Chop Suey

My mother-in law taught me how to make this dish. Of course my husband loves it and I must admit it is pretty tasty. This recipe makes a lot. I would say it serves 8 or more, so unless you have lots of people to feed, or want leftovers, you may want to cut this recipe in half. And like many of the dishes I prepare, the measurements are not exact and really should be seasoned to your personal tastes.

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless pork loin, trim all fat and cut in narrow strips
1 medium onion, chopped
6 ribs celery, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup soy sauce
Water
2 (28 oz) or 4 (14 oz) cans or chop suey vegetables
1/2 cup corn starch mixed with 1/2 cup water
Cooked Rice ( 8 servings)
Chow Mein noodles

Instructions:

Put the pork strips in a Dutch Oven coated with cooking spray (Pam). Salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium high heat to brown. Add onions. Add celery and cook until liquid is gone. Add soy sauce and toss until meat is lightly browned. Fill pan with water and simmer for an hour or two. When ready to eat, add the cans of chop suey vegetables and bring to boil. Slowly stir in the corn starch/water mixture and thicken. You may not need to use all of the thickening mixture. Serve over a bed of cooked rice. Top with chow mein noodles and soy sauce.

Cake Mix Cookies

This is the first time I have made this recipe. I mentioned to one of my co-workers that I liked cookies with a cake-like texture. She prepared these and passed along the recipe. She used a devil's food cake mix and I made mine with a dark chocolate cake mix. It is certainly easy to prepare and quite tasty as well.

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix with pudding (any flavor)

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs
Sugar

Instructions:

Mix first three ingredients in bowl with electric mixer.

Roll into balls (measure a heaping tablespoon)
Roll balls in sugar.

Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten with spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Makes 24 - 30 cookies.

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.