Diva's Rhubarb Jam

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

⬗⬗   Rhubarb Jam  ⬖⬖

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Inspiration from: Grandma Margaret always had a bowl of this mixed in the fridge.  Grandad Dale always grew huge rows of rhubarb he perfected over the years from his horticulture knowledge. 

Ingredients
4 cups rhubarb 2 cups white sugar 1 TB water	1/2 tsp lemon juice 1-1 1/2 oz box of strawberry jello

Directions

Cut rhubarb into 1 inch cuts.  Bring water and rhubarb to a boil. Add sugar and let boil til rhubarb is stringy and tender.  (about 15 mins)  Remove from heat and add lemon juice and jello.

Variations

The jello adds color to the rhubarb if it is green and also helps it to gel.

Yields:  2 cups

Diva's Grandma Z's Rhubarb Cake or any Fruit

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Grandma Z's Rhubarb Cake
Inspiration: We made this on the farm all the time.  You can use any fruit for a variety.  I even use it to make carrot cake.  The cinnamon & sugar on the top makes it require no icing.
Ingredients: 1~1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup melted butter 1 egg 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla 2 cups chopped rhubarb 1 cup sour milk (if you don't have sour milk, add 1 TB vinegar to milk) 1/2 cup sugar 1~1/2 tsp cinnamon	Instructions: Cream brown sugar and butter slightly, add egg and vanilla and beat.  Sift together soda and flour and add to cream mixture. Stir in rhubarb and sour milk til creamy.  Put in a 9x13 greased baking dish and Bake @ 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.
Variation: refrigerate and can be topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

Diva's Grandma Sarah's Blackberry dumplings

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Grandma's little helper, I would help her pick the berries.  One day I ate them all and brought her a bucket full of kittens instead:) Good thing she loved me Grandma Sarah's Blackberry dumplings
Inspiration: My German Grandma Sarah Rutz always had wild blackberries growing in her yard near Scottsbluff, NE.  It was an awesome treat for her to make her dumplings.
Ingredients: 1 quart Blackberries 2 cups water 1/2 cup sugar 2 TB butter ________ Dumplings: 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp salt 1~1/2 baking powder 1/2 cup milk 3 TB sugar 2 TB oil or melted butter	Instructions: Wash and cook berries until tender in a large heavy kettle.  May need to adjust sugar if not sweet enough. Cover and bring to a boil. Drop tsp's of dumplings into boiling mixture.  Cook 10 minutes without lifting the lid.
Variation:  Serve warm with cream me and Grandma Sarah at her house on E in Scottsbluff, NE in the 70's.  Right through that backdoor was where she did her magical cooking and teaching. her kitchen was 6x6, but the most awesome cooking came from her little space in the world.  Grandma has been gone since 1996, but every now and then when I cook her recipes, I smile and say hi Grandma:)

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Diva's Volga German Cabbage Pancakes
Inspiration:  My Great-Aunt Polly taught me to make these when I would stay summers with her in Reno, NV
Ingredients: 2 large Eggs 2 Cups Milk, your choice 2 1/2 Cups self-rising Flour (if using all purpose flour, add 3 tsp baking powder to flour) 1 Cup shredded cabbage	Instructions: Pre-heat cooking griddle and spray with cooking spray. Beat eggs, milk and flour until mixed together.  Add cabbage. Pour 1/3 Cup mixture on griddle 1-2 minutes until bubbles form on surface.  Flip and cook another 1-2 mins or until golden. Repeat.
Variation:  Served best with butter. Can also use pancake batter and add cabbage.

Chicken Claire Casserole

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Chicken Claire Casserole
Inspiration:  My Step Mother, Judi Widmaier  and her Mother, Clara passed this recipe along to me.
Ingredients: 6 chicken breasts (I like boneless, skinless) Large can of mushrooms, drained 3/4 to 1 cup wine flour 1 pkg Frozen Artichokes, thawed	Instructions: Roll chicken in flour and brown in skillet.  Place chicken in a shallow baking dish.  Spread mushrooms and artichokes over the top.  Baste with wine. Bake in 250 degrees oven 4 hours. Test to make sure chicken is proper degrees. 165 degrees.
Variation:

Mouth-watering Biscuits

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Biscuits
Inspiration:  Rutz Family cookbook, by Ruth Hopkins
Ingredients: 2 cups Flour 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 2 tbsp sugar 2/3 cup milk 4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 egg	Instructions: Mix dry ingredients.  Add butter and mix until consistency of cornmeal.  Add milk and beaten egg.  Put out on counter and knead 5 times.  Roll or pat out to 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with a biscuit cutter and water glass.  Put on greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 mins.
Variation:  Great with my Diva's gravy.

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

⬗⬗   ButterBalls ⬖⬖

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Inspiration from: This is a Volga German tradition in our family, Both the Rutz and Zemanek families enjoyed this in our soups.  Grandma Margaret always used the fresh cream from the milk cows and fresh eggs from the hen house...YUM! The allspice makes it a wonderful divine taste.  Wonderful for that left over Turkey!

Ingredients
6 cups fine bread crumbs (almost 2-15 oz plain crumb pkg) 2/3 cups sweet cream  (can use cream or half and half + 1/2 c sugar) 3-4 large eggs	1 cup butter, melted 1 tsp salt 1 tb allspice, i like more for taste and usually use 2-3 tablespoons.

Directions

Put bread crumbs, salt and allspice in a large bowl; make a well.  Heat cream in a small saucepan and pour into well of bread crumbs.  Mix well with hands; pour in melted butter and mix again.  Add eggs 1 at a time; if it is dry, add another egg.  (Testing: make a ball and cook 10 minutes in boiling water, if the ball does not separate, it is ok.  If it falls apart, add another egg)  Roll into balls about the size of a walnut.  This is the diva test:  when making the balls, if the butter squishes and the ball is firm; it's perfect!

Variations

boil 10 minutes in Home made Turkey or Chicken and noodles.  You can find my noodle recipe on an earlier post.


The butter balls freeze nicely for later use.  Warning:  the are very rich and most people can only eat a couple at a time.  


Yields: 50 butter balls