Sharon Starley's Punch

Mix the following ingredients:

• 6 oz. orange juice
• 6 oz. lemonade
• 1 to 1 1/2 c. sugar (as desired)
• 10 c. water
• 1 tsp. almond flavor
• 1 tsp. vanilla

*This isn't a gallon so double accordingly

Freezer Jam

Can't post about rye bread unless we post about the jam too, am I right?

There's really no secret to this recipe.  All you have to do is follow the directions on the back of the Sure-Jell packet.  But I will mention a few tips:

• My mom blends the fruit so there are no lumps because that's just how we like it.  Traditionally jam is supposed to be lumpy so if that's what you want then go right ahead.
• Don't try to be healthy and lower the amount of sugar you add.  You have to have a ton of sugar or it won't form the gel.  (Little tip from my food science class)
• If you decide to make this, while you're at it make some rye bread (here) or some bran muffins (here).  You won't be sorry.

Microwave Peanut Brittle

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present a very special guest poster....

Grandma Joan Allen!

I know, you're all as excited as I am that Grandma is posting on the blog today.

So, with no further ado, let's talk about peanut brittle.

I remembered a recipe I always made at Christmas that Grampa Joe loved and could not leave alone either. I haven't made it since he left- but I have definitely made many many platefuls for the holidays over the years.

Grandma's story behind this: About 28 years ago I began demonstrating this recipe in different wards' homemaking meetings (Aunt Karen Cook Anderson also demonstrated this so it's actually connected to both sides of the family!). One night I was doing it at the old white church building on 4th Ave when someone ran in and said my daughter had been hit by a car and was at the hospital. Needless to say I did not finish the demo. I felt so guilty as Grampa was Home Teaching and I was teaching RS and a neighbor had to come to the church to let me know. And so you know that was your Mom, although at the time I thought it was Melani riding her bike. Truly, recipes do bring back memories.

The recipe:

• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. raw peanuts
• 1/2 c. white corn syrup
• 2 T butter
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanila

1. Into a 4 cup measuring cup (Grama uses a pyrex quart cup) place sugar, peanuts, and corn syrup.
2. Put in microwave and boil 4 minutes- stirring at 2 minutes.
3. Add 2 T butter
4. Cook 5-6 minutes stirring half way through
5. Remove from oven
6. Add soda and vanilla and stir.
7. Pour onto greased cookie sheet
8. Cool and break into pieces

This is delicious and not too expensive and makes a lot. If it is overcooked even a tad it is too brown and burned. It depends on your microwave. They all heat differently.

Have a great Christmas. I love you.

-Grandma

Kelsey again. I thought I should take a moment to note the "daughter got run over by a car" part of that story. I always had a sense of pride in my elementary years that I could say "oh yeah? Well my mom got run over by a car!" I don't know, things like that just give you standing on the playground. Grama sent me an email telling me about it all....

Once upon a time, a man was drunk. he left the Kimberly police station (still drunk) and headed home because the police said they wouldn't cite him if he drove straight home. My mom and her friend Melanie happened to be walking on the road he chose to drive home on. Mom was 16 and got hit by the rear view mirror and was thrown into the borrow pit and shattered her elbow. A neighbor friend, Jon Wagstaff, put her in his truck and drove her straight to the hospital.
Grandma said she freaked out when she got to the hospital, but all Mom wanted was a blessing, which Grandpa gave her. She was in surgery for 3 hours because they had to pick out all the shattered bone. She couldn't use her left arm for a while and says it's still not the same.
Want to know what happened to the truck driver? He was cited for hit and run, no insurance, no driver's license, running a stop sign, and drunk driving, and was fined a whopping $14.50 in court fees. I don't think it would have gone over the same now.
I had to literally beg for this picture. But here's the scar down her arm where they had to put a plate in for a while. I'm telling you, this story is the stuff of celebrities at school.

Berok

Aunt Mel told me about this one. I guess Grandma used to make it and Great-Grandma made it before her. For some reason, every time I make something with cabbage I think of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- they had cabbage soup for dinner every night. So to be honest, I'm trying to imagine my family eating it years ago, but all I can think up are scenes from the movie.........

The Recipe:

• 4 c. cabbage
• 2 lbs. hamburger
• 2 yellow onions
• 36 rhodes rolls

The directions are just too easy! First set out your rolls to thaw. Put the cabbage and onions in a frying pan, let them cook together for a few minutes. Then add your (already cooked) hamburger and let the flavors cook together for a bit. I love the green color from the cabbage. Note: this step can be stinky. May bother your husband's upper lip syndrome. Flatten out your roll, put a spoonful of the filling in the middle and wrap it up so it makes a ball. Then bake about 12 minutes on 350.

6-Week Bran Muffins

There are two scents that take my mind straight to my Grandma Allen's house: chicken noodle soup, and warm bran muffins. I probably asked Grandma to make muffins for breakfast just about every time I visited there as a child. Even today, there's something comforting about that smell.

The recipe:
-Mix 2 cups boiling water with 5 tsp. baking soda. Let cool.
-Cream 1 cup shortening, 2 cups (or less) sugar, and 4 eggs, beaten until fluffy.
-Add water to shortening mix, and add:
-2 cups All Bran Cereal
-4 cups bran flakes cereal
-1 qt. buttermilk
-5 cups flour with 1 Tbsp salt

-Mix all into a 10qt container. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Best part of the recipe? It's good for 6 weeks!! (Just keep the batter in an airtight container in the fridge)