Cherry Nut Coffee Cake

1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs room temperture
1 cup sour cream

Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 16 ounce jar Maraschino cherries,
         drained and cut into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Grease and flour a flat bottomed tube pan or bundt pan.  In a large bowl, mix together sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter and eggs.  Fold in sour cream.  Pour or spoon 1/2 batter into pan and smooth with a spatula. Mix topping ingredients of sugar, pecans, cherries and cinnamon: sprinkle 1/2 topping mixture over batter in pan.  Pour remaining batter into pan.  Sprinkle with remaining topping.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
10-12 servings

This luscious coffee cake from the Creme de Colorado cookbook, will typically have a cracked top and a delicate pink color.  You can glaze cooled cake with a thin frosting made with powdered sugar, butter and a little milk thin enough to be able to pour it in thin lines over top of cake.

Wasatch Mountain Chili

1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 15 ounce can hominy, rinsed and drained
1 15 ounce can great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
9 ounces cooked chicken breast, cubed
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded colby and Monterey Jack cheese, Monterey Jack, or cheddar cheese (2 oz.)
Bottled green salsa
White corn tortilla chips
Fresh cilantro leaves

In a large saucepan cook onion in hot oil over medium heat for three minutes.
Stir in hominy, beans, chicken broth, chicken, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, and pepper.
Cover and bring to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally.
Serve topped with cheese, salsa, tortilla chips, and fresh cilantro.
Makes 4 (1-1/4-cup) servings.

Helen Cummings' Cucumber Cooler

Helen Cummings Cucumber Cooler

2 liters diet lemon-lime soda
1 12 oz can limeade concentrate
1 cucumber, peeled
1/2 bag crushed ice
3 drops almond flavoring
Touch of green food coloring, (optional)

Slice 1/2 cucumber to float in punch.
Purée remaining cucumber in food processor.
Mix cucumber purée with remaining ingredients.

NOTE:  Almond should be a very subtle flavor so start small. Add coloring if needed or desired, use a toothpick to add coloring so you don't get too much.

Ruhbarb Panna Cotta

Makes: 8 servings

Serving Size: about 3/4 cup each with sauce

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons water plus 1/2 cup, divided
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 3/4 cup sugar plus 5 tablespoons, divided
• 3 cups buttermilk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb (1/2 inch)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split

PREPARATION

1. Place 2 tablespoons water in a large, heatproof mixing bowl and sprinkle with gelatin; let stand about 5 minutes to soften. If some of it still seems dry, sprinkle with a few more drops of water.
2. Heat half-and-half and 3/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steaming, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the gelatin and whisk vigorously to dissolve. Whisk in buttermilk and salt. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve to strain out any lumps. Divide among eight 1-cup dessert cups or ramekins. Loosely cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
4. Place rhubarb in a medium glass or ceramic baking dish. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup water and 5 tablespoons sugar, orange zest and juice in a small saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the mixture and add the bean to the pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the syrup mixture over the rhubarb.
5. Bake, uncovered, until the rhubarb is tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
6. To serve, remove the vanilla bean from the sauce and discard. Top each panna cotta with about 2 tablespoons of the sauce.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Refrigerate panna cotta for up to 2 days. Refrigerate sauce for up to 1 day.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 227 calories; 8 g fat (5 g sat, 2 g mono); 26 mg cholesterol; 35 g carbohydrates; 27 g added sugars; 32 g total sugars; 6 g protein; 0 g fiber; 142 mg sodium; 291 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (19% daily value)

Chunky Apple-Rhubarb Compote

CHUNKY APPLE=RHUBARB COMPOTE

Makes: About 2 cups

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large green apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled and diced
• 2 cups diced rhubarb, (2-3 stalks)
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/4-inch-thick slice ginger, peeled
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, or to taste

PREPARATION

1. Combine apple, rhubarb, onion, apple juice, cranberries, honey and ginger in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is soft and the apple is tender but not mushy, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Remove the ginger; serve the sauce warm, at room temperature or chilled.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, microwave on High for about 2 minutes or warm in a saucepan over low heat.

NUTRITION

Per 1/2-cup serving: 76 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrates; 1 gprotein; 2 g fiber; 5 mg sodium; 273 mg potassium.

Grandmother Hickman's Lemon Pie

Grandmother Hickman's Lemon Pie

1 1/2 cups water
juice and grated rind of 1 large Lemon (or to taste)
1 cup sugar
4 TBS cornstarch
dash of salt
3 eggs
2 TBS butter

In medium sauce pan combine sugar and cornstarch, add the water, lemon juice, zest and salt. Wisk the eggs in a bowl and add to the sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until it begins to thicken and boil.  Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. Take off heat and add butter.  Cool slightly and pour into a cooked pie crust.  Serve cold with whipped cream.

note: Grandmother Hickman cooled the pudding completly and folded in a large dollop of sweetened whipped cream before adding to the cooked pie crust.

Heather Hickman's spaghetti sauce with chicken and meatballs

Betsey says to make a double batch of the recipe since it takes so long to make and then freeze part of it. 

1/2 cup oil
3 medium onions chopped
2 bunches parsley chopped
6 bay leaves
6 gloves garlic chopped
2 bunches shallots or green onions chopped including tops
1/2 tsp red peppers seeds
2 tbsp salt

1 Tbsp pepper

2 (6oz) cans of tomato paste
1 1/2 quarts canned tomatoes
2/3 cups sugar
3 cups water

4-6 uncooked chicken breasts cubed

1 lb hamburger 

1/4 - 1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Simmer the oil, onions, parsley, bay leaves, garlic, shallots or green onion, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper together for 1 hour (stir to avoid burning and use a large pot).

Then add tomato paste and cook for 15 minutes

Add canned tomatoes, sugar, and water and cook for another hour.

Make meatballs by mixing the hamburger, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese together in a separate bowl. Start with a 1/4 cup each of the cheese and bread crumbs and add more if you think it needs it. You need enough that it will hold your meat together. Roll into little meatballs that are the size of the tip of your thumb where your thumbnail is and carefully drop them into the simmering sauce along with the uncooked cubed chicken breast and cook for another hour or until all of the meat is cooked.

The last time I made this I skimped on the meatballs and chicken and it was a little disappointing. 

Enjoy!