Recipe for a Beautiful Bride

Congratulations Karyn, you're the most beautiful bride ever! We couldn't have been prouder or had more fun--Love, Auntie Darin & Dione

Congratulations on Your Graduation, Katie, from your Aunt Dione:

It's not about cooking, but it IS about Katie GRADUATING!

Don't try this at home, folks: Kaitlin Marie Good is about to Walk The Stage! Today, Sunday, June 4, was Berean Christian High's Baccalaureate at Fair Oaks Baptist Church in Concord. This Friday night is the Final Deal in Brentwood. GO KATIE, GO --knock 'em dead during Finals Week! For more pictures of Katie please click here.

Memories of Grandpa Nelson

I finally found these old emails from July 2002 when Deni, Darin and I were doing this "Sister Survey" thing, where one of us would ask a question and we would all reply. Below are the answers to a question I asked about Grandpa Nelson. I always hoped we'd move on to talk about the other grandparents but we never quite got there. Guess that's what this cookblog is for.

Unfortunately Deni's answer is missing. I might have it somewhere and if I find it I'll add it here. I think I remember her saying that her memories weren't nearly as vivid as ours but when she thought about Grandma and Grandpa Nelson she remembered feeling very safe and loved, which I think is how we all felt.
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From Dione: When I wrote Karyn the letter about the furniture, I realized that since Grandpa Nelson died when I was only 10 or 11, I don't have nearly as many memories of him as I do of Grandma, which I think is kind of sad. (Sorry, I'm pregnant, hormonal, and sentimental.) Tell me about one or more memories you have of Grandpa Nelson.

From Darin:MEMORIES OF GRANDPA: His calmness. His quietness. His gentleness. Him working in his workshop building things (and hiding out from grandma!!!), (sometimes building cool things, like a staircase for my Barbies.)

Yardwork. He was always busy making their yard beautiful on McBryde. I remember Grandma running him ragged and haranguing him, and him just good naturedly taking it...most of the time. And those occasional yummy times when he'd snap back at her.

I remember when he retired and the two of us used to go pick Grandma up at Macy's after work. "Downtown."

I remember snuggling in the middle of their bed while they read their morning devotional and drinking my teensy cup of coffee w/way too much sugar in it.

I remember going to church w/ him & Grandma at Grace Lutheran and how he "shot the breeze" with the other "ushers."

I remember those Sundays after church and "supper" when he used to take Grandma and me for rides up to Tilden in that car I bought from him yrs later just so he'd stop driving. (By then, he steered and Grandma drove..."Ed, you're running off the road, pull to your left.")

One of my most precious memories is when I first started working at Chevron and had moved out. I used to drag my dirty laundry over there every week to use their machines. Grandma would try to wash it, Grandpa would insist on helping me fold it, and just the two of us would talk about Chevron, and South Dakota. Grandma was off in the kitchen cooking dinner.

In the latter years, him sneaking cigarettes off Chuck and them smoking out in the backyard where Grandma could see them.

And then, in the middle somewhere, camping, when they packed everything and the kitchen sink--it was like setting up a Mash unit when they went camping with Maurie and Janice at Lake Mendocino. the "bug tent."

From Dione: Re: Grandpa Nelson, I can't tell you how glad it made me that his calmness, quietness & gentleness were first on your list. Rolling through my memories of him, I realized that I couldn't remember the sound of his voice. (That's not true of the other grandparents, aunts & uncles). I remember spending time with him, but the times I remember are very quiet and calm. I wasn't sure if that was true or if I'd just forgotten...

I remember the sound of his electric shaver and the smell of his aftershave as he got ready in the morning. I remember the way a smile would slowly break across his face and turn into a huge grin. I remember him sneaking fresh baked cookies when Grandma wasn't looking. I remember he made his scrambled eggs too runny.

I remember playing a zillion games of Crazy Eights with him. I remember sitting on his lap and holding the magnifying glass for him while he read the paper. I remember how patiently he helped Grandma put up zillions of Christmas decorations. I remember spending a week alone with him, dreading it at first, because what would we do without Grandma? But then wishing I could stay longer because we'd had so much fun.

I remember there was something incredibly comforting about the routines of their day-to-day lives:

• The way Grandpa brought their coffee to bed every morning (using the same two cups every day and yes, mine in a teensy cup with lots of milk and sugar.)
• Snuggling with them during their morning devotional. (Did we all get to do this?)
• Eating something yummy for breakfast and then watching them play pinochle while I finished my hot chocolate.
• Eating a big supper at noon while they watched "Days of Our Lives" and then hanging out in the kitchen with Grandpa while he did the dishes. (For some reason I thought it was so sweet that he did them...Maybe this is why I'm still so charmed by the sight of a man doing dishes. To this day, I only buy the green Palmolive liquid that they used -though my bottle doesn't wear an apron - because the smell of it immediately transports me to their warm, cozy kitchen or to the camping trip when Grandma taught me to do dishes standing on a little stool in front of a red dishpan (and every day after that I begged to do those dishes because I thought it was so much fun.)
• Covering them with beach towels and tucking them in for their afternoon naps and then playing quietly to the sound of their snoring. (Same two towels every day. Grandma gave me Grandpa's towel, which is practically in shreds now, but I could never throw it away.)·
• The tiny glasses of red wine they drank each afternoon (doctor's orders!) and how they thought it was so darn funny to occasionally switch their wine with my grape juice and then wait for me to be shocked by the nasty taste.

I remember the time when Danny and I were very little and Grandma got us all dressed up for church in our bright white Easter outfits and then told Grandpa to watch us while she got dressed. Somehow we sweet-talked him into handing over a bag of chocolate Easter eggs. He didn't want us to make a mess so he made us eat them outside...in the hot sun. By the time she was ready to go, we were both covered in chocolate. Boy did he get in trouble.

I remember the time he braved snakes, spiders and rats to rescue a puzzle piece I dropped through one of the cracks in the deck. (I thought that was the ULTIMATE declaration of love.)

I remember how much Grandma missed him when he was gone and dreamed of seeing him again in heaven one day... Always made me hope I'd love someone that much someday...

From Darin: (Answered above...but naturally has more to say after reading Dione's remembrances) Dione's remark, "I remember there was something incredibly comforting about the routines of their day-to-day lives" was very true/touching w/me also. It's one of the things I've faulted myself on not giving my girls, that structured of a routine.

I remember explaining to a therapist how I felt guilty about this, and she asked me to describe a day/week at the Good's...and she said "whether you know it or not, that IS Structure." Well, it wasn't structure compared to the comfort of structure at grandma's, but maybe the best a working mom can do these days.

I was also touched by Dione remembering about the disappointment, worry, anxiety of "being stuck" alone w/Grandpa until Grandma got home from work...until you learned that he was a pretty different, more playful, etc., kind of guy away from her scrutinizing eyes : ) That was one I had to catch on to, too. Grandma sort of stole the show, but when the Cat was away, the Mouse was a fun grandpa.

My big thing about Grandpa Nelson was that I always thought their Marriage was sort of 'way ahead of its time', as far as sharing traditional duties like housework, etc. I always admired him for that, still do. Probably part of it might have been from being raised on farms, where everyone pitched in and helped with everything, but in the 60's, my dad & my friends' dad's didn't do housework, etc. Then again, their wives didn't run grocery stores and work in shipyards. So that from the time I first started catching onto Grandpa being that way until we lost him, I always respected him tremendously for that.

As for Grandpa and the Heroic Puzzle Piece...sorry, but that pales in comparison to what my favorite, heroic Aunt Marge did when I was about 4or 5 and I dropped my colorful plastic bracelets into the toilet in her bathroom where there was actual poop in the toilet (probably David hadn't flushed, he never did)...she Reached In, Retrieved Them, Washed Them Off, and Returned Them. I was impressed for years by her bravery.Probably until I owned my own toilet and realized that you couldn't flush plastic bracelets or Buicks down toilets without having serious plumbing problems that made your husband go absolutely NUTS, as witnessed by when Katie pee'd her pants at age 3 and flushed the evidence.

This Picture Just Made Me Happy

From Darin:
Thanks for posting the pics, Dione. This one just made me happy, so I had to post it here. I don't think I've ever seen it before. There's so much going on in this picture--you and Grandma Bea in private conversation...but it captured the essence of Grandpa Nelson for me: How many guys would take time to notice the doll? This just captured his spirit for me and took me back to what a special guy he was.

Mom's Layered Vegetable Salad

This is a fantastic salad. Found this recipe in the Grace Lutheran Cookbook, pg. 13 but have seen others through the years.

Of course I made changes.

1 head lettuce (wash/dry and chop in small pieces) line the bottom of pretty bowl
5 stalks celery (coarsely chopped) next layer
10 oz pkg. frozen peas (3rd layer) Do not cook or thaw
Green pepper (sliced thinly) 4th layer (or red pepper would be nice)
I bunch of green onions. . . cut in thin slices
Broccoli florets . . . cut in small pieces (I put this layer on top of the green onions.)

"Frost" with mayonnaise (I used Best Foods lite) carefully sealing the ingredients. Refrigerate 5 - 24 hours. I like to make this salad the day before and because it is sealed with mayo, the vegetables are really crisp.

Just before serving spread a layer of grated cheddar cheese
3 sliced hard boiled eggs (optional)
1 or 2 thinly sliced tomatoes on top.

The neat thing about this salad is that you can use any vegetables you want. Grated carrots would be nice, sliced red pepper, cucumbers, radishes, thinly sliced red onion. . . whatever.

As you can see it makes a great presentation. Mix together at the table just before serving. The leftover salad was even crisp and good the next day.

From Dione: Mom said that we should pay attention to what order the layers go in because it's prettier if different colored layers are next to each other. Clearly she doesn't think we're smart enough to figure this out on our own. Not saying that we are... but still. Oh and Mom did not want me to mention that this salad got rave reviews from family on Easter Sunday. But on occasion I do not listen to my mother. Sorry Mom.

Poll # 5 - Courtney's Suggested Question

From Darin: Unfortunately, the following question comes from Courtney, who I really don't think we should take very seriously, as I think she probably mis-remembers thing when it comes to whoppers that her parents told her when she was growing up:

What is the Biggest Lie Your Parents Told You When You Were Growing Up?

Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes

Aunt Lynnie made these when I was very pregnant with Alyssa and then sent me home with a bag of them. They were DELICIOUS and as I was gorging my pregnant self on them, for some reason I got it in my head that these would be the perfect thing to make when I went into labor so that folks would have something to munch on while they waited for the baby to be born. Yep, I was planning to just whip up a batch of these between labor pains, I guess.

I know... don't ask me what I was thinking. I remember Deni telling me that before she had her babies she'd stock up her freezer with casseroles. Well I knew I'd never be able to pull that off. No, I couldn't supply my family with a stockpile of warm nutritious meals, but darn it, I could supply a few cupcakes for my kid's birthday.

I bought the ingredients to keep on hand but somehow the whole labor and delivery thing just keeps taking me by surprise. The night I went into labor I forgot all about baking cupcakes... which is probably a good thing. Darin was awfully patient with all my excuses for not leaving the house that night but I'm not sure how she would have reacted if I'd said I had to whip up a batch of cupcakes.

So there you have it, I couldn't deliver the cupcakes, but I delivered something even better. (Now how's that for a corny line... not to mention an obvious excuse to include a picture of my cute kid?)

1 (18 1/2-ounce) package chewy fudge brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines)
1 (12-ounce) package peanut butter chips or 24 miniature peanut butter cups

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 regular muffin cups with paper cupcake liners. Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies. Fill the cups half full with brownie batter. Place about 1 tablespoon peanut butter chips in the center of the batter, or press 1 peanut butter cup into the batter in each muffin cup until the batter meets the top edge of the peanut butter cup.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cupcakes are set.

When they can be handled safely, remove them from the muffin tins and let cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

(Recipe contributed by Dione. Alyssa, also contributed by Dione, seen above at 5 months old.)

Aunt Jacque's French Toast

When I ran across this recipe the other day I immediately knew I should post it because Scott asks me for it now and then and I can never find it. (Oh how I love an online cookbook. I rarely lose my computer.) So I've never made this French Toast but I've eaten it many times and it's yummy.

Aunt Jacque makes it, my mother-in-law makes it and Scott makes it (please refer to the Does Tia cook? post and find a boy who can cook). Even Amanda has made it with Grandma (see photo). So I can't imagine WHY I would make it…but if the need arose for me to make French Toast, this is the recipe I would use, because I could make it ahead of time and it doesn't require constant supervision the way normal French Toast does. Man, I can really screw up regular French Toast…one piece burnt, one piece raw in the middle… Anyway, now for your enjoyment:

Aunt Jacque's French Toast

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temp
12, ¾ inch thick french bread slices
6 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt

Butter bottom of large baking pan. Arrange bread. Beat eggs and all ingredients. Pour over bread. Turn bread to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn bread and continue to bake until brown. Keep cooking on both sides until browned to your liking.

(Recipe contributed by Dione, photo is of Amanda and her Grandma Travis. The picture is from Christmastime 2005. I don't remember the exact details but I remember my mother-in-law saying it was a good thing it was just family eating that French Toast.)

Poll # 4

What is the greatest lesson your children have ever taught you?

Umm... no food-related question, this time. Get over it.

Poll # 3

Non-food related question:

• What did you get into trouble for more often than anything else as a youngster?

Food-related question:

• What food above all others would you find absolutely impossible to give up?

Poll # 2

Looks like it's time to get things moving around here again. You'd think coming up with a poll question would be easy, but I was feeling rather uninspired so I dug out this book of questions...but as I flipped through it I kept saying nope, dumb question... nope, nope... no way...Shouldn't someone like Courtney be coming up with these questions? She'd be better at this... Who wrote these questions?

Then I finally had to pick one at random because I couldn't find a single question I liked. Of course after I'd picked the question I continued flipping through the book and then I kept thinking was, Oh great question! Good one... Interesting... Oh who needs Courtney, these are great... So I found several others which I should probably save for later. Except I have no self-control... so we'll see how long I can wait. But here's the randomly selected question for today:

• When you were very young, what did you want to be when you grew up? When you were a teenager, what did you think you might want to do for a living someday?

For those of you who are uptight about this being a "COOKBOOK," you may answer the alternate, food-related question:

• What was dinnertime like in your home when you were growing up? What was a typical meal? What was a typical evening for your family?

And yes, those of us who find it difficult to stop typing may answer both. Oh and if anyone wants to jump in with new poll questions, please feel free!

Aunt Lynnie's Baked Spaghetti

Like Darin, I also married into a family of really great cooks. (Luckily they only ask me to bring desserts to family gatherings. Lucky for them, I mean, because I'd hate to have to show up with a batch of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Though I could "fancy it up" by throwing in some sliced Oscar Mayer wieners for the meat eaters in the group.)

Aunt Lynnie definitely falls into the great cook category and we have been lucky enough to live only a short distance from her so we often get invited for fabulous dinners and then get sent home with delicious leftovers. Unfortunately, Aunt Lynnie and Uncle Bill will be putting their house on the market in the very near future and moving closer to the rest of their family. (So yes it's unfortunate for us, but fortunate for the rest of the family.)

Anyway, last night they had us over for dinner and Lynnie made this spaghetti. It was yummy. I'm not usually courageous enough to attempt Lynnie's recipes but she said this was easy and I thought hmm… I wonder if I could actually make this. I'm not particularly good at multi-tasking especially when it comes to cooking. Yes, I can check email, blow-dry my hair and breastfeed a baby all at the same time, but I panic at meals that require having multiple things hot and ready at the same time. I much prefer recipes like this one that I can make ahead of time when nobody is crying or begging for my attention and then just pop it into the oven at dinnertime. (Which reminds me…I love being able to say, "Oh dinner is ready and in the fridge, let me just pop it into the oven. Makes me feel Grown-Up and Competent. Feelings I don't have on a terribly regular basis.) So anyway, I haven't made this recipe but I'll give it a shot one of these days.

Aunt Lynnie, we'll miss having you nearby but we'll visit and thanks again for dinner and for sending home the leftover Snickers cake, last night. It will not go to waste! Mmmmm…

(Oh and Darin please tell the story about Chuck and Mom's spaghetti.)

Aunt Lynnie's Baked Spaghetti

2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 small bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1 cup grated cheddar
1 cup grated Monterey Jack

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining. Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for 20 more minutes. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes. Cut into squares before serving.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

(Recipe contributed by Dione. Photo is of the Rullman sisters, left to right: Aunt Jacque, Andrea (my mother-in-law), and Aunt Lynnie. No doubt I'll be sharing other recipes from these sisters in the future.)

Amanda, My Superhero Niece

Could someone please come up with a recipe so that we have a reason to leave this picture here? This picture speaks to me in so many ways, that I keep having to go back and forth to the other blog to enjoy it.

Isn't there like some SuperHero Cookie recipe out there or SOMETHING? Some recipe on how to make Kriptanite or something?
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Mother of the Superhero jumping in here… I was trying to come up with a recipe for SuperSomething when it finally occurred to me I should go directly to the source. So I asked Super Amanda, "What do Superheroes eat?" And she said, "Superhero Stuff" (I'm not sure but I would swear that as she answered, she shot me one of those looks… you know the look that she will spend the next 13 or so years perfecting…the look that says, parents can be SO DUMB sometimes). "Oh yeah, of course, Superhero Stuff. Can you give me the recipe for that?" I asked.

To which she replied, "Sure Mommy!!! What's a recipe?" So then she told me. But as she listed the ingredients and I asked her how much or how many she was rather vague. Or she would say, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9,10… 4!" like she was trying to trick me. I'm afraid that either she doesn't know the exact recipe because she's one of those cooks who just throws in a little of this and a little of that and it comes out just perfect or she doesn't actually want me to know how to make Superhero Stuff. You know, since I'm a mere mortal and all. So make this at your own risk. There's no guarantee it will be as good as the stuff the superheroes eat.

Superhero Stuff

A lot of macaroni
10 peas (optional*)
Chicken
Some corn
Sausage
One piece of pepperoni pizza
4 trees (broccoli)

Get a foon. Get a bowl. Put it all in together. Get the salt and get the pepper. Shake.

*I told Amanda that Aunt Darin doesn't like peas and asked her if there was something we could use instead. She said, "Hmm. I don't think I want any peas in my food either. But what are we going to do with the peas?" As I looked around at my currently pea-free windowsills, I said, "I don't know, but please don't ask Aunt Darin."

Superhero Buzzert

11 marshmallows
A lot of chocolate
5 M&Ms
6 lollipops (lollipops are good – any flavor)
Like 88 Reeses peanut butter cups
All the boxes of chocolate ice cream at the store… like five!

Put it together in a really, really big bowl. Don't forget to take the paper off the lollipops. Eat it with a fork or foon.

When I asked Amanda what Superheroes drink, she said, "Water. They drink water. They don't ever drink chocolate milk but I do. Can I have some chocolate milk, Mommy?"

Ila Good’s Vegetable Soup Recipe

Contributed by Darin Good, a major fan

(This soup is so good that we have knowingly exposed our children to viruses just hoping we’d get Grandma’s soup out of the deal if they got sick.) Jack Good insists there is a soup pump at Ila’s that just pumps this stuff out. However, if the pump goes dry, here is the actual recipe that primes it again:

First get a pot. A BIG pot.
Brown a couple of pounds of beef stew meat. (I cut it into smaller pieces.)
Put a diced onion in the beef after it browns and cook it awhile.
Add some water and simmer till it gets tender or you get too hungry to wait any longer.
Add a can or two of diced tomatoes.
Add a few diced potatoes, carrots, a can of cannelloni beans or whatever you like.
A half cup of barley is good if you like it.
I usually put in a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and a couple of cans of beef broth.
Throw in a cup or two of frozen okra near the end of the cooking time.
Put in anything else you like, such as frozen corn & lima beans
I like to cook a cup or two of pasta and add it about the time I put in the okra.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Love, Ila

Note from family members: If you are able to score a jug of this soup from Ila, always return the jar once empty--it's possible that it will come back refilled in the near future. This soup can cure almost any thing (broken hearts, really bad days at work, bad grades, actual illness, etc); we have resorted to shameless ploys to get some.

Giovanni’s Tuna Noodle Casserole

Submitted by Auntie Darin on behalf of Giovanni Silizar Nelson, viosomething@msn.com

OK, Giovanni ain’t officially a Nelson Sister—thank goodness, cuz he’s way cuter than all of us; and if he was a girl, with that hair and eye lashes, we’d be so jealous of him that we’d SCREAM. But he is one of The Best Nelson Brothers, so we need to include this recipe.

This recipe is particularly of note, because it is the only Tuna Noodle Casserole that Chuck will eat. I don’t know if this is because “a brother” has cooked it (maybe it’s a ‘guy thing’ to eat each other’s cooking) or it’s especially good, but Chuck will not eat any tuna casserole I make, as his theory is canned tuna is meant to be chilled, served in Tuna Salad Sandwiches. However, Chuck does like Giovanni’s casserole, so it must be included in the family lore:

2 cups thin egg noodles
1 can tuna, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
¼ cup milk
Potato chips, like Lays (1 cup?) (the recipe called for bread, but GET SERIOUS, Giovanni knows what’s good)
¾ cup grated cheddar cheese
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a casserole dish. (I think Giovanni used Pam Spray.) Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain in a strainer. Put noodles into a casserole dish. Add in tuna, soup, and milk. Crumble potato chips and put on tope of casserole. Spread cheese on top of casserole. Sprinkle with paprika and bake 25 minutes.

Serve to Chuck. Listen about how GREAT it is compared to Darin’s.

Does Tia Cook?

I’m about to submit Giovanni’s casserole, so I need to make sure that Tia’s recipes are not excluded. However, Tia is EIGHT YEARS OLD and I don’t know if she has RECIPES. (However, if she submitted her Mom Vicky’s enchilada recipe, I know that it would be much appreciated.)

However, knowing Tia, I wouldn’t be surprised if she graduated from The Darin/Katie School of Cooking: Find a Boy That Can Cook. Then, keep the boy entertained while talking to the boy while he cooks for you in the kitchen.

First, you have to: Get the boy to come over. Here is Katie’s recipe; I’ve heard it a million times on the cel phone: “Breandan, I’m hungryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Please come make me some macaroniiiiiiiiiiiii.” Then Breandan comes over and makes something really elegant and we all live happily ever after. A boy that can cook can have any woman he wants.

(Aunt Dione jumping in with photographic proof that not only can Tia cook, but she can also accessorize. Though I totally agree with Darin and Katie's advice:
Find a Boy That Can Cook.)

Darin (& Betty Crocker's) Cinnamon Puffs

The following recipe is taken from my Betty Crocker’s New Boys and Girls Cookbook. The cookbook is inscribed “Merry Xmas to Darin From Grandma McGraw – 12/25/68”

The following recipe is from page 144, SPECIAL OCCASIONS – breakfast.

Surprise Breakfast*

*Darin’s note, HA, they weren’t kidding about that!

Allow me to quote the intro on page 144:
“Have you ever wished you could get up some morning to fix breakfast for the whole family? You can, and its lots of fun! Try this exciting adventure on Mother’s Day or a birthday, or on a Sunday morning when you just want to let Mother and Dad sleep a little later than usual.” (I just didn’t know whose birthday)

Cinnamon Puffs
(See those pictured on page 23.)
Note from Darin, sorry folks—I’d scan and include the picture of these delightful little puffs, but page 23 is long gone. I probably wadded it up and threw it away the morning of July 23, 1969

Heat oven to 450 Degrees

Prepare Rolled Biscuits (page 31) (aw, heck—just use the recipe on the back of the Bisquick box, as page 31 is missing, too. Like I said, July 23 was a traumatic morning for me.)
After kneading dough, divide into 16 parts.
Roll each part into a smooth ball.
Place balls on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes

Melt in small skillet:
1/3 cup butter

Mix in small bowl:
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

While biscuits are warm, remove from sheet and roll each in melted butter; then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Makes 16 puffs.

P.S. – And this recipe, Amanda, is what to use to make a Baby Sister. Worked for me.

Please refer to: Comments: Mom said. . ."Darin, do you remember the night that I went into labor with Dione?"

http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=22851089&postID=114163153917985153

Ila Good’s Cajun Clam Chowder

Contributed by Darin Good, on behalf of the World’s Greatest Mother-in-Law. (I haven’t actually made this, my role is to devotedly slurp it; but as a devoted researcher, I criss-cross California checking all other clam chowders all year long to ensure this is Still the Best, and it definitely is. I live in the SF Bay Area, so I have access to some of the world’s best clam chowders. But none of them have forced me to have four bowls during a Serious Diet. This is Simply The Best, with no question):

2 large cans clams (51 oz – Costco)
3 (or more) jalapeños
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1 lb bacon
1 lb smoked ham
3 qts whole milk
1 qt half and half
6 lbs diced potatoes
6 tbsp butter
6 tbsp flour
Salt to taste, if needed
2-3 tbsp Cajun seasoning

Large pot
Cook bacon, drain grease and save
Chop bacon and ham or run through food processor. Mix with onion mixture and set aside.
Peel and dice potatoes to ½ -3/4” size, boil about 15 minutes or until done. Drain and add to onion bacon and ham mixture. Stir in Cajun seasoning.

Add milk and half and half and juice from c lams. Heat to boiling point. DO NOT BOIL. Melt butter, add flour and mix with hot milk mixture to thicken. Add clams until clams are hot.

Good served in hollowed out French bread “mini-loaves.” (Sidenote: this might be good, but if you’re going to have 4 bowls, the bread bowl is going to get leaky.)

Ila’s note: Cajun Magic Seasoning is available in most stores. I have never used Cajun Magic. There are several Cajun seasons on the market. I use:

Ila’s Cajun Seasoning
3 tbsp black paper
2 tbsp red pepper
3 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp white pepper
3 tbsp salt
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp thyme
½ tbsp oregano
1 tbsp garlic powder

78 years ago yesterday...

Ed and Bea got married.

A while back I made this collage out of a few of my favorite photos of them. They're favorites because they look so real to me compared to some pictures from that era. And since I didn't know my grandparents when they were young, I like to think these pictures give me a small glimpse into who they were as a couple. I love Grandpa's rolled up sleeves and the cigarette between his fingers. And Grandma with her hand on her hip... or maybe her hand is on his. I can almost hear her laughing and saying, "Oh Ed..." Love the way they're holding hands in the picture in the top left and the way he's looking at her in the photo on the bottom left. Looks like she's wearing an old housedress and her hair is kind of a mess but he's looking at her like she's just the cutest thing ever. And I love the one on the bottom left most of all because it always makes me imagine what their real life might have been like... just hanging out on the couch, both reading magazines, looking totally comfy (except for those shoes Grandma's wearing.) I remember my dad telling me that he was practicing his photography at the time and this was a long exposure. He told them they'd have to sit still for a long time so he told them to get comfortable and it looks like they did. --- Dione

Our Children Are Our Only Hope

http://cookingnelsons.blogspot.com/2006/02/king-ranch-chicken.html

MY Momma Said I Had To Post These Poems to Give This Blog a Little Class. (I think the Nelson Sisters have quite a little culture of their own goin on...but hey, why not add a little poetry.)

I have been rehearsing the following poems for my "Oral Interpretation of Children's Literature" Class, and they make me hungry. That makes them eligible for cookbook blogging, right? (As if anything didn't go here...pah).

Here are my poems:
Mi Mama Cubana
By Mimi Chapra

When mi mama cubana cooks arroz con pollo
Her smile is as wide as a watermelon

Cutting green onions the tongue of mi mama goes clickety-clack
Her silver bracelets slide up and down jingling-jangling

With a dash of saffron spice mi mama turns boiling rice bright yellow
Ay! Sweet aroma of arroz con pollo carries me away!

Mi familia, we eat arroz con pollo delicioso.

We sing “la cucaracha” con mucho gusto!

We dance mambo, tango, cha cha cha.

Closing my eyes, I see palm trees swaying
Sea gulls circling, haciendas pink and green.
Still, si si, with my eyes open I taste salty saffron Cuba.

Muchas gracias, mi mama cubana for cooking up an island in your tiny New York kitchen.

Making Tortillas
By Henry Quintero

When my mother makes tortillas
For my father and for me,
The steel chimes, the rock pings and rattles
With each pass over the dough.
My mother tells me that her rolling pin is
Singing I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU.

Garden Footprints
By Lori Marie Carlson

I leave footprints
On the gravel path to
Mama’s garden full of CALABAZSAS,
TOMATES, GIRASOLES.
Footprints
Leading to and from this place,
Where mama spends her afternoons
Beneath a hat so big it
Shades me too
While
I kneel down and
Help plant flowers

:) Did they make you hungry? I need breakfast. First I need to figure out what "girasoles" are, cuz right now I am craving them and I haven't a clue what they are! Is that bad?

Hope you enjoyed :)
Love, Courtney

What is a Mermaid?

Courtney and her dreams!...this is the dream she had last night. I made her send it to me, cuz I liked it. Please share it with Amanda, so she will know what mermaids are.

From:"Courtney"
I Dont Know Why You Want This
To:"Mom"

I just woke up from this dream where I was driving around with Melissa Vale...shootin the breeze...

and she was telling me about some Canadian college student ritual that goes on this time every year where the "mermaids" come out.

I asked her what the mermaids were and she said I didnt want to know...
FINALLY she told me,

"they are women who think they can pee gracefully underwater"

I Don't Know Where I Get this Stuff--
and I sure dont know why you want it :)

MIDDLE SISTERS of America

Dear MIDDLE SISTERS of America:

Is it the same with YOUR older and younger sisters? Are your sisters among the very few people that you treasure like none other? Do you consider your sisters “your lifelong glue”? Do you, like me, consider your younger and older sisters your Sanity Voice? The only people in the world that you truly trust, that you would, without question:

• Consider allowing them to use your womb for 9 months for, in case they needed a warm spot for their egg to hatch and theirs wasn’t in working order.
• Ensure that they’re on the (extremely) short list of people who you’d give a kidney to without question—just tell me where to be and when, and tell them to make the scar cute.
• Take a bullet for them (preferably in the arm or leg)
• Bury a body for them, without question.

And then, does your sister send you an e-mail regarding your cooking skills, like this:

Dione wrote:
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 12:17:34 -0800 (PST)From: Dione Subject: RE: the first official pollTo: Good, Darin
Awwwwww... I totally understand the whole non-recipe thing... but the thing is I DON'T WANT YOUR RECIPES. Seriously... Please do not contribute a recipe ever. I just want your memories and stories.

____

Dear fellow middle sisters: Lord almighty, there must be a 7-layer dip out there somewhere I can fake my sisters out with…(The italics and bolding are my own--I know what she was thinking--she's my sister, for God's Sake. Thank you, Lord, for my sisters!)

Darrell's Famous Chicken Gizzards

OK, this was yet another recipe I had to take over when Denise got married and moved out. However, these did get rave reviews from Dad. (I think because no matter how badly I made them, I was willing to make them, Darin)

One package of chicken gizzards, rolled in flour
Heat 1/2 inch oil in large skillet
Fry chicken gizzards until they are well browned, cooked throughout, and until you absolutely can't stand to look at them anymore, because they are so gross to start with.

I think this was the important part: Repeat following mantra to self while browning them: "These are so disgusting, I can't believe anyone would actually EAT THESE. I hate these. These are worse than liver. How can he eat these? These are so disgusting..."

Then sit back and try not to gag while he tells you how great they were. "Yep, Pop, I made them with love." Ick.

Deni's Famous Greasy Tacos for Dad

This is the part where Deni is supposed to insert her recipe for tacos that Dad raved over. No one could make tacos like Deni, and Lord knows Darin tried and got tired of not measuring up.

As far as I can tell, since Deni didn't share her recipe, I think it had something to do with the high grease content that turned him on so much.

Deni's Famous Tacos

1 lb low grade hamburger, browned (undrained?)
1 Envelope Taco seasoning
1 cup water
1 package pre-formed corn taco shells
Cheddar Cheese, grated

COME AND GET IT!

P.S. - I can't recall if there were other toppings? What was the real recipe?

The first official Nelson Sisters' Cookbook Poll

In an effort to keep this from becoming a blog of Dione's memories, and to get y'all involved cuz it's getting lonely here, I'm instituting the first official cookbook poll. I'm even pretending to keep this one food-related, though I can't promise future questions will be.

So I'm the last of my generation on both the Nelson and McGraw sides, which is cool and all, but I can't help but feel like I missed out on a lot. I know there were big family gatherings with all the cousins and aunts and uncles because I've seen pictures and I actually remember a few of them. But I was pretty young so the memories are foggy.

For this poll, I want to know what you remember about family gatherings. And since I said this was about food... in the Travis family they still have big family gatherings and we're always expected to bring something for the meal. Some people bring something different every time but others are asked to bring the same thing every time or quite frequently. So Grandma Travis either brings the famous crab dip or her dump cake. And Scott almost curled up and died one year at Mom's house because it wasn't Thanksgiving without his mom's chili-cheese dip. (We made a run to the store and made a batch to shut him up...errr... to save his holiday.) So what was it like at Nelson and McGraw family get-togethers? Was everybody expected to bring something? And if so, do you remember what? Like what might Aunt Marge have shown up with? Who baked the pies? Who mashed the potatoes? If you were old enough to cook, what did you take?

Just click on "comments" below, to answer. Feel free to answer as many times as you wish. Please let your answers wander off into the completely non-food-related and don't forget to sign your name... or feel free to remain anonymous if you have any particularly juicy information.

(In case you're wondering about the pictures, they're related to MY memories... I would happily add pictures relating to other people's memories... if anyone would actually like to share some of those memories. )


(Photo at left...what Barbie might have worn to the ball)

(at left, poor Skipper. Okay, I didn't even notice the burned toes before. Do I have to get Danny, burner of the toes, on here to verify that's MY Growing-Up Skipper on eBay? )



From Darin: This is my memory of my beautiful Francie doll. I am bracing myself for the worst and have prepared alternative transportation for her.

(Remember at the First Annual Sisters' Reunion, when Deni had Tammy Dolls For Everyone? That was the COOLEST THING EVER.)

Speaking of the First Annual Sisters' Reunion, now that we're finally so close to scheduling the 2nd, I'm trying to outdo Dione by finding every pic SHE posted to her gallery and POSTING IT myself:

Dione's peanut butter-butterscotch thingies

1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups of corn flakes*

Melt peanut butter and butterscotch chips in microwave, stirring constantly until melted. Stir in corn flakes until completely coated. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper lined cookie sheets.

(Dione says: These are the easiest things ever, the only way you can screw these up is by not stirring the chips often enough causing them to burn or form a big lumpy mess. Don't ask me how I know. I usually microwave them for about thirty seconds, stir, then microwave and stir every ten seconds until melted.

*I'm not sure how many corn flakes to add... I start with two cups and then keep adding more as long as there's enough peanut butter-butterscotch stuff to coat them. If you add too many corn flakes the thingies might not stick together quite right, but they'll still taste really good. And that's what's important, right?)

(Photo above, a new generation of cookie bakers - Amanda at three, baking chocolate chip cookies for the first time.)

What to eat when tragedy strikes (quoted from The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love)

“All tragedy is relative, of course. It could be anything from a car or plumbing failure to the death of the only woman in the world who has ever been able togive you a really great haircut. If you’re in any way upset by something – it’s a tragedy. A tragedy demands food, and lots of it. We Queens try to include items from all four major food groups – sweet, salty, fried, and au gratin. Balance is very important to us. You’ll also want to have friends on hand for the tragedy-thwarting feast. Under no circumstances, however, should you invite any of the a**holes who refuse to acknowledge the depths of your misery. They can stay home and fill up on water for all we care.

Chocolate is the main staple of sedative food – the undisputed queen of all the comfort foods. I know this in my deepest heart. I frankly don’t understand how people who are genuinely allergic to chocolate manage to put one foot in frontof the other, day after day; I’d have to throw myself in front of a bus. I thrive on chocolate. My system requires an abundance of it every day, just to function normally.

Chocolate Stuff
The Sweet Potato Queens’ drug of choice is clearly my famous Chocolate Stuff. I got the recipe from my mother, who called it something like ‘fudge pudding.’ None of my friends could remember the name, however; they’d simply beg meto make them ‘some of that chocolate stuff.’ The biggest problem with the recipe is that it doesn’t make very much. I’d recommend that you automatically double the ingredients. Doubled, it will make three pans. This has proven to be just enough. Unfortunately, it has to bake 40 to 50 minutes, which is a helluva long time when you’re suffering. Good news: It’s really just as fine – some factions argue better – eaten raw as fully cooked! We’ve been known to eat entire batches of it right out of the mixing bowl, skipping the baking altogether. Usually we’re content with leaving copious amounts of the precious goo in the bowl and sticking our faces into the bowl while the oven works its magic on the major portion. When you make your personal judgment call, keep in mind that the recipe contains eggs, at this point raw, and you may be risking your very life in pursuit of instant gratification. I’ve reduced the amount of flour by half and cooked it in the microwave for just eight and a half minutes, but you sacrifice texture this way, and I don’t recommend it. One of the most important qualities of Chocolate Stuff is its unique texture: really gooey on the bottom and sort of chewy, crunchy on the top. Nuts are optional. We take our desire for nuts by spells, and this carries over into many aspects of our lives. I’ll tell you how to make my Chocolate Stuff, but your best option is to kiss my ass six ways to Sunday and get ME to make it for you, because it’s always better when I make it myself. I don’t know why, I swear to God. The recipe I will give you does not omit any ingredients or instructions to sabotage your efforts. It just seems to know me, and it performs better in my hands. I even make it better than my mother, and it was her recipe to start with.

Here’s the deal: Beat two eggs with a cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of flour. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. In the microwave melt together 1 stick of real butter (I never use unsalted; I think it tastes flat) and 2 fairly heaping tablespoons of Hershey’s cocoa. Get regular Hershey’s in the darkbrown box – anything else is different and will screw it up. Dump thebutter-cocoa mixture into the other things, and stir it up good. Then add a running-over teaspoon of vanilla. I use real vanilla, but the grocery store kind won’t ruin it. Stir that up, too. If you decide to go for nuts, use a whole bunch of pecans, chopped up fine.Pour the Stuff into a greased loaf pan, set the loaf pan in a pan of water,and stick the whole business in the oven set at about 300 degrees [F.] Depending on how your oven cooks, it needs to stay in there for 40 to50 minutes. You can reach in there and tap on the top of it at 40 minutes. If it seems crunchy, I’d take it out. You can’t really undercook it, since it’s good raw, but you don’t want to overcook it and lose the gooey bottom so crucial to the whole texture experience.

Trust me. This will be the best thing that has happened to you in a very long time, possibly ever. From now on, for as long as you live, just the simple act of getting out the bowl to make Chocolate Stuff will have an incredibly assuaging effect on your psyche. I can say, without fear of contradiction, there is virtually nothing, not one situation, that can’t be faced with calm and grace and serenity if you have Chocolate Stuff. You can eat it and feel better fast, and when it wears off, you can just make another batch. Believe me, in no time at all, you’ll be grinning like a mule eating briars.”

(recipe contributed by Dione)

No-Bake Cookies

1/8 Tbsp. (?) salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
4 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups oatmeal

In a 3-qt. saucepan, combine salt, milk, sugar and cocoa, stirring well. Place on low heat and add butter, stirring until melted. Increase heat to medium. Bring to a boil for one minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla and peanut butter, stirring well. Add oatmeal and stir well. When mixture begins to get thick, drop onto waxed paper by the dozen. Cool and eat.

These are beat-the-clock cookies. You have to work fast or the batter will harden before they're dropped. Much more fun to make them with a friend, especially if you're making a double-batch, which you always should.

(recipe contributed by Dione)

The Seven Layer Tiramisu Eggnog Trifle that makes Dione giggle

(Please see comments to read why it makes me giggle)

The classic dessert gets a holiday twist with eggnog flavors and an opulent presentation. Begin making this one day before serving.

1 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon dark rum
4 tablespoons brandy12 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 8-ounce containers mascarpone cheese*
2 cups chilled whipping cream2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
7 tablespoons Kahlúa or other coffee liqueur
2 6.15-ounce or four 3.5-ounce boxes Champagne biscuits or Boudoirs (about 60 crisp ladyfinger cookies)*
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, finely ground in processor

Whisk 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup rum, 3 tablespoons brandy, yolks, and nutmeg in metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until mixture thickens and candy thermometer inserted into mixture registers 140°F for 3 minutes, about 5 minutes total. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk mascarpone, 1 container at a time, into warm custard until blended.

Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream, vanilla, 1 tablespoon brandy, and 1 teaspoon rum in large bowl until cream holds peaks. Fold in mascarpone mixture.

Bring 1 cup water to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and espresso powder; stir to dissolve. Mix in liqueur. Submerge 1 biscuit in espresso mixture, turning to coat twice; shake excess liquid back into pan. Place dipped biscuit, sugared side facing out, around bottom side of 14-cup trifle dish, pressing against side of dish (biscuit may break). Repeat with enough biscuits to go around bottom sides of dish once. Dip more biscuits and arrange over bottom of dish to cover
.
Spoon 2 cups mascarpone mixture over biscuits; spread to cover. Sprinkle 1/4 cup ground chocolate over, making chocolate visible at sides of dish. Repeat with more biscuits dipped into espresso mixture, mascarpone mixture, and ground chocolate in 2 more layers each. Cover with 1 more layer of dipped biscuits and enough mascarpone mixture to reach top of trifle dish. Sprinkle remaining ground chocolate over, covering completely. Cover and chill overnight.

Gently press stem end of largest chocolate leaves around edge of trifle. Fill center with smaller leaves. (Can be made 8 hours ahead; chill.)

*Available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.Makes 16 to 18 servings.


Chocolate Leaves
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
40 assorted sizes of camellia leaves or lemon leaves, wiped clean
Gold dust* (optional)

Line large baking sheet with foil. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth and instant-read thermometer inserted into chocolate registers 115°F.

Brush chocolate over veined side (underside) of 1 leaf, coating thickly and completely. Arrange chocolate side up on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining leaves and chocolate, rewarming chocolate if necessary to maintain 115°F temperature. Chill leaves until firm, about 45 minutes. Starting at stem end, carefully pull back green leaf, releasing chocolate leaf; return leaves to same baking sheet. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.) Using small artist brush, carefully brush some leaves with gold dust, if desired.

*Available at cake and candy supply stores, or by mail from Jane's Cakes and Chocolates at 800-262-7630.

This wasn't the first time Deni brought up the idea of putting together a cookbook

From: Denise
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 6:20 AM
To: Darin
Cc: Dione
Subject: One more thing....

Okay - so I do have one more thing to add.... Wondered if you two might be interested in a "family" type cookbook. Was thinking we all have special recipes or recipes that we use all the time and are favorites for our kids - and it might be fun to share and put in a book for all of us to enjoy. I thought about this when Dione sent the Hot Fudge Sundae Cake recipe - and her story made it even more special. It would be fun to add little notes and such..... I also got Kyle's biscuits and gravy recipe last night when we absolutely love and I have just never had committed to paper - it would be fun to have a book or something. We could also add little tips and such - the funnier the better - based on our past experiences as cooks and housekeepers. I know you two must have a trillion of these!! Like Aunt Marge's statement that it ain't done 'til the fire alarm has gone off, etc., stuff like that.What do you think??Love, deni


"Darin " wrote:
Denise, you are trying to domesticate a lost cause!!! I'll talk to Chuck and see if I can write down some of HIS recipes that WE could contribute.

The N* family, Deni's
The T* family, Dione
The G* family, Chuck

He has some really good ones in his head.

I think you should call it "Trying to Get Darin To Cook"

(Dione, be sure to read the columnist in the Times Time Out today about the 20-month old toddler and the baby crib for her sibling that will be born in 6 months. Will make you feel less guilty for having to climb up on the dining room table with the chairs upside down to find some away-time!!!!)

From: Dione
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 11:31 AM
To: Darin, Denise
Subject: RE: One more thing....

Nah, I don't think Denise is trying to domesticate you, Darin. Where would the fun in that be? I like the idea of a cookbook, but I was picturing that a Sisters Cookbook should be/would be somewhat disorganized and heavily based in reality and all the fun that goes with it. (I don't see it professionally bound with an attractive leather cover, but rather thrown together somewhat haphazardly into a 3-ring binder as time permits... but that's just me.)

I don't cook either, so I was picturing my contributions being heavy on the desserts... and then I figured I could throw in the recipe for macaroni and cheese (in case your 16-month old runs away with the Kraft box)... or 10 ways to convince your husband to pick up Burger King... I sometimes throw out the Papa Murphy's pizza instructions with the plastic wrap, so I'd want those in there too...and then I figured I'd throw in a few recipes I'd like to try if I were someone else...( someone far more Martha Stewart-ty) such as the seven-layer eggnog tirimisu trifle with chocolate leaves that Cara wanted me to make for Christmas Eve...

I already emailed Deni that rather amusing story which is why I ended up sending her the hot fudge sundae cake recipe in the first place. And if Chuck gets to submit then Scott might want to also and that could get ugly. But I wonder if I could track down the homemade frappucino recipe he wrote for Darin. That was a goody... Don't throw that Times article away yet Darin...we only get the newspapers on weekends now since Scott is punishing them for always throwing the paper where his sprinklers drown it... Love you both,Dione


Subject: On the other hand...
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 17:39:26 -0800
From: "Darin"
To: "Dione" , "Denise"

OK, I’m starting to see this whole Nelson Sister thing is profit-making, a potential best seller, like the Sweet Potato Queens.

Whose bright idea was this cookbook thing anyway?

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006
From: "Denise"
Subject: Grandma Bea's Cookie Recipe
To: "Dione", "Darin"

Hi there!!

Crazy question - do either of you have Grandma Bea's Butter Cookie recipe? I have the recipe for the apricot filling she used to put in them......

Do you suppose Aunt Janice might have? Boy - I would love to get my hand son this and some of those other doughnut/cookie recipes Grandma Bea used to make... I just found an old Grace Lutheran cookbook with a couple of her recipes - but I don't recall them....

I really would love to make some kind of a recipe book for us.... us sisters and families... getting together a few of my all time favorites for Karyn right now - have xeroxed copies and so just giving them to her loose.... in all the mess ran across a handwritten recipe from Mom of Grandma's Apricot filling and it brought back so many memories!! She used to send these cookies home with Roger and I to Las Vegas and we would have the whole plate eaten by Bakersfield I think! :))

Anyway - any old recipes you could come up with - will get them together and publish a book or something!!

Love, deni

Dione's French Apple Pie

Mix together and pour into a pie crust (deep dish works best):
5 1/2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
(1 Tbsp. lemon juice only if lemons aren't tart)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Top with mixture of:
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened

Bake at 375 for 50 minutes.

Dione's Chicken Enchiladas

3 - 4 boneless chicken breasts
10 flour tortillas
large can enchilada sauce (2 20-oz cans are better)
large block of swiss cheese* (1 - 1 1/2 lb., grated)
chopped olives
green chiles
slivered almonds
onions

topping:
8 oz. sour cream
15 oz. chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp corn starch

Cut chicken into pieces and brown in pan. While cooking, start topping by adding corn starch to chicken broth (do it cold says Dione, adding corn starch to hot chicken broth will make it lumpy. Don't ask me how I know.) Stir with whisk and put on medium heat. Once it starts to thicken, add sour cream and move to back burner on med-low.

In a deep skillet bring enchilada sauce to low boil and put one tortilla in 'til soft (1 - 1 1/2 minutes) Remove carefully, put on plate and make another. When you've got about five done, start assembly line: add chicken, cheese, almonds, chiles, olives, onions.**

Roll 'em (flip over a tiny bit, flip in ends, then roll). Lay seam side down in baking pan. Do the same with remaining tortillas. Usually takes a 9x13 plus a small one. If there is enough enchilada sauce, spread some on bottom of pan. Spread leftover assembly line ingredients on top. Pour sour cream mixture over the top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Serve with hot rice (which takes an hour so start it first!)

* I use 1 lb. jack plus 1/2 lb. mozarella

** I used to roll the enchiladas like this but it took forever and my entire kitchen would end up covered in enchilada sauce. Now I just tear up the tortillas and make this as a casserole, in layers... a layer of tortillas, pour on some enchilada sauce, add the chicken and other stuff, another layer of tortillas, more enchilada sauce, etc... then the topping. So much easier, a whole lot less messy and tastes just as good.

The Hot Rice that's supposed to go with Dione's enchiladas

1 1/2 cups rice
3 cans of beef consumme
whole green chiles (bigger can, 3-4 chiles)
small block jack cheese

In skillet, brown rice with butter. Cut chile in half, open and cut in half again.

Cut cheese into thin strips (finger-size) wrap chiles around cheese, lay seam-side down in pyrex baking dish.

Add 1 can of consumme to rice and simmer until all our most has soaked in. Pour rice on top of chiles and add to remaining cans of consumme.

Bake at 375 for one hour

(one can consumme per 1/2 cup rice if you want to make more or less)

World's Best Carrot Cake (according to Deni 12/95)

2 cups sugar
4 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
3 tsp. vanilla (or more)
2 cups flour
3 1/2 cups grated carrots
3 tsp. soda
3 - 4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt (optional)

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add liquids. Mix well. Blend in carrots. Put in greased and floured 9x13 pan or 3 layer pans. Bake at 325 degrees, 9x13 1 hour or more and approximately 45 minutes for layer pans. Top with cream cheese frosting.

Carrot cake frosting

1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 stick butter or margarine
1 box powdered sugar
nuts (optional)

Blend butter and cream cheese with powdered sugar. Mix well. Spread on cooled carrot cake. Top with nuts if desired.

(Photo of Denise as a little girl. How cute is she!?!?)

Fun & Fantasy Apple Cake

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 - 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 cups apples, pared, cored and chopped

In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, eggs, flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix together with walnuts and apples, then add to sugar and flour mixture. Mix all ingredients and spread in ungreased 9x13 pan.

Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes.

(recipe from Mom, contributed by Dione)

A quick search on the word "cook" in my sisters' email folder revealed, among other things:

Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2003 18:02:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: "denise"
Subject: like this...
To: dione

Darin and I go back and forth like this several times a day. I love it. Sometimes it is about nothing. About maybe how she has been chasing the Fed Ex guy around the parking lot - and there is chicken fried steak at the cafe and no one to join her.

I'll tell her how I almost burned down the kitchen cooking breakfast, spent the morning hosing the dog pee/poop off the back porch. Real important stuff you see.

Every once in a while we have something drastically important to say to each other. Like the morning I found out Karyn had her tongue pierced and I was fit to be tied!!! She was the first one I turned to cuz I knew she would let me rant and vent.....

and this:


Date:Wed, 16 Oct 2002 15:04:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Dione"
Subject: The Five Secrets to a Great Relationship
To: "Cara" , "Darin"

Aha!!!

The Five Secrets to a Great Relationship
1. It is important to find a man who works around the house, occasionally cooks and cleans and who has a job.
2. It is important to find a man who makes you laugh.
3. It is important to find a man who is dependable and doesn't lie.
4. It is important to find a man who's good in bed and who loves to have sex with you.
5. It is important that these four men never meet.

Basic Crepes

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 eggs

In medium bowl whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Batter should be consistency of whipping cream (that's whippING cream not whippED cream says Dione... You can beat this stuff for days and it will never reach the consistency of WHIPPED cream, don't ask me how I know.)

Refrigerate batter 30 minutes. Heat crepe pan (or a non-stick pan with rounded sides says Dione) over medium high heat until hot; brush with oil. Pour 3 Tbsp. batter into pan; tilt pan so batter covers bottom of pan. (Actually better yet, have Scott do this part, says Dione... cuz he's really good at it and can flip them up in the air with ease.) Cook crepe until light brown on both sides, turning once. Repeat until all batter is used. Cool crepes. Place waxed paper between crepes when stacking.

Note from Dione: While the crepe is still hot, top with any combination of: chocolate chips, nutella, nuts, whipped cream, powdered sugar, syrup or pretty much whatever makes you happy. The recipe, which I got from the Carnival Creations cookbook says it makes 20 but Scott never gets that many.

(recipe contributed by Dione)

Dione's Chocolate Kahlua Cake

1 chocolate cake mix with pudding in the mix
1 small package instant chocolate pudding
1/4 cup oil
3 eggs
1 16 oz. sour cream
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (pecans are good)
1/2 cup kahlua

Mix all of the above in a large bowl (Do NOT use an electric mixer). Pour into greased/floured bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until tests done. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Grandma Bea's Doughnuts

Beat well:
8 egg yolks (or 4 whole eggs)

Beat in:
2 cups sugar
4 Tbsp. soft shortening

Stir in:
1 1/2 cups thick buttermilk

Sift together and then stir in:
7 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Chill dough 2 hours. Heat fat while rolling and cutting doughnuts. Fry until brown. Drain over kettle, then on absorbent paper in warm place. Seve plain, sugared, or glazed.

Note: the amount and kind of spice mayb be varied to suit individual taste. 2 tsp. vanilla can be used in place of spices.

Temp of fat: 370 to 380 degrees F.
Amount: 4 dozen doughnuts

Grandma McGraw's Chocolate Pudding

Sift together:

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
3 heaping Tbsp. cocoa

1 quart scalded milk (hot but not boiling says Dione... cuz I had to check with Mom)

Add dry ingredients slowly, stirring constantly. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla and about 1 Tbsp. butter. Mmmm...

Grandma Bea's Haystacks

12 oz. pkg. butterscotch chips
1 cup peanut butter (or peanut butter chips says Dione)
1 can chow mein noodles
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Melt chips and peanut butter in double boiler (or microwave carefully says Dione). Add noodles and marshmallows. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper. Chill (in other words, relax, says Dione).

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

INGREDIENTS:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 onion, finely diced
2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces (I've never used the refrigerated dough because I don't usually have it on hand, bisquick dumplings - recipe on box -work just fine - Dione)

DIRECTIONS:
Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

(recipe contributed by Dione)

Brunch Cake

Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan. Remove crusts and evenly place a layer of bread slices. Add on top of bread:
2 cups chopped ham or 1 lb. fried bacon, crumbled
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped onion (or try 2 tablespoonsmustard)

Add another layer of bread:
6-8 eggs (beaten) with 1 ¾ cups milk

Pour over all of above, cover with foil andrefrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered at 350 degreesfor 30 minutes.

Top with:

¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1can cream of mushroom soup

Bake 30 minutes more; cover with foil and leave in warm oven until ready to serve. This recipe came from “Favorite CHS Recipes”(Children’s Home Society) pg. 119

(recipe contributed by Deni)

Grandma Bea's Hot Dish

1 lb ground beef, browned
1 large can chow mein noodles
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup onions
1 can chicken and rice soup
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1 10 oz package mixed frozen vegetables

Saute celery and onions; add to meat. Add soups andvegetables. Mix in most of the chow mein noodles(save some to sprinkle on top). Bake in casserole for 1 hour at 350 degrees - Bernice Nelson

(recipe contributed by Deni)

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

No messy clean-up with this one. Just mix and bake in the same pan. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups hot water
1 pint vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In ungreased 9 x 9 inch square pan stir together flour, sugar, 2 Tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt. Mix in milk, oil, and vanilla with fork until smooth. Stir in nuts. Spread evenly in pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Pour hot water over batter. Bake 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes; cut into squares. Invert each square onto dessert plate. Top with ice cream and spoon sauce over each serving. Makes 9 servings.

(recipe contributed by Dione. Photo of Amanda, almost two)

King Ranch Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
2 (8 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
12 (8 inch) flour tortillas
3 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add chicken and bouillon and boil for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through (no longer pink inside). Reserve 1 cup broth. Remove chicken from pan and dice; set aside.

In a separate large saucepan combine reserved broth, onion, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, bell pepper, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers and beans. Mix together and heat through, stirring often.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a 9x13 inch baking dish layer casserole as follows: 4 torn tortillas, 1/2 of diced chicken, 1/3 of soup mixture, more tortilla strips, remaining diced chicken, 1/3 of soup mixture, more tortilla strips and remaining soup mixture. Cover with cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

(recipe contributed by Dione, photo in memory of whatshisname)

Easy Mexican Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef
2 cups salsa
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, drained
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 cups sour cream
1 (2 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink. Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in beans, and heat through.
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread crushed tortilla chips in dish, and then spoon beef mixture over chips. Spread sour cream over beef, and sprinkle olives, green onion, and tomato over the sour cream. Top with Cheddar cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

(Dione says: I always add a packet of taco seasoning to the meat and I use torn up flour tortillas instead of tortilla chips because I always think the chips will get soggy. Sometimes I'll throw some chips on top if we have them.)

(recipe contributed by Dione)