Welcome to My Kitchen

Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year. This makes celebrating with dinner out more feasible on the holiday than when it falls midweek. For others, ball games, work schedules or just not wanting to navigate the crowds, means preparing meals at home. With a little ingenuity, you can still make the meals special.

Cutting cheese slices, lunch meat, even the whole sandwiches in heart shapes is a fun treat. Heart shaped cookie cutters may be used to cut brownies, Rice Krispies Treats and finger Jello into seasonal shapes.

Several meat loaf recipes have been featured in recent columns. Baked in a heart shaped pan, this economy meal main dish becomes a special entrée.

I had several requests to repeat the recipe for Flylady Crockpot Soup I shared last summer. Even this economy soup can become a valentine treat if you add some heart shaped pasta during the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking. You may find more economy recipes at http://www.flylady.com.

2 cans (15 ounces each)

diced tomatoes

1 onion chopped

onion, sautéed

1 clove garlic, minced, sautéed

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 turnip, chopped

2 cups green beans

6 cups chicken broth

1/4 small head of cabbage, chopped

(about 6 cups)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cans (12 1/2 ounces each)

1 can (15 ounces)

black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 ounces)

kernel corn

1/2 cup dry barley

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup small pasta

Combine all ingredients in a large slow-cooker except the chicken and pasta if using. Cook on high for 6 to 8 hours. Add chicken and pasta during last 30 to 40 minutes of cooking. Yield: about 1 gallon soup.

Throw Back Thursday is a popular feature on Facebook, so we are going way back to March 11, 2004 and the first column I wrote for the Odessa Record. Homemade Egg Noodles was included to accompany a hamburger stroganoff recipe. You may cut the noodles in any shape, in this case, hearts.

1 egg, beaten

1/4 tsp salt (optional)

2 Tbsp milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

(approximately)

Combine egg, salt and milk, stir in enough of the flour to make a stiff dough. On a floured surface, roll out very thin (1/16 inch) and let stand 20 minutes.

Roll dough up loosely and cut into 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices with a sharp knife, or leave flat and cut strips with a pizza cutter, or for special occasions, cut into shapes with small cookie cutters. Let dry at least 2 hours. Drop into the boiling soup and cook about 10 minutes. Or, for other recipes, drop into boiling water and cook 10 minutes and drain. Yield: about 3 cups cooked noodles.

Sweet onion dressing was a recent recipe request. Since they are trying to reproduce a bottled dressing and did not know the maker, it is just a guess without tasting, so I am including two that I like.

Creamy Onion Dressing sounds the closest to the description I was given. The recipe comes from Edwall’s Still Cookin and is attributed to Joyce Reilly.

1 cup salad oil

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp celery seed

1 small onion (3 inches

diameter)

Place all ingredients except the onion in blender. Blend until sugar is dissolved. Cut onion into chunks and add to blender. Blend 1-2 minutes longer. Yield: about 2 1/2 cups.

Another onion dressing we like is very good on salads including meat, eggs or chunky vegetables. Red Wine Sweet Onion Dressing comes from, Recipes From The Heart, Hoods Canal Community Church Cookbook, Hoodsport, Washington.

1 cup salad oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup catsup

1 small onion (3 inches diameter)

Combine all ingredients except the onion in blender and blend until sugar is dissolved. Chop onion and add to blender. Blend 1-2 minutes more. Yield: about 2 1/2 cups dressing.

Another recipe from Edwall’s Still Cookin’ I use every summer when zucchini is abundant is, Zucchini Peanut Drops, attributed to Esther Anyan. I make the dough, form into balls and freeze to bake later.

I recently baked some for a quilting event and received requests for the recipe. Tuck this away for late summer. If you have grated zucchini in your freezer, you might try it, just be sure to thaw and drain well before using in this recipe.

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup grated zucchini

1/2 to 3/4 cup

chopped peanuts

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup quick cooking

oatmeal

In a large mixer bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla, zucchini and peanuts.

In a separate bowl combine flour, leavenings and salt. Stir into creamed mixture. Stir in oatmeal until evenly distributed.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment lined pans and flatten slightly. Freeze overnight. Store, single layer, in airtight containers in freezer.

To bake, place cookie dough balls on lightly greased or parchment lined pans about 2 inches apart. Let cookies stand 30 minutes to thaw. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Yield 4 dozen cookies or the amount you thaw.

Share you favorite recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159 or, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record Office. Follow us on Facebook for extra cooking tips and recipes. Spring is coming, time to get your seed order into your favorite gardening company but wait on starting any seeds or digging in the dirt until late march or early April.