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 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 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 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 Six - Layer Taco Dip

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

Six - Layer Taco Dip

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Inspiration from:  I found this recipe in a magazine when I was working 3rd shift at Delphi in Kokomo, IN.  It was a great hit for our carry in dinner's. 

Ingredients
4 oz cream cheese, room temp 1/2 Cup sour cream 1 15oz jar salsa 1 TB cilantro 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper	1 15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed 1 6oz can pitted black olives, drained & sliced 1 4.5oz diced green chilies, drained 1 Cup shredded Cheddar Cheese Tortilla chips

Directions

On medium speed, beat cream cheese and sour cream til smooth.  Stir in 2 TB salsa, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.  Spread mixture in the bottom of a 5 Cup glass bowl.  Top with beans, remaining salsa and black olives.  Finish the layer's with the olives, cheese and cilantro.

Variations

Serve with tortilla chips, I prefer Tostitios Scoops

Yields 5 Cups.

Diva's Nacho's

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

⬗⬗   Nacho's  ⬖⬖

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Inspiration from:  Everyone loves a good Nacho's, this is what I came up for my family to enjoy:) Great for parties

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef 1 can chili with beans 8 oz Velvetta cheese	1 1/2 cups Picante Sauce 1/4 Cup Jalapeno's dash of ground cumin

Directions

Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain grease off.  Add all ingredients to a crock pot and let cook on low for 2 hours.  Stir every 30 mins.

Variations

You may also melt ingredients with cooked ground beef in the micro for 3 mins, stirring every min.  Just not as good.  The longer it cooks, the warmer the jalapeno's get and I love HOT!

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.  We love Scoopes!!!

Diva's Beer Basting Sauce (BBQ)

Diva’s Memories of Recipes

Beer Basting Sauce  

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Inspiration from:  One of my favorite basting sauces... for big daddy.

Ingredients
1 Cup brown sugar 1 Cup beer of your choice 1 Cup chili sauce 1/4 Cup mustard	1 tsp soy sauce 1/2 Cup finely minced onion additional 1/2 Cup beer

Directions

Combine all ingredients well except the additional 1/2 Cup beer in a sauce pan.  Bring to a  boil and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cool and add the other 1/2 Cup beer.  Refrigerate.

Variations

Use to baste hamburgers, chicken, pork, etc on the grill.

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 Sweet and Sour Meat Loaf

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Sweet & Sour Meat Loaf
Inspiration:  My Grandma Z gave me a cookbook in 1979 that I have been using all these years.  This is one of those recipes that is stained and tattered from wear and tear:) It's delish!!!
Ingredients: 1~1/2 lb ground beef 1 cup bread crumbs 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 TB vinegar 1 15oz can tomato sauce 1 small onion, chopped 2 TB brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 2 tsp prepared mustard 1 tsp parsley	Instructions: Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, onion and 1/2 of the tomato sauce.  Form into loaf, wrap in foil and put into loaf pan.   Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 50 minutes. Mix remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil and all is dissolved. Pour over meatloaf after the 50 mins and bake another 30 minutes.
Variation:  I always drain the surplus grease before adding the sauce if any is present.  I also cook this with cut up potatoes, onion and carrots.  The sauce gives the veggies a wonderful flavor.

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