SUMMER OF SECRETS Recipes

Moist and sweet-tart, this breakfast treat could double as dessert!

1 ½ C. brown sugar
½ C. margarine, softened
1 egg
1 C. buttermilk
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ C. diced rhubarb (fresh
½ C. sugar
2 T. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350º. Cream the sugar and margarine, add the egg. Dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk and add to the creamed mixture, then add the dry ingredients and rhubarb. Spread the batter in a greased/sprayed 9×13 pan. Sprinkle the remaining sugar and the cinnamon over the top of the cake and bake for 40 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Do not overbake!

Faster than the oven variety, and keeps your kitchen cooler, too! Same great taste.

4-5 strips bacon
1 medium onion, diced
2 20-oz. cans pork & beans
¼ C. each mustard, ketchup, brown sugar
Salt and pepper

In a large skillet, cook the bacon; remove, drain, and crumble. Cook the onion in the bacon grease (then drain the remaining grease if you wish) and pour the beans into the skillet. Stir in the condiments, season to taste, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beans are thick and most of the liquid is absorbed. Serves 10-12.

Moist and delicious. Pretty enough for a party!

1 strawberry cake mix with pudding in it
1 3 oz. box strawberry gelatin
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed but not drained
1 3 oz. box of white chocolate instant pudding
1 8 oz. tub of whipped topping

Make cake in a 9×13” pan according to directions; cool. Use a meat fork to poke holes all over it. Dissolve the gelatin in 1 C. boiling water, cool slightly, and then pour this liquid evenly over the cake.

For the topping, stir the pudding mix into the thawed berries until blended, then add the whipped topping. Spread over the cake. Store, covered, in the fridge. Freezes well, too.

Kitchen Hint: Sugar-free gelatin, pudding, and lite whipped topping work fine.

You can use any flavor of canned pie filling, but cherry is the prettiest!

1 C. butter/margarine
1 ¾ C. sugar
4 eggs
3 C. flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
2 cans cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350º. Cream the butter/margarine and sugar, then add eggs and mix well. Mix in dry ingredients, and save out 1 C. of the dough. Spread the rest in a sprayed 11/17” pan (or two 9×13” pans), then top with pie filling, then drop remaining dough by teaspoons over the top. Bake about 30 minutes, until cookie seems firm (don’t overbake!). Cool and drizzle with frosting.

Frosting: 1 1/3 C. powdered sugar, ½ tsp. lemon flavoring, ½ tsp. almond flavoring, 2-3 T. milk.

Kitchen Hint: No-sugar pie filling works just fine here!

Nice switch from plain green beans. If you don’t can your own fresh beans and tomatoes,
use equal-size cans from the store.

1 qt. green beans
1 qt. tomatoes
Italian seasoning and dried onion to taste
¼ C. real bacon bits
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ C. grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 1-quart ovenproof bowl/casserole and pour in drained green beans. Add drained tomatoes and seasonings, and bacon bits, and stir. Top with cheeses, cover, and bake about 30-40 minutes, until bubbly.

Kitchen Hint: You can also add a can of sliced mushrooms, or use fresh sliced onion rather than dried.

Practically makes itself, and the varieties are endless. Good for any meal of the day.

1 lb. bulk sausage, cooked and drained
1 C. shredded cheese (Colby, cojack or mozzarella are good)
¼ C. chopped onion
¼ C. each red and green bell pepper
½ C. Bisquick or Jiffy baking mix
1 C. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Dill, garlic powder, parsley to taste
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 400º. Spray a 10” pie pan. Sprinkle the sausage, cheese and veggies in the pan. Stir remaining ingredients until blended and pour over the meat layer. Bake 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Infinite varieties: including ham, shredded pork, cooked chicken and using mushrooms, black olives, diced fresh tomatoes, peas or whatever you’ve got left over. Works for any meal of the day.

A great fix for a sweet/salty/chewy craving!

½ C. butter/margarine, melted
1 ½ C. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 C. chopped pecans
1 bag butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350º. Mix melted butter/margarine, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla, then add flour and baking powder and mix well. Add pecans and ½ the bag of chips. Spread in a sprayed 9×13” pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top. Bake about 30 minutes, just until toothpick comes out clean—don’t overbake!

These cookies set up like fudge and they won’t heat your kitchen on a summer day!

1 1/3 C. sugar
½ C. butter/margarine
½ C. milk
¼ tsp. vanilla
1 C. peanut butter
3 C. quick oats

Mix sugar, butter/margarine, milk and vanilla in a pan and bring to a boil; cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and oatmeal. Cool and drop from by spoonfuls onto wax paper. If they stay too gooey, store them in the fridge.

A soft, chewy chocolate cookie that’s sinfully delicious!

1 ¼ C. butter or margarine, softened
2 C. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
¾ C. Hershey Special Dark cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 bag Hershey Special Dark chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 350º. Cream the butter/margarine and sugar, then blend in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and mix into the dough, adding the chocolate chips last. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased/parchment papered baking sheets and bake 8-9 minutes. Cookies will be soft and puffy. Allow to cool on the sheets about a minute, until they settle around the chips, and then cool on a rack. About 5 dozen.

An old favorite! Bake it in a 9×13” pan for squares or in a Bundt pan for slices.

1 lemon cake mix
1 box instant lemon pudding mix
¾ C. oil
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350º. Mix all ingredients and pour into a sprayed pan. Bake about 20-25 minutes (toothpick comes out clean) for the 9×13 version and 50-60 minutes for the Bundt.

Meanwhile, mix glaze: 2 C. powdered sugar, ½ C. lemon juice. While cake is still warm, in the pan, gently poke holes all over it with a meat fork and pour the glaze over it to soak in. If using a Bundt pan, invert after 25 minutes to cool completely and drizzle additional, thicker frosting on the top.