What'sCookin'

What's Cooking

I'd planned to take these recipes to the grave, BUT because of my affection for decorative painters, I decided to share some of my favorites! Have you ever noticed that many painters also like to cook and eat good food?

These recipes are from a collection of recipes that I've used over the years. Some are old and some are new discoveries. First I cooked for my family, then came a parade of wonderful decorative painters and then the B&B Bob and I ran in Waupaca, WI. Cooking for the B&B was really fun, until it began to take too much time away from my painting! I'll continue to collect yummy recipes and share the best ones here with YOU.

NEW YORK CHEESE CAKE

First is my FAVORITE dessert! I LOVE this CHEESECAKE, but Bob doesn't eat cheese, so I often make this recipe when I need a dish to pass or have guests to help me eat it!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use an 8-9" spring form pan for the dessert.

CRUST:
3/4 cup finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tbls. butter, room temperature
2 tbls. granulated sugar
Blend well and press crumbs across the bottom and slightly up the sides of a spring form pan. Set aside and make the filling.

FILLING:
3 - 8 0z. Pkgs. Cream Cheese, room temp.
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
Cream the sugar with the softened cream cheese. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend well. Pour into the prepared pan with the graham cracker crust.

Bake at 350 DEGREES for "about" 35 to 40 minutes or until the center is beginning to set. (It will continue to set more as it cools) Remove from the oven and if you plan to put a sour cream topping on your cheesecake, increase the heat to 400 degrees. Pour prepared sour cream topping over the cheesecake and return to the oven.

MEANWHILE, BLEND TOPPING:2 cups commercial sour cream
3 tbls. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
Pour the above mixture onto the hot cheesecake. Sprinkle sliced almonds around the outside edge of the topping.
Return to the oven. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes or until the topping is slightly brown & perhaps cracks may appear.
Cool, then chill before serving.OPTION: If you prefer, omit the almonds and top the chilled cheesecake with sweetened fresh sliced strawberries OR a can of cherry or blueberry pie filling.

FRESH STRAWBERRY TORTE

This has been a family favorite since the kids were growing up. June is strawberry time in Wis. and we made this one each year when strawberries were in season. You have to eat it up within a day or two . . . but not quite as quickly as Lisa did one year! Right Honey? It is hard to leave alone though, once you've had a taste. It makes enough for a good size crowd too, which was a necessity for a family of seven PLUS drop-ins.

1 Yellow Pudding in the Mix Cake Mix
1 Large Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 Cup Milk
1 Pint Commercial Sour Cream
1-2 qts. fresh Strawberries
1 Large container Cool Whip Topping

1. Prepare : 1 pkg. Yellow Cake Mix
Pudding in the Mix
Follow mixing directions on the package.

2. Grease and flour a 9x13 cake pan PLUS
an 8" square pan OR make a dozen cupcakes
Bake the cake/cakes reducing the time given on the box to adjust for diminished amount in the pan. Allow the cake to cool thoroughly.

3. Mix the following ingredients together with a fork.
1 lg. pkg. of Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 cup milk
ADD: 1 pint commercial sour cream
NOTE: If you're making two cakes, increase to 1 large + 1 small pkg. pudding, 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 1/2 pints of sour cream.
QUICKLY spread the filling over the cooled cake.

4. Clean and slice 1-2 quarts of strawberries. I like to have a layer or two for a nice thick
layer the strawberries with no gaps without strawberries over the vanilla filling.
NOTE: If the strawberries aren't real sweet, and I'm serving the dessert soon, I will sometimes sprinkle just a "little" sugar over the berry layer. Just remember that this brings the juice out of the berries!

5. Spread COOL WHIP over the strawberry layer to fill all crevices between berries.
Return to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. Return unused portion to the refrigerator.
NOTE: Remember, strawberries don't hold too well, so eat it up fast.

CAROL'S HOMEMADE BARBEQUE SAUCE

This is a legacy from my dear friend Carol Ruesch. I lost Carol back in 1989, but I think of her every time I use one of her recipes. It may take a little time, but this sauce is really worth the effort. The leftovers keep for up to a week in the refrigerator, so be careful to pour smaller amounts into a separate dish for dipping and spreading onto the almost cooked meat. It's really great on anything you'd like to barbeque!!! REALLY MELLOW!

1/4 cup Crisco liquid
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup catsup
1/4 cup water
1 tbls. prepared mustard
3 tbls. worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme

Lightly brown the onion and garlic in oil.
Add the remaining ingredients and blend well.
Bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. I often make the sauce while doing other things and simmer it even longer, until it really mellows and cooks down some. You can freeze the extra sauce too, so make a BIG batch!!!
NOTE: Expecting a crowd . . . or just love to barbeque frequently?
Double the batch and refrigerate for up to a week.

FABULOUS OATMEAL PANCAKES

This came to be the only pancake we served at the Waupaca B&B. It was a unanimous favorite, even if people didn't LIKE oatmeal. Also, it had a tendency to really stick with you all morning long, so this makes it really a good choice for busy people.