Hominy Casserole
a la Grandma Martineau

1 lb hamburger/ground beef
1 large can hominy
1 can cream of chicken/mushroom soup
1/2 can green chili
shredded cheese

Brown beef and drain grease. Add hominy, soup and green chili. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Swiss Steak
a la Mom

1 round steak
2 onions, sliced
2 green peppers
2 large cans of tomatoes

Brown steak, after cutting off all visible fat, and cut in portion sizes. Place in a 9x13 pan. Layer peppers, onions and tomatoes on top. Cut up whole tomatoes. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for at least an hour.

*Chef's note: this is great with baked potatoes!

Stuffed Pepper Cups with Mom's Spanish Rice
a la mom

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c rice
1 c grated cheese
3 green peppers
1 lb can tomatoes
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c water

Cut off tops of green peppers, and cook about 5 minutes in salted boiling water;drain. (For crisp pepper, omit precooking) Brown beef and onion, season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, water, rice and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cheese. Stuff pepper cups and stand upright in pan. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

for freezer: make rice as directed, without stuffing in pepper cups. defrost, and bake according to directions.

Spanish Rice
a la Grandma Martineau

Use above recipe, except sub a can of green chilies for green peppers. Save the cheese for the top. Put mixture in 9x13 pan and sprinkle generously with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Stuffed Shells
a la Mom

1 (12 oz) pkg jumbo pasta shells
2 lbs Ricotta cheese
8 oz Mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 T Italian seasoning
1/4 t pepper
4 c spaghetti sauce (mom likes Prego)

Cook pasta 9 minutes in boiling water. Drain and rinse with water. Cook spinach and drain, squeezing out juice. Combine spinach, cheeses, eggs and seasoning. Blend well. Fill shells with cheese mixture. Pour some sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan to cover. Place shells in a single layer, pour sauce over top of shells. Cover with mozzarella cheese (save a bit out). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot. It usually makes more than one pan full.

pop these in the freezer, defrost and bake as directed.

Carrot Cake Cookies
a la Carlie

1 1/2 c flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
1 c grated carrots, about 2 medium
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 c raisins or chopped dried pineapple

Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl. Cream butter and brown sugar at medium speed. Add egg and vanilla to butter mixture and beat well. Stir in flour mixture. Stir in carrots, walnuts and dried fruit. Bake 350 for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are set and slightly browned around the edges. Leave on warm pan 1 minutes after removing from oven before moving to cooling rack.

Cranberry Oat Mini Chip Cookies
a la Carlie

1 c quick oats
1/3 c flour
1/4 c wheat flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/3 c butter, softened
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
1/3 c dried cranberries or cherries, coarsely chopped
1/3 c mini semisweet chocolate chips

Stir together dry ingredients in medium bowl. Beat butter, sugars and peanut butter in a large bowl at medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat until well blended. Add the oat mixture on low speed until just blended. Stir in the dried fruit and chips. Bake 8-10 minutes at 375. Cool the cookies on the sheet for one minute before removing to cooling racks.

Homemade Root Beer
a la Martineau family recipes

5 gallons water
5 pounds sugar
5 pounds dry ice
2 oz root beer concentrate

Dissolve sugar in water. Add flavoring. Add dry ice. Let brew for 45 minutes to an hour with lid on tightly.
Chef's note: Use cold water and it will be more fizzy.