Crispy Chicken

1 1/2 c crispy rice cereal, coarsely crushed

2 T all purpose flour

1/2 t salt

1/4 t dried thyme

1/4 t sage

1/4 c butter or margarine, melted

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 " pieces.

Melt butter in microwaveable bowl. Add cut up chicken and stir. Pour crispy mix over top, stir up, dump into 9 x 13 pan and bake 20 - 25 minutes at 400.

Aunt Halli's 10 Minute Spaghetti Sauce

Tamsin: David just loves it. Dinner in 20 minutes.

1/2 lb hamburger browned and drained

3 8 oz cans tomato sauce

1/2 c water

2 T minced onion flakes

1 1/2 t brown sugar

3/4 t oregano

1/2 t basil

1/2 t garlic salt

1/8 t marjoram

Combine and heat to boiling. Simmer 10 minutes. Aunt Halli microwaves it.

Peanut Brittle

Grandma: This recipe was given to me by Yvonne Woolfolk, Grant's boss out at Miles City. Most people don't let their sugar get brown enough. Get it nice and brown. Just don't let it burn. If you stir it a long time, you take the bubbles out. Julia's note: I transcribed the recipe faithfully. Notes in parenthesis are mine. But can you imagine not having a teaspoon of butter plus enough to grease the pan to spare?? We *are* spoiled.

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. Karo (white)

1/2 c. water

Cook in heavy skillet til brittle (hard crack) then add peanuts (the recipe doesn't say how many) and cook til syrup begins to turn brown. Add:

1 tsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Blend well and then add 1 tsp. soda. Stir and remove from heat quickly (this is where you don't want to over stir or you'll take the bubbles out.)

Pour onto a large platter or cookie sheet. Work fast after soda has been added. Have pan or platter well greased.

Butter is better if you have any to spare. I use Crisco!

Hilo Coconut

I was making this cookbook during Thanksgiving 2005. I asked Grandma to bring me her favorite recipes to include. She came over all by herself on the day after Thanksgiving. She had brought all her cookie recipes, plus her peanut brittle recipe and...this one. I have a copy of it written out in her hand. I must have given her a strange look over this one because there's a note by it--"Just really good if you have a coconut for Christmas. The thinner you slice it, the better." It makes me wish I'd asked her when she had a coconut for Christmas and what memories the name Hilo Coconut brought back.

The day she shared these recipes with me was the last day I saw her conscious, up and walking. I remember Tom called her in and asked her to tell stories of her childhood to the kids. Then she left and went straight to the hospital and held baby Julia for a few minutes.

All the events of that year made Christmas chaotic. I lost the recipes and the notes in the chaos. I finished the cookbook the next year-- 2006--all but Grandma's recipes. Maybe one reason I've never been able to bring myself to distribute it was that those recipes were missing. I found them this fall when I completely cleaned out all my files. It was a joyful moment.

Most of the recipes had already been given me by others; she shared generously with everyone. But I'm glad to add the recipe for Hilo Coconut. Grandma, I treasure your memory.

Break a coconut in two. Place with cut side up on cookie sheet; heat in 300 oven for 1/2 hr., or until meat comes free when knife is run between shell and meat. Do not remove thin brown coating. With a vegetable peeler, working on cut edge of coconut meat, slice into thin strips. Spread in shallow pan. Salt lightly, turn over gently. Place in 200 oven and let remain 2 hrs., or until dry. Store chips in air-tight container.

Toll House Marble Squares

2 c sifted flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 c shortening

3/4 c granulated sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 t water

2 eggs

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Blend butter, sugars, vanilla, and water. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts. Spread in greased 11 x 15 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top of batter. Place in oven 1 min. Remove from oven and run knife through batter to marbleize. Return to oven; continute to bake 10 to 12 min or til done. Cool. Cut into 2" squares. Yield: 4 dozen.

Peanut Butter Cookies

This is written out in Grandma's hand on the recipe card. No instructions are given, but I think she taught us what to do by example.

1 c butter

1 c peanut butter

1 c brown sugar

1 c granulate sugar

1 t salt

2 1/2 c flour (Gma uses 3 c flour, but remember how lightly she measures!)

2 eggs

2 t (scant) soda sifted with flour

Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 c sugar

1 c margarine

1 egg

1/4 c water

1 t vanilla

3 c quick oats

1 1/4 c flour

1/3 c cocoa

1/2 t soda

1/2 t salt

6 oz. chocolate chips

Mix sugar, marg., egg, water, vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop by rounding teaspoons. Bake 10-12 minutes or unitl almost no indentation, 350 oven. Makes about 5 1/2 dozen.

Chocolate Drop Cookies

1/2 c. shortening

1 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

2 1-oz squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 2/3 c cake flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t soda

1/2 c sweet or sour milk

Nuts if desired

Thoroughly cream shortening and sugar; add egg, vanilla, and chocolate; blend well. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk; add nuts. Drop from teaspoon 2" apart onto greased cooky sheet. Bake at 350 10-12 min. While warm, frost w/ chocolate frosting. Makes 2 1/2 doz cookies.

Drop Ginger Cookies

Grandma Harris: Grandpa doesn't like these, but I do!

1 c shortening

1 1/2 c brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c molasses

1 c boiling water

5 c sifted all purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 t powdered ginger

Cream shortening, sugar, and molasses. Add eggs. Add dry ingredients alternately with boiling water, beating just long enough to blend thoroughly. Drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 - 12 minutes. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

Tamsin: Everyone who eats this loves it. David’s Sister-In-Law’s Mother begged and begged me for the recipe. She took it to a ward dessert contest and won first prize. You can make it with a merengue, but I don’t.

1 c sugar

3 T cornstarch

1/8 t salt

1 c milk

3 large eggs, separated (discard whites or use for something else)

¼ c butter

1 t grated lemon rind

¼ c lemon juice

1 8 oz carton sour cream

1 baked 9 inch pastry shell

¼ t cream of tartar

½ at vanilla

¼ c plus 2 T sugar

Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan; gradually add milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Beat yolks until thick and pale. Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot mixture into yolks; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 2 min or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in butter, rind, and lemon juice. Cover by laying a piece of saran wrap flat over top of filling and chill. Once chilled, stir in sour cream and spoon into pastry shell.

Spicy Island Shrimp

If I went to a fancy restaurant, I would feel good aobut paying $18 for this entrée.

1 lg. Green pepper, chopped

1 lg onion, chopped

½ c butter

Saute til tender, reduce heat and add

2 ¼ lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

Cook 5 min and stir in:

2 8 oz cans tomato sauce

3 T chopped green onions

1 T minced fresh parsley

1 t salt

1 t pepper

1 t paprika

½ t garlic powder

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 20 min. Serve over rice.

Never-Fail Pie Crust

Tamsin: This is Gma Harris’s recipe; it really doesn’t fail.

Sift together:

2 c flour (the flour must be VERY lightly measured—it’s more like 1 7/8 cup)

1 t salt

Add: ½ c oil

Stir with fork and mix thoroughly so all flour is mixed in. Add

4 – 6 T cold water (usually 5 T)

Stir only until moistened, using rubber scraper to form ball. If dry flour remains, add a little more water. Makes 2 single pie crusts, or one double. Recipe may be cut in half for one crust. For baked shell, bake at 450° for 10 – 12 minutes.

Deep Dish Chicken Pie

Tamsin: GREAT! David LOVES it. I double my pie crust, double the filling, and make it in my 9x13 stoneware pan. Nigel can eat half a 9x13, although he doesn’t feel so good afterwards.

2 T margarine or butter

3 meduim leeks or 1 lg onion, chopped

1 c sliced fresh mushrooms

¾ c sliced celery

½ c chopped red sweet pepper

1/3 c all purpose flour

1 t sage

¼ t salt

¼ t black pepper

1 ½ c chicken broth

1 c half & half, light cream, or milk

2 ½ c chopped cooked chicken

1 c frozen peas

1 beaten egg

I roll and make a bottom crust for my 9x13. Melt margarine or butter in large saucepan, add leeks or onion, mushrooms, celery, and red pepper; cook for 4 to 5 min or until tender. Stir in flour, sage, salt and black pepper. Add broth and milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Sitr in cooked chicken and peas. Pour into baking dish. Place pastry over hot chicken mixture, turn edges under and flute. Brush with egg. Bake at 400° 30 – 35 min or until crust is golden brown. Cool 20 min before serving.

Sandra Lathen’s Chocolate Sauce

1 ¼ cubes butter, melted

½ c cocoa

2 c sugar

1 can milk

1 t vanilla

Cook in microwave, stirring often. Blend in blender, serve hot.

Finan Haddie

These are the official instructions from Grandma Jennabee Harris.

Almost cover fish with water. Soak over night. Bake in same water, after dotting with butter, at 325. Put it in when everyone is ready to eat. Basically just until it’s hot. Test with fork, eat it when it gets flakey. Bake it too long, and it gets tough.

Ham Crepes

Julia: On Stu’s birthday, I always whip up a batch of these to celebrate. Try it. You’ll be surprised how nostalgic you get.

1 c flour

2 eggs

½ c milk

½ c water

¼ t salt

2 T melted margarine

Put in blender in order given, bizz 30 sec. Scrape sides and bizz 30 – 60 sec til smooth. Or mix flour and eggs, adding liquid gradually. When smooth, add remainder. Fry on non-stick pan, rolling to spread batter. Scant ¼ c for each crepe. Med-lo heat. Cook both sides.

Filling

¼ c margarine

2 c diced celery

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Saute til tender, then add

½ c diced ham

2 cans mushroom soup

½ c milk

Mom adds: 2x batch crepes is about right for 1x sauce, but not quite enough for family.

Clam Chowder

The Campbell Christmas Eve tradition.

6 cans clams

¾ lb bacon

6 c water

15 potatoes

9 c milk

4 ½ t salt

1 ½ c onion

Dash pepper

Fry bacon, remove, fry onion, add water, potatoes, clam juice, and salt. Cook 10 – 15 minutes.

Split Pea Soup

Judy: The cornerstone of Grandma Harris’s Choir Parties. I know lots of people who say they dislike split pea soup, but I never saw anyone turn down a bowl at a choir party.

2 c dried split peas

1 ½ qt water

1 ham hock

2 t salt

Onion

Bay leaf

Simmer until done. Remove ham hock and serve.

Barrow’s Enchiladas

From Sue Barrow in Las Cruces, New Mexico. This was guest food growing up for the Campbells. Requested by quite a few sibs.

Fry 1 ½ lbs hamburger with onion, salt, garlic, and pepper.

In large sauce pan, put hamburger, 1 can milk, 1 small can chopped green chiles (with juice), and 1 #2 can (2 ½ c) tomatoes or tomato sauce, ½ t oregano. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Add 1 lb velveeta cheese, chopped, and stir til hot and melted. Put ¾ ladleful on each tortilla. Layer tortillas two deep in jellyroll pans. Bake 15 minutes only at 375°. Serve with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and olives.

Pastitsio

Judy

Pasta Layer:

2 c macaroni noodles cooked in 2 qt water, 1 T salt

2 beaten eggs

1/3 c grated parmesan

1 T margarine

Mix together and put in greased 9x13 pan.

Meat Layer:

1 lb hamburger

½ c chopped onion

1 garlic clove, diced

8 oz tomato sauce

¼ t each allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg

1 t salt

1/8 t pepper

Fry hamburger, onions and garlic, drain. Mix in other ingredients, spoon over macaroni mixture.

Cream Sauce:

3 T butter or margarine

2 T flour

½ t salt

1/8 t pepper

2 c milk

¼ c parmesan cheese

Make white sauce. Add cheese. Spoon over meat, bake 30 min at 325° covered. Let set and serve.

Fonda’s Casserole

Judy: this comes from Fonda Eastman and is a family favorite. I never put on the cornflakes.

1 ¼ lb hamburger

2 T margarine

2/3 c finely chopped onions

2 cans tomato soup, undiluted

3 oz cream cheese, diced

2 T brown sugar

1 ½ T worcestershire sauce

1 t salt

¼ t pepper

4 c uncooked egg noodles

1 c crushed cornflakes

¼ c butter or margarine

Saute onion in margarine, add meat and brown. Add soup, seasonings, cheese, and sugar, and simmer 15 inutes. Cook noodles in salt water and drain. Add to meat and mix. (Mom serves here). Pour in 13 x 9 casserole. Mix cornflakes with butter and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Sister Walton’s Trifle

Brought by Sister Walton to all Notts 4 parties. Julia has a line on Bird’s custard if you want a tin for your pantry.

Any sponge cake, sliced in half and spread with jam in the middle.

Cover bottom of trifle dish with squares of jam & cake.

Next layer: fresh or tinned fruit, drained.

Make jello with syrup drained from tinned fruit, pour over sponges and fruit, set.

Make thick custard (Bird’s) and cool. Pour over trifle and set.

Cover all with whipped cream and decorate.

Dago Red

This dish was originally served in Great Grandpa’s Hamburger Stand in North Ogden.

2 cups macaroni and chopped onion cooked in 1 qt salted (2t) water.

Add 1 qt. diced tomatoes or 2 cans tomato soup.

Add 1 lb fried hamburger( 1 t salt/lb)

1 tsp. chili powder.

Zahava’s Avocado Dip/Salad

Judy: I got this recipe from Zahava Fuchs when I visited Zahava in Israel.

3 small or 2 lg avocados, grated

4 hard boiled eggs, grated

¼-1/2 onion grated on a finer grater

garlic powder

tabasco sauce (opt-to taste)

salt to taste

enough mayonnaise to moisten, 2-3T.

Juice of ½ lemon, 2-3 T

Mustard (opt)

Mix and serve as a dip, a spread for crackers or melba toast circles, or in lettuce cups as a salad.

Crab Salad

Judy: The summer staple. We still love to eat it.

16 oz. crab

2 c mayonnaise

2 c sliced olives

1 c chopped celery

½ c chopped cheddar cheese

1 T chives, chopped

3 T lemon juice

1 t horseradish (opt.)

1 qt shelled macaroni boiled in salted water

Toss salad ingredients. Mix up mayonnaise, lemon juice, and horseradish if desired. Toss with dressing, chill and serve.

Butterscotch Bars

This recipe was my Mom (Judy)’s standby when we were little. She hated making little round cookies—too inefficient! Butterscotch bars to the rescue. She made these for almost every picnic and potluck. They’re delicious. This recipe is originally from Jan Limburg.

½ c butter (Mom says splurge!)

2 c brown sugar

2 c flour

¼ t salt

2 t baking powder

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 c coconut (may omit--Mom always did)

In a 3 qt. saucepan, melt butter, stir in sugar, heat til bubbly, stirring. Cool. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread on a shallow greased 15 x 10” pan. Bake at 350°for about 25 min. Cut while warm.

Julia’s Oatmeal Cookies

Judy: This recipe is from Julia Nelson. It’s Dad’s favorite. Kersten's tip: try broiling the raisins before you put them in.

1 c shortening

1 c brown sugar

1 c granulated sugar

½ t vanilla

2 eggs, unbeaten

1 ¼ c sifted flour

1 t soda

½ t salt

½ t cinnamon

3 c quick oats

½ c nuts

Beat shortening, sugar, vanilla, and eggs thoroughly. Sift flour with soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to shortening and mix. Fold in oats and nuts. Bake at 350° 10 – 12 minutes.

Apple Chunkies

Judy: This recipe makes an interesting and delicious dessert—not really a cake or bar cookies, just…well…chunkies.

1 c flour

1 t baking powder

¼ t salt

¼ c butter

¾ c sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

½ c chopped raw apples

½ c broken nuts

Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Melt butter, remove from heat, and add sugar. Cool slightly. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Blend in flour mixture, then apples and nuts. Spread in a greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Cut in 2 inch squares wile warm. Can use fresh cranberries, peaches, cherries, or raspberries for fruit.

Christmas Tree Cookies

Judy’s tip: Put the silver ball on top with tweezers.

2 ¼ cup sifted all-purpose flour

¾ c sugar

½ t salt

¼ t baking powder

1 c shortening

1 egg

1 t vanilla

Sift together dry ingredients in bowl. Cut shortening into dry ingredients until mixture resembles pie or biscuit mix, although not as coarse. Measure egg in measuring cup. If the egg does not measure ¼ c, add water to the ¼ c line. Add egg and vanill and beat the mxiture very well. Fill cookie press. Form cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. Decorate with round sprinkles and a silver ball on top of each cookie. Bake at 375° 10 –12 minutes.

Chocolate Icing

The traditional Campbell chocolate icing recipe contains a raw egg. If that freaks you out, omit it. The icing won’t be the same, but it will still be delicious.

16 oz powdered sugar

¼ lb. butter or margarine

1 egg

½ c cocoa

1 t. vanilla

5 oz milk

Brownies

½ c shortening (this better be soft unless you want a repeat of the infamous cow pie brownies.

1/3 c cocoa

2 eggs

1 c sugar

1 t vanilla

¾ c sifted all-purpose flour

½ t baking powder

½ t salt

(Melt shortening and cocoa together over low heat-Mom omits this step). Cool. Beat eggs til light, stir in sugar, add chocolate mxiture and vanilla. Add sifted dry ingreadients, mixing well. Bake in greased 8x8 pan at 350° 30-35 minutes.

Chocolate Roll

Wouldn’t be Christmas without it, right Scott?

Melt 12 oz. chocolate chips and 1 cube butter in double boiler over hot, not boiling, water. Set aside to cool.

Beat 1 egg, pinch salt, 2 T cream, 1 t vanilla, 1 c powdered sugar. Add shocolate mixture. Pour over 1 pkg. colored mini-marshmallows and ½ c coconut or nuts (Mom uses coconut), and ½ c graham cracker crumbs (4 crushed double crackers). Mix. Pour out onto waxed paper, roll and chill.

ReNae’s Date Nut Bread

We used to give a loaf of this to each of our primary teachers. It takes the place of fruitcake on the original goodie plates. This is yummy and low-fat. Mom quadruples in the Kitchenaid—no mumbo-jumbo with a fork. She says once the dates are juiced up, just make like a quick bread using the mixer.

¾ c nuts (chopped walnuts)

1 c chopped pitted dates (buy diced dates—you don’t want to chop dates)

1 ½ t baking soda

½ t salt

3 T shortening

¾ c boiling water

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 c sugar (1 T less if dates are sugared)

1 ½ c sifted flour

Mix first four ingredients with fork, add shortening and boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes. Beat eggs with fork, add vanilla, suagr, and flour, beating with a fork. Add date mixtrue, mix just enough to blend. Bake 1 hr. 5 min. @ 350° in greased 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan. Makes one loaf. Put a piece of paper in the bottom of the loaf pan to improve release. Just spray the sides and the paper with non-stick spray (on the deck, of course).

Cherry/Vanilla Roll

Originally, Sister Miner wrapped each cherry in a little fondant blanket and rolled it in nuts. As you can imagine, Mom got tired of this quite fast and thus was born the ROLL. Efficient. Tasty, too.

Beat a scant teaspoon vanilla into a batch of fondant. Divide in quarters. Prepare a piece of waxed paper. Roll one quarter batch of fondant into a snake as long as the width of the waxed paper. Place it on the waxed paper and pat into a rectangle of even thickness about 2 ¼-2 ½ inches wide. Line up a row of candied cherries down the middle of the rectangle. Carefully lift sides and seal around cherries. Pour a strip of finely chopped pecans beside the roll and roll until the outside is evenly covered in pecans (pushing in the ends occasionally so it doesn’t get longer). Wrap in waxed paper and chill.

Mints

Add about 1 t peppermint extract and a few drops of liquid green coloring to a batch of fondant and beat or knead by hand. Press with a cookie press, using the star plate. Let set overnight before handling.

Fondant

Judy: When I was very first married, the Student Stake Relief Society President was Gwen Miner, a candy-making expert. She brought her marble slab and all her equipment and gave us a whiz-bang demonstration. She told us what we needed and where to get it and after that I needed a marble slab. My marble slab was a piece of marble left from the demolition of the Utah State University Library.

3 c sugar

1 c cream

2 T corn syrup

dash salt

Cook to soft ball.

Put all the ingredients into a heavy saucepan, stir together and let stand 15-20 minutes (this helps dissolve sugar). Start cooking with temperature on high, stirring (like mad of course). As soon as it starts to boil, wash down the sides of the pan and the spoon with hot water and a toothbrush to dissolve all the rest of the sugar crystals, so it won’t go grainy. Water doesn’t hurt the candy, so don’t worry about slopping in too much water. This is the essential step. Turn it down to medium and keep stirring until it reaches the magic temperature. To determine the correct temperature, you need to know at what temperature water boils at your altitude. Subtract this temperature from 212° to get your altitude correction. Then subtract this correction from the following temperatures:

Mints: 235°; Cherry/Vanilla Nut Roll: 236°. Once the magic temperature has been reached, pour the fondant onto a marble or granite slab. DON’T SCRAPE THE PAN!! Put 1-2 T butter in the center. When it feels just barely warm to a gentle touch, beat using a medium-sized putty knife. It takes practice to keep it all in one bunch, but don’t give up! You can do this! When it becomes opaque and stiff, it’s finished. Beat in flavoring.

Toffee

This recipe is incomplete in my cookbook. Hopefully Mom will come along and edit the details. I can tell you that a toothbrush is a critical accessory, however.

1 c butter

2 c sugar

1/3 c water

vanilla

nuts

Nut Balls

¾ c butter

1 3 oz pkg cream cheese

1 c powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

1 T lemon juice

2 t grated lemon peel

2 c cake flour

1 c finely chopped pecans

Cream (room temp) butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat hard. Stir in vanilla, lemon juice, and peel. Add flour, mixing well. Stir in nuts. Use 3/8” cookie scoop. Bake at 300° 20 – 25 minutes or until delicately browned. Makes about 4 dozen small, rich cookies. 4 x batch fits in K5-A.

Goodie Plates

If you don’t start helping, there isn’t going to be any Christmas this year! I’ve tried to include the details. But let’s face it—without Mom standing there making sure you’re scrubbing down the sides of the pan with the wet toothbrush, you are not going to get this just right. You can try, though, you can try.

Goodie plate recipes included on the blog:

Nut balls

Christmas Trees

Cherry Roll (under Fondant)

Mints (under Fondant)

Brownies

Chocolate Roll

Date Nut Bread

Toffee

Cranberry Relish

This recipe was served by Great Grandma Harris—Hilda Augusta—at HER Thanksgiving dinners. She was serving it in 1939 or 1940 when Grandma Jennabee first ate at a Harris Thanksgiving. So this is real tradition. By the way, kids, this is a RELISH, not a JELLO SALAD. Garnish and enjoy accordingly. The following recipe and instructions are straight from Grandma Jennabee.

1 qt cranberries (bagged cranberries are only ¾ qt. now, so you need one bag plus one cup.)

2 med. oranges (look for the thin-skinned ones)

1 c celery

1 c walnuts

Grind or finely chop all ingredients in a food processor and mix together with

1 c sugar

1 3 oz pkg lemon jello dissolved in 1 c hot water.

Chill overnight. It doesn’t set solidly like Jello so don’t be alarmed! This is better on the second day, and even better on the third and fourth. In fact, it just keeps getting better and better!

Apples and Yams

Aunt Janet added this dish to the traditional meal. It’s delicious.

6 yams, boiled, peeled and sliced

5 large apples, peeled and sliced

Sauce:

2 c boiling water

1 c brown sugar

1 t salt

¼ c corn starch

¼ c butter

Mix dry ingredients, stir in boiling water, cook until thick. Stir in butter. Layer yams, sauce, apples, sauce. Bake, covered, 30 min. at 350°.

Herb Stuffing

This is THE traditional Harris/Campbell recipe. In 1969, when Gaylon & Judy were living in base housing at White Sands, New Mexico (during the Vietnam war), they invited a family from the branch to come over for Thanksgiving Dinner. Mom says, “We thought it would be more fun to have them help with the preparations, so we had them come the night before. When it was time to mix up the stuffing ingredients, Kay Baney, who was not a small woman, said “I know how to do this.” She literally rolled up her sleeves, stepped up to the bowl, plunged in, and kneaded the ingredients into a compact ball.” This is why, if you’re mixing up stuffing around Grandma Harris, Dad, or Mom, you can count on being asked, “Are you getting ready to knead that?” By the way, Mom and I just had an interesting discussion about the difference between celery “stalks” “bunches” and “ribs.” This takes half of a bunch (package? stalk?) of celery—6 to 8 ribs.

3 qts. slightly dry bread crumbs

1 ½ t ground sage

1 ½ t thyme

1 ½ t rosemary

1 ½ t salt

1/3 c chopped parsley (Judy omits)

½ stalk (bunch) celery

2 lg onions, finely chopped

1/3 c butter or margarine, melted

1 c chicken broth

Saute onions and celery in butter until transparent. Combine bread, seasonings, parsley, onion, and celery. Add broth and toss lightly to mix. Makes 8 cups, or enough stuffing for 10 lb. turkey.

Pomegranate/Avocado Dip

Alison: This is good even though it sounds weird

1 ripe avocado, coarsely chopped

1 tomato, chopped

2 T finely chopped onion

½ t ground coriander

½ t salt

1 T lemon juice

½ t accent (msg)

1/8 t cayenne

Seeds of ripe pomegranate

Mix and use as dip for corn chips.

Meatballs

Alison: This is great party food!

1 12 oz jar cocktail sauce

½ jar grape jelly

1 batch of 50 meatballs

Frog Eye Salad

We have this at every holiday—Christmas, Fourth of July—you can’t just do this on the spur of the moment.

½ c sugar

1 t flour

¼ t salt

Scanty cup pineapple juice

1 egg, beaten

½ T lemon juice

3 qut. Water

½ T cooking oil

8 oz package acini di pepe

2 11 oz cans mandarin oranges, drained

1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained

1 20 oz can crushed pineapple

½ 9 oz tub whipped topping

½ c marshmallows (opt)

½ c coconut (opt.)

Combine sugar, flour, 1t of the salt, gradually stirring in pineapple juice and egg. Cook over moderate heat, stirring til thickened. Add lemon juice, cool to room tmperature. Bring water and 1 t salt and oil to boil. Add acini and cook according to pkg directions til done. Drain, rinse, drain and cool to room temperature.

Combine egg mixture and acini. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight in an airtight container. Add remaining ingredients, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Refregerate again until chilled. May be refrigerated as long as a week. May also be frozen, although freezing somewhat alters the texture.

Beef Nacho Casserole

Alison

Heat oven to 350°.

1 lb ground beef, browned

1 12 oz jar salsa

1 c frozen/canned corn

¾ c mayo (or less if you’re living with Brett)

1 t chili powder

2 c crushed corn chips

2 c shredded cheddar

Add salsa, mayo, corn, chili powder to ground beef and stir well. Layer meat/chips/cheese twice. Bake 20 minutes or til heated. You really should cover it or your cheese gets crunchy (or cover at least half the time). Top with shredded lettuce and chopped tomato (after you cook it, obviously).

Potato Soup

I make this a lot—I count it as a whole meal!

6 c cubed peeled potatoes

5 c water

2 c chopped onions

½ c chopped celery

½ thinly sliced carrots

4 t chicken bullion paste/granules

½ - 1 t salt (the bullion’s pretty salty)

¼ t pepper

1 can evaporated milk

3 T parsley (chopped)

If I have it, I put in ½ pkg. Cooked crumbled bacon.

Can make it in a crock pot—If I think ahead, I will. If not, I start the potaoes on medium high and let ‘em start cooking while I get the rest ready and put it in. Crock pot on high 7 hours, stovetop—til the veggies are tender, like 20 minutes, something like that. You can dump a can of corn in there if you want to.

Salmon Linguine

Alison: Lots of times I’ll have leftover Salmon—so the next day I like to do Salmon Linguine.

Julia adds: in the years since I collected these recipes this has become a family fave. Salmon and rice followed, two nights later, by Alison's Salmon Linguine. It's SO easy and fast, and SO yummy.

Cooked linguine noodles

2 T olive oil

½ t black pepper

½ t salt

½ onion, chopped

1 pepper (orange, yellow, green, red) sliced

2 chopped tomatoes

½ lb. steamed broccoli

1 T butter

1/4 c hot milk

1/4 c parmesan

Saute onion, pepper, broccoli, garlic, over medium high heat 5-7 minutes or til tender. Add tomatoes salt and pepper. Place cooked linguine in large bowl, add 1 T butter, ¼ c hot milk, ¼ c parmesan, veggies, and flaked salmon. Toss and serve.

Salmon

Alison: This is about the only way we eat salmon—and we eat a lot of salmon!

2 T butter

2 T brown sugar

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T lemon juice

2 T soy sauce

½ t pepper

4 salmon steaks, 1 inch thick

Works well for filet on the barbecue, but you can do any kind of salmon any way. Cook and stir til sugar is dissolved. Grill salmon covered over medium hot heat for 5 minutes, turn, baste with sauce, grill 7-9 minutes longer, turning and basting occasionally, or til salmon flakes easily with fork. Usually do filet with skin on it so I do ski side down, basting accordingly. I bake at 350° or broil the same way. I always burn when I broil, so I put it way down in the oven.

Cranberry Relish

Melanie: This is REALLY good but makes a ton! I halved it for Thanksgiving and we still have TOO much!! But it’s great because it’s so different from canned cranberry sauce. Yum!

2 packages raw cranberries

4 large golden delicious apples

1 large orange, rind and juice included

Wash all fruit and put in blender. Add an equal amount sugar, stir to dissolve. Put in fruit jars, let stand an afternoon, then refrigerate or freeze. Makes about 3 quarts. Opt: add 1 t vanilla.

Fritatta

Mel’s secret to fritatta: poke the potatoes and toss them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes per potato while you saute the other veggies.

Saute veggies: red pepper, onion, zucchini—slice up potatoes and add, along with diced ham. Beat 6 – 8 eggs and cheddar cheese; pour into pan. Turn heat to low and wait for eggs to set. Run Fritatta under broiler until cooked, let set 5 min, slice and serve.

Snickerdoodles

Melanie

Cream:

½ c softened butter

½ c shortening

1 ½ c sugar

2 eggs

Add:

¼ t salt

2 ¾ c flour

2 t cream of tartar

1 t soda

Form into balls, roll in cinnamon sugar. Bake at 400° 8 minutes. Important: take cookies out when top is just cracking. Cookies will not be brown—they’ll be a bit doughy.

Mexican Rice

Melanie

2 t olive oil

½ t minced garlic

½ chopped onions

1 lg tomato, chopped

1 c rice (not instant)

1 small green pepper, diced

Dash red pepper

½ t oregano

½ t salt

14 ½ oz. can chicken broth

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in heatproof oven pan over moderate heat. Add garlic, onion, and tomato, cook til onion is soft. Add rice and cook two minutes, stirring til rice is shiny and hot. Stir in rest of ingredients. Add broth, bring to boil, bake covered 15-20 minutes.

Cornbread

Melanie

½ c melted butter

2/3 c sugar

Mix well and add:

2 well-beaten eggs

1 c buttermilk

½ t baking soda

Mix. Add and fold in gently:

1 c cornmeal

1 c flour

½ t salt

Bake in greased square pan 30 minutes at 375° (350° for glass pan). Double the recipe for a 9x13. We add frozen corn to the batter.

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Melanie

4 half inch thick pork chops

Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper and put in slow cooker.

Add:

2 medium onions, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 large green pepper, sliced

14 ½ ounce can stewed tomatoes

Combine and pour over the veggies:

½ c ketchup

2T cider vinegar

2T brown sugar

2T Worcestershire sauce

1T lemon juice

1 beef bullion cube

Cook on low 5-6 hours. Combine 2 T cornstarch, 2T water (I do a bit more). Pour into cooker. Stir in and cook on high 30 minutes til thick. Serve over rice (and we’ve been adding pineapple).

Stroganoff

Melanie: Dave’s Mom taught him this recipe and we love it and make it a lot! This doesn’t LOOK great but it tastes really good.

1 – 1 ½ lbs ground beef. Brown with chopped onion.

Add:

1 can cream of celery

1 can cream of mushroom

¾ c milk

Salt, pepper, celery salt to taste.

Simmer and eat over rice.

Pasta

Adrianne: I learned to make great pasta in Italy. It’s fast and fabulous. These are just a few ideas for toppings.

Pasta Bianca—cover spaghetti noodles in olive oil with parmesan, salt and pepper. Add-ons: tomatoes, fresh spinach, parsley, chicken—Adrianne’s favorite is chicken breast grilled on the George Forman grill.

Marinara—Get quality diced tomatoes with nothing added but maybe salt. Puree 3-4 cans slightly. Saute a clove of garlic in olive oil. Add pureed tomatoes. Add one chicken or beef bullion cube. Add some salt, a little pepper, 1 t sugar, pinch of nutmeg. Be REALLY careful with the nutmeg because it can ruin your sauce. Add fresh or dried basil (**drying tip?) Simmer til thick but not too thick.

Cheez-It Chicken

Kersten

Mix mayonnaise and sour cream, smear on chicken, sprinkle on crushed Cheez-Its and bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Swedish Meatballs

Kersten

Brown meatballs until nearly done. Add cream of mushroom soup, thin with a little milk. Bake at 350° for about one hour or until bubbly. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Hot Beefs

Kersten says this was one of her family favorites.

Put 1-2 roasts, sliced or chopped onions, 4 beef bullion cubes and 2 cans mushroom soup into crock pot and cook on low until it shreds with a fork (about 8 hours). Shred with a fork or a food processor and serve on toast or buns.

Italian Sandwiches

Adrianne

Slice circles of french bread about ½ ingh thick. Brush with olive oil. Add one slice tomato, sliced olives, fresh grated parmesan cheese. Broil for a few minutes.

Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

Kersten: This is a quick and yummy meal.

Mix brown sugar, lemon juice, and thinned ketchup over pork chops, bake about 30 minutes at 350°.

Wraps

Kersten: I love to make wraps!

Here are some of my wrap suggestions:

Leftover chicken and ranch dressing

Chicken, barbecue sauce, and mozzarella

Mozzarella, pizza sauce, kielbasa sausage

Kielbasa and long grain or wild rice

Scrambled eggs, cheese, ham, and salsa

Philly Beef and Swiss

Kersten: The secret is caramelizing the onions—keep stirring or the fire alarm will go off!

Slice onions and peppers into rings. Spray pan and turn on high. Cook onions until brown and sugary. Stir like crazy. Slice buns lengthwise. Layer on lunchmeat, onions, peppers, and cheese. Melt the cheese under a broiler.

Braten’s Clam Chowder Recipe

Andrea: I love having this with corn bread. This is so yummy and so fast!

2 cans clams (minced or chopped)

(dump clam juice over veggies but don’t add clams ‘til end)

4 c potatoes, finely chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

Add water to clam juice until veggies are barely covered and simmer 20 minutes.

¾ c butter

¾ c flour

1 qt. Half and half

Make roux and slowly dump in half and half. Cook ‘til thick and bubbly. Add to undrained veggies, add

1 ½ t salt

½ t pepper

1 T white wine vinegar

Heat without boiling and serve.

Dump Cake

Andrea: You can top this with coconut and nuts. I don’t...but you can!

Dump into a 9x13 pan:

1 can pineapple, strained and dumped

1 can cherry pie filling

1 box dry yellow cake mix

Slice pats of better and cover top.

Bake at 350° 25 – 30 minutes.

Sugar Cookies

Andrea: I get RAVES over these! I have a friend who PAYS me to make them for her. They stay soft forever.

Cream together

2 c sugar

2 c butter, softened

4 eggs

2 t baking powder

2 t baking soda

2 t salt

7 c flour

½ c milk

1 t vanilla

You may have to add a bit more flour. Bake at 350° 12 minutes.

Makes 5 dozen.

Lasagne

Andrea: my family loves this. This recipe works in Utah, but not in California…don’t know why.

1 lb hamburger, browned

1 can Hunts spaghetti sauce (garden veg)

1 can mushrooms, undrained

Mix in a bowl. In another bowl, combine:

16 oz cottage cheese

2 T parsley flakes

2 T parmesan

1 egg

Layer uncooked noodles, cheese, sauce, noodles, cheese, sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 375° 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes.

Barbecued Ribs, Red Potatoes and Corn

Andrea: this is our favorite summer meal. Kraft honey barbecue is the only kind!

Place ribs in a 9x13 baking dish. Mostly cover with water. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Dump water off. Cover ribs with one whole bottle of barbecue sauce. Replace foil and cook one more hour. Serve with red potatoes and corn.

Andrea's Chicken Divan

This is Andrea’s variation of the old standby. It’s scrumptious.

I make Martie’s recipe using Cream of Chicken soup, Best Foods mayonnaise, lemon juice, Swiss cheese, and Ritz crackers just to cover top.

Erin’s Sugar Cookies

1 c butter

2 c sugar

2 eggs

1 c sour cream

1 t vanilla

½ t baking soda

4 t baking powder

4 ½ c flour

½ t salt

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, sour cream, vanilla and beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix gently. Divide into two batches. Chill 2 hours. Roll out and cut. Bake at 350° 10 minutes (11 if big). Makes 80 tiny/60 big cookies.

Basic Red Sauce for Pizza

Cecily: This is SO good! I make a bunch and freeze it in empty yogurt cups. One cup covers a pizza.

1 ½ T olive oil

3 T basil

2 T oregano

1 onion, fine diced

2 cl garlic

½ t fennel

15 oz tomato sauce

Saute onion and garlic in oil, add the rest and simmer until dark.

Spicy Shrimp Wraps

Cecily

Combine in a bowl:

1 c salsa

1 med mango, diced

1 T ketchup

Combine in a bag:

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 T olive oil

Put 1 lb (2 c) shrimp in bag and shake. Saute over medium heat 2-3 minutes.

6 flour tortillas

1 ½ c coleslaw mix

Lowfat sour cream

Shredded Cheese

Top tortilla with shrimp, salsa, sour cream, coleslaw mix, shredded cheese. Serve with rice. YUM!

Soft Garlic Breadsticks

1 c + 2 T warm water

2 T olive oil

3 c bread flour

3 T parmesan cheese

2 T sugar

1 T garlic powder

½ T salt

2 t yeast

1 T butter – for the top

Divide in 20 pcs, roll each to 9 inch rope. Bake at 350° 18 – 22 minutes. Brush with butter, sprinkle with more cheese.

Susie’s Breadstick Recipe

1 c milk

2 eggs

4 c flour

½ c butter

1 t salt

¼ c sugar

2 t yeast

Put in breadmaker. Make into snakes. Bake for 12 min at 400°.

Cinnamon Muffins

4 t baking powder

½ t salt

½ T cinnamon

2 c flour

1 c sugar

1 c milk

½ c oil

2 eggs

Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients and add. Stir gently together. Bake 15 min at 400 °. Makes a dozen.

Pumpkin Muffins

3 ½ c flour

2 t soda

½ t salt

2 t cinnamon

½ t nutmeg

3 c sugar

Combine. Combine, then add:

4 eggs

16 oz pumpkin

2/3 c water

½ c oil

Stir. Bake at 400° 15-20 minutes.

Almond Bran Muffins

From Cecily. I begged for this recipe because my KIDS LOVE these super healthy muffins.

1 ¾ c all bran

1 ¼ c evaporated milk

¼ c applesauce

¼ c melted margarine/butter

½ t almond extract

Combine and let stand 5 min. Combine separately:

1 c whole wheat flour

¼ c brown sugar

½ T baking powder

½ t baking soda

½ T cinnamon

Mix together and add

2 egg whites

Bake at 350° 16 – 20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Whole Wheat Buns

Kersten – For all those BFLers.

1 c water/milk

4 t butter

2 c whole wheat flour

1 c white flour

4 t honey

¾ t salt

1 t yeast

Make 6 balls, flatten to 3 ½” 375 ° 12 – 15 minutes.

Delicious Punch

Tamsin serves this at parties.

2 cans cranberry juice

½ can apple juice

½ can orange juice

¼ can pineapple juice

Mix with 2 liters ginger ale and serve.

Garlic Lover’s Chicken

Cecily: I tripled this recipe once when feeding the missionaries and put two away to freeze. After the missionaries finished off the first pan, they asked if I had any more! Note: she doesn’t say if she gave it to them!

½ c bread crumbs

1/3 c parmesan cheese

1 T parsley

½ t salt

1/8 t pepper

Combine in bag. Put in shallow bowl:

¼ c milk.

Take 1 ½ lb chicken breasts. Dip in milk, put in bag, shake up. Lay chicken pieces in 9x13 pan. Combine:

¼ c butter

2 cloves garlic

2 T lemon juice

Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered at 350° for 30 minutes.

Whole Wheat Waffles

Lots of people sent this to me—but I got it first from my friend Karen Harris. What goes around comes around. This is breakfast and an alarm clock, because blending whole wheat kernels is LOUD!! These are SO good.

1 c wheat

1 ½ c milk

Put in blender and blend about 4 min., til creamy.

Add:

½ t salt

2 eggs

2 T oil

¼ c brown sugar

¼ c baking powder.

Blend 3 min. more, cook as waffles or pancakes.

Chicken Pot Pie

Martie: So easy, tasty, and fast.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup

1 16 oz bag frozen mixed veggies

salt, pepper, poultry seasoning to taste

2 pie crusts (purchased or home made)

In a large pan, salt water and boil chicken breasts 20 minutes. Set out veggies to defrost. Rinse and cube chicken. Combine chicken, soup, veggies, and seasonings. Pour into pie crust, cover with second crust, seal, flute, slit, and bake at 425° 30 – 40 minutes or until crust is golden.

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Judy: I had these in a restaurant, deep fried with strawberry jam. They were divine! I modified them slightly to make at home.

Make an egg and milk mixture (as for French Toast). Dip one side of a piece of bread in the mixture and lay it on a hot griddle or pan. Put cheese and a slice of ham on top. Dip one side of the other piece of bread and lay it, dry side down, on top of the sandwich. Cook, flip, finish cooking, and enjoy.

Great Grandma Harris’s Banana Bread

This is the real deal.

¼ c butter

1 egg

1 c sugar

3 lg bananas (mashed)

2 c flour

1 t soda

½ t salt

Chopped Nuts, optional

Cream butter, sugar, and egg. Add bananas. Sift flour, soda, and salt into mixture. Bake 1 hour at 350°. Yield 1 small loaf.

Candy Cereal Treats

Cecily: I won a contest with these, but they’re a Taste of Home recipe. Take them to a Relief Society function and you’ll see—the results are downright scary.

½ c butter, softened

2/3 c. brown sugar

2 egg yolks

1 t vanilla

1 ½ c. flour

½ t baking powder

½ t salt

¼ t soda

3 c mini marshmallows

2/3 c corn syrup

¼ c butter

1 pkg. peanut butter or butterscotch chips

2 t vanilla

2 c rice crispy cereal

1 c peanuts

1 c M & Ms

Cream butter and brown sugar, beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and soda. Gradually add in but don’t over mix. Press into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes. Sprinkle on marshmallows and bake 2-3 minutes more until puffy. Let cool. Combine corn syrup, butter, and chips in saucepan. Stir over medium heat til smooth, then stir in vanilla, rice crispies, peanuts, and M & Ms. Spread mixture over crust and let cool. Don’t eat the whole pan yourself.

Seafood Lasagne Rollups

Cecily: My surefire method for appeasing Mike after I’ve clogged the disposal yet again.

Cook 9 lasagne noodles al dente.

Combine the following in a bowl:

8 oz chopped crab (imitation ok)

1 ½ c cottage cheese

1/3 c dried bread crumbs

¼ c dried bread crumbs

¼ c parmesan cheese

1 egg + ½ c egg substitute

1 T parsley

¼ t onion powder

¼ t garlic powder

2 c spaghetti sauce

Put ½ c spaghetti sauce in bottom of casserole dish. Put 1/3 c filling at the end of a lasagne noodle and roll up. Place, seam down, into pan. Repeat with all noodles. Pour remaining 1 ½ c spaghetti sauce over the rollups. Bake, covered, for 55 minutes.

Would You Please Pass the Rolls?

Cecily:You can get a bread maker that’s the top-rated CR for $30 now, so EVERYONE should have one!! You just throw the ingredients into the bread maker (it takes 60 seconds) let it mix and raise, then dump onto your counter and cut the dough into squares with your pizza cutter, put a bit of butter in the bottom of your pan, flip, flop, fold and voila—hot rolls! Everybody says, “Would you please pass the rolls.”

1 ¼ c milk

1 egg

2 T margarine/butter

3 ½ c flour

1 t salt

2 T sugar

1/3 t ginger

1 t yeast

Combine in cheap-o breadmaker in order shown. Put on dough cycle. When finished, dump on floured bread board. Cut in 2 inch squares with pizza cutter. Melt 2 T butter/margerine in 9x13 pan. Dip rolls in butter, fold in half, and line up in pan. Let rise about ½ hour. Bake at 400° for 11 – 14 minutes.

Nary's Egg Rolls

Marie. Egg rolls are easier than you think. Just have a little faith, mix up the ingredients, and start wrapping. You’ll amaze yourself…not to mention whomever you share them with!

1 cabbage

3 carrots

1 onion

4 stalks celery

1 med. pkg. bean thread noodles

2 lbs. ground pork

2 T oyster sauce

3 T sugar

pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic

2 eggs

160 egg roll wrappers (thin south-east asian kind)

In large bowl or Kitchen-Aid, mix meat, oyster sauce, sugar, pepper, and minced garlic. Add eggs and mix well. Soak noodles 10 minutes in very hot water, then cut into small pieces. Shred cabbage, carrots, onion, and celery. Sprinkle salt over veggies and let sit for 20 minutes. Squeeze veggies with your hands to remove excess water. Add veggies to meat mixture and mix thoroughly. Wrap according to package directions. Deep fat fry or brush with oil and bake in 400° oven 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot. May be frozen either before or after cooking.

George Foreman Chicken

It’s good to do this on a frustrating day. Just grab that meat tenderizer and start whacking. No meat tenderizer? Mom (Judy) uses a smallish sledgehammer borrowed from the workbench.

4 – 6 chicken breasts, flattened

¼ c olive oil

¼ c balsamic vinegar

1 T basil

2 t dried rosemary

½ t oregano

1½ T garlic

1 T lemon juice

Grill about 6 min., add tomatoes (opt.), grill 30 seconds more. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Great as a leftover in a chicken salad.

Lemon Cream Chicken

Mindy: I LOVE this recipe

½ c plus 1 T all purpose flour, divided

½ t salt

½ t pepper

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

¼ c. butter or margarine

1 c. chicken broth

1 c. whipping cream, divided

3 T lemon juice

½ lb. fresh mushrooms (I never use these)

Combine ½ c flour salt and pepper in bag, add chicken and shake to coat. Cook chicken in butter for 8-9 min each side. Remove chicken and keep warm.

Add broth to the drippings. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stir to loosen browned bits from pan. Simmer uncovered for 10 min. Stir in ¾ c cream, lemon juice, and mushrooms and cook over med-low for 5 min. Combine remaining flour and cream til smooth; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil, cook and stir 2 min or until thickened. Return chicken to skillet and heat through.

Monster Cookies

Martie: This is Nancy Lamb’s recipe. We used to give these to the neighbors at Christmas. This recipe makes enough for the whole town of Pullman. One day I mixed up a batch and left Dad to bake it. He still remembers the experience. He claims that he just kept baking and baking, but the dough level never went down. These are (fortunately!) wonderful frozen.

1 lb butter or margarine

12 eggs

2 lbs. brown sugar ( 8 cups)

4 c. white sugar

1 T vanilla

1 T Karo syrup

8 t baking soda

3 lbs. peanut butter

1 lb. M&Ms

1 lg bag chocolate chips

10 ½ c. oatmeal

2 c. flour

Mix all ingredients and drop on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes. Makes 8 – 12 dozen large cookies. (MANY more if smaller!)

Eclair Cake

Martie: This is from my friend Donna Carlson. She said this is the only cake her kids ever wanted her to make. This gets better and better as it sits. Julia adds: Mom gave us this recipe less than a week ago and we’ve already made two. It is incredibly easy. I hope MY kids decide to ask for this every birthday.

2 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding (NOT one large)

3 ½ cups milk

1 box graham crackers

8 oz cool whip

Beat pudding and milk for 2 min., fold in cool whip. Line 9 x 13 pan with whole graham crackers and pour half of pudding mixture on top. Add another layer of grahams and cover with remaining pudding. Top with grahams frosted with chocolate frosting. Refrigerate overnight or 12 hours.

Frosting: 2 T cocoa, 3 T butter, 3 T milk, 1 ¾ c. powdered sugar.

Chili Lentils

Martie: Whenever I take this, people just have to have the recipe—I often 2 or 3 x it in the crockpot. It freezes nicely. Cooked lentils freeze nicely too. Oh, and no gas problems, either.

2 c. cooked and drained lentils

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 T chili powder

1 ½ t salt

1 clove galic

1 t ground oregano

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, minced.

Brown meat, adding onion and garlic and sautéing until limp but not brown. Add other ingredients and simmer for about an hour.

Wassail

Wassail

Martie. Christmas is coming. Better put on The Osmond’s Christmas album and start up a pot of Wassail (you can thank Val Felsted for this recipe).

1 c sugar

3 c water

6 whole cloves

1 stick cinnamon

Simmer 10 minutes and let stand several hours. Strain out spices and add

3 c apple juice or cider

2 c orange juice

2 c pineapple juice

¼ c lemon juice

Bring to simmering. Val says to serve at once, but you can leave it on the stove or in the crockpot simmering away for practically the entire holiday season.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Martie: seems like everyone who eats this has to have the recipe. I’ve given it out MANY times.

1 bag baby spinach, washed and dried

1 container strawberries, washed and sliced

Vinaigrette Dressing

2 T sesame seeds

1 T poppy seeds

½ c. sugar

1 ½ t minced onions

¼ t paprika

1/3 T Worcestershire sauce

Put in blender and blend for a while, then add

½ c vegetable oil

¼ c white vinegar

Pour vinaigrette over spinach and strawberries and toss gently.

Baked Beans

Martie: This makes A LOT. We like to eat them over potatoes.

1 c. chopped bell peppers

1 c. chopped onions

1 c. chopped celery

Saute in oil until soft. Brown

2 lbs. ground beef and add the veggies plus:

4 T molasses

4 – 5 #2 cans Pork and Beans

2 tsp dry mustard

2 T brown sugar

1 c. ketchup

2 8 oz cans tomato sauce.

Simmer on stove for 30 minutes or on high in crock pot for several hours.

Caramels

Martie: Yum! And so easy.

1 c. butter (melted)

2 ¼ c. brown sugar (mix well)

Add: 1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 c light corn syrup

Dash salt

Mix well and microwave on high 7 minutes. Stir well and microwave on medium (70%) for 8-12 minutes until soft ball (stir half way through). When soft ball, stir in 1 tsp vanilla. Pour in greased 8 x 12 glass casserole dish. Cool and cut into squares.

Cha-Wa-Wa

Martie: This is so fun, fast, and good. Put on plenty of cheese.

Use a casserole dish about the size of a flour tortilla (you can also use two corn tortillas if you prefer the taste of corn—or if that’s all you have). Put a tortilla on the bottom, pour in a can of chili, add on half a can of corn. Repeat the layers (tortilla-can of chili-the other half of the can of corn). Top with plenty of cheese (some people like to add a tortilla before the cheese). Microwave on high about 10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cream Pie

I asked Mindy her philosophy of cooking. She said, “I love to eat, so bring on the kitchen.”

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

¾ c powdered sugar

½ c peanut butter (creamy)

6 T milk

1 carton Cool Whip, thawed

1 9 inch graham cracker crust

¼ c chopped peanuts.

Beat cream cheese til fluffy, add sugar and peanut butter and mix well. Gradually add the milk and fold in Cool Whip. Spoon into crust, sprinkle with peanuts, and chill overnight.

Mexican Deviled Eggs

We take Deviled Eggs to every University Ward break the fast dinner. Since I buy eggs 5 dozen at a time from Costco, Tom has occasionally gone overboard—he once made eighty eggs! Still, we’ve never brought ONE EGG home. THANKS to Mindy for sharing this variation. I can’t wait for Fast Sunday!

Here’s the filling for eight eggs. Multiply by 10 if you plan to make eighty.

½ c shredded cheddar cheese

¼ c mayo

¼ c salsa

2 T sliced green onions

1 T sour cream

Salt to taste. Just mash and fill like always, then wait for the reaction.

Sausage Lentil Soup

Karine: This is Erich’s absolute favorite. Julia adds: my family LOVES it too, and it’s really fast. Healthy, too, if you focus on the lentils and try to forget about the sausage.

1 ½ c lentils

5 c water

1 lbs polish sausage

1 6 oz can tomato paste

3 tomatoes peeled & cubed (or 1 qt bottle of tomatoes)

1 t celery salt

1 ½ t bouillon (1 cube or so)

¾ t thyme

1/8 t pepper

Cook lentils for 30 minutes. Add remainder and simmer for 30 more minutes.

Banana Bread

Karine: Here is our banana bread recipe gleaned off one of those bags of dead bananas at the store. We love it. It uses lots of bananas for just one loaf and wheat flour.

8T butter at room temp.

¾ c sugar

2 eggs

1 c flour

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

1 c whole wheat flour

3 large ripe bananas mashed

1 t vanilla

½ c shelled, chopped walnuts

Cream butter and sugar til light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each. Sift flour, soda and salt together. Stir in wheat flour and add to creamed mixture mixing well. Fold in bananas, vanilla and walnuts. Pour mixture into greased loaf pan (9x5x3). Bake 50-60 minutes at 350°. Cool in pan 10 minutes then on rack.

Grandma Harris's Apple Pie

Make a 2 crust recipe of pie crust. Roll out the bottom and put in the pan. Leave the extra hanging over the edge. Roll out the top crust and leave it in the rolling paper so it doesn’t dry out. Now you can use the bowl for the apples. We like lots of apples. I use 5 – 6 apples (or more, I guess I eat some while I am peeling and filling in the pie, too) for one pie. Peel and slice these. Add flour, sugar and cinnamon. The flour is to make the sauce in the pie, so use enough to cover the apples. The sugar is to sweeten it so if the apples are pretty sweet use less, if they are pretty tart use more. Put these in the crust—we try to stuff in as many as possible. Cover with the top crust. Fold the extra bottom crust up and over. I like to have at least 3 layers here, if possible, it burns less. Cut vents in the top crust. Bake at 350° for about an hour, until the apples are tender.

Jennabee Harris's Apple Crisp

Karine: this is Gma Harris’ and makes a 9x13 pan. My kids can’t decide if they would rather have apple crisp or apple pie, so we usually alternate weekly in the fall during apple season.

Grease pan

Spread peeled and sliced apples in the pan. (Vary the number of apples to get what you want. We like the apples so use lots.)

Sprinkle with sugar (optional, we usually don’t)

Sprinkle with a mixture of 2 T lemon juice and ¼ c water.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Work together ½ c brown sugar, ½ c sugar, ¾ c flour, and ¼ c margarine/butter. Sprinkle this over the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350° until apples are tender

(Rhubarb crisp is similar. Rhubarb is prepared by washing, chopping. I freeze it in batches large enough to fill a pan. Add sugar to the rhubarb after it is in the pan then cover with the apple crisp topping. Bake and enjoy.)

Aunt Trish's Refrigerator Rolls (Plus Skorpor Instructions)

Karine: Here is our favorite roll recipe. It makes a lot but stores in the fridge for a week. We can then have fresh rolls each night. My family is willing to put up with rolls made with the cookie scoop rather than the rolling pin when they are fresh and hot. This makes excellent cinnamon rolls too. For the cinnamon rolls we increase the sugar to 7/8 c. If you want to make a smaller batch, ask me, I have all the conversions made on my recipe. These are Julia’s faves too. They are fabulous and nearly foolproof.

4 c buttermilk (lukewarm)

3 c flour

1 T + 1t yeast

¼ c warm water

I like to soak my yeast in the warm water while I warm the buttermilk in the microwave. It needs to be warm enough to cause the yeast to grow. This is a softening stage. Mix these together and let them sit one hour on the cupboard, covered. Then add:

4 eggs

¾ c melted butter

2 ½ t salt

1 1/3 t baking soda

¾ c sugar (7/8 c for sweet rolls)

6-2/3 c flour

Mix this all thoroughly. Cover and let it sit 1 hour. It is a good idea, if

you made them to this point in the kitchen aid (which is not a problem) to put them in a BIGGER bowl before they sit for the hour. It will overflow your bowl. Punch it down. Refrigerate what you are not using for up to a week. Shape and let rise until double. When making them without refrigerating this takes 45 to 60 minutes. If they are cold (the dough is easier to work with then) it takes about 2 ½ hours. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes (I think it takes at least 15). This batch made about 6 dozen 2” rolls.

To turn these (or any roll recipe) into scorper add 1/4-3/4 t cardamom to the dough. Also make the dough sweeter and stiffer (more flour). Bake a day or so ahead. They are just nice and round (and not folded, more like a bun) so they are easier to cut and butter before toasting.

Wacker Beans

These are Bryan’s birthday dinner baked beans. To distinguish them from just any baked beans we call them Wacker Beans.

2 1lb cans of pork and beans in tomato sauce

¾ c brown sugar

1 t dry mustard powder

6 slices bacon (cut in bite-sized pieces)

½ c catsup

In an 8x8 pan, pour in one can of beans. Combine the brown sugar and mustard. Sprinkle ½ this mixture over the first can of beans. Distribute the 2nd can on top and sprinkle the other ½ of the mustard/sugar mix. Cover with the bacon the top with catsup. Bake at 325° for 2 ½ hours uncovered.

Bryan’s Birthday Cake

(commonly known as Wacky Cake)

1 ½ c flour

1 c. sugar

1 t soda

3 T cocoa

½ t salt

6 T oil

1 T vinegar

1 t vanilla

1 c cold water

Sift all dry ingredients into an 8 x8 pan (in which it will be baked). Make 3 holes and distribute all the wet ingredients, except the water, into them. Pour water over everything and stir thoroughly with a fork. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

Frosting:

2 T cocoa

1 c sugar

¼ c butter or margarine

1/3 c milk

Stir well in small skillet or sauce pan. Bring to rolling/slow boil and let boil 1 to 2 minutes (250°, soft crack?). Add ½ t vanilla and allow to cool. Add 1 c nuts and beat. DON’T let it cool too long! (It soaks into the cake when you put it on hot—more often our problem.)

Bryan’s Birthday Cake

(commonly known as Wacky Cake)

1 ½ c flour

1 c. sugar

1 t soda

3 T cocoa

½ t salt

6 T oil

1 T vinegar

1 t vanilla

1 c cold water

Sift all dry ingredients into an 8 x8 pan (in which it will be baked). Make 3 holes and distribute all the

wet ingredients, except the water, into them.  Pour water over everything and stir thoroughly with a 

fork. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

Frosting:

2 T cocoa

1 c sugar

¼ c butter or margarine

1/3 c milk

Stir well in small skillet or sauce pan. Bring to rolling/slow boil and let boil 1 to 2 minutes (250°, soft crack?).

Add ½ t vanilla and allow to cool.  Add 1 c nuts and beat.  DON’T let it cool too long! (It soaks into the cake 

when you put it on hot—more often our problem.)

Orange Syrup

This recipe is from Bryan’s Auntie Susan (again not low fat, but everyone who has tasted it loves it)

¼ c soft butter (I like it just not quite melted)

¼ c evaorpated milk (2T powdered milk then fill the cup up to ¼ c with water)

½ c brown sugar

¼ c frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed)

Blend until smooth.

Grandma Harris's Pumpkin Pie

Karine: Here is the burn-all-the-way-down Pumpkin Pie. It is Gma Harris’ and my favorite. I have reduced the cloves by half so it doesn’t burn as much, but it still has the flavor. Bryan is starting to like it (when there is plenty of cream). All my kids think this is the only kind of pumpkin pie. It ranks as their favorite dessert right up there with apple pie and lemon meringue pie. 

1 egg

¾ c brown sugar

1 T flour

½ t salt

1 t cinnamon

½ t nutmeg

½ t ginger

1/8 t cloves

1 ½ c cooked pumpkin

1 c milk

2 T molasses (this is optional and we leave it out)

Put it all in the blender and mix. Cook it in an uncooked 9” pie crust, 10 minutes at 450° and about 40 minutes at 325° until firm (toothpick test).

*Pie crust for one 9” pie:

1 c flour

¼ t salt

¼ c oil

1 ½ T cold water

Mix the flour and salt. Using a fork, add the oil and mix it thoroughly. Don’t add the water until the mixing is done. Sprinkle the water on the top and stir only enough to combine it. Stirring too much at this stage makes it tough.

*To make pumpkin from a pumpkin:

Cut it into pieces about 3 to 4”. You can pressure cook it for 15 minutes on 15 lbs, or steam it for 45 minutes. I leave the peel on and then scrape the cooked pumpkin off when it is cool enough to handle. I like to put it in the blender before I freeze it because it is then ready for cooking. Freeze it in your favorite quantity.

Buttermilk Donuts

Karine: A popular family tradition for the  Wackers was making donuts on Halloween.  We usually do this too. Here is our favorite recipe.  These are great because they don’t have to raise.

3 ¼ c flour

½ t baking powder

1 t baking soda

½ t ground cinnamon

¼ t salt

¼ t ground nutmeg

2 beaten eggs

2/3 c sugar

1 t vanilla

2/3 c buttermilk

¼ c melted margarine

Stir together 2 ¼ c flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Mix sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until thick. Combine margarine and milk. Add milk mixture alternately with flour mixture to the egg mixture—beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in remaining cup of flour. Cover and chill about 2 hours (until you are ready to make them). On a floured surface roll to ½” thick. Cut. Fry 2 or 3 at a time in deep hot (375°) fat about 1 minute each side or till golden turning once with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.  Glaze if desired. (Or shake up in a bag with cinnamon and sugar.) Makes 25.

Pepperoni Pizza Chili

Mindy. Speedy & yummy.

Brown 1 lb of ground beef. Add a can of kidney beans, a can of pizza sauce, a can of Italian stewed tomatoes, an 8 oz can of tomato sauce, 1 ½ cups water, 3 ½ oz. pepperoni, a chopped green pepper, 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning and 2 tsp. salt. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes and garnish with mozzarella cheese.

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

Mindy: My latest thing is soup. I make this a lot.

1 ½ lbs chicken breast (boneless/skinless)

½ c chopped onion

1-2cloves minced garlic

3 T Butter

2 chicken bullion cubes

1 c hot water

1 t ground cumin

2 c half & half

2 c shredded Monterey Jack

1 can cream-style corn

1 4 oz can chopped green chilies (don’t drain)

¼ - 1 t hot pepper sauce

1 med. Tomato

Fresh cilantro or parsley

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and brown with onion and garlic in butter til chicken is not pink. Dissolve bullion in hot water and add, along with cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 5 min. Add everything else but tomato and cilantro. Stir over low heat til cheese melts. Stir in tomato and garnish with cilantro if you must.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Karine & Bryan. This is one of our absolute favorites, but it is not low fat! It is from our Southern Living cookbook.

6 medium-size sweet potatoes (we prefer yams)

½ c sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla extract

1/3 c milk

½ c butter or margarine

1/3 c firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 c finely chopped pecans

2 T all-purpose flour

2 T butter or margarine

Cook the sweet potatoes in boiling water for 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender. Let them cool then peel and mash. (I prefer to peel them before cooking so I can cut them in smaller pieces so they cook faster.) Combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk and ½ c butter. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. (If you don’t scrape the beaters it takes out most of the strings if there are any) Spoon into a lightly greased 12x8x2 inch baking dish.

Combine brown sugar, flour and 2 T butter. Then stir in pecans. Sprinkle mixture over the casserole. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serves 8.

Our Favorite Buttermilk Biscuits

Karine & Bryan

2 c all-purpose flour

1 T baking powder

2 T sugar

½ t cream of tartar

¼ t salt

¼ t baking soda

½ c shortening

2/3 c buttermilk

Mix together the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening. Stir in the

buttermilk. Roll and cut. I like to add a little more buttermilk and drop the biscuits. Then there is no left over and no additional mess.

Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes until golden.