Food for Thought – February 11, 2014

This week we’ll celebrate Lincoln’s birthday and also Valentine’s Day and then it’s President’s Day the following Monday. Following is a recipe from Easy Home Cooking of Aug/Sept 2006.

Oatmeal Chocolate Cherry Bars

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1-3/4 cups M & M Chocolate Mini Baking Bits, divided

1 cup dried cherries, plumped

*To plump, pour 1-1/2 cups boiling water over cherries. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain well. Use as directed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13″ x 9″ x 2″ baking pan; set aside. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in sugar, egg and vanilla. In medium bowl, combine oats, flour and baking soda; blend into creamed mixture. Stir in 1-1/4 cups M & M’s and cherries. Spread batter evenly in pan; top with remaining M & M’s.. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. Cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container. Makes 24 bars.

Variation: For cookies drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets; place 4-5 M & M’s on each cookie. Bake 13-15 minutes. Cool 2-3 minutes on cookie sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store as above.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies.

Here is a quick recipe from the Mennonite Community Cookbook, second printing 1972.

Baked Noodles & Tuna with Mushrooms

1/8 lb. noodles

1-1/2 quarts boiling water

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1 (10-1/2 oz.) can mushroom soup

1/4 cup buttered crumbs

Cook noodles in salt water until tender and drain. Flake tuna with fork. Mix noodles, tuna and soup. Turn into greased baking dish. Sprinkle with crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Serves: 6.

This last thought is from Ruth Moyer Gilmore and bears repeating.

Light a Candle

Light a little candle

In your heart today

Say a prayer for Jesus

Born on Christmas Day.

Then open up your heart

To all those hurting so –

Spread love, and joy, and happiness

Everywhere you go.

Please send your recipes and recipe requests to: The Vista, 5413 Peavine Road, Crossville, TN 38571 or email to: [email protected].

Until next time,

Ellie