Snickers Salad

Almost every 4th of July our family gathers at our lake in Northern Missouri for our annual reunion. These reunions have been the basis for many a wonderful memory and a smorgasbord of delicious food. Last year it was my Niece Natalie that took the show with this, simple yet oh so wonderful salad. (i like calling it a salad, it makes me feel better about myself when, I am on my 3rd or 4th helping)

Ingredients:

2 boxes instant vanilla pudding

2 cups milk

4-5 apples

4-5 snickers (big bars)

12 oz cool whip

Cut up apples in small pieces

Cut up Snickers in bite sized pieces

Add milk to pudding & stir, add cool whip and fold in gently

Mix in apples and Snickers 

Enjoy!!

Deluxe Pecan Pie

For years I wasn't much of a Pecan Pie fan. But, I had family members that would request them from time to time.  I finally realized that for me, there wasn't near enough filling for my liking so, I began to experiment and this is the result of my effort.  At least for me it did the trick, it is now among my favorite pies.

Ingredients:

1 piecrust*
1 1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs
2 1/2 cups toasted pecan halves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Make the piecrust and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Bake the crust until light golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Whisk the corn syrup, brown sugar, salt, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, then whisk into the corn syrup mixture.

Finely chop 1 cup pecans and spread evenly over the piecrust.

Take remaining 2 cup pecans and mix into the corn syrup mixture, then pour the filling into the crust.

Bake the pie, 40 to 50 minutes. (it will appear to be VERY loose, don't worry it will be perfect when it cools) Cool completely on a rack.

Piecrust recipe can be found- http://thymesweetenedhoney.blogspot.com/2013/07/hot-water-pie-crust.html

Bread and Butter Pickles

This year my garden was overrun with an abundance of cucumbers.  My thoughts turned to pickles and the only recipe in the family archives was a concoction of my fathers he called, 'Converted Dills'.  I simply refuse to use this Lime Kool-Aid based recipe so I went in search of a Bread and Butter pickle that my whole family could enjoy. 

I wanted something simple, quick, tasty, and crispy.  No soft, mushy pickles here, I made several attempts and in the end this was a combination of several recipes that gave me the desired results. 

6 cups (1 1/2 pounds) thinly sliced pickling cucumbers*
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

1. Combine cucumbers and salt in a large, shallow bowl; cover and chill 1 1/2 hours. Move cucumbers into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well, and return cucumbers to bowl. Add onion to the bowl.

2. Combine sugar and remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour hot vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture; let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Regular pickles work well too, the seeds tend to be bigger but, the taste is still wonderful.

Broccoli Soup

This is one of my first ever copy cat recieps.  Here in the midwest we used to have a restaurant called Rax.  They served a Broccoli Soup on their salad bar that my son would beg for.  Being a young mother with 2 small kids the budget was tight so I set out to make this at home.  My son may have grown up but, even at the ripe old age of 26 there are times he still begs for Broccoli Soup.

2 Large Heads of Broccoli

2 Cans Chicken Broth

2 Cans of Water

1 pint heavy cream

4 tbls butter

4 tbls flour

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Cut up broccoli into medium sized pieces. 

Add 2 cans chicken broth and 2 cans of water to a large pot add ¾ of the broccoli and bring to a boil and let broccoli get mushy.  Whisk to break up broccoli until it is all incorporated.  Add remaining broccoli and boil until it is fork tender.

Add heavy cream, salt and pepper to taste.

In a sauce pan melt butter add flour cook until brown, add the soup a little at a time to the thickened flour until it begins to incorporate then add it to the pot.

Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese.

Laundry Detergent

This makes 1/2 Gallon of concentrate

1 bar Fels Naptha

1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

4 cups of hot water

Step 1: Put 4 cups of water in a large heavy saucepan over high heat. While that is heating, mix the borax and washing soda together in a bowl, mixing well, set aside.

Step 2: Grate the Fels Naptha- I use a handheld cheese grater

Step 3: Add the freshly grated soap to the water in the saucepan, stirring almost constantly. Reduce the heat to medium, It will take approximately 10 – 15 minutes for the Fels Naptha to complete dissolve.

Step 4: Once the fels naptha has completely melted, remove the pan from the heat and add in the Borax and the Washing Soda, stirring constantly until the powders are completely dissolved, this will take about 3-5 minutes.

Step 5: Pour the liquid equally into (2) 1 quart Mason jars.

Step 6: Add just enough water to bring the contents to leaving approximately 1 ½ inches of headspace.

Step 7: Put the lid on the jars and turn them UPSIDE DOWN and let them sit a few hours (about 4 - 5 hours). The reason for this is that the soap is going to Separate into layers while it's resting and occasionally will form crystals on the bottom.

Step 8: Place the entire contents of mason jar in the blender and whip until smooth and creamy throughout, about a minute. Pour back into mason jars to store.

Lasagna-Helen Rooks

I don't know how other families came up with menus for the week but, growing up we seemed to have the standards, Meatloaf, Roast, Fried Chicken, Vegetable Soup, Chicken Fried Steak, Hamburgers, Cold Cut Sandwiches, on endless rotation. Week after week it was as though variety was not our strong suit, oh of course there were your occasional Potato Soup, BLT's, Spaghetti or heaven forbid, Salmon Patty dinners (shudder) but, I don't recall that we ventured out-of-bounds too often.

My Mom was a great colletor of recipes. The recipe boxes are absolutely chocked full of recipes I never ate and I am fairly certain she never prepared. However, one recipe managed to slip through the ranks and Lasagna made an occasional appearance into the Rooks family menu rotation.

I LOVE this lasagna but, I will warn you, this isn't a traditional lasagna in the classic 'italian' sense. So, this may be more for my family to remember the traditional recipes that graced our table than, one for you to serve your Italian neighbors.  But, it is one of those dishes for me, that conjures up warm and fuzzy feelings of home.

     
8 oz package lasagna noodles
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 Tblsp shortening
1 lb ground beef
1/2 finely chopped onion
2 cups Traditional Ragu Sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups Mozzerella Cheese-Shredded

Cook noodles according to directions, drain. Mix cottage cheese and sour cream and pour over noodles, toss to coat.

Brown ground beef and onion in shortening. After browned drain and add Ragu and mix well.

In casserole dish arrange in alternate layers noodle mixture, sauce, cheese, repeat-beginning with noodles on the bottom and ending with cheese on top.

Bake 45mins at 350 degrees

New England Style Potato Salad-Harmon and Helen Rooks

OK, so as near as I know this story, this recipe was concocted by my Mom and Dad as a copycat recipe to some potato salad they had at a deli in Connecticut while, visiting my Dads sister Carolyn and her family.   I had to give this recipe an official name so I picked one, based on the background story of it's origin.  I'll take suggestions if someone has a better one!!

Ingredients:

6 russett potatos
1 small jar of diced pimento peppers (1/4 cup)
1 cup Miracle Whip
1 cup French Onion Dip (french onion dip has a wide variety of tastes and textures, the one my Mom used when I was small was Adams, they are no longer in buisness, it took several years before they found a comparable one which was A&E.  I have lived in areas where this wasn't available and found a comparable source with Prarie Farms.)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Peel and dice potatoes into 1/2" cubes.  Boil just until tender. Drain and cool in refregerator.

Combine Miracle whip, french onion dip, pimentos, salt and pepper in a bowl, mix well, toss with cooled potatoes.

Chopped Apple Cake- by Helen Rooks

This is one of the first recipes of my Moms that I learned to bake.  It's easy and delicious!!

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
4 cups diced raw apples
2 tsp soda
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Sift together soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and flour

Cream together butter and sugar

Add eggs blend well

Add sifted dry ingredients

Stir in apples and nuts

Bake in a 9 x 5" loaf pan for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Cool Cake-by Mike Rooks Family

Every family recipe archive has a 'poke cake' in it's files.  This one is ours and I know, I am probably biased but, it is so much better than other similar cakes I have tried.

Many years ago my brother Scott had an occasion to visit our older brother Mike at his home in Aurora, Il. For dessert they had this Cool Cake, Scott came home singing the praises of this unique dessert so, my Mom requested the recipe.  This quickly became a standard at many family gatherings.

Cake Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cup flavored soda pop (strawberry, orange, pineapple...)
1 large box of Jello (the same flavor as your soda pop)
1 1/2 cups boiling water

Make and bake cake according to package directions.  After baking cook cake and poke holes with toothpick. (you want lots of small holes, do not use a wooden spoon handle as with many poke cakes)

Combine Jello and boiling water and stir until completely dissolved, add pop, stir together and immediately pour slowly over cake.

Refrigerate until cold. 2-3 hours

Frosting Ingredients:

1 Large box instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
2 cups cool whip

After cake has chilled-

Mix pudding and milk together and whisk to combine.  Fold in cool whip.  Frost cake and return to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Keep refrigerated.

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies-by Tami Powers

After Steve and I were first married I would bake desserts and treats that Steve could take in his lunches.  He insisted  that he wanted Oatmeal cookies but, this is not something I had a recipe for.  I started with a recipe from the back of the Oatmeal box but, they were too dry, then I tried a recipe from a standard cookbook but, they were too bland.  I tried to combine the two recipes one day but, I ran short of butter.  I had read that people were adding applesauce in the place of oil/butter in some dessert recipes to make them more health conscience.  I had a little applesauce so, I gave it a try and Voila, they were exactly they right texture, a lot of flavor, and they stayed moist for days.  OK, not days, cookies never lasts for days around here but, they were moist to the very last cookie.  

These Oatmeal Cookies are soft and chewy, the applesauce adds flavor and keeps them so moist. They are absolutely perfect with walnuts and/or raisins.

Ingredients

¾ cups shortening

¼ cup butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs
1tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup applesauce
1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

3 cups uncooked oats

1 ½  cups walnuts and/or raisins to your liking

Cream together shortening and butter, add brown and granulated sugar and beat until it turns light in color.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

Add applesauce and Oats beat just until incorporated.

Mix together flour, salt soda, and cinnamon. Add to creamed butter/eggs and mix lightly.

Remove from mixture and add nuts and /or raisins.

Chill in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight

Bake 8 mins at 350 degree oven.  

Do not overbake, let sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool.