About the Church Ladies....

These recipes originated with the Ruth and Naomi Circle of the Women's Society for Christian Service at the First United Methodist Church in Moscow, Idaho. The original edition had 218 recipes and was published in 1948. The book was reprinted in 1986 to raise money for the church's building fund. The original cover note states, "Not all of the recipes are original with the members who contributed them, but all are tested and favorite recipes."

The recipes that I've included under "Church Ladies" were contributed by my mother and her friends. I grew up with many of these recipes. I've included some others because of their anthropological significance. This is about as down-home cookin' as you can get.

Mincement

Norma Dobler

2 pounds lean meat
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 pound suet ground
1 tablespoon nutmeg
2 cups meat stock
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 pounds apples
1 teaspoon mace
2-1/2 pounds raisins (grind 1/2 of them)
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound currants
4 cups cider
3 lemons
1 cup vinegar
3 cups sugar (half brown)
1 cup molasses
1/3 pound citron peel
1/4 pound lemon or orange peel

Boil meat till tender. Grind meat, suet, and half the raisins. Add to other ingredients and simmer on low heat for 1-1/2 hours. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Makes 5 quarts.

Washington Nut Pie

Harriet Ravenscroft

3 eggs beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup dark Karo
4 teaspoons melted butter
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 teaspoons vanilla

Bake in an unbaked pie shell at 400 for 15 minutes then reduce temperature and bake 30 minutes.

Meat Relish

Dorothy Clanton

50 medium ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon whole allspice
10 medium sized onions
1 tablespoon whole cloves
4 red peppers, seeds removed
1 tablespoon whole cinnamon
1 large bunch celery
3 cups sugar
3/4 quart of vinegar
2 tablespoons salt
1 grated teaspoon nutmeg

Scald tomatoes, peel, chop into container. Grind rest of vegetables. Mix with tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Keep mixture simmering for 2-1/2 hours. Tie spices together in a bag, drop bag into mixture and boil 15 minutes more. Remove bag of spices and place relish into jars immediately. Seal while hot.

La Guardia Spaghetti

Prudence Burlison

1 large can tomato juice
1 large can mushrooms
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 pint olive oil
2 medium sized peppers
2 garlic cloves (slivered)
5 red pepper pods
2 cups parmesian cheese
2 bay leaves
1 package spaghetti
2 slices bacon
1-1/2 lb. ground round

Brown garlic cloves in olive oil. Add mushrooms. Mix tomato paste and juice, add cut up green peppers, red peppers and bay leaves; add to first mixture. Make small meat balls of hamburger, egg, breadcrumbs and seasonings and brown in bacon fat. Add to tomato mixture. Simmer for 2 or 3 hours. Pour over cooked spaghetti. Just before serving add parmesan cheese.

Jambalaya (Rice and left-over meat)

Phyllis McAllister

1 lb. hamburger or ham (pre-cooked or fried). Fry 1 chopped onion and 1 minced clove of garlic in butter until golden brown. Add one green pepper, 1 large can tomatoes, 1 tablespoon concentrated tomato paste, and 1 can beef bouillon soup. Add meat. Cook separately, 1-1/2 cups washed rice. When tender, add to the above mixture. Keep at low heat and stir to prevent burning. Add 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1-1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend thoroughly and taste. Transfer to well greased casserole. Bake in 375 oven for 45 minutes. Serves 6-8 people.

Crusty Apple Pudding

Harriett Ravenscroft

Pare and slice 1 quart apples. Put in large baking pan. Add 1 cup water or more, according to apples. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Place on stove to simmer while preparing crust.

Crust:
1 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Sift dry ingredients. Add egg. Mix till crumbly. Sprinkle over apples and bake in medium oven until golden brown. Serve with cream.

Fudge Squares

Mildred McIlvaine

3/4 cup sifted cake flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, well beaten
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ozs. (squares) chocolate

Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Melt shortening with chocolate. Beat sugar into eggs, add chocolate mixture and blend. Add sifted ingredients, nuts and vanilla and mix well. Bake in greased 8 in. pan in moderate oven (350) about 35 minutes. Cool and cut in squares.

Fudge Marshmallow Squares

Prudence Burlison

2 cups sugar
1 cup nut meats
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
16 marshmallows
2 tablespoons syrup
2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Mix dry ingredients and add milk and syrup. Cook until soft ball stage. Remove from heat, add vanilla, butter and marshmallows. Beat until marshmallows are melted. Add nuts and crumbs.

Orange Nut Bread

Vena McProud

1 large orange
1 teaspoon vanilla
boiling water
1 beaten egg
1 cup raisins, rind mixture
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup nuts
1 tablespoon shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt

Squeeze juice from orange into a one-cup measure and finish filling cup with boiling water to equal one cup. Put orange rind through food chopper and add enough raisins to ground orange to equal 1 cup. Place orange-raisin mixture in mixing bowl and add orange juice and water. Stir in soda, then sugar, shortening and vanilla. Add beaten egg, then flour which has been sifted with baking powder and salt. Beat thoroughly and stir in nut meats. Place in greased loaf pan and bake in moderate oven 350 for about 50 minutes. Cool in pan before slicing.

Variation - above recipe may be used with dates instead of raisins - Prudence Burlison

Danish Pastry

Arleen Childears

4 rounded tablespoons shortening
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cake yeast dissolved in 1 cup lukewarm water
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 or 3 cups flour (I use 3 cups

Cream shortening and sugar. Add salt and egg yolks. Then add yeast and water, vanilla and flour. Let stand 15 minutes. Then roll in 1/2 cup shortening by folding and rolling 3 times. (Roll out dough and spread with about 1/3 of the half cup shortening. Fold over lapping one end of the dough over the other and roll flat again. Spread with 1/3 more of the shortening and repeat.) Fold and let stand 1/2 hour. Cut in strips and roll into rolls. Place rolls in greased pan and let rise. Bake in hot oven 450 for 12 to 15 minutes. A half teaspoon of jelly may be placed in the center of each roll before baking. Ice with thin powdered sugar icing.

Hot Chocolate

Prudence Burlison

To 3 squares of chocolate add 1/2 cut cold water. Put in saucepan over low heat until chocolate is melted. Add 1/2 cup sugar and a dash of salt. Blend, stir and boil for 5 minutes. Cool. When cool fold in 1/2 cup cream whipped fairly stiff. Flavor with vanilla. To serve, put a small ladle or a large tablespoon of mixture in each cup and pour hot milk over it.