By Staff
It is now mid-evening of the fourth of July, and it almost seems as through the sound of fireworks is rhythmically punctuating each key that I press on my typewriter.
Just stop and think, it was exactly 232 years ago today when the greatest secular holiday of the United States celebrated the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress in the year 1776.
The stamp of its literary style linked the document closely to Thomas Jefferson whereas its content and wording owed a great deal to John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. History tells us that there were fireworks and patriotic speeches back in those days perhaps much the same was what we experience these days. Fireworks are an exuberantly colorful way of characterizing the celebration of our new Presidents!
No matter how rough a situation that we, as homemakers, might face; we have only to please our families; whereas political figures must please a multitude! Perhaps that is why they say that if you intend to go into the political scene … you must own three different hats: one for throwing in the ring, one for talking through and the third to be capable of pulling rabbits out if elected.
Cheddar Cheese Dip
1 1/2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese
8 strips bacon, crisp fry and crumbled
6-8 tablespoons finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons Miracle Whip
dash Tabasco sauce
potato chips for dipping
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine just the first six ingredients and blend very well, then place them in your baking dish and bake for 20 minutes until mixture becomes bubbly.
Homemaker's Hint: Most dogs love eggs and may be fed a cooked one, never never a raw one, but only give it to them once or twice a week.
Politicians say they are beefing up our economy, but most of them don't know their beef from pork!
Fresh Onion Soup
2 cups white onions, sliced
3 – 10 1/2 ounce cans beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon flour
6 slices French bread, buttered
freshly ground pepper
Saut your onion in the butter until it becomes very soft and golden, then sprinkle with the tablespoon of flour and blend this together very well. Now, stir in the condensed broth, Worcestershire sauce and season as desired with pepper. Reduce the heat and allow this mixture to simmer gently and while it is simmering you can toast some French bread and sprinkle the top with cheese. Pour your soup into pre-warmed oven proof bowls, then top them with a slice of toast. Place under the broiler and broil just long enough to melt the cheese. Serve immediately!
There is nothing in the world like a persuasive speech to fuddle the mental apparatus!
Bleu Cheese Dressing
4 ounces Bleu Cheese
4 green onions
2 cups Miracle Whip
1 cup buttermilk
dash salt
1 garlic clove, minced
Crumble the bleu cheese, finely chop the onions and mince the garlic. Combine all ingredients, cover and chill. Will keep for approximately one month.
Food Facts: Cheese is actually one of the most versatile and popular foods. It can be used for almost everything from appetizers and snacks to main courses and desserts. We can thank our ancestors for this ancient food that they made from cow, goat, yak, camel, sheep, mare and even buffalo milk.
Timely Trivia: Just like cheeses, pretzels are a popular item that frequently appears on our "snack trays." We have to give our ancient Italian monks gratitude for introducing these as a reward to little children who had managed to learn their prayers. These strips of baked dough, folded to resemble arms crossing at the breast, were then known as "prestiolae" which is Latin for "little rewards."
Have you noticed how these sun filled days with their balmy breezes just seem to invite you outdoors? What better than this next recipe to accompany your grilled meats?
Corn Relish
1 – 16 ounce can drained whole kernel corn
1 – 4 ounce jar finely chopped pimentos
2 tablespoon instant minced onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped green peppers
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup cider vinegar
dash white pepper
Mix sugar, salt vinegar, celery seed, mustard and pepper in your pan. Bring to a boil and hold the boil for two minutes, no longer. Remove from the heat, stir in corn, onions, pimentos and green peppers. Allow to cool completely before you pour it into your canning jar. Place lid on tightly and store in your refrigerator for three to four days before using.
Homemakers hint: Many of us think nothing of bringing house plants out for an airing at this time of year. Be sure to avoid setting them on your porch floor or steps where they can easily be watered, for they are also more available to your family pets, who might be tempted to take a nibble. Just a bare nibble can prove deadly to your pets, many of these plants are highly poisonous if ingested!
Politicians might often claim they are beefing up our economy, but how many of them can actually distinguish beef from pork!
*Take advantage of those luscious cucumbers you just plucked from your garden, and turn them into some:
Bread &Butter Pickles
2 quarts cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 cups thinly sliced white onions
1 1/2 cups vinegar
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tablespoon celery seeds
1/2 tablespoon mustard seed
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
Place sliced cucumbers into a large earthenware bowl. Sprinkle evenly with salt, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Rinse in icy cold water and drain well. Place them into a large pot, stir in all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Pack both the cucumbers and their liquid into freshly hot sterilized fruit jars, but be certain to leave a good half inch head space before capping and sealing jars, then process them in a bath of boiling water for a 5 minutes.
Homemaker's Hint: This is the time of year when"Fido" picks up a scent of outdoor cooking and often makes a run for the out of doors! Always endeavor to have a photo of your pet. If he or she does execute an escape, he might more easily be recognized and found. You may submit a lost or found pet listing for free in the Star.
However did housewives manage to carry all of her purchases up to the cashier before shopping carts were invented in the year 1936?
Watermelon Pickles
7 pounds watermelon rind
12 cups granulated sugar
water as needed
2 cups vinegar
1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice
1/2 teaspoon oil of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon oil of cloves
15 maraschino cherries, quartered
2 drops red food coloring
Place the thoroughly washed watermelon rind into a huge kettle, cover rind completely with water, then boil for 45 minutes. Drain kettle and discard water. Combine the sugar with the vinegar and the oils and bring this to a boil. While it is piping hot, pour this resulting mixture over the rind, making certain that every portion of the rind is covered. (Note: Do not use a metal bowl for this!) Allow this mixture to stand at room temperature overnight, then on the second day, drain the syrup into a large saucepan and bring this mixture to a boil . As soon as it has reached the boiling stage, pour it over the rind. Now, as before, allow this to stand overnight at room temperature, then on the third day, repeat this same procedure. On your fourth day, you must put both the rind and the syrup into a large kettle, add the cherry juice, cherries and food coloring and then bring this to a boil. As soon as it reaches the boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Now you are ready to ladle both the rind and syrup into your sterilized fruit jars. Be certain to leave 1 1/2 inches head space before sealing and processing in a 10 minute boiling water bath.
* You might look down on lazy people, but it was most likely the lazy people who invented the wheel and the bicycle for they resisted walking and carrying things.
Hot Potato's Kissin' Cousin
about 20 small red potatoes
1/2 pound crispy fried bacon
1 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup bleu cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup heavy cream, lightly whipped
chopped fresh parsley
Place potatoes in enough salted water to cover, then boil them until they test just barely tender. Slice the potatoes thick, but do not peel them. Mix together the Miracle Whip, bleu cheese and heavy whipped cream. Fold this dressing very carefully into your thickly sliced potatoes, sprinkle with the crispy bacon and garnish with the fresh bits of parsley … one bite of this and you'll think that you have died and gone to heaven!
Food Facts: Since cucumbers are approximately 95 percent water, they are very low in calories, yet a good source of fiber, vitamin C and foliate.
A touch of levity: Here is certainly "one for the books"! Attempting to park his car in front of the bank, he accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake, thereby causing him to go crashing through the wall of the building. And, believe it or not, his only mission for visiting the bank that day was to deposit a check from his insurance company for having a safe driving record! Thereby, substantiating the old adage … "Some days it's better to not have gotten out of bed!"
Avoid the following recipe if you are allergic to citrus …
Broiled Grapefruit
1 halved grapefruit
1 or 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Galliano liqueur
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Cut around each grapefruit segment in the shell. Combine the two sugars, then sprinkle each half of the grapefruit with sugar mixture along with the liqueur. Cover and chill for at least two hours, preferably overnight. When you place it beneath your broiler, take care to broil it only until very slightly brown. Serve immediately.
A touch of levity: Although the grooming code is, I understand, quite strictly enforced … men cannot sport facial hair … and women cannot wear heavy eye makeup nor dangling earrings. I would imagine that Walt Disney, the mustached founder, would have had to bend the rules to work there .. right?
Spaghetti Pie
6 ounces spaghetti
1 pound ground beef or ground pork sausage
1 cup cottage cheese
3/4 cup grated mozzarella
1 – 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 – 8 ounce can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, well beaten
2/3 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 heaping teaspoon garlic salt
Cook and drain spaghetti. Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Toss spaghetti with two tablespoons of butter. Add Parmesan cheese and eggs, then toss. Form spaghetti into a round crust in a ten inch pie pan. In a skillet, cook the meat, onions and fresh pepper until the vegetables are tender and the meat is browned. Drain off all excess fat; then stir in the sugar, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and garlic salt and heat this through. Spread the cottage cheese over your spaghetti crust, then fill the pie with the tomato/meat mixture and bake for 20 minutes uncovered. Sprinkle with mozzarella, then bake an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
… then …
Top it all off with this:
Caramel Rum Fondue
24 caramels
4 tablespoons rum
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon water
3-4 Jonathan apples
Just heat the caramels, rum, butter and water in the top of your double boiler over moderate heat. Be sure to keep stirring and stirring until all the mixture becomes smooth. Pour it into a warm fondue pot, then dip apple slices in.
Food Facts: Fresh lean pork can be a good source of both B vitamins and protein – but do be certain to cook pork properly because if not cooked long enough, it may carry parasites!