ cup butter

Bring tomatoes and broth to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for10 minutes. Add basil and sugar. Reduce heat to low, stir in cream and butter. Cook until butter is melted. 

In case you are not interested in tomato soup, I just noticed a new recipe for Chocolate Ice Cream Pie!  Now who wouldn’t like that? Will try to remember which book I saw it n for next week.

Number One: Family, Close Second: Food 5/9/13

The weeks keep rolling by faster and faster.  The only explanation I ever heard of time seeming to pass so quickly is that each year any space of time represents a smaller percentage of our lifetime. Makes sense to me. When I was in elementary school the summer vacation was forever and Christmas took forever to come back again.  Now before I get the tree down and all of the decorations put safely out of sight it is time to get them out again. Summer vacation for the school kids seems like it just started and it is time to readjust our schedules for school events. If I stop to calculate the portion of my lifetime that makes up summer vacation it is indeed getting smaller and smaller.

Sunday was a very special day for a number of us who consider family a very vital part of our existence.  It was the anniversary of the death of my husband’s brother.  Mass was celebrated in his honor and  as many of us that could work it into our schedules attended the 8:30 liturgy. Following that a few more came for the weekly ritual of coffee and rolls in the church basement. Long after the usual appointed time for the “lights out” we were allowed to perform that weekly duty ourselves.  At each change of location for the celebration we lost a few people.  Since nothing helps a celebration as much as food, eight of us found our way to Rita’s for a brunch meal as the guests of Aunt Mary. (After that announcement, I changed my order from a cheese sandwich to Surf and Turf !!) A few hours later, with a few more dropping out, the party finalized at Mary’s home with the enticement of her home made rhubarb pie for dessert. By that time I think the attendance was down to about five.  I was one of the early dropouts, partially since pie is a forbidden fruit on my diet and I felt a nap coming on. Like my family, God is calling names one by one and there are so few of the original list still here that makes family that much more important. Special guests were Tony from Maumee, Renate from both Chicago and Southern Pines, North Carolina, Jim from Wauseon and Judy from Waterloo.  All of the others were local.

I had the idea of passing on this bit of interesting treatment of fresh berries, I had it on my mental list of things to include.  By the time I was putting it on paper, my mental list was beyond the wide blue yonder. It is still early enough in the season for you to adapt it to your preparation of strawberries, raspberries, etc.  The suggestion is to wash them in a solution of water and vinegar which will prevent them from molding and will last in the refrigerator longer. The proportion to use is suggested ten parts water to one part vinegar. I cut that down to a box of strawberries and came up with ¼ cup of vinegar to 2 ½ cups of water.  I was a good math student a number of years ago and think that is correct. If you think it is necessary recalculate it yourself to be certain. One thing I like to do with strawberries is dice them as fine as you prefer then cover them with prepared glaze. This will make them keep for several more days. Then I like to add banana slices and whipped topping for a quick dessert or just the bananas and add to my morning ritual of oatmeal and cinnamon. Mighty good on ice cream, too.

Years ago, almost too many when I was a teen ager, a friend of my mother made Ranger Cookies which I thought were really special. Over the years I lost track of the recipe. One day when I was visiting my sister near Butler, she had a cookbook from the Extension Homemakers Club that my mother attended.  I quickly wrote down the recipe and a few others from people that I knew, or wished to try.  Wouldn’t you know that old lady that messes up my filing system misplaced them.  Recently as I am donating to posterity some of the things that I have gathered over the years, I noticed that slip of paper.  I was delighted and immediately made a batch of Ranger cookies. I was equally pleased with the results which were better than I remembered. Hope you like them too. 

             

RANGER COOKIES

1 cup shortening (I use Buttered Flavored Crisco In all cookies.)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

I teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups oatmeal

2 cups corn flakes

1 cup each coconut, chocolate bits, nuts if desired

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs. Add other ingredients in order given. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Flatten with fork dipped in water. Bake at 350 12 to 15 minutes. Do not over bake.  This is a very stiff cookie mixture.  (I combined shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Then combined flour, soda, baking powder, soda oatmeal, coconut and cornflakes. After adding this to the mixture, add the chocolate and nuts.  You can add 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk to  make the batter easier to handle. I used a medium sized scoop to measure batter, made it into a ball, then flattened it.)

PEANUT DESSERT

1 ½ cups brown sugar

2 cups milk

2 eggs, well beaten

4 tablespoons flour

Butter size of a walnut

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 bananas

2 cups chopped peanuts

Combine ingredients. Bring to boil until thickened. Chop peanuts and slice bananas. Put in 8 x 8 inch dish in layers alternately with cooked pudding, peanuts and bananas. Chill.  

This was my youngest sister’s recipe, saying as to who liked it. “I do !! “  (A good memory of the past creating another magic moment.)

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 12/6/12

God picked another apple from my family tree this past week. Anna Mae Platt, 96, of Butler, Indiana, passed into eternity last Tuesday morning. She was the youngest sibling of my mother and the last of my direct ancestors, named after her grandmother, and always went by both names. She was survived by 6 nieces, which included my sister and myself. She lived a very active life until the last three years when she became a resident of Laurels of DeKalb in Butler. She retired from Indiana and Michigan Electric Company after approximately 40 years of service at the age of 60. She also was the organizer of the local Red Cross Blood drive for many years at which  she  diligently gave her best. Her parents were two of my favorite “old people”, (They both died 20 years younger than I am!!)  Grandma and Granddad Dick, formally known as Mr. and Mrs. Richard Platt.

For 45 years she was an expected guest at my family’s Christmas celebration.  It was the time of our three hour fast before receiving communion and we started  having a 6:00 A.M. breakfast, then the kids opened their gifts then we all went to Mass at 10:00.  I got an inspiration that since she had never spent Christmas morning with a bunch of kids,  I invited her to come to our breakfast. She readily accepted and was a guest for the next 25 years or so and never missed a Christmas morning.  After my family grew too much to get into my home, she still came to our celebrations until she could no longer care for herself and had to go to the nursing home. She always brought a huge box of “unnecessary” groceries that we did not buy because of the difficulty of spreading one wage to cover the needs of eleven people. She thoroughly enjoyed watching the kids go through the box, elated over the marshmallows, box mixes, sugar coated cereal, Quick chocolate drink mix, etc. She stated later that it was not nearly as much fun when I finally went to work to help out with the family finances and we did step out of our rigid budget occasionally.

She was a unique individual, happiest when she was in charge and will be greatly missed.  May she rest in peace.

I will give you two of her favorite recipes.  They happen to be in my cook book, but there are a lot of new readers who would not have one since that was published in 1992. (incidentally we sold 900 of them!)  The bread recipe she made by the dozens and gave them away.  I still enjoy it and bake it occasionally since I have the uncontrollable desire to sit down and eat the whole thing while it is still warm. It can’t be beat if you toast it and spread it generously with real butter.

                                    

DILLY BREAD

1 package yeast

¼ cup warm water

1 cup cottage cheese

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoon dill seed

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon soda

1 unbeaten egg

2 ¼ to 2 ½  cups flour

Soften yeast in warm water. Heat cottage cheese to lukewarm. Add all ingredients, adding flour last. (From my upbringing, I think all bread needs to be kneeded, so I do.)  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 50 to 60 minutes. Mix down, turn into a greased glass loaf pan. Let rise 30 to 40 minutes. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees until crust is golden brown. Brush top crust with butter. 

This is delicious toasted and served with soups and is a great way to use cottage cheese that has slipped past the “use by” date”. I freeze the cottage cheese and make the bread at a convenient time.

A real favorite of hers was broccoli noodle soup and I made it frequently for her while at the nursing home. She would eat this even after she refused to eat most food that was offered to her.  Hope you like it that well.

                        

BROCCOLI NODLE SOUP

¼ cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon butter

3 ½ cups water

1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon

¼ teaspoon garlic powder  (I use more)

2 cups fine egg noodles

1 (10 oz.) package frozen broccoli

2 cups milk

1 can (10 ¾ oz.) cream of chicken soup

½ pound Velveeta Cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven, sauté onion until tender, but do not brown. Stir in water, garlic powder and bouillon. Add noodles. Cook uncovered, for five minutes. Add frozen broccoli. (I use fresh broccoli, cook until crisp tender and add broccoli and water that I cook it in.) Return to boiling, cook for three minutes. Stir in milk and chicken soup. Add cut up cheese and cook over low heat until cheese melts, stirring occasionally.

Again, rest in peace Aunt Anna Mae, you will always live in our memories.

Prayer, Politics, and Peanut Butter 11/15/12

I promised myself that I was not going into the area of politics. The campaign is over. I am certain that a lot of prayers were offered for different results.  Now we find ourselves dealing with the outcome. Perhaps a solution is that we should storm heaven daily with continued prayers that our President and Congress will do what we elected them for and get their heads and hearts on the  solutions that are the best for our country.  All of the good ideas do not come from your favorite side of the aisle, nor do all of the bad ideas come from your opponents. Each Sunday at our liturgy a prayer is offered for all of our elected officials during the Prayers of the Faithful.  Now let’s make it a daily petition.

This last week was full of magic moments for me. A special one was the fulfilling of a Christmas gift for last Christmas.  My daughter gave her aunt a gift of a meal at Red Lobster which is her favorite restaurant. She included me and her sisters. It was a fabulous venture and the only way it could have been better would have been if we could have managed to get all seven of us in the same available vehicle. To top that, the next day, when I was quietly attending to my own business, (no, I was not taking a nap, that was earlier!), I heard someone come in my front door. Lo and behold, it was my grandson who has been deployed (we do not know where) for several months with the Rangers, and his parents.  It was a great surprise.  He will be home for two weeks and can spend Thanksgiving Day with us!  Welcome home, Evan, even if it is for a short time.

Sunday a friend invited me to go with her to the Lutheran Church for their pie and soup luncheon for the benefit of The Foods Resource Bank, a Christian response to world hunger. I tell people that if they really do not want me, do not ask me because I tend to go! Besides, responding to world hunger there were many other benefits.  First they had about five kinds of soup.  My first inclination was to give me a ladle of each kind and stir it well. Then I narrowed it down to two favorites. Someone graciously prepared sugar-free pumpkin pie. My intelligent response reached for the sugar free.  My human nature remembered that a week or so ago my doctor was very pleased with my numbers that were the result of my blood work! So guess what?  When I arrived at my table to eat my selections, there was a beautiful piece of coconut cream pie that was just as delicious as it looked. If you might have made it, it was perfection.  Now tomorrow I will have two meals of oatmeal and cinnamon!  Besides an excellent choice of food, I saw so many people that I rarely see (including several of my farmer friends and a cousin of my husband) and the venture turned into a magic I ½  hours.

Now we can flow smoothly into the area of recipes. I changed my mind several times between a ten year old magazine and  an equally old church cookbook that I picked up at a garage sale.  Since my mind was settled on soups  today, here is one that I think I would like, also. Hope you agree. Really I used one recipe from each source.

                        

CHEESY FLORET SOUP

3 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut as fine as you like

3 cups fresh cauliflower, cut as fine as you like

3 celery ribs, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups water

½ teaspoon celery salt

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2- 1/3 cups milk

1 pound Velveeta cheese, cubed 

Combine the broccoli, cauliflower, celery, onion, water and celery salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter, stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir n milk. Bring to a boil and cook 2 until thickened. Reduce heat and add cheese. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Drain vegetables, add cheese sauce and heat through.

                        

PEANUT BUTTER CUP CAKES

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

¼ cup butter

¼ cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 cup sour milk

Combine flour and soda, set aside. Cream sugar, butter and peanut butter. Beat in egg. Add sour milk alternately with flour mixture. Bake at 350 degrees in cup cake pans lined with papers.

Makes 1 ½ dozen or can be baked in a 7 x 11 cake pan.

            ICING:  2 cups powdered sugar

                           ½ cup peanut butter

                           1 tablespoon soft butter

                           2 to 3 tablespoons hot water

One reader told me today that she likes to read about my experiences of long ago.  Nothing came to mind as I sat down to my computer, so Pat, I will work on that idea for another day just for you! I also found the recipe that you lost. Call me and I can give it to you, if you do not locate it otherwise.

Spontaneous occasions are often the most enjoyable! 11/8/12

Has anyone seen any unused magic hanging around?  I am in much need for a whole day of it!  We have my house about 65% back to normal. But the finishing touches seem to be the most difficult, getting the dishes back in the china cupboards, putting nails back in for the tiebacks on the curtains, most of all parting with the things that I really do not need but have a bit of  nostalgia clinging to them and do not really want to trash them. The day our local carpet specialist engineered the carpeting of my living and dining room I found myself trying to accomplish a few things in my kitchen maneuvering around my sofa, lounge chair,  entertainment center and TV in the middle of my kitchen! But I survived and now I am impressed with the finished results and realize how badly all of this really needed to be done.

It is amazing when you think that you are just a small pebble on a very large beach how many people noticed that something was going on at my home with all of people here carrying things out of my house, etc. Some assumed that I was moving out of town! Nope, you can’t get rid of me that easily.

Yesterday turned out to be a great day after I had assumed it would be very low key. After returning from our fall brunch at church and sadly realizing that I must have not won any prizes  since  I had not received any phone calls announcing that I was a big winner, I settled in for a lonely day. But I received a call from my daughter that she was coming to help put dishes back in the china closet, but she would be on a limited schedule.  We did more visiting than working but got that project started and created a magic couple of hours. Before long a son, his wife, daughter, son-in-law and my newest great grandchild whom I had never seen arrived for a visit. Luke Michael Digan, two months old was not really overly impressed with his great grandmother, but we will give him a little more time to accomplish that. 

Since it was late afternoon, my son who likes to cook,  inventoried the refrigerator for possibilities for a meal.  I had bought 2 pounds of fresh sausage at the brunch, my daughter had brought me a bag of their freshly dug red potatoes.  Before I knew what was happening he had made a delicious concoction of vegetables that I would not have thought of. He must have inherited the ability to make something out of what you have from his mother and grandmother! If you are a innovative cook, you could duplicate it from general directions.  He chopped the sausage and browned it, and removed the meat from the heavy Dutch oven. He had boiled the quartered red potatoes in a separate pan. Then he put the potatoes in the Dutch oven, added the meat, a can of cooked carrots, a can of creamed style corn, and a generous chunk of butter. I would probably have used some onion, but he is not an onion fan. With some garlic toast and mandarin oranges for dessert, we had a very tasty meal with no previous planning.  

Spontaneous occasions are often the most enjoyable.  They even did all of the dishes!

I had a 2005 magazine I was hoarding and decided to glance through it before I put it in the recycle pile and found a couple of interesting recipes. The first one is for my new friend Elsie, an exchange student from Africa, who is living with my daughter and son-in-law.  She thinks the nice soft chewy cookies that I make are “biscuits”!  A cookie has to be crunchy.  So here Elsie is a recipe that will fill your “cookie” definition.

                        

BUTTER PECAN COOKIES

¾ cup butter

1 package (3.4 oz.) instant butterscotch pudding mix

1 ¼ cups flour

½ cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and pudding mix.  Gradually beat in flour.  Fold in pecans. Roll into 1 ½  inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Flatten to ½ inch with a greased drinking glass. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until light brown. Great served with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Maybe even a glass of cold milk!

If you like Rueben sandwiches, here is a quick spinoff.

                        

RUEBEN CRESCENTS

1 tube (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls

1 cup sauerkraut, rinsed, well drained and chopped

1 tablespoon Thousand Island salad dressing

4 slices Swiss cheese, cut into 1/2inch strips

8 slices deli corned beef

Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles. Combine kraut and salad dressing. Place two cheese slices across the short side of each triangle. Fold corned beef slices in half. Place over cheese. Top with sauerkraut  mixture. Roll up each from she short side. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes.

The magic day ended with an invitation to go out for a belated birthday celebration which I had to decline, but I am demanding a rain check!

Family - God's Greatest Creation 10/25/12

Family has always taken a great priority with me. Even when I was very young, nothing was greater than when my cousins whom I did not see but a few times each year, came to visit my grandparents and often came to our house.  Since my parents came from families of 6 and seven siblings there was always a multitude whenever we had a family gathering.  That also provided me with numerous aunts and uncles, each very special their own personalities and their association with me personally and my family. These aunts and uncles were always the focus of attention and special to us at all family gatherings.  Now guess who is the old generation!  My how time changes things. Then when my own family turned out to be the magic number of nine, family necessarily became very important.

This is all leading up to a great day a week ago Saturday when my father’s family had their annual family reunion  at my nephew’s home. Steve and Barb graciously agreed to entertain us at their home when providing insurance each year for the use of the Miller Park facilities became a problem.  A fantastic day with hay rides, bonfire, trips to the Jennings addition of the Farnham cemetery where 6 generations are buried, yard games, rides in a delicate conditioned covered wagon were all on the planned agenda.  Not to mention a fantastic meal with lots of good Jennings cooking. We forgot to consult the weather man when we moved it ahead two weeks to guarantee a nicer day.  But it takes more than a few showers and wind to spoil a day of enjoying family for the ones who came from Lafayette, Indianapolis, Elkhart, Warsaw and a lot of us from more local destinations.  Oh yes, I need to mention a guest from Africa!  Elsie, the exchange student who is making her home with my daughter and son-in-law gets the prize for coming the greatest distance!  Let’s not mention who was the oldest!!  I won’t offer a prize for guessing that in two guesses!  Thanks again to Steve and Barb for their hospitality, extra work and expense of being our hosts. We agreed to come back next year hoping for nicer weather.

I hope you are proud of me because I still know where my book and recipes are that I promised to use this week.  I was going to say I am proud of myself, but my mother’s voice rang loud and clear in my hearing aid improved ears that “Pride goeth before a fall” and “Self praise stinks!” So maybe we should just say I still have it nearby.

I have never mastered beef roasts but this sounds simple enough I am going to try it. So you will be on your own. I may have to call you for advice! The only problem is that is serves eight, so I would be eating it for a week. Since it calls for two roasts it would be easy to diminish it for your needs.
             
COFFEE-FLAVORED BEEF ROAST
6 medium red potatoes, cut into wedges
6 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 beef sirloin roasts, 2 to 3 pounds each
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
2 cups fresh mushrooms, quartered
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups brewed coffee
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons corn starch
¼ cup cold water
Place potatoes and carrots in a 6 quart slow cooker.  Sprinkle beef with half of the salt and pepper. In a large skillet brown beef in oil on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker. In the same skillet, sauté onion in the drippings. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes longer. Stir in the coffee, chili powder and remaining salt and pepper. Pour over the meat. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low heat or until meat is tender. Remove meat and vegetables to a serving platter. Skim fat from cooking juices, and transfer to a small pan. Bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into the hot water. Cook until thickened. Serve with the meat and vegetables. I think these rolls would complement the roast.

             
PARMESAN KNOTS
1 tube (12 oz.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
¼ cup canola oil
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Cut each biscuit into thirds, Roll each piece a 3 inch rope. Tie into a knot, tucking the ends under. Place 2 inches apart on a  greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Combine the cheese, garlic powder, oregano and parsley. Add the warm knots and gently toss to coat.

There is also an interesting peach pie recipe that I will save for another day. Peach pie is one of my favorites and this one is different than any I have ever tried.

Miracle Triplets - Three Times the Magic! 10/11/12

Last week I was asleep at the switch when I dated my original copy for the paper.  I didn’t realize until a few days later that I had dated it a week later than it should have been.  This is the week I should have mentioned the interesting date that goes in chronological order, 10, 11, 12, therefore reminding me of my brothers’ birthday.  If it did not make sense to you, the buck stops here and I take full responsibility.

Both this week’s date and the rainy, chilly, damp day reminds me too much of the long winter days ahead, with possible snow to shovel. So I will doubly enjoy the nice fall days that do come our way and try not to think of the winter months. My favorite time of the year is springtime when the earth suddenly springs to life with green appearing everywhere and signals the end of snow hindering my travel plans.

The past week brought magic moments to my life with the birthday party of my year old great granddaughter who was unfazed by all of the attention, but it was a great day for us to enjoy many people that we do not see often. Wish you could remember all of the “lady bug”  festivities, Everleigh.

Climaxing the week was the visit from Kentucky of my sister’s great grandkids- nine month old triplets, Emmy, Gus, and Tommy Mathews. They were in our town from Friday evening until Sunday morning getting acquainted with their extended family with an open house at my sister’s for anyone who wanted to meet them. Seeing some of the demands of three at such a tender age, made us partially realize the challenge presented to the parents who have the 24 hour a day responsibility for the lives of such a precious blessing. I mentioned to the parents an article that I read when I was in charge of my large family that the first requirement to successfully managing a large number of kids (which could also be applied to three at one time) is the fact that you really want to do it.  Their parents seemed calm, cool  and collected and very much in charge of the situation. (With much assistance and encouragement from Grandpa Doug and Grandma Sandy!)

My thoughts this week went in the area of sugarless items, probably of my guilt pains of too many cookies with a sugar test coming up in about three weeks.  I am not certain if that is enough time to bring my three months average down or not, but I will give it a good try. For any of you with a similar problem I am including a recipe for sugarless brownies that came from my Dad’s sister who included it in her church recipe book that she gave to us on our 25th wedding anniversary.  That makes it a bit old but should be quite tasty. I also have a simple but good recipe for a quick lunch when ideas and time are scarce for a meal for your family.
           
BROWNIES FOR DIABETICS
½ cup butter
Sweetener equivalent to 1 ¼ cup sugar
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup chopped walnuts
Cream butter and sweetener, add melted chocolate. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and nuts. Spread in a greased baking pan (8 x 8). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
           
CHEESY POTATO SOUP
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
4 chicken bouillon cubes
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Cook potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, bouillon cubes in water until tender. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir until smooth stirring constantly. Add milk heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Drain vegetables, add sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.  Mix and heat thoroughly. DO NOT BOIL. Serve with crackers, shredded cheese and paprika. To prevent cheese from sticking to a shredder, spray the shredder with cooking spray before beginning.

Let's Just Eat! 9/27/12

 Pistachio Pineapple Whip

As I look at my last week’s appointment book, it is quite empty of activities. I went to the same garage sale twice. Bought a few things both times, but especially  enjoyed the social visiting and the friendliness of the family performing the difficult task of disposing of the many treasures of their parents’ lives. A very special event was a small impromptu family birthday celebration of my sister-in-law’s birthday on Saturday evening, at the local restaurant .  It was a busy day for most of her nieces and nephews but those of us who celebrated with her had a very enjoyable time. She is trying hard to catch me in age, but I do keep staying ahead of her. My son-in-law drafted the assistance of an acquaintance who happened to be dining at the restaurant  to help us in singing “Happy Birthday”. We were not blessed with musical talents and our singing leaves much to be desired. She helped keep the rescue team from coming to our aid!  Best wishes to you, Mary, and may we have another party next year!!

I keep  churning my mind for an interesting topic, but I keep returning to my disturbing thoughts about the present presidential campaign. Never before in my 65 years of voting, ( I do not think I ever missed an election, served on an election board for years, ran for township trustee, or rather was nominated without my consent, fortunately I gave my opponent an astonishing race but was not elected),  have I ever seen such a negative approach.  If you say something bad about me, I will say something worse about you does not persuade me to vote for anyone.  If you cannot sell me your sweeper with its positive qualities about your product instead of criticizing my worn out broom, you will not make a sale.  There are things that I do not like about both candidates.  In the past I have voted for both parties in the presidential election and locally I pay no attention to the party of the candidate, but rather on what I personally know to be true about their personality and character.  Sometimes I let my idea of their intelligence persuade me, but we can learn from our kids.  One daughter told me once, in a kind way, “Mom, you cannot judge people by their intelligence. They only have what God gave them to work with!” At this time I was not voting for a president, I was giving advice on a choice of friends.

There are only a few weeks left for me to ponder where I should mark my “X”. I will make what I think is a sound decision only to have the media tear apart the statements made by the candidate. In a fact finding report after the conventions, it stated false statements made by each candidate! Since not voting is not an option, may some positive, not prejudicial, statements be forthcoming.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

As I am searching for food, I thought I needed some dessert to settle my political nerves, but I found only a controversial recipe.  You may criticize it, because I am not certain that I will try it. Let’s just say I am prejudiced with my own present recipe for pie crust! Might I mention one fault about this new one?  It makes too much if it is one I do not like!  Might I suggest cutting it in half.  This might not be intelligent on my part, because I have never heard of this approach even though this cook book is over 25 years old. I must have lived a sheltered life.
                              
SOUR CREAM PIE CRUST
4 cups all purpose flour
1 ½  teaspoons salt
2 cups vegetable shortening
1 cup dairy sour cream
Cut mixture of flour and salt into the shortening until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in sour cream. Wrap and refrigerate overnight. (It can be stored in the refrigerator up to ten days.) This dough browns more quickly than the usual pie dough. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes. I usually do not bake crust at that high temperature. That is the suggested one and since I do not bake it, use your own judgment. This makes 3 double crusted pies.

Next there is a very simple, quickly made dessert. Why wouldn’t anyone want to try it? Bet it would be good with other choices of pudding mix if you do not like the suggested flavor.
                       
PISTACHIO PINEAPPLE WHIP
1 carton (16 oz.) whipped topping, thawed
½ cup miniature marshmallows
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
1 small box instant pistachio pudding mix
½ cup chopped nuts
Turn whipped topping into a large serving bowl. Fold in marshmallows, undrained pineapple, dry pudding mix and nuts. Refrigerate. Good as salad or dessert.

To impress your family put it in dessert dishes and top with a dab of whipped topping and a candied cherry.