Beverages & Miscellaneous

Elderflower Cordial

1.8 Liters

This was first introduced to our family after Sarah stayed in the Czech Republic for some time, when she returned this was one thing that she greatly missed. Add a little bit of the syrup to plain or sparkling water to create a refreshing beverage.

6.5 cups granulated sugar 1 quart water 3.5 tablespoons food-grade citric acid 30 big elderflower umbels, use more for a stronger flavor 1 lemon cut into slices (optional)

Remove any insects or debris from the elderflower blossoms. Do not wash them, because they will lose much of their flavor. Combine sugar, water, and citric acid in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Trim the thick stems away from the elderflower heads and discard. Add the blossoms and optional lemon to a large glass jar. Pour the cooled syrup into the jar with the blossoms. Make sure that all of the blossoms are immersed in the syrup. Cover the jar with a lid and let steep at cool temperature (a cool room or fridge) for 48 hours, stirring once daily. Strain the syrup through a fine meshed sieve lined with a cheese-cloth into a clean jar. Strain again if desired. Optional: After straining, boil syrup for 5 minutes in a large pot, to ensure long shelf-life. Bottle the syrup, using tight screw tops. Usually keeps for 1 year stored in a dark, cool place (cellar/fridge).

Lemonade – A Child’s First Cook Book

Serves 4

At this point, this recipe is more just a guide or inspiration, as we have made so many alterations to it. Sarah and I both loathe Maraschino cherries, so we never included them. We also rarely went through the effort to squeeze lemons, and just used lemon juice. In the same vein, we never bothered with a saucepan and just poured hot water over sugar in a bowl to dissolve it, or just used cold water entirely.

1 cup sugar 3 lemons 4 maraschino cherries 8 ice cubes 4 cups water

Put sugar into a saucepan. Add 1 cup of water. Place over the fire. Bring to a boil. Then boil for 5 minutes. Remove from fire Add 3 cups of cold water. Squeeze enough lemons to make ½ cup of lemon juice. Add the lemon juice, and stir. Place 2 ice cubes and a red cherry in each glass. Fill glasses with lemonade

Spiced Tea – Judy Lake

A drink from the seventies, mom and I were the only ones who liked the cloves. A wonderful drink in the winter months

1 ¼ cup of orange flavored drink mix ¾ cup instant tea 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon allspice May add ¼ teaspoon cloves, sugar, lemon

Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

A recent favorite, we make this cracker dip around Thanksgiving.

1 bag (12 oz.) fresh cranberries 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped 3 green onions, chopped ⅛ cup chopped cilantro ½ teaspoon chili powder (optional) ½ cup sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 16 oz. cream cheese, softened

Chop cranberries in a food processor or blender. Put in bowl. Stir in sugar, chili powder, jalapenos, green onion, cilantro, and lemon juice. Cover and place in refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight. Drain excess liquid off. When ready to make, whip cream cheese with electric mixer. Spread the cream cheese in a 9-inch pie plate. Top with cranberry mixture. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Perfect to make around Halloween when carving Jack-O-Lanterns or when you have a severe excess of squash.

Clean seeds of all pumpkin or squash bits. Place on cookie sheet, bake for 20 minutes at 325°

Potato Salad Dressing – Bertha Kuipers

This recipe is originally from my grandma, Bertha Kuipers, who would sometimes add chopped fine green pickles. My mom likes it with the addition of raw onions, while my dad does not.

2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 ½ teaspoons prepared mustard Yolks of 4 eggs 1 ½ cups of sweet milk 4 tablespoons of melted butter ½ cup vinegar

Mix dry ingredients, then eggs, butter and milk. Add mustard and boil until thick. Then slowly add ½ cup vinegar. Thin with cream when ready to use. (Possibly could thin with condensed milk)

Cinnamon Ornaments – Gretchen Kuipers

Yield 8 ornaments (6 inches)

We make these around Christmas time to hang on the tree. They smell so good, although making them can be a bit messy. You can press bunches of pine needles into them to create an imprint.

1 cup ground cinnamon 1 tbsp. ground cloves 1 tbsp. ground nutmeg

¾ cup applesauce 2 tbsp. Aleene’s Tacky Glue Ribbon or gold cord

Combine cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg. Stir in applesauce and glue. Work mixture with hands for 2-3 min. to form a ball. If mixture is too dry add more applesauce; if too wet add more cinnamon. Knead on a cinnamon sprinkled surface until dough holds together well. Divide into 4 pieces. Roll each to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheets. Use pencil to make hole. Air dry ornaments. Turn over from time to time for even drying. Or dry in oven for a few hours at 250° - 300°

Play-Dough – More with Less

My parents made this non-toxic play-dough for my sisters and I growing up. This one was less likely to stain my fingers than the Kool Aid version.

Mix together in bowl:

2 cups flour 2 Tbsp Alum

Heat to boiling:

1 ½ cups water ½ cup salt

1 tbsp oil Food coloring

Stir liquids into dry ingredients. Knead until smooth. Store in airtight container.

Kool Aid Play-Dough – Arla Kuipers

This was the other play-dough recipe my parents would make for my sisters and I. It sometimes would stain your hands after playing with it a lot, but always smelled really good.

Mix

1 ¼ cup flour ¼ cup salt 1 pkg. Kool Aid

Add

1 cup boiling water 1 ½ Tbsp. Oil

Knead on floured surface. You need to add quite a bit of flour as the dough was very soft For gingerbread = use orange Kool Aid and ¼ cup cinnamon

White Sauce – More with Less

Makes around 1 cup

This recipe is necessary for Anne’s Baked Mac and Cheese, however it also tastes good in other recipes, as a base for creamed soups, or as a gravy.

Melt in heavy saucepan:

1-4 tbsp margarine

Blend in, cooking and stirring until bubbly:

1-4 tbsp flour ¼ tsp salt

Using wire whisk to prevent lumps, stir in:

1 cup milk, stock, or combination

Cook until smooth and thickened. Makes slightly over 1 cup. Medium thick (3 tbsp) compares to undiluted condensed soups, and makes approximately the same amount contained in one 10 oz. can.

1 tbsp = thin

3 tbsp = medium-thick 2 tbsp = medium 4 tbsp = thick