Peanut Butter Kisses

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. margarine

1/2 c. peanut butter

2 T. milk

1 t. vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Roll into 1 " balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Decorate immediately with a kiss.

Nanny B's

1/2# butter (2 sticks)

2/3 c. sugar

2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/8 t. salt (I just use salted butter instead)

1 t. almond extract

1/4 c. sugar and chopped almonds for garnish

Shape like a finger and flatten. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar almond mixture. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Aunt Stella's Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg seperated

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 - 2 c. flour

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and vanilla. Add flour until it forms a good dough. Roll into 3/4" balls and flatten slightly. Brush with egg whites. Garnish with a walnut or a marachino cherry half. Bake 7 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Gram's Shortbread

1/2 c. superfine sugar

1 c. butter

1 egg

2 1/2 c. flour

Roll into small balls. Criss Cross with a fork. Decorate with assorted sprinkles. Bake 300 degrees for 20 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Holiday French Toast

This used to have fancy directions. I save bowls and spoons by not measuring.

4 apples -peeled and sliced or diced placed in the bottom of a 9x13.
3/4 c. brown sugar -sprinkled on the apples.
A sprinkling of cinnamon.
1 stick of butter melted and poured over.
10 slices of french bread* -layered on top of the apples.
8 eggs -wisked together with 1 1/2 c. milk and vanilla
Pour the egg mixture over the bread.
Cover with saran and press down to soak the bread egg.
Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, bake covered with foil @ 350 for 45 min.
Uncover...and place the foil below in case the french toast bubbles over.
Bake 10 more minutes, or until puffy and golden.

*I usually use the grocery store french bread warm from the bakery. But I've also used whatever bread I have in the house. It's yummy with whole wheat bread too.

Cinnamon Pecan Rolls

(DB – My Mom)

2 pkgs. yeast
2 ½ c. warm water (110)
1 c. butter or margarine
¾ c. sugar
1 ½ t. salt
2 eggs
8 ¼ c. flour

*Dissolve yeast in 1 ½ c. warm water – let stand about 10 min. until bubbly. With electric mixer, beat margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and salt, beat well. Add dissolved yeast and 4c. flour (1 at a time). Beat 5 minutes on medium speed. With mixer or by hand, stir in remaining 1 c water and 4 c. flour to form a soft dough. Turn dough into a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate 8 hours (up to 5 days). To shape for baking, punch down dough, divide it in half. On floured board, foll half of dough into a 10”x24” rectangle. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with ½ c. sughar mixed with 2 t. cinnamon. Roll up (jelly roll fashion). Cut into 1” pieces. In small pan, combine:

½ c. margarine
½ c. brown sugar
2T. light corn syrup

Stir over low heat until melted. Pour into baking pan. Add lots of chopped or half pecans. Place cut rolls on top of the nuts. Let rise about 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size. Bake at 375 for 20-30 min. Invert onto serving plate. Serve warm. Repeat with second half of dough whenever you need them.

For the frosted version:

Make a frosting of whipping cream and powdered sugar. Flavor with a drop of vanilla if desired. Omit the caramel sauce poured into pan & nuts. Line pan with parchment. Allow to cool slightly, remove rolls from pan, then drizzle with frosting.

Palouse Soup Mix

2 1/2 cups green split peas (1 pound)
2 1/2 cups lentils (1 pound)
2 1/2 cups pearl barley (1 pound)
2 cups alphabet macaroni (8 ounce pkg.)
1 cup dried onion flakes (2 3/8 ounce pkgs.)
/2 cup celery flakes (1 3/8 ounce pkg.)
1/2 cup parsley flakes (1 1/4 ounce pkg.)
Optional:1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Mix all ingredients together.
Store in a jar with a tight- fitting lid.
Stir before using. Makes 10 cup of mix.

To cook: Combine 1 cup of soup mix with 4 cup of water or seasoned stock in large pan. Add 1 cup of cooked chopped meat, if desired. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover pan. Simmer gently for 45 to 60 minutes, or until peas are tender. (for me...I simmered a lot longer) Add 1/2 teaspoon salt if desired.

Minestrone Variation
Combine 1 cup of soup mix with a 16-oz. can of stewed tomatoes, 2 to 3 cup water or stock, 1 chopped carrot, 1 to 2 chopped potatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon basil. (Optional: 1 clove minced garlic). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover pan. Simmer 45 to 60 minutes or until peas are tender. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, if desired.

Personal notes: I made the mix without the celery flakes. They looked gross dried and I don’t really like celery in my soup. The second time I made this we left out the alphabet noodles. I thought they just got soggy when the soup was cooked long enough to make the peas tender. When I made this for dinner, I used 2c. mix, chicken broth, and 1# browned ground turkey. It was just enough for us for dinner and left-overs for M and I for lunch today. We ate the soup with toast, and M liked his with a bit of shredded pepper-jack.