Chocolate Butter Cookies

I never remember him making these but they are delicious.

1.2 cup sugar
3/4 cup softened butter
1 egg yoke
1 teaspoon of almond extract
1 and 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa

Pre-heat over to 365
Combine all except flour and cocoa. Beat for 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy. Add flour and cocoa and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. Shape as desired or use a cookie press. place 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet cooking in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Cool and decorate with chocolate chips or colored sugar sprinkles, etc.

Spud Pancakes

I'm not sure of the origin of the word "spud" but that was the term my father often used for potatoes. These are a lot like German Potato Pancakes.

2 pounds of spuds
2 eggs
2 tbs. flour
2 tbs. chives or onions
salt and pepper.

Soak the potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes then dry them.
Shred or grate the potatoes in a bowl. Add the eggs, flour, onions and mix together with hands. place on some waxed paper in a pancake shape.
In a frying pan melt a pat of butter and place a little oil and simmer pancakes about 5 minutes each side -- should turn a light brown.

Leek & Potatoe (sic) Soup

My father always misspelled potato placing the "e" on the end. Many of you will remember a vice president that did the same - much to his embarrassment and dismay. While his spelling was not on the mark his soul always was.

2 to 3 large potatoes cubed
1 and 1/2 pound of leek
1 onion
2 stalks of celery
1 tbs. butter
2 quarts chicken broth
2 cups half and half
salt and pepper
Chopped chives for garnish

Chop the leeks, onion, and celery and saute in the butter until soft. Add stock and potatoes and cook until potatoes are done.
Remove from heat and let cool. Put ingredients in a blender and puree on rough for a short time. Retun to pot, add half and half then reheat -- do not boil.
Season to taste.
Add chives to garnish.

Grandpa Bauernfeind's Split Pea Soup

My father loved splt pea soup but I can only remember a few times my mother making it -- I think this was one of his things...


16 oz split peas
1 or 2 smoked ham hocks
1 large onion
2 tbs chicken bullion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1 large bay leaf
1 and 1/2 cups of sliced carrots
1 cup celery
1 large potato diced

Rinse off peas
In a large pot put 7 cups of water and peas bring to a boil then tun of and let stand for 2 hours
Drain
With peas in same pot put in 3 quarts of water, ham hocks, on on, bullion, and spices.
Heat and then simmer uncovered for 1 and 1/2 hours.
Remove hocks, trim meat off hocks and put meat into pot and discard remains.
Add carrots, celery, and potatoes -- simmer uncovered an additional 2 and 1/2 hours to desired thickness. Use a little corn starch mixed in a 1/4 cup of cold water to dissolve to thicken if necessary.

Cucumber and Tomato Summer Salad

If vinegar is something you can't stand, pass on this one. But if you love 'cukes and tomatoes, this salad keeps in the 'frig and you can keep adding to it all summer long!

6 Cucumbers
2 Onions
2 Bell Peppers
Balsamic Vinegar
Garlic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Garlic Salt
Italian seasoning

Clean and slice up the cucumbers, onions, and peppers. Combine into a bowl or container with a lid you can store in the refrigerator. Pour in about a quarter cup of garlic (or thyme) vinegar and about half a cup of balsamic vinegar, three glugs of olive oil and stir. Use just a little garlic salt and add enough water to come close to covering the mixture. Stir in some italian seasoning and refrigerate. As soon as it is cool it is ready to eat. As the combination gets less just add to the mixture al summer long.

Summer Squash

This includes that weed growing zucchini that every junior farmer in the world grows and does not realize how much yield there is from a few lousy plants!
FIrst of all the trick is to cook only those squash that are not too big ( say over 14 inches in length, nor too small 5-6 inches) The rest -- toss in the woods.


10 Summer squash
Carotino oil
Olive Oil
Parsley flakes


If you have more than the Pope needs -- say 30 of them, cover them in a newspaper and place in paper bag (no plastic) in a cool dark place right next to your mother-in-law. Keep 10 out.

Wash them with cold water, peel them but not completely -- leave some stripes of skin to hold them together better - then cut off the tips. Slice them into 1/4 inch slices and place in a large bowl.
Take 2 onions and peel and slice them -- not too thin or they will fall through the grill later -- place them in a bowl with the squash.
Cut up one or two bell peppers - your choice - slice and place in bowl as well.

Use about one "glug" of olive oil and three glugs of "Carotino" cooking oil. Carotino is a blend of Canola and Red Palm Fruit oil that is cholesterol free and contains no trans fats. It will stain the squash orange a bit, but that is what you want to make sure when you are stirring it up that everything gets coated. Shake a little parsley flakes on the mixture, stir, and cover. You can leave it sit for a day or two before use.

When ready grill the mixture. It takes a bit of patience flipping the individual squash and you will lose some to the grill (if you have an old grill grate you can cross the grates to prevent much loss) Once browned a bit they are essentially ready to eat. So if you are grilling out, cook these first and then place them on a back area or higher grill surface so they will stay warm but not cook too much more and then add the meat to cook.

Extra leftover? Warm up in a non-stick frying pan.