Summer Dessert

Since the deep snow at Ross Place proved too much for Aunt Winnie's narrow skis, she decided to stay inside and send us this favorite family recipe. She noted the grandkids renamed it Pepto-Bismol.


1 8 oz. Cool Whip or heavy cream
1 pt. (2 cups) softened sherbet
1 cup boiling water
1 lg. Jello or 2 sm. (to match sherbet)
1 cup sliced mushrooms


Dissolve Jello in boiling water add softened sherbet, fold in Cool Whip. May use electric beater after dissolving Jello. Place in frig. Do not cover. Can be made previous nite.

Curried Fruit

After gazing at the mountainous snow banks on Ross Place, Aunt Winnie decided to stay inside and send us this favorite family recipe.

1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup oleo or butter (1 stix)
1 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick
1 cup sliced mushrooms

Melt and pour over drained canned fruit - 9 by 13 pan

1 lg. can each
- pears (sliced)
- peaches (sliced)
- pineapple chunks

optional
1 sm. can mandarin oranges
1 sm. jar cherries

May refrigerate overnite.

Bake in oven 325° for 1 hour.

Baked Beef Stew

Although not as cold as last week, this is still a winter day here. Michael and I went to Bibben's and purchased parts and oil for the sleds. Using a borrowed snow rake, I cleared the roof of the reading room. John, our UPS courier, brought Joan a new cast iron pot so she decided to warms us with this chunky oven-baked stew.


1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
3/4 cup water
1/4 red wine or beef broth
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon browning sauce, optional
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 small red potatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 celery ribs, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, water, wine or broth, tapioca, sugar, seasoned salt, browning sauce if desired, marjoram and pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes. Add the meat, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and bread crumbs.

Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Cover and bake at 375° for 1-1/4 hours. Uncover; stir in peas. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until meat and vegetables are tender.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Chicken Festiva

Another frigid day. Thermometer never broke over 14°. Joan purchased fresh zucchini at Wegmans and prepared this dish. Not only is it a quickie, but it is just what your taste buds need on a bitter cold day.

2 Tbsp. butter
2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick
1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (16 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
12 tsp. lemon pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

In a large skillet, melt butter and sauté chicken pieces until lightly
browned. Add garlic, zucchini, mushrooms and sauté until crisp and
render. Stir in tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes and seasonings.
Simmer 10 minutes until flavor is blended.

Serves 8 to 10.

Tortellini Spinach Soup

Happy Valentine's Day. Last evening a Northeast wind dumped 12 inches of snow on Perrine Street . The front porch thermometer read 11° at 6 AM. Snowplowing started off on the wrong foot. We got stuck in our driveway. This was the first of three stoppages during the course of the day. After paying a visit to Lori, Joan returned home to prepare this soup in her new red cast iron Dutch oven. Needless to say after Dave Eichorn announced the final snowfall total for the day in Auburn to be 18 inches, there were plenty of smiles beaming above the piping hot soup bowls at 88.


1 tablespoon olive oil or oil
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced, or 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic in oil
3 (14 1/2 oz.) cans ready-to-serve chicken broth
1 (9-oz. pkg.) refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
2 cups frozen cut leaf spinach (from 16-oz. pkg.)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is tender. Add broth; bring to a boil. Add tortellini; boil gently 4 to 5 minutes or until tortellini is almost tender. Add spinach and oregano; simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

4 (1/2-cup) servings.

Chili Made Easy

Early this morning after eating breakfast at the Sawmill the boys phoned . Since the snow cover was great they made the decision to stay and ride for another day. Late afternoon after leaving Camp Michael and entering a reception zone they cell phoned to say they were heading home. It's time like this Chili Made Easy comes to the rescue.

Everyone has their favorite chili recipe. But when you want chili now. Do yourself a favor. Go to the nearest all-purpose pharmacy or the corner bodega or Wegmans and pick up a package of McCormick's Original Chili Seasoning Mix.

1 pkg. McCormick Seasoning Mix
1b. lean ground beef
2 cans (8 oz, each) tomato sauce OR
1 can (14 1/'2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 to 16 oz.) kidney or pinto beans, undrained

Assorted Toppings: Shredded Cheese, Chopped Onions or Sour Cream

DIRECTIONS

Brown meat in large skillet on medium-high heat. Drain.

Stir in Seasoning Mix, tomato sauce and beans.
Bring to boil; cover.
Reduce heat ana simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with toppings, if desired.

Poppy Seed Bread

The boys were on the way to Camp Michael. The proprietor of the Sawmill has been very good to them. Joan wanted to reward her graciousness. Joan sent 3 loves of poppy seed bread.


4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup oil
1 package instant lemon pudding
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 cup boiling water
1 box yellow cake mix


Grease and flour 2 medium or 3 small bread pans. In a medium bowl combine the eggs, oil, pudding, and poppy seeds, beating until well blended. Slowly add the boiling water alternately with the cake mix. Beat the mixture until smooth. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake in a 350° oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

Makes 2 medium or 3 small loves.

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup

A travel advisory and whiteout conditions have kept Emily in Oswego. The temperature remains in the low teens on Perrine Street. Joan decided soup was the order of the day for lunch. Using her new cast iron pot, she made Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup.

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups water
2 medium potatoes, peeled, diced
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen mixed vegetables
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (lO 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
5 drops hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup evaporated skim milk

Melt butter in large saucepan; add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until tender. Add remaining ingredients, except milk. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk and heat through. Yields 2 quarts.

Easy as A, B, Seafood Bisque

Heavy lake effect snows have been confined to southwest Oswego County. The heaviest snow (where it was falling at 2 to 4” per hour) was in a band from the city of Oswego to near Central Square. Parts of Oswego County have already seen 3 to 4 feet since yesterday.

Albeit of the lake effect snow, Perrine Street has felt the effects of the wind chill. Again this morning the temperate was in single digits.

The weather has prompted Joan to prepare one of our favorite soups for lunch, Easy as A, B, Seafood Bisque.

Easy as A, B, Seafood Bisque

A big bowl of this soup is so good on chilly days.

6-oz. can crabmeat, drained
10-oz. pkg. imitation lobster, flaked
6-oz. can tiny shrimp, drained
1/2 c. butter plus 3 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
14-oz. can chicken broth
Optional: 1/2 c. white wine
1 T. tomato paste
3 c. half-and-half
1/2 c. flour
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: fresh chives, chopped

Combine crabmeat, lobster and shrimp in a bowl; set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven and sauté onion, carrot and celery for about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, seafood and wine, if using. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer. Stir in tomato paste and half-and-half. Melt remaining butter and blend with flour in a small bowl: stir into soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.

Garnish with chives.

Serves 4 to 6.

Avocado Mango Salsa

This dip was submitted by Jeanne Ryan, Cazenovia, NY, to Margaret McCormick, food editor of The Post-Standard, for inclusion in her Super Bowl column.

In the photo, Margaret, on the left, and Jeanne.

Avocado Mango Salsa

1 mango, peeled, seeded, and diced

1/2 chopped fresh cilantro

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1/8 teaspoon minced garlic

4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon salt

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro and garlic. Stir in salt, lime juice, red onion and olive oil. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve with Tostitos Scoops.

Note: The recipe is also great on baked or grilled fish, especially grouper.