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

⬗⬗   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

Diva's Cabbage Burger's

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

  

Cabbage Burger's

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Inspiration from: This recipe was created by German immigrants. It is one of our favorite family recipes and found in the Nebraska region, where I was born and raised.  My Grandma's taught me how to make these before I could walk. lol The cabbage mixture is encased in a nice little bread package and was easy for the guys to carry them into the sugar beet and corn fields for the day.

	Ingredients
3 lbs of ground beef 1 head of cabbage, cut into bite sizes 1 extra large onions 2 cups of water Bread dough, enough for 2 loaves Cheese slices are optional  Recipe for dough is below	salt to taste pepper (lots of pepper) PEPPER is the key

Directions

Crumble the ground beef into an extra large pot over medium heat. Cook with onion and stir until evenly browned. Drain off grease. Add cabbage and cook over medium-low heat, stirring as needed, until the cabbage is soft and wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste while cooking. I like to use more pepper than salt. Us German/Czech woman love pepper, lots of it. Drain off any excess liquids, and set aside.

While you cook the cabbage mixture, make the bread dough.  Some people thaw 2 frozen loafs of bread dough or Frozen dinner rolls.  I and Grandma always used Potato Bread dough recipe.

For this recipe, you can use leftover mashed potatoes or mix up a cup’s worth of instant mashed potatoes. This easy potato bread recipe makes 2 loaves.  Grandma grew up in the depreciation and nothing went to waste.

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed potatoes

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup butter, soft

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

2-1/4 tsp (1 pkg) active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

5 cups bread flour, about

Preparation:

In large bowl, mix together the mashed potatoes, eggs, and butter.  Stir in sugar, salt, yeast, and warm water.  Mix in enough flour to make a dough that can be kneaded by hand.  Turn dough out onto floured board and knead it until smooth and elastic.  Put dough in a greased bowl. Flip dough over inside bowl so that the dough top is also lightly greased. Cover and let rise for 1 to 2 hours, until double in bulk. Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly floured board and briefly knead out bubbles. 

Assembly:

Method 1:  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough balls into 5 inch (approximate) squares. Place about 3/4 cup of the cabbage burger into the center, fold the dough over, and pinch to seal. Place on a greased cookie baking sheet with the seam side down. Let rise 1 hour. 

Method 2:  Thaw freezer dinner rolls and let rise for 1 hour.  Roll out 2 on a floured surface to desired shape and size.  Place a heap of filling on bottom roll, then add other rolled out roll on top.  Seal shut and place on greased cookie sheet.  Let rise 1 hour.

*A trick for method 1, when you roll out the dough, put it a cereal bowl.  Add filling and fold.  Can make folding easier.

Variations

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated 375 degrees oven, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and brush with melted butter. Serve hot.

My kids love them with ketchup...

Yields: apprx 18 cabbage burgers

I also wrap them individually in foil and freeze any left overs to enjoy at a later time.  You can unwrap them from the foil and nuke them for 3 mins.

YUMMY!

Diva's Mexican Casserole

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

 Mexican Casserole 

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Inspiration from:  Made by my mother when I was a kid.  We all have perfected it  and I passed it on to my children.  This is my variation.

Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cream of chicken soup 16 oz jar of picante sauce 1/4 cup jalepeno's from a jar, drained 3 cups ground cheddar cheese of your choice	salt pepper 2 pinches of ground cumin small pkg corn tortilla's 8 large flour tortilla's

Directions

Brown ground ground beef in large skillet (salt and pepper to taste). Drain.  On medium heat, add ground beef soups, picante sauce, jalepeno's and cumin and cook to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer 5 mins.  In a 9x13 pan, Layer 6 corn tortilla's, 1/3 rd of meat sauce, and 1 cup cheese.  Make 3 layers of each.  


Bake 350 degrees 45 mins.
Let cool 5 mins and add a scoop to a flour tortillas and roll up.
Enjoy!

Variations

Will Serve 4 people

Diva's Sausage Gravy

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

⬗⬗   Sausage Gravy  ⬖⬖

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Inspiration from:  Both of my Grandma's made the most awesome Gravy.  They were great teacher's.  This is also how I make my Fried Chicken Gravy too.  My kids and my best friend can't get enough of this:)

Ingredients
1 lb of ground sausage 3 tb flour 3 cups of milk	salt pepper

Directions

Brown ground sausage in large skillet.  Leave drippings in skillet from sausage.  Add flour til paste is made.  Add salt, pepper to taste and milk stirring constantly to a boil as gravy thickens.  Make to desired consistency.

Variations

You may need to add more milk if gravy is too thick.  My daughter adds garlic to her's as the sausage is cooking.

Will Serve 4 people

Diva's Rhubarb Crisp

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

⬗⬗   Rhubarb Crisp  ⬖⬖

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Inspiration from: Rhubarb was always plentiful at every family member I had including myself.  It grew like wildfire in our yards.  Excellent topped with Grandad's home made ice cream.

Ingredients
2 eggs 1 1/2 Cup sugar 4 TB flour 6 cups diced rhubarb	Topping: 8 TB butter 2/3 Cups brown sugar 1 1/3 Cup Flour

Directions

Beat eggs well in a large bowl.  Stir in sugar and flour and mix.  Add rhubarb and pour into a 9x13 baking pan.
In a medium size bowl, combine topping until crumbly and sprinkle over rhubarb mixture

Variations

Bake 40 mins at 350 degrees F

Will Serve 10 people

Diva's Apple History & how to choose your Apple Guide

Apples have always been eaten fresh, dried, stewed, baked or fried in a variety of dishes.  Apples can be turned into apple butter, apple sauce and cider & vinegar.  They not only provide a vital source of food and drink, but also preserve for food and supplies, just like our pioneer ancestor' did.  Apples can be used medicinally as anesthetics, antiseptics, and sedatives and stimulants.

History shows the first colonists to bring apple seeds from Europe to New England.  From there, apples spread across the North American continent.  Thousands of varieties were developed in different regions of the country and the world.  

Here are some interesting tidbits about how our ancestors knew to use apples:

• An apple in your bag of potatoes will help to keep the potatoes from sprouting.

• An apple in your brown sugar container will help keep the sugar moist.

• An apple in your cookie container will help to keep the cookies moist.

• Add lemon juice to an apple recipe if the apples you are using lack tartness or need flavor.

• If you can't brush your teeth after a meal, eat an apple.  Eating a raw apple will cleanse the mouth of more that 95% of bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Maybe an apple day does keep the doctor away?  Both of my Grandma's had Apple Tree's in their yard's so they were always plentiful for eating and cooking.  My Grandma Margret kept them stored in a room we always slept in when we would come to visit.  What an awesome memory when I smell apples.  My Grandma Sarah also had crab apples and made the most incredible jelly.  She passed away at the ripe ole age of 85 and 2 weeks before she passed, she was found up in her crab apple tree picking them.  I will share my recipe soon of her jelly, it is delicious!

Nebraska where i grew up, is known greatly for Arbor Day and having awesome apples

Here is an apple guide on how to choose your APPLES, and I don't mean a computer:)

Diva's Grandma Sarah's Cheesy hash brown's

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Diva's Grandma Sarah's  Cheesy hash brown's
Inspiration:  Grandma Sarah liked to make these for big family gatherings or carry in's.  We would have our family gatherings in Grandma's basement which she always had a dinning table all set up; and fyi: She always had a decorated Christmas tree down there that she kept up all year long.  I love to watch the lights and I would spend the night on the couch and she would turn them on for me.
Ingredients: 2 lb shredded hash brown potato's, thawed salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup minced onions, optional 2 cups shredded cheese of your choice 1 cup milk	Instructions: Put thawed hash brown potato's in a large bowl.  Add salt, pepper and onions.  Add shredded cheese and milk and stir. Put in 9x13 very well greased baking dish and Bake approx 1 hour in a 350 degree F oven.
Variation: Serves 8

Diva's Hot German Potato Salad

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Hot German Potato Salad
Inspiration:  My Step-mother Judi use to always make this when I was growing up.  It's a yummy twist to regular potato salad and served hot.  Also a great alternative to a side dish.
Ingredients: 6 potatoes 6 slices bacon 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons white sugar 1/2 cup water 1/2cup white wine vinegar 2 TB Parsley salt and pepper to taste	Instructions: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop up. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. Reserve bacon fat.  Add the flour, sugar, water and vinegar to skillet and cook in reserved bacon fat over medium heat until dressing is thick.  Add bacon & potatoes to skillet and stir until coated. Cook until heated and season with salt, pepper and parsley. Serve hot.
Variation:  Yields 6 servings.  I cook 1 potato per person. some people add onions also.

Diva's Steak Roll-ups German Style

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Steak Roll-ups German style
Inspiration:  Growing up in Mitchell, Nebraska was a hoot.  It was a very small town with people who always had a kind word on the street but also knew everyone's business. I could walk 1 block and my Dad knew exactly where I was or who I talked to.  Main street had a movie theater, post office, drug store with the best soda fountain, jewelry store, cafe, and Dad's second Grocery store.  We had a little german lady working for us by the name of Annaliese Prautzsh.  Her husband Heinz was our janitor at the school for years.  This is one of her german recipes she gave me.
Ingredients: 3 large pieces of round steak tenderized prepared mustard cubbed onion 1 pkg bacon salt pepper	Instructions: cut meat in 4x3 inch strips and spread mustard and onion on steak.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roll up with a piece of bacon and secure with a tooth pick.  Bake in a 325 degree F oven 2 hours.
Variation:  yield 2~3 pieces per person.  I have seen where people have grilled these as well, just not as tender in my opinion.

Diva's Cherry Wink Cookies

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Cherry Wink's
Inspiration:  My kids other Grandma always made these at the holidays.  They make a tasty presentation.
Ingredients: 2~1/4 cup sifted flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 2 TB milk 1 cup chopped nuts 1 cup chopped dates 1/3 cup Maraschino Cherries 2~1/2 cup crushed corn flakes	Instructions:  Sift dry ingredients.  Combine shortening and sugar; cream well.  Add eggs, vanilla and milk.  Blend in dry ingredients; mix well. Add nuts, dates and cherries.  Shape into balls, using a level TB of dough for each cookie.  Roll each ball in crushed corn flakes.  Place on greased cookie sheet and top with 1/4 cherry.  Bake @ 375 degrees for 10~12 minutes.
Variation:  Yields 4 dozen