Strawberry Trifle

This is a recipe I copied from my mom and I think she got it from the L.A. Times years ago.

Strawberry Trifle

1(3-1/4 oz) pkg. Vanilla pudding mix (not instant)

1/4 cup rum

2 cups heavy cream

1 - 12 oz. bakery angle food cake

2 tablespoons brandy

1 Box fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons sugar

Prepare vanilla pudding mix. Cool slightly and stir in 2 tbsp. of the rum. Cover and chill until almost set. Whip 1 cup of the heavy cream until stiff and fold into chilled pudding mixture.
In a serving bowl of 2 qt. capacity gently tear about half of the cake into bite size pieces in an even layer. Stir together the brandy and remaining rum and sprinkle half over the cake then spoon in about half the pudding mixture. Tear remaining cake as before, arranging in an even layer over pudding, sprinkle with remaining brandy/rum mixture, then add whole berries reserving 6 for garnish. Carefully spoon in remaining pudding. Cover and chill.

Just before serving whip remaining cream with the sugar until stiff. Place in pastry bag with fluted tip and pipe cream onto pudding in attractive mounds, topping with reserved berries.

I’ve made this for a crowd in a punch bowl with more pudding mixture, more layers and more berries. You could throw in raspberries, too.
Enjoy…

Ranger Cookies

Ranger cookies have been a favorite at our place for decades...a recipe I got from a friend's mom...and which I still have in my recipe box in her handwriting. I used to bake chocolate chip cookies for the kids...and these for myself. And now it seems everyone likes ranger cookies.

Ranger Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup rice krispees

Cream butter and sugar.

Add eggs and blend well; add vanilla.

Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt...mix well.

Mix in remaining ingredients...stir until well blended.

Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350° for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Since we like rather substantial cookies...I use an ice-cream scoop as my 'spoonful' and flatten the mounds somewhat with a fork. Makes about 4 dozen large cookies.

Try them...you'll like them...fresh out of the oven...or right out of the freezer!

Mustard Rye Bread

Here is a hearty bread that is perfect for gift-giving. It makes two loaves so you can share one with a friend in an attractive basket, or keep the other in the freezer for a handy addition to a pot of homemade soup or stew.

• 3-4 c. flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 pkg quick-rise yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1/4 c. Dijon mustard (I used the grainy style)
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 3 tbsp. butter or olive oil
• 2 1/2 c. rye flour (doesn't matter if it is light, medium or dark, I used dark)
• 1 egg beaten
• 1-2 tsp caraway seeds
• ( I forgot to use them, but the would be nice...I would add the caraway to the dough instead of sprinkling them on top.)

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 c. flour, salt and yeast, blend well.
2. In small saucepan heat water, mustard, brown sugar and butter until very warm (120-130 F).
3. Add warm liquid to flour, beat at low speed until moistened about 3 minutes.
4. Add rye flour and additional flour until dough pulls from sides of bowl.
5. On a well floured surface knead dough until smooth and elastic adding a bit of flour as needed, about 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl cover loosely and let rise in the oven with the light on until double in bulk.......or let it rest for 15 minutes.
6. Grease large cookie sheet. punch dough down to remove air bubbles. Divide in half shape into balls. Place on greased sheet. Press down slightly. Cover and let rise til double about 45 minutes. Slash 1/4" deep lattice design on the loaf (or slashes, whatever you want). Brush dough with beaten egg and sprinkle with caraway seeds if desired.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for 25-35 minutes, or until brown and sounding hollow when tapped.
8. Cool on wire rack.

Chicken enchiladas

Mexican food is one of our favorites. You can use mild or spicy sauces depending on your taste buds. We like it with some 'kick'. I used left over chicken breasts but I have also used a whole ready to eat chicken from the deli and shredded it. You can substitute the chicken with shedded beef or pork. This is a quick and easy supper.

8 large flour tortillas

4 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 cup green salsa

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup guacamole

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1 cup chopped tomatoes

Shred chicken and stir in remaining ingredients. Lay your 8 tortillas on the counter and divide the chicken mixture between them. Make a pile on the middle of each one and roll over and fold so the filling stays in and you have 8 wraps. Place in a 9X13 pan.

TWO SAUCES

1 package enchilada sauce-make as directed on package (this is on the Mexican food isle at your grocer)

Pour over wrapped tortillas.

For the second sauce mix together:

1 10 oz can RO TEL (this is diced tomatoes & green chilies - if you can't find them just use a can of diced tomatoes and add some green chilies or just a bit of chunky salsa)

1/2 cup Velveeta cheese

Microwave for 1 minute at a time until the cheese is melted. Pour this over the other sauce.

Sprinkle generously with Tex Mex cheese or cheddar.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Garnish with peppers and a sprinkle of green onions, and extra sour cream.

Bavarian Pot Roast

The chill of winter still looms around us, so I needed something to bake long and slow to warm the kitchen with a homey scent. The flavours are like Rouladen with out all the fuss. We have cut down on red meat considerably, so if we are going to eat red meat, it has to taste really good. The boys were thrilled to see beef at the table and every last bite was savoured. According to them this was a post worthy recipe. So I hope your family enjoys it too.

3 lbs of a roast, trimmed well so there is little fat

1 tbsp. oil

4 carrots cut according to your liking, sliced or in sticks

2 onions diced

2 celery stalks, sliced (I didn't have any)

3/4-1 cup chopped dill pickles

1 c. beef broth

1/3 c. German Style Mustard ( I used grainy Dijon)

2 bay leaves

coarse black pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. ground cloves ( I used only a pinch)

2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. water

Trim fat from roast. Brown in large Dutch oven, in hot oil. Cover with vegetables and pickles. In a small bowl, combine broth, mustard, pepper, cloves and bay leaves. Pour over meat. Bake in a 325 oven for 4 hours or in a slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours/high for 4-5 hours. Remove meat from cooker and place on plate to keep warm.

Gravy: Transfer veggies to another bowl. Put cooking liquid in a sauce pan or leave it in the dutch oven. Skim fat. Remove bay leaves. Stir flour and 2 tbsp. water or broth together. Stir in to pan and cook for till thickened and the raw taste of the flour is gone, about 2 minutes or so.

Serve sliced meat surrounded by veggies and serve over spaetzle or noodles. Garnish with crisp bacon if desired, I omitted that and served it over whole wheat yolk free noodles.

California Salad

This is a salad I make allot in the summer but forget about in the winter months. It has an avocado dressing that keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge without discoloring, and the flavor of the dressing is almost better if it sits for a day.

1 head romaine lettuce

2 chopped tomatoes

2 sliced green onions

1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or tex mex cheese)

1/2 cup sliced black olives (optional)

2 cups corn chips

DRESSING

1 avocado

1/2 cup mayo

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup oil

1 clove crushed garlic (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)

1/4 tsp Tabasco

1/2 tsp salt

Blend all dressing ingredients together is a blender or small food chopper. Mix together all salad ingredients except cheese and chips. Just before you are ready to serve, add the cheese and corn chips and toss with dressing. I find this is quite abit of dressing so add as much as you like.

Biscuits Supreme

I challenge anyone out there that loves biscuits to try this recipe. I haven't found one that I like better than this gem. It is from the Mennonite Treasury, and this page is torn, splattered and looks very well used. This recipe is the base for so many other recipes, like quick Cinnamon buns or pizza rolls, cheese and garlic buns etc. Try this flaky, buttery, oh so good biscuit.....you won't be sorry.

I made it Sunday morning in hopes of enticing the teenagers out of bed in the morning (cheerfully), with the tempting aroma......alas, biscuits can only do so much........;-)

2 c. sifted flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar (it works without it too)

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 c. butter

2/3 c. milk

Sift together dry ingredients, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Add milk all at once and stir with fork only until blended. Knead ten time in a lightly floured board. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2 " thickness. Cut with floured biscuit cutter and place on lightly buttered baking sheet. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes. It needs no extra butter.......so good Mmmm!