Grandma Sampson's Rolls
a la Mom Thompson

1/2 c shortening
1/2 c sugar
3 eggs
2 packages yeast
1/4 c warm water
dash sugar
2 c warm water
2 t salt
6 c flour

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 c warm water and sprinkle with sugar. Add to creamed mixture with 2 cups very warm, but not hot, water and salt. Add approximately 6 cups flour and mix. Chill in covered bowl for 3 hours. Put out on floured board and pat or roll out flat. Let relax a few minutes. Cut in round circles. Dip in melted butter, fold over and place in baking pan or cookie sheet. Let rise to double in bulk. Bake approximately 10-12 minutes at 425 degrees.
Note from Mom: I find I like to let the dough sit a little bit after removing from the refrigerator while still in the bowl. Maybe a half an hour or so. The dough is more workable when it warms up a bit, and it will rise better too. I usually melt a whole cube of butter to dip the rolls in. You can place the butter in the pan and dip as you go. Be sure to watch the time closely when baking as the oven is so hot that it is easy to burn these rolls!

Class Buttercream Icing- Stiff Consistency
a la Wilton

1 c solid white vegetable shortening
1 t Wilton flavor
7-8 t milk or water
1 lb pure cane confectioner's sugar (must be pure cane)
1 T meringue powder
pinch of salt, optional

Cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Options:
* In case of egg allergies, meringue powder can be eliminated.
*Chocolate Buttercream: Add 3/4 c cocoa or three 1 oz unsweetened chocolate squares, melted, and an additional 1-2 T water to recipe.
* Medium Consistency (stars, borders) using stiff consistency, add 1 t water for each 1 cups of stiff icing (2 1/2 t water for full recipe). Mix until well blended.
* Thin Consistency (writing and printing, leaves, icing a cake). using stiff consistency, add 2 t water for each cup of stiff consistency icing (5 t water for full recipe). Mix until well blended.
** add 1/2 t piping gel per cup of thin consistency icing for writing and printing. It will stretch your icing and make writing easier.

Hummingbird Cake
a la Moriah (The Girl Who Chased the Moon recipes)

3 c all purpose flour
2 c granulated sugar
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
1 c chopped pecans
2 c chopped, firm bananas

Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together. Add eggs and oil to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple and pecans. Stir in bananas last. Spoon the batter into3 greased and floured 9-in round cake pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes in 350 degree oven, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 c sifted confectioner's sugar
1 c unsalted butter
1 t vanilla extract
in a standing mixer, mix the cream cheese, sugar and butter on low speed until ingredients combine. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low. Add the vanilla, then raise the speed back up to high and mix.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
a la Janelle

1 box frozen chopped spinach (I made the mistake once of not getting the chopped kind and it was BAD!)
1 box cream cheese, 8 oz I think, cubed
1 can green chilies, don't drain
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 c mayo
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1/2 c grated mozzarella cheese, or more based on your cheesiness
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
dash cayan pepper
dash salt and pepper
shake of dried basil leaves

Turn on oven to 350. Get a good size pan on the stove and first put in the spinach to loosen it up and get it thawing.... medium heat. I throw in the cream cheese too to get that melting process going too. After 5 minutes of stirring it around periodically, I throw the rest of the stuff in. Stir it around a bit to combine ingredients. Put the mixture in a serving dish that can go in the oven, 9x9, 9x13 or an oval glass one... whatever.
You can top with some mozzarella if you want. Bake about 20 minutes, or until bubbling. I'm sure you can do the whole thing in a crock pot too...??
Serve with artisan bread, thinly sliced, fancy crackers, tortilla chips, or celery sticks perhaps.

Summer Corn Chowder
a la Carlie

6 ears fresh corn
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped in 1/4in pieces
1 onion, chopped
4 c low-fat milk
1 T cornstarch
1/4 c sliced fresh scallions (green part only)


Shuck the corn and scrape the kernals off (stand upright in bowl and slide down each side) and set aside. Put the cobs, 1 cup water and sprinkle of salt and pepper in a 4 quart pan with tight fitting lid over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, the turn to low and cook for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook bacon until it starts to brown, 4-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook until tender, about another 5 minutes.
Remove cobs from stock and toss out. Add milk, corn kernals, bacon and onion to the soup. Bring to a boil, then lower to slow bubbles. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently until the corn is tender, about 10 minutes.
Whisk cornstarch in small bowl with 2 T water until smooth. Add to soup, stir until the soup thickens, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasoning, garnish with scallions.

Substitutions:
Shore Style- ADd 1 cup scallops or small peeled shrimp, or combo of the 2 to the simmering soup, about 5 minutes after adding the corn.
Mexican Style- Along with corn kernals, add 1 large chopped tomato, some chopped jalepeno or a few danshes of Tabasco sauce. Garnish eat serving with grated cheese and chopped cilantro instead of scallions.

Grandma Bertoglio's Italian Soup
a la Carlie

1 1/2 lbs sweet Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 large can Italian tomatoes (progresso)
3 cans beef broth or bouillon cubes in water
1 1/2 c dry red wine or water
1/2 t basil leaves, crumbled
3 T chopped parsley
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
sliced mushrooms
3 c uncooked bowtie pasta
Cook sausage (take out of casing); break up. Add garlic and onion. Cook until tender. Add tomatoes, cut up. Add broth, wine and basil. Simmer 1 hour. Add pepper, celery, parsley and noodles. Cook until tender. Serves 6-8.
Try it with a bread bowl! this soup is so hearty and delicious.

chef's note: i have started cooking the pasta in a separate step and adding it, cooked, to the soup. uncooked, it seems to soak up too much of the liquid and make it more casserole-like.

Chicken Ranch Pizza
a la Jasmine

2 1/2 c all purpose flour (I sub 1 c whole wheat flour with 1 1/2 c white flour)
1 pkg (2 1/4 t) yeast
1/4 t salt
1 c warm water
1 T olive oil
cornmeal for sprinkling
cooked chicken ( I keep it simple with pepper and garlic salt)
1 large tomato
ranch dressing (I use light)
avocado or baby spinach (optional, but don't cook the avocado. put it on afterwards)
mozzarella cheese

In large bowl, mix some sugar in the warm water. Add the yeast. Wait 10 minutes or until it gets all foamy.
Add flour, salt and olive oil. Knead 6-8 minutes, or until you have a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. ( you may need to add more flour)
Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle cookie sheet with cornmeal. Stretch and press out dough on cookie sheet. Spread ranch to the edges, then chicken and tomato, and top with cheese. Sometimes I use Parmesan cheese as well.
Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes, or until crust is done. SO GOOD!