How to remove bleeding from red fabric......How to wash a quilt!! And....Homemade Spray & Wash

Katie made the most adorable Grinch King sized quilt.  When she washed it the red bleed onto the white and was a total mess.  She called me quite upset that she had ruined her new quilt.  She had even dried it in the dryer.  I was doubtful but I started researching the web and this is what she did to fix it......it was a miracle!!!  These pictures don't show just how bad it really was. 


How to remove bleeding from red fabric......How to wash a quilt!!  And.....Homemade Spray & Wash

Recipe to remove fabric bleeding.
Soak the quilt in the bath tub in cold water to get it all wet. 
Then she put it in the washer with 1 Tablespoon of DAWN blue liquid soap and 4 Color Grabber sheets and washed it in HOT water.  Yes the HOTTEST water the fabric can stand, at least 140 degrees.
She was amazed at how well it worked. 
Then she sprayed the quilt with my homemade Spray and Wash**  and rubbed it into the quilt.
She  repeated the HOT water wash with the Dawn & Color Grabbers.  Amazing enough it is good as new!!! 
Then she rinsed the quilt in 1 cup of white vinegar to set the colors.  NOTE:  THIS IS HOW SHE SHOULD HAVE WASHED THE QUILT IN THE FIRST PLACE!  NO LAUNDRY SOAP JUST 1 CUP OF WHITE VINEGAR IN A COLD WATER WASH. 

Quilts are a ton of work and should be washed carefully.  I always wash my quilts just with vinegar water.  Vinegar sets the color and is a gentle disinfectant.  If the quilt is really dirty you might want to add a little laundry soap.  And hang them up to dry.  I rarely put a quilt in the dryer. 


** Spray and Wash recipe:  1 part Dawn and 2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide.  Shake together in a spray bottle. 

Thru this process we discovered this list of uses for Dawn dishsoap.  It is really good stuff for lots of things! 

 https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/uses-for-dawn-dish-soap

 Almost as good as new!!!  Definitely a mireacle!!! 

There is a product the web recommended called Synthrapol.  Katie went everywhere we could think of to find it and never found it.  So we reverted to using Dawn.  This hint left by a lady was helpful to us.    https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/dawn-detergent-good-synthrapol-t236974-2.html

"neither Synthrapol nor Dawn will set dyes. All they do is suspend unset dye particles in water so they are rinsed away instead of settling into fabric fibers.

Most fabric that "bleeds" has had dyes correctly set by the manufacturer but have not been rinsed sufficiently. Fibers can absorb only a limited amount of dye particles. Excess dye particles that are not rinsed away by the manufacturer end up in color catchers (such as those in your test run). Most of these excess dye particles come out in the first wash, and subsequent washes have color catchers that come out pretty clean.

When the manufacturer does not actually set the dye properly, the end result is a "bleeder" fabric that never stops bleeding. It's not just a problem of excess dye particles (more dye particles than the fibers can absorb) not being rinsed away; it's a problem of all dye particles not being permanently set into the fibers. Synthrapol and Dawn will prevent these loose dye particles from settling into other fabrics, but they will not stop the fabric from bleeding in future washes." 

This site has good information too:    http://www.quiltersclubofamerica.com/forums/t/19977.aspx

Mandarin Orange Pretzel Salad by Six Sisters' Stuff

Aunt Virginia Kimball brought this salad to Thanksgiving Dinner.  I loved it!

Here is the official link to it.    http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/2013/07/mandarin-orange-pretzel-salad-recipe/

Mandarin Orange Pretzel Salad

2 cups pretzels, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar **
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 (8 oz) container Cool-Whip (non-dairy whipped topping)
1 cup sugar
1 large box (6 oz) orange Jell-o**
2 cups boiling water**
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges

For the first layer, combine broken pretzels, melted butter and 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together until well blended.  Press in  9 x 13" baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 7** minutes.  Cool completely.
For the second layer, beat 1 cup sugar and cream cheese together until smooth.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Spread cream mixture over pretzel layer (be sure to seal the cream cheese layer against the sides of the pan so that the jello mixture (3rd layer) will not be able to leak through when added).
For the third layer, mix orange Jell-o and boiling water together until Jello is completely dissolved.  Add mandarin oranges and let cool until slightly set.  Pour Jell-o over cream cheese layer and refrigerate until firm.
Cut into squares and serve.

** Next time I would add a small box of jello along with the large one and use a total of 3 c. boiling water.  I thought the crust could have used a little more sugar, next time try 4 T.  and bake the crust a little longer 10 to 15 minutes.  It didn't want to stay together. 

Speedy Donuts x 4

Since I got my BIG mixer this Halloween I decided I needed to figure out how to make one big batch of donuts for my Trick or Treaters!!  I made a few changes but mostly 4 times my regular version.

Speedy Donuts x 4
Place in 8 c. measure:
2 c. warm water
1/2 c. yeast
1 T. sugar
Stir & let sit.
In another 8 c. measure:
4 c. milk, scalded in the microwave (on high  stirring 2 or 3 times until milk reaches 185 to 195 degrees)
I did 3:33 x 2 + 1 minutes
After milk is scalded stir in:
2 c. Crisco Shortening
Stir until melted and set aside.
Place in mixer bowl:
10 eggs
1 c. sugar
2 T. + 2 t. salt
16 to 18 c. bread flour
Pour in the yeast mixture and mix slightly, using the DOUGH HOOK.
Add the scalded milk mixture and beat well, until dough is smooth and elastic.  Add more flour only if needed.
Let rise about 30 minutes.
Roll dough out to 1/2" thickness.  Cut into doughnut shape and place on a sprayed cookie sheet.  Allow to rise again.  A warm oven can be used to speed up this process.
Fry in 375 degree oil on both sides.  Drain on paper towel lined cookie sheet.  Glaze while slightly warm.

GLAZE
3 lb. powdered sugar
1 c. water
2 T. vanilla
1/2 t. salt
Stir well.  Add more powdered sugar OR water until desire consistency is achieved.

Apple Crisp......Fruit Crisp

I've made several of these this fall when I had a few jars of apple pie filling that did not seal.  Then I started making them with fresh apple slices and they worked out well too.

Apple Crisp......Fruit Crisp

42 oz. Apple Pie Filling (Or any fruit filling you like) **
1 c. flour
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. old fashioned oats
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 c. melted margarine
1/4 c. chopped pecans

Spray a 9 inch square or round baking dish and dump in the pie filling.
Mix together the remaining ingredients and sprinkle over the pie filling.
Bake at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.

**If using fresh apple slices instead of pie filling:
6 c. peeled & sliced apples
1 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
Mix together the dry ingredients and then stir in the apple slices.  Use this in place of the apple pie filling. Proceed with the topping and bake. 

Crock Pot Stuffing

Steve volunteered to bring the stuffing for his work Thanksgiving Feast. I decided the best way to do this was to put it in the crock pot.  Since I hadn't ever done it that way I was a little nervous that it might not turn out.  Since it worked out great I decided I better post what I did so I can do it again in the future and actually remember what I did. 

Stove Top Stuffing in a Crock Pot
5 - 6 oz. boxes Stove Top Stuffing
3/4 c. melted butter
6 c. chicken broth or water (I use chicken broth)
Stir together in large bowl. 
Spray a large crock pot and fill with the stuffing.  It is important that the crock pot is filled to the top.  Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.  If it appears to be drying out you can add more water or chicken broth. 

Additional add ins:  if desired

2 Cups onion

2 Cups celery

Finely chopped in a food processor and stir into the stuffing prior to placing it in the crock pot.  

Healthy Popcorn

Healthy Popcorn = Advanced Master Food Safety Presentation Oct. 2017

Popcorn: The snack with even higher antioxidants levels than fruits and vegetables. 

Popcorn may be the perfect snack food. It is 100 percent unprocessed whole grain.  One serving of popcorn will provide more than 70 percent of the daily intake of whole grain. The average person only gets about half a serving of whole grains a day, and popcorn can fill that gap. The way YOU prepare and serve popcorn can quickly determine its healthful image.                                                        [October 2017 by Karla Kimball, AMFSA]

HEALTHY POPCORN

Place in a paper bag:

1 t. coconut oil

½ t. salt

½ c. popcorn kernels

Place in microwave 2 ½ to 3 minutes on High. 

Homemade Spray Butter

1 T. melted butter (must be butter, not margarine)

1 t. HOT water

Put in spray bottle and use immediately. 

Spritz your popcorn with butter and sprinkle with popcorn sprinkles.

Popcorn sprinkles…..jello, instant pudding mixes, garlic salt, ranch dressing mix, powdered cheese mix, cinnamon sugar, crushed peppermint or spearmint or butterscotch candies, etc.

Popcorn add ins……milk duds, M&Ms, chopped candy bars, crushed or mini oreos, peanuts, marshmallows, etc.

MORTON POPCORN SALT = SUPER FINE – MY FAVORITE SALT FOR MANY THINGS

HONEY BUTTER POPCORN

Place in bowl & microwave for 1 minute, stirring once.

2 T. butter

2 T. Honey

Pour over the bag of popcorn.  Shake well. Sprinkle with salt if desired.  Shake again.  Enjoy!!

HONEY CARAMEL POPCORN

1 c. unpopped popcorn kernels

½ c. butter or coconut oil

½ c. honey

½ c. brown sugar OR sucanat

1/8 T. salt

½ t. baking soda

1 t. vanilla

Pop the popcorn and place it in a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, honey, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to boil and boil one minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.  Pour over the popcorn and stir well with a wooden spoon.

Popcorn Cake

5 to 6 qts. Popped popcorn (1 c. un-popped)

10 oz. mini marshmallows (6 cups)

1 cube butter

1 tsp. butter extract

¼ t. salt

Candy corn, M&Ms, gum drops, etc

Place popcorn in large bowl and set aside.  Place in 8 c. glass measure, marshmallows, butter, extract and salt.  Microwave on high for 1 ½ minutes.  Stir & microwave for 1 to 2 more minutes until melted.  Pour over popcorn and stir well.  Stir in candy if desired.  Place in sprayed angel food cake pan.  Once set up remove from pan.  Cover with foil to help keep moist. 

** This can be decorated with decorator’s icing if desired. 

*** This can also be formed into popcorn balls and wrapped in waxed paper. 

 Crispy Popcorn Bars

3 qts. Popped popcorn

1/3 c. butter

4 c. mini marshmallows

1 t. vanilla

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place popped popcorn in large bowl.  Place butter & marshmallows in 8 cup glass measure and microwave for 1 ½ minutes.  Stir and microwave 1 more minute or until melted together.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour over the popcorn and stir well.  Press into a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Melt chocolate in microwave at 50% power for 1 minute, stir and repeat until melted.  Place melted chocolate in heavy duty ziplock bag, snip the corner and drizzle over the top.  Chill until set.  Cut & Serve. 

Holiday Popcorn Mix

2 bags microwave popcorn, popped OR pop 2 bags of Healthy Popcorn (see above)

about 3 c. Bugles (just dump some in)

about 2 c. pretzels (just dump some in) 

1 c. Reese's pieces candy

4 squares melted almond bark

Mix together in large metal bowl: popcorn, Bugles, and pretzels.  Melt almond bark in microwave at 50% power, stirring every 60 seconds until melted.  Drizzle over the popcorn mixture and stir well. Stir in the candy pieces.  That's it!! For Christmas I used Corn Chex Cereal instead of the Bugles and M&Ms instead of Reese's pieces.

RANCH POPCORN

¼ t. onion powder & garlic powder

½ t. dill weed

1/8 t. salt

¼ t. pepper

1 bag popped popcorn

Mix together spices & sprinkle into bag of popcorn.  Shake well and serve.

Popcorn Crisp

3 qts. Popped popcorn (1/2 c. un-popped)

½ c. brown sugar

½ c. butter

1 c. salted nuts (optional)

Place popcorn in 18x13x2 inch pan.  Cream together with hand mixer, brown sugar & butter.  Drop spoonsful over top of popcorn.  Sprinkle the nuts over the top if adding them.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring twice.  Popcorn should be lightly browned and crisp. 

Snacker’s Delight

2 qts. Popped popcorn

1 c. raisins or craisins

1 c. peanuts

1 c. coconut

1 c. sunflower seeds

1 c. M&Ms

Mix together and serve.

Meatloaf

1 ½ lbs. Hamburger

¼ c. onion, chopped

¼ c. milk

2 eggs

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

3 c. finely ground, popped popcorn

Ketchup & parsley for garnish

Combine all ingredients (except the ketchup & parsley).  Place in ungreased glass loaf pan.  Microwave at 60% power for 10 minutes.  Cover the top with ketchup and sprinkle with dried parsley and return to microwave for 8 to 10 minutes more at 60% power.  Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to finish cooking inside.  Do not overcook.

THESE LAST 4 MAY NOT BE THE HEALTHIEST BUT THEY ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITES!!!  SO I THOUGHT I’D SHARE THEM……

CARAMEL POPCORN

1 c. unpopped popcorn, popped

1 c. light corn syrup

1 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. sugar

Cook in saucepan, stirring occasionally and boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.

Stir in:  1 t. vanilla

Pour over popped popcorn.  Stir and enjoy!

Sticky Popcorn

1 2/3 c. sugar

1 c. butter

2/3 c. Karo syrup

1 t. butter extract

½ t. vanilla

6 qts. Popcorn

Mix all together in saucepan.  Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly.  DO NOT LET IT BOIL!  Pour over popcorn. 

  

CARMELLOW CORN.........AKA: KARL MALONE CORN

1/2 c. butter or margarine

1/2 c. brown sugar

3 c. miniature marshmallows

2 qt. popped popcorn

nuts, optional

In 2 qt. bowl, microwave butter & sugar 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in marshmallows. Cook 1 more min. Pour over popcorn (and nuts). Make into balls or serve in bowls.  FAST, EASY, and GOOD!!!

Jello Popcorn Balls

6 qts. Popped popcorn

1 c. karo syrup

1 c. sugar

3 oz. Jello (any flavor)

Place popcorn in large bowl and set aside.  Place in saucepan, karo, sugar & jello. Heat over medium heat just until it comes to a boil (don’t overcook). Pour over popcorn and stir well.  To form balls put WATER on hands (not butter).  Wrap each popcorn ball in waxed paper. 

** I like to microwave them for about 10 seconds and then eat them. 

Strawberry Cream Filled Cupcakes

I changed up my filling recipe and hope these will be perfect for our 40th year class reunion.....we will see???

Strawberry Cream filled Cupcakes
1 white or yellow cake mix (I prefer, Betty Crocker)
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/2 c. strawberry jam
4 oz cream cheese
1 egg
In large bowl, mix together:  cake mix, water, sour cream, oil and eggs. Fill 24, paper lined and sprayed, muffin cups 1/4 full. 

Beat together:  jam, cream cheese & egg.  Using small cookie scoop place a scoop in center of  cupcake batter in each muffin cup.  Then finish filling with the cake batter until each is 2/3 full. 

Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool 10 minutes in pans; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Spread cream cheese frosting over cupcakes.  Store covered in refrigerator.

Make Ahead Breakfast Enchiladas

I made these at our Sturgeon fishing trip this fall.  Everyone really enjoyed them.  This recipe is a keeper!!

Make Ahead Breakfast Enchiladas
1 1/2 c. half & half milk
5 large eggs
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 T. flour
2 1/2  c. ham, diced
1/2 c. green onions, chopped
2 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated & divided
12 - 8" flour tortillas
Toppings:  salsa, sour cream, & extra green onions or cilantro for garnish
Whisk together:  milk, eggs, salt & flour.  Pour just enough of this liquid to cover the bottom of a sprayed 9x13 pan and set aside the rest. 
Mix together:  ham, green onions & 2 c. cheese.  Scoop 1/3 c. of this onto tortilla and roll up and place in a sprayed 9x13 inch pan. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the top of the enchiladas.  Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the tortillas to absorb the egg mixture. 
In the morning.....Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes, until the egg mixture looks cooked and tortillas are golden brown. Top with the remaining 1/2 c. grated cheese the last 10 minutes of baking. 
Serve with the toppings of your choice.

**While camping these took about an hour to cook but my little camper oven usually takes much longer to bake.  And if you are serving these to Mike G. don't put cilantro on them!!  :) 

Sour Cream Breakfast Cake

This recipe was shared with me by Aryn Youngberg.  Her are Aryn's comments about this recipe.... I love to make Breakfast Cake in my Fluted Pan! It has been a family favorite since I was a kid. We usually had it Sunday nights and enjoyed leftovers (if there were any) for breakfast the following week. It's the only cake I can really justify eating for breakfast 😉!

Sour Cream Breakfast Cake
1/2 cup butter - softened
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
6 tbs brown sugar, packed
6 tbs finely chopped nuts
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup dried blueberries (optional)

Blend butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, soda, and salt, Blend in sour cream, but do not overmix. Make filling from brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon. Layer in bundt pan in this order: 1/3 batter, 1/3 filling, 1/3 batter, 1/3 filling, 1/3 batter, and the last of the filling. Do not mix (or “marble”) as this will happen by itself as it bakes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until it tests done with a toothpick in the center coming out clean. Let stand in pan for at least 10 minutes before attempting to remove (this is the hardest part!) Serve warm with butter.
*If adding blueberries - add them last to the batter before layering in the prepared pan.

Tomato Basil Soup

This summer we went to Reed's Dairy in Idaho Falls for lunch.  We had the best Tomato Basil Soup. So for Garden Club Tomato Night, I set out to duplicate their recipe.  I think I have come pretty close.  I made it in my Instant Pot and it worked out great to keep it warm and to serve from.  Everyone at Garden Club loved it!

Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup



1 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 large carrots, diced 

2 to 4  cloves garlic, minced

2 to 3  T. butter

1 t. salt

½ t. pepper

2 t. dried basil or 1/4 c. fresh basil 

2 bay leaves (optional)

2 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes or 6 fresh tomatoes, diced

4 cups chicken broth

½ cup heavy cream or whipping cream

2 T. regular clear jel

Using the sauté setting of the electric pressure cooker, sauté the onion, celery, carrots and garlic in butter for about 5 minutes.

Add the salt, black pepper and basil, and sauté for 1-2 minutes more.

Turn off heat, add bay leaves, tomatoes and chicken broth, and stir.

Secure the lid and cook the vegetable mixture using the soup setting, or cook for 15 minutes at high pressure.  Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release remaining pressure. Remove the lid.  Remove the bay leaves.  Puree the soup using an immersion blender.

Stir together the cream and clear jel and add to the soup mixture, stir until well blended.  Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

These Zinnias growing in my garden have been especially beautiful and the bees and butterflies love them as much as I do.  The seed for these Zinnias came from Gramps.  He loved Zinnias and he grew them every year.  When he passed away his Zinnias were still blooming and so we took some of them to the florist and she incorporated them into his casket spray.  Zinnias are now extra special to us Kimball's as they remind us of Gramps.  Last year for some reason no one's seeds did very well and so we were very limited on seeds this year.  We were afraid if they didn't do well this year we would loose Gramps' seed forever.  So we planted them and took extra good care of them and yes we even prayed for them.  And this year they are absolutely gorgeous.  One of my favorite things in the garden this year!!!  We have enjoyed fresh Zinnia bouquets all summer.

And we are still growing Gramps' garlic too!!  and Yes I used some of it in this soup!!!

Strawberry Jam, Winter's Magic Jam & Clear Jel

CLEAR JEL FACTS & JAM MAKING

BY KARLA KIMBALL, U OF I ADVANCED MASTER FOOD SAFETY ADVISOR

CLEAR JEL IS THE ONLY APPROVED THICKENER TO BE USED FOR CANNING!!!  It will not break down in the jar after it has been canned.  It will come out of the jar the same consistency as it went in. 

What is Clear Jel???

It is a modified food starch derived from corn.  It is available in Instant and Regular forms.  Instant is used for jams, sauces, puddings, basically anything you don’t cook.  Regular is used for pie fillings, soups, gravies, basically those items that you do cook. 

Advantages to using Clear Jel:

·         It reduces the preparation time and calories

·         It reduces the amount of sugar needed in most recipes

·         It saves money over packaged pudding mixes, pectin and etc.

·         It thickens almost instantly – sets up in 10 minutes

·         It makes baked foods chewy and moist

·         It stores indefinitely

INSTANT CLEAR JEL FACTS

It has been precooked and will swell or thicken instantly without cooking.  If mixed properly with other dry ingredients before adding to liquid, it will not lump.  If lumps do appear, whip with a wire whip or blender until smooth.  It is clear and can be colored with Kool-Aid or Jello to the color and taste you want. 

Tips for using INSTANT CLEAR JEL

·         Clear Jel tends to lump so mix it with dry ingredients of at least equal amounts to prevent lumps.  If you need to add more later for added thickening, add small amounts by sprinkling it in, or mix with more dry ingredients. 

·         Mix with a wire whip or blender or mixer. 

·         Takes 10 minutes to thicken so you know right away if you need to add more thickening.

·         If you are converting from cornstarch, flour, or other thickener start by using half the amount of Clear Jel and add more if needed.

·         Use for quick & easy sauces, jams, cookies, soups, puddings, toppings, syrups and salad dressing mixes. 

Tips for using REGULAR CLEAR JEL

·         Dissolve in cold water before adding to liquid.

·         Use for cooked products.

·         A great thickener for a clear and pretty finished product such as, salsa, mandarin sauce, fruit sauces, syrups, BBQ sauces, taco sauces, and etc.

·         If you are converting from cornstarch, flour, or other thickener start by using half the amount of Clear Jel and add more if needed.

·         IS THE ONLY APPROVED THICKENER TO BE USED FOR CANNING!!!  It will not break down in the jar after it has been canned.  It will come out of the jar the same consistency as it went in. 

FREEZER JAM  (STRAWBERRY IS OUR FAVORITE) This recipe can be doubled or tripled

Stir together in large bowl with a wire whip, making sure the Clear Jel is even distributed into the sugar.

2 c. sugar           

1/3  to ½ c. instant Clear Jel         

1 pkg. unsweetened Kool-Aid (flavor of berries or lemonade)

Stir in:    5 c. mashed berries  or  3 ½ c. berry puree

Stir in:    ½ c. light corn syrup

Sets up in 10 minutes.  Pour into containers.  Can be frozen or used immediately. 

WINTER’S MAGIC JAM    (A good way to use up older canned fruit)

3 qts. Bottled fruit, peaches, cherries, etc., drain & save

1 can crushed pineapple, drain & save

2/3 to 1 c. regular Clear Jel

½ c. water

2 to 4 c. sugar

1 pkg. appropriate flavor, Kool-Aid or Jello

Drain fruit and pineapple and save juices.  Mix together the Clear Jel and water.  Stir in the saved juice, sugar & Kool-Aid.  Cook over med heat until mixture is clear and sugar is dissolved.  Dice or mash the fruit.  The add the fruit & Pineapple  to the liquid mixture and cook until thick, about 10 minutes while stirring constantly.  Pour into jars.  Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.  ** You may add lemon juice or spices with the fruit for desired flavor. 

Garlic Steak & Potato Foil Dinner

Garlic Steak & Potato Foil Dinner
2-2½ pounds top sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 2½-inch pieces (see note)
1 pound baby yellow potatoes. quartered (or halved if they are already less than 1 inch in size, see note)
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
fresh thyme or parsley for topping (optional)

In a large bowl combine steak, potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic, and seasonings and toss to combine.
Divide steak and potatoes between four 12x12 inch sheets of foil, then wrap the foil tightly around the contents to form your foil packs. Grill over high heat for about 10 minutes on each side or until steak and potatoes are cooked through OR bake at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until cooked through to desired doneness (see note).
**If you prefer a char on your steak, you can open up the packets at the end and cook for a couple minutes directly on the grill, or for baking you can switch oven to broil for a few minutes (with packets opened).
Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley and serve immediately.
*Be sure to cut your steak into pieces that are at least 2x2 inches, and potatoes into pieces smaller than one inch. This ensures even cooking.
**For medium doneness on the steak, boil the potatoes first for five minutes before adding to the bowl and proceeding with the rest of the recipe. This will help them to cook faster once in the foil pack.

Crock Pot Tortellini

Crock Pot Tortellini
1/2 pound hamburger
1/2 pound Italian sausage
15 oz. marinara sauce
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (undrained)
2 to 3 c. cheese-filled tortellini
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or pizza cheese blend
Brown your hamburger and sausage over medium.  Drain.
Coat your slow cooker dish with nonstick spray, and add your beef, sausage, marinara sauce and diced tomatoes. Allow this mixture to cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.
 About 30 minutes before serving, add your tortellini and stir to coat well. Top with cheese, cover and let it cook for another 30 minutes or until the tortellini is soft.

Crock Pot Spaghetti

Crock Pot Spaghetti

24 oz. spaghetti sauce

2 T. spaghetti seasoning mix
¾ c. water
8 oz. spaghetti noodles
1 pound frozen meatballs
In a 6-quart slow cooker, add spaghetti sauce and water. Mix well.
Break spaghetti noodles in half and add to the slow cooker. Make sure all the noodle are covered in sauce.
Top with meatballs. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil.

Soda Pop Bundt Cake

Soda Pop Bundt Cake

1 1/2 c. butter, room temperature
3 c. sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups  flour
2 T. Lemon Extract
3/4 c.7-up or Sprite

 Icing
4 T. butter, room temperature
3 c. powdered sugar
1 t. Lemon Extract
2 to 4 T. milk

Cake:  Cream together sugar and butter until fluffy and light.
With the mixer on low, add eggs one at a time and mix well.
Mix in lemon extract and soda and then slowly add in flour and mix until fully incorporated.  Pour batter into a sprayed bundt pan.
Bake at 350°F for one hour and fifteen minutes or until inserted toothpick is removed with very few crumbs.

Icing:   Beat butter until light & creamy.  Add powdered sugar and extract & mix well. Thin with milk as needed.

Banana Zucchini Bread

BANANA ZUCCHINI BREAD

A great banana bread recipe baked with a cinnamon sugar topping!  I like to triple this recipe and fill up the oven!!

3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil or butter
1 medium overripe banana
2 eggs
1/2 c. sour milk (add 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice or buttermilk)
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. shredded zucchini

Beat together:  sugar  & oil. Add banana, eggs, milk, & vanilla and mix well.  Add salt, cinnamon, baking soda and flour, mix until slightly lumpy.
Stir in zucchini. Pour into sprayed loaf pan.  Sprinkle batter with additional sugar & cinnamon (about 1/4 c. total)
Bake at 350 for 35-50 minutes until done.
Cool 10 minutes before removing loaf from pan.

** I started adding 1/2 t. cloves and 1/2 t. nutmeg and it is even better!!

***a double batch makes 3 medium and 3 small loaves.....makes great muffins too!! 

AP & YW Camps.....2017

Well this was my first year as head camp cook.  Wow!  I survived but I was totally exhausted.  This is a ton of work even more than I imagined.  I thought I had a good idea as I have helped several years in the past.  Guess what I didn't have a clue.  To top it off I got bit by a tic the week before it started and was sick for 3 days.

Making menus was my first task.  Lots to consider.....things have to be spread out and positioned on the menu so they can be cooked or made at the right time.  There is limited amount of ovens and limited power to run roaster ovens.  I tried to cut out some of the very labor intensive items.  However, I still wanted to serve homemade cookies, bread sticks, rolls & cinnamon rolls.  These are tricky due to the oven limitations.  Using both ovens we could only bake 24 large cookies at one time, 45 cinnamon rolls and 96 breadsticks.

Once the menu was made I then had to make my recipes and determine exactly how much of everything I needed.  This was a very time consuming and mind boggling task.

Then it was time to make my shopping list.  I made a master list of all the items in alphabetical order and then went through every recipe and made notations as to how much was needed for every item.  It was important to account for every item as once I get there it is not very easy to get additional items.

I added up all the paper products and seasonings and headed to Costco one day in May.  It took me 6 hours and 4 trips through the checkout.  I actually walked 5 miles just in Costco according to my FITBIT.  My truck with the camper shell on it was completely full.  I cam home and loaded them into the utility trailer and thus my endless shopping had begun.

I made numerous shopping lists.  One for Ridley's in McCall for all the fresh and perishables I needed.  A list for Winco for various things.  Another list for Costco.  An order to Franz Bakery for bread and buns.   And the rest went on my online order to Cash & Carry.  3 trips to Nampa later I was ready to head to camp with all my supplies.

AP Camp was June 5 to 10.  Monday June 5th I hit the road about 8:00 am and headed to Nampa to pick up the Franz bakery order and the Cash & Carry order.  The young man there said this was his second largest order ever!!  I told him it was my largest order ever, but probably not my last!! I picked Andrea up at 1:00 on June 5th and we pulled the utility trailer  with the pick-up loaded.  Steve pulled the camp trailer and the truck totally loaded.  Not an ounce of space to spare.

We got there and started unloading and setting up the kitchen.  We were the first official camp this season.  The camp missionary, Elder Steve Blackhurst came in to light the pilot lights on the ovens.  We had just opened up the big swinging window covers.  Apparently he had it lit but hadn't waited long enough for the gas to travel up to the grill.  Instead he stuck his lighter in that hole creating a major explosion that blew him back about 5 feet landing him in a heap on the floor.  Thankfully he was not hurt but I am pretty sure if those window covers hadn't been open we all may have been hurt.  Even clear across the kitchen I felt a draft from the explosion.  SCARY way to start off camp.  Elder Blackhurst said,  "I think we watched over."  I definitely agree!!  Everyone who was on the camp grounds came on a dead run as they had heard the explosion and knew something had happened.

Gail Greenfield & her husband George delivered the order from Ridley's in McCall.  Once we were unloaded and set up, Steve headed for home and Andrea & I went to find dinner in McCall.

Tuesday morning Andrea & I went for a walk and then the cooking began.  All the leaders and adults arrived, about 50 people in all.   Gail Greenfield and Kendra & Clinton Childs joined us and we went to work.   I put all the ingredients in my NEW BIG MIXER for cool rise rolls.  When I tried to turn it on nothing happened.  The mixer had tipped over on the way up and so I thought it must have damaged something when it fell over.  Clinton tore into it and discovered if he held a knife on one of the contacts the mixer would work.  So with him holding the knife I was able to get the dough made.  It was decided that he would try to direct wire the mixer to that we would be able to use the mixer for the week.  However it still wouldn't work he said, there must be a safety switch or something....what does here?  Then I realized that the CAGE was not attached to the mixer.  THAT was all that was wrong!!!  WOW!!  I felt stupid and had wasted a couple hours of time.  We had made the enchiladas for dinner and put them in the cooler with the plan to put them in the oven about 4:00.  I had been watching the clock so I thought.  It said it was 3:30 when someone asked what time we needed to start baking the enchiladas.  I said 4:00 to which they replied. "do you realize it is after 5:00?"  So panic set in once again and dinner time was moved back a half hour.  In the end all was good!  We decided that we had had 3 things go wrong and now it would be smooth sailing.  Boy was that the wrong thing to say!!!

Wednesday Morning about 6:15 am I was working on breakfast and setting up the roaster ovens. Brother Bassett had just opened the big swinging window covers.  As I set the roaster oven on the counter that big swinging window cover that weighs about 250 pounds came swinging down and hit the roaster oven and sent me flying back about 10 feet into a wire shelving rack landing in a heap on the floor.  It literally bruised me from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.  The miracle was that I was able to function the rest of the week.  Technically, all this had happen and camp had not officially started.  The buses arrived just before noon bringing all the campers for a total of about 185 people.  Our second challenge of the day came when the kitchen sink drain started backing up and the kitchen floor was flooded 2 different times.

Thursday brought a new challenge.  The lunch menu consisted of Hot Dogs, Macaroni & Cheese, Chips, veggies & dip and grapes.  Easy enough!!!  Well the 16 pounds of noodles were cooked and we were making the cheese sauce.  We never left the pot and stirred it constantly but low and behold it was scorched!  And not just a little.  It was obvious that it was not an option to use it.  However, there was 4 lbs. butter, 15 pounds cheese, 2 gallon of milk and more in there and there wasn't anymore to make more.  Oh my what shall we do????   We had a little over 3 gallon of Cheesy Potato
Chowder left from Wednesdays lunch.  We heated it up and poured it over the pasta and it became Macaroni Delight!!!   It was a great save!!!  Everyone loved it!  Mel Vickery had eaten 4 bowls of it the day before and he said, "It was even better the second day!"  At the end of camp when I asked him what his favorite meal was he said, "Macaroni Delight."  Other than wasting all those ingredients everything turned out fine.  We had 3 routine kitchen floor floods throughout the day.

Friday's challenge came at lunch time.  We had 5 roaster ovens full of baked potatoes scattered all over camp so we would have enough power to plug them all in.  We had them all going and about an hour before lunch we noticed that someone had unplugged the cord coming from the boys bathroom. We plugged them in and said we will turn them up and use that roaster oven last.  Well in the busyness of serving 200 people lunch someone didn't know about not using that roaster and didn't think to check if they were done.  They simply plopped it on the table and went on their way.  By the time we noticed about 15 to 20 boys took mostly raw potatoes for their lunch.  We made an announcement that if you were one of the ones who got a potato that wasn't done to please come back and get a cooked one.  The most amazing part about this that really touched my heart was that not one single boy had complained or said even one word about their potato not being done.  I think that is remarkable.  Once again the kitchen flood was flooded 5 times at various times.  John & Diane Brinkerhoff joined us this day as Gail had to leave due to other commitments.

Saturday's most memorable moment came shortly after breakfast when we were packing up their lunches for the ride home.  We were making peanut butter sandwiches.  I put the peanut butter and strawberry jam and mixed berry syrup in the mixer and turned it on.  We added a little milk to get the desired consistency and then piped it onto the bread using a ziplock baggie with the corner snipped off.  It tasted delicious but I looked like cat poop.  As we were piping it onto the bread and boy came in.  He said, "What....is that?"  We replied, "Your lunch!"   It has hilarious!!!  Probably one of those things that you had to be there to be funny!!  We made good time loading up, we moved the utility and camp trailers to the parking lot and headed for home.  Halfway home we realized we had not turned off the pump and water heater and had to turn around and go back.  We finally got home about 5:30 pm.

I must say I learned a lot and now I have to do it all again with only one week to prepare.  I will say that I didn't get much sleep this week either.  Which meant I started out behind on my sleep.  The worst part is that when I get so tired then I can't sleep.  That is exactly what happened.

YW Camp was June 19 to 24.  I headed out Monday morning to pick up the bread and groceries and was on the road to camp by 1:00.  Steve was following about 3:00 with the second load after he got off work.  When I arrived at camp the gate was locked with not a sole in sight.  After about 35 minutes I was able to locate someone who knew the combination to the lock and was able to get in.  I emptied the entire pickup load by myself and got everything in the cooler and taken care of.  Then Steve arrived with his load and we did it all again.  Steve spent the night and was able to work in Cascade for the day on Tuesday.  We went to McCall to eat and Von & Ronda Mendenhall joined us.

Tuesday my helpers all showed up.  Once again I had Gail Greenfield and Kendra & Clinton Childs for the whole time.  Brother Lloyd Malone who said, "I came to camp as an amateur dishwasher and left a master!"  And he is exactly right!!  Rosa Rekow came Tuesday thru Friday.  Sheri Probst & Deja Wiscomb helped out Friday & Saturday.

I must say it went much smoother this time. We didn't burn anything, the kitchen never flooded once, the mixer worked great and I had the best workers anyone could ever ask for both camps.

Breakfast		8:15 Oven Omelet Breakfast roll/muffin Banana Hot Choc./Orange Juice 10” fork	7:45 French Toast Sausage pattie Scrambled Eggs Cantaloupe Hot Choc./Orange Juice 10” fork	8:00 Cinnamon Rolls Oatmeal & Toppings Brn. Sugar, honey, berries & milk Sliced Peaches Hot Choc./Orange Juice 5” bowl fork spoon	8:00 Pancakes Sausage links Eggs Fruit Hot Choc./Orange Juice 10” fork
Lunch	35 servings @ 12:45 Hamburgers Chips Potato Salad 10” fork	180 servings @ 12:00 Cheesy Potato Chowder Supreme Bread Stick Lettuce Salad Ranch Dressing Bowl spoon 8”	12:30 Hot Dogs Mac Cheese Veggies/dip Chips Grapes 10” fork	12:15 Baked Potato Bar Sour cream, butter, bacon, chili, cheese Tropical salad 10” fork	150 Sack Lunches @10 PB Sandwich Apple Chips Cookie Pop
Dinner	6:00 Chicken Enchiladas Green Salad-ranch Cooked Carrots Lemonade  5 gal 10” fork	6:00 Sloppy Joes Chips Broccoli Salad Watermelon Veggies/Dip Lemonade 15 gal 10” fork	Stake YM Cooking  TACO SALAD	225 Servings @ 6:00 Spaghetti Garlic Bread Stick Green Beans Fluff Lemonade 20 gal 10” fork
Snack	8:30 ? Root Beer Floats Spoon cup	8:30 Popcorn Cream Cheese Brownies Tray	8:30 Softie Machine Justin buying supplies	8:30 Cheesy Nachos/Salsa Tray
Prep for next day	Make breakfast rolls /strbry jam Chop green onions Make omelets?	Bake bread sticks  & brownies for today Cut up Cantaloupe	Scrub Potatoes Make Cinnamon Rolls Prepare Oatmeal toppings	Bake Cookies Bag lunches

2017 APC Camp Menu

                               Tuesday            Wednesday      Thursday           Friday               Saturday

Breakfast		75 servings Oven Omelet Breakfast lemon roll Banana Hot Choc. 10 gal. Orange Juice 5 gal 10” fork	French Toast Scrambled Eggs w/Ham Cantaloupe Hot Choc. 10 gal. Orange Juice 5 gal 10” fork	Cinnamon Rolls Oatmeal & Toppings Peaches 6, fruit sauce, brn sugar, cinnamon, milk, honey, maple syrup Hot Choc. 10 gal. Orange Juice 5 gal 5” bowl spoon	Pancakes Butter, syrup, fruit sauce Sausage Scrambled Eggs Oranges Hot Choc. 10 gal. Orange Juice 5 gal 10” fork spoon
Lunch	Bringing Sack Lunches 80 servings	200 Servings Baked Potato Bar Chili, butter, sour cream, cheese, green onions, ham  100 cup Salad 10” fork	Hamburgers/hotdogs buns,Ketchup, mustard, mayo, cheese, pickles Chips  -  Potato Salad Grapes 10” fork	Taco Salad Chips, Meat, cheese, lettuce, salsa, ranch, sour cream Watermelon 10” fork	Bus loads at 11:30 150 Sack Lunches PBJ Apple Rice krispie treat GoldFish Water
Dinner	Hawaiian Haystacks Rice & Gravy Pineapple, oranges, noodles,celery, Red peppers, coconut,grn onions, cheese Cottage Cheese Salad Lemonade 5 gal	Penne Pasta Spaghetti Green Salad 5 Ranch       Garlic Bread Sticks Strawberries Lemonade 15 gal 10” fork	Pulled Pork/BBQ Sauce Baked Calico Beans Broccoli Salad Carrots / Ranch Lemonade 15 gal 10” fork	250 servings Chicken Pasta Glazed Carrots Salad Mix 6/Ranch Roll Fluff Lemonade   20 gal 10” fork
Snack	Striped  cookie Sherbet Parfaits Cup spoon	Cream Cheese Brownies 5” fork	Softie Machine Cones	Individually packaged Giant Cookie
Prep for next day	Make Parfaits Scrub potatoes Make breakfast rolls	Bake for today…. Bread Sticks Brownies Wash & Stem Grapes Cut up cantaloupe	cut watermelon Make Cinnamon Rolls Make Salsa Make Jam & syrup for oatmeal	Bake for evening….. Bread Sticks Cookies for evening treat & sack lunches

2017 YW Camp Menu

                                 Tuesday              Wednesday      Thursday                  Friday            Saturday