Three Bean Salad

Three Bean Salad

When Glynne was born, Dad was serving with the US Army in Germany and I lived with my parents while he was there.  One of the families at church, the Fishers, sometimes invited him to dinner.  This is one of the dishes he ate in their home and Sister Fisher gave Dad the recipe to send to me.  It has been a family favorite ever since.  Bean salads continue to be popular to this day and many variations can be found on the Internet but this is the one that has become part of our family food history.  It became one of Grandma Munroe's (my mother) favorites, too.

1   16-oz. can French cut green beans
1   16-oz. can chick peas (same as garbanzo beans)
1   15-oz. can kidney beans (dark or light - whatever you prefer)
 ½  cup chopped onion

 ½  cup chopped green pepper

Dressing:    ½ cup vegetable oil

                    ½ cup apple cider vinegar

                    ¾ cup sugar  (use less if you want to)

                    1  teaspoon salt

                    ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

                   

 Drain the liquid from the beans before using.  I rinse the kidney beans so the dressing won't become cloudy.  Gently mix the beans together.  Mix the dressing and pour over the bean mixture, stirring gently.  I chill this salad for, at least, an hour to let the flavors mix.

*  Wax beans can be substituted for the chick peas if you prefer.  Sometimes, I add them to make a four bean salad.  This salad is wonderful the second day and we sometimes add another can of beans just to enjoy the flavor of the dressing a little longer.

 

Minnie's Mom's Dog Biscuits

Dog Biscuits 

Luna and Dad have lots of friends at the local dog park.  Not long ago, "Minnies's mom" was handing out small bags of home baked dog biscuits.  She had made them to sell at a fundraiser and was giving samples to friends at the dog park.  Luna didn't care for the spinach one but loved the pumpkin and peanut butter flavors.  Since some of you have dogs or, just in case you need something to sell at a fundraiser or give to friends that own dogs, Luna is sharing the recipes with you.  With Christmas on its way, it might be a hint for Dena to bake her some.  With dogs, one never quite knows their motive!  By the way, humans at the dog park seem to like these, too (They claimed to just be sampling to see what they were giving their dogs - yeah - right!).

* To buy a dog bone cookie cutter try:
http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Bone-Cookie-Cutter/dp/B00011HGVO
There seem to be quite a few different ones available online.
 
PEAMUTT BUTTER

This one won't stick to the "woof" of your dog's mouth!

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup water

2  1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup oatmeal

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl combine peanut butter, oil, and water.  Gradually add flour, then oatmeal.  Form a dough.  Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

Makes 5 dozen depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
 

        

         TRICK &  TREAT

Your dog will learn new tricks to get this treat!

               

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine pumpkin, water, oil, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.  Stir well.  Gradually add oatmeal and flour.  Form a dough.  Roll dough to 1/4 -inch thickness and cut with cookie cutter.  Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.  Makes 4 dozen depending on the size of your cookie cutter.

Food Bio from Red Hot Mama

Food Bio from Red Hot Mama

Dena may be the newest member but I hold the distinction of having the latest invite right before her.  I was told by my children (all of you) that they wanted to make sure this blog would keep going before getting me involved.  Little did they know that, once invited, I would be shy about getting started and that it would be months before I would post anything.  Once started, however, I can't seem to stop!  That said, I didn't see the request for a "food bio" when Joanna posted it and I'm six months late in writing one.  By now, Dena and I have not only met but have found that we have several common interests, cooking and baking being two of them.  That goes for Dad, too, although he isn't a blogger and won't speak for himself in this forum.  The 'gator picture is of Dad, not me.  I'm much prettier than that as you can plainly see!

Skill Level: Being your mother means that my capability is high and I am great at multitasking, other than when it's time to take the dinner rolls out of the oven while preparing Thanksgiving dinner.  However, I don't have to do that anymore since Dena loves to bake.  She will love it even more when Cherilyn replaces the thermostat in their oven!  

   In recent years, especially since he retired, Dad has taken over most of the cooking at our house but I still have my reputation as a Yakima County Master Food Preserver, Central Washington State Fair Food Preservation Judge, and winner of several baking trophies from that same fair to prove that my culinary skills were once top notch.  There is more proof in the fact that I raised five wonderful and very talented children (you know who you are) and none of them starved. 

Favorite Cuisine:  If I had to choose just one, it would probably be Arizona Mexican and would most definitely include pinto beans cooked the way my mother cooked them as I was growing up.  Beans are always better the second day and I love them hot or cold.  In fact, I like most ethnic foods hot or cold.  Dena and I share a love of hot pepper sauce (Dad and Cherilyn cringe when we talk about it or, better yet, put it on our food or sample it straight out of the bottle!)

Cooking or Baking:  As your mother, never underestimate my culinary skills!  However, I will admit to a love of baking cookies, cakes, and quick breads.  I am not very skilled with yeast breads but love the smell of freshly baked bread.  Therefore, Dad and I own a breadmaker!

Favorite Appliance:  I suppose, if I could only have one, it would be the food processor because it chops easily and quickly,  and is especially useful at Thanksgiving when making stuffing.  However, I would beg to be allowed to keep the blender and the toaster oven as well.  The blender includes the immersion blender doesn't it?  After all, I didn't specify so I think it's only fair to let me keep both.  Dad says that the stove is his favorite because you just turn it on and it heats up - no chopping wood, no gathering chips (If you don't know what those are, you didn't attend Primary as a child and sing the song "Little Pioneer Children."), and no smoke.  It's almost as good as having running water!  Dad also loves his Crock Pot and uses it often.  Mom, however, got to choose what kind so it's a Tabasco Crock Pot!

Favorite Junk Food:  Almost anything salty, spicy, or sweet!

Favorite Real Food:  Refer back to "Favorite Cuisine!"

I'm quite sure that Dad and I own the most cookbooks in the family since they frequently follow us home from Goodwill.  We love to read them, learning about different cuisines and food history.  Do we try the recipes?  Sometimes!  Do we ever end up with two copies of the same book because we can't remember whether or not we already own it?  Yes!  Then it's Dena to the rescue because she's willing to take the second copy off our hands, loving cookbooks as much as we do.  

Welcome to the Family Food Blog Dena, and to the family >^..^<

 

Mock Lasagna Casserole

Mock Lasagna Casserole

This is another Better Homes and Gardens recipe from the book "Good Food On a Budget" that was published in 1971.  I didn't make it often but, when I did, Lorien loved it and that is what I wrote in my cookbook.  She probably doesn't remember that but it's a little piece of the family food history.

1     pound bulk pork sausage  (It's quite possible that I sometimes used ground beef)

1     15-ounce can tomato sauce (2 cups)

½    water

½    teaspoon each garlic salt, pepper, and dried basil leaves, crushed

1     7-ounce package macaroni (or other small pasta), cooked and drained

1½  cups cream-style cottage cheese

6     ounces process American cheese, shredded (1½ cups)

Brown the meat; drain off fat.  Add tomato sauce, garlic salt, pepper, basil, and  ½  cup water.  Cover; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  In a 2-quart casserole layer half each macaroni, cottage cheese, and meat sauce.  Repeat.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serves 6 to 8.

  

Creamy Coleslaw

Creamy Coleslaw

This is a Better Homes and Gardens recipe from a book called Good Food on a Budget that was published in 1971, and it was my standard go-to recipe for coleslaw as you kids were growing up.  I wrote in my cookbook that it was "a family favorite."  Glynne said that he was looking for a good coleslaw recipe so I'm hoping this will be one that he remembers.

3 cups shredded cabbage

*** This recipe doesn't call for carrots but I know that I put them in.  I probably put 1/3 to 2/3 as much shredded carrot as shredded cabbage.  You will have to adjust the ingredient amounts to suite your taste, using a bit more dressing if needed.

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup salad dressing (I always used Miracle Whip) or mayonnaise

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar (I always use Apple Cider Vinegar)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seed (It really makes a difference)

1 small green pepper, cut in rings (optional) (I never used this garnish but you might want to)

Combine cabbage and onion.  Blend salad dressing, sugar, vinegar, and celery seed.  Pour over vegetables and toss.  Top with green pepper.  Makes 6 servings.   

Lorien's Couscous with Stuff / Lemon Dressing

LORIEN’SCOUSCOUS WITH STUFF/Lemon Dressing 

Note from Mom!  In going through my recipes, I found this.  I'm thinking it is something that Lorien cooked while we were living in New Delhi and that I liked it well enough  to copy the recipe.  I don't know if Lorien remembers this or not but the recipe definitely sounds worth trying.

 

 

1cup shelled pecans

1½ cup couscous

1cup dried cranberries

½tsp. turmeric

2cups boiling water

1cup thawed frozen peas

3scallions thinly sliced

2medium cucumbers, diced

¼cup shredded fresh basil

1. Toast pecans in shallow pan at 350°about 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Place couscous, cranberries and turmeric in a large bowl. Add the boiling water, stir, and then cover with a large plate. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove cover and fluff with a fork. Cover again and let sit for 5 more minutes.
3. Stir in pecans, peas, scallions, cucumbers, and basil.
4. Pour *lemon dressing over couscous mixture and stir.
5. Let salad sit at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to blend. If it will sit longer than 1 hour, cover and chill…but it should be served at room temperature.

Note:cucumbers should be added close to serving time so they stay crunchy.

LEMON DRESSING 
1/3cup lemon juice
zest of one lemon
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
Combine ingredients in a jar with a tight lid.  Shake vigorously.

Quick Serve Jell-O

QuickServe Jell-O

In1979, while living in Yakima, Washington, our ward Relief Societyladies compiled a small cookbook (more of a pamphlet) of favoriterecipes turned in by their children.  This was the one Glynnewanted included.  We sent a copy to Grandma Munroe (my mother)and wrote the date inside so that's how I know what year it wasdone.  This was an inexpensive and frequent dessert at our housefor years.

1pkg. 3 oz. Jell-O

1cup hot water (from tap)

4large ice cubes

PourJell-O into blender, add hot water, and blend until Jell-O dissolves. Add ice cubes and blend until they are melted. Pour into 4 oz.dessert cups (Remember the Tupperware ones we used to have ?) andrefrigerate until the Jell-O is set (about 30 minutes). As it sets,it will separate into two layers with gelatin on the bottom and afoamy layer on top. 4 to 5 servings