Cranberry Sauce

Recipe From: Simon and Everett Behr's Thanksgiving Cooking Show, Thanksgiving 2012

Ingredients

1 bag fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 large or 2 small apples, peeled and chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch cloves
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 cup port wine
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar

Instructions

Place all ingredients in medium pot.  Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cool.  Remove cinnamon sticks.  Serve cold or room temp.

Raspberry Dessert Sauce

Recipe From: Ruthanne Hassing

Notes: Use with Norwegian Rice Pudding

Ingredients

1 12oz bag frozen raspberries, completely thawed
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh raspberries (opt)

Instructions

Puree berries in blender.  Push mixture through a large strainer with the back of a spoon into a small saucepan, discarding solids left in the strainer.  Stir in sugar and lemon juice.  Cook over medium-low heat until mixtures comes to a slow boil.  Boil slowly for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and cool.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.  Stir in fresh berries just before serving.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups.

Norwegian Rice Pudding

Recipe From: Ruthanne Hassing

Ingredients

1/2 cup white rice, uncooked
1/8 tsp salt
3 Tbl sugar
4 cups milk

Stovetop Instructions

Combine rice, salt, sugar & 1 cup milk in pan.  Cook over low heat, stirring, until milk is absorbed.  Add remaining milk, 1 cup at a time, slowly.  Do NOT boil!

Slow Cooker Instructions

Combine all ingredients in lightly greased slow cooker.  Cook on high 1-2 hours or low for 4-6 hours.  Stir during first 30 minutes.

Serve with lingonberry, raspberry or other berry sauce.
Click for recipe for Raspberry Sauce.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe From: Barbara Clarke

Ingredients
 
1 stick margarine
8 oz cream cheese
1 16oz pkg confectioners sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Cream cheese and butter.  Add sugar and vanilla.

Kirsten's note: I make a half recipe and that's plenty for the cranberry loaves.

Click here for recipe for Cranberry Spice Loaves.

Cranberry Spice Loaves

Recipe From: Barbara Clarke, Kirsten's mother-in-law
From Thanksgiving in Cazenovia, NY

Preheat Oven to: 350 degrees

Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup nutmeats, chopped
1 3/4 cups flour
1 lb can jellied cranberry sauce, crushed
OR 1 1b can whole cranberry sauce, drained
OR 2 cups homemade
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

Instructions

Preheat oven.  Cream shortening, sugar & egg.  Stir in raisins and nuts.  Combine dry ingredients and sift.  Add to first mixture.  Stir in cranberry sauce.  Spoon into two greased and floured loaf pans and bake 40-50 minutes, or use 4 small loaf pans and bake for 30 minutes. Cool.  Freezes well.  Good with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick margarine
8 oz cream cheese
1 16oz pkg confectioners sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Cream cheese and butter.  Add sugar and vanilla.
Kirsten's note: I make a half recipe and that's plenty for the cranberry loaves.

Cream Cheese Cookies

Recipe From: Maura Gallagher's mom
Notes:  I acquired this recipe when in sophomore year of college (so 1989-1990), a group of us decided we needed to see The Little Mermaid movie, which had just come out.  It wasn't playing in Williamstown, or North Adams, but it was playing in Red Hook, NY, Maura's home town.  So off we went.  We watched the movie, and then descended on Maura's parents house, where her mother graciously fed the completely unexpected horde of college students these fabulous cookies.

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 lb butter, softened
2 1/2 cups flour
1 jar strawberry preserves (or any preserves)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
raisins
confectioners sugar

Instructions

Cream butter and cheese and mix with flour.  Chill dough.

Sprinkle powdered sugar over surface that you'll roll the dough out on.  Take small fists of dough and roll out into a thin circle about plate size.  Cut like a pie into 16 pieces.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, nuts and sugar.  Place one raisin & tiny drop of jam on each piece.  Roll up from wide to narrow end.  Bake at 375 degrees for approx 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Repeat with remaining dough.

These freeze very well.

Mushrooms and Sauteed Spinach

Recipe From: Jared Cumming, Kirsten's friend from college
Notes: Made at Williams New Years in Cape May, NJ.  Can't remember the exact year, but would have to be 2010 or earlier.

Ingredients

Mushrooms, chopped
Spinach, rinsed and drained
cooking oil
herbs d'provence

Instructions

Heat cooking oil in skillet.  Saute mushrooms.  Add spinach, saute until wilted.  Add herbs d'provence and stir to coat.

Virginia's Very Simple Marinara

Recipe From: Virginia Behr, Williams New Year's in Charlottesville, VA, November 2012

In large pot with thick bottom, saute on medium-low heat for a few minutes: one medium onion, diced, in about 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  Add four to six cloves of garlic (smashed with the side of a large knife blade to release the oils and then dice small) and saute another few minutes.  Make sure that you do not burn the garlic- it will ruin the sauce.  If you like mushrooms, you can add some sliced mushrooms when you start the saute. If you like meat sauce, turn the heat up a bit and brown about 1-2 pounds ground beef or sausage in the already cooked onion/garlic.

Add in two 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes and one can of peeled plum tomatoes.  Use the stirring spoon to mash up the whole plum tomatoes. Brands imported from Italy are best, or use RedPack.  Hunt's and other American brands aren't very good.  Stir.

Stir in:

*2 T fresh or dried basil

*2 T fresh or dried parsley

*1/2 cup red wine- Merlot or Cabernet Sav best

*2 bay leaves

*pinch salt, 1/2 t black pepper

*1 t hot pepper flakes (optional)

*One chopped carrot or 2 t sugar (very optional)

Simmer uncovered on medium-low to low for at least one hour. In the last 10 minutes, add in some fresh or dried oregano.  It adds depth.  If you add it too early, it makes the sauce bitter.

Pull out the bay leaves. Serve over pasta sprinkled with parmesan cheese.  Serves 8.

Dump Cake

Recipe From: Paula Pike (Kirsten's friend and former business partner)

Ingredients

You will need to purchase:        

• any type of pie filling you like
• any cake mix you like (we like blueberry and banana cake but as you can see the options are limitless)
• Pineapple tidbits
• 1 stick of margarine or butter

Instructions

1)     Spray the pan with cooking spray

2)     Drain the pineapple and drink the juice. While drinking put the pineapples in the bottom of the cake pan

3)     Spread (or dump) the pie filling over the pineapples

4)     Spread (or dump) the dry cake mix over the pie filling – breaking up any clumps

5)     Cut slim butter pats and place them over the dry cake mix. Try to cover the entire cake mix with the butter.

6)     Bake according to the cake mix directions

16 Bean Soup

Recipe From: Maura Gallagher

Note: Veggie Version -- omit sausage, use veggie stock rather than chicken stock. 

Ingredients

1 package 16 bean soup (bag of dried beans)
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 stalks celery, stringed & sliced thinly
1/2 pound carrots, either baby, or sliced
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Italian sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cans chicken stock
1 can diced or stewed tomatoes
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
water, to cover ingredients
cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions
Slice casings of sausage meat and crumble into a stock pot. Add olive oil and saute over medium high heat until outside of sausage begins to brown. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic near end. Sausage meat does not need to cook, only brown slightly. Do not allow garlic to brown.

Add remaining ingredients except for tomatoes & cheese to the stock pot.  Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, and simmer for another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serves 8

When served into bowl, top with some shredded cheese.

Baked Oatmeal

Recipe From: the farmhouse B&B we stayed at in Lancaster, PA in the summer of 2006

Preheat Oven to: 325 degrees

Ingredients

3 cups oats
1/2 cup brown sugar or honey
1/2 cup oil
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Mix well.  Bake in glass 8x8 pan for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.

Chili

Recipe From: Nathan Kemling (Kirsten's Uncle)

Ingredients

3 cans each of Black Beans & Pinto Beans (somewhat drained)
5 cans of Mexican Style Tomatoes
2 12 oz. cans of Tomato Paste
1 Jar Prego Spaghetti Sauce
2 large onions (chopped)
4 green Bell peppers (washed and cut into bite size squares)
Cloves of Garlic (I measure out three or four "spoon" fulls)
I sometimes use Mushrooms (if you use then chopped or diced)
2 Lbs. of Carrots (peeled and quartered; sometimes I just cut them into 1/4" wheels)
1 - 2 Lbs. of Lean Ground Beef
1 - 2 Lbs of Ground Turkey

Instructions

I typically cut the onion up and get it started in a skillet to sauté with some Olive oil. Then add in the minced garlic. While that's started at a temp of 3 - 4 on our oven I start on the mushrooms (if I have some) and add them in with the onions. Then I bring out a large pot and open the canned beans, Mexican Style Tomatoes, and Spaghetti Sauce. I add this all into the "big" pot, mix, and get it started on the oven with a low to medium low temp of 3 - 4 (on our oven). Then I start peeling and quartering the Carrots. As the onion mix finishes up (you have been stirring this and adjusting temp as needed all along) I add it into the big pot and mix it up so well distributed. By this time I usually have the Carrots about ready and I add more Olive oil into the skillet I used for the onions and begin to stir fry the carrots to give them a quick start on the way to cooking.
While the Carrots are cooking I continue to stir and begin to work on the Bell Peppers. I get them cut into bite size cubes and add them into the big pot. When the Carrots have "nice color" I know they are about ready so I add them into the big pot and mix them in so they are well distributed. The big pot is still not very hot at this time (typically). Now that the skillet is free I get the Ground Beef and Turkey started to brown. As it begins to cook chunk it up to your preference (large or small). While the meat is cooking I open and add in the Tomato Paste. I then add water to adjust and obtain the desired consistency (which is each cooks preference). I then add in Black Pepper (liberally) to taste, some salt also to taste (don't worry about salt to much because figure it comes in with the canned beans also), about four to five well rounded tablespoons of Chili powder, and if desired, last night used a little "Hot Sauce" to taste (didn't put in enough to really change the flavor). Usually at this point I break out the overflow pot and separate the mix in the "not quite big enough pot" into two pots and add in the meat. I let this simmer or slow cook for two or more hours stirring regularly. The goal of the cooking is to one get the carrots and peppers cooked through and to gel the various juices and spices. While the Chili slow cooks I sample the juices several times and add water or possibly a spice as I choose (usually not required). Sometimes at this point I have added a small amount of sugar to get that umm good chili want some more background taste. You really need to be careful if you add any sugar though because it won't take much to ruin the whole pot of Chili. Usually the Spaghetti Sauce, Carrots, and Bell Peppers have already taken care of the subtle sweet that many people enjoy.

Zweiback Rolls

Recipe From: Gwenlyn Busby, a fellow guest for Thanksgiving at my friend Barbara's house, Nov 2008

Notes: This recipe is fairly complicated as you have to cook potatoes first and save some of the water, and then make the dough which has to rise twice.  But they're fantastic.  Soft and fluffy with a good flavor from the cardamom and cream.  Plus they freeze well.  This recipe makes quite a lot so you can make some for Thanksgiving and freeze the rest for Christmas.

Ingredients

2 pkgs Yeast
2 T Sugar
1 Pint lukewarm potato water + 1 large mashed potato
1 tsp Salt
1Cup Sugar
1 Cup Whipping Cream
2 beaten Eggs
Grated rind of 1 Lemon
1/4 tsp powdered Cardamom, or 4 Cardamom seeds, ground
10 cups flour (more or less)

Instructions

Put together the first 4 ingredients (yeast to salt). Stir, and when yeast has dissolved  (the liquid will be a little bubbly) add the remaining ingredients. Add about 10 C white flour (or substitute 1 or 2 C of Whole Wheat for that quantity of White). Knead until smooth. Let rise 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Punch down and shape into balls...about the size of golf balls...squeeze dough through buttered hand (thumb and first finger). Put 8-10 of these dough balls into a buttered bread pan.  (think you will need 4 or maybe 5 pans for all). Let rise 1 1/2 - 2 hours.   The rolls should have reached the top of the bread pan.  (protect from drafts throughout making the rolls)

Bake at 350 degrees ......for 30-35 minutes.  Will be light brown on top.

Slide out of the bread pan and cool loaves on a cake rack.

Beet and Apple Salad

Recipe From:  Ruthanne Hassing

Ingredients

Beets

Apples

Sugar

Lemon Juice

Raisins (opt)

Pine Nuts (opt)

Instructions

All you do is peel and shred the beets and do the same to an equal amount of apple.  Toss with a little sugar and lemon juice.  I added a few raisins and some pine nuts because the pine nuts looked nice against the red beets, but that isn't necessary.

Cinnamon Apple Cake

Recipe From: Maura Gallagher.  Made by her for the New Years Gathering in October of 2008.

Preheat Oven to:  350 degrees  

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups  sugar -- divided
1/2 cup  stick margarine -- softened
1 teaspoon  vanilla extract
6 ounces  fat-free cream cheese -- softened
2 large  eggs
1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons  baking powder
1/4 teaspoon  salt
2 teaspoons  ground cinnamon
3  cups  Rome apple -- peeled and chopped (about 2 large)
vegetable cooking spray

Instructions

1. Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, margarine, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well  blended (about 4 minutes). 
2. Add eggs, one at a time , beating well after each addition. 
3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
4. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. 
5. Take 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture and mix it with the apples in a bowl
6. Stir apple mixture into batter. 
7. Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.
8. Bake at 350° for 1  hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away form the sides of the pan. 
9. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife.

NOTES : If made in a 9-inch springform pan, reduce cooking time by 5 minutes.

MAURA'S SPECIAL VARIATION: instead of reading recipe carefully, mix the full sugar/cinnamon mixture in with the apples.  Then, when you realize you should have only used 2 tablespoons, sigh, beat head against the countertop, and mix together another 1/4 cup sugar & 2 teaspoons cinnamon to use for the topping.  [I suspect that this weekend is the first time i've followed the recipe exactly, since i was keenly aware that i wouldn't have any backup cinnamon!]

Source:
  "Cooking Light, October 1997, p. 120"

Smørkranser (Butter Wreaths)

Recipe From:  Ruth Hassing, Kirsten's grandmother

Notes

This is a Norwegian recipe translated by my aunt Åse Blake, Ruth's daughter.

Preheat Oven to:  350 degrees

Ingredients

1 egg
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
12 Tbl butter

Instructions

Grease cookie sheet.  Beat egg and sugar.  Add finely chopped almonds and vanilla.  Work in butter, sifted flour and baking powder.  Chill dough.  Use cookie press (star shape); make them about 3 inches long.  Form into a circle.  Bake until golden brown and crisp in 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Makes 3 dozen.

Quote

"It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light." - GK Chesterton, Orthodoxy

More context around this:

"Angels can fly because they can take themselves lightly."

"It is much easier to write a good Times leading article than a good joke in Punch. For solemnity flows out of men naturally; but laugher is a leap. It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light. Satan fell by force of gravity."


 

5 Cup Salad

Recipe From: Leigh Ann Kremer (Kirsten's friend)

Ingredients

1 cup sour cream
1 cup mandarin oranges
1 cup marshmallows
1 cup coconut
1 cup pineapple tidbits

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together.

Fruit Dip

Recipe From: Brad and Virginia Behr's wedding reception (Kirsten's friends)

Notes: This was served at my friends' wedding reception and was very good.  I asked the server how to make it and the caterer came out and told me!

Ingredients

1 box instant coconut pudding
2 oz rum
1 can crushed pineapple
Cool Whip

Instructions

Mix instant pudding with rum and pineapple.  Let cool in fridge.  Fold in Cool Whip just before serving.  Serve with fresh fruit for dipping.

Rice

Recipe From: Ruthanne Hassing

Preheat Oven to: 350 degrees

Ingredients

2 cups rice
4 cups water

Instructions

Put rice and water into a casserole dish.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Variations

Use chicken broth instead of water.
Add a little butter and salt to the water.

Pepperkaker

Recipe From: Ruth Hassing (Kirsten's grandmother)

Notes

This is a Norwegian recipe translated by my aunt Åse Blake, Ruth's daughter.

Preheat Oven to:  375 degrees

Ingredients

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 Tbl dark corn syrup
2 tsp baking soda, dissolved in a little warm water
3 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cardamon

Instructions

Sift together dry ingredients, except soda; set aside.  Cream butter and sugars.  Add egg and syrup and mix well.  Dissolve the soda in a little warm water; add to egg mixture and stir thoroughly.  Add sifted dry ingredients and stir until blended.  Chill several hours.  Roll quite thin and cut into shapes with cookie cutter.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes.

Baked Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole

Recipe From: Åse Blake (Kirsten's aunt).  We had this at Christmas in Atlanta one year when I was in high school, so I got this recipe sometime in the mid-1980's.

Preheat Oven to: 375 degrees

Ingredients

1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb sweet potatoes, cooked (can use canned or fresh)
2 cups thinly sliced peeled apple
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup slivered almonds

Instructions

Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch thick slices.  Arrange a layer of sweet potatoes in a 2 qt shallow baking dish.  Cover with a layer of apples, half sugar mixture & half the raisins.  Repeat layers.  Dot with butter and sprinkle with almonds.  Cover and bake 35 minutes.  Remove cover and bake for 10 more minutes.  If dinner is delayed, reduce heat to 225.  Cover and keep warm up to 30 minutes.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Cucumber Salad

Recipe From: Ruth Hassing (Kirsten's grandmother)

Notes
This is a Norwegian recipe translated by Åse Blake, Ruth's daughter.

Ingredients

1 large cucumber
1/3 cup cider vinegar
3 Tbl water
3 Tbl sugar
1/2 tsp salt
few grains white pepper
1 Tbl chopped parsley

Instructions

Pare cucumber; cut into very thin slices.  Mix other ingredients except parsley.  Pour over the cucumber slices and toss lightly to coat evenly.  Cover and put in refrigerator for several hours to chill and allow flabors to blend.  Garnish with finely chopped parsley.

Dip for Shrimp or Veggies

Recipe From:  Unknown, but probably my mother (I have it written in pencil on a piece of notebook paper. No idea where I got it from.)

Ingredients

mayo
plain yogurt
lemon zest + juice
dill

Instructions

Mix ingredients together in proportions that taste good to you.  Serve with shrimp or vegetables for dipping.

Rescue Squad Chicken

Recipe From: Jon Howard (Kirsten's husband).  Jon says he had this during a shift at the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad, so now it's Rescue Squad Chicken in our house.

Ingredients

Chicken breast
Italian dressing

Instructions

Place a chicken breast in the middle of a piece of aluminum foil.  Cover with Italian dressing.  Fold up chicken and dressing in the foil to make a foil packet.  Grill 12-15 minutes or bake at 450 for approx 20 minutes.

Can includes vegetables in the packet if desired.

White Sauce for Fish Balls (Fiskeboller)

Recipe From: Ruthanne Hassing (Kirsten's mom)

Notes:  Fishballs are a Norwegian food.  They're ground up fish mixed with flour into a smooth round cake.  They make them in baby sizes.  Fishballs are often served in a white sauce with steamed vegetables, often carrots and baby potatoes.  You can make them yourself but the canned ones are just as good.

This also makes a good basic white sauce.  The basic formula for white sauce is 2 Tbl fat + 2 Tbl thickener (usually flour) for every cup of liquid.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk OR
fishball liquid drained from the fishball can + powdered milk

Instructions

Melt margarine in skillet.
Slowly mix in flour.
Take skillet off heat and slowly stir in milk.  Can use the liquid from the fishball can mixed with powdered milk instead, if desired.

Put fishballs in liquid sauce until hot.

Williams College Bar Brownie

Recipe From: Williams College Dining Services  (note to other college/university dining services: if you want really good food, you have to do it yourself and not outsource it.  Williams College Dining Services is proof.  Because I had no experience with other college dining services while at Williams, I did not realize how good they were until I visited other colleges and went to graduate school.)

Story:  I came by this recipe as a result of staring at a knife in my cutlery drawer and thinking, "I'm pretty sure this is a Greylock Dining Hall knife."  I had a couple of spoons and forks of the same pattern and I felt some guilt over this.  It was a thoughtless theft as I hadn't intended to leave college with dining hall cutlery and I'm not even sure how I ended up with as I don't recall taking it having bought my own bowls and cups and such.  So I wrote to dining services, explaining I'd graduated over 10 years ago, I was pretty sure I had some of their cutlery and where should I send it back to?  Oh, and by the way, was there any chance of getting the Williams College brownie recipe?  Dining Services wrote me back and very kindly said I could keep the forks and spoons and also mailed me the recipes for brownies with helpful instructions on how I might go about reducing the quantity for home use.  Williams brownies tend to generate strong feelings from people.  They either love them or can't see how you could eat one, but few people are neutral.  I loved them.  They were almost fudge-like, they were so dense and chocolatey.  Just great!

Preheat Oven to: 370 degrees

Ingredients (original recipe)

1 pound, 6 1/2 oz granulated sugar
12 1/2 oz Shortening (Sweetex)
2 7/8 tsp spice salt
2 1/2 oz Numoline (invert sugar syrup used on commercial baking)
8 oz liquid eggs plus 1 1/2 oz for egg wash
4 oz cocoa powder
7 1/2 oz corn syrup
15 oz cake flour
2 oz water
1 Tbl vanilla extract
4 oz chopped nuts (opt)

Instructions
Cream sugar, shortening, salt and numoline. Add eggs and beat.  Blend in cocoa and corn syrup.  Add flour, water and vanilla.  Scale 9 lbs batter into greased full sheet pan and wash with egg wash.  Scale 4-8 lbs per half sheet.  Sprinkle 1/2 sheet with nuts; leave some plain.  Bake at 370 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Makes 1 1/2 13x18" sheet pans, or about 90 brownies.

Notes
I have to confess I have no idea what "scale 9 lbs batter" means, since I don't think the ingredients add up to 9 pounds. However, I haven't tried it to see.  I assume this instruction would make sense to a commercial baker.

Ingredients (scaled recipe for home use)
Note: this is still under development.  I haven't perfected the Williams College brownie at home yet, so this post may change over time!

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup + 2tsp butter or shortening
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
7 Tbl corn syrup (1 Tbl shy of 1/2 cup)
1 cup + 1 Tbl cake flour
3 Tbl water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions
Cream sugar, shortening and salt.  Add eggs and beat.  Blend in cocoa powder and corn syrup.  Add flour, water and vanilla.  Pour into a greased 8x8 pan.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.  Bake at 370 for 35-40 minutes.  Makes 16 brownies.

Topping for Salmon

Recipe From: Michelle and Erik Blake (Erik is Kirsten's cousin)

Preheat to: 400 degrees

Ingredients

minced garlic
dijon mustard
brown sugar
salmon fillets or steaks

Instructions

Mix some minced garlic, dijon mustard and brown sugar to make a paste.  Smoosh all over salmon and bake at 400 degrees for approx. 15 minutes.

Grandma Hullinger's Sugar Cookies

Recipe From: I'm not sure.  It's a variant on the Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies from Great-Grandma Hullinger I published yesterday, similar to but not the same as.  I clearly got it from someone in the family as it has a note at the bottom, but all I have is a typed version so I can't even use handwriting as a clue!  If you wrote this down, let me know so I can credit you!

Preheat Oven to: 350 degrees

Ingredients

4 cups flour

1 cup butter, or shortening

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

4 egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract, lemon or almond

1 cup milk

1 tsp baking soda

Original Instructions:  Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.  Beat the eggs and set aside.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar; add the beaten eggs and continue to beat until mixed.  Add vanilla and flour mixture and stir until well mixed.  Chill.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out chilled dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 ".  Cut into rounds or shapes with cookie cutters.  Sprinkle with sugar if desired.  Bake until edges are lightly brown, 15-17 minutes.  Decorate with colored icing, sprinkles, etc. if desired.

Notes
I remember that Grandma Hullinger (your Great-Grandmother) made great sugar cookies. I found this recipe in a box of recipes from their house. Grandma wrote that Ruthanne called these Grandpa's cookies. Dough must chill.

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Recipe From: Agnes Hullinger (Kirsten's great-grandmother.  Agne's daughter was Ruth.  Ruth's daughter is Ruthanne and Ruthanne's daughter is me.) San Jose, IL

Preheat to: 350 degrees

Ingredients

2 3/4 cup flour
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated lemon rind, opt.

Original Instructions 

"Sift measure add bp. and salt
cream butter add sugar and eggs
beat
add vanilla and flour.  Chill and roll. Sprinkle sugar.  Bake."

Instructions for bakers not as experienced as Great-Grandma Hullinger

Sift flour with the baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream the butter.  Add the sugar and eggs, beating between each addition.  Add the vanilla and optional lemon rind.  Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.  Chill for a few hours in the refrigerator.  Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick and cut out cookies.  Sprinkle with sugar or decorations if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees until slightly gold at edges (4-8 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie).

Notes:  Keep covered in a tin with a cut apple or orange slice to keep soft.  I've also made these with orange rind and once with grapefruit rind.  All very good!  I bet lime rind would also be good.  I think my mother first added the lemon rind.  She would cut them out with a large glass to make big round cookies and would sometimes put a raisin in the center before baking.

These cookies are intended to be thick and soft, not thin and crunchy.

Play dough

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1 Tbl cream of tartar
1 3/4 cups boiling water
2 Tbl vegetable oil
food coloring

Instructions

Combine flour, salt and cream of tartar.  Mix well.  Stir in boiling water and oil.  Let dough cool.  Knead dough on countertop until smooth.  Make a ball with the dough and make an indentation in the center.  Add a few drops of food coloring.  Mix well by smooshing it around (kids love doing this part) until color is spread throughout dough.

Store in airtight container.

Marinated Salmon

Recipe From: Sue Berres' cousin Ann Maushammer (Sue is Kirsten's friend)

Ingredients

3 cups soy suace or tamari
2 cups water
2 cups brown sugar
2 Tbs fresh ginger, chopped
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs black pepper
10 salmon fillets

Instructions

Combine all ingredients.  Marinate fillets for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Grill or broil fillets about 6-8 minutes each side or until flakey.  Baste liberally with marinade.

Sue's Notes:  I prefer to use a zip-lock bag to marinate the fillets.  This technique requires much less liquid, say 4-6 cups total.

Beet/Cabbage/Rutabaga/Carrot and Apple Salad

Recipe From:  Ruthanne Hassing (Kirsten's mom)

Ingredients

Apple

Any of:
Beets
Cabbage
Rutabaga
Carrot

Optional
Raisins
Pine Nuts

Dressing Options
Lemon Juice and Sugar
Honey
Light Cream mixed with honey

Instructions

Peel and grate an equal amount of apple plus any of the listed vegetables.  Can add raisins or pine nuts if desired.  Toss with any of the 3 dressings.

Kirsten's Notes:  The light cream w/honey dressing is esp good when the main vegetable is cabbage.

Colin's Fruit Salad

Recipe From:  Colin Howard

Notes: Created by Colin when he was around 6 years old

Ingredients

2 handfuls of grapes
1 sliced banana
1 sliced full apple
2 handfuls of blueberries

Instructions

Stir it up.
Eat it up.

Quote

...let wonder seem familiar

-Friar Francis
From Act 5, Scene 4 of Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare

Interesting idea, wonder being familiar.  It seems counter-intuitive that you might want that, but we wouldn't be able to live in a state of constant wonder.  We wouldn't get done any of the mundane things required to survive.

Emma just bought the download of the Wyndham Theatre's stage production of Much Ado About Nothing that they put on last summer and we watched it yesterday and today.  She got it mostly because David Tennant and Catherine Tate were in it, but that's okay, she's watching Shakespeare and it was a very good show.  Some things were a little odd with the modern setting but other things were absolutely hilarious.  Well worth the money!

Taco Casserole

Recipe From: Karen Schroeder (Kirsten's friend and Aunt Karen to Emma and Colin)

Preheat Oven to:  350 degrees

Ingredients

10 taco shells, coarsely broken (or 1 bag corn chips)

1.5 lb. ground beef (or 1 lb ground beef and one can black beans)

1 package taco seasoning

1/2 cup water

2 tbs. dried minced onion

8 oz can tomato sauce

2 cups (1/2 lb.) grated Monterey jack cheese  (low fat pre-shredded cheeses work well)

1 large tomato in wedges

6 sliced stuffed green olives

Salsa (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange 1/2 of the taco shells in a fully greased 2 quart casserole dish. 

In a 10 inch skillet, brown the beef until crumbly.  Drain.  Add taco mix and water.  Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.  Stir in onion and tomato sauce. 

Spoon over taco shells. Sprinkle with 1.5 cups cheese.  Cover with the rest of the taco shells, and top with the remaining cheese, the tomato wedges, and the olives.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until hot.  May be served with salsa.

Serves 6