Chinese Hamburger Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
2 T. vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped (or less)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 ½ c warm water
½ c uncooked rice
¼ c soy sauce
¼ tsp. pepper
1 can chow mein noodles

Brown meat [in oil] until crumbly. Add onion and soups. Rinse out cans and add [water] to mixture. Stir in rice, soy sauce, and pepper. Turn into lightly greased casserole. Cover and bake for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven. Remove cover and spread noodles on top. Cook 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

Notes from DeLynne: No salt is needed. Serve with tossed salad.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

½ pkg. noodles
1 can flaked tuna
1 can canned milk
1 can [cream] soup (mushroom, celery, chicken)
crushed potato chips

Cook noodles as package directs in salted boiling water. Drain. Add tuna, soup, and canned milk; blend well. Pour into greased casserole dish, top with crushed potato chips and heat in oven until hot clear through. Serve with tossed salad.

$250 Cookies

2 c butter
2 c sugar
2 c brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
5 c. blended oatmeal
24 oz. chocolate chips
1 (8-oz) Hershey bar, grated
3 c chopped nuts

Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate bar, and nuts. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

Notes from DeLynne: Makes a large batch. Measure the oatmeal before blending it in the blender. Grandma used to make these but it wasn’t her recipe.

Surprise Cookies

COOKIE DOUGH:

1 c sugar
½ c shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c milk
3 ½ c flour
1 tsp. soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix well. Roll thin and cut out. Put a tsp. of filling on each cookie and place another cookie on top. Crease around edges. Bake until brown.


FILLING FOR SURPRISE COOKIES:

½ c sugar
1 tsp. flour
½ c water
1 c chopped raisins, dates, figs, nuts, etc.

Cook until thick, stirring constantly as it burns easily.

Notes from DeLynne: Grandpa Woodbury's mother used to put a cotton ball in one or two cookies for April Fool.

Peanut Brittle

In a heavy saucepan, combine:
2 c sugar
1 c white corn syrup
¼ c water

Cook until it forms a thread when spoon is lifted out (hard crack stage). [My mom uses a wooden spoon.]

Then add:
2 c raw Spanish peanuts
2 T. butter or margarine

Stir constantly until it becomes light brown and the nuts smell done.

Remove from heat and add:
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Stir briskly only until combined. Pour out on buttered cookie sheet (large), being careful not to break bubbles. When cool and hard, crack into small pieces with knife handle.

No Fail Marshmallow Fudge

4 c sugar
1 cube butter or margarine
¼ tsp. salt
l large can [12 oz] evaporated milk

Stir until dissolved, cook 5 minutes. (8 minutes at high altitude.) Add l lb miniature marshmallows and stir well, then add 1 (12-ounce) package of chocolate chips. Stir until dissolved, add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup chopped nuts. Pour into buttered dish. [My mom uses a 13”x 9” pan.]

English Toffee

1 lb. butter (don't substitute margarine)
2 c sugar
1/2 c white corn syrup
1/2 c water
1/4-1/3 c slivered almonds

Combine in heavy pan. Boil and cook until almonds turn light brown, the mixture leaves the side of the pan in a ball in the middle, and the pan begins to smoke. Stir constantly. Pour onto well-buttered marble slab or cookie sheet. While hot, break up 1 large Hershey's candy bar and place on top until melted. Spread evenly across the top. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts. Cool until chocolate is firm. Break into serving size pieces, using the handle of a table knife. Store in an air-tight container.

Notes: chocolate chips can be substituted for the chocolate bar.