Diva's Grandad Dales Homemade Ice Cream

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Homemade Ice Cream
Inspiration:  On the Zemanek farm in Bayard, NE, milk was plentiful since we had milk cows and chickens.  Sunday's were family days and we always made Homemade ice cream.  There were 6 cousins and we all fought over who turned the handle and who got to poke the stick in the ice during the process.  We also knew when Grandad pulled the beater out of the ice cream, we all got a lick.
Ingredients: 2 cups milk 1~1/2 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 5 eggs, beaten well 1 TB vanilla approx 2 Quarts milk rock salt ice	Instructions: Scald milk, sugar, and salt. Continue to beat eggs in large bowl and slowly add hot milk mixture.  Cool. Pour into 5 quart ice cream maker.  Add vanilla and enough milk to reach the "fill line". Freeze according to your manufacturer's directions.
Variation: can make any flavor you wish.

Catching up with the Laughter of a Mom in a Harley...

Over the year's I have become close to my Mom after missing so many year's growing up.  Once a mom, always a mom...  I had been hospitalized for diverticulitis and she came out to see me with my son and his wife.  The nurses had told me of the dangers that were ahead of me with the tear in my colon.  I woke up that day in the hospital to her and their smiling faces.  Nothing like the comfort of a mom's hug... and oh she has nice hugz.  Even over the phone to this day, she sends kisses and hugz.  She will say here is a hug and kiss for you...

After I was released they stayed with me for a few days.  Have you ever slept many years alone and all of a sudden hear a snoring Grandma next to you?  lol  God bless her.  We laid in bed and laughed all night talking memories and jokes.  We have always  been goof's... and let me tell you my Mom is one!  My son would yell from the other room... Go to SLEEP!!! omg, we would just laugh even harder.

I could barely get up out of bed and I took her for a ride in my Harley Davidson Golf cart... and she laughed and laughed.  When we would get back to my little house, she say let's do it again.  Oh Lord help me.  We found Florida moss for her to take home... she would pull it out of the trees, and I swear I could hear the trees laughing...

She made my flower's look pretty again and we would swing and watch the birds of Florida.  If you have never witnessed the big birds walking down the street, you are missing something... Makes a hush of aw and laughter once again.  Brings life back into you, just like my Mom.  thank you Mommy for Smiles, Hugz, Kisses, and Laughter. I love you Mom!!!

When they say laughter is the Best Medicine,  It it so true especially when you next to your Mommy in a Harley Davidson Golf cart!!!

My Harley Davidson Golf Cart

 Omg she is gonna slap me, My Mom the Goof!

  the Big Magical Birds!

 the pretty flowers she made me... and her moss

 How she fixed my garden.... pretty!!!!

Diva's BBQ Chicken

Diva’s Memories of Recipes BBQ Chicken
Inspiration:  Was a recipe I made up  and Got an A+ so I must have done something right. My kids have loved this and begged for it over the years.
Ingredients: 1 fryer chicken, cut up 1 cup bbq sauce 1/2 cup beer 1/2 cup flour garlic powder pepper salt	Instructions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Place cut up chicken in a shallow foil lined pan.  Dust both side of chicken with flour, garlic powder, pepper and salt.   Bake 15 mins.  Mix beer and bbq sauce together and set aside. Remove chicken from oven and dip both side of each piece of chicken in the bbq sauce mixture and bake an additional 45 mins skin side up.  Brush with bbq sauce every 15 mins. Turn the oven to broil the last 2-3 mins and make sure it does not burn.  Remove and let sit 5-7 mins.
Variation:

Watching My Garden Grow

I love when the garden starts showing the years yield potential

Diva's Monkey Bread

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Title: Momma's Monkey Bread
Inspiration:  Mommies all over the world have been making Monkey Bread for their kids.  It always brought a smile to my kids face when they could smell the warm cinnamon baking on a Sunday morning.  Still does:)  Grandma use to make a version of this on the farm from her own biscuits and Grandad could take leftovers out into the field.  History shows it goes back to the 50's and nobody really knows why its called monkey bread.
Ingredients: 3 cans refrigerated biscuits 1 cup white sugar 2 T cinnamon 3/4 C margarine 1 C brown sugar cooking spray	Instructions:   In medium bowl add white sugar and cinnamon.  Cut each biscuit with scissors into quarters and add to cinnamon and sugar.  Stir after every can you add to coat biscuits.  Spray a bunt pan and add biscuits.   Melt margarine and brown sugar in a medium saucepan and boil 1 min.  Pour over the top of the biscuits and Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let sit 5-10 mins before inverting it onto a plate.
Variation:  You can add fruit to this recipe very easily.  Raisins, apples, or even nuts.

Diva's Stawberry Jam

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Momma's Strawberry Jam
Inspiration:  I have been canning my own goods for the past 30 years.  This jam is always a request for me to make.
Ingredients: 2 Qts, hulled & crushed Strawberries (10 cups whole) 2 TB lemon juice 6 cups sugar	Instructions: Put Strawberries in an 8qt stock pot.  Add lemon juice and sugar and bring to a slow boil; stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.  Cook rapidly to the jell pint or until thick. Approx 25-30 minutes.  Stir frequently to prevent sticking.  Remove from heat and skim with a metal spoon to remove foam.  Quickly ladle into clean hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 inch for headspace and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Variation: Yields 4 pints Sometimes I make half strawberries & half rhubarb

Diva's Hamburger Hobo's on the Grill

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Hamburger Hobo's on the Grill
Inspiration:  My best friend at the time my kids growing up, Marcy Jo, taught me to make these. We did everything with her and her 2 boys til we moved away from Western Nebraska. My kids love them and they are so easy!
Ingredients: this is for each Hobo; 1/2 lb ground beef 1/2 potato 1 carrot 2 slices onion ketchup salt pepper 2 12" pieces of foil pam spray	Instructions:  Make hamburger patty and place on 1 sheet of pam sprayed tin foil.  Top with veggies, ketchup and salt & pepper.  Fold foil wrap around Hobo.  Flip over and place on another layer of foil and wrap again. Grill 1/2 hour on each side.
Variation:  I use all kinds of veggies of choice and sometimes use different kinds of sauces.  Can also be baked in the oven for 1 hour on 350 degrees F. I have also made these ahead of time and taken them camping.

Diva's Tater Tot Casserole

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

Tater Tot Casserole  

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Inspiration from:  This was one of my kids staple recipes and easy to make.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground beef 1 small package frozen peas 1 medium bag tater tots 1 small can chopped water chestnuts	2 can's cream of mushroom soup pepper salt 1 lb shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain grease and return to pan.  Add soup, salt and pepper and heat through about 5-6 mins.  Put tater tots in a 9x13 baking pan and layer ground beef mixture over tater tots.  Layer water chestnuts and peas, then top with shredded cheese.

Variations

Bake 45 min's at 350 degrees F

Will Serve 6 people

Diva's Chocolate Gravy

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

⬗⬗   Chocolate Gravy  ⬖⬖

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Inspiration from:  This can only be described as DIVINE!

Ingredients
1/2 Cup butter 5 TBS unsweetened Cocoa powder 1/4 Cup Flour	1/2 Cup white sugar 2 Cups milk 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add cocoa and flour; stir until a thick paste is formed. Stir in sugar and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick.

Variations

You may need to add more milk if gravy is too thick.  Serve over biscuits, pancakes, or toast.  Can add butter or whipped cream over the top with a dash of cinnamon.  Works great for fondue too:) and I have gotten creative with putting nuts over the top as well.

Will Serve 4 people

Diva's Neiman Marcus Brownies

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

Neiman Marcus Brownies  

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Inspiration from:  This was my Grandma Sarah's recipe... It was one of those holiday recipes everyone passed around.  Absolutely Divine!!!

Ingredients
1 cake mix - Butter Pecan 2 sticks of butter or margarine 4 cups powdered sugar	1 cup chopped pecans 4 eggs 1 oz cream cheese

Directions

Mix 2 eggs, 1 stick melted butter, and cake mix.  Line bottom of 9x13 pan with mixture.


Mix 1 stick melted butter, cream cheese and other 2 eggs - beat well.  Layer of the cake mixture and top with the chopped pecans.

Variations

Bake 1 hour at 300 degrees,

Guaranteed Good!

Diva's Refrigerator Biscuit Donuts

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Refrigerator Biscuit Donuts
Inspiration:  I started making these for my kids when they we very little.  It was a Sunday morning tradition.
Ingredients: 1 can refrigerator biscuits oil cinnamon and sugar powdered sugar icing sprinkles	Instructions: Heat oil in fryer or skillet.  Be very careful, do not leave it unattended to prevent burning or fires. Put biscuits on counter and cut a hole in the center.  I have used a turkey baster with the bulb taken off.  Can also use the end of an empty water bottle. Fry on each side til golden brown.  Approx a couple minutes each side. Put on paper towel or dip in sugar's immediately.
Variation: Can be decorated or top to your taste.  Be creative.

Diva's English Prime Rib

Diva’s Memories of Recipes English Prime Rib
Inspiration:  My dad's grocery store, Alexander's Super Market in Scottsbluff, NE catered dinners and they made the most wonderful Prime Rib.  My favorite was the end pieces with all the seasonings.  He always bagged it up and sent it home with me.  MM MM good. The store is no longer there since Dad past but the memories live on.  The Zemanek's motto was always to befriend everyone in town and put a smile on their faces every single day.  My brother was the meat cutter and would cut this to perfection and would prepare it for anyone who would ask.  Ask your butcher to tie it with a string as well and make slits in the meat by the bone.
Ingredients: 3~7 pound standing rib roast, tied 1/4 cup garlic powder 1 TB pepper 1/4 cup beau monde 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce 1 TB oregano	Instructions: Critical:  roast should be a room temp, leave out a couple hours before you put in the oven. Make a rub with the seasonings and worcestershire sauce and rub on all sides of meat. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.  Put roast in an open pan fat side up.  Insert thermometer and make sure you don't have it be a bone.  Put in oven and Reduce heat to 375 degrees F.  Bake at temps below.  I only check once about half way thru baking process.  Do not open door again.
Variation: Estimate serving 2 people with 1 Rib To figure out the total cooking time, allow about 13-15 minutes per pound for rare and 15-17 minutes per pound for medium rare. (For example, with a 7 pound roast, you would expect 1 3/4 hours of total cooking time.) Roast in oven until thermometer registers 115°-120°F for rare or 125°-130°F for medium. Once the roast has reached the desired internal temperature, remove it from oven and let rest 20 minutes, covered with aluminum foil, before carving. The roast will continue to cook while it is resting. If you can't find Beau Monde here is a recipe to make it: Almost Beau Monde Seasoning Ingredients 1 tablespoon ground cloves 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon ground bay leaf 1 tablespoon ground allspice 2 tablespoons ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground mace 1 teaspoon celery seed 2 tablespoons ground white pepper Directions 1 In a small mixing bowl. Sift together the clove, cinnamon, salt, bay leaf, allspice, pepper, nutmeg, mace, celery seed and white pepper; mix well and store in a tightly closed jar.

Diva's Strawberry Salad

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

This was painted by Mr Kepart for my Dad, Glen Zemanek
This was the old location on East Overland by the sugar factory

⬗   Strawberry Salad ⬖

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Inspiration from:  This was made in my father's Deli at his grocery store, Alexander's Super Market, in Scottsbluff, NE.  The store is no longer there.  It closed in the early 90's.  My Grandma Margaret and I perfected the recipe.  My kids request Strawberry Sh**. LOL

Ingredients
16 oz tub of Cool Whip 1 8 oz of cream cheese, room temp 1 3 oz of strawberry jello	2 cups strawberries

Directions

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese til its broke up into curds with a mixer.  Add strawberries and mix a together.  Fold in cool whip and jello.  

Variations

This is a very simple recipe.  You can use a bag of frozen strawberries, drained.

Will Serve 8 people

Old Alexander's Super Market is now a car lot...Memories

Diva's Vegetable Stew

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Vegetable Stew
Inspiration: Nice for the winter cold months and a no meat recipe.
Ingredients: 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes 2 cups chopped celery 2 cups chopped carrots 1 cup chopped parsnips 1 med leek, cut into 1/2" pieces 1 14 oz can chicken broth 1/2 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp rosemary leaves 1/2 tsp salt 3 TB cornstarch 3 TB water	Instructions:  Add all ingredients except cornstarch and water to crock pot.  Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until veggies are tender. Mix cornstarch and water and gradually add to crock pot until well blended.  Cover and cook and additional 20 minutes on high, stirring occasionally until thickened.
Variation: Yields 8 servings