Kathy's Orange Date Nut Bread*

In small saucepan on medium-low heat 10-15 minutes:
1 cup ground orange rind
½ cup water
2 Tablespoons sugar

Sift together following in a separate bowl:
2 ¼ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

In a mixing bowl, mix together:
2/3 cup milk
3 Tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs

Last, add:
¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
¾ cup finely chopped dates

In advance, grind rinds of 3 oranges medium-fine (May take more than 3 oranges to make enough rind.) Measure 1 cup into saucepan, stir in water and 2 Tablespoons sugar. Cover and cook on low to medium heat 10-15 minutes, until most of water is absorbed. Cool.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl.

In another mixing bowl, place milk, butter, and eggs and whip with fork until incorporated.

Now, Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Start electric mixer on low and slowly add dry ingredients just until smooth.

Stir in orange rind (minus any leftover orange liquid), chopped nuts, & finely chopped dates.

Quickly drop batter into greased & floured 9”x5”x3”inch loaf pans or 5 mini loaf pans.

If desired, now sprinkle tops with mixture of ½ teaspoon cinnamon & 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar.

Bake @350 degrees F. about 65 minutes for large loaf pans or about 30 minutes for mini loaf pans. Bread is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack.

*Added to an Orange Nut Bread Recipe from The Nut Tree, Vacaville,CA@1970's

Reitha's 'Spritz' Cookies

Butter 1 1/2 cups
Sugar 1 cup
Eggs 1
Vanilla 1 Tbsp
Flour 3 1/2 cups

Sugar & Butter - Beat until light and fluffy

Add egg - vanilla

Add in flour, a little at a time, and beat (or mix by hand) just until blended.

Put cookie dough in cookie press and press away onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with whatever you like...red, green sugar crystals, colored dots, etc. You may have to lightly press the decors on the cookie to stick.

Bake in a 400 degree oven 5-6 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets 1-2 minutes, then transfer to racks for
further cooling. If you are making a lot, be sure the cookie pans are COOL before re-using as the cookie dough will start to melt.

You want the edges and bottoms to be ever so lightly browned, so you'll have to watch the time. Some of mine took 7-8 minutes because I used the air bake pans - I don't recommend these pans for these cookies. Just good old fashioned aluminum-steel (whatever) pans. Do not use dark pans.

You will also notice the smell of butter cooking...this is such a good thing...mmmmmmmmm!

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Reitha’s Baked Potatoes, Carrots & Onions

“Peel and thinly slice potatoes, carrots and onions. Layer them in a buttered 9”x13” pan. Drizzle melted butter on top; sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little water. Cover with foil and bake for one hour at 375° or until done. Take foil off and brown. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top before serving.”


**Again, these are just basic notes she told me, so you can adjust the recipe to taste. - Terry

Candied Yams - Reitha’s Way

“Take one large can of yams, add 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter and a little juice from the can. Heat thoroughly, stirring carefully not to totally break up the yams into mush.”


**These are the basics as told to me…you can adjust to taste from there. - Terry

Reitha’s Pie Crust

Historical Note: I’ve never found this recipe in any cookbook to date, or even on the internet! Grandma Brummer never could make it right because she always mixed the oil & milk together. Mom also used to make enough pie crust to fit a cookie sheet, fill with apple filling, cover with more pie crust, sprinkle sugar on top and cook until done. The amount of dough and filling at this point are anyone’s guess, but I’m sure with a little trial and error it can be done. Think of Mom while making this crust and it will come out great every time! - Terry

400° oven. Makes crust for top and bottom of an 8” pie; can be doubled easily.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup oil (use vegetable oil like Mom did, or Canola)
1/4 cup milk

Measure flour and salt into a large bowl; stir lightly with a fork. Pour oil into a jar, then carefully pour milk on top - DO NOT MIX TOGETHER!!! Pour over flour and mix lightly with a fork until well blended. Roll out between two sheets of wax paper, to fit your pie pan. Fill and bake.

APPLE FILLING (per Mom’s verbal instructions): Peel and quarter apples - boil till tender with a little water, brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice to taste.


CRACKER JACKS: Roll out any left over dough to about 3/8” thick. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar; cut into small strips (1 1/2” x 3”?) and place on cookie sheet. Cook in 425° oven until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes or so.

Reitha’s Banana Bread

Oven: 350˚

Mix together:
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 T. shortening
• 1 egg

Add:
• 1 cup smashed ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup milk

Stir in:
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Let mixture stand for 20 minutes.
Bake for 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Historical Note: Mom used soup cans or loaf pans, and the recipe above is for one loaf…I think! This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily.

Reitha’s Pilaf

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 - 1/2 cube butter (Mom used 1/2 cube, of course!)
2 cups hot water
1 cup rice (Mom used regular white rice; I use Jasmine)
1 pkge. dry Noodle or Chicken Noodle soup (Lipton or any other brand)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat water in a microwave proof glass measuring cup until almost boiling.

Open the package of soup and take out the crumbly soup stuff and add to the hot water; mix well.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet or large sauce pan, with lid, melt the butter over medium heat.

Add the rice and the noodles from the dry soup package and cook, stirring constantly until rice and noodles are golden brown…keep an eye on it or it will burn.

Slowly add the hot water mix, stirring constantly (be mindful of the steam facial you may receive).

Bring rice mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer.

Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Fluff and serve.

Serves 4.

Kathy's Shaped-Cut Sugar Cookies

for Holidays & Special Occasions

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(1 teaspoon of food coloring is optional as per occasion)
3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
In a large bowl, thoroughly cream together butter and sugar.

Beat in eggs, salt, and vanilla until light and fluffy. You may add 1 tsp.
food coloring at this time for specific holiday or occasion.

Add flour to creamed mixture, one cup at a time, slowly mixing until flour is
incorporated.

Divide dough into four equal parts. Wrap in plastic wrap or bags and refrigerate
overnight or until firm. After firm:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

On a floured surface, roll out dough one package at a time to 1/8 inch thick.

Cut into desired shapes. Remove excess dough before taking the cutter away.

Using a thin metal spatula, transfer shapes to lightly greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar.

Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. CAREFULLY WATCH THEM, so that
they DON'T BURN!

Another method is to bake them bare and wait until they cool to add
decorating icing or Royal Icing* for drawing &/or flooding; fresh or powdered
egg whites brushed on and then sugared or sprinkled sanding sugar on those areas
of the cookie you want decorated.

*Royal Icing
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
2 large egg whites*, or more to thin icing
4 cups sifted confectioner's (powdered) sugar, or more to thicken icing
Juice of 1 lemon
3 drops glycerin (optional)

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar, lemon juice, and
glycerin (if using); beat for 1 minute more. If icing is too thick, add
more egg whites; if it is too thin, add more sugar.

Sherry's Moist Meatloaf

AKA Mom’s (Lisa Martin) Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 ½-2 lbs ground beef or sirloin
1 ½ cups Rice Krispies
2 pieces of Sandwich Bread
1 egg
½ Tbsp Onion Powder
1 small can (8 oz.) Tomato Sauce
Ketchup

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Put meat, Rice Krispies, bread, egg and onion powder in a bowl and mix (your hands are the best to mix with.) Blend well.

3. Add Tomato Sauce and mix again.

4. Take meat mix out of the bowl and put in a loaf pan, preferably a meatloaf pan and form to the pan.

5. Put some ketchup decoration on top.

6. Bake for 1 hour.