We ALWAYS double this recipe, and often TRIPLE it...

I remember the day Mother gave this to me. She actually had no recipe, so we stood in my kitchen, me with a pencil, she making noodles, and I was furiously scribbling what she was doing. I've made these countless times, they are just wonderful. Ahhhh, memories ~ jan

Combine 1 beaten egg, 2 Tablespoons milk (evaporated milk or half and half) and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add enough sifted all purpose flour to make a stiff dough - about one cup.

Roll very thin, almost paper thin, on floured surface. Let stand twenty minutes to let the dough rest before attempting to cut them.

There are two methods of cutting them - you can either roll them up loosely in a roll, and slice 1/4 inch wide, or you can cut them into thin strips with a pizza wheel.

Store in covered container if you don't use them immediately.

Drop into boiling broth and cook, uncovered about ten minutes, or until tender. Makes 3 cups cooked noodles.

OLD FASHIONED RAISIN PIE

2 c. Sun Maid raisins 2 c. water 1/2 c. packed brown sugar 2 tbsp. cornstarch 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. vinegar 1 tbsp. butter grated lemon rind Pastry for double crust Combine raisins and water; boil 5 minutes. Blend sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Add to raisin and cook, stirring until clear. Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar and butter; cool slightly. Turn into pastry lined pan. Cut lattice strips and weave into basket weave design as top crust. Seal edges of lattice to bottom crust. Bake at 420 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon finely shredded key lime or lime peel (set aside)
2 teaspoons key lime or lime juice
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Coarse sugar (optional)
Lime Icing (recipe follows) (optional)
Green colored sugar (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, salt and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and lime juice until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour and the lime peel.

2. Place the unchilled dough into a cookie press fitted with a template. Force dough through cookie press, forming desired shapes, 1 inch apart onto ungreased sheets. If you like sprinkle the cookies with coarse sugar.

3. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes, or until edges are firm but not brown. Transfer to wire racks and let cool. If you like, drizzle with Lime Icing and let stand 20 minutes until set. Or, if you like, dip unsugared tops of cookies in Lime Icing and sprinkle with green sugar. Let stand until set.

Makes about 84 cookies.

Lime Icing: In a small bowl, stir together 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons lime juice and enough milk (2 to 3 teaspoons) until icing reaches a drizzling consistency. If you like, tint pale green with food coloring. Makes about 1/3 cup icing.

Nutrition facts per cookie: 41 calories, 2 g fat, 8 mg chol, 9 mg sodium, 5 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 0 g pro.

Source: Midwest Living, December 2007 issue

Bread Pudding
1 loaf raisin bread
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ TBSP pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350F.
1.Tear raisin bread into pieces and place into baking dish(mine was a 9 by 11).
2 Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and pumpkin together in a large bowl. Add the sugar and whisk until combined. Add the heavy cream, milk and pumpkin pie spices. Whisk until completely incorporated.
3.Pour the custard over the bread. Press down the bread pieces until the bread is soaked with the custard.
4.Place pan into another pan that will hold a water bath. Bake the bread pudding for 45-55 minutes. You may want to check at the 45 minute mark to see if the custard is setting up, if not cook for another 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and serve warm with butterscotch sauce.

Butterscotch Sauce

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and margarine in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in cream and vanilla immediately. Cool; store in the refrigerator.
Stir before serving over ice cream, puddings, or desserts.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of butterscotch sauce.

This is a family favorite. We all love this recipe. If you can let it age for at least 24 hours in a covered container, it really mellows and the flavors are incredible.

~ jan

2 cups sugar
3 eggs lightly beaten
1-cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups shredded coconut
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple (drained)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup raisins (optional)

Instructions

(Preheat over to 350 degrees) In a medium bowl combine sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla and mix well. In a large bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt, mix well. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and mix well. Fold in carrots; coconut, pineapple and walnuts mix well. Spoon batter in a 9x13 glass pan bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or in two 9" layer pans.

Let cool before frosting. Frost with cream cheese icing. When I make this in a layer pan, I put a layer of nuts on the frosting between the layers and coconut, and then I put a layer of chopped nuts on top of the frosted cake as well.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons of melted butter
2 tablespoons of milk or half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 box of powdered sugar.

Combine ingredients and beat well. I mix mine in the Cuisinart. Spread on cooled cake.

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 large red or green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 small chicken bouillon cubes
1-1 1/2 cup boiling water
2 cans black beans, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 lemon, juice of
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. In a pot, combine the first six ingredients; simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add half a can of beans, salt and cumin; cook for 5 minutes.
3. Puree soup (I use an immersion blender which makes it easy to do it right in the pot).
4. Add the rest of the beans to the soup.
5. Combine the cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water.
6. Add the lemon and the cornstarch to the soup; cook until thickened.

The best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made were with Alton Brown's recipe. He starts with melted butter and uses bread flour which works well. Try this in your recipe, these cookies don't last very long around here!

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Hardware:
Ice cream scooper (#20 disher, to be exact)
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Mixer

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer’s work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

foodtv.com

3 pints Cherry tomatoes 3 tablespoons Butter 1 tablespoon Dried basil -or- 3 tablespoons Fresh Basil; Chopped

Rinse, stem and pat dry tomatoes. In a large skillet, melt butter over
medium heat. Add basil. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and
cook, tossing them, for 5 minutes or heated through. Serve immediately. 10
servings.

NOTE: Be careful not to overcook as tomatoes will become mushy.

JUNION LEAGUE OF LITTLE ROCK'S "TRADITIONS: A TASTE OF THE GOOD LIFE"

Marti had this at a ladies luncheon, TO-DIE-FOR

Shrimp and Artichoke Casserole

Recipe By     : Holy Chow/Best of the Best in Kentucky
Serving Size  : 6    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Artichokes                       Cheese
                Company                          Main Dishes
                Mushrooms                        Seafood
                Shrimp                           Casseroles

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   6 1/2  tablespoons   butter
   4 1/2  tablespoons   flour
   1      cup           whipping cream
     1/2  cup           half and half
                        salt and pepper -- to taste
  14      ounce can     artichoke hearts
     1/2  pound         fresh mushrooms
     1/4  teaspoon      flour
     1/4  cup           dry sherry
   1      tablespoon    Worcestershire sauce
     1/4  cup           Parmesan cheese -- grated
                        paprika
   1 1/2  to 2 pounds   shrimp -- cooked/cleaned

Melt 4 1/2 Tbsps. of butter. Stir in 4 1/2 Tbsps. of flour, add cream,
stirring constantly. When thick, add salt and pepper. Set aside. Drain
artichokes and cut in half. Place on bottom of casserole. Place shrimp over
aritichokes. Saute musrhooms in remaining butter. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp. flour
over mushrooms. STir, then scatter musrhooms over shrimp. Add sherry and
Worcestershire sauce to cream sauce. Pour over casserole. Top with chees and
paprika. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.

Total time: About 1 hour, plus rising

Servings: Makes 24 to 32 cookies

Note: Adapted from Maral's Pastry in Van Nuys. These simple cookies are made with bread dough, and their Armenian name, tahinov hats, literally means "tahini bread." The cookies bake best in a convection oven at the same temperature.

2 2/3 cup bread flour

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 cup sugar, divided

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

3/4 to 1 cup tahini paste, divided

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, yeast, one-half cup sugar and salt. Add the vegetable oil and mix at a low speed to combine.

2. Fill a liquid measuring cup with 1 cup warm water. With the mixer speed on low, start adding the water slowly — just enough for the dough to come together (we used just shy of 1 cup water), neither too wet nor too dry. Continue to mix at medium-low 2 to 3 minutes until the dough is evenly combined and smooth. Be careful not to overmix. Cover the dough with plastic film and allow to rise until doubled, 2 to 3 hours.

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees (for either a convection oven or regular oven). Divide the dough in half and place one half on a floured work surface. Flatten it gently with the palm of your hand to a general rectangle shape; continue flattening it with a rolling pin until the rectangle is about 18 by 10 inches. Do not worry if the dough bubbles slightly while it is rolled out. Brush 5 to 6 tablespoons of tahini paste all over the rectangle to get a thin layer and then sprinkle 4 tablespoons sugar over the tahini.

4. Roll the rectangle up lengthwise and trim the ends. Cut the roll into 1- to 1 1/4 -inch lengths; you will have 12 to 16 pieces. Place each piece between your hands, cut sides against your palms; press to flatten into a disc (they will look like rosettes).

5. Place the discs on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes in a convection oven or 18 to 20 minutes in a regular oven, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough.

Each of 24 cookies: 110 calories; 3 grams protein; 16 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 12 mg. sodium.