Illinois'
FINEST COOKING

Lawrence County H.E.A. shares its 1997 favorite recipes cookbook. It is spiral-bound, soft-backed and has 126 pages of recipes. To purchase the cookbook, contact Julie Ivers at (618) 948-2882 or order by mail: RR 1 Box 327, Bridgeport, IL 62417. The cost to purchase is $7 plus $3 shipping.

Pleasant Grove Christian Church also shares their 1997 cookbook. It is hard-backed, spiral-bound with 99 pages of recipes. Order from Wilma Maloy, Pleasant Grove Christian Church, Route 1, Geff, IL 62842. The cost of the cookbook is $7 plus $2.50 for shipping.

Lawrence County H.E.A.

OLD DUTCH CARAMEL CORN
Grace Mahrenholz

You will need 1 bag puffed popcorn.

Caramel Sauce - In a quart pan, put:

1/2 lb. butter (not oleo) 1 C. brown sugar

1/2 C. light corn syrup
 

Cook sauce for 2 min; add 1 tsp. of baking soda. Pour over corn. Bake at 250° for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Store in tight container.

RED SLUSH PUNCH
Phyllis Koche

1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice 1 regular size orange Kool-Aid 2 regular size strawberry Kool-Aid 2 qt. water

3 C. sugar
1/3 C. ReaLemon lemon juice
3 mashed bananas
1 (2 liter) ginger ale

Mash bananas in blender with some of the pineapple juice. Mix everything but ginger ale and freeze. When ready to serve, mix with ginger ale. Should be served slushy.

EASY SKILLET PORK CHOPS
Janet Piper

6 pork chops 1/2 C. chopped onions 1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 C. Worcestershire
   sauce (or soy sauce)
4 T. ketchup

Brown pork chops in skillet. Add onions until brown, Mix soups, sauce and ketchup. Pour over chops. Cover skillet and simmer 45 minutes or until chops are done.

GARLIC CROUTONS
Nola Philpott

1 long, thin 8 oz. loaf French style bread 2 small cloves garlic, peeled

6 T. extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 325°. Slice the bread on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices. Puree the garlic or put it through a garlic press and mix it into the oil. Using pastry brush, brush the oil sparingly over one side of the bread and place the slices, oiled side up, on baking sheets. Bake until crisp and just golden brown, about 15 minutes. Season lightly with salt. Makes about 30 croutons.

HAM LOAF
Mabel McVickar

2 1/2 lb. ham 1 lb. beef 1 lb. pork

1/2 box corn flakes
3 eggs
1 C. milk

Glaze: Boil the following ingredients for 1 minute.

1/2 C. water 1/2 C. vinegar

1 tsp. ground mustard
1 C. brown sugar

Mix ground ham, beef and pork together and shape into individual loaves. Baste 3 times with glaze during baking. Bake 1 hour at 325°.

DUMP AND STIR SALAD
KathyLane

1 can Eagle Brand milk 1 (21 oz.) can strawberry   pie filling 1 (12 oz.) Cool Whip

1 (No. 2) can drained
   pineapple chunks
1/2 C. chopped pecans
 

Mix together milk, filling and pineapple; fold in Cool Whip. Sprinkle nuts on top.

22 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING OCTOBER 1998

SOUTHERN APPLE PECAN CAKE
June Inyart

Cake: 1 1/4 C. oil 2 C. sugar 3 C. flour 1 tsp. soda

 
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Icing: 1 C. brown sugar 3/4 stick margarine

 
1/4 C. milk
 

Cake: Combine oil and sugar; add eggs, 1 at a time. Beat well. Mix flour, salt and soda; add to first mixture. Beat well. Add: 1 C. chopped pecans and 3 C. chopped raw apple. Grease and flour tube pan. Bake 1 hour at 350°.

Icing: Combine ingredients and cook to bubbling for 3 minutes. Pour over cake while hot in pan. Let stand for at least 2 hours before removing from pan.

PUMPKIN SHEET CAKE
Mildred Gaither

1 can pumpkin 2 C. sugar 1 C. vegetable oil 4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Frosting: 1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese,   softened 5 T. butter or margarine,   softened

 
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 C. confectioner's sugar
3 to 4 tsp. milk
Chopped nuts

Cake: In a mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil. Add eggs; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended. Pour into a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool.

Frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar; mix well. Add milk until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Frost cake. Sprinkle with nuts.

Pleasant Grove Christian Church

GARLIC DIP
Vonda Draper

1 pkg. Original Ranch Party   Dip mix 1 C. sour cream

1 pkg. Good Seasons salad
  dressing, dry
 

Mix thoroughly. Serve with vegetables, chips or crackers.

PINEAPPLE LEMONADE
Ruth Smith

1 (46 oz.) can unsweetened   pineapple juice 4 C. water

2 C. fresh lemon juice (about
  12 lemons)
1 1/3 C. sugar

Combine water, juices and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Chill; serve over ice.

FREE SOUP
Metabelle Pond

1 (48 oz.) can of tomato or V8 juice 2 T. parsley flakes 2 T. minced onion 2 or 3 ribs of celery 1 green pepper, chopped 1 can bean sprouts

1 C. sliced carrots
2 chicken bouillon cubes
4 beef bouillon cubes
2 T. soy sauce
dash of pepper
garlic power (opt)

Mix first 7 ingredients together, add water and simmer for 1 hour. Add bouillon cubes, soy sauce, pepper and garlic powder. (No fat, no sugar).

CLAM CHOWDER
Linda Hoskins

2 cans New England clam   chowder 1 can cream of onion soup 1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of potato soup
4 C. milk
2 pints whipping cream
 

Combine all soups and heat. Do not dilute soups. Add milk and cream, simmer. Do not boil.

Don't freeze spaghetti, macaroni or noodle mixtures. These tend to lose texture and become too soft when reheated.

EXCELLENT FRUIT SALAD
Marlena Maloy

1 can pineapple chunks 1 can mandarin oranges

1 jar maraschino cherries
2 bananas

Mix pineapple, oranges and cherries together (Do not drain fruit). Slice bananas and mix with fruit. Best if it sets overnight.

DIET CASSEROLE
Wilma Maloy

1 lb. ground turkey 1 med. chopped onion 1 small can mushrooms 1 can sliced carrots, undrained

1 can French green beans,
  undrained
1 can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 C. cooked macaroni

Place turkey, onion and mushrooms in a large skillet and cook until the turkey is no longer pink. Add carrots, beans, tomatoes with juice and the macaroni. Simmer for 30 minutes.

KENTUCKY CHOCOLATE NUT PIE
Diane Ridge

1/2 C. chocolate chips 1/2 C. butterscotch chips 1 C. sugar 1 C. flour 1 egg

1 stick of butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. nuts
1 frozen pie shell
 

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a frozen pie shell. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Great served with ice cream or Cool Whip.

APPLESAUCE CAKE
Agnes Grove

1 C. raisins 1/2 C. water 1/4 C. oleo 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1 C. flour

1 egg
3/4 C. applesauce
1 pkg. Sweet & Low
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla
 

Put raisins, water, oleo, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small sauce pan and cook for 3 minutes. Let cool. Add flour, egg, applesauce, Sweet & Low, soda and vanilla. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. Cut in 9 pieces. (Diabetic recipe).

OCTOBER 1998 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 23