More bites from Faith, Hope, Love

I don’t usually repeat information from one column to the next, but the Faith, Hope, Love Quilters shared so many recipes that two columns were needed to highlight it all. The information I’m repeating is necessary so that those who missed the first column will have the opportunity to learn how they can help meet the need for donations to continue to share the love that their quilts bring to our larger community.

Coastal Point • Submitted
United Way of Delaware leaders joined with NRG Energy/Indian River Power Plant employees on Monday, Nov. 8, to accept a check in support of the 2010 United Way fundraising campaign. Pictured from left: Jack Grant, NRG Indian River Plant Manager; Vickie Croley, NRG Indian River Business Services Supervisor; Michael Shockley, United Way Community Relations Associate, Sussex County.

The quilters have been meeting since 1997 at St. Matthew’s By-the-Sea United Methodist Church at 1000 Coastal Highway in Fenwick Island. Group founder Shirley Loveland said they began by making baby quilts, but were soon receiving requests for quilts for cancer patients and others with life-threatening illnesses. To date, more than 12,000 quilts, hand-tied and machine stitched, each 50 by 60 inches, have been donated to Beebe Medical Center’s Tunnell Cancer Center in Lewes.

“We continue to provide quilts,” said Shirley, “but after 12,000, we stopped counting.”

Margie DiNenna (whose delicious family recipe for meatballs was shared in the first column) is a member of the Women’s Auxiliary at Atlantic General Hospital (AGH). She now takes at least four quilts per month to the infusion center at AGH. The love continues to spread.

New members are always welcome and are immediately taken under the wing of an experienced quilter for guidance.

“If you can tie a knot, that’s all the skill you need,” Shirley said.

Other simple tasks include ironing quilt squares and backing fabric. Some members show up just to help with setting tables for the luncheon and cleaning up afterward, so that the quilters can get back to their work. Tables fill the church fellowship hall, and while one group is sewing squares together, another is tying the squares to batting and backing; yet another group is sewing bindings. Sewing machines are not provided; members bring their own.

The quilters meet on the third Monday of each month (and also on the fifth Monday, if a month has one) year-round and usually complete 25 quilts. They meet from 10 a.m. to 2 or 3 p.m. and always have a covered-dish luncheon. On the day I attended, the table was groaning with a plethora of items made especially for me and enough recipes for two columns (this is the second column).

The group is funded by private donations, and members provide many of the supplies themselves, but they can’t afford to purchase everything, so gifts of embroidery thread, fabric, batting, crochet cotton and money are gratefully accepted; all donations are tax deductible.

The group also accepts craft supplies and upholstery fabric. From upholstery fabric, they make tote bags for homeless adults and children, filling them with health items, snacks and games. And if Shirley receives supplies that they cannot use, she always finds a good home for them, such as the Southern Delaware School of the Arts in Selbyville.

If you would like to donate supplies or money, you have three options: (1) Drop off your gifts at the church office (open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.); (2) Call the church office at (302) 537-1402 and leave a message for Shirley Loveland (she will return your call); or (3) Drop in on the third Monday of the month and watch the quilters in action. Who knows? When you drop off your donation, you may be led to join them.

Anita Angeny’s fresh Calico Corn Salad is a great make-ahead summer recipe. The addition of green chilies and cumin adds a nice pick-me-up.

Calico Corn Salad

Ingredients:

? 2 bags (16 ounces each) frozen corn,
thawed and drained

? 4 small zucchini, diced

? 1 red bell pepper, diced

? 2 cans (4 ounces each) green chilies, drained

? 1 onion, chopped

? 2/3 cup olive oil

? 1 teaspoon black pepper

? 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

? 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

? 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt

? 2 teaspoons ground cumin

Method for Calico Corn Salad:

Toss together the corn, zucchini, bell pepper, chilies and onions. Mix the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad; mix well. Chill before serving. Yield: Approximately 8 to 10 servings.

Joan Thomas shared her recipe for Kona Banana Bread. If you Google “Kona Banana Bread,” you’ll learn that this is a very old Better Homes and Gardens recipe from the large 1968 edition with the red gingham cover. My newer editions have Banana Bread recipes in them, but they are not as good as this oldie. Online you’ll also find a Kona Inn Banana Bread recipe from the Kona Inn, Hawaii (the Big Island). The only difference between the recipes is an additional 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda.

Kona Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

? 1/2 cup butter, softened

? 1 cup granulated sugar

? 2 eggs

? 3/4 cup mashed bananas

? 1-1/4 cups flour, sifted

? 1/2 teaspoon salt

? 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Method for Kona Banana Bread:

Cream butter and sugar until light; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas. Mix flour, salt and baking soda; add to the banana mixture. Mix until well blended. Pour into greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Pan size can vary. Use a 9-inch square baking pan or a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan or 3 small loaf pans.

I was told that someone always brings Strawberry Pretzel Salad to the quilting bee. Until I moved to Delaware in 2001, I had never heard of pretzel salad. I quickly learned that this is one popular item on potluck tables. Jan Kennedy’s salad was quickly consumed at the luncheon.

“This salad is also delicious when made with raspberries instead of strawberries,” she said.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Ingredients:

? 2 cups crushed unsalted pretzels

? 3/4 cup melted margarine or butter

? 4 tablespoons granulated sugar

? 12 ounces cream cheese, softened

? 1 cup granulated sugar

? 1 package (2.6-ounce envelope) Dream Whip, prepared according to package directions

? 1 large box (6 ounces) Strawberry Jell-O

? 3 cups boiling water

? 8 ounces frozen strawberries

Method for Strawberry Pretzel Salad:

Mix the crushed pretzels, melted margarine or butter and 4 tablespoons sugar. Pat this mixture into the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool thoroughly.

Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and prepared Dream Whip. Spread this mixture over the cooled pretzel mixture. Make sure you spread the mixture to all sides of the casserole to seal it.

Add the Jell-O to 3 cups boiling water; mix until dissolved. Turn off heat. Add frozen strawberries. Once the Jell-O begins to thicken, carefully and gently pour it over the cream-cheese layer. You want to be gentle, because if the Jell-O mixture runs through the cream-cheese layer, it makes the pretzels soggy. Chill thoroughly.

Janet Thomas prepared Salmon Wraps. The pinkish salmon looked very pretty in green spinach wraps. Please don’t ask me how many of these tasty bites I enjoyed!

Janet’s Salmon Wraps

Ingredients:

? 1 can (15 ounces) salmon, drained and flaked

? 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

? 2 tablespoons dry parsley flakes

? 1 teaspoon paprika

? 1 teaspoon black pepper

? 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

? 1 package soft taco tortillas (about 10 tortillas)

Method for Janet’s Salmon Wraps:

Mix all ingredients except tortillas and spread the mixture on tortillas. Roll up lengthwise and slice into bite-size appetizers. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Boe Daley was camped out at the ironing board for much of the morning. All of the squares and backing must be ironed, so no one is without a job. Boe shares her S’more Brownies recipe with us.

“They are fun and easy to make,” she said. My two granddaughters will be visiting in August, and we’re already planning to make this recipe.

S’more Brownies

Preheat oven to the temperature
on the box of brownie mix that you choose.

Ingredients:

? 1 package (18 to 20 ounces) brownie mix for a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan

? 2 cups mini marshmallows

? 1 cup chocolate chips

? 9 whole graham crackers

Method for S’More Brownies:

Grease the bottom of the 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake brownies according to package directions. Immediately upon removal from the oven, sprinkle mini marshmallows and chocolate chips over the warm brownies; return to the oven for about two minutes to melt the marshmallows and chips. Again remove from the oven and arrange graham crackers on top; press lightly. Cool completely. Cut along graham cracker indentations.

Jo Miller’s Chicken Pasta Primavera recipe is from a “Taste of Home Cookbook.”

“I decided that I wanted to try something different for our Faith, Hope, Love Quilting Bee and, to my delight, everyone really liked this dish. It’s very quick and easy to make, too,” she said.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

? 6 ounces uncooked spaghetti

? 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup

? 3/4 cup water

? 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

? 1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil

? 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

? 1/2 teaspoon salt

? 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

? 1 package (16 ounces) frozen California-blend vegetables, thawed

? 4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

? 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Method for Chicken Pasta Primavera:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. In a large saucepan, combine soup, water, lemon juice, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir in the vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken and heat through. Drain spaghetti; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

Barb Fadden shares her recipe for Baltimore Peach Cake, which she found in the 1997 edition of a Bennett’s Orchards cookbook. However, for the July luncheon, instead of using peaches, Barb made this recipe with fresh blueberries picked from Parson’s Farm. Did she know that July was National Blueberry Month? She said that apple slices also work, as well as peach slices.

Baltimore Peach Cake
(or blueberry or apple)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

? 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened

? 1 cup granulated sugar

? 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

? 3 teaspoons baking powder

? 1-1/2 cups milk

? 3/4 cup sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons cinnamon

? 4 to 5 large peaches (or apples), peeled and sliced or use 1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries

? 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Method for Baltimore Peach Cake:

With an electric mixer, blend 1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup sugar, flour, baking powder and milk. Spread in a greased and floured 15-by-10-inch jelly roll pan (with sides). Sprinkle half of the sugar/cinnamon mixture lightly over the dough base. Arrange peach slices by row on top of the base. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture and drizzle the 2 tablespoons melted butter over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

“My mother used to serve Pear Salad on special occasions,” said Linda Welch. “I don’t know where she got the recipe, but if I were to make a guess, it probably appeared either on a Jell-O package or more likely on a Philadelphia Cream Cheese package. I have had the recipe for over 40 years. My original copy says to place the salad in the icebox!”

Pear Salad

Ingredients:

? 1 cup diced pears from a 16-ounce can, reserve juice

? Water

? 1 package (3 ounces) lime Jell-O

? Pinch of cinnamon

? 1 teaspoon white vinegar

? 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

? 1/2 pint heavy cream, lightly whipped

Method for Pear Salad:

Drain the juice from the can of pears and add enough water to make 2 cups. Bring the pear juice and water to a boil and add the Jell-O. Stir until completely dissolved. Add enough cold water to make a total of 4 cups of Jell-O solution. Add the pinch of cinnamon and one teaspoon vinegar to the Jell-O and place one-half of this mixture (2 cups) into the bottom of your serving dish and refrigerate until jelled. Reserve the other half of the Jell-O mixture for the top layer.

When the refrigerated Jell-O layer has jelled, mash together the cream cheese and diced pears until somewhat smooth. To this mixture, add the reserved one-half of the Jell-O mixture and the heavy cream that has been lightly whipped. Mix well. Layer this mixture onto the first Jell-O layer. Refrigerate.

Unlike my husband, I severely limit desserts in my diet, but Joan Wisniewski chose one of my weaknesses — coconut! Her three-layer iced Coconut Cake was fantastic. Joan’s sister, Lois Capone, shared this recipe with her. The dessert lineup was so tempting. Check out my previous column for Bacardi Rum Cake and Shirley’s Iced Banana Cake.

Coconut Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients for Cake:

? 1/2 cup shortening (such as Crisco)

? 1/2 cup butter

? 2 cups granulated sugar

? 1 teaspoon vanilla

? 5 eggs, separated

? 2 cups cake flour (not all-purpose flour)

? 1/2 teaspoon salt

? 1 teaspoon baking soda

? 1 cup buttermilk

? 7 ounces sweetened coconut

Method for Coconut Cake:

Cream shortening, butter, sugar and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy; add egg yolks, one at a time, and mix well.

Mix cake flour with salt and baking soda.

Alternately add flour mixture and the buttermilk to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix the coconut into the batter.

Beat the 5 egg whites until fluffy. Fold the egg whites into the batter.

Bake in three 8-inch cake pans at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Icing for Coconut Cake

Ingredients:

? 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

? 4 tablespoons butter, softened

? 1 teaspoon vanilla

? 1 box (16 ounces) 10X powdered sugar

? 1 cup sweetened coconut

Method for Coconut Icing:

With an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter; add vanilla. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in the coconut. Place one cooled cake layer on a plate and spread with some of the icing. Top that layer with the second cake layer and ice that layer. Top with the third cake and ice that layer. If you have enough icing, spread around the sides of all three layers.

Marsha Thomas shared her recipe for Sauerkraut Salad. She said that it comes very close to the classic health-food salad that was a Horn & Hardart specialty. She also shared some nostalgic H&H history.

“Horn & Hardart was a Philadelphia and New York restaurant chain that also had stores specializing in take-out from 1902 to 1970. With the television and radio advertising motto, ‘Less work for Mother,’ they actually pioneered the concept of prepared foods to eat at home. The restaurants were called Automats, because, besides having a cafeteria line, they featured food behind tiny glass windows that were accessed by putting a few nickels into the slots.”

Readers, if you Google H&H recipes, you will find many free authentic recipes, including Macaroni and Cheese with Crushed Tomatoes (one of my all-time favorites), Boston Baked Beans, Rice Pudding (some of the best I’ve ever tasted), Chicken Pot Pie and many others.

This salad benefits from an overnight stay in the refrigerator. Marsha sometimes adds other vegetables, such as asparagus bits or chopped cucumbers.

Sauerkraut Salad
(Health Food Salad)

Ingredients:

? 1 green bell pepper, chopped

? 1 onion, chopped

? 2 cups chopped celery

? 1 small jar pimentos, drained and chopped

? 1 bag (2 pounds) sauerkraut, drained

? 1/4 cup water

? 1/2 cup oil (use your favorite)

? 3/4 cup white vinegar

? 1 to 1-1/2 cups white granulated sugar

Method for Sauerkraut Salad:

Mix all ingredients and chill overnight.

Before I share the final recipe, I want to make a correction. When I printed Shirley Loveland’s recipe for Iced Banana Cake in the previous column, I “assumed” a couple things because Shirley had not specified. I usually use lemon juice when I make sour milk for a recipe; Shirley uses cider vinegar. She also uses salted butter in her icing – not unsalted.

So, speaking of Shirley, when readers discussed the first quilters’ column with her, they bluntly announced that they were disappointed that her famous Bread Pudding recipe wasn’t in the column. Since Shirley aims to please, she shares it now. This recipe makes a huge batch to share with family and friends.

Shirley’s Bread Pudding

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

? 7-1/2 cups milk, including one can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

? 4 cups bread cubes

? 2 tablespoons butter

? 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

? 4 eggs, beaten

? Dash of salt

? 1-1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Method for Shirley’s Bread Pudding:

When you preheat the oven, put a large pan of water into the oven to heat (large enough to hold 3 or 4 bread pans), because the filled bread pudding pans will sit in the water as they bake. The water should come up almost to the level of the pudding in each pan.

Heat milk to a scald; add bread cubes, butter, sugar, beaten eggs, salt and vanilla. Remove from heat.

Butter 3 or 4 bread pans; fill equally with the above mixture. Carefully place bread pans into the larger pan of water in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees until set, about one hour. Test with a knife near the center of each pan of bread pudding to be sure it comes out clean before removing puddings from the oven. Set on wire racks to cool.

(Editor’s note: If you have recipes to share, or recipes you want, contact Marie Cook, Coastal Point, P.O. Box 1324, Ocean View, DE 19970; or by email at ChefMarieCook@gmail.com. Please include your phone number. Recipes in this column are not tested by the Coastal Point.)