Diva's Football Stew

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Football Stew
Inspiration:  Gotta love a great Stew recipe.  Football tailgater favorite for sure.   Swallow your pride occasionally, it's non-fattening!
Ingredients: 3 lbs lean stew meat or stripped sirloin 6 potatoes, quartered 6 carrots, chunked 1 onion, chopped 4 stalks celery, chopped 2 TB minute tapioca 2 TB sugar 1 large can tomato juice 1 tsp basil 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp parley salt and pepper to taste	Instructions: Season and brown meat in oil.  Place in roaster pan and add other ingredients.  Cover roaster and simmer 5 hours at 325 degrees F.
Variation: You can add other veggies if you like.  But these are my favorite.

Diva's Baked Apple dumplings

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Baked Apple dumplings
Inspiration:  I like tart apples to make these.  Always had plenty of apples growing up in Nebraska.
Ingredients: 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 2/3 cup butter 1/2 cup milk 6 apples, cored & halved SYRUP 2 cups brown sugar 4 TB butter 2 cups water cinnamon nutmeg	Instructions: Sift together first 3 ingredients and cut in butter.  Gradually add milk until dough is dry enough to roll out.  Roll to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut into 12 squares. Place a half apple on each and press to seal edges around the apple.  Place in shallow baking dish. SYRUP Cook the brown sugar, butter and water in a heavy saucepan. Boil 2 mins.  Pour over apples and top with cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.
Variation: Yields 12 servings Can be served warmed with a scoop of ice cream. Some people add raisins on top of the apple before sealing.

Diva's Banana Nut Bread

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Banana Nut Bread
Inspiration: This was given to me by my aunt years ago.  Great for breakfast or even a healthy snack.
Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 2 eggs 2 cups flour 2 or 3 ripe bananas 1/4 cup nuts 1 tsp soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional	Instructions:  Cream butter and sugar.  Add mashed bananas, then flour, cinnamon and nuts.  Beat eggs and add to mixture. Pour into a well greased bread loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes.
Variation:  Yields 1 loaf, 8 servings

Diva's Pumpkin Bread

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Pumpkin Bread
Inspiration:  This came out of one of my Aunt's church cookbooks in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.  This was inserted into one of the pages: The recipes in this book may not have been tested in laboratories, but their success has been established by friends, relatives, by church and civic groups and the most critical of all--- Husbands and Family!
Ingredients: 2 cups pumpkin 3~1/2 cups flour 1~1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp salt 1 cup cooking oil 2/3 cup water 1 cup walnuts 3 cups sugar 4 eggs	Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Pour into well greased and floured bread loaf pans. (will make 2 large and 1 small loafs) Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees F.
Variation: Yields 2 large + 1 small loafs

Diva's Lasagna with home made Tomato Pasta Sauce

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Lasagna
Inspiration:  I use my own home made tomato pasta sauce recipe for this.  If you had frozen quart bags ahead of time like my recipe says, makes it even easier.
Ingredients: 12 uncooked lasagna noodles 1 24oz cottage cheese 1 16 oz ricotta cheese 2 large eggs beaten 2~1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 2 Qt's of my Home made Tomato Pasta Sauce Click here for recipe	Instructions:  Preheat oven 375 degrees F. Prepare noodles according to package directions.  Stir together in medium bowl; cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs and 1/4 cup pasta sauce.  Layer 4 equal parts in a 9x13 baking dish;  Tomato Pasta sauce, noodles,  cheese mixture and mozzarella cheese.
Variation: Serves 8 I sprinkle parsley and parmesan cheese over the top. You can use store bought pasta sauce, but not nearly as good.