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April 27, 2007

No Bakes (Mountain Bars)

Submitted by: Anonymous

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups quick oats
1 cup ground coconut (optional)

Instructions:
Boil sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa powder for one minute, then take of stove. Add peanut butter, then add vanilla and oats. Stir, then scoop on to cookie sheet(s). (Note: when you add the vanilla and oats, you can put some coconut in it, too.. about 1 cup).

April 18, 2007

Just A Reminder

A quick note to remind you that there is less than two weeks left until the submission deadline for the Maidens of Virtue Poetry Contest! Remember, entries must be received or postmarked by April 30th, 2007 to be valid.

Click here to submit an entry electronically.

April 14, 2007

Some More Recipes


The BEST Apple Pie

Ingredients:
Filling
4 cups or more sliced apples
½ cup sugar
4½ tsp. cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
Juice of ½ a lemon
Cinnamon, to taste (optional)

Crust

¼ cup cool water
2 cups flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
¼ tsp. salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a small bowl. Peel and slice apples, tossing as you go with a spoonful of the sugar/cornstarch mixture and a squeeze of lemon juice, until you have used it all. Add cinnamon if desired.
For the crust, remove 1/3 cup flour from the 2 cups and mix the 1/3 cup in a bowl with the ¼ cup cool water, until it forms a paste. In a large bowl, cut the butter into the remaining flour and salt with a pastry blender or fork. Mixture should be crumbly. Add the paste to the flour/ butter mixture and stir using the back of a fork (or a dough hook on a kitchen mixer) until dough forms a ball.
Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Heavily flour rolling surface and rolling pin. Roll out bottom crust to 1/8 inch thick; place in a 9-inch pie plate. Fill with apples and dot with butter (optional). Roll out top crust, place on top and crimp edge with a fork. Pierce the top of the pie a dozen times. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and bake another 50 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.
The crust recipe can be used for any pie, including savory pies, such as chicken pot pie, etc. I was a novice at pie baking when I first used this recipe, and the crust came out perfect!


Great Grandpa Herald's Winter Potato Soup

Contributed by: Tiffany

Have a large iron soup pot nice and hot. Have a pound of thick sliced bacon cut into quarters. Fry until crispy around the edges. Fry 1 large or two medium onions in the bacon fat. Add garlic at the last if liked, last add 7 medium russet potatos cubed. Brown slightly and have 4 cups of hot water ready to go. Add this to the pot, allow to boil up and add two cups scalded milk. Stir down and season with lots of black pepper. Cover and simmer until the soup is thick rich and bublly. Serve with good homemade bread and hot cider.
Make this when the wind howls and the snow flies outside.


Banana Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter – very soft
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 Tbsp. vinegar plus milk to make ½ cup liquid

Instructions:
Sift flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Grease loaf pan. Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour mixture alternately with bananas and liquid, beating well after each. Pour into loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes or until done.

April 11, 2007

A Great Deal...

For a long time we have been keeping our eyes open for cast iron skillets at a reasonable price. Cast iron is supposed to be healthier to cook on (as long as it is not coated with a non-stick finish) and lasts forever. We had found some, and though they were inexpensive, we hadn't yet ordered them. Mom wanted to hold off a little longer just in case something better came along.
Well, our little bit of extra patience paid off! Mom received an email with a great deal - a set of 3 pans (7, 9 and 11 inch), for only $9.99! Plus, there was a coupon code that brought the price down to $7.49! So we got 3 sets, one for use now, and one for me and one for my sister to put in our hope chests.
I thought I'd pass on the deal... so here is the link: http://www.boscovs.com/StoreFrontWeb/Product.bos?itemNumber=20784&type=Product, and the coupon code is: PR247.

Happy cooking!

April 10, 2007

Work & Play

By Miss Emily Grace Wengerd


I like to work as well as play,

But work sure does more good,

And every time I work for Mom,

I'm doing what I should.


And when I play instead of work,

When Mom says that I may,

It sure feels good to run around,

Enjoying all my play.


Sometimes when Mom gives me a job,

I'd rather not do work,

But it is good to faithful be—

My duty not to shirk.



Used by permission of Keepers at Home Magazine - 1.800.852.4482