Crockpot Congressional Bean Soup

1 lb small white beans
8 cups water
2 cups diced ham
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 TBS chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf

Assemble ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low setting about 8 hours or until beans are tender.

Pink Cloud Dessert (Pavlova)

1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 12-oz container frozen pink lemonade
1 12-oz  container Cool Whip PLUS
1 16--oz containers Cool Whip
Few drops red food coloring

Whip lemonade into sweetened condensed milk.
Gently fold in Cool Whip with slow mixer or wire whisk.
Add food coloring to desired shade of light pink.
Refrigerate until served.
Pipe into meringue shells and serve.

Meringue Shells:
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar.

Beat until stiff peaks form.
Pipe small nest/bowl shapes onto parchment paper with pre-drawn circles for uniform size - about 3 inches in diameter.  (good tutorial online at http://www.cookincanuck.com/2011/03/how-to-make-meringue-shells/)
Bake at 225 for 1-1/2 hours; turn oven off and leave in oven an additional 30 minutes.
Cool completely and gently peel off parchment paper.
May be frozen in airtight container.
**Makes about 10 cups (3/4 cup is a good serving for plastic highball type glasses... or about 13 servings)
**May serve with crushed Oreos and whipped cream

Broccoli Salad

From Mary Purbaugh

2 lbs fresh broccoli florets, chopped fine
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup REAL bacon bits
1 cup salted sunflower kernels
Toss all ingredients together and drizzle with dressing.

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Mix together and pour over broccoli mixture.

Makes about 15 servings

Peanut Butter Balls

1-1/2 cubes butter
1 16-oz jar crunchy peanut butter
3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 lb powdered sugar
2 4.4-oz Hershey milk chocolate candy bars
1 inch household paraffin

In a LARGE mixing bowl, toss together the cereal and powdered sugar until well coated.  Set aside.
in a double boiler (or over very low heat), melt together butter and peanut butter.
Pour melted mixture over cereal and stir well to combine.
Use your hands to complete this process, making sure cereal is evenly coated.
While mixture is still warm, shape into walnut-sized balls... may use a small cookie scoop.
Use palms and thumbs to pack each ball firmly into shape.
Allow to cool completely or cool in refrigerator.
When candy is cool:
Melt 2 Hershey bars together with 1 inch of paraffin wax.
Using two dinner forks or a candy dipper, dip each ball into chocolate; tap off excess, and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Makes about 5 dozen pieces

Raisin Pie

1 double unbaked pie crust - prepared in advance. (Recipe below)
2 cups raisins
2 cups water
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 TBS cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS vinegar
1 TBS butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 425.
Combine raisins and water and boil for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, blend together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt.
After raisins have boiled 5 minutes, add cornstarch mixture and continue cooking and stirring until mixture is clear and thickened.
Remove from heat and add butter and vinegar.
Cool slightly and pour into prepared pastry-lined pie pan.
Cover with top pastry or lattice strips.
Bake at 425 about 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Pie Dough (pate brise)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

2 sticks COLD butter, cut into chunks

1/4 - 1/2 cup ice cold water

Place flour, salt, and sugar in food processor. Drop in cubed butter.

Pulse until butter is chopped into small, pea-sized pieces.

With machine running, SLOWLY drizzle in ice water until mixture *just* comes together and forms a ball.

Divide in half, roll out on floured surface.

Baked Potato Soup

Kathrine's Recipe

4 large potatoes, baked - remove pulp & chop
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
4 green onions, chopped
1 LB bacon, cooked & chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
8 oz sour cream

While potatoes are still warm, remove pulp and chop.
DO NOT allow potatoes to cool completely first as this will result in starchy pulp!
Melt butter and add flour, whisk to make a roux (paste). Cook for a minute or two.
Add milk and stir constantly until thick and bubbly.
Add potato pulp and salt, pepper, bacon and green onion.
Add cheese and stir until melted.
Add sour cream and stir until melted and well blended.
Garnish with more bacon, onion, sour cream - as desired.

Carrot Cake

By Jan & Ruth Snyder

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda

3 eggs
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 cup well-drained crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.
Add eggs, oil, carrots, and vanilla; beat until combines.
Stir in pineapple, coconut, and 1/2 cup nuts.
Pour into a greased 9" X 13" baking pan.
Bake at 350 for 50 - 60 minutes or until cake tests done.
Cool, and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Frosting:
2 3-oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
6 TBS butter or margarine, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients and mix until well blended.
Frost cooled cake and sprinkle with remaining nuts.
Store in refrigerator.

Pecan Balls

My Mom's Recipe:
1/2 lb butter, softened
2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp vanilla
4 TBS sugar
2 cups chopped pecans
Powdered sugar for rolling into.

Cream butter and sugar; add vanilla.
Add flour and nuts.  Mix well.
Form into small balls and place on cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 about 20 minutes.  Bottoms should be lightly browned)
While still warm, roll in powdered sugar.
Depending on size - Makes about 4 - 6 dozen.
Recipe is easily halved.
**Mom's note: This dough will seem quite dry and sorta crumbly, but as you form it into balls, it molds in OK.

Mom's Sugar Cookies (Basic Cookie Dough)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 TBS cream
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Beat together butter, sugar, and eggs.  Add cream and vanilla.
Stir together dry ingredients and blend into butter/sugar mixture.
Chill 4 - 5 hours or overnight.
Roll out, cut into shapes, and bake at 400 6 - 8 minutes.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Frost with:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup margarine
2 TBS milk
1 tsp vanilla
Cream together butter and sugar; add vanilla and milk.
Stir in powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
Frosts about 3 dozen cookies.

Heavenly Cookies or Chocolate Chip Merengues

4 egg whites
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 300.
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until just foamy.
Add salt and vanilla and continue beating
While beating, add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time until stiff peaks form.
Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.
Drop by spoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake 25 minutes or until peaks are lightly browned.
Allow to cool 3 - 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.
Makes about 30 cookies.
By:  Suzanne Manutai (Hunter's favs!).

Gingerbread Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
2 TBS cornstarch
2 TBS light Karo syrup
Cream together the above ingredients, then add:
3 cups flour
2 tsp each: soda, cinnamon, and ginger
1 tsp each: cloves & nutmeg

Roll out.
Cut into desired cookie shapes.
Bake at 400 5 - 10 minutes.
Frost with buttercream frosting.
By: Roxie Hubbs

Pam's Chile Relleno Casserole

3 7-oz cans whole green chiles
1 lb. Jack cheese, grated (reserve 1/2 cup)
1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
3 eggs, beaten
3 TBS flour
1 5-oz can evaporated milk
1 8-oz can tomato sauce

In a 9" X 13" pan, layer half the chiles then half the cheeses.  (Remember to reserve 1/2 cup of Jack cheese)
Add flour and milk to beaten eggs, and using an electric mixer (to make sure there are no lumps), beat until well blended.
Pour egg mixture over chile/cheese layers.
Casserole may be refrigerated at this point if desired.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Spread tomato sauce evenly over the top, and sprinkle with reserved cheese.
Bake 15 minutes longer.
Allow to set for 5 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.
* Recipe may be halved and baked in an 8" X 8" pan.