Sour Cream Drop Cookies

This recipe came from a high school friend, Robin, whose mother would make these and keep them on hand in her freezer. Robin's mom was the lunch lady at our school. It is a moist, cake-like cookie.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Mix first 3 ingredients together. Stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Sift together the last four ingredients and mix until well blended.

After chilling for at least 1 hour, drop by teaspoonfuls on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes, or until delicately browned. Yield 5 dozen.

***Note: Watch baking time carefully. 8 minutes may be too long. Cookies will be white on top and light brown around edges when done.

Jolene's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got this recipe from a co-worker, Jolene, many years ago. We worked the night shift sewing in a furniture factory and she brought these in one night. I prefer this recipe to the Toll House Cookie recipe. It has a good flavor that seems to improve a day or two after baking.

Ingredients

1 cup butter or margerine

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 pinch salt

1 pkg chocolate chips (10 - 12 oz)

chopped nuts to taste (1 cup or more. I use walnuts)

Instructions

Cream sugars and butter or margerine. Add eggs. Sift in dry ingredients and mix. Add vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Drop by spoonful on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 -10 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

My husband loves Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. This is a recipe that I've just kind of developed over the years. The measurements are pretty accurate, but can surely be adjusted to your own taste.

Ingredients

1 pkg (3 or 4) chicken breasts (with skin and bones, for flavor)
1 medium onion, chopped
5 or 6 celery ribs, sliced
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
8 - 10 chicken boullion cubes
2 pkgs thick egg noodles (frozen or homemade amish style)

Instructions

1) In a Dutch Oven or stock pot, cover chicken breasts with water and boil until chicken is tender, maybe an hour or so. Add water, if needed as it boils down.

2) Remove chicken breasts and let cool. Skim liquid to remove foamy residue. Add all the ingredients except the noodles and continue cooking until celery and onion are soft. I usually let it simmer for at least an hour.

3) When chicken breasts are cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones from chicken and discard. Cut or tear chicken into bite size pieces and add to simmering soup.

4) 20 - 30 minutes before serving, add noodles and bring back to a full boil. Cook until noodles are done and serve.

Easy Oven-Baked French Toast

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter or margerine, at room temperature

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 tbsp confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

12 thick slices firm white bread

confectioners' sugar for dusting

Instructions

1) Adjust oven racks so that one is in the lowest position and the other is in the middle. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2) Using about 2 tablespoons of the butter, grease 2 jelly-roll pans.

3) Lightly beat eggs with a fork in a medium sized bowl. Stir in milk, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until blended.

4) Dip bread, one slice at a time, in egg mixture, turning bread to coat well on both sides. Place 6 slices in each prepared jelly-roll pan. Cut remaining butter in tiny pieces and scatter over bread.

5) Place 1 pan on each oven rack. Bake 15 minutes, switching positions of pans once, until bread is golden brown.

6) Remove to serving platter. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Serves 6

Popcorn (no recipe)

Real Popcorn. Real Good.

Extreme Crispix Mix

Ingredients

1-12 oz.box Crispix Cereal

5 oz.(1 1/2 cups) deluxe mixed nuts

1 cup pretzel sticks

5 Tbs margerine or butter, melted

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. onion salt

4 tsp. lemon juice

6 tsp worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Combine cereal, nuts and pretzels in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking that has been coated with cooking spray.

Stir together the remaining ingredients and pour over cereal mixture. Stir until coated.

Bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool.

Country Fried Chicken Tenders

1 1/2 - 2 cups flour

2 tsp. garlic salt

2 tsp. MSG (Accent)

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

Mix above ingredients in a paper or plastic bag.

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk (or half and half)

Using a fork, lightly beat egg and milk together in a small bowl.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken tenders

Shake chicken tenders (3 or 4 at a time) in flour mixture then dip in egg and milk mixture and shake in flour mixture again. Repeat until all chicken is coated. Fry chicken in a half inch of oil at 375 degrees for 30 minutes (or longer depending on size of chicken pieces), turning occasionally.

Pizza Crust

Ingredients

2 Pkg. Fast Rising Dry Yeast
2 Cups Tepid Water (90 Degrees)
2 Tbs. Sugar
4 Tbs. Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Salad Oil
1 Tsp. Table Salt
5 1/2 Cups Unbleached White Flour

Instructions

Dissolve the yeast in the tepid water. Add the Sugar, Olive Oil, Salad Oil and Table Salt. Mix in 3 cups of the flour and whip until the dough begins to leave the sides of the mixing bowl, about 10 minutes.

Mix in the remaining flour by hand or with a dough hook and knead until smooth. The dough should be smooth and elastic and should not be sticky. Allow dough to rise twice, right in the bowl, and punch down after each rising. More flour may be needed to get the dough to the right consistency.

Notes

I line the lowest oven rack with unglazed clay tiles and set the temperature to 500 degrees. Roll out the pizza crust on a floured surface and transfer to a floured pizza paddle. Work quickly and assemble toppings of your choice on pizza. Slide off paddle directly onto clay tiles. Pizza bakes quickly, so watch closely. May take as little as 5 minutes depending on amount of toppings used.

Serves: 6
Yield: 6 individual or 2 large crusts
Time: 2 hours