Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
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Holiday festive preparations are underway is most Inland Northwest homes. Lights hung, trees up and packages being wrapped. Gifts from the kitchen can spread Christmas cheer when sharing the seasons greetings with neighbors and friends. During the summer months I like to make jams and jellies to share with neighbors and friends. Gifts of homemade cookies, candies and breads are on my culinary calendar this week. Crock Pot Candy (Peanut Clusters) a recipe previously shared by...
Thanksgiving menus are being planned in many Inland Northwest homes, Turkey, ham, prime rib roast may be the center piece of the meal but the memories are often in the side dishes. For many, the best part is the dressing or stuffing. Traditional, cornbread or even a vegetable stuffing, flavor a turkey or fill a casserole dish on the side for ham and roasts. Corn bread stuffing can be purchased as a mix, but fresh corn bread is far superior, in achieving a savory dressing. Corn bread absorbs lots of liquid, and fresh...
Windy weather and chilly temperatures, combined with crazy sports schedules, reduced the number of trick or treaters in many areas. What to do with the leftover candy after all the favorites are eaten. What can we do with the rest? Make cookies, of course. Halloween candy Cookies is a recipes I have had in my collection for many years, and it is great for using up all kinds of candy. Butterfingers, Heath Bars, Twizzlers, jelly beans, Whoppers, Twix, any candy you can chop into chip size pieces will work. They could be called...
Pumpkins and all sorts of winter squash are currently plentiful in the markets. Many of the decorative varieties also make good pumpkin puree for fall recipes. Pumpkin and squash add vitamins and fiber to meals. Rich desserts benefit from the creamy texture. Tracy Walter share the recipe for the Pumpkin Better Than Sex Cake she made for a birthday gathering. This is a poke style cake with sweetened condensed milk added after baking. Boxed cake mix and bottled caramel sauce make this recipe easy to prepare, but do plan for sev...
Frost is on the pumpkins and tomatoes throughout the Inland Northwest. Garden cleanup time is in full swing. End of season tomatoes can be turned into fresh salsa or traditional Pico de Gallo. Late ripening tomatoes tend to be dryer so the salsa is thicker. Ingredients in both versions of salsa are similar. Generally Pico de Gallo does not include sweet bell pepper, whereas fresh Salsa often includes some bell pepper. Best Fresh Tomato Salsa 3 cups finely chopped tomatoes 1 cup finely diced onion 1/2 cup finely chopped green...
Autumn has begun. Pumpkins are ripening, and showing up at markets. Pumpkin pie, muffins, cookies and bread recipes are on area cooks minds. You can buy canned prepared pumpkin, but the fresh flavor of a sugar pie pumpkin is exceptional. Though pie pumpkins are best for texture and flavor, any pumpkin or winter squash may be used to make the solid puree required for most recipes. Preparation takes a little time but is quite easy to do, and there are many methods, from boiling to baking. The following method is my favorite...
Fall festivals and fairs fill almost every Inland Northwest weekend throughout September and October. Most events find some organization offering a bake sale. One of the most coveted items at Odessa bake sales is German Chocolate Cake. German chocolate cake, is not German at all. The original recipe, German’s Chocolate Cake, was developed and distributed by German’s Brand Baking Company. What makes this cake different from other chocolate cakes is the type of chocolate. The...
Fresh baked cookies are a treat, even on a hot summer day, as long as there is a cold glass of milk or lemonade to accompany them. Some years ago I purchased some frozen cookie dough balls from kids selling them for a fundraiser. Finding it so convenient to bake one pan at a time, I thought why not do this with my own recipes. I have found that it works well with any high fat cookie, like chocolate chip or peanut butter. Zucchini in cookies had always made me think they were...
Summer gardens are at peak production. Zucchini squash and cucumbers are abundant. A creamy cucumber salad is a refreshing addition to any summer meal. I recently tried a Better Homes and Gardens recipe for Creamy Cucumber Salad. The recipe gives the option of using dill or chives, but I put in both. Creamy Cucumber Salad 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt 1 Tbsp vinegar 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp dried dill or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives Dash ground black pepper 3 cups peeled...
Hot August days and harvest season have many area cooks searching for quick to fix meals that don't heat up the kitchen and house. Spaghetti is often the fall back meal in cooler months, but summer time and boiling noodles don't go together as well. Researching recipes to prepare with the kids in the summer recreation cooking class, I am always looking for something main dish for the kids to learn to make. One-Dish Microwave Spaghetti fits the bill in both areas. Everything...
Summer activities for kids throughout the Inland Northwest vary from community to community. I have had the privilege of teaching basic cooking skills to Odessa area youngsters for the past few Wednesdays. They have been enjoying sharing the recipes and their newly learned skills with their families. The first week, students made Grands! Biscuit Pizza. Easy individual pizzas made with refrigerator biscuit dough for the crust and topped with kid favorites, pepperoni and cheese. Students learned about measuring carefully so...
Cherry season is in full swing throughout the Inland Northwest. Fresh Bing and Rainer cherries need little but a good wash, and eaten fresh out of hand. Pie cherries are another story, without added sugar, they are pretty tart. Cherry pie or cobbler is a favorite of many, but pie cherries or tart bush cherries also make wonderful jam or jelly. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made with cherry jelly are a taste bud treat. If you have bush cherries and have wondered what to do...
Culinary Arts, cooking and baking, candy making are just as creative as any quilting, sewing or craft project. Someone is thinking up something new all the time. Pancake bites came onto my radar over the past couple of weeks, and I discovered there are dozens of recipes available for these tasty treats. Some pancake bites are sweet and filled with fruit, and others are savory and include sausage or other meats. Some recipes start with pancake mix and others are, from scratch,...
Rhubarb in area gardens is flourishing in the current cool nights, recent rains and sunny, but not too hot days. This tart vegetable is used mostly as a fruit in a vast array of dessert recipes, jams and jellies. Rhubarb pie is a favorite of many, others like cobblers and crisps. Karma Henry shared a recipe for Baked Sticky Pudding several years ago, and it was included in this column at that time. This simple to prepare recipe captures the fresh spring flavor of rhubarb witho...
Asparagus season is in full swing. Steamed, roasted, grilled, or sliced raw in salads, so many ways to prepare this spring vegetable. Pickled Asparagus is a favorite of many and it is fairly easy to make your own. Water bath canning is all that is needed for most pickle recipes, requiring only a deep kettle, canning jars with lids and rings. I received the following recipe in 1987 from the now late, Marilyn Fink, and have shared it in this column several times. It’s a great r...
Well, it finally happened. After 24 plus years of writing this column, I missed a deadline. Sorry readers for disappointing you last week. We are here to make up for it this week. Merleen Smith shared her recipe for the Pizza Spaghetti Pie she served to a community youth group in April. The recipe is easy to prepare, and even with cooking the pasta, the dish can be ready to eat in under an hour. Pizza Spaghetti Pie 12 ounces of spaghetti, cooked and drained 2/3 cup milk 3...
Easter eggs and a Pinterest post got me thinking about Grandma Claudius Deviled Eggs. The post was about the worlds best Deviled Eggs. That recipe included a lot of different ingredients, plus Grandma's, not so secret ingredient, butter. If you have boiled eggs you should use up, or are in the mood for deviled eggs, here is my best guess at the amounts. Grandma Claudius Deviled Eggs 12 hard boiled eggs 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tsp prepared mustard 2 Tbsp very soft butter 1/8 tsp g...
Springtime, April showers, May flowers, and little chicks and ducklings. Speaking of ducks, spring is the season for duck eggs. If you haven’t tried baking with duck eggs, take advantage of those being offered on many area virtual yard sales. The extra large size and 50/50 balance of yolk to white will add increased richness to your baked goods. You haven’t lived until you have eaten Duck Egg Pancakes, a perfect treat to fix for Easter morning or anytime of day you are serving...
Recent windy weather around the Inland Northwest is a reminder that March is attempting to go out like a lion. Roaring winds and ice filled rain storms make a hot bowl of soup a comforting meal. Some folks like anything called soup, others are more particular. Some prefer broth based soups and others a creamy or stew style soup. Then there are those who won’t eat soup, but chili is a favorite. Cheesy Enchilada Chili, brought by Kim Powers to a recent soup supper is a creamy s...
Leeks, like onions and garlic are members of the allium family. They are the milder, sweeter of the three. They look like a giant green onion, and the white and light green parts are used in cooking, while the dark green parts are quite tough and stringy. Turkey Leek Shepherds Pie is the third in our group of diabetic friendly recipes. This one was the least favorite among my taste testers, finding it rather bland. The recipe is presented as written, but substitutions I recomm...
Cooking for special diets can be daunting. Salt, butter and sugar, the principle ingredients to enhance flavor, generally need to be reduced or eliminated. Allergies to nuts or additives necessitate eliminating the feature ingredient in other recipes. My recent foray into testing recipes suitable for diabetic diets, particularly those using exchanges, formed this observation. Portion control by the eater, and precise measuring by the cook, are most important. If the recipe...
Casseroles are an economical and savory way to stretch food budget dollars. Pasta and potatoes are often the foundation ingredient to stretch a pound of ground beef or a couple of chicken breast to feed a family. Several folks have asked if I would print some recipes suitable for diabetic diets and are flavorful enough to satisfy the rest of the family. A little online research brought up several appealing options. Pastry-Topped Turkey Casserole, found on the Taste of Home...
Valentines Day calls for some special treats. Hot Cocoa Crinkle Cookies are a delicious chocolate cookie studded with Hot Cocoa and Marshmallow Chips. Sarah Voise made these for a recent coffee hour and they were a hit. The chips are a specialty, seasonal item made by the Nestle Company, so you may want to try this recipe soon. These cookies would make a nice addition to a bowl game buffet. Hot Cocoa Crinkle Cookies 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt...
Fresh potatoes, a staple in most kitchen pantries, have a shelf life. You may have them correctly stored in a cool dark place, but nature is telling them to begin sprouting, prepare for the new season of planting and growing. Time to make potato soup. The potatoes may be a bit soft and sprouts are started, but they will make a nice soup. Simply remove the sprouts, peel and remove any areas starting to green and you are ready chop, slice or dice for your favorite soup recipe....
New Years resolutions, what are you resolving to change in your kitchen/menu routines? Pantry organization, less food waste, balanced diet are just a few of the changes to consider. An organized pantry can facilitate reduced food waste and incentive for preparing balanced meals. By this time the new year, any leftovers from holiday meals should have been eaten or put into the freezer to use later. This week I will be giving my refrigerator a good cleaning, removing anything...
