Gingerbread

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter (can replace half with applesauce)
1 egg
1 cup molasses (can replace half with pumpkin)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup hot water (can use orange juice)
Cream sugar and butter.  Add egg and molasses.  Add dry ingredients and blend.  Stir in hot water.  Pour into greased 9 in. square pan.  bake at 350 degrees for 30 min to 1 hour.  Cool in pan before serving.
Top with powdered sugar, whipped cream, vanilla sauce, cream cheese frosting, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, lemon or orange sauce....

Macagocia Cake

This was another recipe from my childhood.  It's is a chocolate/cinnamon sheet cake, and I have no idea where the name came from...

In a saucepan on stove, bring to a boil 2 cubes of butter, 4 T. cocoa, and 1 cup water.  Separately, sift together 2 cups flour and 2 cups sugar.  Pour hot mixture over flour and sugar mixture.  Add 1/2 cup buttermilk (1/2 cup milk + 1 T. vinegar), 1 tsp soda, 2 eggs, 1 t. vanilla, 1 T. cinnamon.  Pour into greased and floured jellyroll pan.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Icing:  5 minutes before cake is done, bring to a boil 1 cube of butter, 6 T. milk, 4 T. cocoa.  Take off heat - add 1-1lb box powdered sugar. Mix well.  Add 1 t. vanilla.  Pour over cake while still warm.

Sugar Cookies

These were the cookies I grew up eating.  I always liked the dough better than the cookies...

Cream:
1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

Add:

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together in a separate bowl:

2 1/2-3 cups pre-sifted flour

3 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

1 tsp nutmeg

Add dry ingredients to wet, then add 1/4 cup milk or more so dough sticks together.  Chill 1/2 hour.
Roll 1/4 inch thick, cut and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Makes 2-3 dozen.

Pizza Dough

This is Jo's recipe.

Mix together 1 Tablespoon yeast, 2 Tablespoons of sugar, 2 Tablespoons of oil, 1 tsp salt, 2 1/2-3 cups of flour, and 1 cup water. While shaping crust, use cornmeal to make it less sticky. Bake for 10 minutes at 450.

Wheat Bread (my go-to)

Wheat bread

(Makes 5 loaves)

Mix together:

7 cups of whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons instant yeast (it must be instant, not active dry!) (straight from the freezer works great)

1 tablespoon sugar

5 1/2 cups warm water (very hot tap water—as hot as your tap gets)

Then add:

2/3 cup oil

2/3 cup honey

1 cup flour 

2 tablespoons salt 

(Use the same measuring cup for the oil and honey, adding the oil first. The oil will coat the measuring cup so the honey will slide out instead of sticking.)

Mix again.

Add 6-7 cups of flour (one cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be very sticky.)

Knead 15-20 minutes.

Spray pans with cooking spray or oil.  (Before handling dough, spray hands generously with cooking spray, and reapply as needed while shaping loaves.)

Divide dough into 5 even loaves (or ten mini loaves or 5 dozen rolls). Shape loaves by pinching to the middle and rolling. Put loaves in pans seam side down and cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap to keep moist. Loaf pans should be ½-⅔ full.

Let them rise for 45 to 60 minutes (until doubled in size).  

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. (If making rolls or mini loaves, let them rise for the same amount of time, but only bake for 13 minutes. If rolls are larger and pull apart, cook longer, at least 20 minutes, maybe more.)

This recipe may also work with white all purpose flour?

Cheeseburger Soup

I got this recipe from Nancy Evans.

1 lb ground beef (already cooked saves time)
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley flakes
4 Tbs butter divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced peeled potatoes,cut small to cook faster (A time saving option is to add shredded hashbrowns instead of the cubes)
1/4 cup flour
8 oz cubed Velveeta cheese (finely shredded cheddar works OK)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

In a 3 quart saucepan brown beef, drain, and set aside.
Saute onion, carrot, celery, basil and parsley in 1 Tbsp of butter for 10 minutes.  Add chicken broth, potatoes, and beef and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender (15-20 min).  Stir in cubed cheese until melted.  Keep on low heat.

In another pan melt the leftover butter with the flour and cook for about 1 minute while stirring.  Stir in the milk until thick and smooth.  Bring to a boil then pour into the soup and stir until mixed.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream.  Top with diced tomato.

Creamy Bacon Carbonara

CREAMY BACON CARBONARA

Beat the following ingredients in a bowl with a fork:
4 eggs
1/2 cup Cream (I used fat free evaporated milk)
2/3 cup Parmesan
Fresh diced Parsley or dried flakes
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes (optional -- the kids preferred it without)


Fry 1/2 lb. bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside.

With 1 -2 Tbsp. bacon grease, saute the onion (1 small, chopped, opt.) and the mushrooms (3 sliced, opt.) until the onions are translucent and golden.

Drain 1/2 lb pasta and while still warm, add to the onions and mushrooms.  Pour cream mixture into the pasta, and stir over low heat for one to two minutes.  Don’t do this on high heat, or you will make scrambled eggs.  Serve with additional Parmesan, and a loaf of Crusty French bread and a salad.  So Good!