What

Whats Cooking at
Beckert?
A collection of favorite recipes and signature dishes
of friends and family
These are special recipes from the Spraggs, Reed, Schwab, and Wilson families
plus a few other favorites.
Thanks so much to all of you who contributed to this collection.
And a special thank you to Barb Spraggs for carefully reviewing the recipes in this revision
(and sincere apologies to those of you who experienced problems with recipes in the 2008
version such as adding 3 cups of water instead of 3 tablespoons to a cookie recipe).

Rich Spraggs
December 2008 (revised December 2014)
Piqua, Ohio
rich.spraggs@gmail.com

-2-


CONTENTS
Snacks, Starters, and Sauces.4
Drinks..10
Soups..13
Salads.15
Side Dishes22
Entrees32
Deserts and Sweets.57
Breakfast.73
Miscellany..76

NOTES

-3-


SNACKS, STARTERS, AND SAUCES

A Date with Mrs. Ball

Rae Spraggs
pitted dates (whole)
cream cheese
Mrs. Balls Chutney
prosciutto [aged, dry-cured, spiced Italian ham that is usually sliced thin and served raw]
Split open the dates. Blend equal amounts of cream cheese and chutney. Stuff the dates with
the mixture and wrap with thin strips of prosciutto (they will stay together without toothpicks).
[If you do not have Mrs. Balls Chutney, you can substitute another chutney and call the appetizer
A Date with a Pig.]

Bourbon Chicken Baste

Barb Spraggs
cup apple juice
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
teaspoon ginger
teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
splash of bourbon (optional)

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Mix the above ingredients and simmer together. Baste chicken while roasting in oven or
rotisserie.

Candied Dill Pickle Chips

Jean Wilson Reed
1 qt. hamburger dill pickle chips, drained
3-4 tbsp. vinegar
1 heaping tsp. celery seed

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 c. sugar

Mix the vinegar and sugar and refrigerate until the sugar dissolves. Then mix in the pickles and
other ingredients in. Keep refrigerated.

-4-

Chicken Dip
Brooke Miller
A favorite of the Beckert Big Brother fans, Summer 2008
1 can (12.5 oz.) chicken (drained, chopped)
2 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese
8 tbsp. butter
4 tsp. Original Hidden Valley Ranch (dry mix)

tsp. garlic powder

8 tsp. lemon juice
8 tbsp. onion, minced

Melt the butter and cream cheese in microwave. Mix in other ingredients. Serve warm in crockpot with crackers.

Chutney
Chutneys Vidalia Onion Dip
Jean Wilson Reed
But theres no chutney in the dipoh, yeah thats what you guys call my grandma.
(Katie Wilson, December 2007)
2 c. chopped Vidalia onions
2 c. grated Swiss cheese

2 c. mayonnaise

Mix ingredients together. Pour into a shallow baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.
Serve with crackers, chips, or raw vegetables.

Dried Plum and Engraulidae Hors d

d Oeuvres
Rich Spraggs
1 pkg. of prunes
1 can anchovies
Wad up an anchovy and shove it into the hole in the prune created by the pitting process.
Arrange on a platter and garnish with parsley sprigs and red pepper rings.

Guacamole
Adapted by Rich Spraggs from www.foodnetwork.com (Alton Brown)
A Tom Wesfall favorite
3 avocados, halved, seeded, peeled
1 lime, juiced
teaspoon kosher salt
teaspoon ground cumin
teaspoon cayenne

medium onion, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

-5-

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice; toss to coat. Drain (reserving
the lime juice) after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt,
cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1
tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.
Leave the pit in the mixture until served to help retain freshness.
This is really good, but if you dont have a lot of time, I have found mixing avocados with lime,
cilantro, and c. per avocado or so of the fresh refrigerated super-market style salsa is really
good too (just leave out the salt, cumin, cayenne, onion, tomatoes, and garlic). Wondering what
to do with the pits? See the Miscellany section.

Hot Pepper Peach Cheese Ball

Brenda Wilson
2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
jar of Rothschilds Hot Pepper Peach Preserves
Swiss or mozzarella cheese, grated

1 small bunch of green onions

2 tablespoons green chilies

Mix and top with grated cheese. You can purchase Rothschild products at Fulton Farms in Troy
or at the Hotel Gallery on Main Street in Tipp City.

Mustard Sauce
Margaret Hinsch
c. sugar
2 tbsp. dry mustard
1 egg yolk

pt. whipping cream

pinch of salt

Mix the sugar, mustard, and egg yolk. Scald the cream in a double boiler. Pour over the dry
ingredients. Return to double boiler, add salt, and stir until thick and smooth. Serve at room
temperature. [Using a microwave is much easier than risking burning the cream during the
scalding process. Margaret Hinsch would make this mustard sauce and serve it with ham at the
Hinsch family and friends annual Christmas tree decorating party. Margaret used an heirloom
silver spoon to serve the mustard She told me it had been re-silvered a couple of times.]

Pesto
Brenda Wilson
2 c. fresh basil leaves, solidly packed
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/3 c. pine nuts, lightly toasted
c. extra-virgin olive oil
tsp. salt

pinch of freshly ground pepper

c. Parmesan, freshly grated
c. Pecorino*, freshly grated
2 tbsp. unsalted butter (at room temp.)
-6-

Place the basil, garlic, pine nuts, oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor and blend for about 20
seconds to make a smooth, even puree. Transfer to a bowl and, using a wooden spoon, beat
in the grated cheese and butter. If using the pesto as a pasta sauce, place it in the serving bowl
and add 2 tbsp. of the cooking water from the pasta and blend. Toss the drained pasta with the
pesto sauce.
Pesto can be stored in a glass jar, topped with a little olive oil, and covered with plastic wrap
(press directly onto the surface to prevent discoloration). It will keep refrigerated for several
months or frozen up to 3 months.
*Italian cheese made from sheeps milk.

Pesto and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Adapted by Julie Spraggs from www.kraftfoods.com
1 tub (8 oz.) cream cheese spread, divided
cup pesto
1 container (16 oz.) sour cream, divided
crackers
1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red peppers, drained, and chopped (about 1 c.)
Place half of the cream cheese spread in medium bowl. Add pesto; mix until well blended. Stir
in half of the sour cream. Place remaining cream cheese spread in separate medium bowl. Add
peppers; mix well. Stir in remaining sour cream. Cover both bowls and refrigerate at least 2
hours.
Spoon the pesto mixture into the center of a serving dish or platter. Spoon the red pepper mix
around the pesto mix. Serve with the crackers. Makes 4 1/2 cups total. The two bowls of dip
can be stored in refrigerator up to 24 hours.

Salsa
Rich Spraggs
6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
green bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 red onion, fine chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lime, juiced
Chili powder, salt, and pepper, to taste
Fresh cilantro, to taste
2 seeded and minced jalapenos (uncooked)
2 dry ancho chilies, seeded, chopped
2 roasted, skinned, and chopped jalapenos (I do this in foil and bake 10 min.)
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl suitable for serving. Place in refrigerator for 12
hours prior to serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

-7-

Spam Pt
Rich Spraggs
1 large can of Spam
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of thyme
teaspoon of basil
cup of finely chopped onion

3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 ounces of cream cheese
teaspoon of hot pepper sauce
fresh parsley

Combine everything except the fresh parsley in a blender or use an electric mixer until the
mixture is creamy. Find a suitable mold (such as small Dixie cups or 1 paper nut cups) and
put the mixture into them. Refrigerate for at least three hours. At serving time, invert the molds
onto serving platters, garnish with fresh parsley sprigs, and serve with a variety of crackers.

Spinach Dip
Jeanne Reed
1 pkg. Knorr vegetable soup mix
1 pkg. frozen spinach, chopped
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. sour cream

c. green onion, chopped

c. parsley, minced
1 tsp. lemon juice

Defrost spinach and squeeze out liquid. Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate overnight.
Serve with Bugles or fresh vegetables.
[Bugles come in a bag now, so if you are looking for a box you will not find them.]

Strawberry Salsa Fiesta Dip

Karl Wilson
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened (first layer)
1 onion, diced (second layer)

12 oz. jar strawberry salsa (third layer)

8 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded (4th)

Layer in an ovenproof baking dish the above ingredients in the order listed. Bake at 350o F. for
30 min. Serve with tortilla chips.

Taco Dip
Cheryl Griffiths
Mix together 1 big can of refried beans, tsp. chili powder, and tsp. garlic salt. Spread over
the bottom of a 10x13 baking dish.
-8-

Brown 1 lb. hamburger with a pkg. of taco seasoning mix and spread over the bean layer.
Spread a small jar of chunky salsa over the hamburger layer.
Spread about 1 c. of grated cheese on top (cheddar, Colby, or whatever you have on hand).
Bake at 350o F. for about 30 min. Serve with tortilla chips.

TexTex-Mex Dip
Sandy Reed
1 c. (8 oz.) sour cream
1 pkg. taco-seasoning mix
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped (2 c.)
Tortilla chips, large

c. mayonnaise
2 cans (10.5 oz.) bean dip
1 pkg. cheddar, shredded

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, and taco mix in a separate bowl. Spread bean dip on a large
platter. Next, spread the sour cream mixture over the bean dip. Sprinkle with tomatoes and
cover with shredded cheese. Serve chilled or at room temperature with the tortilla chips.
Optional:
(1) Mix sliced olives and chopped green onions in with the tomato layer.
(2) After spreading the layer of bean dip, peel, pit 3 medium avocados; mash with 2 tbsp. lemon
juice, tsp. salt, and tsp. pepper and spread over the layer of bean dip.

Train Smash
www.cooksister.typepad.com
1 tbsp. oil
3 onions, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
240 ml (8 fl. oz.) tomato sauce [ketchup]
120 ml (4 fl. oz.) water
5 tbsp. vinegar

5 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

2 tbsp. sugar
tsp. dry mustard powder
salt and pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch

Heat the oil in a saucepan; add the onions, tomatoes, and saut gently until softened. Add the
remaining ingredients and cook for 2 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with a little cold water to form
a paste then add to the saucepan and continue to cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Serve
as a sauce with meats or fish.
*Metric conversion chart at the Miscellany section.
[I have to admit I have never heard of Train Smash even though it is a South African concoction.
I have included it because it sounds good.]

-9-


DRINKS

Bloody Mary Key West Style

From the famous Green Parrot Bar in Key West, Florida
6 ounces tomato juice
1 teaspoon Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire sauce
pinch of black pepper
pinch of celery salt
splash of the brine from Caribe pickled green beans*

1.5 ounces vodka

pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
fresh lime wedge

Mix in a glass over ice and add a few of the pickled beans. *Krogers has Tabasco brand spicy
pickled green beans which are very good even without the bloody mary.

Coffee
Rich Spraggs and www.chemexcoffeemaker.com
If you appreciate great-tasting coffee, then this is my recommendation. Even supermarketbranded coffee tastes good when prepared using the Chemex method.
The Chemex Coffeemaker has been chosen as one of the 100 best-designed products of
modern times and can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the
Smithsonian Institute, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In addition, I have spotted it in
Monicas kitchen on the set of the TV show Friends, the kitchen of Miss Morrows swanky
Manhattan apartment in the Doris Day-Rock Hudson 1959 movie Pillow Talk, and during an
Andy Rooney segment on the CBS show 60 minutes.

Because of its purity, Chemex-brewed coffee can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for
reheating without losing its flavor. The best coffee, however, in my humble opinion is Community
Coffees Louisiana Dark Roast. You could make a coffeemaker similar to this with a large
Erlenmeyer flask and a large, non-plastic funnel.
Brewing Instructions:
1. Open the Chemex Bonded Coffee Filter into a cone. One side should have three
layers. Place the cone in the top of your coffeemaker with the thick portion toward the
pouring spout.
- 10 -

2. Using Regular or Automatic Grind coffee only (or grind your own but not too fine). Put
one rounded tablespoon of coffee per 5 oz. cup into the filter cone. If you prefer stronger
coffee, use more as there is never any bitterness in coffee brewed using the Chemex
method.
3. When the water is boiling, remove it from the heat. Allow to cool to about 200 F. a
perfect brewing temperature. Pour a small amount of water over the coffee grounds, just
enough to wet them without floating. This is important because it allows the grounds to
"bloom" so the desirable coffee elements can be released.
4. A few minutes after this first wetting simply pour in more water, soaking the grounds
each time, but keeping the water level well below the top of the coffeemaker. Once the
desired amount of coffee is brewed, dispose of the spent grounds by lifting the filter out
of the coffeemaker.

Cranberry Punch
Brenda Wilson
Cook one pound of cranberries until soft in four cups of water. Put through food mill and cook
the liquid with two cups sugar for 5 minutes. Cool and then mix with juice of six oranges and
three lemons. Serve with 7-up.

Frozen Strawberry Barbarita

Barb Spraggs
12 oz. strawberry margarita or strawberry daiquiris mix
2 c. ice

6 oz. tequila

Use a blender on the highest speed possible until smooth. Serves 4. Altering the recipe is not
permitted.

Mame
Mames Martini
As recalled by Rich Spraggs after watching Patrick Dennis make a martini
for Mr. Babcock in the musical Mame and the movie Aunty Mame.
A Dotty Reed favorite
Splash vermouth into a chilled martini glass. Swirl to liberally coat the sides of the glass. Discard
the excess vermouth. Pour gin into a martini pitcher plus an extra splash. Add a few ice cubes
and stir. Always stir; never shake. Bruises the gin. Strain into the vermouth-coated glass.
Forget the oliveMy Auntie Mame says an olive takes up too much room in such a little glass.

- 11 -

Margarita
Rich Spraggs
Slice a lime into wedges. Use a split wedge to moisten the rim of a tall glass. Salt the rim with
kosher salt or coarse sea salt. Place in freezer.
Pour in 2 or so fingers of tequila (I use El Toro a compromise of cost and quality) into a
cocktail shaker (more if the person will not be driving for awhile). Add a splash of triple sec, a
handful of ice, and fill to within 1 of the top of the glass with margarita mix (I use the cheapest
grocery-store type).
Shake it like youre an English nanny and then pour into the chilled glass. Fill to the top with ice
cubes and garnish with a lime wedge. Add a cocktail umbrella if you feel especially festive.

Mojito
Rich Spraggs
Key West is a state of mind and the mojito is the favorite drink of the Conch Republic. After
trying many variations, this is how I make them:
Puerto Rican White Rum
5-8 mint leaves
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons sugar or Splenda

4-6 ounces of Club Soda

Squeeze a half lime with a citrus squeezer (using a knife to juice a lime will land you in the
emergency department at your local hospital) into a cocktail shaker. Add 5-8 freshly picked mint
leaves and two tablespoons of sugar or Splenda. Use a muddler to mash up the mint leaves,
sugar, and lime juice. Then add two to three fingers of Puerto Rican White Rum and shake in
the cocktail shaker. Pour into a tall glass half-full of ice. The fill to the top with about a halfbottle of Club Soda to float the ice.

Water from the

the Faucet - Improved
Rich Spraggs
A Brita or similar water filter/filtering system works well, but if you dont have one Id recommend
keeping water in a pitcher with a wide, open top without a lid in the refrigerator for drinking. The
idea is to let the chlorine evaporate. I came to this conclusion after realizing that water heaters
in homes with wells last on average twice as long as water heaters in homes with city water. Its
the chlorine added by the water treatment plant. So if it corrodes away the insides of water
heaters, imagine what it is doing to you.

- 12 -


SOUPS

French Onion
Onion Soup
Adapted by Rich Spraggs from www.foodtv.com (Alton Brown)
3 tablespoons butter
10 ounces apple cider (unfiltered)
1 teaspoon salt
leftover specialty bread
2 cups white wine
kosher salt
10 ounces canned beef consume
ground black pepper
10 ounces chicken broth
splash of Cognac (optional)
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
5 sweet onions (such as Vidalia) or a combination of sweet and red onions (about 4 pounds)
thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and parsley tied together with kitchen string
Trim the ends off each onion then halve lengthwise. Remove peel and finely slice into half-moon
shapes. Set electric skillet to 300o F. and add butter. Once butter has melted, add a layer of
onions, and sprinkle with a little salt. Repeat layering onions and salt until all onions are in the
skillet. Do not try stirring until onions have sweated down for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, stir
occasionally until onions are dark mahogany and reduced to approximately 2 cups. This should
take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not worry about burning.
Add enough wine to cover the onions and turn heat to high, reducing the wine to a syrup
consistency. Add consume, chicken broth, apple cider and herbs. Reduce heat and simmer 15
to 20 minutes.
Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and heat broiler.
Cut bread into squares. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 1 minute.
Season the soup mixture with salt, pepper, and cognac. Remove herbs and ladle soup into
crocks leaving one inch to the lip. Place croutons on top of soup and top with grated cheese.
Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden about 1 to 2 minutes.
Cooking the onions makes a huge stink that seems to hang around for days, so I cook this
outside in an electric skillet.

Gazpacho
Adapted by Rich Spraggs from www.foodtv.com (Alton Brown) and en.wikipedia.org
Whats in the Gazpacho? asked Ivan. Tomatoes answered Pepa*.
tomato juice
1 c. cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
c. chopped red bell pepper
c. chopped red onion
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
tsp. toasted, ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 13 -

1 medium garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 lb. vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil.
Make an X with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling
water for 15 seconds; remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle
(approximately 1 minute). Remove and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. When
seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order
to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled
tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup.
Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion,
jalapeno, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, cumin, salt, and
pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1 cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20
seconds on high speed. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and
chill for 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve with chiffonade (thinly sliced leaves) of basil.
*Then rent and watch the movie Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Mujeres al
Borde de un Ataque de Nervios), have a margarita, and enjoy. This 1988 Spanish comedy film,
written and directed by Pedro Almodvar, stars Carmen Maura and Antonio Banderas. It was
nominated for the 1989 Academy Award for Best Foreign-language Film, and won five Goya
Awards including Best Film and Best Actress in a Leading Role for Maura. It is subtitled in
English, but it would not matter if were not.

- 14 -


SALADS

7-Up Salad (#1)

Jeanne Reed
Dissolve 2 boxes of lemon Jell-O with 2 c. boiling water. Add 2 c. of 7-Up. Let cool.
Add 1 c. crushed pineapple, 3 small sliced bananas, 2 c. small marshmallows. Let set until very
firm in a 10x13 dish.
Spread with the following optional topping:
Simmer until thick c. sugar, 2 tsp. flour, 3 tbsp. butter, 1 c. pineapple juice. Let cool
before spreading on the Jell-O. Then top with Cool Whip. Serve out of the dish or place
on a lettuce leaf on a side plate.
[Jeanne would always make this when Rodger was coming for a meal.]

7-Up Salad (#2)

Jackie Pollock
8-ounce pkg. Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese (I use Neufchatel) at room temperature
3-ounce box lime Jell-O (I use regular sugared one)
12-oz. can 7-Up (or Diet 7-Up)
2 cups marshmallows
20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
cup chopped pecans or walnuts
8-ounce Cool Whip or Light Cool Whip, thawed
Combine 7-Up and marshmallows and cook over medium heat in saucepan until the
marshmallows are melted (or cook in the microwave). Add the lime Jell-O and stir until dissolved.
Add the cream cheese, pineapple, and chopped pecans. Chill until partially set (about 20
minutes starting to congeal). Next fold in the whipped cream and stir thoroughly. Pour into a
9 x 13 dish and refrigerate until set. This 7-Up salad can also be molded into a Jell-O mold.

Beetroot Salad
Rae Spraggs
Beetroot, pickled, sliced (5 to 8 slices per serving)
Vinegar (about 1 tbsp. per serving)
Onion, sliced, separated into rings (about 4-6 rings per serving)
Arrange beetroot and onion together in a shallow pie-type serving dish. Add vinegar. Refrigerate
before serving.

- 15 -

Broccoli Raisin Salad

Barb Spraggs and www.tasteofhome.com
A Beth Spraggs favorite based on a Paula Dean recipe.
4 cups fresh broccoli florets (1 medium bunch)
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon white vinegar
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

3/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sugar

In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, raisins and onion. In a small bowl, combine the
mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Pour over broccoli mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with bacon.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Coleslaw
Coleslaw
Rich Spraggs
1 head of cabbage
Spanish onion, thinly sliced

carrot, finely grated

Dressing (or use your favorite coleslaw dressing, such as Marzettis, to taste):
c. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 tbsp. sugar (or to taste)
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. celery salt
salt and pepper to taste, freshly ground
1 tbsp. horseradish (grated)
Separate the cabbage leaves. The center section of the cabbage (where it is more vein than
leaf) will not make good coleslaw, so do not use. Cut out the coarse vein from each leaf, leaving
two half-leaves. Stack the leaves and cut into fine slices as fine as you can (using a very sharp
knife is a necessity). Toss with the onion and carrot and then either add your favorite coleslaw
dressing until you get the right consistency or prepare the above dressing.

Curried Salad Dressing

Great Recipes from the Worlds Great Cooks (Peggy Harvey)
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

1 tsp. (or more) curry powder

1 clove garlic (run through a press)
1 dash Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup olive oil

Mix well and chill. It is great with romaine lettuce.

- 16 -

Mandarin Orange Salad

Karl Wilson
Salad:
c. almonds
3 tbsp. sugar
head Iceberg lettuce
1 c. celery, chopped
2 whole green onions, chopped
1 small can Mandarin oranges

Dressing:
tsp. salt
c. olive oil
1 tbsp. parsley, chopped
3 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. vinegar
dash of Tabasco sauce

Combine the ingredients for the dressing. Cook the almonds and sugar over medium heat in a
small saucepan stirring constantly until almonds are coated (being careful as it burns easily).
Mix the lettuce, celery, chopped onions, and Mandarin oranges. Toss with dressing and almonds
prior to serving.

Pea Salad
Jeanne Reed
head lettuce, chopped/torn
cup thinly sliced mild onion or green onions
1 can (4 oz.) sliced water chestnuts
cup grated cheddar cheese
Dressing (mix together):
1 c. mayonnaise
c. sour cream

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen peas

celery stalk, chopped
1-2 carrots, shredded

1 tablespoon sugar
teaspoon dill weed

Thaw the peas. Layer the salad in a bowl in the following order: of the peas on the bottom,
then carrots, celery and onion, lettuce, water chestnuts, and the remaining peas. Seal the top
with the dressing and then add the grated cheese. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Mix before serving.
[Jeanne would always make this for my birthday and Barb continues the tradition.]

Peasant Stock Salad

Dayton Daily News, May 06, 2007
1 head of lettuce, broken into bite-sized pieces
c. chopped celery
8 oz. fresh spinach, torn
2 med. red onions, sliced
6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen peas, not cooked
- 17 -

2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
tsp. white pepper
1 pint Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
6 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
c. crisp-fried bacon, crumbled

In a large bowl, mix together lettuce and celery. Layer all the remaining ingredients over the
lettuce and celery in the order listed (spinach, onions, eggs, peas, sugar, salt, pepper,
mayonnaise, cheese, bacon). Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours. Toss together just before
serving. Yield: 8 servings.

SevenSeven-Day Slaw
Hudsons Seafood Restaurant, Hilton Head, South Carolina
1 head of cabbage, sliced thinly or shredded*
1 red onion, sliced thinly or shredded
1/3 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. vinegar

2 tbsp. sugar
tbsp. dry mustard
tbsp. salt
tbsp. black pepper

Toss the cabbage and onions with 1/3 c. of sugar. Mix the remaining ingredients and bring to a
boil. Pour the boiling mixture over the cabbage. Let set for 5 minutes and then mix. Chill in
refrigerator and serve on leaves of romaine lettuce. Hudsons Seven Day Slaw is excellent with
seafood. This slaw is called Seven-Day Slaw because without any mayonnaise it will last for
seven days.
[*See my coleslaw recipe on page 15 for a good way to prepare a cabbage for coleslaw.]

SpinachSpinach-Bacon Salad with Warm Dressing

Jeanne Reed
1 pkg. (10 oz.) fresh spinach
cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
8 slices bacon, cut into 1 strips
2 tsp. Dijon or prepared spicy brown mustard

2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
3 tbsp. lemon juice

Trim the spinach of coarse stems and blemished leaves and wash. Pat dry. Tear into bite-sized
pieces. Put into large serving bowl with the mushrooms and onions.
Cook the bacon in a microwave or in skillet over moderately high heat until crisp about 5
minutes. Drain on paper towel. Pour off all but 5 tbsp. of the drippings.
Reduce the heat to low and add the mustard, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, and lemon
juice to the drippings. Stir to mix well.
Pour the dressing over the salad, crumble the bacon over it, and toss it thoroughly. Serve
immediately.

- 18 -

Strawberry JellJell-O Salad

Gladys Mullen
Dissolve one large package of strawberry Jell-O in 1 c. boiling water. Set aside.
Blend in blender:
1 pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed
2 bananas
1 small can crushed pineapple (with juice)
Add the fruit mixture to the Jell-O and refrigerate.

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

www.ketv.com (Panera Bread)
A Barb Spraggs Favorite
4 c. romaine lettuce leaves, torn
2 oz. poppyseed dressing (such as Marzettis)
2 oz. fresh strawberries, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 oz. fresh pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 oz. chopped pecans (optional)

2 oz. whole blueberries
2 oz. mandarin oranges, drained

Make a bed of lettuce in a large bowl. Top with the fruit and nuts and toss with poppyseed
dressing.

Strawberry Pretzel JellJell-O Salad

Paige Houston
Crust:
2 cups of crushed pretzels (the finer the better)
stick margarine, melted

1/3 cup sugar

Mix and pat down in a 9x13 dish. Bake at 400o F. for 7-9 minutes. Let this cool in the refrigerator
overnight (if you put the second layer on without the crust being really chilled, the white layer
breaks up and goes into the Jell-O part and does not look very good).
Second layer:
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups Cool Whip (or a 12 oz. box)

cup sugar

Beat the sugar and cream cheese. Fold in the Cool Whip. Spread over the crust.
Third layer:
2 3 oz. strawberry Jell-O mixes
2 10 oz. boxes of frozen strawberries, sliced

2 cups boiling water

- 19 -

Mix the Jell-O with the boiling water until dissolved. Add the frozen strawberries, making sure
to break up the large pieces. Refrigerate the strawberry mixture for 30 minutes to partially set.
Spread over the second layer and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until the Jell-O is completely
set.

Sweet Potato Slaw

Rich Spraggs
cup mayonnaise
1 medium apple, peeled, and chopped
cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp. lemon juice
3 cups peeled, shredded sweet potato (uncooked)

cup sour cream

2 tbsp. honey
tsp. salt
tsp pepper
1 tbsp. grated lemon peel

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, honey, lemon juice, lemon peel, salt, and
pepper; blend until smooth. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, apples, and cranberries. Add
dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I recommend labeling it
people will think it is carrot salad (and that stuff is gross).
A variation on this would be to use boiled and cubed 2/3 sweet potatoes and 1/3 red or fingering
potatoes to make Sweet Potato Salad.

Veggie Pizza
Barb Spraggs
Crust:
2 (8 oz.) package refrigerated crescent rolls and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out
crescent rolls onto a large non-stick baking sheet. Stretch and flatten to form a single
rectangular shape on the baking sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, or
until golden brown. Allow to cool.
Cream Cheese Dressing:
2 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2/3 c. mayonnaise
c. sour cream

1 tsp. dried dill weed

1 tsp. onion, finely chopped
tsp. garlic powder

Whip together well the above ingredients. Spread on the cooled crust.
Vegetable Topping (use any amounts or combinations totaling about 4 c.):
1 c cauliflower, chopped finely
1 c. broccoli florets, chopped finely
1 c. carrots, grated finely
Spread the toppings and gently press into the dressing. Sprinkle the top with 1 c. of
finely grated cheddar cheese. Slice into squares.

- 20 -

Vinegar Salad Dressing

Adapted by Rich Spraggs from The Barbeque Bible by Steven Raichlin
2 c. cider vinegar
1 c. water
c. brown sugar
2 tsp. hot pepper flakes

5 grinds of sea salt

3 grinds of pepper
5/8 c. ketchup
2 tsp. celery seed

Combine in a glass or plastic container suitable for table use. Shake it as if you are an English
nanny.
Although runny, this is a low-calorie, great-tasting, sweet-and-sour dressing that goes well on
green salads topped with dried cranberries, grated feta cheese, and croutons.

- 21 -


SIDE DISHES

Apple Yams
Jean Wilson Reed
6 med. par-boiled yams or sweet potatoes, sliced
4 med. tart apples, peeled, thinly sliced
c. packed brown sugar

cinnamon to taste
1 stick of melted butter

Bake the yams or sweet potatoes (with pierced skin) for 40-60 minutes at 400 F. or boil in salted
water for 30-35 minutes (until tender but not overly soft). Drain, cool, and remove skins. A 2
lb. can of yams can be substituted for the 6 yams or sweet potatoes.
Grease 1 quart baking dish. Alternate layers of yams and apples, sprinkling each layer with
the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon mixture. Arrange a layer of apple slices attractively over
the top and bake at 350o F. 30 minutes.

Aunt Barbara
Barbaras Corn Pudding
Barbara Schwab
1 can cream-style corn
2 eggs
2 tbsp. cornstarch

c. sugar
1 c. milk

Mix eggs, cornstarch, sugar, and half the milk. Add the corn and then the remaining milk. Bake
at 350o F. for 60-90 min.
[Aunt Barbara usually left something out of the recipe, so you do not have to follow it too closely.]

Barbie Spent All Day Working On Dem Beans

Beans
Barb Spraggs
Barb has been making these beans every Memorial Day and Labor Day for over 30 years.
2 16 oz. cans of cheap generic-brand baked beans c. minced onion
2 tbsp. vinegar
1 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 c. ketchup
2 tbsp. yellow hot dog mustard
2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce or c. A-1 Steak Sauce
Heat the beans, onions, vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, lemon juice, and brown sugar on the
high setting in a large crock-pot at least for 4 hours (allowing steam to escape, stirring
occasionally). 2 hours prior to the meal, add the ketchup and mustard. Simmer on the low
setting for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- 22 -

Block Party Baked Beans

Pat Offenbacher
3 16 oz. cans of baked beans
lb. bulk sausage (fried and chopped up)
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard

1 lb. can of apricots (drained and cut up)

c. diced sweet green pepper
1 tsp. onion flakes.

Combine and bake at 350 F. for 1 hour.

[Pat made this for the block parties we used to have during the late 1980s to early 1990s at the
end of Park Avenue before the street extended through to Westview.]

Broccoli Casserole
Barb Spraggs
1 pkg. frozen broccoli
1 pkg. frozen peas
small pkg. (4 oz.) Velveeta (sliced)

4 tbsp. butter or spray butter

sleeve Ritz or Club crackers

Microwave the broccoli 2 minutes in a 1 - 2 quart casserole with a small amount of water. Add
the peas. Microwave another 2 minutes. Drain the vegetables. Cover with Velveeta slices.
Crumble crackers and mix with melted butter. Place over broccoli, pea and Velveeta mixture. If
using the spray butter, just spray the crackers after they are on top of the casserole. Bake at
350 F. for 30 minutes.

Cranberry Mold
Adapted from a recipe in The Joy of Cooking
A Jennie Spraggs favorite
4 c. cranberries (1 lb.), washed

2 c. sugar

Place cranberries in saucepan. Cover with 2 c. boiling water. As soon at the water begins to
boil again, cover with lid. Boil the berries 3 or 4 minutes or until the skins burst. Run them
through a Foley food mill.
Stir the sugar into the puree. Place over heat and bring to a rolling boil for about 5 minutes for
firm berries (very ripe berries will require a few minutes longer of cooking). Skim; then pour into
a wet mold. Refrigerate.
[This works best when Mimis special mold and plate are used.]

- 23 -

Corn Bread Casserole

Sandy Reed
1 can of creamed corn [watch out, because by 2015 the can will be smaller]
1 can of regular corn, drained [ditto]
-stick butter
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
Mix and bake at 350o degrees F, for about an hour

Crash Hot Potatoes

www.tastykitchen.com
12 whole New Potatoes (or other small round potatoes)
3 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Rosemary (or other herbs) to taste
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them
until they are fork-tender. On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes
on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato. With a potato masher, gently
press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash
again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil. Sprinkle potatoes
with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and freshly chopped rosemary (or chives, or
thyme, or your choice).
Bake in at 450o F. for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. The leftovers are ideal for making
potato salad.

CrockCrock-pot Corn
Jean Wilson Reed
2 c. corn (fresh or frozen)
4 oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp. butter or margarine

c. sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Cook on low setting in crock-pot for 2-3 hours

- 24 -

Crockpot
Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Beth Spraggs
1 16 oz. box macaroni, cooked and drained
3 cups milk
black pepper to taste
4 cups sharp cheese, shredded

1 tall can evaporated milk (12oz.)

1 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
1 small Velveeta, cut into small pieces

Mix all ingredients, put in crockpot. Cook 3-4 hours on low. Yummy served with a balsamic
drizzle!

Dickey
Dickeys Baked Potato Casserole
www.nbc5i.com (Dickeys Barbecue, West Chester, Ohio)
6-8 large baking potatoes
1 pt. sour cream
to 1 stick of butter, melted
8 strips bacon, cooked, crumbled

2 green onions, chopped

1 large pkg. cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes; let cool and peel. Mash the potatoes well and mix in the sour cream, bacon,
butter, salt, pepper, green onions, and half of the grated cheese.
Transfer potato mixture loosely into a baking dish and cover with the other half of the grated
cheese. Cover and bake at 350o F. for 25-30 min. This recipe may be made and stored in the
refrigerator a day ahead.

Fleming
Flemings Potatoes
www.flemings.com (September 2010 the recipe has been removed from the website)
If you have ever been to Fleming's, then you know that these are hands down the best potatoes
ever.
3 tablespoons jalapeos
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1 oz. butter
1 cups half & half
4 oz. jack cheese, grated

4 oz. leaks
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
3 lbs. Idaho russet potatoes

Remove seeds from jalapeos and dice finely. Cut ends off leaks. Dice the bottom 3 of leaks
into pieces. Place butter in large saucepot on medium-high heat. Add jalapeos, leeks, salt,
and pepper. Saut for 4-5 minutes. Add cream and half & half and bring to a simmer. When
the cream is hot, remove from heat add both cheeses and blend in thoroughly. Peel potatoes
and slice thinly. Spray sides and bottom of a 9x13 with pan coating. Evenly distribute the
- 25 -

potatoes and sauce in the pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350o F. for 1 hour. Remove
the foil and bake another 15 minutes until the top is a dark, golden brown. Makes six servings.
[I substituted 4-5 crushed garlic cloves for the jalapeos and substituted spring onions for the
leaks. I am thinking of trying spicy pickled green beans in place of the jalapeos.]

Grilled CornCorn-onon-thethe-cob
Rich Spraggs
Cut the excess silk off the ends of fresh corn but do not remove the husks. Place the corn in a
clean bucket of cold water with c. sugar per 6 ears mixed in. Let soak 1 hour. Give each ear
a good shake and place on hot grill (a Weber kettle grill works best). Cook for about 25 minutes,
turning 3 times. Wear heavy-duty gloves and remove the husks and silk. Season with butter
and salt to taste.

Hashed Browns
Barb Spraggs adapted from Betty Crockers Cookbook, 1972
1 pounds potatoes (about 4 medium)
teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon fat

Shred enough potatoes to make 4 cups. Toss potatoes with onion, salt, and pepper. Heat butter
or oil in a 9-10 skillet. Pack potato mixture firmly in skillet, leaving a space around the edge.
Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes or until bottom crust is brown. Cut potato mixture into
fourths and then turn each portion. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil if necessary. Cook 12-15
minutes longer or until brown.

La Comedia's Famous Sweet Potato Souffl

(Indian Pudding)
www.lacomedia.com
Mix well the following and pour into buttered pan:
4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
c. milk
Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
c. flour

tsp. salt
1/3 stick butter or margarine (melted)
1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 c. melted butter or margarine

1 c. pecans, crumbled

Crumble topping evenly over potato mixture. Bake uncovered at 350o F. for 35-45 min.
- 26 -

NoNo-shuck Microwave Corn

www.kimkomando.com
Place an ear of corn with the husk on in your microwave. Cook the corn on full power for 3-4
minutes. Remove the corn from the microwave using oven mitts and cut about 1 inch off the
bottom. Hold the corn up from the opposite and it will easily slide out completely clean. Amazing
tastes great and no mess!

Pineapple Casserole
Jean Wilson Reed
c. butter
7 slices white bread made into coarse crumbs
12 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
Melt butter, add crumbs, and brown until toasty.

2 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp. flour
1 c. sugar

Combine the sugar, flour, eggs, and pineapple. Pour into in buttered casserole dish. Spread
crumbs on top and press down. Bake uncovered at 350o F. for 45 minutes.

Potato Casserole
Barb Spraggs
2 lb. pkg. frozen hash browns
cup margarine, melted
1 (10 oz.) can cream-of-chicken soup
1 pint sour cream

3 green onions, chopped

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt the margarine in a 9x13 baking dish. Mix the above ingredients
(except the margarine) and place in the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours.

Potato Pancakes
Adapted by Barb Spraggs from the Betty Crocker Cookbook
2 lbs. potatoes (about 6 medium)
1 egg
c. onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
c. butter or margarine

Wash potatoes, peel, and remove eyes. Shred enough potatoes to measure 4 cups. Drain
potatoes thoroughly.
In a small mixer bowl, beat egg until thick and lemon-colored. Mix in potatoes, onion, flour, and
salt. Melt butter over large skillet over low heat. Shape potato mixture into 8 patties; place in
- 27 -

skillet. Cook over medium heat, turning once, about 5 minutes or until golden-brown. Makes 8
servings.
[Barb uses leftover mashed potatoes, omits the flour and salt, and uses much less onion. She
may sprinkle some flour on them before cooking, though.]

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

www.allrecipes.com
Olive oil cooking spray
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound fresh asparagus, tough ends broken-off

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste

Preheat oven to 400o F. Spray the inside of a 9x13 casserole dish with olive oil cooking spray.
Place asparagus in the dish and lightly spray spears with cooking spray. Sprinkle asparagus
with Parmesan cheese, sea salt, and garlic powder. Roast in preheated oven until fork easily
punctures thickest part of stem, about 12 minutes.

Rooibos
Rooibos Butternut Pizzettas
Sunset Magazine, February 2012
Think of these roasted squash rounds as tiny pizzas: You simply bake them, and add any
topping you like or have on hand. In this version, Bay Area cookbook author Eric Gower melts
butter and fruity rooibos tea leaves, creating a rich and floral infusion to brush on the pizzettas.
He then finishes them with a mix of tea and salt. Rooibos, derived from a South African plant,
is not a true tea but rather an herbal infusion. It sometimes goes by the name "red tea."
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. rooibos tea leaves
Drizzle of olive oil for baking sheets
Pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 medium-large butternut squashes
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 425 F. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and add butter and 1 tbsp.
tea. When butter foams, remove from heat, cover, and let infuse 10 minutes. Strain butter
through a fine sieve discard tea. Meanwhile, using a large, sturdy, sharp knife cut off stems
and seedless "necks" of squashes (save seeded parts for another use). Stand each neck on a
flat side and slice peel off with 7 or 8 cuts, leaving a kind of octagonal shape. Cut necks into
slices. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets and place squash, slightly separated, on sheets. Pulverize
remaining 1 tsp. tea leaves (if already fine, skip this step). Mix with salt. Brush infused butter
onto tops of squash slices, then season with pepper and rooibos salt. Bake until very soft, about
25 minutes. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with chives.

- 28 -

SaltSalt-baked Potatoes
www.averagebetty.com
4 Idaho Russet Potatoes (8-10 ounces each)
Fresh or dry herbs

2-3 cups salt

garlic cloves

Wash and dry the potatoes. Pour salt into a 9x13 baking dish and nestle the potatoes in the salt
equidistant apart. Optionally, add a capped clove of garlic and herbs of your choice to the salt.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 450 F. oven for one hour and
15 minutes. Remove baking dish from the oven and preheat oven for a second time to 500o F.
Remove foil from the baking dish and remove garlic clove from the salt. Squeeze garlic from the
husk if using for butter. Brush the tops of each potato with olive oil and return, uncovered, to the
preheated oven. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. When the potatoes are done, use a
clean towel to chip excess salt from the bottom of each potato. Serve immediately with your
favorite toppings.

Scalloped Cabbage
Jean Wilson Reed
1 medium head of cabbage, sliced in thin strips (approximately 8 cups).
Par-boil cabbage approximately 5 minutes and place in a strainer. Season with salt and pepper.
While cabbage is straining, make the following cream sauce:
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter
Add 4 tablespoons of flour stir well
Slowly add 2 cups of milk
Cook the sauce until it is smooth and medium thick, stirring constantly. Mix cabbage and cream
sauce. Put into buttered, flat casserole dish. Top with buttered cracker crumbs (4 tbsp. melted
butter and crumbs of 20 single Saltine or Zesta crackers). Sprinkle with paprika and bake at
350o F. until bubbly approximately hour to 45 minutes.
Jean dabs cabbage with a paper towel to eliminate excess moisture while baking.

Sweet Potato Fries

Rich Spraggs
Skin and wash about four sweet potatoes (I like the smaller ones). Cut into slices. Heat
cooking oil in skillet and add potatoes. Cook at medium-high heat. The cooking oil should cover
them. Get a good sizzle going. Turn regularly. They will cook faster than regular potatoes so
be careful not to burn or cook too long. They are good with sea salt or serve with butter and
brown sugar.

- 29 -

Swiss Vegetable Medley

Jean Wilson Reed
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/3 c. French's French Fried Onions, divided
1/3 cup sour cream
1 can (10 oz.) condensed cream-of-mushroom soup
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen vegetable combination, such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots (thawed
and drained)
Preheat oven to 350o F. Combine soup, sour cream, and ground pepper in 2-quart shallow
baking dish; stir until well blended. Add vegetables, 2/3 cup French Fried Onions, and cup
cheese; mix well.
Cover; bake 30 minutes or until heated through and vegetables are tender. Stir; sprinkle with
remaining 2/3 cup onions and cup cheese. Bake 5 minutes or until onions are golden.

Tomato Pudding
Jean Wilson Reed
4 c. soft white bread, cubed, crusts removed
2 c. brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted
c. water
15 oz. can of tomato puree (use puree not paste or sauce)
Place bread cubes in 2-3 quart casserole dish. Pour melted butter over the bread cubes.
Simmer the tomato puree, brown sugar, and water for 15 minutes. Be sure not to use tomato
paste or tomato sauce. Pour the simmered puree over the bread cubes. Bake at 350o F. for 1
hour.

Yeast Rolls and Cinnamon Rolls

Nancy Collins
A Danny Wilson favorite
In Kitchen Aid-type mixer bowl, dissolve 1 pkg. yeast in c. warm water (not hot). Add 1 tbsp.
sugar and 1 tsp. baking powder.
Let stand for 20 minutes.
Warm 1 c. milk for 20 sec. in microwave and add to the yeast mixture. Add 1/3 c. softened butter
or margarine, 1/3 c. sugar, and 2 beaten eggs.
Mix in 4 c. flour (with mixer).
- 30 -

Grease or spray with Pam a large airtight bowl or container. Place the dough into the container.
Pam or lightly oil the top of the dough and cover with lid. Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.
Roll out the rolls 2 hours before baking. To shape as crescents, flour the countertop, punch
down dough in bowl, cut dough in half, lightly flour the dough, and roll out a large circle. Cut in
pinwheels. Shape each roll from large end to small and place on cookie sheet. Allow to rise in
warm kitchen for 2 hours (covered by Pam-coated plastic wrap placed lightly over the rolls on
cookie sheets while rising). Makes 2 dozen large crescent rolls or 4 dozen small.
Remove the plastic wrap and bake at 375o F. for 9-10 minutes until golden.
Variation: this dough recipe makes 4 pans of cinnamon rolls. Roll dough in rectangle, cover
dough with softened butter and lots of sugar and cinnamon. Roll up from sides so it is one long
tube. Use a piece of thread to wrap around dough to cut in 1 slices. Place the slices in greased
round cake pans. Bake at 375o F. for 9-10 minutes until golden-brown
Note: The dinner rolls can be baked in advance. Allow to cool and then freeze in an airtight
container. When needed, place in cake pans, cover with foil, and reheat until warm. People can
be fooled that they are freshly baked rolls!

- 31 -


ENTREES

Beef Tenderloin
Jeanne Reed
Marinate in Italian dressing for a minimum of 6 hours prior to cooking. Broil for 5 minutes on
each side 2 from boiler. Close the oven and bake at 400o F. for 20 minutes.
[Notes jotted down on Jeannes recipe card include beef loin, peeled, and butt tenderloin).
Jeanne prepared this for special events such as Christmas and I think this was Sam Heitzmans
method of cooking tenderloins as well.]

Beef Steaks and Roasts

Rich Spraggs
If it didnt smell so good while cooking, we wouldnt be meant to eat it.
(Mike McConnell, WLW Radio, Cincinnati, Ohio)
This is not a specific recipe. It is, however, an attempt to summarize a few of the things I have
learned over the years through trial and error. The two most important things I can think of are
cook steaks at a very high temperature and dont overcook.
Get the broiler, cast-iron skillet, or grill whatever you are using as hot as possible to sear the
beef. You can drop the temperature later for roasts. See Steaks Pan Seared for my method
to a cook steak.
Use a meat thermometer with probe (so the oven stays closed) to make sure it does not get
overcooked and remove from the heat 10-20o F. below your final desired doneness. For rare, I
usually remove at 100-105o F. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving and it will come up to the
right temperature. In addition, never use a fork to turn beef use tongs instead. Be sure and
check your thermometers for accuracy.
Although people might say they like beef well-done or medium-well, but if given a choice, they
will select a slice less done than they tell you that they want it. So my advice is to prepare the
beef with some rare and some medium-rare. The ends tend to be perfect for those who like
medium. If it is too rare or some guests prefer a higher degree of doneness, you can briefly broil
those slices or simmer in broth. A broth or au jus can be made on the stovetop or under the
broiler by adding a can of beef broth or beef consume to the pan drippings after the beef is
removed.
In addition, wash, pat dry, marinate 4-12 hours with peanut oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground
pepper, and allow the beef to come to room temperature before cooking. In addition, use sharp
knives for carving! Let the cutting edge do the work. Sharp knives are safer than dull knives.
Electric knives baffle me as much as the drive-through at fast food restaurants, but some people
like them.
- 32 -

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Cheesy Horseradish

Grits and Sweet and Sour Porter Sauce
www.creativeculinary.com
A Julie Spraggs and Sharon Stahura favorite
For the short ribs and porter sauce:
4 large meaty bone-in beef short ribs (approximately 2 pounds)
1 12 ounce bottle porter, stout or your favorite dark beer
1 medium size onion, sliced into quarters from end to end
Fresh parsley or a couple of chopped green onions for garnish
2 teaspoons lightly packed dark brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons light olive oil
teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon butter
For the grits:
cup half & half (depending on how soft you like your grits)
2 cups water
teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup quick cooking grits
1 tablespoon butter
cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese
teaspoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoons horseradish
White pepper to taste
Short ribs:
Season short ribs with salt and pepper to taste. Dust on all sides with flour; set aside. Heat a
medium size skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and heat until it is hot. Add the short ribs
and brown on all sides. Transfer to a slow cooker set to low. Pour the porter over the top then
add the thyme, garlic and onion; cook for approximately 4-5 hours on low or on high for 3 hours
or until they are fall-apart tender. This can also be done by cooking them in an ovenproof dish
with a tight fitting lid in a 275o F. oven for approximately 3 hours. Remove the short ribs from
the slow cooker and carefully transfer to a large plate, cover to keep warm. Pour the juices from
the slow cooker through a strainer into a medium size saucepan (they should measure
approximately 2 cups). Cook juices uncovered over medium heat until they start to simmer. Stir
in tomato paste, butter, brown sugar and vinegar. Reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer. Cook
to reduce until mixture is slightly thick, approximately 15-20 minutes. Serve short ribs over a
bed of grits (recipe follows) or rice. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with parsley or sliced green
onions.
Grits:
Place water in a medium size saucepan over medium high heat. When water boils, add the salt
and then slowly whisk in grits. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for approximately 5 minutes
until water is absorbed and grits are slightly tender. Remove the cover and whisk in the half &
half, cheese, garlic, horseradish and white pepper. Whisk until cheese is melted. Serve while
hot.

- 33 -

Breaded Chicken Breast Steaks

Barb Spraggs
3-4 slices dry bread (torn into pieces)
4 chicken breast steaks (boneless, skinless)
cup grated cheese

1/3-1/2 stick margarine, melted

salt and pepper to taste

Using a food processor, grind the bread and the cheese. Add salt, pepper, and mix. Dip the
chicken breasts in the melted butter and then dredge through the breadcrumbs thoroughly
coating each one. Drizzle any remaining margarine over the coated chicken steaks. Arrange in
a baking dish and bake at 350o F. for 30-40 minutes.

Bobotie Rae
Raes
(Ba-bwore-tee)
South African Curried Meatloaf
Rae Spraggs
Mix well, brown the beef, and then simmer:
2 lbs. hamburger
1 chopped onion
c. raisins
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 slice of bread, soaked in milk

2 tbsp. curry powder

1 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 large apple, chopped

Beat 2 eggs with 1 c. milk; pour half of this over the hamburger mixture. Mix well. Place into
greased oven dish and pour the rest of the egg and milk onto the top. Bake for 45 minutes at
350o F. Serve over rice with sliced bananas, pineapple chunks, and chutney or apricot jam.

Bobotie
South African Baked Ground Lamb Curry with Custard Topping
www.congocookbook.com
1 slice homemade-type white bread, 1 inch thick, broken into small bits
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds coarsely ground lean lamb
1 cups finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons curry powder, preferably Madras type 3 eggs
1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
cup strained fresh lemon juice
cup blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
cup seedless raisins
4 small fresh lemon or orange leaves, or substitute 4 small bay leaves
1 medium-sized tart cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely grated

- 34 -

Preheat the oven to 300o F. Combine the bread and milk in a small bowl and let the bread soak
for at least 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a heavy 10-12 skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam
begins to subside, add the lamb and cook it, stirring constantly and mashing any lumps with
the back of a spoon, until the meat separates into granules and no traces of pink remain. With
a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb into a deep bowl.
Pour off and discard all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet and drop in the onions.
Stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent but not
brown. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and regulate heat accordingly. Add the curry
powder, sugar, salt and pepper, and stir for 1 or 2 minutes. Then stir in the lemon juice and
bring to a boil over high heat. Pour the entire mixture into the bowl with the lamb.
Drain the bread in a sieve over a bowl and squeeze the bread completely dry. Reserve the
drained milk. Add the bread, 1 of the eggs, the apple, raisins, and almonds to the lamb. Knead
vigorously with both hands or beat with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are well combined.
Taste for seasoning and add more salt if desired. Pack the lamb mixture loosely into a 3-quart
souffl dish or other deep 3-quart baking dish, smoothing the top with a spatula. Tuck the
lemon, orange or bay leaves beneath the surface of the meat.
With a wire whisk or rotary beater, beat the remaining 2 eggs with the reserved milk for about
1 minute or until they froth. Slowly pour the mixture evenly over the meat and bake in the
middle of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the custard is a light golden brown.
Serve at once, directly from the baking dish. Bobotie is traditionally accompanied by hot boiled
rice, sliced bananas, pineapple chunks, and chutney or apricot jam.
[I made this for one of Lisa Arzates International Dinners and people went wild over it.]

Bourbon Chicken
www.recipezaar.com (Lin Marie)
A Julie Spraggs favorite
2 lbs. boneless chicken (breasts and/or dark meat)
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
teaspoon ginger
teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
cup apple juice

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add chicken pieces and
cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium
heat until well mixed and dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and
simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over hot rice. Serves 4.
[Rice from a rice-cooker tastes much better than instant rice. The leftover sauce makes an
excellent baste for roasted or rotisserie chicken.]

- 35 -

Bourbon Chicken Crock Pot Method

Barb Spraggs and www.tablefortwoblog.com
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 5
Salt and pepper
cup of low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
cup diced onion
Cornstarch

1 cup of honey
cup ketchup
2 cloves of garlic, minced
tsp. red pepper flakes
Sesame seeds

Place the chicken thighs in the crockpot insert and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. In a
medium sized bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, oil, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes.
Stir to combine well. Pour over the chicken in the crockpot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high
for 1-2 hours.
When done, remove chicken from crock-pot and cut into chunks. Prior to putting the chicken
back in the crockpot, combine some cornstarch in water and whisk it into the crockpot to thicken
up the sauce a bit. Throw the chicken back in and stir around to recoat the chicken in the sauce.
Serve hot over a bed of white rice and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top (optional).

Brats n Beer
Rich Spraggs
4-6 brats (or mettwurst)

3 bottles of beer

Sear brats in a skillet and then add about 2/3 of a bottle of beer. Simmer uncovered for at least
30 minutes. Drink the remaining beer. These can also be cooked in a pan on the grill. Serve
on toasted buns with your favorite toppings the more the better.

Brining - Poultry,
Poultry, Fish, Pork
Adapted by Rich Spraggs from www.foodtv.com (Alton Brown), www.virtualweberbullet.com
This is not a specific recipe but rather a method to improve flavor and reduce drying-out. While
traditional brining was meant to preserve meat, the purpose of flavor brining is to improve the
flavor, texture, and moisture content of lean cuts of meat. This is achieved by soaking the meat
in a moderately salty solution for a few hours to a few days. Flavor brining also provides a
temperature cushion during cooking. If you happen to overcook the meat a little, it will still be
moist.
Lean cuts of meat with mild flavor tend to benefit most from flavor brining. These include:
Chicken (whole, butterflied, or pieces)
Turkey (whole, butterflied, or pieces
Pork (chops, loin, tenderloin, fresh ham)
Seafood (salmon, trout, shrimp)
Brine for poultry (example is for a 14-16 lb. Turkey adjust quantities so that the bird is covered):
- 36 -

1 cup kosher salt

cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns

tablespoon allspice berries

tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve
solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean
5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in
cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.
Do not forget to load the cavity with aromatics rather than dressing (high and prolonged
temperatures are needed to cook the dressing which can dry out and overcook the bird the
result will be much better if the dressing is cooked separately. Traditional stuffing soaks up meat
juices, meaning a potential for the presence of salmonella unless the temperature of the stuffing
reaches 165F. That increases the cooking time of the turkey, which means dry meat. If you
want stuffing, cook it in a casserole dish then spoon it into the cavity prior to serving.
Aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water

4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and
microwave on high for 5 minutes. Prior to cooking, remove bird from brine and rinse inside and
out with cold water. Discard brine. Coat bird with canola oil and follow you favorite poultry
recipe.
To check for doneness, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. Remove
at 161o F. A 16-18 pound bird should arrive at the target temperature in 2 to 2 hours. Let
stand 10 to 30 minutes before carving. The amount of time required for resting varies with the
size of the cut of your meat. During this resting time, the meat continues to cook (meat
temperature will rise 5 to 30 degrees after it is removed from the heat source (if not exposed to
drafts) and the juices redistribute. A 12-lb. turkey can easily handle 60 to 90 minutes of resting.
Brine for pork and fish (example is for a 6-8 lb. pork Boston butt):
8 ounces or cup molasses
2 quarts bottled water
12 ounces pickling salt
Combine molasses, pickling salt, and water in 6-quart non-metallic container. Add Boston butt
making sure it is completely submerged in brine; cover, and let sit in refrigerator for a minimum
of 8 hours. 12 hours is ideal. Then cook or smoke according to your favorite recipe.
To check for doneness, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part. For pork, remove from
heat at 140o F. Note: Trichinella Spiralis die at 137o F. In addition, T. Spiralis has been nearly
eradicated from the American hog population by using better feeds (the only instances of
trichinosis recently involved wild game such as bear and puma).

- 37 -

Calucci
Caluccis Barbeque
Ken and Tara Wicklund
1 lb. of ground beef (ground chicken or turkey works also)
2 tbsp. onion, minced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 c. ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Brown the hamburger and drain off fat. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 30-45
minutes. Serve on hamburger buns. It goes well with tater tots, pickles, and coleslaw.
[Ken was my college roommate in Michigan (1977-1979). This recipe was originally from a
restaurant in Rockford, Illinois. Ill bet we have been making this at least once a month for over
30 years.]

Chicken Casserole
Jeanne Reed
2 c. chicken, cooked and cut-up
Cook until tender (in the microwave):
1 cup of diced celery

2 tbsp. chopped onion

Then add:
cup mayonnaise
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 can cream-of-chicken soup (undiluted)
2 cups cooked rice (cook 1 cup of rice in chicken broth)
Mix all of the above ingredients well and place in buttered casserole dish. Refrigerate overnight.
The next day, saut in 2 tbsp. butter 1 c. cereal (any kind, crushed), c. slivered almonds.
Spread on top and bake at 325o F. for 30 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Colleens Savory Spirals

Colleen Delbridge
1 kg vetkoek1 dough (bread dough made with yeast)
2 cups steamed spinach
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup fried mushrooms
Aromat [all-purpose seasoning]

- 38 -

1 tin tomato & onion mix2

1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 whisked egg
Garlic flakes (optional)

Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 1 cm thick. Spread the tomato & onion mix over the
surface. Spread the spinach and mushrooms in the same way. Cover with a mixture of the
three cheeses. Keep a little cheese for later. This should look like a pizza now. Sprinkle Aromat
and garlic over. Roll up like a Swiss roll/log. Slice, keeping slices about 3 fingers apart. Turn
over and place in a greased baking tray, remember to leave spaces between the buns...they
grow. Brush egg over the top and sprinkle with left over cheese. Bake in pre-heated oven at
180o C. degrees for about 35 minutes or until brown.
1From

www.en.wikipedia.org:
Vetkoek (pronounced FET-cook) is a traditional Afrikaner pastry and literally means fat
cake. It is dough deep-fried in cooking oil and either filled with cooked mince or spread
with syrup or honey or jam. It is similar in taste to Mexican Sopaipillas. In a traditional
South African braai, or barbecue, vetkoek may be served alongside boerewors (South
African sausage). Koeksisters are made from a similar but sweeter dough, but are
braided in long strips then coated in a sticky sweet syrup. [I think that the Pillsbury premade piecrusts (the ones folded up in a box, not the ones that come frozen in the pie
dish) could be substituted. Colleen is my cousin, by the way.]

2See

Train Smash at the Snacks, Sauces, and Starters section.

substitute salsa.

You could probably

Cornell Chicken
Beth Spraggs and www.amazingribs.com
If you like grilled chicken with golden crispy skin, say "thank you to Bob Baker. Baker was a
professor of food science at Cornell University. A specialist in poultry, he helped invent such
oddities as chicken nuggets, turkey ham, and poultry hot dogs. Also, say thank you to Beth
Spraggs for contributing this recipe. Beth Spraggs said that her hometown of Lowville, New
York is known for its Saturday morning chicken BBQs and that Ouma and Gramps [Rae and Bill
Spraggs] would remember smelling chicken cooking passing through on their way to Lake
Ontario.
1 egg
2 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
4-5 lbs. of chicken, parts or quartered

1 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

In a large bowl, whisk the egg white and yolk together. Add the oil and whisk until it gets thick,
homogeneous, and a bright yellow, for about 2 minutes. Now whisk in the vinegar, salt,
seasoning, and pepper. Refrigerate and soak the chicken for 24-48 hours in a zipper bag or a
9x13 dish. Every few hours, turn the chicken parts so all surfaces are coated. Before cooking,
pat dry the chicken parts. Heat up the marinade and use for basting.
Set up the grill for 2-zone cooking. Try to get the indirect side in the 225F. range. Low and
slow is better. Place the chicken over the indirect zone and close the lid. Every 5-10 minutes,
baste with the marinade and turn the chicken. Cook for about 35 minutes and check the
temperature. Continue to cook until the internal temperature of each part is 150F. and stop
basting. Exact time will depend on how thick the meat is and how often you basted. Then move
- 39 -

them over to the hot direct heat sides of the grill, skin side down, and crisp the skin without
burning it for 5-10 minutes with the lid removed. Flip and heat for about 5 minutes more. When
the skin is crisp and the temperature reaches 165F., it is ready.

Cranberry Chicken
Rae Spraggs
4 whole chicken breasts, boned (about 2 lbs.)
4 oz. Italian salad dressing
4 oz. Catalina salad dressing

1 can whole cranberry sauce

1 pkg. dried onion soup mix

Mix the Italian and Catalina dressing, the cranberry sauce, and the onion soup mix. Place the
chicken in a large, flat baking dish and cover with the dressing mixture. Allow to marinate
covered 12-24 hours.
Bake uncovered at 350o F. for about 60 minutes (until bubbly and slightly browned). Serve over
rice. Serves 8.

Curried Eggs
Rae Spraggs
4 hard-boiled eggs, shelled

4 slices of bread, toasted

Saut:
2 oz. butter or margarine
1 large onion, chopped

2 large apples, peeled and chopped

c. raisins (regular or golden)

Add and blend gently over low heat:

1 rounded tbsp. curry powder
pinch of salt
1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Mix:
2 tbsp. cornstarch

a little water

Add the cornstarch mixture to the curry mixture and stir. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil
while stirring gently.
Arrange the egg slices over 4 slices of toast. Pour the sauce over the egg and toast. Serve with
any or all of the following garnishes in separate containers, allowing guests to select their
favorites: sliced banana, apricot jam, chutney, coconut. Curried eggs can be served over hot
rice.

- 40 -

Dishwasher Salmon
Jennie Spraggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

Cut two 12-inch square sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Grease the shiny side of the foil
with the oil. Place 2 fillets side by side on each square and fold up the outer edges.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon lime juice over each fillet. Season with salt and pepper.
Fold and pinch the aluminum foil extra tightly to create a watertight seal around each pair of
fillets. Make sure the packet is airtight by pressing down on it gently with your hand. If air
escapes easily, rewrap. Place foil packets on the top rack of the dishwasher. Run dishwasher
for the entire "normal" cycle. When the wash cycle is complete, take out salmon, discard foil,
and serve. (Remove before the heat or air-dry cycle begins).
[Poaching fish in the dishwasher is a good way to surprise your friends, prepare a great meal,
and do the dishes all at the same time. Jennie made this for me one time when I went to visit
her.]

Frikkadels
(Meatballs)
Althea Baker and www.3men.com
750 grams1 minced beef
45 milligrams butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 thick slice white bread

2 large eggs
5 milligrams salt
1 milligram ground pepper
1 milligram ground allspice

Heat 15 ml of the butter in a large frying pan and saut the onion in it for about 5 minutes. Soak
the bread in a little water and squeeze dry, then mash with a fork. Combine the onion with the
mince, bread, eggs, salt, pepper and allspice and shape into balls. Heat the remaining butter,
margarine or oil in the frying pan and brown the frikkadels, a few at a time for about 5 minutes
on one side. Turn them over and brown the other side, then turn down the heat slightly and
continue cooking the frikkadels for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve hot with
mashed potatoes and an onion and tomato sauce such as Train Smash2.
[Dont these sound good? My grandmother used to make them and would always serve with
mashed potatoes. I think it would be fun to try the recipe using metric measurements.]
1Metric

conversion chart at the Miscellany section.

for Train Smash at the Snacks, Starters, and Sauces section.

2Recipe

- 41 -

Grilled Chicken and Angel Hair Pasta

Adapted by Barb Spraggs from www.allrecipies.com (Laura Branson)
6 oz. (dry wt.) angel hair pasta, cooked al dente, drained
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped
1 oz. toasted almonds (optional)
1 c. pesto*
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
In a large saucepan over medium heat, saut the minced garlic in olive oil. Add chopped
chicken, the cooked and drained pasta, pesto sauce, and then mix well. Top with toasted
almonds. Serve warm or cold. *The pesto can be omitted from the mixture but used as a topping
to individual taste.

Ironed Cheese Sandwich

Emily Spraggs
Spread both sides of bread slices with butter or margarine. Insert a slice of cheese between two
slices of buttered bread. Preheat clothes iron to the highest setting. Place a couple sheets of
waxed paper over the sandwich and cook until golden-brown. Turn over and repeat.

Kayakatina Casserole
Rae Spraggs
1 -2 lb. stewing beef, fat trimmed off, cut up
3 tbsp. flour
tsp salt
tsp. pepper
2 c. water
3 tbsp. ketchup

1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp. Gravy Master (gravy browning)
1 beef bouillon cube
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 onions, halved
4 carrots, cut into 2-3 lengths

Mix the flour, salt, pepper. Roll the meat cubes in this, coating them well. Place the meat and
flour mixture in a casserole dish.
Mix the water, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, gravy browning, and bouillon cube. Pour over
the meat and let marinate 2-4 hours before cooking.
Add the potatoes, onions, and carrots. Cover with foil and bake at 325 F. for 90 minutes, stirring
occasionally so that the gravy thickens and does not stick to the bottom of the dish.
[I do not ever remember eating this, but decided to include it because it was with some recipes
Mom gave to me when I got an apartment in 1978. I bet it smells good while cooking.]

- 42 -

Kedgeree
Rae Spraggs and www.3men.com
2 ounces butter
4 cups cooked fish, flaked
2 cups cooked rice
4 hard-boiled eggs, separated into whites and yolks

2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup evaporated milk

In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the fish and rice and stir gently to
combine. Chop the egg whites and add to the pan, along with salt, pepper, and milk. Stir gently
until heated through. To serve, garnish with egg yolks, passed through a fine wire sieve.
[I remember Mom talking about kedgeree years ago she described it as leftover fish salad
and I thought it was served cold. I told Barb about it and tried making it years ago with
mayonnaise, but it was gross rice and mayonnaise just do not go together. So I forgot about
kedgeree until now. I think if you used tuna and called it Tuna Casserole, people would go for
it. 2014 update: kedgeree was mentioned in a Downton Abbey episode as a use for leftovers.
It is very good.]

Lasagna
Rae Spraggs
[I had come home from college for one of the holidays back in the late 1970s craving Moms
home cooking and to my delight, she made lasagna. I raved about it and asked for the recipe.
After I asked a second time for the recipe, mom somewhat reluctantly pulled the trash container
out of the cabinet and produced three empty Stouffers lasagna packages. I guess you cannot
argue with ease-of-preparation! I still get a chuckle when thinking about my dad calling Mom
my little I-talian gal (with emphasis on the I as in eye).]
3 pkgs. Stouffers Lasagna with Meat and Cheese
While frozen, remove contents from the original container and arrange in a large rectangular
baking dish (one end-for-end and two side-by-side). Cook according to the instructions on the
package. Serve in the baking dish at the table so it looks as if you made it.

Maid Rite
Rite Sandwiches
Jeanne Reed
1 lb. ground beef
3 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard

c. dill pickle juice

salt and pepper to taste

Cook all ingredients in a double boiler stirring occasionally. Simmer for about an hour. Serve
on hamburger buns with ketchup, prepared mustard, diced onions, and pickles.
- 43 -

[There are many variations on this recipe from the Maid Rite Restaurant of Greenville, Ohio, but
this is the one Mimi used. I did find, however, a recipe that called for 6 oz. of beer rather than
the pickle juice which sounds good too. All recipes seem to stress the importance of using a
double boiler and simmering for an hour.]

Meatballs with Cocktail Sauce and Grape Jelly

Barb Spraggs
1 lb. hamburger
1/3 c. onions, chopped
1 egg 1 tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 (12 oz.) bottle chili sauce

c. dry bread crumbs

c. milk
1 (10 oz.) jar grape jelly
tsp. Worcestershire sauce
c. shortening

Mix hamburger, breadcrumbs, onion, milk, egg, parsley, salt, Worcestershire Sauce, and
pepper. Gently shape into 1 balls. Bake meatballs on a broiler pan for 15 minutes at 400o F.
Heat chili sauce and jelly in skillet stirring constantly, until jelly is melted. Add meatballs and stir
until coated. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes (or in crock-pot on low for 1-2 hours).

Meat Loaf
Barb Spraggs
1 to 2 lb. of ground beef*
4 slices soft bread
2 eggs
1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 c. warm milk
tsp. pepper

2 tsp. salt
tsp. dry mustard
1 tbsp. chili sauce
c. diced celery
c. diced onion

Mix well and pour in loaf pan. Bake at 350o F. for 90 minutes.
[This recipe was originally from Margaret Hinsch. *She used a mixture of 50% ground beef and
50% ground pork.]

Monkey Gland Steak

www.3men.com and www.kitzchzinc.blogspot.com
An Ann Solms specialty
cube steaks (1 per serving)
oil for frying
1 large onion, diced

cup Worcestershire Sauce

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
cup of chutney
- 44 -

 cup water
2 large tomatoes, diced (or canned tomatoes)
1 cup of ketchup

cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. Tabasco Sauce

In a heavy skillet, heat oil. Saut onions and garlic until soft. Add remaining ingredients, mix
well, and simmer for a few minutes. Fry or grill the steaks separately. When done frying spoon
the sauce over the steaks. Serve with rice.
[I do not have Anns recipe, but heard she had a good one. The origins of the dish are shrouded
in mystery and have nothing to do with monkeys or monkey body parts. Ive read that it was
joke applied by a French chef that was lured to Johannesburg to cook at the Carlton Hotel early
in the 1950s to a version which claims to be the real story: The Rand Easter Show used to be
held at Milner Park, prior to the takeover of the site by the University of the Witwatersrand. The
Show in 1936 was particularly big and more international than usual. To provide fare at the fair
for foreigners, the organizers brought over a French chef. In those days, South African palates
were even less sophisticated than today. The chef was horrified when almost all his patrons
ordered steak, steak, and more steak, well done, and then slathered it in [ketchup]. At the end
of the Show, he was asked to create a signature dish to commemorate his tenure at the Rand
Easter Show. He replied that he would make something that those Monkeys could appreciate.
He concocted a steak drowned in spicy sauces, which he named Monkey Gland Steak.]

Moo Goo Gai Pan

Farberware Wok Cookbook, 1983
1 tbsp. cooking oil
lb. snow peas*
1 c. sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 small can water chestnuts
1 small can bean sprouts
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
tsp. ground ginger
tsp. white pepper
2 tbsp. cooking oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 pieces
4 scallions, cut into 1 pieces including the green tops (optional)
Add 1 tbsp. of oil to the wok. Set heat control to 350o F. When light goes out, add snow peas,
mushrooms, and scallions. Stir-fry for 2 minutes (do not over-cook). Remove from wok.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, ginger, and pepper. Set aside.
To the hot wok, add 2 tbsp. of cooking oil; add the chicken and cornstarch mixture and stir-fry
until the chicken turns white. Stir in the vegetable mixture and soy sauce. Stir-fry until hot
about 1-2 minutes. Serve over rice made from a rice-cooker.
*1 pkg. (6 oz.) of frozen snow peas can be used if thawed and drained completely

- 45 -

Natchitoches Meat Pies

Pies
www.explorenatchitoches.com (Mrs. L.J. Melder)
Meat Pie Filling
1 teaspoon shortening
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork meat
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 pod garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
salt, black pepper, and red pepper to taste

Meat Pie Crust

1 quart plain flour (4.65 cups)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
cup shortening + 1 tbsp.
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour

Melt shortening in heavy pot. Add meat. Cook until pink is gone. Add vegetables and season
to taste (seasoning well, as meat will lose seasoning during frying). When meat is completely
done and vegetables glazed, remove from heat and drain excess liquid. Stir in 1 tablespoon
flour.
Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Beat egg and add to milk. Work gradually into
dry ingredients until proper consistency to roll. Break into small pieces and roll very thin. Cut
into rounds using a saucer as a guide.
Place about 2 tablespoons of prepared meat along edge and halfway in the center of round
dough. Fold the other half over, making edges meet and seal with water. Form edges with fork.
Drop in deep fat and cook until golden brown. Drain and serve hot.
[I did not think anything could be better than an Upper Peninsula Michigan pastie until I had a
Natchitoches meat pie in New Orleans. I have not made this, but sure intend to. This is the
official recipe of the Natchitoches (Louisiana) Meat Pie Festival. Meat pies are GREAT with lots
of ketchup. Variations on the recipe include baking (Place on a greased cookie sheet or pan.
Make small slits in dough to vent steam, egg-wash entire pie and bake thirty minutes at 400o
F.), but I think the deep-frying has something to do with making them extra-good. I would not
go to all that trouble, however, of making the dough just use Pillsbury pre-made piecrusts (get
the ones folded up in a box, not the ones that come frozen in the pie dish). Let the crusts warm
up to room temperature before unfolding so they do not crack. Roll them out and size however
you want. I have noticed Natchitoches meat pies are smaller than pasties, so you will have
some extra dough to ball up and roll out again.]

Pasties
(PAST-eez)
Rich Spraggs
Mix the following:
1 lbs. round bottom beef or similar, cut up into small pieces
3 medium potatoes, cubed into small pieces
2/3 c. carrots, grated (cubed rutabagas would be true to the original recipe)
c. onions, chopped
- 46 -

2 tsp. salt
tsp. freshly ground pepper
Spread out four Pillsbury pre-made piecrusts (2 packages of the ones folded up in a box, not the
ones which come frozen in the pie dish) after allowing the crusts warm up to room temperature.
Cut into 10 diameter circles. With the leftover dough, wad up and roll out into a fifth crust.
Divide the meat mixture into 5 portions and place on one side of each crust. Fold the crust over
into a half-circle. Push down on it to spread the meat mixture as close to the edge as possible.
Pinch closed and use a fork to make a nice-looking imprint on the edge. Make 4-5 slits in
the top. Gently place the pasties on a large greased cookie sheet and bake at 350o F. for about
1 hour until golden-brown. This method will make five large pasties.
Serve with lots of ketchup and a tall glass of cold milk. True pastie-lovers would NEVER eat it
with gravy, as gravy ruins pasties.
To freeze pasties, bake at 350o F. for about 15 minutes (to prevent the potatoes from darkening).
Prior to serving, partially thaw and then bake at 350o F. for about 45 minutes until golden-brown.
Pasties were popular with the Cornish miners of England and many immigrated to other parts of
the world including South Africa (gold and coalmines) and the upper peninsula of Michigan
(copper mines). My dad remembers his mom making pasties for his fathers lunch (he worked
in the coalmines of Johannesburg). She would mix potatoes and vegetables with whatever meat
was leftover, bake in a crust, and wrap up in a piece of newspaper. When I went to college in
the upper peninsula of Michigan, we would often go to the Rainbow Caf in Houghton for lunch
to eat pasties with lots of ketchup and drink milk from tall glasses.

Peri Peri Chicken

www.3men.com and www.nandousa.com
An Ann Solms favorite
500 grams* chicken tenderloins
flour, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
c. olive oil
1 kilogram baby potatoes, parboiled and quartered
3 tbsp. fresh chopped coriander leaves or parsley

2 teaspoons chicken stock powder

red chili, sliced
3 tbsp. lemon juice
3 cloves crushed garlic
Peri Peri Sauce

Sprinkle the chicken with the seasoned flour. Mix together the oil, garlic, coriander or parsley,
dry chicken-stock powder, chili, and lemon juice to make a paste. Toss the chicken into the
mixture to coat. Stir-fry in a hot frying pan in the olive oil for 5-8 minutes until the chicken is just
cooked. Add the potatoes and Peri Peri Sauce and warm through. Serve with extra Peri Peri
Sauce, rolls and fresh salads such as chopped onion, cubed avocado, diced cucumber, cubed
tomato, or cubed pineapple.
[Other hot sauces such as Tabasco may work as a substitute, but you can get Peri Peri Sauce
at Jungle Jims in Fairfield, Ohio. You can also get some from me because I have a good supply
of several Peri Peri sauces. Africa's hottest chili is the peri-peri pepper, also known as the
African birds-eye chili. It is a thick, rich South African hot sauce from Nando's Chickenland
- 47 -

Restaurant. Its made the same way that Portuguese explorers did it in the 14th century with
chilies plus fresh sun-ripened lemons, garlic, and an exotic mix of herbs and spices.]
*Metric conversion chart at the Miscellany section.

Pickled Fish
www.3men.com
2 kilograms* firm-fleshed white fish
4 large onions, sliced
750 milliliters vinegar
125 milliliters water
20 milligrams salt
125 milligrams sugar

40 milligrams curry powder

15 milligrams turmeric
2 milligrams cayenne pepper
1 piece crushed root ginger
10 coriander seeds
5 lemon or bay leaves

Clean and fillet the fish and cut it into portions. Combine all the other ingredients in a deep
saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the fish and simmer for a further 20 minutes, taking
care not to break the fish. Remove with a slotted spoon and layer into a glass dish. Pour the
curry sauce over. Leave to cool, then cover tightly and leave to mature in the refrigerator for at
least 3 days before use, but preferably longer. Serve with brown bread and butter.
[I remember eating canned pickled fish as a kid in South Africa and I loved it. Years later, we
ordered a can from one of those South African mail order places, and it was disgusting. I might
try making this sometimeI included it here because I did not want to lose the recipe.]
*Metric conversion chart at the Miscellany section.

Pork
Pork Chops Brined, Marinated, and Baked
Adapted by Barb Spraggs from www.allrecipes.com
Absolutely the best, moistest pork chops you will ever have!
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup
6 pork chops thick cut

Barbs standard brining solution is cup of kosher salt dissolved in 1 quart (4 cups) of warm
water. Combine the salt and water in a shallow baking dish and stir it gently until the salt is
dissolved before adding the meat. This is enough to brine 4 chicken breasts or pork chops about 1 1/2 pounds of meat. Add some aromatics into the brining solution star anise and
cumin seeds, lemon peel, ginger or lemongrass, black peppercorns, smashed cloves of garlic.
Whatever you have in the kitchen that sounds good together can be added to the brine for an
extra boost of flavor.
Then you can just let the brining meat sit while you prepare the rest of the meal. Ideal brining
time is about a half an hour, but even a 15-minute brine makes a difference. The meat cooks
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up juicier and with more flavor than it does otherwise. You can also brine for longer, but after
about 2 hours, the meat can start to get a bit mushy. Rinse the meat and discard the brine.
Preheat the oven to 350o F. In a small bowl, thoroughly blend the soy sauce, vegetable oil,
Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and ketchup. Place the pork chops in a
medium baking dish and coat with half the sauce. Bake the pork chops 25 minutes in the
preheated oven. Turn over and coat with the remaining sauce. Continue baking until the internal
temperature of the pork chops reaches 145 degrees F. Total cooking time will be less than an
hour depending on the thickness of the pork chops.

Pork
Pork Roast Brined and Baked
Adapted by Barb Spraggs from www.ehow.com
If you thought the pork chops were good try this!
2-3 pound pork tenderloin, washed and trimmed
pepper
2 cups chicken broth

garlic salt
poultry seasoning

Use Barbs standard brining solution: cup of kosher salt dissolved in 1 quart (4 cups) of warm
water. Combine the salt and water in a shallow baking dish and stir it gently until the salt is
dissolved before adding the meat. This is enough to brine 4 chicken breasts or pork chops about 1 1/2 pounds of meat. Add some aromatics into the brining solution star anise and
cumin seeds, lemon peel, ginger or lemongrass, black peppercorns, smashed cloves of garlic.
Whatever you have in the kitchen that sounds good together can be added to the brine for an
extra boost of flavor.
Then you can just let the brining meat sit while you prepare the rest of the meal. Ideal brining
time is about a half an hour, but even a 15-minute brine makes a difference. The meat cooks
up juicier and with more flavor than it does otherwise. You can also brine for longer, but after
about 2 hours, the meat can start to get a bit mushy. Rinse the meat and discard the brine.
Preheat the oven to 350o F. Mix enough garlic salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning to liberally
cover the pork tenderloin. Pat the mixture on the top and sides of the pork. Turn the stovetop
to medium-high and bring 1 cup of chicken broth to a boil in the Le Creuset Dutch oven. Put the
pork tenderloin in the Dutch oven to brown, turning and adding more chicken broth if it
evaporates and the pork begins to burn. The tenderloin should be evenly browned all over. Put
the Le Creuset in your preheated oven with the cover on, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the
pork tenderloin from the oven and turn it over so that it can cook on both sides. Return it to the
oven to and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145o F. Cut into the tenderloin to ensure
that no traces of pink remain. If so, return it to the oven and check every 5 to 8 minutes until it
is thoroughly cooked. Let the tenderloin sit for 10 minutes before slicing and drizzling it with the
pan juices.

- 49 -

Pot Roast
Adapted by Barb Spraggs from www.elise.com (Elise Bauer)
3 lb. of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast
1 tbsp. olive or grape-seed oil
salt, pepper, Italian seasoning to taste
1 large yellow onion, chopped or sliced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

cup of red wine or water
3-5 carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise
3-4 small potatoes, cooked but firm

Use a thick-bottomed covered pot (ovenproof if you intend to cook in oven), such as a Dutch
oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil on medium high heat
(hot enough to sear the meat). Sprinkle and rub salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning all over the
meat. Brown roast in pot, all over, several minutes on each side. Do not move the roast while
a side is browning, or it will not brown well.
When roast is browned, lift up the meat and add garlic and chopped onion to the bottom of the
pan. Let the roast sit on top of the onions. Add cup of red wine (or water). Cover. Bring to
simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer
when covered. Alternatively, you can cook the pot roast in a 225o F. oven; once you have
browned it on the stovetop, and brought the liquid to a simmer (make sure to use an ovenproof
pan).
Cook for3k to 4 hours, until meat is tender. Near the end of the cooking, add carrots and
potatoes, cook until tender, about an additional 10-20 minutes.
After cooking 3 hours, before adding the carrots and potatoes, note how much liquid the meat
has released. This comes from slow cooking at a very low temperature. If your pot roast is too
dry, make sure the pan you are using has a tight fitting lid and that you are cooking at the lowest
possible heat to maintain the low simmering. Serves 4.

Romano
Romano Crusted Chicken
Chicken
Adapted from a recipe at Cap City Diner (Columbus, Ohio) website
A Julie Spraggs favorite
4 to 6 (3 oz.) chicken breasts, pounded, breaded
Flour as needed
4 oz. Romano crust (see below)
12 oz. roasted tomato cream sauce (see below)
2 teaspoons parsley

egg wash as needed

2 servings of Cappellini pasta (cooked)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Pound the chicken breasts to less than 1/2-inch thick. Bread chicken using flour, egg wash and
Romano crust. Saut chicken on medium heat until well browned on one side. Flip and finish
in 350o F. oven. Cook pasta in boiling water, drain well, toss with garlic butter, Parmesan and
parsley. Place a nest of pasta on a large platter at one end. Ladle sauce in front of the pasta.
Place crispy chicken on top of sauce and garnish with parsley and parmesan.
Roasted Tomato Cream Sauce:
8 oz. pizza sauce

4 oz. Alfredo sauce

- 50 -

Blend tomato and Alfredo sauces together over low heat. DO NOT BOIL -- the Alfredo sauce
will "break".
Romano crust:
2 oz. shredded Romano cheese

2-4 oz. Panko breadcrumbs

Mix and add salt & pepper to taste.

Sausage Rolls
Rae Spraggs
A Bill Spraggs favorite
Thaw 2 packages of Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry sheets. Roll out to make even and seal
folds. Cut each sheet in half length-wise to make 8 sheets.
Mix well and saut:
2 lb. lean ground round
1 finely chopped onion
c. ketchup

2-3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Drain off fat. Divide into 8 portions. Lay each portion down the center of each pastry strip. Fold
over and seal.
Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet and brush the top of each pastry with milk. Cut
through the top only of each pastry in order to make 6 rolls per strip.
Bake at 425o F. for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on rack. Cut through both crusts
to serving portions. Be careful not to overcook. Serve with ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce, or
Mrs. Balls Chutney.
[These make a great appetizer when cut into small sizes. I will never forget how upset my dad
was that those Afrikaans boys devoured a platter of sausage roll appetizers that my mom had
made before he had a chance to have a few at a party for South Africans in Hilton Head during
the early-1990s.]

Savory Crescent Chicken Squares

Adapted by Barb Spraggs from From the Backs of Bottles, Cans, and Jars by Ceil Dyer (1982)
3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. margarine or butter, melted
1tbsp. chopped chives or onion
2 c. chicken, cooked, cubed
1 tbsp. chopped pimiento (opt.)
tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
8 oz. can Pillsbury Refrigerated Quick Crescent Dinner Rolls
c. seasoned croutons, crushed
- 51 -

Heat oven to 350o F. In medium bowl, blend cream cheese and 2 tbsp. of the margarine until
smooth. Add the chicken, salt, pepper, milk, chives (or onion), and pimiento; mix well. Separate
the dough into 4 rectangles; firmly press perforations around edges to seal. Spoon c. meat
mixture onto center of each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of dough to top center of chicken mixture,
twist slightly and seal edges. Place on un-greased cookie sheet. Brush tops with reserved 1
tbsp. margarine; sprinkle with crouton crumbs. Bake at 350o F. for 20-25 minutes or until golden
brown. Serves 4.

Savory Mince
Rae Spraggs
1 lb. ground beef
c. onions, chopped
c. carrots, sliced
1 sm. can tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. vinegar
tsp. dry mustard powder

Brown the beef in a skillet; add onions, carrots, and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat when
the sauce bubbles. Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Add a small amount of water if it seems to dry
out too much.
[This really is a no recipe dish, and I made up the amounts. It is like Sloppy Joe with carrots.
I think Jeremy used to call it Sloppy Freddy.]

South African
African Curried Beef Gratin
Adapted by Jennie Spraggs from The New Complete International Jewish Cookbook
by Evelyn Rose (Robson Books)
2 tbsp. pine nuts, slivered almonds or cashews
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Indian curry paste or 2 tsp curry powder
3 tbsp. apricot preserves or mango chutney
1 tsp. salt

20 grinds black pepper

1 tbsp. canola or sunflower oil
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 lbs. lean ground beef

Preheat oven to 350o F. In heavy-based skillet, toast pine nuts, almonds, or cashews over
moderate heat, tossing frequently, until they smell toasty, about 3 minutes. In large skillet over
moderate heat, heat oil and cook onion, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add
ground beef and fry, stirring once or twice, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Add salt, pepper,
curry, apricot preserves or mango preserves, and lemon juice. Cook gently for 5 minutes, and
then stir in the toasted nuts. Transfer to casserole or small gratin dish, and keep warm while
you make the custard topping.
Custard:
3 large eggs
1 1/3 c. canned coconut milk
1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. paprika

pinch of chili powder
10 grinds black pepper
- 52 -

2 tsp soy sauce

2 or 3 bay leaves

To make custard: In bowl, whisk eggs with coconut milk. Add salt, soy sauce, paprika, chili
powder, and black pepper. Mix well, then pour custard (it will be thin) evenly over meat mixture.
Arrange bay leaves on top. Bake for 30 minutes, until top has set and is golden brown. Allow
to cool for 5 minutes before serving with rice and a green vegetable. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
This ground beef custard is sweet with coconut milk and apricot preserves yet hot and savory
with spices and curry flavors.

Spaghetti Bolognese
Adapted by Rich Spraggs from www.foodnetwork.com (Emeril Lagasse)
A Pat DeJean favorite
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces bacon or pancetta, diced
1 cups chopped yellow onions
cup diced carrots
cup diced celery
2 (14 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes & juice
1 teaspoon salt
teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
teaspoon dried thyme
teaspoon dried oregano
teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 pound ground beef or ground veal
pound bulk pork sausage
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup beef or chicken stock or broth
2 teaspoons sugar
cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound spaghetti
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until
browned and the fat is rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and cook,
stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano,
cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the beef and sausages, and
cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for
1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and remove any browned
bits sticking to the bottom of the pan, and until half of the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato sauce, beef broth, and sugar and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep the sauce from
sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 1 hours.
Add the cream, butter, and parsley, stir well, and simmer for 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaves
and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until ready
to serve.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and return the water to a
low boil. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking, until al dente, 8 to 10
minutes. Drain in a colander.
Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add cup of the cheese and toss to blend. Divide
among pasta bowls and serve with the cheese passed tableside. (Alternatively, toss only the
- 53 -

desired portion of pasta with a bit of the sauce at a time in a serving bowl, reserving the
remainder for another meal.)
Preparation time: 30 min.; cooking time: 2 hours and 20 min.; makes 6 to 8 servings.
[This seems like a lot of work, but it is very good and you can freeze it.]

Steaks Pan Seared

Seared
Adapted by Rich Spraggs from www.foodtv.com (Alton Brown)
Just threaten it with the heat Rae Spraggs
Girl, if you want to let him know there is steak for dinner, you got to let him hear it sizzle!
Noxeema Jackson, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
Select at least 1 thick steaks (thicker is better). Coat with peanut oil and season with freshly
ground pepper and sea salt to taste. Cover and allow to come to room temperature for 2-3 hours
prior to cooking. Before cooking, wipe off excess oil.
Heat a cast iron skillet in a 500o F. oven. Turn on one of the burners and let get red-hot. When
the oven is up to temperature, remove skillet, place on hot burner, put the streak(s) in, and sear
each side for 30 seconds turning with tongs (I do each side for 60 seconds for those who want
medium-rare or above).
Place skillet back in 500o F. oven and cook each side for another 1-2 minutes (depending on
thickness and desired doneness; medium and over may require 3 minutes or longer). Removing
at 100-105 F. for rare is good. Remove from skillet and let rest for 3-5 minutes covered with foil.
It will continue to cook while resting, so do not freak out if it is too rare when you remove it.
This method is sure to stink up the house and will likely set off smoke alarms, but it is as close
to restaurant-style steak cooking as is possible in the home. This is why I have a stove in the
garage. Steaks cooked outside are good, but you cannot get a grill this hot.

- 54 -

Sweet and Tangy Chicken

www.syrupandbiscuits.com
8 chicken thighs - you can use a whole chicken or other parts, thighs are the best, and we want
them bone-in with the skin.
1 package dry French onion soup mix
1 small jar of apricot preserves or about a cupful.

1 (8 oz. bottle) Russian dressing

Mix all ingredients, except chicken, in a bowl. Place chicken pieces in a baking pan. Sprinkle
with pepper. No extra salt is needed. Pour sauce over chicken and make sure it is coated well.
Roast uncovered at 400o F. for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes until chicken is done. Baste
several times during cooking.
[Be sure and use some sort of throwaway baking dish, as the baked sugars bond to conventional
baking pans.]

ToadToad-inin-thethe-Hole
Rae Spraggs
A Jennie and Julie Spraggs favoritenot!
3 eggs
tsp. salt
c. milk
8 sweet Italian sausages

c. water
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda

Beat well the eggs and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat well together.
Skin 8 sweet Italian sausages. Arrange in greased casserole dish. Pour the batter over the
sausages. Bake at 400o F. for 50-60 minutes (testing with a toothpick). Pour off the excess fat
and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Walleye
Ron Meyer
Spray Pam on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Grind up crackers and add garlic powder to
taste. Rinse fillets and press both sides into the cracker mixture. Place on foil with pats of butter
on top of the fish fillets here and there. Completely seal the foil packets. Cook on a grill at
medium heat for 12 minutes.
[Ron uses this method for freshly caught Lake Erie walleye, but it could be used for any fish.]

- 55 -

White Chicken Chili

Brenda Wilson
1 lb. chicken, cooked and diced
3 lb. white great northern beans
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 med. onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups shredded Monterey or Cojack cheese

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp oregano
tsp. salt
4 cups chicken broth
1 can beer (or less)
1 can chopped green chilies

Drain beans. Heat oil in large pot; add onions and saut about 10 min. Stir in garlic, chilies,
cumin, oregano, and salt. Saut 2 more min. Add beans, broth, and beer and bring to a boil.
Cook for about 1 hour stirring occasionally. Add chicken and cheese; heat throughout.
Note from Brenda: I used a little more cumin, fresh oregano, and only about cup of beer. I
also used 3 cans of Bush Northern Beans and the larger can of chilies (green chilies will be in
the Mexican food section I use Ortega).

- 56 -


DESERTS AND SWEETS

Almost Candy
Jennie Spraggs
1 box chocolate cake mix - must be moist chocolate cake mix
1 stick of butter or margarine, melted
white chocolate chips
peanut butter chips
1 can sweet condensed milk
coconut (optional)
chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350o F. Grease your pan (I use a 10.5x15 Pyrex, but anything 9x13 or bigger
should work; it will puff up as it bakes). Melt butter and mix with condensed milk and cake mix.
This will be a bit difficult, as the mixture is thick. You can add some water to make it easier to
mix up. Dump mixture into a greased pan. Flatten the mixture with a spatula. Mix together
remaining ingredients and spread over the top of the cake mixture. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Let
cool before you try to cut into pieces.

Apple Crisp
Barb Spraggs and www.allrecipes.com
"Cinnamon-spiced apples are baked with a sweet oat crumble in this simple dessert. It's great
served with ice cream!"
10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350o F. Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1
tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly
over all. Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted
butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture. Bake at 350o F. for about 45 minutes

Beet Cake
Adapted by Rich Spraggs from Family Circle Magazine, April 1981
c butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs

1 tsp. cinnamon
tsp. cloves
4 tsp. baking powder
- 57 -

1 tsp. baking soda

1 containers of cream cheese frosting
2 c. sifted flour (all-purpose)
1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
1 tsp. allspice
1 jar (16 oz.) Aunt Nellies Sweet Sour Harvard Beets*
Beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat well. Blend beets in blender or food
processor until smooth. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with beets to butter mixture, mixing
well after each addition. Fold in walnuts. Turn batter into 2 greased and floured cake pans.
Bake at 350o F for 45-55 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on rack for 30 minutes before
removing from pan. Ice with lots of cream cheese frosting.
I made this in 1981 and kept the torn-out page from the magazine. The original recipe called for
sifted confectioners sugar and cooked in a 9 Bunt pan, but its much better with cream cheese
frosting (similar to a carrot cake). It is very good and the color is rather distinctivedo you
remember the grooms cake in the 1989 movie Steel Magnolias?
*I did check and Aunt Nellie is still making her sweet and sour beets, although she is putting
them in smaller jars now.

Boston Tea Party Cake

Joe Wilson, Piqua Bicentennial Cookbook
Cake sift together:
1 c. flour
tsp. baking soda
tsp. salt

c. sugar
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. cocoa

Add and beat at low speed:

c. Crisco

2/3 c. milk

Add and beat for 1 minutes at low speed:

1 egg (unbeaten)

tsp. vanilla extract

Pour into one well-greased 9 round layer pan. Bake at 350o F. for 30-35 minutes.
Butterscotch filling blend:
c. brown sugar
tsp. salt

1 tbsp. cornstarch

Blend in 1 egg yolk. Gradually add 1 c. milk. Mix thoroughly. Cook over medium heat
stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add:
1 tbsp. butter
tsp. vanilla extract
Cover and cool.
Whipped cream topping whip until thick:
c. whipping cream
- 58 -

Fold in:
1 tbsp. sugar

tsp. vanilla extract

Split the cake (making two round sections). Cover one section with the butterscotch mixture.
Cover with other section of cake and then top the whole cake with the whipped cream mixture.

Christmas Cookies
Barb Spraggs
1 c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
food coloring (optional)

2 eggs, unbeaten
3 c. sifted flour
tsp. salt

Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add the 2 eggs and beat well. Add the flour and
salt and mix until blended. Chill the dough 1-2 hours.
Press through cookie press onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 400o F. oven
for 8-10 minutes.

Christmas Day Pudding

Rae Spraggs
Sift together:
1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt

1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. sugar

Add:
c. dates, pitted and halved
c. milk

c. cherries, pitted and halved

Stir well and add Christmas charms* (one for each family member) and one dime. Pass the
bowl around to family members to stir and make a wish.
Heat:
2 c. water
1 c. sugar

2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. cinnamon

Stir until sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.

Spread the dough mixture in the center of a large greased baking dish. Pour the warm syrup
over the mixture and around the sides. Bake at 350o F. for 45 minutes or until the pudding is
cooked in the center. It should be moist, though.
Scoop out servings with a spoon. Hopefully each family member will find charm or the Lucky
- 59 -

Dime. It can be served warm or cold and is good with custard sauce.
[*Christmas charms: we used the pieces from the Monopoly game they were metal back then
(actually probably lead and we did not know the risk we were taking). I would suggest leaving
out the charms, but this is the way mom did it in the 1960s and 70s, and it was fun.]

CoconutCoconut-Oatmeal Cookies
Brenda Wilson
Cream together (in mixer):
2 cups real butter & 2 cups margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

Sift together:
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Add slowly to butter/sugar mixture.

Stir in:
2 cups coconut

2 cups Quick Oats

Bake on greased cookie sheet at 325o F. for 12-15 minutes. Brenda usually just bakes for 12
minutes.

Court of Two Sisters Courtyard Bread Pudding

www.courtoftwosisters.com
3 cups milk
tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon
cup salted butter, melted
tsp. ground nutmeg
4 eggs
tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 24 loaf of day-old French bread; cut into 1- 2 cubes (12 cups bread cubes)
Scald the milk in a heavy 4-5-quart saucepan. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5
minutes. Then add the bread, raisins, and melted butter and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl,
beat the eggs and add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until thoroughly
blended. Then add to the bread mixture and blend well.
Butter a 3-4 quart earthenware or china casserole thoroughly on all inner surfaces (or use a
baking dish about 3-4 deep). Pour the mixture into it and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly.
Bake uncovered in a preheated 350o F. oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until knife inserted in
the center comes out clean and the tip begins to brown and form a rough crust. Allow to cool to
room temperature. Serve warm or chilled with Whiskey Sauce. Yields 8 or more servings.
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Whiskey Sauce
1 lbs. butter
1 lb. sugar
9 egg yolks

cup half & half

4 tsp. cornstarch in cup of cold water
2 oz. bourbon

Melt butter and dissolve sugar over double boiler. Add egg yolks and whip vigorously so that
egg yolks do not curdle. To this mixture add half & half and corn starch mixture. Let cook over
double boiler for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add whiskey. Serve 2 oz. per serving of
bread pudding.
[Bread pudding is one of my favorites, but I have never made this recipe (although I did have
some at this restaurant). I decided to include it because Barb and I had such a nice time at this
wonderful New Orleans restaurant and Barb remembered that her mom and dad had been there
in the 1960s. In addition, Jennie and Chris went there in 2014.]

Cranberry Pie
Sandy Reed
2 cups of cranberries
cup chopped walnuts
1 sticks butter
1 cup flour

1 cup sugar, divided

Pillsbury pie crust
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract

Mix cup of sugar, cup of walnuts, and the 2 cups of cranberries and pour into a Pillsbury
piecrust.
Topping: melt the 1 sticks of butter and mix into the 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of
flour, 1 teaspoon of almond extract. Pour on the cranberry mixture and bake for 350o F. for 3035 minutes.

Emily
Emilys Snowball Cookies
Emily Spraggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pecans chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients except powdered sugar. Roll into balls and bake at 350o F. for 10 minutes or until
slightly browned. Toss baked cookies in bag with powdered sugar while still warm.

- 61 -

Fochville Tart
Rae Spraggs
Cream 1 cup of sugar and 3 tbsp. of butter or margarine. Add 3 eggs (1 at a time) and beat.
Add 1 c. flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, pinch of salt, and c. evaporated milk. Beat well together.
Place 1 can of apple pie filling or 6 or more of peeled and sliced apples in a buttered Pyrex dish.
Cover with batter.
Bake 50 minutes at 350o F. or until done.
Boil the remaining evaporated milk from the 13 oz. can with c. sugar and 1 tbsp. butter or
margarine to make the caramel sauce.
Prick the baked tart while still warm and pour over about half of the hot sauce allowing the
sauce to be absorbed. Use the remaining sauce when serving. It is best served warm.
[Jennie says this stuff is awful. I do not remember it being that bad.]

Fruit Slush
Barb Spraggs
2 c. sugar
3 c. water
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple (with liquid)
1 12 oz. can orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 sm. Jar maraschino cherries (halved)

6 bananas, diced
12 oz. water

Boil the sugar in 3 c. of water; let cool. Mix the crushed pineapple with the cherries, bananas,
orange juice concentrate, and water. Add the sugar and water and place in the freezer. Stir
every hour until frozen. Remove from freezer and partially thaw prior to serving. Ice cube trays
work well if it will not be served all at once (thaw 3-4 cubes per person prior to serving).

JellJell-O Wedges
Rich Spraggs
4 oranges

Jell-O (any flavor)

Cut the oranges in half and remove the juice and pulp (perfect when done with a juicer). Prepare
the Jell-O according to instructions on the package and pour very carefully into the orange halves
arranged in a dish so they will not roll around. Refrigerate to set the Jell-O. Prior to serving, cut
the halves into quarters and little kids will be amazed at how you got the Jell-O to stay in the
orange quarters.

- 62 -

Kitty Litter Cake

Adapted by Rich Spraggs from www.wikihow.com, www.catlady99.tripod.com,
1 spice cake mix
1 white cake mix
1 large pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix
1 pkg. vanilla sandwich cookies

green food coloring

12 small Tootsie Rolls
new, cleaned litter box
new, cleaned litter scoop

Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box. Use any size pan. Allow the cake
to cool to room temperature.
Prepare the pudding mix and put it in the refrigerator for now.
Crumble the white sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor (scrape often to get
every little piece) or by hand in a bag. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup.
Measure cup of cookie crumbs and add a few drops of green food coloring to it. Mix with a
fork or shake everything in a jar.
Crumble the room-temperature cake into a large bowl. Toss it gently with half of the remaining
white cookie crumbs and enough chilled pudding to moisten (not soak) the crumbs.
Put the cookie crumbs and pudding mixture into a brand new, clean litter box.
Heat three unwrapped Tootsie Rolls in a microwave safe dish and until they are soft and pliable.
Pinch the ends so they are no longer blunt you want them to look convincingly like cats youknow-what. Repeat this process with as many Tootsie Rolls as you would like to add,
microwaving them in batches of three. Bury the shaped Tootsie Rolls in mixture and sprinkle
them with the other half of the cookie crumbs. Careful while shaping they are hot out of the
microwave.
Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top. This will mimic real litter, where many of
the grains are often blue or green.
Shape 3 more Tootsie Rolls and scrape them on top of the cake. One can hang over the side
of the litter box. Sprinkle them lightly with cookie crumbs.
Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around. Serve with a
new, washed litter scoop for that extra touch.

Lemon Squares
Sam Heitzman
Crust:
1 c. flour
c. powdered sugar

c. butter

- 63 -

Sift the flour and sugar into a bowl. Mix in the butter. Press into an 8x8 greased baking dish
and bake at 350o F. for 20-25 min.
Filling:
3 eggs, beaten
tsp. baking powder
1 c. sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice [Sam always recommended juice from freshly squeezed lemons.]
Pour over the baked crust. Return to oven (350o F.) for 20-25 min. Allow to cool for 30 minutes
and cut into squares.

Lemonade Cake
Beth Spraggs
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small box lemon Jell-O
c. boiling water
4 eggs

1 small can frozen lemonade

c. sugar
c. oil

Mix the Jell-O and boiling water until dissolved. Let cool. Mix cake mix, eggs, oil, and Jell-O
mixture. Spray a Bundt pan with Pam. Pour contents in and bake at 325o F. for I hour.
Mix the frozen lemonade and sugar together. Spoon it over the cake as soon as it comes out of
the oven.

Leslie
Leslies Banana Bread
Beth Spraggs
3 bananas, mashed
1 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon water

Mix above ingredients together and let stand for 15 minutes. Then mix with:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup walnuts

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil

Pour into a large greased/floured loaf pan. Bake at 350o F. for 50 minutes.

- 64 -

Lindy
Lindys Cheese Cake
Jean Wilson Reed
Crust - combine:
1 cup flour
cup sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 egg yolk

Add cup melted butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Work together quickly. Put into plastic bag and chill at least 1 hour. Roll out 1/8 thick
and place over greased bottom of 9 spring-form pan. Trim off extra dough. Bake in 400
F. oven for 20 minutes or until golden (watch closely this burns easily). Cool. .
Note from Brenda Wilson: I have better results with the crust if you can chill it just slightly
then roll it out between 2 pieces of wax paper and chill it already rolled. If refrigerated too
long, it gets very dry and breaks apart easily. To line the sides of the pan, cut the crust
in strips the same depth of the side of the pan. I also make a double recipe of the crust
to ensure that there is enough to cover the spring foam pan.
Filling:
2 pounds cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons of flour
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
cup sour cream

Add ingredients separately, beating after each addition with a mixer until smooth and
creamy.
Butter the sides of the spring-form pan and place over the base. Roll remaining dough 1/8 inch
thick and line sides of greased pan, making sure the bottom and side edges are sealed. Place
filling in pan. Place pie in preheated 500 F. oven and bake 12-15 minutes. Reduce heat and
bake at 200 F. for 1 more hour. Watch closely toward the end and if it gets too brown on top,
cover with foil. Refrigerate before cutting and serve chilled.

M&M Bars
Rae Spraggs
Mix the following ingredients and press into 9x13 Pyrex baking dish, which has been greased
and floured.
2 c. flour
1 c. margarine
c. powdered (confectioners) sugar
Bake at 350o F. for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately pour over:
1 can (14 oz.) condensed milk
- 65 -

1 c. rainbow M&Ms

1 1/3 c. flaked coconut

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Return to oven and bake at 350o F. for 25 minutes. Cut into bars when cool.

Melktert
(South African Milk Custard Tart)
Rae Spraggs
Crust (makes 2):
Cream together lb. margarine, 4 tbsp. cooking oil, 4 tbsp. sugar. Add 1 beaten egg.
Fold in 2 c. self-rising flour. Add water if too stiff. Press into two pie pans. Bake at
250o F. for 15 min.
Filling:
Scald 5 c. milk in saucepan on stove (or in bowl in microwave for about 10 minutes).
Whisk 3 eggs; add 4 tbsp. cornstarch, 4 tbsp. flour, 1 c. sugar, 1 tbsp. almond extract.
Pour half of the scalded milk into the bowl with the egg mixture. Whisk, and then pour it
all back into the bowl with the rest of the milk. Heat again, stirring continuously until it
thickens (or about 6 min. in microwave). It will be lumpy, so beat in a bowl until smooth.
Stir in 2 tbsp. butter and 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
Cool the filling slightly and pour into the baked crusts. Dust with cinnamon.

Merry Widow Pudding

Jeanne Reed
A Bill Reed favorite
3 doz. stale Lady Fingers, split
3 bars of Bakers German Sweet Chocolate

6 eggs, not cooked

1/8 c. water

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add the water. Beat in 1 egg at a time.
Arrange the Lady Finger cookies on a large round plate. Drizzle a thin layer of chocolate over
each layer. Keep layering until a round mound is achieved. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Cover
with whipped cream or Cool-whip.
[I think this was a recipe originally from Bills mother, Stella.]

- 66 -

Nice
Nices Fudge
Althea Baker
tsp. tartaric acid2
1 tsp. vanilla extract
lb. butter

3 lbs. white sugar [6 c.]

3 tbsp. Lyles Golden Syrup1
1 c. hot water
1 tin condensed milk [14 oz.]

Mix the sugar, Golden Syrup, butter, condensed milk, and water. Boil for 20 minutes, stirring
constantly. Boil another 20 minutes, still stirring3. Remove from stove and add the tartaric acid,
stirring an additional 10 minutes. Add the vanilla extract toward the end.
Pour into buttered pans or dishes [such as a 10x13 baking dish it will result in a layer about
-1 thick]. Cut into squares when nearly cold.
1Lyles

Golden Syrup: amber-colored liquid sweetener is popular among South African, British,
Caribbean, and Creole cooks. You can get it at Jungle Jims in Fairfield, the Internet, or I have
some. A possible substitute according to www.foodsubs.com is a mixture of equal parts honey
and corn syrup. According Rae, however, there is no substitute.
2Tartaric

acid: used in wine and beer making; available at home-brew shops or the Internet.
There is no substitute. Tartaric acid is added to other foods to give a sour taste, is the principal
acid in wine, and is the component that promotes graceful aging and crispness of flavor. One
of the by-products of tartaric acid is cream of tartar, which is used in baking and candy making.

3At

the risk of ruining a good thing, this part seemed strange to me why not just boil for 40
minutes stirring constantly? So while doing Internet research, I found a nearly identical recipe
as a reply to a post from someone requesting a Russian Toffee recipe. It starts out boil the
sugar, syrup, and water together for 20 minutes stirring constantly, making sure that the syrup
has dissolved before reaching the boiling point. Now add the butter and condensed milk and
continue to boil stirring constantly for up to 20 minutes.
[I have made this and it is very good. Nice was the name I gave to my grandmother (Althea
Baker Raes mother) as a child and it stuck. The fudge was known as Russian Toffee, but
in doing Internet research, I found that is actually a Scottish recipe. In addition, we would think
of it as fudge rather than toffee so I have changed the name. When I asked mom for the
recipe, she found it handwritten behind the cover page in a cookbook that her Aunty Madge
(Nices sister) had given her in 1953. Mom noted, however, that she has no recollection of ever
making it. While visiting us in Connecticut in 1970, Winnie Flower, a family friend from South
Africa, made Nices Fudge and described it as pure goodness (years later, I can remember her
saying this). The recipe may have originally been Winnies fathers a confectioner who left
Scotland in the early 1900s and began a candy-making business and shop in South Africa.

- 67 -

Oat Apple Crisp

www.tasteofhome.com
7 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (+/- 7 medium)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Dash salt
1 package (9 ounces) yellow cake mix
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
Vanilla ice cream

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Place apples in a greased 9x13 shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour,
cinnamon and salt; sprinkle over apples. Drizzle with water. In a large bowl, combine the cake
mix, oats, butter, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Sprinkle over apples. Bake,
uncovered, at 350 F. for 45-50 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.
Serve warm with ice cream. Yield: 8 servings.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Barb Spraggs
A Jennie Spraggs favorite
2 sticks margarine or butter, softened
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3 c. Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned)
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. raisins

1 tsp. cinnamon
c. granulated sugar
tsp. salt optional
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350 F. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla;
beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and
raisins; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12
minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

Oatmeal Fudge
Emily Spraggs
1 stick butter
c. milk
2 c. granulated sugar
c. peanut butter
c. cocoa powder
2 c. oats
Butter a baking pan thoroughly and set aside. Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and milk in a
medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow to boil vigorously for
about 1 minute. Turn down the heat to medium and stir in the peanut butter. Mix with a rubber
spatula until the mixture is smooth. Add the oats and stir until thoroughly coated. Pour into a
baking pan and set aside for several hours (until it sets up). Cut into squares and serve.
- 68 -

Peanut Butter Pizza

Julie Spraggs
Mix as directed a regular size (9x13) brownie mix. Pour into small pizza pan. Bake at 350o F.
for 18-20 minutes. Let cool.
Mix together and cream:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/3- c. peanut butter

1 c. brown sugar

Spread over the brownie mixture. Break up 4-6 Reeses Cups and sprinkle on top. Drizzle
chocolate syrup on the top.

Schoolgirl
Schoolgirl Cookies
Gladys Boylan
A Barb Spraggs favorite
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
c. shortening
4 c. flour, sifted

1 tsp. nutmeg
tsp. salt
tsp. baking soda
c. sour milk

Cream together the sugar, eggs, and shortening. Add milk alternatively with dry ingredients.
Mix thoroughly. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 430o F. for 10-15 minutes.

Snickerdoodles
Betty Crocker Cookbook
A Julie Spraggs favorite
c. butter or margarine, softened
c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda
tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 400o F. Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, 1 c. sugar, and the eggs. Blend in
flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls.
Mix 2 tbsp. sugar and the cinnamon; roll balls in mixture. Place 2 apart on un-greased baking
sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from the baking sheet.

- 69 -

Strawberry Breasts
(Fragomammella)
www.bigoven.com (Two Fat Ladies)
450 grams* strawberries
150 ml double cream
550 g ricotta cheese; fresh
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. Campari
1 4-5 tbsp. icing sugar (powdered or confectioners sugar)
1 tbsp. caster sugar (ground-granulated sugar from a food processor)
Set aside 16 small strawberries and cut the rest into small pieces. Put in a bowl with the lemon
juice and caster sugar and leave to soak for one hour. Push the ricotta through the smallest
sieve of a Mouli [stainless steel food mill like a Foley], add the cream and Campari, and mix
well. Sieve the icing sugar into the mixture to taste, put a third of the mix aside and mix the
strawberries into the leftover ricotta. Prepare the pink desert plates and divide the mixture into
16 breast- shaped molds, two per plate. With a moistened spatula smooth ricotta over the molds
and place a strawberry on top. You can make the molds three hours before and store in the
fridge.
*Metric conversion chart at the Miscellany section.
[I have never made this, but remember fondly the British cooking show Two Fat Ladies on PBS
back in the early 1990s. Check them out on www.youtube.com sometime. A substitute
(although not exact) for the Campari could be Port, Brandy, Armagnac, Grand Marnier,
Cointreau, or orange juice concentrate.]

Tara's Christmas Fudge

Beth Spraggs
A Rae Spraggs Favorite!
12 oz. White chocolate chips (or chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter chips instead)
8 oz. cream cheese
3 cups confectioners sugar
Slowly melt chocolate chips and cream cheese together in microwave. It probably takes 2
minutes check and stir every 30 seconds. Add confectioners sugar and stir until your hand
hurts (3 cups or a little more). Pour into a 9 pan and let it set.

- 70 -

Texas Sheet Cake

Barb Spraggs
Cake:
1 c. melted margarine
1 c. water
c. cocoa powder
2 c. granulated sugar
2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

tsp. salt
2 eggs
c. sour cream

Mix melted margarine, water, and cocoa together in Kitchen Aid-type mixer bowl. Mix in
other ingredients. Bake in a 10x15 baking dish at 350o F. for 20-25 minutes or until done.
Icing:
c. margarine (not melted)
c. cocoa powder
1 lb. confectioners sugar

6 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
c. chopped pecans (optional)

Blend the above ingredients in a mixer.

Ice the cake while hot.

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies

Lisa Dotson
c. butter, softened
c. packed brown sugar
c. white sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. brandy or extract

1 c. all-purpose flour
tsp. baking soda
c. white chocolate chips
1 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease cookie sheets. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown
sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and brandy. Combine the flour and baking
soda and then stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop
by heaping spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake at 375o F. for 8-10 minutes.
For best results, remove from oven while still doughy. Allow to cool on the cookie sheets for 1
minute before transferring to wire racks. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

- 71 -

White Trash Cake

Neal Boortz
First, ask the recipient what flavors they want. They get to choose:
1. Cake mix flavor
2. Jell-O flavor
3. Pudding flavor
Next, bake the cake in a sheet pan. When it comes out of the oven, poke many holes in it with
a skewer. Then pour hot liquid Jell-O of choice over cake, and put in the fridge until cold (and
set).
During this time you will have mixed up the pudding of choice, and when the cake is ready,
spread pudding over the top and cool until somewhat set. Then slather with Cool Whip (the final
layer) and decorate with your choice of sprinkles, fresh fruit, and candies whatever you have.
Voila! White Trash Cake. This was actually inspired by French cookery. Their cakes always get
a syrup brushed on or poured over, and there is usually a cream layer between the cake layers.
Leave it to the USA to make it quick, cheap and easy. It is wonderfully moist (even goopy), and
if you like the components, you will love the cake.

- 72 -


BREAKFAST

Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Jeanne Reed
Mix and cut together:
c. Crisco
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

4 c. flour

Remove c. of the above for the topping and then add to the remaining:
2 c. buttermilk
1 heaping tsp. baking soda
Let stand for 30 minutes. Pour into four greased pie pans. Drizzle stick of melted butter over
the cakes.
Topping:
c. of the reserved batter
2/3 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Put topping on all of the cakes. Bake at 350o F. for 25-30 min.

Christmas Breakfast Souffl

Barb Spraggs
16 slices of bread, cubed
6 eggs, beaten
c. melted margarine
2 c. milk
lb. Old English or sharp cheddar cheese, grated or cubed
Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Mix the eggs, milk, and cheese. Place half the bread cubes in the
dish, then pour the egg mixture over it, and then add the remaining bread cubes. Drizzle the
margarine over the contents.
Refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered in a pan of hot water (creating a double-boiler effect)
at 375o F. for 45 min.
[We have been having this for breakfast on Christmas day since the early 1980s.]

- 73 -

Fluffy Pancakes
Brenda Wilson
Separate 5 eggs; beat whites in small mixing bowl until stiff peaks can be formed; beat yolks in
large bowl until thick and fluffy. Add 2 2/3 cups of buttermilk and 1 tsp. of baking soda to yolks.
Sift together and beat in 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoons sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder, and 3/4
tsp. of salt.
Beat in 4 tablespoons of Crisco oil. Fold in egg whites.

French Toast (Baked)

(Baked)
Gail Staley, Piqua Bicentennial Cookbook
1 stick margarine, melted
1 c. brown sugar
tsp. cinnamon

10 slices of bread (Gail uses wheat)

6 eggs
1 c. milk

Mix margarine, brown sugar, and cinnamon; spread out on bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Add
bread in two layers. Beat eggs with milk and pour over the bread. Bake uncovered at 350o F.
for 30-40 minutes.

French Toast (Grilled)

(Grilled)
Barb Spraggs
2 eggs
c. milk

tsp. salt
6 slices of slightly-dry bread

Beat together the eggs, milk, and salt. Heat a lightly greased griddle. Soak the bread slices in
the egg mixture and place on griddle. Brown both sides. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.

- 74 -

Spam n Eggs
Rich Spraggs
I dont Like Spam Mrs. Bun (Graham Chapman)
Ill have your Spam; I love it! Mr. Bun (Eric Idle)
Monty Pythons Flying Circus, December 15, 1970
1 lg. can Spam Classic, sliced " thick
eggs

salt and pepper to taste

bread, sliced, toasted, cooled, buttered

Fry up the Spam slices turning occasionally until almost done in a large, thick-bottomed skillet.
Move the Spam slices to the edges of the skillet, preserving the liquid that is left behind to cook
the eggs in. Turn down the heat to medium and break open 1-2 eggs per person. Fry the eggs
sunny side up with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper over everything. When the eggs are
sizzling and snapping in the Spam liquid and browning at the edges, they are probably done.
Put eggs on toast slices, and return Spam slices to center of skillet and continue to cook if not
already golden brown.
This is a great camping breakfast, but you may have to forgo the toast. Although it is possible
to make toast over an open flame!

Swedish Pancakes
Ken Wicklunds Mother
Sift together two times:
2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder

3 tbsp. sugar
tsp. salt

Add and mix well:

2 eggs, beaten
1/3 c. water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cook on medium high.

[These are light and sweet almost like a crepe.]

- 75 -


MISCELLANY

How to Grow an Avocado Tree

www.avocado.org
You can grow a beautiful houseplant or even your own tree following these simple steps.

Wash the seed. Using three toothpicks, suspend it broad-end-down over a water-filled glass to
cover about an inch of the seed.
Put it in a warm place out of direct sunlight and replenish water as needed. You should see
roots and stem sprout in about two to six weeks.
When the stem is 6-7 long, cut it back to about 3.
When the roots are thick and the stem has leafed out again, plant it in a rich humus soil in a 101/2" diameter pot, leaving the seed half exposed.
Give it frequent, light waterings with an occasional deep soak. Generally, the soil should be
moist but not saturated. Yellowing leaves are a sign of over-watering; let the plant dry out for a
few days.
The more sunlight, the better. If leaves turn brown and fry at the tips, too much salt has
accumulated in the soil. Let water run freely into the pot and drain for several minutes.
When the stem is 12 high, cut it back to 6 to encourage the growth of new shoots.
Do not expect your houseplant to bear fruit. Although this does occur occasionally, it usually
requires grafting. A plant grown from seed will take anywhere from five to 13 years to flower
and bear fruit. Fruit on trees grown from seeds are seldom good to eat.
[Barb hates it when I grow avocados they are smelly and take up room in the kitchen. I do not
know why I keep trying to grow avocados. We all have our flaws, I suppose.]

- 76 -

How to Make a Potato Gun

Rich Spraggs and www.dangerouslyfun.com

Materials needed:
A. Flint igniter (lantern lighter)
B. 4" PVC cleanout plug
C. 4" PVC fitting cleanout adapter
D. 4" PVC coupling
E. 4" x 24" PVC pipe
F. 2" x 4" PVC increaser reducer
G. 2" x 48" PVC pipe
H. PVC cleaner, primer, & cement
I. Sack of potatoes
J. Aerosol Hair spray (Aqua-Net works best)
Tools required:
K. Drill
L. Hand saw
M. File
Cut the PVC components to length and clean and prime the joints. Cement components C thru
G together.
Drill a hole for the lantern lighter in the middle of pipe E and then install the lighter with its included
hardware. These lighters are very compact and use flint to produce a strong spark. You can
find them in the camping section of large department stores.
With the file, sharpen the circumference of pipe G. both inside and out. This makes shoving the
potato in easier because the pipe will cut off the excess potato and ensures a tight fit within the
barrel.
- 77 -

Firing instructions:
1) Find a very large, open area to launch the gun (or point upwards as we do at Beckert).
2) Load a potato. Use a stick or rod to plunge it most of the way down the barrel.
3) Spray the hair spray into the fat end of the gun about 3-4 seconds or so. If you use
too little the potato will not go far; too much and it will not launch at all because there is
not enough oxygen in the chamber.
4) Quickly screw on the plug (part B).
5) Hold the gun at your side, aiming in a safe direction. Give the lighter a quick flick, as
if you are snapping your fingers.
If you use your imagination, all kinds of fun can be had with a potato gun and it is possible to
launch more than just potatoes (hint: baked beans).

How to Season a Cutting Board

www.associatedcontent.com
If your wood cutting board is brand new, then you will need to start its care right away. Before
you cut anything on its wood surface, you should "season" the wood. "Seasoning" your cutting
board means that you will apply a coating of oil to protect it. The oil will help keep food particles
out of the pores of the wood. It will also help the wood resist stains and odors. In addition, it will
help prevent the wood from drying out and shrinking. Do not use a cooking oil, though, as it will
turn rancid over time. Instead, use walnut or mineral oil.
To properly clean and season your wood cutting board, warm an eighth of a cup of walnut oil (or
mineral oil) in your microwave. Use a clean, soft cloth to liberally apply the oil to the wood board.
Rub the oil in the direction of the wood grain. Allow the walnut oil to soak into the wood for a
minute or two. Then, apply another coat. You cannot use too much oil to season your wood
cutting board. Because, once the wood is saturated, the excess oil will remain on the surface.
Finally, wipe off the excess oil, and your cutting board is seasoned and ready for use.
Now, to keep your wood cutting board in good shape, not to mention clean and sanitary, you will
need to wash it in hot, sudsy water after each use. Rinse it with plenty of hot tap water, and then
dry it with a clean, soft towel. To properly clean and season your wood cutting board, allow it to
dry completely before you put it away. Set it up on its edge to allow both sides to air dry.
[Instructions from a board purchased at IKEA include the following recommendations: Oil the
chopping board once, on both sides, and wipe off any surplus. Repeat the treatment 24 hours
later. This should be repeated regularly, at least 5-6 times per year. To recondition the product,
simply sand down the surface with fine sandpaper and re-oil it.]

- 78 -

Table of Cooking Conversions

www.botanical.com, www.howtodothings.com, and www.frenchatatouch.com
Oven Baking Temperatures:
Degrees F.
Oven Temperature
250-300
very slow
300-325
slow
325-350
moderate
375
moderately hot
400-425
hot
450+
very hot
US to Metric Capacity:
1/5 teaspoon
1 teaspoon
1 tablespoon
1 fluid oz.
1/5 cup
1 cup
2 cups (1 pint)
4 cups (1 quart)
4 quarts (1 gal.)

US to Metric Weight:
1 oz.
1 pound

1 ml
5 ml
15 ml
30 ml
50 ml
240 ml
470 ml
.95 liter
3.8 liters

28 grams
454 grams

Cooking Measurement Equivalents:

8 fl. oz.
1 cup
1 fl. oz.
2 tablespoons
16 tablespoons
1 cup
12 tablespoons
3/4 cup
8 tablespoons
1/2 cup
6 tablespoons
3/8 cup
4 tablespoons
1/4 cup
2 tablespoons
1/8 cup
1 tablespoon
1/16 cup
2 cups
1 pint
2 pints
1 quart
3 teaspoons
1 tablespoon
48 teaspoons
1 cup

Approx. Degrees C.
121-149
149-163
163-177
191
204-218
232+
Metric to US Capacity:
1 milliliters
5 ml
15 ml
30 ml
100 ml
240 ml
1 liter
1 liter
1 liter
1 liter
1 liter

1/5 tsp.
1 tsp.
1 tbsp.
1 fluid oz.
3.4 fluid oz.
1 cup
34 fluid oz.
4.2 cups
2.1 pints
1.06 quarts
.26 gallon

Metric to US Weight:
1 gram
100 grams
500 grams
1 kilogram
1 kilogram

.035 ounce
3.5 ounces
1.10 lbs.
2.205 lbs.
35 oz.

Rough Equivalents US to metric:

1 tsp.
1 ml
1 tsp.
5 ml
1 tbsp.
15 ml
1 fl. oz.
30 ml
c.
60 ml
c.
8 tbsp.
c.
12 tbsp.
1 c.
16 tbsp.
1 oz.
28g.
1 lb.
455g.

I hope you enjoy these recipes!

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