Pink Rhubarb Jelly

3 lbs. red rhubarb stalks

Put through food grinder.

Put in jelly bag and squeeze out the juice.


From that juice, measure:
3 1/2 c. rhubarb juice
7 c. sugar

Bring juice and sugar to a rapid boil and add 6 ounces of liquid pectin.  Bring to a boil and boil hard for 1/2 minute.  Pour into sterilized glass jars and seal.

Delicious Cranberry Sauce

by Jana

12 oz fresh cranberries

1 c. white sugar

1 c. orange juice

Using a medium pan, dissolve sugar into orange juice.  Stir in cranberries and cook until cranberries  start to pop.  (About 10 minutes)  Remove from heat.  Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Cajun Spice Mix

2 t. salt
2 t. garlic powder
2 1/2 t. paprika
1 t. black pepper
1 t. onion powdered or minced dehydrated onion
1 t. cayenne pepper
1 1/4 t. dry oregano
1 1/4 t. dry thyme
1/2 t. red pepper flakes (optional)

Stir together until evenly blended.  Store in airtight container.

Vegan Mayo

by Kristin

1 package extra firm silken tofu

1 t. onion or garlic powder

1 t. yellow mustard

juice of 1 lemon (about 1 T.)

Blend until smooth and creamy.  If it is too bland for your taste, double spices.  You could also use dijon mustard or maybe dry mustard.

Taco Seasoning

by Bethany

8 T. chili powder
6 T. paprika
6 T. cumin
4 T. onion powder
3 T. garlic salt
2 T. salt
1 T. cayenne pepper

Store in a tupperware or old spice canister. 3 T. of this mixture will equal 1 packet of store bought seasoning.

West Virginia Hot Dog Chili

by Nancy

1/2 lb. hamburger

1/4 c. chopped onion

2 T. celery

1  8 oz can tomato sauce

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. lemon juice

2 1/4t. Worcester sauce

3/4 t. chili powder

1/2 t. prepared mustard

1/4 t. salt

Cook hamburger, onion and celery.  Stir in other ingredients.  Bring to boil and simmer uncovered (15-20 min.)

~West Virginia hot dogs are different from hot dogs served in many other parts of the country.  The key ingredients are:

Soft bun made gooey by being steamed and wrapped in foil or wax paper

Hot Dog Chili

Hot dog

Yellow mustard

Chopped onions

Creamy cole slaw

West Virginia Hot Dogs

Pesto

by Nancy

2 c. basil leaves

1/3 c. parmesan cheese

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 c. pine nuts

1/2 c. olive oil

Blend.  Serve with pasta.

Crockpot Apple Butter

by Nancy

8 cups applesauce

5 cups sugar

cinnamon flavoring to taste

Mix and cook in covered crockpot on high for 8-10 hours.  Remove lid during the last 2 hours to stir occasionally

~This is another recipe given to us by a friend in West Virginia.  Apple Butter was a great favorite food there.

Vegetable Dip

by Roma

2/3 c. mayonnaise

2/3 c. sour cream

2 T. ground onion

2 T. fresh parsley, chopped finely

1 1/2 T. dill weed (not fresh)

1 1/2 T. Beau Mond Seasoning (Spice Island Brand)

Mix all ingredients together with a spoon.  Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.  Serve with fresh vegetables.

Spiced Pear Jam

by Roma

4 c. chopped pears

1/4 c. lemon juice

1 pkg MCP pectin

6 c. sugar

1/8-1/4 t. cinnamon

1/8-1/4 t. nutmeg

1/8-1/4 t. allspice

Measure fruit and lemon juice and put in 6 quart pan.  Add pectin to fruit.  Stir thoroughly to dissolve and scrape sides of pan to make sure all pectin dissolves.  Add spices to taste.  Place over high heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Add pre-measured sugar and mix well.  Continue stirring and bring to a full rolling boil for 4 minutes.  Add 1/4 t. butter around the edges of pan to prevent foaming.  Remove from heat, skim if necessary, and pour into containers and seal.

~I thought pear jam seemed a little bland, so one day I had the idea to add some spices to liven it up.  --Roma

Salsa

by Bethany

1 can corn or Mexi-corn

1 can sliced olives

1 can small red beans

1 can Salsa Casera

1 small can tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes

1 16 oz. bottle Italian dressing

Fresh ingredients:

chopped green pepper

chopped tomatoes

chopped green onions

sliced avocados

minced cilantro

dash of Tobasco

juice of one lime

This recipe is all 'to taste'.  So add what you like and delete what you hate.  In winter it is good using just the canned ingredients, but in summer the fresh ones are good added to it.  It is good right away, but even better after sitting in the refrigerator overnight.  Use as much Italian dressing as you want.   It depends on how 'soupy' you want it to be.  If you use too much Italian dressing, add another can of tomato paste to thicken.  In other words, do what you want to make it taste how you want.

Salad Dressings

Wilted Leaf Lettuce Salad 

by Elverda

leaf lettuce

2 slices bacon

1/4 c. vinegar

4 T. sugar

Cook bacon until crisp.  Drain and crumble the bacon, saving the drippings.  Set bacon aside.  Add vinegar and sugar to drippings.  Cook and stir until boiling.  Add bacon.  Pour hot dressing over leaf lettuce, toss to coat.  Serve at once.

Cream and Vinegar Dressing

by Roma

1 c. half and half

3 T. vinegar

3 T. sugar

Mix vinegar and cream first, then add sugar.  Serve with leaf lettuce

1000 Island Dressing

by Roma

1 c. catsup

1 c. Miracle Whip

1 hard boiled eggs, chopped fine

1/4 c. sweet pickle relish

1/4 c. cheese, cut into small cubes

Mix catsup with Miracle Whip.  Stir in other ingredients.  Serve over tossed salad.

Pancake Syrup

by Ruby Viola Kotter Freeman and Roma

2 c. sugar

1 c. water

1 heaping t. Postum

1 t. vanilla

Dissolve Postum in hot water before adding sugar.  Bring to a boil.

~For years we didn't know people ate maple syrup on pancakes or even purchased pancake syrup.  We thought it was always made with Postum!

Hot Mustard

by Hyrum Grant Stephens

4 T. flour

4 T. sugar

2 T. dry mustard (Colemans is the best brand)

2 T. vinegar

2 T. water

Mix together and store in refrigerator.  Amounts can be adjusted to taste.  For hotter mustard, add less flour.

~This mustard was loved by people on both the  Stephens and Freeman sides of the family.

Fireweed Jelly

by Nancy

8 c. fireweed blossoms (no stems)

1/4 c. lemon juice

4 1/2 c. water

2 pkgs Sure Jell or other powdered pectin

5 c. sugar

Pick, wash and measure 8 cups of fireweed blossoms.  Add lemon juice and water.  Boil 10 minutes and strain.  Take strained juice and heat to lukewarm.  Add pectin and bring to a boil. Add sugar and bring to a full boil.  Boil hard for 1 minutes.  Pour into hot, clean jars and seal.  Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

~Fireweed was plentiful around our Alaska home.  When it was blooming, the fields were a beautiful magenta color.  This jelly is also a beautiful magenta color.

Chow Chow

by Ruby Viola Kotter Freeman

1 large head cabbage

3 quarts green tomatoes

3 quarts onions

1 c. salt

diluted vinegar

Slice vegetables and sprinkle with salt between layers.  Let stand overnight.  Drain and cover with diluted vinegar in the morning and put on to boil.  Put in bag to add:

1 T. mustard seed

2 T. celery seed

1 t. ginger

1 t. whole allspice

1 t. whole cinnamon

When boiling, stir in a paste made of:

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. mustard

1 c. sugar

Chili Sauce

by Ruby Viola Kotter Freeman

9 large tomatoes

2 green peppers

5 onions

1 c. vinegar

1 t. allspice

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. salt

1 t. cloves

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. dry mustard

2 1/2 c. brown sugar

Chop vegetables and add other ingredients.  Cook for 2 hours.

~Before the days when groceries came from the store, Ruby's family worked hard to grow, harvest and can all they needed for winter.  Chili sauce was a useful condiment for many foods.

Chicken Marinade

by Eileen

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/3 c. oil

4 minced garlic cloves

2 T. ground curry

Mix.  Marinate chicken overnight.  Grill.  (Enough for 2 chickens)

Apricot-Pineapple Jam

by Roma

3 c.  chopped apricots (not pureed)

4 c. crushed pineapple

1 pkg. MCP pectin

6 c. sugar

Follow mixing directions on pectin package.

Freezer Jam:

1 and 3/4 c. chopped apricots

1 and 1/2 c. crushed pineapple

1/4 c. lemon juice

1 pkg. MCP pectin

1 c. corn syrup

4 and 1/2 c. sugar

Mix apricots, pineapple and lemon juice in 4 qt. pan.  Slowly stir in pectin and mix thoroughly. Set aside for 30 minutes, stiring every 5 minutes to allow pectin to dissolve completely.  Add corn syrup and mix well.  Add premeasured sugar gradually.  Stir well to dissolve completely.  After sugar is thoroughly dissolved and jam is thickened, pour into containers and cover.  Store in refrigerator up to a month or freezer up to a year.

Apple Syrup

by Kristin

1 c. sugar

2 t. cornstarch

2 T. lemon juice

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. ground cloves

2 c. apple juice

3/4 c. dried apple slices, broken

Combine and boil one minute