Cream Puffs

by Beth E. McDermott Harrington

Ingredients:
1 c. water
1/2 c. butter
1 c. flour
4 eggs

Makes 12 puffs.

Heat oven to 400. Heat water and butter to rolling boil. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat for 1 minute, or until it forms a ball. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, all at one time. Continue beating until smooth. Drop dough by 1/4 cupfulls 3 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

To serve: Cut open puffs. Most people scrape out the fluffy stuff in the inside of the puffs, but as my friends say, "that's the good part," so I keep that part intact. Fill the puff with a dollop of whipped cream, mousse, ice cream, fruit, etc. Be creative!

Mom's Lumpy Applesauce

by Beth E. McDermott Harrington

Ingredients:

10-20 apples, peeled and quartered

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Peel and quarter apples. Place the apples in a large pot and cover the apples with water. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the water before boiling. Boil the concoction until the apples are tender. Remove the pot from heat and drain water from the pot. Transfer to a separate bowl and mash with a fork until the desired texture of your applesauce is reached.

Mom's Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Casserole

by Beth E. McDermott Harrington

Ingredients:

(Casserole Body):

3 c. cooked mashed sweet potatoes (approximately 5 potatoes)

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. softened butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. evaporated milk

(Casserole Topping):

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. butter (melted)

1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, softened butter, salt and evaporated milk. Mix until creamy. Spread into a buttered casserole dish. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, melted butter, and pecan halves. Crumble this mixture on top of the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole

by Beth E. McDermott Harrington

Makes "a ton" of green bean casserole

Ingredients:

3 Cans green beans

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can's worth of skim milk

Fried Onions (approximately 1 can's worth)

In a casserole dish, combine green beans, cream of mushroom soup, enough milk to fill one of the cream of mushroom soup can, and enough fried onions to fill one half of the cream of mushroom soup can. Stir. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. After the casserole has cooked for 30 minutes, sprinkle fried onions (amount as desired) atop the casserole. Return the casserole to the oven to cook for another 10 minutes.

Note: If you want a creamier casserole, you can make this casserole with a 2:1 green beans: mushroom soup ratio rather than 3:1. The 3:1 is the healthier version (and in my taste is still plenty creamy).

La Leche League Pizza Dough

from "The Tightwad Gazette" June 1992, Issue #25

(as made by Mom for over a decade)

Makes 1 pizza crust

Ingredients:

1/2 to 3/4 c. warm water (105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit)

115 degrees Fahrenheit

1 package dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 cups flour

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. salt

Note: Food processor needed for this recipe.

Combine 1/4 c. of the water with yeast and sugar so that the yeast have something to munch on. Stir to dissolve the yeast and let stand until bubbly (about 5 minutes).

Combine flour, oil, and salt into the food processor and process about five seconds with the steel blade attachment. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture and process about 10 seconds or until blended.

Turn on processor and drizzle just enough of the rest of the water through the feed tube so the dough forms a ball that cleans the sides of the bowl. Process so that the ball turns around about 25 times.

Put dough ball onto a 14-inch greased pizza pan or large cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or a bowl and let stand 10 minutes.

Pat the dough out so that it covers the pan, leaving a ridge on the edges.

Par bake the crust for 8 minutes at 425 degrees before putting on the toppings (this will make it nice and crispy).

Spread with pizza sauce, add cheese and desired toppings.

Bake at 425 degrees for 7 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

Mom's French Dip Sandwiches

by Beth E. McDermott Harrington

Serves: approximately 6

Ingredients:
2-3 pounds chuck or rump roast
1 Au Jus sauce packet
1 large onion, sliced
Water (amount indicated on Au Jus sauce pack)

Rolls

Note: This recipe requires a crock pot.

Combine roast, Au Jus sauce packet, sliced onion and water in the crockpot. Cook approximately 8 hours on low. Serve on rolls or buns and provide guests with extra Au Jus sauce in which they can dip their sandwiches.