Fix-It and Forget-It Pink Cookbook (127 page)

Jan Mast

Lancaster, PA

2 quarts strong hot coffee

¼ cup chocolate syrup

¹
/
₃
cup sugar

¼-½ tsp. anise flavoring,
optional

4 cinnamon sticks

1½ tsp. whole cloves

1. Combine hot coffee, chocolate syrup, sugar, and anise if you wish in slow cooker.
   
2. Tie cinnamon sticks and whole cloves in cheesecloth or a coffee filter and tie shut with strong string. Add to slow cooker, submerging in liquid.
   
3. Cook on Low 2-3 hours.
   

Serve hot with a garnish of
whipped cream
and a dash of ­
cinnamon
if you wish on each individual serving.

Pat Unternahrer

Wayland, IA

10 cups milk

¾ cup sugar

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup cocoa,
or
hot chocolate mix

2 cups hot water

1. Measure milk into slow cooker. Turn on High.
   
2. Mix together sugar, salt, and cocoa in heavy pan. Add hot water. Stir and boil 3 minutes, stirring often.
   
3. Pour into milk. Cook on High 2-2½ hours.
   

Top with
marshmallows
.

Jan Mast

Lancaster, PA

6 small peppermint patties

6 cups milk

½ cup chocolate malt mix

1 tsp. vanilla

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
   
2. Cook on Low 2 hours.
   
3. Whisk or hand-beat until thoroughly mixed and frothy.
   

Serve hot, topping each individual serving with
whipped cream
.

dash = little less than
¹
/
₈
tsp.

3 teaspoons = 1 Tablespoon

2 Tablespoons = 1 oz.

4 Tablespoons = ¼ cup

5 Tablespoons plus 1 tsp. =
¹
/
₃
cup

8 Tablespoons = ½ cup

12 Tablespoons = ¾ cup

16 Tablespoons = 1 cup

1 cup = 8 ozs. liquid

2 cups = 1 pint

4 cups = 1 quart

4 quarts = 1 gallon

1 stick butter = ¼ lb.

1 stick butter = ½ cup

1 stick butter = 8 Tbsp.

Beans, 1 lb. dried = 2-2½ cups (depending upon the size of the beans)

Bell peppers, 1 large  = 1 cup chopped

Cheese, hard (for example, cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, mozzarella), 1 lb. grated = 4 cups

Cheese, cottage, 1 lb. = 2 cups

Chocolate chips, 6-oz. pkg. = 1 scant cup

Crackers (butter, saltines, snack), 20 single crackers = 1 cup crumbs

Herbs, 1 Tbsp. fresh = 1 tsp. dried

Lemon, 1 medium-sized = 2-3 Tbsp. juice

Lemon, 1 medium-sized = 2-3 tsp. grated rind

Mustard, 1 Tbsp. prepared = 1 tsp. dry or ground mustard

Oatmeal, 1 lb. dry = about 5 cups dry

Onion, 1 medium-sized = ½ cup chopped

Pasta

Macaronis, penne, and other small or tubular shapes, 1 lb. dry = 4 cups uncooked

Noodles, 1 lb. dry = 6 cups uncooked

Spaghetti, linguine, fettucine, 1 lb. dry = 4 cups uncooked

Potatoes, white, 1 lb. = 3 medium-sized potatoes = 2 cups mashed

Potatoes, sweet, 1 lb. = 3 medium-sized potatoes = 2 cups mashed

Rice, 1 lb. dry = 2 cups uncooked

Sugar, confectioners, 1 lb. = 3½ cups sifted

Whipping cream, 1 cup unwhipped = 2 cups whipped

Whipped topping, 8-oz. container = 3 cups

Yeast, dry, 1 envelope (¼ oz.) = 1 Tbsp.

When I first began making cookbooks, I was a purist. No canned cream-of-xxx soups for me, whether I was working on cookbooks or making dinner. I resolutely turned any reference to canned creamed soups into a multi-step process, which wasn't too bad if I took a magazine along to the stove or the microwave. I would do Steps 1-4 (on next page); then I'd whip out the magazine while I stirred. It made the time fly.

But when I became a mom, I began to compromise on a few things. It was a little harder to hold a wiggly child than it was to read a magazine while I stirred up a creamy soup.

Then I heard from other people who were juggling things that didn't always allow them to stand and read while stirring. So I switched and began to permit canned soups in recipes.

If you like to know exactly what you are eating, and if you have the time, I applaud your making cream soups and bases from scratch. Here is a recipe for doing this on the stove-top or in the microwave.

If you're tight time-wise, or aren't sure you want to make the extra effort to create a creamy soup or base, you'll find canned cream soups in the ingredient lists of many recipes in this cookbook. Because my first intent is to make sure you can make a meal at home and serve it to your friends and family, no matter how full or chaotic your life is.

3 Tbsp. butter

¼ cup mushrooms, chopped

1 Tbsp. onion, chopped

3 Tbsp. flour

1 cup milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole)

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter.
   
2. Sauté mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Stir frequently.
   
3. Add flour and stir until smooth. Cook over low heat for a minute or so to cook off the raw flour taste.
   
4. Continuing over low heat, gradually add milk, stirring the whole time.
   
5. Stir frequently to keep soup from sticking. When soup begins to bubble, stir continuously until it thickens to a creamy consistency.
   

3 Tbsp. butter

¼ cup mushrooms, chopped

1 Tbsp. onion, chopped

3 Tbsp. flour

1 cup milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole)

1. In a 1- or 2-qt. microwave-safe container, melt 3 Tbsp. butter on high for 30 seconds.
   
2. Stir chopped mushrooms and onions into melted butter.
   
3. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or just enough to make the vegetables tender.
   
4. Stir in flour until well blended.
   
5. Microwave on high for 1 minute, just enough to overcome the raw flour taste.
   
6. Gradually stir in milk until as well blended as possible.
   
7. Microwave on Power 5 for 45 seconds.
   
8. Stir until well blended.
   
9. Microwave on Power 5 for another 45 seconds. The mixture should be starting to bubble and thicken.
   
10. Stir again until well blended.
    
11. If the mixture isn't fully bubbling and thickened, micro­wave on high for 20 seconds.
    
12. Stir. If the mixture still isn't fully bubbling and thickened, microwave on high for 20 more seconds.
    
13. Repeat Step 12 if needed.
    

Note:

If your microwave is fairly new and powerful, you will probably have a creamy soup by the end of Step 8 or 10 below. If you're working with an older, less powerful, microwave, you will likely need to go through Step 12, and maybe Step 13.