Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
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Cookies of all types make the to-do list in most households this time of year. Many are baking to ship to family and friends or contribute to bake sales. There are many delicate cookies best eaten within a day or two of baking and others need to be made now to develop flavors before the holiday gatherings. Pretty cutout cookies are attractive on cookie plates or decorating a tree but require longer preparation time. Molded or drop cookies take less time, but bar cookies are...
Cooking from scratch has allowed a great controversy to pass me by until questions started coming in. Usually, I get a lot of turkey questions this time of year. Pumpkin is currently at the top of the list. Can I use puree instead of solid pack? Is 100% pumpkin the same as puree? Google doesn’t know everything. Grandmother’s favorite recipe from the Libby’s Solid Pack Pumpkin can won’t turn out the same with pumpkin puree. You will need to use 100% pumpkin. I don’t know when...
New friends and family have steered my culinary interests toward gluten and dairy free recipes. For health and wellbeing, some folks must avoid certain ingredients or ingredient properties. Until recently, those avoiding gluten had to make everything from scratch and scrutinize package labels to avoid accidentally ingesting hidden gluten. Dairy is a little easier to spot but sometimes hides in the trace ingredients. Preparing meals for several group events gave me opportunity...
Peach season is fading into pumpkin season. Before fresh local peaches disappear from markets, Peach Buckle is a recipe to try. I was recently gifted some locally grown peaches and I used some to try this recipe. In this recipe, the peaches are set to juice while preparing the batter, I believe thawing frozen peaches would work well in this recipe. A Buckle is one of several cobbler styles. The batter surface buckles under the weight of the fruit as it bakes. Peach Buckle 1/2...
Fall is officially here, and a few cloudy days, some rain showers and foggy morning or two has us thinking pumpkin spice and wooly socks. Slow-cooker meals begin to top the dinner menu lists in many area kitchens. Lise’s Salsa Chicken, a recipe I received from Lise Ott in Irby, is super easy, and depending on the chicken cuts you use, and the size of your family, you will have planned-overs for additional meals. Enchilada’s, Posole Soup and chimichangas are just a few of the...
Kraut Ranza’s are a popular item at German festivals, with each area of Germans from Russia have variations in the spelling of the name and numerous variations in recipe ingredients. All feature a yeast dough wrapped around a savory filling that includes sauerkraut. Making the yeast dough is often the roadblock preventing folks from making these handy to serve and eat pocket sandwiches. Frozen Texas Roll dough to the rescue. Thaw the rolls 2 hours before ready to make and y...
School is back in session for most area schools. Sports practice and games are in full swing, and the late summer, community fairs are wrapping up. Schedules are full, and “what are we going to have for dinner?” is a common question. Go Odessa Summer Recreation, Cooking With Laura, finished out the summer sessions by making Spaghetti Pie. The recipe was formulated by Mahki Carroll, and she states the changes she made in the original recipe make it ideal for quick pre...
Hot weather, when temperatures reach one hundred plus, can slow garden production. Zucchinis seem to be the exception, powering through with regular production, though the skin maybe a little thicker. These hot weather summer squashes are ideal for bread, cake and cookie making, as they are a bit dryer. Garden to Table Cookbook, by Kayla Butts, is a recent addition to my collection. All the recipes are based on items you would grow in a garden or home orchard. Dark Chocolate...
Somethings are better, made the old-fashioned way. When I was young and learning to cook and bake, my family, like most, did not own an electric mixer. If you were whipping cream or beating a cake mix you used a hand cranked set of beaters. Youth participating in the Go Odessa Recreation Program, Cooking Class, learned to make hand mixed Chocolate Chip Cookies this past week. Additionally, they learned room temperature butter is about 66 degrees, for proper creaming of...
July brings many fresh fruits and vegetables to local markets. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries are perfect for making breakfast parfaits, which are a fun culinary treat to get kids involved in meal preparation. Yogurt, granola and your favorite berries make eye appealing, cool refreshing breakfasts for all ages. Breakfast Parfaits • Vanilla or plain yogurt • Granola • Strawberries, raspberries or blueberries • Parfait glasses or large tumblers Wash berries thoroughly an...
Zucchini season is here. Area gardens are producing abundantly, and boxes of the prolific vegetable are showing up, sporting a FREE sign, at many public events. Pan fried zucchini is a delectable treat for many. Sautéed in a bit of butter or olive oil along with some sliced onion and possibly garnished with a bit of crumbled cooked bacon, zucchini makes a quick and easy side dish for any meal. Zucchini bread is a popular use for larger squash. Grated zucchini adds texture,...
Warm days and cool nights keep local rhubarb plants producing abundant stalks. Pinterest, Facebook and other social media have been flush with many rhubarb recipes and area Record-Times readers have sent in recipes or pointed out selections. One recipe was sent in by Becky Moeller of Harrington. Rhubarb Mallow Cobbler is her go to recipe when rhubarb is in abundant supply. The inclusion of a layer of marshmallows between the rhubarb filling and the cobbler topping adds extra...
Rhubarb flourishes in the cool spring rains we have been receiving lately. Though the season is a bit late this year, area cooks are beginning to feel overwhelmed with the pie plant produce. Several readers asked for a repeat printing of Baked Sticky Rhubarb Pudding, a recipe shared by Karma Henry in 2021. Super easy to prepare, it is delicious served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream or can stand alone if desired. Baked Sticky Rhubarb Pudding 3 cups diced rhubarb 1 cup...
Spring is a good time of the year to check use-by dates on canned goods and other nonperishable food items. Though most canned foods are edible beyond the stamped date, the do begin to lose flavor and change texture. Canned black beans are often pushed to the back of the pantry because they were bought for a specific recipe that is not in season now. The beginning of outdoor events is a glimmer on the horizon, and soon, side dishes for picnics and barbeques will be in demand....
Cloudy days and rain predicted over the next week stretch out the soup season. If you had a nice bone-in ham for Easter dinner, the bone would make savory ham and bean soup. Choose your favorite tomato or broth-based recipe, or use this recipe for Super Bean Soup, which can be made either way. Super Bean Soup 1 meaty ham bone 1 1/2 cups mixed dried beans Water to cover beans 1 medium onion, chopped 3 cups tomato juice, diced or chopped, or 3 cups water or ham broth from a roas...
Easter and hot cross buns seem to go together. They are often on the menu for Easter breakfast or dinner. The history of hot cross buns goes back many centuries and tradition indicates they were first made for Good Friday. Hot cross buns, as we know them today, appear to have originated with Brother Thomas Rodcliffe, a monk at St Albans, England, in 1361. The monks made them to distribute to the poor on Good Friday. Originally the cross was made on the buns with a paste of...
Many delicious soups have been showing up at area soup suppers. Soup is one of the most leisurely meals; though some require elaborate preparation techniques, most are simple. Some of my collection’s easiest recipes start with a spaghetti sauce jar. The sauce is filled with savory seasonings, so salt and pepper are all needed. Vegetable Beef Soup 1 pound ground beef or diced stew meat 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 pound of potatoes, cubed 2 large carrots, peeled and diced 2 stalks of c...
A touch of spring, then winter returned for another round. Fortunately, we have more soup and stew recipes to share. Ham and Hominy Chowder is a lightly spiced mixture of vegetables and chopped cooked ham. Hominy may not be familiar to everyone, but it lends a chewy texture to the vegetable mixture, tending to take on the flavors of the other ingredients in a recipe. Ham and Hominy Chowder 1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil 1 pound cubed red potatoes, unpeeled 1 medium onion, peele...
Springtime means mid-week soup suppers for many area folks. Some cooks have a signature soup they bring to every soup meal, while others like to try a new recipe each time. Soups range in flavors from savory to spicy, with a few having sweet/sour overtones. Some are thick with vegetables or a cream base broth; others are meat or vegetable broth-based with plenty of liquid for sopping up with some toasted bread or crackers. French Chicken Stew is a combination of both styles....
Meal planning as a season ends can get stuck in the rut of the same old thing. Adding a new side dish and company meals will bring interest to every day. Debbie Buscher brought a potato casserole to a winter potluck that was well received. Based on a recipe she found in the Staff of Life II, Odessa Memorial Hospital Cookbook. The original recipe, attributed to Ann Keyes, is a variation of what is known locally as funeral potatoes. Debbie changed the recipe to accommodate...
November and December are often filled with many family and community gatherings. Potluck meals call for easy transport and keep warm dishes. Pinterest and recipe blogs fill our lists with new recipes to try and meanwhile there are everyday meals to prepare. Scalloped potatoes are an easy side option for potluck meals and buffet tables. Buffet Scalloped Potatoes, a recipe that has been in my collection since 1978, has stood the test of time and adapted well to a variety of...
Thanksgiving menus are on the minds of many area cooks. Turkey, beef roast, ham, or a combination? What sides and desserts will fit in range and refrigerator space? What oven dishes will cook in the meat standing time? Fresh turkeys should be kept refrigerated until ready to use. If you are brining a turkey, keep the brining bird refrigerated. A frozen turkey will need to be thawed under refrigeration, beginning 4 to 5 days before use, depending on size. Be sure to put a pan...
Casseroles are perfect for fall days. Fragrant and warm from the oven, they make for cozy evening meals. Casseroles that are quick to fix or easy to prepare ahead are a boon to area cooks. With some area eating establishments closing for the winter and others shutting down permanently, I have been getting requests for ideas of what to fix when you can’t fill in with take out. Cheeseburger Rice, a recipe I found on the Minute Rice box nearly 30 years ago, is one of my go to mai...
What can you do with a pound of ground beef when you are in a hurry, everyone is starving, and it is less than an hour before the next event deadline? Try Easy Skillet Beef and Hash Browns, ready in 20 minutes and easily adjusts to ingredients on hand. Easy Skillet Beef and Hash Browns 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 pound ground beef 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed Cream of Celery soup, regular or low fat 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup ketchup 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 cups frozen...
