Some folks are already thinking spring; I admit I am one of them. And with the spring comes the Think Green attitude, Reduce-Reuse-Recycle. These days this is the perfect mantra for life and can be practiced in all areas of our lives, especially in the kitchen.
Lets start with leftovers. What to do with all that leftover pasta, yikes I cooked the entire box, now what? Good grief a few leftover vegetables at each meal really adds up, who wants to eat just a half cup of cooked carrots and few spoonfuls of green peas? Good gravy, what do I do with all this gravy? Mix it all together and there you have it, a creamy, veggie-pasta hot dish. You can stir in a few more veggies and sautéed onions; put shredded cheese or grated Parmesan on top or into the mix. Yum.
When the cookie crumbles, what to do with all those crumbs? You find them at the bottom of the cookie jar, tossed about in the Tupperware, even in a damaged package. What you have is the base for a great dessert. Use the broken cookies in a cookie crumb crust and fill with your favorite pudding flavor; dollop with whipped topping; drizzle it fancy with any flavor ice cream topping. Cookies dont have to be the same kind and graham cracker crumbs can be added to expand the amount needed for crust. Yum.
We have a fairly small fridge, so I like to keep it organized and items clearly labeled or stored in clear containers. When the milk jugs or large juice bottles get low, I pour the remaining amounts into quart canning jars and use plastic screw on lids (available in the canning section) for storage. These lids are also perfect for pints and half pint jars. This is especially handy since our drinking glasses are indeed pint canning jars and our juice glasses are half pint jelly jars. Hmm, I think I hear that song again; Reduce-Reuse-Recycle. Sing along with me!
Our newspapers are placed in a crate next to the wood box; we love our wood burner heat. Our kindling is gathered, and often picked up from a nearby saw mill toss pile. Our wood piles get their height from logs cut from fallen trees. I have a clothesline strung across the low beams of the cellar and when the furnace kicks on work jeans and kennel blankets are line dried. And last nights leftover popcorn is scattered below our bird tree, the white birch visible from the living room windows. The snow cleared ground platter is serving again. Yum.
Send your get-ready-for-spring recipe favorites to: Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Rd., Wooster, OH, 44691. Emails are always welcome: thewritecook@sssnet.com
Acini De Pepe Fruit Salad (Holly Hawks Taylor, Ashland, In memory of her mother, Nellie Hawks)
1 cup Acini De Pepe
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 quarts water
8 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained, reserve juice
20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained, reserve juice
9 ounces non-dairy whipped topping
1 cup small marshmallows
Cook the pasta, oil and salt; drain and cool. Heat reserved juices and thicken as pie filling with 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and 3 beaten eggs. Mix with the pasta; cool overnight in refrigerator. Cool fruit separately, covered. Next morning add well-drained, chilled fruit, the marshmallows and 1 carton Cool Whip. Stir well. Will stay several days in refrigerator.
Brother Steves Broccoli Noodle Soup (Holly Hawks Taylor, Ashland)
2 tablespoons margarine
3/4 cup chopped onions
6 cups chicken broth or 6 cups water and 6 chicken bouillon cubes
8 ounces narrow egg noodles
1 tablespoon salt
Dash pepper
2 packages frozen chopped broccoli
1 clove garlic, crushed or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
6 cups milk
1 pound Velveeta cheese, cut up in cubes
Sauté onions in margarine; add 6 cups broth; heat to boil. Add noodles, salt and pepper. Add broccoli; cook 3 minutes. Add garlic, and then add milk and cheese. Heat 4 minutes; do not boil. Stir constantly, till cheese melts.
Quick Saucepan Bars (Sarah Troyer, Dundee)
3/4 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
Melt butter in large saucepan. Stir in sugar, cool slightly. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs to butter-sugar mixture; stir well. Add flour mixture, chocolate chips and nuts. Blend well. Spread in a 10x15 inch cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Cut while warm.
Apple Pancake Topping (Sarah Troyer, Dundee)
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon clear jel
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups water
4 apples, sliced
Brown butter in a skillet. Mix together sugar, clear jel, and spices. Add to browned butter. Mix, then add water. Cook until thick. Spread apples over top. Cover and simmer slowly till apples are soft. Serve on pancakes.
Maple Hot Chocolate (Sarah Troyer, Dundee)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon butter
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
Teaspoon vanilla
12 large marshmallows
IN a large saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and salt. Stir in hot water and butter; bring to a boil, then add the milk, maples flavoring and vanilla. Also add 8 marshmallows. Heat, stirring occasionally until marshmallows are melted. Ladle into 4 mugs and top each one with a marshmallow. Makes a great after school snack.
Pudding Jello Snacks (Sarah Troyer, Dundee)
2 packages (6 ounces) strawberry jello (or flavor of your choice)
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding
Dissolve jello in water. Set aside for30 minutes. Whisk milk into pudding. Mix until smooth. Pour into jello. Whisk until well blended. Pour into oiled 13x9 inch pan. Chill until set. Cut into blocks or use cookie cutters. Can be eaten with fingers.
Pumpkin Dip (Sarah Troyer, Dundee)
1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups cooked and mashed pumpkin (canned is fine)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Blend all together with wire whisk. Use as a dip for pretzels, gingersnaps, or vanilla wafer cookies; also a delicious spread for graham crackers.
Banana Butter (Sarah Troyer, Dundee)
4 large bananas
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
Peel bananas and cut into chunks, then sprinkle with lemon juice. Mash in blender. Combine with sugar and spices in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer; stirring constantly for 15 minutes. Let cool and enjoy! Delicious on toast.
Hot Dog Casserole
1 package hot dogs cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups cooked potatoes, cubed
1 quart green beans, drained
2 cans cream of celery soup
Mix all ingredients together. Put into electric skillet and cook on low heat for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
