Recipes and Memories February 8, 2017

With Valentine’s Day only days away, we have “Kids in the Kitchen” ready to share their favorites, along with others bringing us traditional musts. Happy Valentine’s Day!

SWEETHEART COOKIES
D. Niesen
“What would Valentine’s Day be without home-made cut out cookies, decorated family style? Here’s a recipe that tastes as good as it looks.”
Ingredients:
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup margarine
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ cup karo syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
Directions:
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix together margarine, sugar syrup, egg , and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add dry ingredients about 1/3 at a time beating well after each addition. Place in refrigerator and chill until easy to handle. On a lightly floured service using a rolling pin, roll out 1/3 of the dough at a time to ½ inch thickness. Cut into heart shapes. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 400 F. oven for 8-10 min. Decorate with Cookie Glaze, sprinkles, & colored sugar.

COOKIE GLAZE
Ingredients:
¾ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
2 T. light Karo syrup
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
Directions:
Combine granulated sugar, water, and syrup in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Gradually stir in confectioners’ sugar beating until smooth. If desired add lemon juice. (Tint with food coloring as desired.)

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS
Colton Ellingson & Lydia Payne (Grade 6)
This recipe was chosen because it’s a chocolate lover’s dream and perfect for Valentines’ Day. Colton said, “When I first made them it took about an hour, then I tried one and it tasted so good that I decided it was worth it so I wanted others to try them. Lydia says she chose this recipe because it’s fun for the family to make, tasty and kind of an elaborate chocolate creation. She also recommended this recipe because you can make it anytime you want such as special occasions like Valentine’s Day and Christmas.
Ingredients:
• 1 ½ cup sifted powdered sugar
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 T. butter softened
• 1 Ib. dipping chocolate or Confectionery coating
Note: Confectioners Chocolate such as almond bark, is available in white, milk, and dark chocolate, and offered in different forms at the store.
Directions:
Stir together powdered sugar, peanut butter and butter until well mixed. Shape the mixture into 1 inch balls and place them on a baking sheet that is covered with wax paper. Let balls stand for 20 minutes or put into the freezer until firm. Melt the dipping chocolate in the microwave or double boiler. Drop balls one at a time in melted chocolate. Using a fork as a tongs, remove the balls from chocolate and let excess drip off. (If using almond bark do this quickly because it cools quickly.) Place them back on the waxed paper and let stand until dry, or back in the freezer for 5 min. Store in a tightly covered container.

CHERRY BERRY IN A CLOUD
Kim B.
Ingredients:
• 6 egg whites
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. cream of tarter
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 6 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 pint cream, whipped
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 2 cups strawberries with juice
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 275 F. Beat whites, salt, and cream of tartar until frothy. Add sugar 2 tablespoons at a time and beat until stiff; spread in a greased 9x 13 pan. Bake for 1 hour. Turn oven off leaving meringue in oven with door closed until cold. Whip together the cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Fold in whipped cream and marshmallows. Spread over meringue and refrigerate. In a bowl stir together the pie filling, strawberries, and lemon juice. Serve over meringue.

JELLO JIGGLERS
Harmony Heath (Grade 6)
“There’s always room for jello! And I chose this recipe because it’s a really fun snack for little kids to make and eat. It also counts as a little family activity you can do. You can choose so many flavors and put the mixture into a pan and cut shapes, like hearts. These are so simple to make and fun to eat.”
Ingredients:
• 4 (3 oz.) boxes gelatin
• 2 1⁄2 cups boiling water (do not add cold water)
Cooking spray
Directions:
In a large bowl stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix at least 3 min. until completely dissolved. Pour into a 13×9-inch pan sprayed with Pam. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until firm. Dip bottom of pan in warm water 15 sec. Cut into shapes using 2-inch cookie cutters, Lift jgglers from pan. Eat the scraps and put the rest in the refrigerator.

GRANDMA’S
MACARONI & CHEESE
Delores Gelzel
“My daughter was home for her birthday from being out of the country for three months. When I asked what she wanted for her special day she said, “Grandma’s home-made Mac and cheese.” Twenty seven years old, and she still hasn’t grown out of her childhood favorites.”
Ingredients:
• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup milk
• ½- 1 chopped celery, diced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup diced Velveeta cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook macaroni according to directions on pkg. Sauté celery and onion in a little butter. Add cream of chicken soup (if preferred substitute cream of celery or mushroom soup) Add 1 cup milk and the rest of the ingredients; season with salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
“Don’t blame me, blame google.”~ Editor
Q: Why is lettuce the most loving vegetable? Because it’s got a heart.
Q: What do you say to your single friends on Valentine’s Day? “Happy Independence Day!”
J: Two antennae met on a roof, fell in love and got married. Their wedding ceremony wasn’t so fancy, the reception however was excellent.

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