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 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 Egg Noodles

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

⬗⬗   Egg Noodles  ⬖⬖

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Inspiration from:  My kids love home made noodles in the soups. My Grandma Sarah taught me how to make these.

Directions

Homemade Noodles 3 1/2 cup flour, 6 beaten eggs, 'Stir with fork till doughy, Knead in flour 1 minute.  Cut in 3rd's and make a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge for 30 mins.  Cut each ball in half and  roll out till very thin and let air-dry 1/2 hour. Sprinkle a little flour over noodles so they don't stick.  (You can also use the dough hook on a mixer)

 ( Great with German Butterballs.)  

NOTE: you don't want to add salt as it will make the noodles tough and take longer to dry.)

Variations

Once all the noodles are made, Boil in soup for 8 mins.  If you want to make other recipes, you can boil in water for the same amount of time and drain.

Will Serve 6 people

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 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 Home made Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

 Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing  

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Inspiration from:  I have moved around a lot and this was one of my favorite salad dressings growing up in Nebraska and found its not sold in several areas of the country.  This is a mock recipe of it.  I love it! 


History:  A one-of-a-kind salad dressing, Dorothy Lynch, often referred to as a "french style", is a dressing the entire family will love. The special blend of spices gives Dorothy Lynch that home made flavor that keeps people coming back for more. The best part is, Dorothy Lynch is so much more than a salad dressing. You can use it in baking, as a barbecue sauce, in stir fry, as a dip, or in any creative way your family will enjoy!

Ingredients
1 Cup Mazola oil 1 Cup sugar 1 can tomato soup 1/2 Cup vinegar 2 tsp dry mustard	1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp celery seed

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl, cover and let stand in refrigerator overnight.

Variations

Store in quart jar in fridge. Make sure you pass it on since some states don't sell it.

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 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 Meringue Cookies

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

⬗   Meringue cookies  ⬖

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Inspiration from:  I have been making these for years.  My daughter could eat the whole batch.  They are low fat too and have 10 calories per cookie.

Ingredients
2 egg whites 1/4 tsp cream of tartar 1/2 C sugar or 3 oz of jello of your choice

Directions

Cover 2 cookie sheets with foil and set aside.  Beat eggs and cream of tartar until foamy.  Add sugar or jello 1 TB at a time and beat til stiff and glossy.  Drop a dollop from a teaspoon on to the lined cookie sheets.  

Bake 250 degrees for 45 mins. 
(Start watching them at 30 mins, they should be golden on top) Turn oven off and leave in oven for 1 hour to dry.  Cool completely and remove from cookie sheet.

Variations

Yields:  36 cookies