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 Pork Chili

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

⬗⬗   Pork Chili  ⬖⬖

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Inspiration from:  This was a favorite of my kids.  El Charrito's in Scottsbluff, NE, where we were born, was a popular place we use to eat at.  They had something similar on the menu and this is as close to their pork chili as I could get.  Never as good as the real thing...but divine!

Ingredients
3 lb pork roast 28 oz can of tomatoes with jalepeno's (undrained) 64 oz picante sauce, medium Flour tortilla's 16 oz of Monterey Jack Cheese	salt pepper cumin 2 TB flour + 1/2 water for paste

Directions

Put pork roast and tomatoes in a pressure cooker and cook til tender.  Let cool so you can pull it a part into fine pieces and remove the pork fat.  In a large stock pan, put salsa, pork mixture, salt, pepper and cumin.  Simmer over low heat for a couple hours.  To thicken mixture, add the flour paste.

Variations

Serve Hot in a bowl and sprinkle with Cheese with a tortilla on the side. You can also smother a burrito or enchilada with it.

Will Serve 8 people

Diva's Chili for a crowd of 50

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Chili for a crowd of 50
Inspiration:  I love to cook for a crowd.  This has always been a hit at the holiday's and for Football game tailgating. Being from Nebraska, Cornhusker Football is a huge thing.  Once a husker, always a husker!
Ingredients:  14 lbs Ground beef 2 6lb cans red kidney beans 2 6 lb cans chili or pinto beans 2 6 lb cans crushed tomatoes 1 6lb can tomato paste 30 TB chili powder 2 TB cumin 1 TB pepper 8 onions, cut up 3 green peppers, cut up 1 16 oz jar Jalapeno's, cut up (optional) salt to taste	Instructions: Brown ground beef and onions in a large skillet.  In an electric roaster, add remaining ingredients. Add ground beef and cook to simmer; stirring occasionally to blend flavors and bring to serving temp.  I simmer mine most of the day.
Variation: Yields 50 servings This recipe also freezes well in baggies or freezer containers.

Diva's Oyster Cracker Appetizer

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Oyster Cracker Appetizer
Inspiration:  My friend Deb back in Nebraska gave me this recipe when my kids where growing up.  I love oyster crackers and this gives them a twist.
Ingredients: 2 pkgs oyster crackers 1 pkg dry Ranch dressing 1 cup oil 1 tsp garlic salt 1/2 tsp dill weed	Instructions: Combine dry dressing, oil, garlic salt and dill weed.  Put Crackers in a brown paper bag and pour combined mixture over crackers.  Shake shake shake.  Pour onto a cookie sheet and Bake for 15 mins at 275 degrees F.
Variation:  Used as an appetizer on that holiday table, can be used on a salad as croutons or in that favorite soup.

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 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.

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 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 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 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 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.