Rhubarb Crunch

March 7, 2010 Arlene Leave a comment
  • 4 cups cut rhubarb
  • ½ cup sugar (or more to taste)
  • Cinnamon, optional
  • ¾ cup oatmeal
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • a stick margarine
  • 1 cup flour

Put the rhubarb in a 9” x 12” pan and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon (if desired). Mix the oatmeal, brown sugar, margarine and flour together until crumbly. Sprinkle over rhubarb abd bake 35-40 minutes in a 375° oven

This can also be made with apples instead of rhubarb.

Categories: Dessert, Snacks Tags: ,

Very Good Chili Soup

March 6, 2010 Arlene Leave a comment
  • 2 cans kidney beans
  • 1 46-oz. can tomato juice
  • 2 small potatoes, diced
  • 1 large can tomatoes
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • ½ can water
  • 1-2 tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 can tomato soup
  • 2 lbs. ground beef

Put the tomatoes through a sieve if you don’t want the seeds. Sauté beef in hot shortening. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Optional: You can add ⅔ cup onion flakes instead of minced onion, 2 tablespoons vinegar and a shake of garlic powder.

Categories: Soups Tags:

Manhattan Mousse

March 6, 2010 Arlene Leave a comment
  • 1 cup dried cherries
  • 1 cup sweet vermouth
  • 1 (12 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ⅓ cup bourbon whiskey
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 3 eggs, separated

In a small bowl, pour vermouth over cherries to rehydrate. Macerate for 30 minutes or until cherries are plump. Meanwhile, using a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate together. Remove melted chocolate from heat and stir in whiskey. In a separate bowl whisk egg yolks, then slowly add in thirds to the melted chocolate. In a large bowl, whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Whisk one-third of the whites into the chocolate, then gently fold in the remainder. Pour into 4 individual serving dishes and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove dishes from the refrigerator, top with macerated cherries and serve.

Categories: Dessert Tags:

Bourbon Balls

March 5, 2010 Arlene Leave a comment
  • 36 ounces vanilla wafers
  • 2 cups chopped walnuts
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 cups bourbon or to taste
  • 4 tsp. cocoa
  • 1 cup superfine sugar

In food processor or blender combine wafers and walnuts. Process until finely ground. Add remaining ingredients except sugar. Blend well. Roll into small balls and roll in sugar, coating well. Cover and refrigerate until served. Yields 3-4 pounds.

Categories: Dessert Tags:

Caramel Corn

March 4, 2010 Arlene Leave a comment
  • 2½ sticks butter
  • ⅝ cup white syrup (Karo syrup)
  • 2½ cups brown sugar, packed
  • 1¼ tsp. baking soda
  • ⅝ tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1¼ tsp. salt
  • 7 qts. popped corn (already salted)

Mix butter, syrup and brown sugar and bring to a boil for 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Take off heat and add baking soda, cream of tartar, vanilla and salt. Pour over corn and mix well with a wooden spoon (doesn’t stick as much as plastic). Put in 200° oven and bake for 1 hour on cookie sheets (very lightly greased).

Categories: Snacks Tags: ,

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake

March 3, 2010 Arlene Leave a comment
  • 2 3-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 6½ cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
  • 3 eggs
  • 2¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1¼ cups milk
  • ⅓ cup milk

Cream together: cream cheese, ½ cup butter and vanilla. Alternately beat in powdered sugar and ⅓ cup milk (room temp). Blend in the chocolate. Remove 2 cups of the mixture which will be for your frosting. Cover and refrigerate it. Cream together remaining chocolate mixture and 4 tbsp. softened butter. In a bowl, stir together 2¼ cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat this dry mixture into the creamed mixture alternating with 1¼ cups milk. Turn into 2 greased and floured 9 X 1 ½” round cake pans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove and cool racks. Remove frosting from refrigerator 15 minutes prior to frosting the cake.

Categories: Dessert, Pastry Tags:

Oscar Taylor’s Zucchini Muffins

March 2, 2010 Arlene Leave a comment
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups plus 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla
  • 1 cup oil
  • 2 cups zucchini, loosely packed and grated
  • 2 cups flour, sifted
  • 2 tbsp. cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped

In a double boiler, beat eggs until frothy over boiling water. Add sugar, vanilla and oil; beat until lemon-colored and thick. Stir in zucchini, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Beat for 5 minutes. Fold in walnuts. Pour into greased, floured muffin tins. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Categories: Muffins Tags:

Chocolate Walnut Cookies

March 1, 2010 Arlene Leave a comment
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup shortening
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 (1-oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
  • 1¾ cups enriched flour
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and shortening; add sugar gradually. Beat well. Beat in egg. Stir in melted chocolate. Add flour sifted with baking soda and salt. Alternate with milk. Mix. Stir in vanilla and walnuts.

Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet, leave 2” in between. Bake in hot oven about 8 to 10 minutes. Slide cookies onto cooling racks. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Categories: Cookies Tags: ,

Golden Cauliflower Soup

February 28, 2010 Arlene Leave a comment
  • 2 10-oz. pkgs. frozen cauliflower
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • ¼ cup margarine or butter
  • ½ cup flour
  • 6 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mild cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups milk
  • ⅛ tsp. nutmeg

In saucepan, cook cauliflower in cup water. Drain and reserve liquid and 1 cup cauliflower. In blender, blend remaining cauliflower and reserved liquid and then set aside. In large saucepan, cook onion with margarine/butter until tender; stir in flour. Gradually add remaining 1 cup water and bouillon and stir well until thickened. Stir in blended cauliflower, reserved cauliflower florets and cheese. Cook until cheese melts. Add milk and nutmeg and heat through. Makes 1½ quarts.

Categories: Soups Tags:

Continental Chicken

February 27, 2010 Arlene Leave a comment
  • 1 package (2.5 oz.) Buddig Beef
  • 6-8 boneless chicken breast halves
  • A slice of bacon for each piece of chicken
  • 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup flour

Lay dried beef on bottom of greased slow cooker. Use cold bacon to grease. Wrap each piece of chicken with a strip of bacon and lay on top of dried beef. Pour soup over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat 8-10 hours. Just a half hour before serving, mix the sour cream and flour together in a small bowl. Then spoon in a few spoonfuls of the liquid from the chicken. Mix very thoroughly so it won’t get lumpy. Then add the sour cream mixture to the chicken and cook the remaining 30 minutes.

Categories: Meat dishes Tags: