Valentine's Cookies

Valentine's cookies are so YUMMY! Granny Gruetzmacher would decorated them this way My mom did them this way. I love them!

Joanna

Turtles

Mix: 1 ½ c. flour, 1 ½ c. oatmeal, 3/8 tsp. salt, ¾ tsp. soda, 1 1/8 c. brown sugar, 1 1/8 c. melted butter.

Pat: ½ of this mixture in a 9x13 pan and bake 10 minutes at 350º. Remove from oven. Sprinkle 1 ½ cup chocolate chips and nuts as desired over it.

Pour: A mixture of 1 package of carmels and 7 ½ tbsp of cream (melted together in top of double boiler) over the boiled part.

Spread: remaining half of crumb mixture over the top. (let it appear a little rough) and bake 15 minutes at 350º.

Submitted by Mary Jorgensen

Glazed Lemon Cake

1/2 Pound (2 sticks) sweet butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

3 cups unbleached, all purpose flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 tightly packed tablespoons grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Lemon Icing (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10 inch tube pan (angel cake pan works)

2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.

3. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Add lemon zest and juice.

4. Pour batter into prepared tube pan. Set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour. or until cake pulls away from sides of pan and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool cake in the pan, set on a rack, for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and spread on icing at once, while cake is still hot.

Lemon Icing

1 pound confectioners sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) sweet butter, softened

3 tightly packed tablespoons grated lemon zest

1/2 cup lemon juice
Cream sugar and butter. Mix in lemon juice and zest. Spread on warm cake.

Notes:

I don't put all of the glaze on at once because the cake is warm and it will just run off and pool all around. I cool it a bit longer than it says...then I put some glaze on...wait 5 or 10 minutes and put some more on and then wait another 5 or 10 minutes before putting the rest on. Also...it calls for quite a bit of zest, you need 5 to 7 lemons. If you use less zest, it is still good.

submitted by Mary Jorgensen

Pastitsio

From family friend Fay Kolster. Yummy! It's Greek pasta. Make it without the spinach and mushrooms to be more authentic.

I modified it by adding frozen spinach and mushrooms (cuz I like them and I can!) I cooked the mushrooms in the pan after the hamburger. Squeeze the water out of the spinach first then add it to the mushrooms. Add the hamburger mix back into the pan with the spinach and the mushrooms and mix well. Make the cream sauce, then mix the whole thing together in the 9x13 pan, mix well and bake. Maybe add more parmesan and a little more milk to make it a bit creamier, hmmmm....

1 pkg tube macaroni (ziti, etc)

1 beaten egg

1/4 c milk

1/3 c parmesan

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 c chopped onion

8 oz tomato sauce

1/2 t cinnamon

1/8 t nutmeg

3/4 t salt

1/8 pepper

CREAM SAUCE

3T flour

3T butter

1/4 t salt

1 1/2 c milk

1 beaten egg

1/4 c parmesan cheese

1. Cook macaroni. Stir in 1 beaten egg, 1/4 c milk, 1/3 c parmesan cheesse. Set aside.

2. Cook beef and onion until browned and onion is tender. Drain excess fat. Stir in tomato sauce and spices. Set aside.

3. Make cream sauce: melt butter in small sauce pan. Blend in flour and 1/4 t salt. Stir in milk when well blended and smooth. Cook until bubbly and thickened. Cook and stir 1 min more. Blend a moderate amount of hot mixture into egg. Return to pan and mix. Stir in cheese.

4. Pour noodles, meat mix and cream sauce into 9x13 in pan. Mix well. Bake @ 350F 45-5- min. Will set up and thicken as it cooks.

from Diana

Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken Taco Soup

4 chicken breasts cut bit size
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp garlic
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp each – chili powder, cumin and paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
6 cups water
3 each – chicken and beef bouillon cubes
2 cans – 14 oz. dice tomatoes
1 green pepper, cut bite size
1 can – 15 oz. dark red kidney beans or black beans
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown chicken, onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cook 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve in soup plate with tortilla chips on the bottom. Spoon sour cream on top. Garnish with black olives, cheese or avocado. Serve with more chips or warm tortillas.

Here's another fast, easy and yummy soup. This is Mary's recipe. My kids love it!

Submitted by Joanna

Tortellini Soup

Tortellini Soup

¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 pkg - 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 cans chicken broth
1 can seasoned tomatoes
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. basil
1 large (14 oz.) pkg. cheese tortellini
Grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in soup pot, low to medium heat
Peel, chop and add onion and garlic – 3 minutes
Add mushrooms – 2 minutes
Add broth and tomatoes
Raise heat to high - cover pot
Bring to boil
Add Worcestershire and basil when broth comes to a boil (you can put in fridge at this point)
Add tortellini when both comes to a rolling boil
Cook 3 to 4 minutes
Add parmesan cheese to taste before serving

This is easy, fast and YUMMY!

Submitted by Joanna, requested by Sue

Lemon-Blueberry Cake

This is really tasty!

CAKE
2c blueberries
2 1/2 c cake flour, divided (a must use for tender cake, worth the purchase!)
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3/4 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 T grated lemon peel
3 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 c whole milk
FROSTING
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 T grated lemon peel
1/8 t salt
3 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla extract
3-3 1/4 c powdered sugar
2 c blueberries

1. Heat oven to 350F. Spray 13x9 in baking pan with cooking spray. Toss 2 cups blueberries with 1 T cake flour in small bowl. Whisk remaining cake flour, baking powder and 1/4 t salt in medium bowl.
2. Beat 3/4 c butter, sugar and 1 T lemon peel in large bowl at medium speed 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 1/2 t vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in three parts alternately with milk just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberry mixture. pour into pan.
3. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. Beat 1/2 c butter, 1 T lemon peel and 1/8 t salt in large bowl at low speed until combined. Slowly beat in lemon juice and 1 t vanilla. Beat in 3 cups of the powdered sugar, adding additional powdered sugar as needed for spreadable consistency.
5. Frost top of cake; sprinkle with 2 c blueberries (Cake can be made 1 day ahead)
12 servings