Date Pudding Cake — Maurine G.

I really wanted this to taste better than it did.  I thought I liked dates, but have decided I like dates in things, but not as the main ingredient.  It is like Brownie pudding cake with a syrup on the bottom.  If you really like dates this would be yummy, other wise it is just so-so.   We threw most of it out.

Note:  the instructions in the book are wrong, I have the right instructions below (thanks mom!.


Date Pudding

1 1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/2 hot water
1 C sugar
2 T butter (melted )
1 C milk
1/2 C chopped nuts
1/2 C chopped dates
1 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 t vanilla

Mix brown sugar and water and pour in a greased 9x13 pan.  Mix remaining ingredients and pour over water mixture.  Bake at 375-degrees for 30 minutes.

Chinese Noodle Casserole by Pearl H

This casserole turned out much better than I expected.  Usually, I don't like this sort of thing, so I was very skeptical and planned to give it one star.  Instead, I'm giving it three, maybe four.

It smelled wonderful while it was baking, and it tasted good.  The crunchy noodles from the top of the casserole blended nicely with the other noodles in the middle.  The tastes work well, too.  My only problem was that it was VERY salty.  But I think that could be easily fixed.  I used a can of chicken, but if you used your own chicken breast, it would take away significant saltiness.  I used salted nuts, but once again, if you found unsalted nuts, that would help.  Also, I just used the Western Family regular soups, but if you used a Campbells low sodium, I think it would help, too.  Since the recipe was SO easy and quick to put together, I think it would be worth all that.  If only my youngest could eat the dairy in it!!!

Chinese Noodle Casserole by Pearl H.

1 can (Chinese) noodles

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/3 C cashews

1 can boned chicken or tuna

1/3 C diced celery

1/3 C diced onion

Combine soups with 1/3 C water.  Mix until smooth.  Add meat, celery, onions, and nuts (I guessed on all of these amounts since it seems like that kind of recipe).  Alternate layers of noodles and soup with noodles on top.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Butterscotch Crunchies by Lillian G

I promise I'm catching up!!  But this recipe is from a few weeks ago.  The cookies were very simple and have only three ingredients: Peanut Butter, Corn Flakes, and Butterscotch Chips.  Because of that, it would be a great recipe for a beginner to use or for someone in a hurry, like if you had kids walking in your door in 10 minutes and they were going to be hungry.  I got a little impatient with dropping the cookies onto the wax paper with a spoon, so I ended up just putting the rest into a pan like you would do for rice krispy treats.  Don't do that.  You must drop them onto the wax paper with a spoon because it's impossible to cut them after they set up (unless, of course, you enjoy cleaning up endless little pieces that break away when they are cut).
I thought the Butterscotch chips made the cookies a little waxy, but they may not taste waxy if you use name brand chips.  So I also tried it with chocolate chips, substituting one cup of chocolate chips for the one cup of butterscotch.  I thought the chocolate tasted MUCH better, and they weren't waxy.  I am a big fan of chocolate over butterscotch, so that may have affected what I thought.  I'm giving the recipe three starts, but any time I make it in the future, I'm sure I'll be doing it with chocolate chips.

Butterscotch Crunchies by Lilliam G.
1 - 6 ounce package butterscotch or chocolate chips (1 cup)
3 cups corn flakes
1/4 C peanut butter
Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter over low heat or in the microwave, stirring constantly over the stove or frequently in the microwave.  Stir in corn flakes.  Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper and allow to set.  Recipe can easily be halved or doubled, since I tried both.

Marshmallow and Pineapple Desserts

I have 2 dessert recipes that are almost identical, so I made a small batch of both to see which one is better. The first recipe is:

 Pineapple Marshmallow Cream by Kathy N.

1 can crushed pineapple (1 cup)
1 T lemon juice
2 c miniature marshmallow
1/2 c whipping cream

Combine pineapple, in juice, lemon juice, and marshmallow in a saucepan.  Stir over low heat until marshmallows dissolve.  (Or, you could just put it in a microwavable bowl and use the microwave, stirring after every minute.  It took about 3 minutes.)  Cool.  When the pinapple mixture is starting to set up, whip the cream and fold it in. Spoon into individual sherbet dishes or leave in big bowl, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.  Makes 4 servings.

The second recipe is:

Marshmallow Delight Dessert by Maurine G.

1 lb marshmallows
1 c milk
1 med can crushed pineapple, drained (I decided that this is about 1 3/4 c pineapple)
1 c cream, whipped stiff and sweetened
1/2 c chopped nuts
graham cracker or vanilla wafer crumbs (I crushed 6 big graham crackers)

Melt the marshmallows with milk, and cool.  Add pineapple, cream, and nuts. (I just sprinkled nuts over the top of half of the pan) Line a 9x13 pan with crumbs, pour pinepple mixture over top, and chill.

As you can see, the Pineapple Marshmallow Cream has a lot more pineapple and cream and the Marshmallow Delight Dessert has more marshmallows as the names suggest.  Obviously, the first recipe tastes a lot more like pineapple and it is creamier.  The second recipe just tastes like flavored marshmallows. We did like the graham crackers though.  So, the decision we reached is that, if you are in the mood for a pineapple treat, you should make the Pineapple Marshmallow Cream, but add the crumbs, and nuts if you like them, from the other recipe.  Unless you really like marshmallow, then make the other one.

Cheese Sauce-Della G.

This sauce is so good!!!  Make it, now!  Today!  Immediately!

We love this!  We had it over noodles, left-over stir fried vegetables, and left over tin foil dinner potatoes.  It was excellent on all three.

I made it a little different than the instructions, see below.

Cheese Sauce
4 T butter
1/4 t dry mustard
1/2 t salt
1/4 t paprika (thinking of trying smoked paprika next time)
2 C milk (divided)
2 T cornstarch
1/2 lb grated cheese.

Melt butter over med heat.  Add seasoning and salt.  Set aside 3 T milk and add remaining to butter mixture.  Bring to a boil.  Dissolve cornstarch into remaining milk and slowly pour into sauce and stir until thick.  Turn down to med-low and add cheese stirring just until melted, DO NOT BOIL!.  Serve over anything that sounds yummy with cheese sauce!  

Herb Mix Dip

We hate this.  Don't make it, it is yucky!!!!

I won't even put the recipe down, because we hate it.

Rice Au-Gratin by Lillian G. and Teri Yaki (Teriyaki) Steak by Mary S.

So, basically, I am a fan of anything made augratin, and this dish is no exception.  I had leftover rice in the fridge, so it was really easy.  We loved it.  It was creamy and cheesy, with some crispy parts around the sides.  I will definitely make this again when I have leftover rice.  

Rice Au-gratin by Lillian G.

3 c cooked rice

1 1/2 c thin white sauce*

1 c grated cheese

Grease baking dish (or not, I forgot this step and it was fine).  Layer half of the rice in the dish.  Cover with half of the white sauce and half of the cheese.  Repeat.  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until it is bubbly.

*For a white sauce recipe, go to:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/white-sauce-recipe/index.html  I seasoned with garlic salt and pepper.

I love how these ladies took the recipes their husbands liked when they were in the Japan for WWII and tried to figure out how to make them.  They may not have known how to spell them, but they but they were yummy.  This recipe is just a marinade, and we really liked it.  It may be too strong for chicken, but it would be great for beef or pork.  The recipe made a lot of marinade, so you may want to half it for a smaller family than mine.  

Teri Yaki Steak by Mary S.

1 frozen round steak

1 c soy sauce

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c mustard

2 T worcestershire sauce

1/2 c water

1/2 c vinegar

1 tsp garlic salt (opt)

Slice steak into small strips, it will slice better if slightly frozen. (Or you could just leave it whole like me) Combine other ingredients and marinate meat for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Cook or grill until done.

Mexican Skillet Dinner - Amanda P.

This casserole was simple to make and tasty.  It was easy to convert to gluten free by using either GF noodles or rice.  I didn't have GF noodles and Jennifer's kids were eating lunch at our house is why I know rice works well.  It doesn't have much of a Mexican flavor but a mild slightly spicy/sweet flavor.  After you add the sour cream it tones down the red a lot and it maybe doesn't look quite as appetizing because the juice is creamy looking.  The kids really liked it and there was just enough left for us for dinner. 
I would make this again if I had grandchildren over.  Gordon ate noodles 3 times a day for two years with a "special" tomato sauce topping so he is picky over tomato/noodle dishes.  The only thing he is picky about. 

Mexican Skillet Dinner - Amanda P.

2  C. Uncooked Macaroni                                         1  Lg. Can Tomatoes (1 quart)
6  C. Boiling Water                                                    2  Tbs. Sugar
2  tsp. Salt                                                                 1  tsp. Salt
1  lb. Ground Sausage                                                1  tsp. Chili Powder
1  C. Chopped Onions                                               1  pt. Dairy Sour Cream

Cook macaroni in boiling water with salt until tender.  Drain.  Meanwhile brown sausage and onions.  Drain off fat.  Mix cooked macaroni, sausage and onions, and remaining ingredients except cream.  Simmer covered 20 min.  Stir in sour cream.  Simmer 5 min. more.  Do not boil.  Serves 8
Option:  I added sour cream when mixing together and baked it in the oven for 30-35 min.  It worked well.

Cucumber-Herb Rings

We love cucmbers in this family, and the cream cheese filling just made them yummier.  You can see that I didn't get the filling packed in tight enough on some of them, and that made the insides fall out.  I filled them from both sides, so there were air pockets.  I think if you just fill them from one side until it falls out the other side, you will have better luck.  If you are looking for an easy, but fancy, summer dish, this is a great one.

Cucumber-Herb Rings

1-2 cucumbers
4 oz cream cheese, softened
few drops lemon juice
paprika (I used about 1/8 tsp)
1 tsp mayonnaise
1 T each parsley, chive, and dill (I used fresh because I had them in my garden)

Peel the cucumber if you like, and slice into 2-3 inch sections.  Use a knife or melon baller to cut out the seeds.  Dry well.  Beat the rest of the ingredients together and use a baby spoon to fill the cucumbers.  Make sure you pack it tightly.  Chill for a few hours.  To serve, cut into slices; sprinkle with salt and paprika (I forgot this step).  Can be served on lettuce leaves.

Hot Herb Biscuits

I expected these biscuits to have a strong flavor with all the spices they call for.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The flavor was very light and yummy.  The biscuits were a little dry.  I only kneaded them about 7 times and the dough was getting too stiff.  I would add a little more liquid to this recipe and then do the kneading 15 to 20 times.  Really, I think I would just add the spices to the Baking Powder Biscuits of Lillian G. (pg. 10) that Natalie did in the beginning because they were just plain good biscuits.  I will still rate these a 3 because they were good just not as good as some others.

Oatmeal Lace Cookies - Deseret News

When I first saw this recipe I realized they looked a lot like the Florentine Cookies from Nestle Toll house without the melted chocolate filling.  I compared the recipes and this one is a little different.  But nonetheless, it is divine.  One big change between the recipes is this one calls for placing 1/4 tsp of dough on a cookie sheet instead of 1 tsp.  I really questioned whether the cookie would burn, but it turned out perfect.  That said, using a 1/4 tsp to measure the cookies took forever and so I opted for my cookie scoop and tried to do approx 1/4 tsp with that.  I experimented with various sizes from a 1/2 tsp down to a 1/4 tsp and decided an approx 1/4 tsp was the best answer.  The bigger cookies would be thicker and softer in the middle, but if you stayed small they were nice and crispy.  The smallest cookies in the picture are the measured 1/4 tsp.  The largest cookies is about a 1/2 a tsp and it took a little longer to cook.  The only downside of these cookies is between scooping the dough onto the cookie sheet and baking them, then waiting for them to set once removed from the oven, I ended up standing up, in the kitchen, for almost 1 and 1/2 hours.  But we thought they were worth it.

I strongly recommend these with ice cream.  We had them with Blue Bell Strawberries and Cream and they were delicious!

A few hints:

• If you pull them off while they are still soft you can shape them (see photo).  
• If you over cook them slightly they have a carmely flavor.  We liked them best a little overcooked, but no matter how they were cooked, they were delicious!
• Use a thin metal spatula to remove, while not required it is very useful.  
• DO NOT let them cool too much on the cookie sheet, they will be difficult to remove
• If you want to make sandwich cookies use the directions for the Florentine cookies linked above to do the filling.  It is yummy.
• My microwave is broken and I found I really missed it when it came time to melt the butter.  Good thing the stove worked.  - this isn't really a hint, but I thought it was worth noting.  :)

CORRECTION: I noticed a typo, use 2 teaspooons of vanilla NOT 2 Tablespoons.  

Oatmeal Lace Cookies
1 C flour
1/2 t baking powder
1 C sugar
1 C quick oats
1/4 C cream or evaporated milk
1/4 C light corn syrup
1/2 C melted butter
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375-degrees.  In a bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and sugar.  Add in the quick oats.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well blended.  Drop by 1/4 tsp onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes, watch that they don't burn.  Allow to cool for 2 minutes then remove, using a sharp spatula.  Makes 12 doz 2" cookies

Boiled Raisin Cookies, by Helen J.

This recipe has a small typo.  The list of ingredients does not list the 1 c nuts that are listed in the original recipe.  Obvioulsy, this was not a big deal to me, but some may find the nuts essential.  These cookies were just ok.  I was expecting something like an oatmeal raisin cookie, but they have more of the texture of an applesauce or zucchini cookie.  After the first batch baked, I added some oatmeal to the rest of the dough and that made them a little better, but I think I would find a recipe with oatmeal if I want boiled raisin cookies in the future.

Boiled Raisin Cookies by Helen J.

2 c raisins

1 c water

1 c shortening

1 1/2 c brown sugar

2 eggs

maple flavoring (I used about 1/8 tsp Maplene)

3 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 sp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 c nuts

Boil water and raisins together for 5 minutes; cool.  Cream shortening, sugar, eggs, and maple flavoring together.  Add coold raisin mixture.  Add dry ingredients and nuts.  Bake on a well greased cookie sheet (I skipped that step and it was fine) at 350 until "just brown" (This took about 13-14 minutes in my oven).

Butterscotch Oatmeal Drops - Marjorie C.

These cookies are wonderful.  I remember making these often growing up and many a times since I married  My girls have had them numerous times and probably don't know what recipe I used.  We would usually 2 or 3x's the recipe growing up.  There always needed to be enough for the hay haulers or farm workers we were feeding that day.  We would sometimes put the nuts in and sometimes not.  This time I did not.  We would use chocolate or butterscotch chips, coconut or raisins depending on the mood of the day.  Any of them  or a combination are very good.  The only problem with the recipe is it needs more flour.  About 1/2 to 3/4  C. more flour per recipe.  I have adjusted the recipe here on the blog so change it in your book.

Butterscotch Oatmeal Drops - Marjorie C.

1  1/3 C.  Nuts, chopped                                           1  1/3 C. Shortening
2 C.  Flour                                                                 2  C. Brown Sugar
2  1/2 tsp. Baking Powder                                          3 Eggs
1/2  tsp. Salt                                                               2  tsp. Vanilla
1  2/3 C.  Rolled Oats                                                1  C.  Chocolate Chips
                                                                (Butterscotch Chips, Coconut or Raisins are also very good)
Sift dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream shortening and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix well.  Mix in dry ingredients and oatmeal.  Add chocolate chips and nuts.  Mix well.  Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet.  Bake 375o F. 7-10 min.
A half of a walnut or pecan may be placed in the top of the cookie before baking if deisred.