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P.O. Box 98424
Lubbock, Texas 79499

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The purpose of this recipe newsletter is to post requests and replies from our members and to post all their great tried and tested (TNT) recipes.   

Hi Nancy & Everyone - Chris in NM, your Taco Salad is very similar to a 'staple' in our household for a quick, summer meal that is as nourishing as it is tasty, not to mention it does not heat the kitchen. Our family really liked it growing up. Here is my version:

BJ's Taco Salad

Ground meat (amount depends on how many you are preparing for) browned in skillet, drain fat, add chili powder (to taste), salt and pepper, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water - allow to simmer while preparing rest of ingredients for salad, or until liquid cooked out, keep hot

1 head lettuce, thinly sliced, rinsed - spin dry in salad spinner
Shredded Cheddar cheese
1 large onion, finely chopped (I have used sliced green onion, tops included)
Tomato, diced
Black or Green olives, drained
Nacho chips
Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (I make mine with Hidden Valley Ranch mix, Hellman's mayo and buttermilk)

We prepared them individually; to assemble: lettuce, cooked meat (hot), shredded cheese and top with onion, tomato, olives and dressing; serve Nacho chips on side, or crumble over top...great dish!
Betty in MS
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Cooking Information, Tips and Hints

For Chris in NM who asked for Outback SteakHouse's bread, here is one I took from TopSecretRecipes quite a long time ago:

Outback Steakhouse Honey Wheat Bushman Bread
by Todd Wilbur

Along with an entree at this popular steakhouse chain, comes a freshly baked loaf of this dark, sweet bread, served on it's own cutting board with soft whipped butter. One distinctive feature of the bread is its color.

How does the bread get so dark? While you may notice the recipe includes instant coffee and cocoa, these ingredients will not give it it's deep dark chocolate brown color - not even close. Usually breads that are this dark --such as pumpernickel or dark bran muffins -- contain caramel color, an ingredient often used in the industry to darken foods. Since your local supermarket will not likely have this mostly commercial product, we will make the caramel color from a mixture of three food colorings -- red, yellow and blue. Just be sure to get the food coloring in the little droppers so that you can count the drops as you measure. That's very important to getting the color just right. You may also opt to keep the color out. The bread will certainly taste the same, but will look nothing like the real deal. I suggest using a bread machine for the mixing and kneading, if you have one.

Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
2 cups bread flour
1 2/3 cups wheat flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant coffee
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 pkg.) yeast

Coloring
1/4 cup water
75 drops red food coloring
45 drops blue food coloring
30 drops yellow food coloring
cornmeal for dusting

1. If using a bread machine, add all of the ingredients for the dough in the exact order listed into the pan of your machine. Set it on "knead" and when the machine begins to mix the dough, combine the food coloring with 1/4 cup of water and drizzle it into the mixture as it combines. After the dough is created let it rest to rise for an hour or so. Then remove it from the pan and go to step #3.
2. If you are not using a bread machine, combine the flours, cocoa, sugar, coffee and salt in large bowl. Make a depression or "well" in the middle of the dry mixture. Pour the warm water into this "well," then add the butter, honey and yeast. Combine the food coloring drops with 1/4 cup of water and add that to the "well." Slowly mix the ingredients with a spoon, drawing the dry ingredients into the wet. When you can handle the dough, begin to combine it by hand, kneading the dough thoroughly for at least ten minutes, until it is very smooth and has a consistent color. Set the dough into a covered bowl in a warm place for an hour, to allow it to rise.
3. When the dough has risen to about double in size, punch it down and divide it into 8 even portions (divide dough in half, divide those halves in half, and then once more). Form the portions into tubular shaped loaves about 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Sprinkle the entire surface of the loaves with cornmeal and place them on a cookie sheet, or two. Cover the cookie sheet(s) with plastic wrap and let the dough rise once more for another hour in a warm location.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the dough and bake it for 20-24 minutes in the hot oven. Loaves should begin to darken slightly on top when done. Serve warm with a sharp bread knife and butter on the side. If you want whipped butter, like you get at the restaurant, just use an electric mixer on high speed to whip some butter until it's fluffy. Makes 8 small loaves
Tidbits: It is normal for this dough to be a bit tacky and to seem somewhat thin. Just be sure to add plenty of flour to your hands and work surface when working with the dough to prevent sticking. If you are able to find caramel color, you can use that rather than the food coloring formula described in the recipe. Just measure 1 tablespoon of caramel color into the dough mixture where the recipe uses food coloring and water.

Betty in MS
This recipe was also sent in by Joan in MA
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Scrapbooking is one way to preserve your treasured family recipes.  Here are some scrapbooking ideas. I included photographs in case you want to post a picture of your famous recipe.

Preserving Your Treasured Family Recipes
Preserving your Photos with Scrapbooking
How to Save Money on Scrapbooking
Patterning and Spacing in Your Scrapbooks
Getting Rid of Mistakes in Your Scrapbooks
Photograph Mosaics and Markers in Your Scrapbooks
Faux Wax Seals, Tearing, and Fraying -Scrapbooks
Leather Look, Accents, and Punching -Scrapbook
Ribbons and Lace to Spice Up Your Scrapbooks
How to Use Feathers & Dried Flowers in Your Scrapbook
Stickers, and Rubber Stamping in Your Scrapbooks
Puzzle Pieces and Sequins in Your Scrapbooks
You Are A Diamond So Scrapbook About Yourself
Patterning and Spacing in Your Scrapbooks
Use Clippings and Kid's Art in your Scrapbook
The Theme and Title of Your New Scrapbook
Use Order and Text to Give Life to Your Scrapbook
Easy Steps to Scrapbooking with Young Kids
Get Organized And Use Your Scrapbook Storage
These Are Slowly Destroying My Scrapbooks!
Need A Scrapbook Journaling Idea?
How to Use Textured Paper Backgrounds - Scrapbook
Scrapbooking Tips And Tricks For Photos And Images
Photographs and the Use of a Collage in Scrapbooks
Scrapbook Photographs
Scrapbooking Yourself as an Individual
Use of Color and Photographs in Your Scrapbook
Scrapbook Photos - Getting Adventurous with Your Layouts

By the way, the Outback dinner salad dressing I am looking for was their house dressing. I am not sure if it was the honey mustard vinaigrette or not.
Chris in NM

Top 100 Recipe Sites 

AR in Fl, I don?t see why you can?t use any flavoring you want in the macaroni cake! It depends on how you want your cake to taste! I think the consistency is similar to rice or bread pudding, especially with all the eggs. Either that or a desert omelet. It is still good! I forgot to say, when I made it I used vanilla since I don?t normally use anise.
Chris in NM

I would like the recipe for making sweet pickles using a gallon jar of dill pickles. I'm sure someone out there has it. Thanks.
Debbie, AR

I would like to find a recipe for copycat V-8 juice. I would like to can this in pints.
Florence in Indiana

On Thursday, my granddaughter will be eleven. Three of her grandparents are diabetic so the sugar-free yellow cake submitted by Jean from IL really piqued my interest. However, I really do not like margarine. Do you, Jean, or any other cook out there better than I, think low-fat sour, cream, unsweetened applesauce 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, or a combination thereof, would work in place of the margarine.

Thanks for any advice.
grannym IL

Rhubarb jam recipes
This spring someone was looking for a strawberry-rhubarb jam recipe and I didn't respond since my recipe was lost.
.
Since I still have some rhubarb growing in the garden ($2.49 a lb. in my local supermarket), I bought some peaches to make peach-rhubarb jam.
.
While searching for a recipe, I found this site that might be of use to other newsletter members. There are several strawberry-rhubarb recipes along with a peach recipe I was seeking.
Leah

Top 100 Recipe Sites

This is for Bee, who in the 8/5/09 newsletter was searching for a Robert E. Lee cake recipe. It has been years since I made this. It may not be what you are wanting, as you said that many of the recipes that you found were not like the cake you had. If you can be more specific about the cake that you liked so much, it will help the readers know which recipes to send to you.
Robbie In

Robert E Lee Cake
Yield: 1 8" cake

9 Eggs, separated, room temp
1 1/2 c Sugar
2 c Sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1 tb Lemon juice
Grated peel of 3 lemons
Grated peel of 5 oranges
1/2 c Lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
2 c Orange juice (6-8 oranges)
1 1/2 c Sugar
1 1/2 c Shredded coconut

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spray 3 (8 inch) round cake pans with vegetable cooking spray. In large bowl, beat egg whites until they hold stiff but moist

peaks. In large bowl, beat egg yolks until lemon colored and very light. Slowly beat in 1 1/2 cups sugar. Fold in egg whites. Gently fold in flour, salt

and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, mixing only enough to blend in flour. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven 35-45 minutes or

until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. In a medium size bowl, combine citrus peels and juices, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and 1 cup of coconut.

Stir mixture to dissolve sugar. Remove cake layers from pans to trays. Spoon citrus mixture over tops of warm layers; cool. Stack layers on a serving plate.

Let stand several hours before serving to allow cake to absorb liquid. To serve, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut.
Robbie IN
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Regarding Betty T in GA's Atlanta Coconut Cake...Betty is referring to the Rich's Coconut cake, if I am not mistaken. Our Atlanta Journal Constitution ran the ORIGINAL recipe for this cake. The man who ran Rich's bakeries in the 60';s and 70's was finally found and he had the photocopy of what Rich's bakeries used. This article appeared in the AJC on April 8, 2007, with a correction in the flour and sugar amounts appearing about a week later (those corrections appear in the recipe below).

I have made this cake, so it tried and true. I do not keep vegetable shortening, so I used butter. You have to keep in mind that many of the ingredients are due to the fact that the Rich's bakeries we on-site and had to use non-perishable ingredients (thus the powdered milk and vegetable shortening). I also used milk, not powdered milk and water.

Rich's Bakeshop Icing

16 servings
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons powdered milk
1/2 cup water (for dissolving milk powder)

In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the vegetable shortening, vanilla and salt and cream together until incorporated. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar until it forms a very thick consistency. Dissolve the powdered milk in the water and gradually add, just 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, until the icing is a nice, spreadable consistency.

Rich's Bakeshop Yellow Cake

16 servings (three thin 9-inch layers or two thicker 9-inch layers)
Hands on: 30 minutes
b>Total time: 50-60 minutes

Rich's always did a three-layer cake, with two layers of coconut filling, but some home cooks don't have three pans of the same size, so two would work just fine.

Shortening and flour for pans
2 1/4 cups cake flour (if you can't find cake flour, use White Lily brand all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon powdered milk
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup liquid milk (2 percent or whole)
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake pans by lightly greasing with shortening, then dusting with flour. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir the powdered milk into the water and mix until dissolved. Combine the liquid milk with the powdered milk/water mixture and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and the sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add about half the flour mixture, beating until just incorporated, and then half the milk mixture, again beating until just incorporated. Repeat this step, adding the remaining flour with the remaining liquid, and beat until just smooth (about 1 minute). Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowls once or twice during the mixing. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake in preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on how many cake pans you use and how full they are. The cake is done when it springs back when lightly pressed near the center with your finger. Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely.

Rich's Bakeshop Coconut Cake

16 servings
Hands on: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Angie Mosier tested and rewrote the recipe for home use.

2 pounds frozen unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 or 3 layers Rich's Bakeshop Yellow Cake (see recipe)
1 batch Rich's Bakeshop Icing (see recipe)

In a large bowl, thaw the frozen coconut. Set aside. Take 1 1/2 cups of the coconut and place in a smaller bowl. Combine the water and sugar and pour over this smaller bowl of coconut. This should be very moist but not soupy. Place one layer of the yellow cake on a cake plate and spread with icing. Spoon the moistened coconut over that. Place the next layer on top and spread with icing, spooning the moistened coconut over it. Continue this process until all your layers are filled; however, don't put the moist filling on the very top of the last layer, as it will be iced. Next, cover the entire cake with the icing. Make sure to use a thick coating of icing on the cake to eliminate any of the cake showing through. Take handfuls of the dry, thawed coconut and press the flakes into the buttercream. You may want to put a tray underneath to catch any coconut that falls as you do this. Continue pressing dry, flaky coconut all over the cake until it is completely covered. Chill for about one hour to set (it helps the coconut to stay) and then serve. Per serving: 802 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 7 grams protein, 80 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fiber, 54 grams fat (40 grams saturated), 43 milligrams cholesterol, 402 milligrams sodium.

June 2007 recipes.
Posted by Evelyn in Tennessee and Tina in GA. Chris in NM
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Our Prayer Requests
http://whatscookin.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=prayer 

Orange Creamsicle Pudding (Diabetic)

1 small box sugar-free orange Jell-O
1 small box sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
1 (8-oz.) container Non-fat Cool Whip
1 can mandarin oranges (drained well)

Dissolve Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water. Add 3 ice cubes to a measuring cup and fill with cold water to make 1 cup. Add to Jell-O and hot water. Stir well until dissolved. Let set for 5 minutes to cool. With electric mixer, stir the dry instant pudding into Jell-O. Mix well. Let stand for 15 minutes. Fold in thawed Cool Whip and then the oranges. Refrigerate

This same recipe can be done substituting, raspberry Jell-O and the fat free chocolate pudding, leaving out the mandarin oranges. You could use whatever combinations appeal to you.

Have a great day and don't get to hungry after reading your daily dose of this newsletter.
Lou, Fl.
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I need a TNT recipe for Scallop Mornay.
Linda

Sourdough Starter Recipe

3 tablespoons instant mashed potato flakes
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup warm water
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Combine instant potatoes, sugar, water, and yeast in a covered container. Let the starter sit on a counter for 5 days, stirring daily with a wooden spoon.

On the morning of the fifth day, feed the starter with 3 tablespoons instant potatoes, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 cup warm water. In the evening, take out 1 cup of the starter to use in a sourdough recipe. Refrigerate the remaining starter.

Every five days, feed the starter 3 tablespoons instant potatoes, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 cup water. If starter is to be used in a recipe, let the fed starter rest at room temperature 6 hours before use. If starter is not being used in a recipe, keep refrigerated and discard 1 cup of starter after each feeding.
Nanci
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Southwestern Baked Spaghetti

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
1 lg. chopped onion
12 oz. spaghetti, cooked
1 1/2 pts. tomatoes
1 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
2 sm. red peppers
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sweet basil
1 tsp. oregano

Brown beef and onion. Drain well. Mix all remaining ingredients together and pour into two 9x13 greased pans. Top with grated cheese and bake for 45 minutes at 350.
Nanci
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Nancy in Woman's World magazine had a Cooking Tips to Clip! column and here they are

Neater oatmeal - Making oatmeal on the Stove? Coat the pot with cooking spray first to keep the oatmeal from boiling over or sticking to the pan.

Better gravy - Instead of adding salt to your gravy, enrich its flavor and color by using a little soy sauce.

Tastier tomatoes - Before adding cherry tomatoes to a marinated salad, pierce them a few times with a fork. They'll become more flavorful by instantly absorbing the dressing.

Discover a dish size - Don't know the size of your baking dish? Just fill it to the top with water, then pour the water into a liquid measuring cup.

Is the oil hot? - To check the temperature of oil in your pot without a thermometer, insert a wooden spoon or chopstick into it-when small bubbles appear around the spoon, the temperature will be about 350?F.

Save your whipped cream - To fix over-beaten cream that's turned buttery, gently fold in additional liquid cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until light and fluffy.

Freezing tip - Cut bagels and English muffins in half before freezing-they'll defrost faster, and you can pop them straight from the freezer into the toaster!

Hopefully these hints will help some people.
Susie Indy

Creamy Salad Dressing
0 Grams Of Fat

1 Cup Fat-Free Salad Dressing, Such As Miracle Whip
1 Cup Fat-Free Ranch Dressing
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/4 Cup Skim Milk

Mix all ingredients with a wire whisk until smooth. Serve over your favorite salad greens or fruit.
This makes about 2-1/4 Cups
Lisa-Union Bridge, MD
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Fried Peach Pies

2 pkgs. frozen peaches
1 1/2 c. sugar
Pastry
3 or 4 cans canned biscuits

Place peaches in large pot over low heat and thaw. Add sugar and cook until mixture thickens. Set aside to cool. Open a can of biscuits and on floured board roll each biscuit out into a circle. Place a spoonful of peaches on 1 side of biscuit; fold in half and crimp closed. In a large skillet with a small amount of cooking oil in it over medium heat, brown pies on both sides. Drain on paper towels. These are great hot or cold.
Tona in Bama
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Strawberry Gravy and Biscuits

1-1/2 qts. cut up strawberries
3/4 c. canned milk
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. flour
2 cans biscuits

Put strawberries and sugar in a pot just over the strawberries. Boil. When the strawberries have been boiling pretty good, mix canned milk and flour in a cup, then pour in with strawberries, stirring until they get fairly thick. Pour over hot buttered biscuits.
Tona in Bama
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Raisin Bread

1 c. raisins
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped nuts
1 pkg. canned biscuits

Combine raisins, brown sugar and nuts. Stretch biscuits into 4-inch circles and butter generously. Press raisin mixture into biscuits. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes.
Tona in Bama
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Shrimp Biscuits

10 ready to cook canned biscuits
Cocktail sauce
Jumbo shrimp (frozen)

Roll to pancake flatness each of the canned biscuits. Spread each with cocktail sauce, wrap around one frozen cooked jumbo shrimp and pin with a cocktail stick. Place in a 450 degree oven for about 8 minutes or until biscuit browns.
Tona in Bama
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Creamy Cucumbers
0 Grams of Fat

1/2 Cup Plain Non-Fat Yogurt
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Dill Weed
2 Cups Thinly Sliced Cucumbers
1 Small Onion, Sliced thin and separate into rings
Lettuce leaves
Mix all ingredients, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Serves 2

Lisa-Union Bridge, MD
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Potato Green Pea Salad

Salad:
4-5 Medium Potatoes
2 Cups Frozen Green Peas, thawed
1 Cup Chopped Celery
1/4 Cup Sliced Green Onions
1/4 Cup Chopped Green Pepper

Dressing:
1/2 Cup Fat-Free Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Plain Non-Fat Yogurt
1 to 2 Tablespoons Prepared Mustard
1 Teaspoon Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes in water and cover for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, peel them and cut into cubes. Should be about 7 cups. Combine the potatoes with the rest of the salad ingredients in a serving bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad mixture. Toss lightly. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Serves 6
Lisa-Union Bridge, MD
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Pear Preserves
(Texas State Fair Winner 1986)

6 c. pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1 c. water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 pkg. powdered pectin
9 c. sugar
2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine pears, water and lemon juice in large saucepan. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in pectin and bring to full rolling boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar. Return to full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring. Remove from heat; add nutmeg. Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Yield: 6 half-pints. Can be made with apples.
Sunshine
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