Clam Chowder

So there was this one time (or maybe more than one time) in my childhood.  Mom made clam chowder.  I very kindly said "thank you for this delightful meal, Mother.  But I'm just not hungry tonight." (yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what I said.) Anyway, Dad said nice try to that one and then invited his friend Stubborn to the table.  He told me I wasn't leaving the table until that bowl of soup was gone.  In my head: "well then you're going to be waiting a while cause that ain't happening."
Aaaand we sat at that table for hours. And in the end Dad and Stubborn won that night.  And maybe that's why clam chowder is one of Dad's favorite meals.

The Recipe (serves 8)

• 1 c. finely diced white onion
• 1 c. finely diced celery
• 2 c. diced potato- cooked and cooled (don't salt them)
• 2 cans minced clams
• 3/4 c. butter
• 3/4 c. flour
• 1 qt. half and half
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 T red wine vinegar (or any vinegar)
• pepper to taste

1. Cook potatoes and drain.  Allow to cool.
2. Drain liquid from clams and reserve.
3. Place celery and onions in saucepan. Add liquid from clams.  Add enough water to cover vegetables.  Simmer until tender.
4. In heavy saucepan, melt butter, add flour blending well. 
5. Stir in cream, blending with wire whisk.  Add vegetables- don't drain.
6. Stir in clams, potatoes, salt and pepper.  Heat thoroughly.
7. Add vinegar

Plan Q

I've been terrible at posting recipes.  I went three months without doing squat.  Well, that's not true.  I gathered recipes.  Grandma showed me how to make dill pickles.  Mom made strawberry pie.  I bookmarked cookbooks.  Even found Grandma Anderson's old handmade cookbook with a handwritten note to my mom inside and a recipe written by my mom's dad when he was a kid.  Treasures.
But it takes time to pick a recipe, find an occasion to make it, and then documenting it. And posting pictures takes forever and I don't ever feel like sitting down to plug in cords and import and change file types, etc etc.  Hence, Plan Q.
I'm just going to post the recipes as I find them, and we'll all just use this as a cookbook and we'll take pictures when we happen to cook any of these recipes and we'll add the pictures as they come.

Kapish?

Carrot Cookies

One of Grandma Manning's specialties.... so dainty and fresh.  And hello, there are carrots in these cookies.  Healthy.  .....right?

The Recipe:

• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. butter
• 1 egg
• 1 c. cooked, mashed carrots
• 2 c. flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 t. orange extract

1. Cream sugar and butter
2. Add egg and mashed carrot
3. Add sifted dry ingredients.
4. Add vanilla and orange 
5. Drop on greased cookie sheet
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes
7. Frost with your regular powdered sugar frosting (adding a bit of orange flavoring and orange food color for a kick)

Fresh Strawberry Pie

When I was little my mom had this genius idea.  She had this little tiny basket, and she filled it with little pieces of paper.  On each paper she wrote a job and drew a picture of it, and she made it a game, yes, a GAME to do chores.  I always hoped I would pick the one with the picture of the girl picking strawberries. Nice one, mom.
We've had a strawberry patch ever since I can remember.  And since I have those fun memories of picking berries I loved that Easton jumped right into the effort this summer.  Nearly every time he came over he would head out to the garden and fill an entire bowl of strawberries.  So cute.

The Recipe:

• 3T cornstarch
• 1 c. sugar
• 3 T. strawberry gelatin
• 1 c. water
• 2 T. corn syrup
• 3 T. strawberry gelatin (1- 3oz package if doubled)
• 3 drops food coloring
• 3 c. fresh strawberries

1. Combine cornstarch, water, and sugar in sauce pan.
2. Cook over low heat until thick and clear. 
3. Remove from heat.
4. Add corn syrup, gelatin, and food color.  
5. Let cool.
6. Lightly fold in berries.
7. Pour into baked 9" pie shell.
8. Chill and top with whipped cream.

Banana Bread

This is THE BEST banana bread recipe.  If you ever need to manipulate someone to be on your side, bake up a pan of this stuff and you'll be set.

The recipe:

• 1 1/2c. flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. nuts
• 3 bananas

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. In mom's recipe book there are zero instructions, so let's just say...
3. Combine all ingredients
4. Grease and flour a loaf pan
5. Fill loaf pan, bake for 90 minutes.

Maple Syrup

Hot? Cold? This is the great debate between my parents.  In my dad's childhood they ate it cold.  He says the pancakes warm it up to the perfect temperature.  My mom grew up serving it hot.  Tomato Tomato (hmmm how do you type that so you say it right?  Eh anyway...)

The Recipe

• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 4 c. white sugar
• 2 c. water
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 t. maple flavoring

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil.
2. Boil for 1 minute.
3. Add flavorings.
4. Serve hot?  Or cool in the fridge.  Whatever floats your boat. 

Makes 1 qt.

Fruity Pebbles Dino Eggs

Recently I made a small investment.  A SMALL investment.  I bought a DVD/VCR combo for $5 at DI.  I think it's the BEST purchase ever.  I can play the DVDs I have, plus I can buy all the oldies on VHS at DI for 50 cents.  

For some reason nobody else thinks this is as awesome as I do..........I don't get it.

A few weeks ago, Collette and I had a date night.  We went to DI and picked out some movies, then had a sleepover in my room.  We chose the Flintstones (remember it?).  Well, we only got about halfway through it before we fell asleep so the next day we decided to invite the rest of the sisters and have a Flintstones party.  

While I was at work, Collette made some Fruity Pebbles Dino Eggs for the party.  She has the recipe memorized because it's the same as Rice Krispy Treats.  Here it is...

THE RECIPE:

1. Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter with 40 large marshmallows (or 4 cups regular size)
2. Add 6 cups Fruity Pebbles cereal.
3. Using your hands, mold into egg-sized shapes.
4. Place on waxed paper.