Day 1: The decision

I find myself looking for sugar. Everywhere. I'm pretty sure that is an addictive habit. I know a lot about good health, but seem to resist making any changes. I am over weight. I have been working out for the past 3 weeks with a nice 6 pound weight gain. It happens every time. I tell myself I exercise not to lose weight, but to be healthy. Ok, so if it's not all in the exercise, it's got to be in the food. I've decided to give myself a 30 day challenge. I will continue to work out, but add green smoothies to my regime and a nice balanced dinner. Here goes nothing. All I have to gain is still yet better health. As one Dr. once put it, I'm as fit as a horse. I don't want to be a horse, I want to be beautiful, full of light, long and lean.

The starting line looks like this........

Dinner:

Oranges

Grapes

Homemade Minestrone Soup:

1 tbls. olive oi

1 onion diced

carrots chopped

celery

fresh green beans

1 box of Swanson Chicken broth

1 jar of Mario Battalies Marinara sauce

Half a box of Whole Wheat Pasta

Saute veggies, add broth, and spaghetti sauce.

My Moms Taco Sauce

We had recipe group the other night and I haven't got any new recipes in yet but here is mine. My mom made up this recipe and we grew up on this taco sauce. I don't ever remember buying salsa much. When the in-laws starting coming one of the sister in laws said she could just drink this sauce.

Here it is......by Janice Hughes

6-7 MILD cherry bell peppers
1-2 tablespoons of juice from the bottle.
(You could use HOT cherry bells but only use 1-2 they are hot.)

1 can 15 ounce tomato sauce
1/2 onion

Put all in a blender and blend till well blended. Put in a saucepan and rinse the blender by swirling a little water and add to the sauce in the saucepan. Heat until bubbly and serve warm. We always put the cheese on last so the sauce would melt the cheese. Yum, Yum

HELLO DOLLY'S

The next 4 recipes come from Kathy Lawrence Riordan. She shares some great memories . I was so excited to share these recipes with you all!! Sonja

HELLO DOLLY'S
The person I most associate with this recipe is Tola Fox, one of the early pioneer women of Big Piney and someone all of us looked up to, although she is not credited with this recipe in the old Big Piney Ward cookbook. Whenever I have seen this gooey creation since then, in any of its incarnations, I have had memories of going with Mom to Relief Society socials as a little girl in places like Yose's ranch house, where the women were quilting, or to bake sales and bazaars to raise money for the new church building. Try not to count the calories, and do your best to resist eating the Eagle Brand Milk straight from the can!

In a pan about 9 x 12 inches, melt 1 square butter of margarine. Sprinkle the following over the butter:
1 C. crushed graham crackers1 C. coconut1 C. nuts1 small pkg. chocolate chips
Pour 1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk over above. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Caramels

CARAMELS (Rachel Scherbel)
This is the homemade candy I remember most from childhood, and no one made it better than the Scherbels. I have continued to have great success with this recipe as an adult; just remember to adjust the temperature for soft- and hard-ball candy stages according to your location and elevation. Tins of this make a wonderful holiday gift.

1 C. sugar1 C. light corn syrup (Karo)1 C. heavy cream1/4 tsp. salt2 T. butter2 T. evaporated milk2 tsp. vanilla
Combine sugar, corn syrup, cream and salt in heavy saucepan; cook to soft ball stage (220 F. at 7,000 ft. elevation), stirring occasionally. Ad butter and milk alternately. Continue cooking to firm ball (232 F.), stirring to prevent scorching. Test in cold water after 230 F. to determine consistentcy you desire in finished caramels. Remove from heat and add vanilla, stirring only enough to blend. Pour in oiled pan or on an oiled slab. Do not scrape bottom or sides of pan (this can be put on an extra dish, like melted over ice cream).
When cooled, cut into squares or rectangles and wrap individually in wax paper or plastic wrap.
Chocolate caramels may be made with the addition of 1 1/2 to 2 squares chocolate. Either vanilla or chocolate caramel is excellent for ice cr eam topping if cooked to a temperature of about 215-220 F. A small amount of hot water can be added when the caramel has cooled to dilute it to the consistency desired.

Jiffy Cobbler

I too use this recipe...actually I have it memorized so when I make it somewhere else, I can make it in a jiffy. :)


JIFFY COBBLER
This recipe is courtesy of Helen Evans, a friend and contemporary of my mother's growing up in Big Piney Ward, and makes a great dish to take to church suppers and gatherings.
1 C. Oleo margarine (melt in pan)
Mix and pour over margarine in pyrex baking dish:1 C. flour1 C. sugar1 C. milk2 tsp. baking powder1 tsp. vanilla
Pour fruit pie filling over batter. Pour 1/2 C. sugar over all (cinnamon optional).
Bake at 375 degrees F. for one hour.

PUNCH

I absolutly LOVED the stories that came with these recipes. Thanks Kathy for sharing.

PUNCH
This is the punch that was served at Annette Scherbel Priddis' wedding reception, which I remember like it was yesterday, and probably many more. It was the special creation of Big Piney resident Coleen Chase, who catered a lot of weddings in those days and made many of the wedding and special occasion cakes, including Annette's. This punch recipe ended up being borrowed by a number of ward members and used in our family and church events for many years.
2 quarts pineapple or cranapple juice1/4 C. lemon juice1 quart sparkling water1 quart 7-Up
Syrup: Disoolve 3 C. sugar in 2 C. water
Mix and our over ice ring in punch bowl. Serves 50

Spring Fling Recipes

Each month we have a theme and somehow we missed all the Irish recipes in March. We do have a few recipes from our Spring Fling in April. Don't forget....Cinco de Mayo in May, bring any mexican dishes and your recipes to our Cinco de Mayo day. I also wanted to add a recipe from the men cooking the other night at the "Redneck Ball." This recipe was made by one of our community members and was a hit. I think I will make it for our "Linger Longer" tomorrow after church.

Buttermilk Pie-"Redneck Ball" Bill Blair got the recipe from "The Cabin Restaurant" in LA

2 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbls. cornstarch
1/4 lb melted butter
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk

Mix the first six ingredients on slow speed until well blended and uniform. Add the buttermilk and mix well. Pour into an unbaked 9" pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 40 min. or until set and brown on top.

Sugar Cookies – Maurine Yose
2 1/4 cups flour
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat sugar and butter. Add egg continue beating. Add vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together. Add to other mixture. Chill. Roll and cut. Bake at 375° until lightly browned


Recipe adapted from Grandma’s Rolls-New Era November 2004, p. 39.
Cinnamon Rolls-- Annette Priddis submitted this recipe and the seminary students, community members, and anyone else who has tasted these know they are the best.
In mixer bowl, combine:
2 cups flour
6 Tablespoons Non- Instant Powdered Milk (or 2/3 cup instant)
½ cup sugar
2 ½ teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons yeast
Stir together with spoon.
Add:
3 cups hot tap water
Mix with regular beater until smooth, about 1 minute.
Add: 3 eggs
½ cup shortening
Mix until smooth.
At this point change to bread hook. If you are using a hand mixer, you will have to stir the rest by hand.
Add: 5-7 more cups of flour until dough pulls away from sides. It should be sticky to the touch but not so sticky that dough comes off on your hands.
(Less flour makes a softer roll, but it should not be so soft that it cannot maintain its shape.) Place dough in a greased bowl; cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (actually I leave it in the same bowl and leave out this step.) Let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size. Punch down, cover, and let rise again until doubled in size.
Divide into fourths. Place on floured board. Roll out until ½ inch thick rectangle.
Spread with softened butter.
Shake on sugar ( enough to be adsorbed by butter
Shake on cinnamon.
Beginning on long edge, roll into cylinder. Pinch the seam to seal completely.
Cut into 1” pieces and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375º for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.