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.