Holiday Nuggets

Also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cookies, these might be in my top five of cookies. - Matthew

Mix and set aside:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

In large bowl, mix:
3/4 cup shortening
1:4 cup butter
1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar

Blend in:
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp almond
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Add flour and salt

Small balls (about 1 tbsp) flatten slightly

Bake 325 - 20-25 minutes

While slightly warm roll in confectioners sugar.

Mom's Orange Chiffon Cake

SUNBURST CHIFFON CAKE

Otherwise known as Mom's Orange Chiffon

 

Preheat oven to 325°.  Sift an ample amount of flour on a square of paper.

 

STEP 1                   Measure and sift together in a bowl:

                  

                   2 cups sifted flour

                   1 ½ cups sugar

                   3 tsp. baking powder

                   1 tsp. salt

 

                   Make a well and add in order:

                  

                   ½ Wesson oil

                   7 unbeaten egg yolks

                   ¾ cup cold water

                   Grated rind of two oranges (3 T.)

                  

                   Beat with spoon until smooth

 

STEP 2                 Measure into large mixing bowl:

 

                   1 cup egg whites (7-8…MEASURE!)

                   ½ tsp. cream of tartar

 

                   Whip until whites form very stiff peaks (much stiffer than for meringue

                   or angel food…DO NOT UNDERBEAT!)

 

STEP 3                  Pour egg yolk mixture gradually over whipped egg whites, gently folding in just

                   until blended.  DO NOT STIR!  Pour into ungreased tube pan immediately.

 

BAKE           30 in. tube pan, 4-in. deep –

                             325° - 55 minutes, then

                             350°- 10 -15 minutes

                   …or until top springs back when lightly touched.

 

Immediately turn pan upside down, placing tube part over neck of funnel or bottle.  Let hang,

free of table, until cold.  Loosen from sides and tube with a spatula, turn pan over and hit edge sharply to loosen.

 

I frost mine with a buttercream frosting that has orange rind added.  OR, you can use…

 

Mom's Orange Butter Yolk Frosting:

 

BLEND 3 T. butter and one egg yolk…stir in 2 T. orange juice, 1 T. grated orange peel and 2 cups sifted powder sugar.

Matthew's Oven Bacon

1. I hate frying bacon because I always burn it. This method takes longer but allows you to control how done the bacon is much easier and tastes amazing.
   
   
   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
   
   
   Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, then lay the bacon strips flat, making sure pieces do not overlap.
   
   
   
   Bake until crisp and browned, 15 to 18 minutes, or desired doneness, rotating the sheets once. 
   
   
   Transfer strips to a paper towel to drain.
   
   
   Enjoy. Best bacon and healthier.

Chris's Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup Turbinado sugar

Put the butter in a bowl and place in a low oven until melted. Blend the melted butter with a whisk and chill in the refrigerator until it is solid but still very soft. Use a measuring cup to portion the butter.

Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the butter and sugars until light, fluffy and whitened. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add this to the butter mixture and mix until well combined. Scrape the bowl as required. Wrap the dough in wax paper, plastic or place in a covered bowl and chill in the refrigerator until firm or overnight.

Place about 1 cup of Turbinado sugar in a bowl. When the dough has chilled sufficiently, use a small ice cream or pastry scoop to portion the dough and place into the sugar. Shake the bowl to roll the dough balls around, coating them thoroughly with sugar.

Place the coated dough balls on a baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. With the bottom of a glass, flatten the cookies slightly. Dip the glass in the residual Turbinado sugar if the cookie dough sticks to the bottom of the glass. A faster way to flatten:

After the dough balls are placed on the baking sheet, place a sil-pad over them and with another baking sheet press down to flatten all the dough balls at once.

Bake for about 14 minutes or until the cookies feel slightly firm. The longer the cookies bake, the more crisp they will be. Cool on a wire rack.

Add minced candied ginger to the dough for added texture and spice.

Curt’s Hot Fudge

Ingredients

1 oz/cube Baker’s Chocolate

¾ cup Sugar

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter

2 Tbsp Corn Syrup

Dash of Salt (about ¼ Tsp)

¼ cup Milk

2 Tsp Vanilla

1. Melt Chocolate on stovetop on medium heat
2. Add butter, sugar, corn syrup and salt
3. Blend on Medium
4. After blended, add milk and bring to a boil.
5. While it is boiling, keep checking thickness.  When barely thick, take off the heat.
6. Add Vanilla, blend.
7. Let sit 5-10 minutes, serve over ice cream.

Reitha's Minestrone Soup, Milan Style

Ingredients:
1 Cup kidney beans (canned) (drained)
1 Cup uncooked rice (or barley)
1/2 Cup olive oil
2 #2 cans canned tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
4 Cups chopped spinach (frozen)
2 Pinches sage
Salt and pepper to taste
4 quarts prepared soup stock
2 sliced onions
2 T chopped parsley
4 stalks celery, diced
4 Cups shredded cabbage
4 Cups chopped carrots
1/2 Cup grated parmesan cheese

In large pot saute in hot oil garlic, onion & fresh vegatables for 10 mins. Stir. Add rice, beans, salt & pepper and soup stock. Cover. Simmer until beans & rice are tender (approximately 1 to 1-1/2 hours. SERVES 12 to 16.

(NOTE: You can also add meat to the soup. Slices of cooked beef taste great - added by Matthew Revak)

Whole Filet Mignon Roast

Choose a Filet Mignon tenderloin roast. Mine was 5+ lbs., silver skin removed.

Preheat-heat oven to Convection Roast @ 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you uses a non-convection oven preheat to 450. F.

Place the roast on a rack in a large roasting pan.

Using your hands, rub the roast with Canola Oil or Mild Olive Oil.

Make a dry rub of Garlic Powder, McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning or Kosher Salt crystals & Ground Black Pepper. Using your hands, rub the roast with Canola Oil or Mild Olive Oil. Then, using your hands, coat the entire roast with the above dry rub.

Place roast in oven with temperature probe set for 130 degrees internal temperature. Probe should be placed in center of roast halfway through meat. The ends should be medium while the center sections should be medium rare. Since we made this roast way in advance of dinner, we took it out when the probe reached 120 degrees internal temperature and let it rest. Then, placed it back into the 425 degree oven to let the temperature come up to 130 degrees. Before serving, you must let the roast rest for 15 minutes to allow the juices to be retained in the meat. We placed the cut slices of filet into a service warming tray next to heated gravy boat of beef au jus. Since the roast is cooked at such a high temperature, and we were feeding a large group, I opted for packaged au jus gravy to serve with it.

This was a collaborative effort with Kathy, Andy, & Christopher

Potato Casserole

serves 10

2 pounds frozen hash browns, julienne, thawed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup white or yellow onions, chopped
1 pint sour cream
10 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes, crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine completely thawed potatoes plus 1/2 cup butter.
Mix soup, onions, sour cream, grated cheese, salt/pepper
Combine with potatoes.
Place in greased 9" x 13" casserole pan.
Mix crushed Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes with 1/4 cup melted butter.
Place Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes mixture on top of potato casserole.

Bake 45-60 minutes (Check @ 45 minutes for doneness) dish should be bubbling and topping crunchy.
Submitted by Kathy Revak from a recipe of Anna Dos Santos

Watergate Jell-O Salad

1 large can of Crushed Pineapple
1 small package of Lime Jell-O
1 small package of Jell-O Instant Pistachio Pudding
1 small container of Small Curd Cottage Cheese
1 small container of Cool Whip

topping:
3-4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise (optional)
Toasted, chopped nuts such as Pecans, Almonds, Pistachios, or Cashews (optional)

Empty large can of crushed pineapple into a bowl. Add Jell-o into bowl, mixing thoroughly. Do the same with the pistachio pudding. Stir in cottage cheese, Fold in Cool Whip (reserving a little Cool Whip to stir into the mayonnaise and "frost" the salad later). Pour the Jell-o mixture into a 8"x 8" baking dish. Chill overnight. Frost with the mixture of the reserved Cool Whip and mayonnaise. Sprinkle with chopped, roasted nuts.
Submitted by Kathy Revak from a found recipe of Lani Yoshimura's

Red Bell Pepper Relish

6 red bell peppers (cored and cut into chunks)

1 cup Heinz plain or Nakano brand white vinegar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt

Place prepared chunks into blender with vinegar and chop. Add sugar and salt. Simmer all ingredients in a pot for 45 minutes.

In a separate cup, whisk together 2 teaspoons of corn starch and 2 teaspoons of water.
Slowly drizzle corn starch mixture into red bell pepper relish, stirring with whisk until the mixture coats the back of a spoon and thickens a little.

Makes 3 batches. Place cooled relish equally in three glass jelly jars. It's great for gift giving and freezes well. Just defrost in the refrigerator overnight when you want to use one. Pour cold relish over a block of cream cheese and serve with various crackers.

edited by Kathleen Revak

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.