Crazy Cake

This was one of my all-time favorite desserts to make--and eat!--when I was a child. My mom acquired this recipe somewhere and we all loved it! A very moist chocolate cake. Sift together into ungreased 9" x 13" pan: 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 2 t soda 6 T powdered cocoa 1 t salt Make 3 indentations into mixture. Pour 2 t vanilla into one, 2 T white vinegar into one and 1/2 cup oil into the third. Pour 2 cups cold water over all and stire with a fork. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes. Frost with favorite chocolate frosting. Can add chopped walnuts on top.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chippers

Cream: 2 cups butter 1 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cup sugar Add: 4 eggs 2 t hot water 2 t vanilla Add: 3 cups flour 2 t salt 2 t soda Add: 4 cup oats 12 ounces chocolate or butterscotch chips Bake at 350 degrees about 8 minutes.

Great Chocolate Chippers

One of our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes! It's a little fancier than some as it contains coconut. Cream: 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 2 t vanilla Add: 2 1/3 cup flour 1 t soda 1 t salt 1 cup chopped walnuts 12 oz. chocolate (or butterscotch) chips 1 cup coconut Bake 10 minutes @ 375 degrees.

Pumpkin Bread

This yummy recipe was from our Provo friend and neighbor, Pam Pulley. We traditionally make it in October to celebrate fall. Combine: 2 cup flour 2 baking powder 1/2 t soda 1 t salt 1 t cinnamon 1/2 t nutmeg 1 cup pumpkin 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup evaporated milk 2 eggs 1/4 cup soft margarine 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup chocolate chips Pour into greased pans and bake @ 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

Frozen Fruit

This is fun and refreshing as well as healthy! Can be used as a salad or dessert. We used our home bottled fruit and had this often with Sunday dinner.

Combine:

1 quart pears, drained and chopped
1 quart peaches, drained and chopped
1 can fruit cocktail, drained
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 T. lemon juice

Cover and freeze till slushy. Put in individual serving dishes and pour lemon-lime pop over top.

Waldorf Salad

Combine:

apple chunks
celery slices
raisins
Miracle Whip
1/2 t cinammon--optional

Aunt Lil's Layered Salad

From our Provo neighbor and dear friend, Janell Miller. This is also a hit at summer picnics!

Layer in a 9" x 13" pan or large glass salad bowl:

1 head lettuce, torn
1 package frozen peas, slightly thawed
1 onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 ribs chopped celery

Mix and pour over:

1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup sugar

Spread evenly with spatula and then pour over and spread:

1/2 cup mayonaise
3 T red wine vinegar

Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Cover. Refrigerate 6 - 15 hours before serving.

Indian Summer Salad

Yet another easy, healthy salad!

Combine and chill:

1# grated carrots
1/2 cup crushed pineapple and juice
1/4 cup raisins or Craisins

Spinach Salad

This is a very good but not low-cal salad! Makes enough for a crowd--a large Tupperward bowl works well--and is always a crowd pleaser! To make it a little more elegant, use a glass salad bowl as it is layered. I used to make it for our annual July 4th picnics!

Layer:

1 bunch spinach--washed, dried, torn
1 head lettuce, torn
1 purple onion--sliced and separated
3/4 # sliced mushrooms
1# grated cheese
1# bacon--cooked, drained and crumbled

Dressing:

Blend in blender:

2/3 cup white vinegar
1 cup oil
2/3 cup sugar
1 green onions, chopped in 1" pieces, stems included
1 1/2 t salt
1 t yellow mustard
2 t celery seed

Sunshine Salad

Another easy, healthy salad that the kids can make and enjoy!

Combine:

1# grated carrots
a can drained Mandarin oranges
1 small can pineapple tidbits

Serve chilled.

Easy Fruit Salad

Mix the following with Cool-Whip:

1 -2 large apples, chopped
1 - 2 large oranges, chopped
1/2 - 1 can drained fruit cocktail
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Hawaiin Fruit

A simple, fresh fruit salad that is good with Asian dishes. Easy for the kids to make! Our kids used to like making this with their meals for their "cook nights."

Combine:

2 cans drained Mandarin oranges and 2 cans drained pineapple tidbits. Top with browned coconut. Serve chilled.

Beefy Chicken Breast

Spread bottom of pan with packaged chipped beef, cut up (a few Budding 3 oz packages). Place raw chicken breasts on top. Pour 1-10 3/4 oz. can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup mixed with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 c. sour cream. Bake at 350° until done.  OR, can be done in electric frying pan.

These are just easy and tasty.

Impossible Quiche

Makes 1 pie.

This was one of Nathan's favorite meals to make as a kid (other than leftovers and make-your-own) because it is delicious and always turns out!

Place 1 c. cubed ham or bottom of lg. pie pan.

Add 1 c. grated cheese and 1/3 c. green or yellow onions.

Mix: 4 eggs, 1 c. Bisquick, 2 c. milk, 1 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper.

Pour over ham.  Bake at 400° for 50 minutes.

Sweet Potato Souffle

Cook and skin about 12 cups yams.  Melt 1/4 c. margarine (or butter buds) in 9"x13" cake pan.

Add: yams, 1/2 c. milk, 1/2 c. sugar,  and 2 eggs.

Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. margarine - soft, but not melted
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

This has been a Monson family tradition since we lived in Provo at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Eryn Michelle's Microwave Peanut Brittle

Blend:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light Karo syrup
Dash salt
1 c. raw peanuts

Microwave 7-10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes until light brown.

Add:
1 T. butter
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla.

Spoon onto sprayed wax paper - small patties or one large sheet.  Cook, break apart and enjoy!

Wonderful Wild Rice Soup

Cut 4 oz. of bacon into small pieces and cook. (Or you can use a cup of chopped, cooked ham.)

Place in crock pot. 

Add:
2-10 3/4-oz cans condensed cream of potato soup
1 pkg prepared Uncle Ben's instant wild rice
2-2-oz cans non-fat or 2 % evaporated milk
1-2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese

Put on warm all day long and thin with additional regular milk, if desired.  

The original recipe is from Mom (Kathryn)'s co-worker but used a pound of bacon, whipping cream and much more cheese - so this is very tasty but a healthier version that Kathryn adapted.

Navy Bean Soup

Mom has very good memories of this - her mom used to make it and Mom thinks this is pretty darn close.

Boil and simmer ham bone until meat falls off the bone. Discard the bone and cut up the ham.

Add:

1-2 T minced garlic
1 chopped onion
Boil until done. Add 16 oz. canned white beans or soak and cook 1 pound dried beans instead.

(If you want to do this in the crock pot, boil the ham bone, onion and garlic first.)

Whole Wheat Pancakes

The story behind these is that we used to make them on cold winter mornings with freshly ground whole wheat flours. The eggs are optional since at the time they said that eggs were unhealthy! However, they are saying eggs are good for you now.  We no longer have the grinder since it went mildewy in Minnesota.  (Nice, warm, humid Minnesota basement.)

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 c. oil (opt)
2 c. milk
2 eggs (opt)

Blend until lumpy. Bake on griddle sprayed with Pam at 350 and serve with honey.

Hummingbird Lady's Bean and Corn Salsa

We had a memorable night feeding hummingbirds at Pastor Corrinne Thul's beautiful home up Logan Canyon near 2nd Dam in 2010. And this was one of the hors d'oeuvres.

Combine:
2-16 oz. cans white beans
2-16 oz. cans black beans
2-16 oz. cans corn
2 cups salsa
2 chopped avocadoes.

Serve with corn chips.

Nancy and Bill's Green Salad

Toss:
Large bowl chopped romaine
1 yellow pepper, diced small
1 orange pepper, diced small
1 peeled cucumber, diced small
3 ribs celery, diced small
8 oz grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 grated carrots

With Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Courtesy of Nancy and Bill Carr at our annual 4th of July picnic.

Suzie's Fruit Salad

Toss equal parts:
Red and green grapes, whole or halved
Chopped apples
Vanilla yoghurt (not necessarily equal parts)..


Quite elegant, actually!

From the kitchen of Suzanne Leale Gray

Kathryn's BBQ Meatballs

We all love 'em....

You can make the meatballs using any recipe or just use frozen pre-made meatballs.

Sauce:
Blend 2 cups ketchup, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 t. tobasco sauce, 1/2 t. garlic powder and 1/4 cup chopped onion. 

Put about 3 lbs of frozen meatballs in a single layer on a baking tray (one with edges).  Cover with sauce and cook at 350° for 1 hour.  Yummy if served on brown rice!

Skinny Chili

When first fall weather hits, you've gotta make this!

Brown and drain:
1 pound lean ground beef
8 stalks celery, chopped
2 chopped onions
1 chopped green pepper.

Add to the meat mixture and simmer until hot:
4-16 oz. cans of chili beans (in seasoned sauce)
2-16 oz. cans of plain stewed tomatoes
2-16 oz. cans of mexican seasoned stewed tomatoes

Add additional seasoning if desired (but with mexican tomatoes & seasoned chili beans, it is quite yummy!)

Quick Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies - Terri Viehweg

Terri Viehweg was with Mom in the primary presidency in Hyrum.  This makes about 5-6 dozen cookies.

2 dry spice cake mixes
1 lg can (~29 oz)
12 oz. bag chocolate chips.
Chopped walnuts are optional.

Blend and bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes per batch.