Illinois'
FINEST COOKING

To order, send $12 plus $3 postage to Winchester Methodist Women, 20 N. Walnut S., Winschester, Il 62694 or call them at (217) 742-3610.

Sugar-Free Strawberry Jam   Marie Hembrough

3/4 C. diet lemon-lime soda 1 (3 oz.) pkg. sugar free strawberry-flavored gelatin 1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice 1 C. mashed fresh or unsweetened frozen strawberries

In a saucepan, bring soda to a boil, remove from heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Stir in strawberries and lemon juice. Pour into jars or plastic containers; cover and refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Do not freeze. Yield 1-3/4 C.

Oven Stew   Marie Todd

1-3 lb. chuck roast 5 potatoes or more, chopped 5 carrots or more, chopped 5 stalks of celery, chopped 1 T. tapioca 1-1/2 C. sliced onions 2 tsp. sugar 1 can tomatoes 1 can peas 1 can water 4 beef bouillon cubes 1-1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Place all ingedients into a covered roasting dish. Bake at 250° for 5 hours. Do not remove lid while cooking.

Cubed Beef and Rice   Nancy McGee

1-1/2 lb. stew meat 1 can mushroom soup 2 T. oil Minute rice, cooked 1-1/2 C. tomato juice

Brown stew meat in oil. Add tomato juice and pressure cook for 45 minutes at 10 lb. pressure. Add undiluted mushroom soup. Serve, over rice.

Nacho Casserole   Johanna Bruns

3/4 C. instant rice, uncooked 1 lb. ground beef 1 (16-oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained 1 (14 oz.) can Mexican style tomatoes 1 pkg. taco seasoning mix 1/2 C. water 1 C. broken tortilla chips 1-1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese

Grease a 2-quart baking dish; spread uncooked rice in bottom. Brown meat and drain. Stir in corn, tomatoes, taco seasoning mix and water; mix well. Spoon over rice. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Top with tortilla chips and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted. Serve with corn muffins or corn bread.

Chocolate Mud Pie    Jeannie Fearneyhough

Crust: 1-1/2 C. flour 1 C. toasted pecans 1/2 tsp. salt 8 T. cold butter Ice water Chocolate layer: 4-oz. chocolate 2 T. heavy cream Filling: 12-oz. cream cheese 1 C. sour cream 1-1/2 C. powdered sugar 6-oz. melted chocolate, coded 1 T. vanilla extract 6-oz. chopped chocolate

Crust: Combine flour, pecans, salt and butter. Cut with pastry cutter until blended. Add ice water, 1 T. at a time, until it forms a ball. Form dough into a ball and place in a deep-dish pie plate, press onto the sides and bottom of the plate. Freeze for 20 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides and bake 18 minutes at 375 . Chocolate layer: Melt together chocolate and heavy cream. Cool slightly and pour over baked crust. Filling: Blend cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, mix until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth, then add chocolate and vanilla, blend. Fold in chopped chocolate. Pour filling on chocolate covered piecrust. Top with toffee bits and whipped cream if desired.

Gooey Butter Cake    Bev Smith

Cake: 1 stick of soft butter 1 egg 1 box of yellow cake mix Topping: 1 box-powdered sugar 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese 2 eggs

Cake: Blend butter, egg and yellow cake mix. Pat into greased 9x13-inch pan. Topping: Mix cream cheese, eggs and powdered sugar together. Spread over top of cake. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Check after 25 minutes if too brown remove.

Crusty Animal Shapes   Jennifer Stice

Tortillas Powdered sugar Hot oil

Cut shapes out of tortillas with cookie cutters. Fry until golden brown. Roll in powdered sugar while hot.

22   ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING NOVEMBER 2001

To order send $10 plus $2 postage to Jaquita(Skeeter) Daniels, Rt. 1 Box 1980, Mounds, IL 62964 or call her at 618) 745-6601.

Chicken Salad   Helen Fritzgerald

2-1/2 lbs. chicken breast, boiled and chopped 20-oz. water chestnuts 2 lb. seedless white grapes 2 C. celery, diced 3 C. mayonnaise 2 tsp. Curry powder 2 T. soy sauce 2 T. lemon juice 1 T. sugar 2 C. almonds

Make dressing of mayonnaise, curry, soy, lemon juice and sugar. Mix with chopped chicken breast, chestnuts, celery, almonds and grapes. Pour dressing over chicken. Let set 1 hour to chill.

Steak "Plus" Delight   Mary Downs

1 med. round steak 1 lg. onion 1 can cream of mushroom soup 4 or 5 med. potatoes, sliced 1 can beef consomme soup 2 cans water

Cut steak into serving size pieces. Brown well on both sides in small amount of cooking oil. Add soups, water, potatoes and onion. Cover and cook over medium heat until potatoes are done (1-1/2 hours). Stir often. Season with salt and pepper.

All-In-One Breakfast   Linda Jackson

1 lb. mild sausage 2-1/2 C. milk 1 tsp. salt 1-1/2 C. cheddar cheese 8 eggs 8 slices bread 1 tsp. dry mustard

Brown sausage and cool. Beat eggs, mustard, milk and salt. Break bread into small pieces. Put in buttered 13x9-inch pan. Add meat and cheese on top. Pour egg mixture over top. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

WANTED: A Few Good Recipes! Calling all cooks! Illinois Country Living needs your help. Send us your favorite recipes and they could be used in the Illinois Country Living Cookbook - Coming soon to a kitchen near you! Send recipes to: Catrina McCulley Young, Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. Or e-mail them to mcculley@aiec.org. Please make sure recipes are either typed or printed neatly. Please include your name and phone number in case we need to contact you.

Peanut Butter Surprise    Marry Nicholson

1 jell-O cheesecake mix 1 (9-inch) chocolate graham cracker crust 1/2 to 1 C. creamy peanut butter 1 (8-oz.) Chocolate Cool Whip 1 (8-oz.) ctn. Cool Whip

Mix cheesecake by directions. Add peanut butter and Cool Whip. Pour into crust and chill overnight Top with chocolate Cool Whip.

Fruit Cocktail Cake   Mary Jones

1 lg. can cocktail, drained Dash of salt 1 egg 1 C. sugar 1 tsp. baking soda 1 C. flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 C. pecans 1/2 C. brown sugar

Drain cocktail. Add flour, sugar, egg, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar and nuts. Pour in greased pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups   Nell Markovich

1 box powdered sugar 1 (12-oz.) pkg. chocolate chips 1-1/2 C. crunchy peanut butter 2 sticks oleo, melted 1-1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs 1/4 block paraffin wax

Mix powdered sugar, oleo, peanut butter and crumbs. Press into a 13x9-inch pan for crust. Melt chocolate chips and wax together. Pour over crust and cool. Cut into squares.

NOVEMBER 2001 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING   23