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 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.

Take Time in your LIFE for 10 Things...

Diva's Sentiments

Take Time in your LIFE for 10 Things...

Take Time to WORK - it is the price of success.

Take Time to THINK - it is the source of power.

Take Time to PLAY - it is the secret of youth.

Take Time to READ - it is the foundation of knowledge.

Take Time to WORSHIP - it is the highway of reverence and washes the dust of earth from our eyes.

Take Time to HELP & ENJOY FRIENDS - it is the source of happiness.

Take Time to LOVE - it is the one sacrament of Life.

Take Time to DREAM - it hitches the soul to the stars.

Take Time to LAUGH - it is the singing that helps with life's loads.

Take Time to PLAN - it is the secret of being able to have time to take time for the first nine things...

Diva's Photography:  taken in one of my thinking spots in Indiana

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 Snickerdoodle Coffee Cake

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Snickerdoodle Coffee Cake
Inspiration: Life is God's gift to us, what we make of it is our gift to God.
Ingredients: 2 cups flour 2~1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup melted butter 1 cup milk 2 eggs topping: 2/3 cup brown sugar 2 TB flour 2 tsp soft butter 1/4 cup nuts, chopped	Instructions: Sift together dry ingredients and a large bowl.  Add melted butter and milk.  Blend on low speed, then beat 1~1/2 minutes on medium.  Add eggs and continue to beat for 1~1/2 minutes longer.  Pour 1/2 mixture into a well greased and floured 8" baking pan.  Combine brown sugar and flour.  Cut butter into mixture to form crumbs.  Add nuts.  Sprinkle 1/2 crumbs over dough, add remaining dough and then sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.
Variation: Yields 8 servings

Happy Birthday Daddy in Heaven...My Tribute

I have been sitting here trying to think of something to write on my Daddy in honor of his birthday and the flood of memories are deep.  He was my ROCK, my PROTECTOR, and the most WONDERFUL Father and Grandpa anyone could ever have.

Dad, My son Adam & my baby nephew JD
My brother Randy is the one behind Dad partially seen with the beard
1983

Glen Marvin Zemanek was born December 30, 1936 to Dale and Margaret (Gartman) Zemanek in a little one room shack that was on the 160 acre farm in Bayard, Nebraska up on the hill. It still had the old cast iron red water pump right outside the door that worked in the 60's. Us kids use to play in the old farm house when we didn't get caught by Grandma to get out.  It was like a sacred building attached to other buildings that was used for storage by the time my brother Randy and I came along. OMG Grandma could stand on the steps and yell.... RANDY DALE & CHERYL ANN at the top of her lungs in a high screech and believe me we RAN.  It was a 1 room shack that was built by Grandad and I have no doubt that it was like a palace to their little family of 4. Many years later as the dust filled room sat empty, we still loved to think of how our Daddy was born in that little room shack.

The outhouse was down the hill equip with the Sear's & Roebuck catalog and we were still required to use it even though a bathroom was built in the new farm house in the mid 60's.  Grandad was a very frugal man and would not even allow us to flush the toilet but every 3-4 times, well except for #2's, but we had to prove it.  It had better still smelled.  But boy was Grandma proud to finally have a real running water bathroom in the house.

Dad graduated from Minatare High School in 1955 and went straight into the Army. He dated my mother Marge who was a local girl from Bayard.  They married not long after Dad entered the Army.

After he got out of the Army, he took care of the farm and a lady down the road's farm which we called Granny Nab.  She was no relation but she loved my Daddy too. Randy and I would ride our horse Champ over to Granny Nab's house all the time.  It was a deserted shack at that time.  Dad also worked in the other family business for Great Western Sugar.  He had always loved retail.   He opened Fairview 50 Grocery Store, outside of Scottsbluff, NE.  I remember the vintage coke machine, the minnow tank outside (people would stop on their way out to Lake Minatare to fish) and how he always loved to talk to people.  I was just a toddler at this time, but o no doubt about it, he loved that little store. 

Eventually he became laid up after falling out of a tree on the farm and breaking both legs & ribs and were forced to move to town.  After he recovered with my help at the age of 4, he worked for Kuner-Empson as a salesman and returned to Great Western Sugar as a fieldman. I would always ride in the car or truck with him and he would buy me candy cigarettes and let me light them on his car lighter.  I think we ruined several lighters and boy did the candy stink burning.

Dad married my step Mother Judi when I was 12 and when I was in high school he finally got his dream once again fulfilled and bought Alexander's Super Market in Scottsbluff, NE.

Dad, Judi and my baby daughter Bekah
1984

He had the Mitchell Cafe, bought the Mitchell Grocery Store, had a gas station, a mini storage, and drove the wrecker for the County. Busy Busy man, I called him Mr Monopoly after he bought his 18th rental.  Retail, People, and his family was his life. There was never a day that went by that I didn't feel his love.  

He passed in March of 1995 and is resting near Chimney Rock by Bayard, NE and the day of the funeral everyone told me that they saw him the day he passed and he smiled, sayed hi and spoke to them.  I swear he was everywhere that day.  He had the most beautiful smile and blue eyes that lit up no matter what. He worked very hard and was respected by all.  An incredible man who raised me and my brother and he is deeply deeply missed. He taught me life is precious, don't go to sleep mad at your loved ones, ALWAYS tell them you love them and never say goodbye... to this day I only say see ya to the ones I love.  I can't wait to see him again and get one of those famous hugs he always gave us and see that wonderful smile.  

Happy Birthday Daddy in Heaven... I will be watching for my penny <wink>

Diva's Peanut Butter Popcorn

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Peanut Butter Popcorn
Inspiration:  I found this recipe in a church cookbook years ago back in Nebraska. It was my family church that I grew up in.  Federated Church in Mitchell, NE.  I love anything peanut butter.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup margarine 3/4 cup brown sugar 20 large marshmallows 1/4 cup peanut butter 10 cups popped popcorn or 2 bags microwave popcorn	Instructions: Put popped popcorn in a large bowl.  Make sure you sort out the old maids.  Melt margarine, brown sugar and marshmallows in the microwave.  Cook at 1 minute intervals stirring each time and until all is melted and smooth.  While hot, stir in peanut butter and quickly pour over popcorn.  Stir to coat.  Can be made into popcorn balls or spread on a cookie sheet to cool and then broken in to pieces.
Variation:  You can become very creative with this recipe.  Add mini chocolate chips, mini M&M's, pretzels, nuts, raisins, or just drizzle chocolate over the top. Have fun!