Candy Chippers

A minty chocolate chip cookie warm from the oven and the smell of baking is a memory I have of these Christmas Cookies. I usually make a variety of cookies and put them on a plate.

1/2  cup shortening
1/4  cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp Salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy

Cream together shortening and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Sift flour, salt and soda, add add and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts and peppermint candy. Drop by teaspoonfuls on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 375 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly then remove from pan.

Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses

Cream the first three ingredients together. Add and cream together:

1 egg

Then add:

2 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon

Form into balls and roll in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Ginger Creams

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
2 cups flour
1 tsp. Ginger
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Vanilla Butter Frosting

Mix sugar, shortening, egg, molasses and water. Stir in remaining ingredients except frosting. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until almost no indentation remains when touched, about 8 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool, frost with Vanilla Butter Frosting.

Vanilla Butter Frosting

1/4 cup margarine or Butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
About 1 TBS milk

Mix margarine and powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla and milk until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Raspberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam

6 cups rhubarb, finely chopped
1cup raspberries
4 cups sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 3 oz. pkg. raspberry Jello

Mix rhubarb, raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan. Stir on low heat until juice forms,  then heat to boiling. When the mixture is at full boil, cook for 15 minutes.Then dissolve gelatin into mixture.

Put into hot jars that have been washed in soapy water and then rinsed. Seal with lid and ring, then cool and place into freezer.

You can also make this with strawberries by substituting strawberries for the raspberries and strawberry gelatin for the raspberry gelatin.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

1 cup margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBS powdered sugar
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup chopped nuts
Powdered sugar to roll cookies in, at least 1 cup

Mix margarine, vanilla and water together, add 2 Tbs powdered sugar, flour and nuts. Mix thoroughly. Roll dough into oblongs. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet, 300 degree until lightly browned.  Roll immediately, while still hot in powdered sugar.

Avocado Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

6 cups baby spinach
1 pt Strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 avocado, diced
4 oz. Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Half small red onion

Poppy Seed Dressing

1/2 c. oil
3 Tbs. Apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs. Honey
1 Tbs. Poppy Seeds
Pinch of ground dry mustard
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients and toss with salad.

Pastel Divinity

This is my favorite Divinity recipe which I got a long time ago in a magazine. It is Kerry's favorite.
3 cups sugar
3/4 cups light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
2 egg whites
1 pkg flavored gelatin
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup grated coconut

Mix the sugar, syrup and water until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook to medium hard ball stage. Beat the egg whites until fluffy while cooking the sugar mixture then add gelatin gradually, beating until the mixture forms peaks that hold shape and it loses it's gloss. Add the coconut and nuts. Drop onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet. 48 pieces.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Yesterday I asked my son Kent who was visiting us what he would like me to make him while he was in town. He came up with the idea of me making pumpkin bread with Chocolate Chips. Although I have had this bread at Great Harvest, I was wondering if I could make something that tasted just as good. I did. Here is the recipe that I adapted from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

3 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2/3 cup water
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans or 4 7-1/2x3-1/2x2 inch pans. In a large mixing bowl beat sugar, eggs, and oil with an electric mixer. Combine flour, solda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Alternately add flour, mixture and water to sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat in pumpkin and then add chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Spaghetti al la Carbonara

We have been unpacking, reading, and generally catching up on all the things that needed to be done...like a huge stack of mail...this week. I have been remembering our trip and all the wonderful things we did in Italy. Kerry got his pictures out today and we looked at them together. I am so glad that he took pictures of things that I didn't. For example, our first day in Rome we went to the Trevi fountain. It was one of the most crowded fountains that I saw in Rome. Jenessa said that she threw a coin into the fountain because the legend is that when you throw a coin in you will come back to Rome. There were so many people and police were there too watching the crowd and making sure that people didn't climb in for a swim. Some people got too close and she blew the whistle on them.

Today I made Italian pizza with Jenessa. She told me that you have to let the dough sit for 24 hours. I did and then she cranked the oven up to 550 which gave the pizza that wonderful crispy crust with the soft bread in the middle. It was the best. I got the recipe from Cooking Light. Jenessa even made authentic pizza sauce out of fresh tomatoes.

Last Sunday Jenessa gave her homecoming talk. She was absolutely the main attraction. There was only one other speaker...a youth speaker. Albert came with his children, Regan came with Debra and Lizzy, John Miles, and Mike Cecacci was here too. It was quite a crowd. I taught gospel doctrine and Kerry taught his two lessons afterwards. We came home and Jenessa made Italian food for everyone...it was spaghetti al la carbonara. I remember the first time we had it was when Maurine made it for us. I remembered it because I thought it was the best spaghetti... Here is the recipe:

1 pkg. spaghetti
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
3/4 lb. of uncured bacon
1 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
onion
olive oil

Boil the spaghetti until tender.

Fry the onion in olive oil until it becomes transparent. Cut up the bacon and fry it until crisp with the onion.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg and egg yolk together and add in the parmesan, salt and pepper.

Put the strained noodles back in the pot and on low eat. Add the bacon and onions until mixed. Add the egg mixture and stir until it is cooked. Buon Appetito.

Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder (optional)
1/4 cup butter
1 to 1 ¼ cup warm water

• Combine dry ingredients in bowl. Work in the butter or oil. Add enough water to make soft, pliable dough.
• Knead lightly on floured surface. Divide into 16 balls. Let stand, covered 15 - 20 minutes.
• Roll into thin circles between sheets of parchment paper.
• Cook on non-greased, heavy skillet or griddle at medium-high temperature until brown specks appear on cooking side (about 10 seconds). Flip and cook other side.
• Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Super Fudge Brownie Recipe

Every once in awhile I come upon a recipe that is so good that I have to publish it. My friend Mary Ellen Lee made these Brownies in honor of Mother's Day and I had to get the recipe. These were the best brownies. Enjoy.

6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup butter
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat over to 300 degrees. Grease 8X8 inch baking pan

Combine baking chocolate and butter in saucepan and melt over low heat. Remove from heat and cool.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light yellow (about 5 mintes). Add sugar and blend on low until thoroughly combined.
Add vanilla and melted chocolate to the egg/sugar mixture and blend on low until smooth. Add the floor and mix thoroughly.

Pour batter into greased pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Back for about 45-55 minutes or until toothpick in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Cool, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Last night I made up this recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu and it turned out great. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of it so I can't show you but it is really simple and easy to do and since I fed only 2 people it can be doubled or tripled, etc.

2 cups crushed Corn Flakes
2 chicken breasts
2 slices swiss cheese
2 slices ham
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray small 9x9 pan with cooking spray. Put chicken breasts in a quart size freezer bag and roll them flat, one at a time. Place a slice of ham and then swiss cheese on top of the chicken breast after you take it out of the bag. Roll it up and secure with toothpicks. Roll the chicken breast in the Corn Flakes crumbs and place them in the pan. Bake for 40 minutes. You can serve them with Cream of Chicken soup mixed with 1/2 cup sour cream which has been heated in a saucepan.

Choco Mint Picnic Brownies

I ran across this recipe in the Lion House Bakery Cookbook and I had this craving for mint brownies. This isn't the exact recipe in the cookbook because I did my mint variation. I thought they turned out great and wanted to share my success with everyone. I hope you enjoy them.

4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon mint flavoring
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate and mint chips

Preheat oven to 350 and grease 2 9-inch round pans.

In top of a double boiler or a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, vanilla, mint flavor, and salt; add to melted chocolate mixture and blend well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and mix well. Divide batter equally into prepared pans. Spread evenly and sprinkle top of each with chopped nuts and chocolate/mint chips. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted an inch from center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Run a thin knife between pan and brownies and turn upside down. With knife that is longer than brownies are wide, cut brownies by pressing knife straight down through brownines; cut each round into 8 wedges. Makes 16 brownies. These brownies store and stack well, for easy portability.

Cinnamon Apple Cake

This is one of my favorite recipes. Years ago I subscribed to Cooking Light Magazine when I was trying to eat and cook healthy things for my family. This recipe comes from the October 1997 issue of the magazine. I still try to cook healthy but sometimes fall off the wagon. Too much of a good thing is always too much of a good thing. The article says that it is the cream cheese in the batter that gives the cake lots of moisture. I think the cake melts in your mouth. I served this recipe last week when we had company for dinner.

1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup stick margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 ounces block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened (about 3/4 cup)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsps ground cinnamon
3 cups chopped peeled Rome apple (about 2 large)
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, margarine, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
3. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Combine 2 TBS cinnamon mixture and apple in a bowl, and stir apple mixture into batter. Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.
4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife. Yield: 12 servings.

Note: You can also make this cake in a 9-inch square cake pan or a 9-knch springform pan; just reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes.

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Last night Kerry and I invited family over because Janilee, my son Jonathan's wife, is here visiting and helping to decorate our home. I wanted to make something special for my company so I made a recipe that Kerry's mother had given to me. I made a little variation due to time constraints. The cookie is very rich and the marshmallow is a surprise when you bite into it. These are Kerry's favorite cookies so I hope you will enjoy them too.

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp vanilla

36 large marshmallows, cut in half

1 can chocolate frosting, or add 5 Tbs cocoa to a can of white fluffy frosting

Sift flour, measure, sift again with soda, salt and cocoa. Cream shortening. Add sugar gradually, blending thoroughly. Add egg, beat well. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beating after each addition. Add chopped nuts and vanilla, mix. Drop by level teaspoonsful, about two inches apart onto a well greased cookie sheet. Cookies will spread. Bake in moderate (350 degree) oven for eight minutes, top with marshmallow half, cut side down. Return to oven and bake two minutes, until marshmallows soften. Cool and frost with frosting.

Gifts from the Kitchen

I taught a class once on fun and easy gifts from the kitchen. My ideas were already made like making Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and putting them in a new dustpan. I attached a poem to the dustpan that went like this: I baked a batch of cookies and dropped them on the floor. I quickly scooped them up and rushed them to your door. One fun idea I found is to make mixes in a jar and give them as gifts. Here are a few to try.

Hot Chocolate Mix

3 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
dash of salt
Sift the ingredients into a large bowl. Pack the mix into an airtight container.

Attach this to the jar:

Hot Chocolate
Serves 1
4 Tbs. Hot Chocolate Mix
8 ounces boiling water
Marshmallows or whipped cream

Double Fudge Brownie Mix
Dense and fudgy, these are the best brownies in the world.
2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa (not Dutch process)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

Attach this to the jar:
Double Fudge Brownies
Makes 24
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 eggs 1 package Double-Fudge Brownie Mix
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12 by 9 inch pan. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the Double-Fudge Brownie Mix and continue to beat the mixture until it is smooth. Spread the mixture into the greased pan, and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Snickerdoodle Cookies
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
In a large bowl, combine the ingredients with a whisk. Store the mix in an airtight container.

Attach this to the jar:
Snickerdoodles
Makes about 5 dozen cookies
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 package Snickerdoodle Mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until light; add the eggs and beat on low speed until the mixture is smooth. Add the Snickerdoodle Mix and continue to beat on low speed until the dough begins to form. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar blend. Arrange on ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for 16 to 19 minutes or until light tan. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I grow rhubarb in the garden and find that it's sour/sweet taste goes well with strawberries. My plants were huge this year and so I picked a lot of rhubarb to freeze. It is really easy...all you have to do is cut it up into 1 inch pieces, put it into containers and then put it in the freezer. So for Thanksgiving I made a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. This is my daughter Jenessa's favorite pie.

1 -10 inch double pie crust (I used the Never Fail Swedish Pie Crust)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. orange peel
3 cups rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 cups strawberries, cut up
2 TBS butter

Mix flour, sugar and orange peel together. Then mix in the rhubarb and strawberries. Pour into the pie shell and dot with butter. Place the top crust on the pie and spread milk on the top and then sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes.

Mediterranean Salad

I love fresh vegetables especially during the summer time. So I came up with a salad that is healthy and very Greek. The feta cheese gives it the umph that it needs while putting olive oil into the mix adds some healthy oil that the body needs for digestion. I found that I loved the mix and am thinking of adding a yogurt dressing next time I make it. This is a recipe for one person.

1 ounce of feta cheese

1/2 tomato

1/2 green pepper

1/3 large cucumber

2 TBS. chopped red onion

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

dash of sea salt

Chop vegetables into bite size pieces and mix together. Sprinkle feta cheese on top then add olive oil and lemon.

Lasagne

For Father's Day this year I asked Kerry what he would like to eat for his special dinner. I thought I would make something like Chicken and Dumplings and he said that he liked that recipe but that was not his favorite. He was a little disappointed that I didn't know him well after 31 years of marriage and what he likes to eat. "Of course" I thought, "Kerry loves my lasagne."

Not any Lasagne recipe but THE Lasagne recipe that I have always made him. It is the recipe that is found in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book published in 1976.

Cover via Amazon

Lasagne was always a hit at my house. I made it first the day that Jonathan was blessed for all the company that came to our home. Then there were the other celebrations like birthdays. It is probably the most popular dish in our household.

1 pound of Italian sausage or ground beef
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbs. whole basil
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1 1-lb. can tomatoes
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
10 ounces lasagne noodles
2 eggs
3 cups fresh Ricotta or cream-style cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 Tbs. parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced very thin

Brown the meat slowly; spoon off excess fat.

Add next 5 ingredients and 1 cup water. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes; stir often. Cook noodles in boiling salted water until tender; drain; rinse.

Beat eggs; add remaining ingredients, except mozzarella.

Layer half the noodles in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish; (Yes. I know that this is a 9x9 pan but when there are two people eating, I make two smaller pans of lasagne. We eat one and freeze the other which is what I did today. So if you have a bigger crowd go ahead and make the BIG pan of lasagne like I used to when my family was home.)spread with half the Ricotta filling; add half the mozzarella cheese and half the meat sauce. Repeat. Bake at 375 degrees about 30 minutes (or assemble early and refrigerate; bake 45 minutes). Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8 to 10.

Spicy Bean Salsa

This is a great dip to serve with chips. It is a little spicy with the jalapeno pepper so if you like things mild you can make this salsa without it.

1 can (15 1/2 oz) black eyed peas (drained)
1 can (15 1/2 oz) black beans (drained)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped jalapeno pepper
3 oz. or 3 cloves garlic diced
chopped fresh cilantro
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian Dressing prepared with oil and vinegar

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate several hours. Serve with tortilla chips or over rice.

Edith's Whole Wheat Bread

My Great Aunt Edith Whittle lived on a farm in Kimberly Idaho where the Olsens settled after immigrating from Denmark in the early part of the last century. I am sure the my older children remember the birthday cards that she sent to them every year with a dollar. That one small act helped them remember her. She was very kind to us and when we went to visit her she had a picture of my sister Jan and I on the dresser in her upstairs bedroom. When we were at her home we milked the goats and poured the cream on our breakfast cereal. What a treat! Here is her recipe for Whole Wheat Bread.

Beat together:
2 cups of prepared powdered milk, scalded
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soft margarine
4 tsp. salt
Add and beat well:
4 eggs

Mix together and let sit until yeast bubbles, about 5 minutes.
1 cup warm water
1 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. yeast

Pour into milk mixture and add 7 cups whole wheat flour. Mix together well, the dough will be sticky. Add 1 1/2 cups of white bread flour. Put in greased bowl and let rise for 1 1/2 hours until double in bulk. Knead down and let rise again. Mold into 2 loaves of bread. Let rise for 1/2 hour and then bake 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Brush with melted butter while hot.


Today we made stone ground wheat bread. Jayden, Ashlyn, Peyton, and Cameron were over at my house for cooking lessons on how to make bread. It takes a couple hours to make bread so we made Marshmallow Popcorn Balls while we waited. Afterwards the kids enjoyed the treats they made.

I have a lot of hard red winter wheat in storage but you can find wheat berries at the store. Bob's Red Mill sells wheat berries in the grocery store or online but you need to have a wheat grinder to make the flour.

Jayden was fascinated to find that my very old Magic Mill wheat grinder, which my mother gave to me to use over 20 years ago and I tried to give it back to her several times but she wouldn't take it, had stones inside it to grind the wheat into flour.
Jayden poured wheat into the grinder and was amazed to find after it went into the little hole that flour came out into the tray at the bottom. We made about 7 cups of flour with the 5 cups of wheat that we put into the grinder. We had a discussion about how wheat was ground a long time ago and how people took their grain to the miller to have it made into flour. Peyton said that her best friend has the last name of Miller and I said that their ancestor probably was a miller a long time ago.

After we finished making the flour we started putting the bread together. First of all we proofed the yeast in 1 cup of lukewarm water and 1 Tbs. of brown sugar. The children watched the yeast bubble and grow and then put it into the milk mixture. Cracking the eggs was a favorite thing to do and each child got to put one into the mix then Cameron added the flour.

After mixing in the wheat flour the dough is very sticky and gooey so I add white bread flour to give the dough some gluten and make it stick together. This helps the solve some of the stickiness problem too.

I use my Kitchen Aide to knead the dough for 10 minutes which is very necessary to give the bread the right texture. Letting the dough rise is the next step. I let the dough sit in a warm place an hour until it doubles in bulk. I know when the dough reaches the top of my bowl that it is double.

There is a trick to making a beautiful loaf of bread and so I demonstrated how to do it with the first loaf and then Jayden did the second loaf. I thought she did a very good job.

First the bread is rolled with a rolling pin to get all the big bubbles out. We made sure that it was put on a well floured surface because the bread dough is still a little bit sticky. I turned the dough over a couple times to make sure that it was floured. Jayden rolled it into a rectangle and then rolled it the long way to form the bread. After the roll was made Jayden pinched the end to the dough to seal the loaf. Then she turned the ends towards the center and pinched them to the loaf. She did a really gread job putting it into the greased loaf pan.

Look at how well formed Jayden made her loaf. I couldn't tell the difference between the two loaves. The bread was given time to rise for a half an hour then it was ready to go into the oven. The smell of bread baking permeated the house and we couldn't wait to taste it.

Marshmallow Balls

My nieces and nephew, Cameron, Jayden, and Ashlyn, came over today for cooking classes. Popcorn balls were on our list today. I found these cool strawberry/vanilla marshmallows at Walmart in the Mexican food section. The taste of strawberry with peppermint was pretty good when we finished. At the beginning of our popcorn making session Ashlyn and Jayden had to try the marshmallows out and they passed their inspection.So we put the whole bag into the pot with the margarine and Ashlyn watched it melt. She knew when they were ready so she added the popcorn to the gooey marshmallows. Then I stirred them up. The marshmallow balls turned out to be a pretty pink color. Next I crushed some candy canes that I had saved from an after Christmas sale in the blender and we were ready to make our popcorn balls. Because the marshmallow balls were hot I made the balls first and then let the children handle them when they were cool. The marshmallow balls are very sticky so we sprayed their little hands with PAM. It worked really well to keep the marshmallow balls from sticking to their hands and the children thought it was great.
Next the children rolled the marshmallow balls in the crushed peppermint candy. The candy part of this was a hit with them. The marshmallow balls were now covered with a fine coating of peppermint. I had a piece of waxed paper ready for the children to put their popcorn balls on.Eating the popcorn balls was the best part. Cameron rated them as a 10 on a scale from 1 to 10.

1 pound bag of marshmallows (I used the El Mexicano Strawberry-Vanilla marshmallows from Walmart)
1/4 cup butter
3 quarts of popped popcorn
3 (3 to 4 inch) hard-candy sticks, crushed (peppermint candy canes)

Heat marshmallows and butter in top of double boiler or over low heat until melted and smooth. Pour over popcorn and mix well. Let stand several minutes before forming into balls. Roll in crushed candy. Makes 12 balls.

Taco Soup

This recipe was prepared for our Book Club by Nancy Perkins. Nancy is the lady standing in the back row at the far left. I thought the soup was delicious.

1 lb hamburger
1/2 onion (diced)
2 large cans stewed tomatoes (diced)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1/2 pkg Mild Taco Sauce
2 cans beans (kidney or black)
1 16 oz pkg frozen corn
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp sugar
1 can water

Brown hamburger with onion and then add all the other ingredients. Cook on the stovetop about 1/2 hour. Add 1 pkg of Hidden Valley Ranch Mix and 1 cup sour cream.

Porcupine Meatballs

My mother Joan Olsen used to make these and this is one of my favorite recipes of hers. These meatballs are delicious!

1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup soda cracker crumbs, (blend in blender)
1/4 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup green pepper
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup canned milk
3/4 lb. hamburger
parsley and garlic salt to taste
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and form into meatballs. Brown and then add 2 cans of tomato soup diluted with 1 1/2 cans water. Cook slowly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Yogurt in an Electric Skillet

Yogurt is easy and inexpensive to make yourself and homemade yogurt can be sweetened with fresh fruit or even your own homemade jam just to your taste. 

1 quart of 2% or skim milk 

1/2 cup instant nonfat dry milk 

3 Tbs. plain yogurt (with cultures), room temperature 

Put 1 cup of milk in small bowl, add dry milk, and stir until dissolved. Rinse a 2-quart saucepan with water to help prevent the milk from sticking and pour in remaining 3 cups of milk and dissolved dry milk. Mix well. Heat milk over low heat to 200 degrees F. Remove from heat and cool to 108 degrees F. Remove protein film from the top of the milk. In a small bowl stir yogurt until creamy. Mix about 1/3 cup of warm milk into yogurt. Blend until smooth. Stir yogurt-milk mixture into remaining milk. Mix well. Pour into 4 10-oz custard cups. Cover each with plastic wrap and arrange evenly in electric skillet. Pour warm water one-inch deep around custard cups, adjust lid onto skillet, and turn thermostat to lowest heat that turns light on. Let yogurt remain undisturbed 4 to 6 hours or until set. Remove and refrigerate.

Whole Grains

Whole grains include rice, white, corn, oats, barley, quinoa, sorghum, spelt, rye, and popcorn when these foods are eaten in their whole state. Disease fighting phytochemicals and antioxidants abound in whole grains and they are a better source of these key nutrients than fruits and vegetables. Some valuable antioxidants in whole grains that are not found in fruits and vegetables are B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, and fiber.

There is clear medical evidence that whole grains reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Whole grains also can lower cholesterol levels. People who eat three servings a day have been shown to reduce their risk of heart disease by 25 to 36%, stroke by 37%, Type II diabetes by 21-27%, digestive system cancers by 21-43%, and hormone related cancers by 10 to 40%. The health benefits of eating whole grains are tremendous.

Preserving Grains' Nutritional Value

Knowing how to store whole grains will be beneficial in keeping the nutritional value until you are ready to use them. Storing grains in a dry location is very important as also is using containers with tight fitting lids to keep the bugs out. Different grains require different methods of storage.

Oats should be kept in a dark location. Ideally if you live in a humid location this grain should be kept in the refrigerator. Oats will keep up to a year this way. Whole oat groats are most likely to become rancid so this is the best method of storage.

Pasta can be stored in your cupboards for months or longer if kept in air tight containers. Be careful about storing pasta in see through containers because it will lose B vitamins. It is better to keep them away from the light and sealed tight.

Cereal should be stored in a dry location. Make sure that you keep the inner bag tightly folded to keep out bugs or even better yet transfer the cereal to a tightly sealed storage container. Cereal that is refrigerated will keep longer in humid conditions.

Wheat germ will go rancid easily because of the fat content. Store opened wheat germ in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. Fresh wheat germ should smell like toasted nuts, not musty. It will keep for about a year in the refrigerator if it is sealed tightly.

Whole wheat breads that do not have preservatives can be refrigerated but they will not stay fresh as long. The bread should be kept tightly closed in a plastic bag. Bread can also be frozen to preserve it longer.

Rice is also best stored in a cool dry place away from light and heat. Brown rice is more perishable than white rice. It keeps only about six months, longer if refrigerated.

Raspberry Pie

Once in a while a person gets published in the newspaper and this recipe is the one that made me famous in Vancouver. I submitted it to The Columbian in a recipe contest one year and they loved it. This is a very easy to make recipe.

1 1/2 cups water
10 oz frozen raspberries (I use the ones from my garden)
1 cup sugar
6 Tbs cornstarch
1 9 inch pie shell, baked

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add the raspberries. Mix cornstarch in 1/2 cup water and stir in. Boil 1 minutes until thick. Cover and cool this mixture and then pour it into the pie shell. Serve with whipped cream.

Chicken and Noodles

There is nothing like homemade chicken and noodles! Although this recipe is time consuming, it is worth the effort.

Cook 1 disjointed chicken (1 1/2 to 2 hours) in water with the following;
1 1/2 tsp salt
small onion
1 carrot, sliced
1 rib celery, sliced
few sprigs of parsley
1 or 2 cloves
1 or 2 allspice
2 or 3 peppercorns
tip of 1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp mace

After the chicken is tender, separate the chicken from the broth. Remove the skin and bones and discard. Cut the meat in bite size portions and return it to the stock to absorb the flavor as it chills in the refrigerator. As the fat hardens, remove and discard the excess. Make the noodles about 1 1/2 hours before serving time. Reheat the broth ahd chicken to boiling. Drop in noodles and cook. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Noodles

2 eggs
1 Tbs milk or cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup flour

Stir together all ingredients into a stiff dough and roll out quite thin using plenty of flour. Let the dough stand 1 hour or until dry. Roll as a jelly roll or leave flat and cut with a noodle cutter or in thin 1/4 inch strips 2 or 3 inches long. Shake out and add to the boiling broth. Cook about 10 - 15 minutes. (The noodles will puff up as they cook.)

Colonial Williamsburg Chicken and Dumplings

Aunt Dixie gave me this recipe that comes from Williamsburg Inn in Colonial Williamsburg Virginia. It is a simple colonial recipe that is not hard to make but delicious to eat. This hearty meal will fill you up fast.

1 stewing chicken (4 to 5 pounds)
1 small onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
2 ribs of celery with leaves, chopped
1 tsp salt
4 Tbs butter or chicken fat
6 Tbs flour
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 cup light cream
white pepper to taste

Simmer the chicken, onion, carrot, celery, and salt in enough water to cover the chicken until the chicken is tender and the meat is separating from the bones (1 1/2 to 2 hours). Remove the chicken from the broth and cool. When it is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones and dice the chicken. Strain the stock and add enough water to make 1 quart if necessary.

Melt the butter or chicken fat in a heavy saucepan. Stir in the flour mixed with the paprika. Add the chicken stock gradually, stirring constantly; cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken, cream, and pepper and adjust the seasoning to taste. Spoon the dumplings on top of the gently bubbling chicken mixture and cover. Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Serve at once.

Dumplings

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs shortening
3/4 cup milk

Sift the dry ingredients three times. Blend in the shortening with a pastry blender or fork. Add the milk and mix well. Dip a tsp into cold water and then into the cough. Spoon the dumplings on top of the gently bubbling chicken mixture and cover. Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Serve at once.

Fortune Cookies

Jonathan came home one day when he was 12 with a fortune cookie recipe written in his own hand. I kept the memory of this moment by preserving the recipe as he wrote it. The cookies were fun for him to make and I hope you will have as much fun opening the fortunes.

1/2 cup of melted butter
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup of flour
1 tsp of vanilla
2 Tbs water

Materials
a pencil and paper
sissors
a large bowl
a saucepan
measuring cups and spoons
a cookie sheet
a clean empty egg carton
a spatula


Mix egg whites, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Then one at a time stir in flour, vanilla, butter, and water. Put batter in fridge for 30 minutes then preheat oven to 350. Write 48 fortunes. Grease cookie sheet and take batter out of the refrigerator. Put 2 tsp of batter on cookie sheet and spread into 2 small circles. Repeat until 48 cookies are made. Cook 3 to 5 minutes ot until edges turn brown. Fold (with fortune) while still soft. Put in egg carton.

Easter Bread

This is a traditional bread made during Easter. The bread is baked in round coffee cans or you can bake it in a bundtpan. After it is baked you drizzle the bread with a lemon glaze. Saffron in the bread gives it a pretty yellow color.

2 cups water with 1 Tbs. dehydrated potatoes
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
4 beaten eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sweet cream
2 pkg yeast
1 cup raisins
1 pinch saffron
7 cups flour

Cream sugar and shortening. Add beaten eggs and beat until lemon yellow. Add raisins, saffron, potato water and yeast. Mix with flour and knead well. Let rise twice until double and punch down, form and then put the dough into greased pans (coffee can, loaf pan, or bundt pan). Frost with a lemon glaze.

Hot Chicken Salad

This is a variation on the Chicken Salad that my mother Joan Olsen used to make. The salad serves 10 to 12 people so it is good for a larger gathering.

3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
4 hard cooked eggs
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups diced celery
4 Tbs lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbs minced onion

Mix all ingredients and put in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Cover the salad with 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup crushed potato chips. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Making your own mixes is one way to save time in the long run. A chocolate chip cookie mix like this is easy to store and just as easy to bake.

9 cups flour
4 tsp soda
2 tsp salt
3 cups brown sugar
3 cups sugar
4 cups shortening
2 packages (12 oz) of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix together all ingredients and store in tightly covered container. When you are ready to make cookies add 2 eggs to 2 cups of mix and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Makes 30 cookies.

Meat Loaf

I love meatloaf with chunky vegetables in it, hot and hearty from the oven. I found this recipe a long time ago in a book called Back to Health. I loved the recipe and have used it whenever I make meatloaf.

1 lb. lean ground beef
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 8-0z. can tomato sauce

Combine all ingredients. Put into a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done. 6 servings. Per serving: 252 calories.

Fruited Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked diced chicken or 1 large can of chicken
1 cup diced celery
1 cup orange sections
1 9 oz can pineapple tidbits
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 Tbs. salad oil
2 Tbs. orange juice
2 Tbs. vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of marjoram
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Combine first 5 ingredients. Blend salad oil, orange juice, vinegar, and seasonings. Add to chicken mixture. Chill one hour. Drain. Add mayonnaise; toss and serve. Makes 10 servings.

Royal Icing

This icing is used for decorating decorative items such as Ginger Bread Houses. It will keep for a long time (years) after it hardens. Make sure that it is very stiff so that it will hold a shape when you put it in your decorator's bag. If you want an easier way to make this icing, use powdered egg whites that you can get at a craft store.

3 egg whites (at room temperature)
4 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Beat all ingredients at high speed for 10 minutes. Use immediately, as rebeating will not restore texture. Keep a wet cloth over the frosting so it doesn't dry out.

Buttercream Decorator's Frosting

This decorator's frosting gives your cake a yellowish tone because of the butter so if you want pure white frosting use the Basic Decorator's frosting.

2 pounds of powdered sugar (about 8 cups)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup Crisco
1/2 to 3/4 cup cream
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until smooth and stiff (the frosting will hold its shape), adding cream to make it the right consistency.

Cream Cheese Decorator's Frosting

Cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated and this is a great frosting for cake decorating. This frosting needs to be beaten until it is very stiff so that the decorations will hold.

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 cube butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
small amount of cream or canned milk

Cream the cheese and butter. Add the sugar slowly while beating and when it becomes very stiff add the vanilla. To make more and the taste less rich, add more powdered sugar and cream keeping it at the right consistency.

Basic Decorator's Frosting

I took a cake decorating class many years ago. This recipe is meant to hold up and can be unrefrigerated if you use water instead of milk.

2 pounds of powdered sugar (abt. 8 cups)
1 1/4 cup shortening (use Crisco)
1/2 cup milk (water)
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat until smooth.

Orange Juice Smoothie

This was my children's favorite orange juice recipe when they were growing up. Whenever I heard the blender running I was sure that someone was in the kitchen making their orange smoothie.

1/2 large can concentrated orange juice
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. vanilla
8 large ice cubes

Mix all but the ice cubes on high in the blender. After sugar is mixed well add ice cubes and blend until smooth.

Almond Chicken Rice Bake

Christmas presents are wonderful. Here is a recipe that Grandmother Eva Derrick gave me for Christmas.

1 cup raw Minute Rice, cooked as directed on the package
2-3 cups cooked chicken, cup up
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 cup chopped celery
1 Tbs minced onion
3 Tbs butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup crushed cornflakes

Place cooked rice in greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish; cover with chicken. Blend soup, lemon juice, mayonnaise, celery, and onion and pour over chicken. Melt butter and stir in almonds and cornflakes. Sprinkle on top of casserole. (Can be covered and refrigerated at this point. Remove from refrigerator at least 2 hours before baking.) Bake uncovered at 300 F for 1 hour.

Strawberry Smoothie

I love to have a smoothie for breakfast and here is an easy one to make in the blender.

1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
1 6-ounce carton of fat free strawberry yogurt
1/2 to 1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
sweetener to taste

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Serve garnished with Cool Whip.

Caramel Corn in the Microwave

Some great recipes you can find in the newspaper. I found this recipe in the Salt Lake Deseret News. This is my favorite way to make caramel corn...in the microwave. It is quick and easy and not so messy because you use a large paper bag to mix the popcorn with the caramel. My children loved helping me shake the bag. I like to use peanuts for the nuts.

1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 cups popped corn
12 ounces of nuts

Combine ingredients except soda, nuts, and popcorn in a 1 1/2 to 2 quart microwave safe dish. Bring to a boil, then cook on full powder for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir in soda.

Put popped corn in a large brown paper bag (grocery sack). Pour syrup over popcorn, Close the bag and shake. Cook in the bag on high in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Shake and cook another 1 1/2 minutes. (May need another 1 1/2 minutes.) Pour into pan and allow to cool. If you use nuts, add to popcorn in the bag before adding the syrup.

Crustless Quiche

This is a simple way to make quiche that forms it's own crust. All you have to do is add baking mix. I like to use Bisquick.

3/4 cup baking mix
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
4 ounces grated swiss cheese
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

Combine all the ingredients and blend with a spoon. Pour into a 9-inch quiche pan or pie plate. Sprinkle nutmeg on top of quiche. Bake at 325 about 40 minutes.

Party Punch

This is a great punch to serve to company during the holidays.

2 cups water
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
3 cups cranberry juice
2 1/2 cups orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
1 liter of lemon-lime soda pop

Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan and simmer 10 minutes. Set aside in the refrigerator overnight. At serving time remove cinnamon sticks and combine syrup with chilled juices and soda pop.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

During the Holidays this is a great dessert to serve. My daughter Kristen reminded me how much she loved this recipe.

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
2/3 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Beat eggs on high speed of mixer for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes. Turn out on a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Start at the narrow end and foll in the towel, covering the cake with powdered sugar. Cool.
For the filling mix until smooth:

1 cup of powdered sugar
3 (3 oz) packages of cream cheese
4 tsp butter or margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla

Spread on the cake roll. Re-roll and wrap in plastic wrap, then foil. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Chimichangas

We had some friends when Kerry and I were in college who introduced us to this easy to make recipe. I like to make this after Thanksgiving when I have a lot of left over turkey. Sometimes I just bake some chicken breasts and shred them. The first time we had it we grabbed a can of tuna out of the pantry. This is one of my children's favorite recipes.

12 count package of large flour tortillas
1 large jar of salsa
1 to 2 pounds of cooked turkey or 4 chicken breasts, cooked
1 cup of guacamole
1 to 2 cups of cheddar cheese
1 pint of sour cream
oil for frying

Heat oil in a large frying pan about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.Warm the tortillas so that they are easy to work with. I put them in a warmer in the microwave. Cut up the meat into small chunks or shred the meat. Put about 6 Tbs. meat on a tortilla shell and sprinkle 3 Tbs. cheese on top. Spoon 2 Tbs salsa and 2 Tbs sour cream on top of cheese and meat in each Chimichanga. Fold the tortilla together first folding the sides towards the filling and then roll the tortilla. You may keep it together with a toothpick but I find that the sour cream holds it together well. Assemble about 8 to 10 chimichangas and then place them in the heated oil. Fry them until golden brown and drain on a plate with a paper towel. Serve with guacamole, cheese, sour cream, and salsa.

Basic Cheese

This recipe can be made with 1, 2 or 3 gallons of milk. I find the larger the batch, the better the cheese is.

1 gallon of whole milk (you can use whole milk, skimmed, powdered, instant, or a combination. If you use powdered or instant milk, mix it and then let it stand 24 hours before using. Also, with powdered or instant milk you need 1 cup of cream to 1 gallon of milk to have enough butterfat. Remember the more butterfat the more cheese you will get.
1/4 cup buttermilk per gallon
1 rennet tablet dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water (Make sure it is dissolved completely. Add it to the milk and stir well to make sure it is completely mixed in. Do not dissolve tablet until just ready to use. They will lose their strength if dissolved and you let it stand.

In a heavy pan heat milk and buttermilk to 90 degrees. Take it off the heat. Add rennet tablet and let the milk set undisturbed for approximately 1/2 hour (or until the curd is well formed. The curd will break away from the sides of the pan when tilted). Do not get excited ted if it takes longer even up to 6 or 8 hours. It will coagulate.

Take a long stainless steel knife and cut the curd in 1/2 inch strips one way and then turn the pan and cut the other way. (It will look like a checker board). Heat the mixture to 100 degrees while stirring with your hand, breaking curd apart.) Be careful at this point because the cheese won't stick together if it is heated too fast. Turn off the heat and let it stand undisturbed for 15 minutes, during which time the curds will sink.

Line a colander with 2 layers of cheese cloth. Strain the curds and whey. Press the curds to squeeze out the whey. Do not press hard enough to compress. Dump the curds into a large bowl and salt to taste (about 1 1/2 to 2 Tbs per gallon of milk.) Reline the colander with the same cheese cloth and put the curds in. Draw the four corners of the cheese cloth together and twist. Tie a string around it and place it on your breadboard in the sink. Place a plate on top of the cheese and put a gallon jug filled with water or some other weight on the plate. Let it stand about 12 hours. This will make a nice round piece of cheese. Caution: If the whey is left in the cheese it will mold.

Buying Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

How many times have you gone to the grocery store and wondered if you are picking the best produce for taste and quality? Many times the high priced fruits and vegetables are not the best nor are the cheapest. This blog is to help you in making decisions about quality and price for buying fruits and vegetables.

Appearance is not everything in buying fruits and vegetables however appearance and quality are closely associated in many respects, but fine appearance does not always denote fine quality eating. Often I have found the most attractive appearance may have relative poor eating quality because of some internal condition such as over maturity. On the other hand, produce with poor appearance due to poor color or superficial blemishes may have excellent eating quality. Buying on size alone does not necessarily give you the best bargain because size does not denote quality nor is size usually economical.

Look out for deterioration because produce declines rapidly in quality while on display. Frequently off-quality fruits and vegetables can be bought at a reduced price, but the waste may offset the price reduction. Buy only what you need and can properly store in your refrigerator even if the product is cheaper in buying quantity. Consider how and when you are going to use the produce so that you will get the optimum benefit from your selection.

When buying produce don't rough handle while you are making your selection. This causes spoilage and waste.

Here is a list of produce (beginning with fruits) in alphabetical order and some of the qualities you should look for in them:

Apples--Look for firm, crisp, well-colored apples. Avoid overripe apples (indicated by a yielding to slight pressure on the skin and soft, mealy flesh) and apples affected by freeze (indicated by internal breakdown and bruised areas). Scald on apples (irregular shaped tan or crown areas) may not seriously affect the eating quality of the apple.

Apricots--Look for apricots that are plump and juicy looking, with a uniform, golden-orange color. Avoid dull looking, soft, or mushy fruit, and very firm pale yellow or greenish-yellow fruit. These are indications of over maturity or immaturity respectively.

Avocados--If you are going to use the fruit immediately look for slightly soft avocados which yield to a gentle pressure on the skin. For use in a few days choose firm fruits that do not yield to the squeeze test. leave these at room temperature to ripen. Irregular light brown markings are sometimes found on the outside skin. These markings have no effect on the flesh of the avocado. Avoid avocados with dark sunken spots in irregular patches or cracked or broken surfaces. These are signs of decay. (An extra tip: When preparing avocados--to avoid the brownish color of avocado flesh when exposed to air--immediately place the peeled fruit in lemon juice until you are ready to use it.)

Bananas--Look for bananas which are firm, bright in appearance, and free from bruises or other injury. Avoid bruised fruit (which means rapid deterioration and waste); discolored skins (a sign of decay); a dull grayish, aged appearance (showing the bananas have been exposed to cold and will not ripen properly). Occasionally, the skin may be entirely brown and yet the flesh will still be in prime condition.

Grapefruit--Look for firm, well shaped fruits--heavy for their size, which are usually the best eating. Thin skinned fruits have more juice than coarse skinned ones. If a grapefruit is pointed at the stem end, it is likely to be thick skinned. Rough, ridged, or wrinkled skin can also be an indication of thick skin, pulpiness, and lack of juice. Grapefruit often has skin defects--such as scale, scars, thorn scratches, or discoloration--which usually do not affect the eating quality of the fruit.

Lemons--Look for lemons with a rich yellow color, reasonably smooth textured skin with a slight glow and those which are firm and heavy. A pale or greenish yellow color means very fresh fruit with slightly higher acidity. Coarse or rough skin texture is a sign of thick skin and not much flesh. Avoid lemons with a darker yellow or dull color, or with hardening or shriveling of the skin (signs of age), and those with soft spots, mold on the surface, and punctures of the skin (signs of decay).

Cantaloupe--Look for the three major signs of full maturity. 1) The stem should be cone, leaving a smooth symmetrical, shallow basin called a "full slip." (If all or part of the stem base remains or if the stem scar is jagged or torn, the melon is probably not fully matured). 2) The netting or veining, should be thick, coarse and like cork--and should stand out in bold relief over some part of the surface. 3) The skin color (ground color) between the netting should have changed from green to a yellowish-buff, yellowish gray, or pale yellow. But also look for signs of ripeness, for a cantaloupe will have a yellowish cast to the rind, have a pleasant cantaloupe odor when held to the nose, and will yield slightly to light thumb pressure on the blossom end of the melon. Most cantaloupes are quite firm when freshly displayed in retail stores. While some may be ripe, most have not yet reached their best eating stage. Hold them for two to four days at room temperature to allow completion of ripening. After conditioning the melons, some people like to place them in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. Avoid over ripeness shown by a pronounced yellow rind color, a softening over the entire rind, and soft, watery, and insipid flesh. Small bruises normally will not hurt the fruit, but large bruised areas should be avoided, since they generally cause soft, water soaked areas underneath the rind. Mold growth on the cantaloupe--particularly in the stem scar, or if the tissue under the mold is soft and wet--is a sign of decay.

Oranges--oranges are required by strict regulations to be well matured before being harvested and shipped out of the producing state. Thus, skin color is not a reliable index of quality, and a greenish cast or green spots do not mean that the orange is immature. Often fully matured oranges will turn greenish (called re greening) late in the marketing season. Some oranges are artificially colored to improve the appearance of the fruit using gas. This practice has no effect on eating quality, but artificially colored fruits must be labeled "color added." "Russetting" is often found on Florida and Texas oranges (but not on California oranges). This is a tan, brown, or blackish mottling or specking over the skin. It has no effect on eating quality, and in fact often occurs on oranges with thin skin and superior eating quality. Look for firm and heavy oranges with fresh; bright looking skin which is reasonably smooth for the variety. Avoid light weight oranges, which are likely to lack flesh content and juice. Very rough skin texture indicates abnormally thick skin and less flesh. Dull, dry skin and spongy texture indicate aging and deteriorated eating quality. Also avoid decay--shown by cuts or skin punctures, soft spots on the surface, and discolored, weakened areas of skin around the stem end or button.

Pears look for firm pears of all varieties. Pears which are hard when you find them in the food store will probably ripen if kept at room temperature, but it is wise to select pears that have already begun to soften--to be reasonable sure that they will ripen satisfactorily. Avoid wilted or shriveled pears with dull appearing skin and slight weakening of the flesh near the stem which indicates immaturity. These pears will not ripen. Also avoid spots on the sides or blossom ends of the pear, which means that cork like tissue may be underneath.

Strawberries--Look for berries with a full red color and a brighter luster, firm flesh, and the cap stem still attached. The berries should be dry and clean, and usually medium to small strawberries have better eating quality than large ones. Avoid berries with large uncolored areas or with large seedy areas (poor in texture and flavor), a dull shrunken appearance or softness (signs of over ripeness or decay), or those with mold, which can spread rapidly from one berry to another.

Watermelons--Look for (in cut melons) firm, juicy flesh with good red color, free from white streaks; seeds which are dark brown or black. Avoid melons with pale colored flesh, and white streaks or "white heart," whitish seeds (indicating immaturity). Dry, mealy flesh or watery, stringy flesh are signs of over maturity or aging after harvest. If you want to buy an uncut watermelon, here are a few appearance factors which may be helpful (though not totally reliable) in guiding you to a satisfactory selection. The watermelon surface should be relatively smooth; the rind should have a slight dullness (neither shiny nor dull); the ends of the melon should be filled out and rounded; and the underside, or belly, of the melon should have a creamy color.

Asparagus--Look for closed, compact tips, smooth, round spears and a fresh appearance. A rich green color should cover most of the spear. Stalks should be tender almost as far down as the green extends. Avoid tips that are open and spread out, moldy or decayed tips, or ribbed spears (spears with up and down ridges, or that are not approximately round). These are all signs of aging and mean tough asparagus and poor flavor. Also avoid excessively sandy asparagus, because sand grains can lodge beneath the scales or in the tips of the spears and are difficult to remove in washing.

Beans (Snap Beans)--Look for a fresh, bright appearance with good color for the variety. Get young, tender beans with pods in firm, crisp condition. No large lumps. Avoid wilted or flabby bean pods, serious blemishes and decay. Thick, tough, fibrous pods indicate over maturity.

Broccoli--Look for a firm, compact cluster of small flower buds, with none opened enough to show the bright yellow flower. Bud clusters should be dark green or sage green or even green with a decidedly purplish cast. Stems should not be too thick or tough. Avoid broccoli with spread bud clusters, enlarged or open buds, yellowish green color, or wilted condition--signs of over maturity and over long display in the store. Also avoid broccoli with soft, slippery, water soaked spots on a bud cluster. These are signs of decay.

Cabbage--Avoid new cabbage with wilted or decayed outer leaves or with leaves turning decidedly yellow. Worm eaten outer leaves often indicated that the worm injury penetrates into the head. Store cabbage with the outer leaves badly discolored, dried, or decayed probably is over aged. Separation of the stems of leaves from the central stem at the base of the head also indicated over age.

Carrots--Avoid roots with large green sunburned areas at the top which must be trimmed and roots which are flabby from wilting or show spots of soft decay.

Cauliflower--Look for white to creamy white, compact, solid and clear curds. A slightly granular or a rice texture of the curd will not hurt the eating quality if the surface is compact. Ignore small green leaflets extending through the curd. If the jacket leaves are attached, a good green color is a sign of freshness. Avoid a spreading of the curd (a sign of aging or over maturity). Also avoid sever wilting or many discolored spots, on the curd. A smudgy or speckled appearance of the curd is a sign of insect injury, mold growth or decay and should be avoided.

Celery--Avoid wilted celery and celery with flabby upper branches or leaf stems. You can freshen celery somewhat by placing the butt end in water, but badly wilted celery will never become really fresh again. Also avoid celery with pithy, hollow, or discolored centers in the branches. Celery with internal discoloration will show some gray or brown on the inside surface of the larger branches near where they are attached to the base of the stalk.

Corn--Look for ears that are well covered with plump, not-too-mature kernels. Avoid ears with underdeveloped kernels which lace yellow color (in yellow corn), old ears with very dark yellow kernels with depressed areas on the outer surface. Also avoid ears of corn with yellowed wilted, or dried husks, or discolored and dried out stem ends.

Cucumbers--Look for cucumbers with good green color which are firm over their entire length. Good cucumbers typically have many small lumps on their surfaces. They may also have some white or greenish white color and still be of top quality. Avoid overgrown cucumbers which are large in diameter and have a dull color, turning yellowish. Also avoid cucumbers with whithered or shriveled ends--sighs of toughness and bitter flavor.

Greens--Avoid leaves with coarse, fibrous stems, yellowish green color, softness (a sign of decay), or a wilted condition. Also avoid greens with evidence of insects--especially aphids--which are sometimes hard to see, and equally hard to wash away.

Lettuce--Avoid heads of iceberg type which are very hard and which lack green color (signs of over maturity). Such heads sometimes develop discoloration in the center of the leaves (the mid ribs), and may have a less attractive flavor. Also avoid heads with irregular shapes and hard bumps on top, which indicated the presence of overgrown central stems.

Mushrooms--Look for young mushrooms that are small to medium size. Caps should be either closed around the stem or moderately open with pink or light tan gills. The surface of the cap should be white or creamy--or light brown from some producing areas. Avoid over ripe mushrooms (shown by wide-opened caps and dark, discolored gills underneath) and those with pitted or seriously discolored caps.

Okra--Look for tender pods (the tips will bend easily with very slight pressure) under 4 1/2" long. Avoid tough, fibrous pods, indicated by tips which are stiff and resist bending, or by a very hard body of the pod, or by pale, faded green color.

Onions--Look for hard or firm onions which are dry and have small necks. They should be covered with papery outer scales and reasonably free from green sunburn spots, and other blemishes. Avoid onions with decay. Also avoid onions with thick, hollow, woody centers in the neck or with fresh sprouts.

Peppers--Avoid peppers with very thin walls (shown by light weight and flimsy sides), peppers that are wilted or punctured through the walls, and peppers with soft watery spots on the sides (evidence of decay).

Potatoes--Look for (in general purpose and baking potatoes) reasonably smooth, well-shaped, firm potatoes free from blemishes, sunburn, and decay. These potatoes should be relatively free from skinned surfaces. Avoid potatoes with large cuts or bruises (they'll mean waste in peeling), those with a green color (probably caused by sunburn or exposure to light in the store), and potatoes showing any signs of decay. Also avoid sprouted or shriveled potatoes.

Squash (Summer)--Look for squash that are tender and well developed, firm, fresh appearing, and well formed. You can identify a tender squash because the skin is glossy instead of dull, and it is neither hard nor tough.

Squash (Fall and Winter)--Look for full maturity, indicated by a hard, tough rind. Also look for squash that is heavy for its size (meaning a thick wall, and more edible flesh). Slight variations in skin color do not affect flavor.

Tomatoes--Avoid over ripe and bruised tomatoes (they're both soft and watery) and tomatoes with sunburn (green or yellow areas near the stem scar) and growth cracks (deep cracks around the stem scar). Also avoid decayed tomatoes which will have soft, water-soaked spots, depressed areas or surface mold.

Teriyaki

This is a family favorite and a begged for dish at our home. Kerry's mother Theone Miles made this when he was growing up. Kerry loves to make this and he adds celery and mushrooms to the mix. It makes plenty of leftovers so be prepared.

1 large round steak

Cut off all the fat. Then cut into 1/2 inch thick slices, 3 inches long. It is easier to cut when the steak is partially frozen. Marinate 2 to 3 hours in:

1 tsp pepper
3 Tbs sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup soy sauce
1 diced green pepper
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1/3 cup of oil
1/3 cup of water
1/2 bottle of sesame seeds

Put this mixture in an pan over medium low heat (200 degrees) and simmer for 3 hours. Serve with or mix with cooked long grain rice.

Trolley Pasties

I remember my mother making these meat pies where she worked at The Trolley. The Trolley was an ice cream parlor restaurant on The Last Chance Gulch in Helena Montana. It closed many years ago but these meat pies will bring back memories for my brothers and sister. You may also use the No Fail Swedish Pie Crust for these meat pies.

Pastry:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz. shortening
cold water to mix

Filling:
1/2 pound round steak
1 medium potato
1 medium onion
1 tsp. salt

Mix flour, salt, and shortening together with a pastry cutter or fork until like coarse bread crumbs. Add about 3 Tbs water to form a firm dough. Roll out on a floured board and cut into 5 or 6 inch circles. Fill with filling.

Filling: Cube potatoes, meat, and onion. Fry meat until brown and add onion, then potatoes. Cook until slightly tender. Then add 2 Tbs. flour to 1 cup of water. Mix until smooth and there are no lumps. Add this to the meat and cook to thicken. When slightly cooled, fill pastries. Fold pastry dough in half and pinch together. Cook in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Pour brown gravy over the top and serve with vegetables.

Pizza

My mother used to make fresh pizza that we gobbled up as children. Kerry remembers the first time he had pizza with my brothers. It was a competition to see who could eat the fastest. I remember them competing with Jonathan to see how many pieces they could eat. Jonathan won of course. No doubt about it, our family loves pizza, especially covered with Canadian Bacon and Pineapple.

1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup luke warm water
1 Tbs yeast
3 cups flour
Pizza Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Your favorite Pizza toppings

Put sugar, salt, oil and water in a large bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves and add yeast. After yeast begins to bubble add the flour and beat until smooth. Knead and let rise for 25 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll into 2 circles with a rolling pin and place on a greased pizza pans. Bake in a 425 degree oven 10 minutes or until dough has a light crust. Do not brown at this time. Take the dough out of the oven and spread pizza or spaghetti sauce on top (I like to use Prego regular sauce) just to a 1/2 inch from the edge of the circle. Sprinkle shredded Mozzarella Cheese on top. Add various toppings such as Canadian Bacon, Pepperoni, Browned Hamburger or Sausage, mushrooms, olives, onions, green peppers, etc. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes.

Broccoli Salad

I love fresh broccoli salad. The smokey taste of the bacon along with the crunchy broccoli goes together so well. This is a popular recipe and some add 1/2 cup of raisins to the mix for a little bit of sweetness or dried cranberries. Another variation is to add 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese. For lower fat use turkey bacon and Free Miracle Whip.

1 package fresh broccoli, cut into small bit size pieces
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 Tbs white vinegar
3 Tbs sugar

Mix first 4 ingredients and chill in the refrigerator. Toss with the dressing just before serving.

Marshmallow Caramel Corn

Can't decide whether you want marshmallow or caramel? Here is a recipe for the undecided and you can have both.

2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup white corn syrup
1 cube margarine
1 1/2 cups popcorn (before popping)

Pop the popcorn. Cook the first four ingredients in a large saucepan to a firm ball stage on the candy thermometer. Remove from heat and add 12 large marshmallows, popcorn, and nuts (if desired you may add pecans, almonds, or peanuts). Spread on wax paper. Break apart larger pieces and store in airtight container.

Fantasy Cake

This is a retro recipe that many women in the early 80's made. It is a great dessert or gift and a fun idea.

1 cup butter
1 pound marshmallows
2 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup peanuts
1 cup M & M's
1 cup gum drops

In a large saucepan, melt butter and marshamllows together over low heat. In a large deep bowl, mix all other ingredients. Add the butter-marshmallow mixture. Stir well. Pack in an 8-inch square, glass baking dish. Cool in refrigerator. Cut in 2 x 1 inch pieces when cool. Cut again when cold. Makes 32 pieces.

Rainbow Popcorn Balls

These popcorn balls are made with colored marshmallow and gelatin which give them a little color. Children will enjoy these popcorn balls.

2 quarts popped popcorn
3 Tbs butter
2 cups colored minature marshmallows
2 Tbs. flavored gelatin

Preheat oven to 250 F. Place popcorn in a large, 4 inch deep, buttered baking pan. Keep warm in oven. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Blend in gelatin powder. Remove popcorn from oven. Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn, mixing well. Form into balls. Makes approximately 8 balls.

Nature Crunch

This recipe is another healthy way to eat popcorn. With the addition of wheat germ, honey, peanuts, and raisins you have a natural snack.

2 quarts of popped popcorn
1 cup peanuts
1 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 250 F. Mix popcorn, peanuts, and wheat germ in a large 4 inch deep, buttered baking pan. Keep warm in the oven. Butter 2 large 2 inch deep baking pans. In a large saucepan melt butter. Stir in sugar, honey, water and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture starts to boil. Cook until mixture reaches 240 F on a candy thermometer. Remove popcorn mixture from oven. Stir in raisins. Pour syrup mixture slowly over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat. Spread 1 inch deep in the buttered baking pans. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool; break or cut apart. Makes 3 quarts.