Fudge

Peanut Butter Fudge

by Grace Whitnah

2 1/2 C. Sugar

3/4 C. Evaporated milk

Mix the first two together and stir over medium heat until you reach a rolling boil.  Let boil for 5 minutes and remove from stove.

Add:

1 1/4 C. Peanut Butter

1 - 7oz jar of marshmallow cream

Stir until well blended and then place in greased dish.  Place in fridge until set.

This dish needs to remain in fridge when not being served.

Creamy Chocolate Fudge

by Darilyn May

In large bowl mix:

2  12-oz pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 7-oz jar of marshmallow cream

1/2 lb. butter (2 sticks)

Mix together and bring to boil on medium heat:

4 1/2 C. sugar

1 can evaporated milk

Boil for 9 minutes stirring constantly.

Then pour into large bowl above and stir until everything has melted.

Add 2 C chopped nuts (optional)

1 tsp. vanilla

Blend for a few minutes using electric hand mixer

Pour into large greased 9x13 pan.

A glass pan seems to work the best for me.

Soup Swap

Soup Recipe from Diana Basham

Soupe au Pistou

From Julia Childs' The French Chef

3 quarts water
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups diced red potatoes
2 cups diced leeks
Put the above ingredients in a 4 quart kettle.  Simmer uncovered 40 minutes.  Base can be made in advance.

1 cup spaghetti, broken in 1/2 inch pieces
1 slice stale bread, crumbled
1- 15 ounce can kidney beans
2 cups diced zucchini
pinch of pepper
Add these ingredients to the soup base.  More water be added if needed.  Boil slowly, uncovered, about 15 minutes.

2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped - or- 1 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
3 - 4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
In the serving bowl, combine the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and cheese.  Then with a wire whip, gradually beat in the olive oil by droplets to make a thick paste.

Just before serving, dribble several ladlefuls of hot soup into the pistou (the mixture in the serving bowl), stirring constantly.  Gradually add all the soup.  Stir in the parsley.  Serve at once with hot French bread.   

Serves 6.  

Makes about 4 quarts.

 

Soup Recipes from Sarah Smith

Valley Forge Pepper-pot Soup

1 ¼ cup diced potatoes                  ½ cup chopped green peppers

¼ cup chopped onions                    ½ cup sliced celery

4 TB margarine                                ¼ cup all purpose flour

1 ½ cups chicken broth                   ½ cup milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook potatoes in broth, reserve 2 cups broth.  Add onions, pepper and celery.  Simmer 15 min.  In separate pan melt the margarine and stir in the flour; stir in the reserved broth and boil for 5 min.   Blend together the broth and veggies until smooth and simmer 5 more min. until thick.  I like to add some shredded chicken to this as well.

               Zucchini Soup

3 cups zucchini, cut into cubes                    ½ cup bacon, diced and cooked

1 cup onions, chopped                                  1 TB fresh parsley, chopped

½ tsp basil                                                        2 Cups chicken broth

Dash of pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a saucepan.  Simmer 15 minutes.  Puree in a blender until smooth.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and croutons.

               Onion Rivel Soup

A rivel is an informal dumpling or a free-form noodle, dropped into any broth or soup.

               2-4 TB butter                    

               2 cups sliced onions

               6 cups Beef Broth ( I use water and Bullion)

Rivel:

               1 egg

               ¾ cup all purpose flour

               ¼ tsp. salt and a dash or two of pepper

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the onions.  Sauté over low heat until the onions are golden brown.  If the onions are not sweet, I like to add a tsp. of sugar while I sauté.  Add the broth and bring to a boil over medium heat.  In the meantime, prepare the rivels.  In a bowl, beat the egg well, add the flour, salt and pepper and mix with a fork and then by rubbing the dough between your fingers.  The largest pieces should only be about pea-size. 

Sprinkle the rivels slowly into the boiling broth and stir continually buy gently.  Reduce heat to a simmer for 8 min and serve with Parmesan cheese.  

               Wild Rice Soup

               6 TB butter                                      2 cups cooked wild rice

               1 TB minced onion                        1/3 cup minced ham

               ½ cup Flour                                     ½ cup finely grated carrots

               3 cups chicken broth                    3 TB slivered almonds

               ½ tsp. salt

               1 cup half and half

               In stockpot, melt butter and sauté onion slightly.  Blend in flour and gradually add broth, keeping sauce smooth.  Cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil.  Simmer for a minute and add in cooked rice, ham, carrots, almonds and salt.  Simmer for another 5 minutes.  Add ½ and ½ and heat to serving temperature.

               Russian Borscht

In large kettle boil together:

               2 quarts beef broth                                        2 potatoes cut in fourths

               Salt and pepper                                               1 can tomato sauce

Cook until potatoes are done.  Pull out potatoes and mash together with ½ cup milk.  Return to broth.

In frying pan cook on low heat until wilted:

               ½ cup margarine                                             2 Small carrots shredded

               ½ small head cabbage chopped                  3 small beets shredded

               1 small onion shredded                                 the beet greens chopped

Add I can tomato sauce. Cook slowly for 5 more minutes and then combine in kettle with broth.  Add the other ½ head of cabbage chopped and a tsp. dill.  Cook 15 more minutes and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

             Lion House Bran Muffins

Pour 2 cups boiling water over 4 cups all bran cereal in large bowl

Add and mix together:

3/4 cup oil             1/2 cup sugar

4 beaten eggs        5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt               5 tsp. baking soda

1 quart buttermilk      

Once blended add 2 cups bran flakes (add chopped dates or raisins if wished)

Cook up desired amount of muffins and cover the remaining mix and store in refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.

Bake muffins at 400 for 15 min.

Bread Making Class by LaFawn Smith

White Bread - LaFawn Smith

Dissolve together:  2 nicely rounded TB yeast
5 1/2 C. very wazrm water
1/3 C. sugar

Add:

1 Tbsp. Salt
1/3 C. oil
12-14 C. flour

Knead until smooth and not sticky, but also not too stiff.  Dough should be "stretch" with elastic body in it.  Let raise in bowl until double, punch down and form loaves.  Put into greased pan. Raise again and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Makes 5-6 loaves of bread.

Aunt Loretta's Brown Bread

1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. yeast
3 Tbsp. gluten (dough enhancer)
2/3 C. Oil
2/3 C. honey
5 1/2 C. hot tap water
9 C. wheat kernels, ground into flour

Dissolve yeast with warm water, add rest of ingredients, mix well, let raise until double.  You can do this more than once to make your wheat bread "lighter".  Punch down, put in greased pans and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.  Makes 5 loaves.

Apple Strudel Muffins

Apple Strudel Muffins
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 C butter
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
3 apples, peeled (1-shredded and 2 chopped)(I used Jonagold)
1/2 C  cinnamon chips

Topping
1/3 C brown sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin pan.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg

In another bowl, beat the butter, sugars and eggs together  until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Add in apples and cinnamon chips. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Note that this is a thick batter. Spoon the mixture into greased or lined muffin pan.

In another small bowl combine the topping ingredients: brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like course crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.
Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Taffy Pull

In September Sister Annette Bell showed us how to make home-made taffy.  We cooked the hot sugars together and poured it on a slab and then the fun began.  We pulled and pulled until it resembled the taffy we knew as kids.  Here are the recipes from Annette Bell.

Vinegar Taffy

2 cups corn syrup (dark or light)                     1 T. vinegar

1 cup sugar                                                      ¼ teas. baking soda                                        

2 T. butter                                                       1 teas. Vanilla

Combine corn syrup, sugar, butter and vinegar and bring to boil over medium heat stirring constantly until sugar dissolves.  Continue cooking until a hard ball stage or 260 degrees.

Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy.  May add flavorings at this time.  You do not taste a vinegar taste once the candy is cooked.  Pour into buttered pan or onto a buttered marble slab.  When cool enough to handle, pull with fingers until satiny and light colored.  Pull into long strips, cut into 1 inch long strips with scissors and wrap in wax paper.  Makes 1 ½ pounds

*note.  In my attempt to avoid another failure, I cooked mine a little too long.  The taffy should wind up chewy not crunchy

Honey Taffy

1 cup honey

1 cup sugar

1 T. butter

few grains of salt

Boil honey, salt and sugar to hard ball stage (270 degrees~cloudy day, 275 degrees)

Add butter.  Pour into a well buttered pan or onto a buttered marble slab.  Cool until it can be handled and then pull until light and porous.  Cut into pieces and wrap

Thai Cooking

Pad Thai

16 oz Rice Stick Noodles

3 Tbsp. Canola or Vegetable oil

4 Cloves garlic, minced

1 chopped red Thai chili or 1 tsp. Red or Panang curry Paste

2 cups thinly sliced chicken, pork, beef or you can use Shrimp or Tofu

3/4 cup green onion sliced in 1/2 inch pieces

3 eggs beaten

2 cups bean sprouts

1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

2 Tbsp. lime juice

2 tsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 cup ready-made Pad Thai Sauce

Put your dry noodles in a large bowl and cover with warm water.  Let sit for at least an hour. I personally let mine sit longer than that.  I let mine sit overnight and they were fine.  When ready to use, drain well.  Take some scissors and cut the long noodles into more manageable pieces.  I just lift with my hand and cut, lift and cut until I feel like I've got most of them.  Set them aside.

In a small bowl mix together your soy sauce, lime juice and brown sugar.  Set aside.

In a large wok or frying pan heat your oil over a medium high heat.  Add your garlic and heat (chili or paste) and cook stirring constantly for a few seconds and then add your meat. Cook stirring constantly for about 3 minutes.  Add your green onion and drained noodles.  

Add Pad Thai sauce and soy sauce mixture and toss to coat.  Add beaten eggs and stir.  Cover and let cook for a couple minutes.

Sprinkle the bean sprouts and chopped peanuts over noodles and serve.

Musaman Curry

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch cubes

1/2 of large onion cut into chunks

3 cans coconut milk

3 heaping tablespoons Musaman Curry paste

2 Tbsp. oil

2 Tbsp. Butter

2 chicken breasts cut into chunks 

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 heaping Tbsp. peanut butter

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

In large wok or saucepan heat your oil and butter over medium heat.  Add your curry paste and work the paste into oil and butter.  Add your coconut milk a little at a time making a thick sauce.  When all of your curry has been blended into the coconut milk add the rest of your coconut milk.  When your coconut milk curry blend has heated through add your chicken and onion and cook until bubbly.  When your mixture is bubbling add your cinnamon, brown sugar and peanut butter.  Then add your potatoes, cover and cook until potatoes are done.  If you cut your chicken into small enough chunks your chicken should also be done at this point.  

Serve over steamed Jasmine Rice.

Tom Kah Gai
(Coconut Lemongrass Soup)

3 cans coconut milk

water

2 cups chopped uncooked chicken
2 stalk of lemon grass
1 3-inch piece of galangal root
Thai Basil (has purple stem)
2 heaping spoonfuls of Tom Yum Paste
2 cups sliced mushrooms

Pull the fiberous part off the outside of the lemongrass stalk then cut the stalk into 1 inch lengths.  Peel your galangal root and and slice into thin pieces.  Pull about 10 basil leaves off and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium high heat add your coconut milk and Tom Yum Paste.  Whisk to combine.  Then use two of the cans and fill them with water and add to the pot.  Next, put your lemongrass, Galangal Root and Chicken and simmer until chicken is done.  When chicken is done add your sliced mushrooms and cook for another couple minutes.  Add your Thai basil at the very end and serve.  Very good served over steamed Jasmine Rice as well.

All these ingredients can be found at our local Viet-Thai Market located on T.V. Highway next to Rainy Day Games and the Franz bread  outlet.

Mexican Cooking

What a fantastic class we had taught by Diana Basham. Every single one of us in attendance said we learned something new. The food was delicious and creative. Here are the recipes that Diana prepared for us.

MEXICAN COOKING

April 13, 2010



Cavalacita

My 3 Hispanic sister-in-laws all have a recipe for this. One uses Velveeta for the cheese.



4-5 yellow summer squash or zucchini, sliced

1 onion, chopped

1/2 small can green chilies

corn cut from 3 ears, or frozen corn

salt and pepper

½ can evaporated milk

6 ounces queso fresco, crumbled



Combine squash, onion, chilies, corn, salt and pepper in a pot. Add about 2 inches of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer about 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Drain some of the water, if desired. Add the milk and cheese and heat thoroughly.



Topopo Salad

Not being a mixed vegetable lover (and raw at that!) I didn't think I would like this, but it was so delicious that I was converted.



corn tortillas

refried beans

shredded lettuce

1 bag frozen mixed vegetables

Good Seasons Italian dressing mix, prepared according to directions

cheese, grated



Fry the corn tortillas in oil until crisp. Top with refried beans. Hold the bag of frozen vegetables under the faucet until they thaw. Mix the shredded lettuce, mixed vegetables and enough Italian dressing to coat well. Add a mountain of salad mixture to the top of the tortilla, then top with cheese.



Berlinda's Tacos

Berlinda made these for us when she visited and they were really yummy. I'd never seen this method of making tacos before.



1 pound hamburger

½ teaspoon oregano

2 tablespoons dried onion

1 teaspoon dried minced garlic

¼ teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt

12 corn tortillas



Mix hamburger and seasonings. Spread hamburger mixture on ½ of a tortilla about ¼ inch thick. Fry in hot oil in a frying pan, holding up ½ of the tortilla until it has softened enough to bend over. Then turn the taco over and fry the other side until golden. When done fill the taco with lettuce, cheese, tomato, etc.