THE BEST OF THE OPEN LINE BULLETIN

JULY  PAGES 1234

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GOOF PROOF WHITE SAUCE

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter

Combine all ingredients and cook over low heat until smooth.

TO FREEZE FRESH PEAS

Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Put in fresh shelled peas. Bring water back to boil. Boil for one minute. Pour immediately into cold water. Freeze in container of choice.

SYRUP FOR CRUSHED ICE CONE

Combine 2 cups sugar with ¾ cup water in a saucepan and bring to full rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in one envelope of flavored add mix. Cool. Pour over finely crushed ice.

STRAWBERRY SYRUP

3½ cups water
1 package powdered Sure-Jell
1½ cups sugar

Boil water and Sure-Jell hard for one minute. Remove from heat and add sugar. Stir in and let cool. Store in refrigerator. Use to cover berries to freeze.

STRAWBERRY PIE

1 package strawberry Kool-Aid mix
1 cup sugar
2½ cups cold water
4 tablespoons cornstarch

Cook until clear. When slightly cool, add a little red food coloring and three tablespoons sugar. Pour over strawberries in baked pie shell. Graham cracker crust can be used.

SWEDISH RUSK

1 loaf white bread
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cinnamon

Cut slices of bread in half. Combine sugar and cinnamon in paper bag. Shake bread in sack to coat with sugar and cinnamon. Lay coated bread on a cookie sheet and place in a 200° oven for 30 minutes on each side. (Note: times and temperatures may be varied to suit individual preferences. Rusk should be served dry and crisp.)

BANANA NUT CAKE

2/3 cup shortening
2½ cups sifted flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ cup mashed bananas
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2/3 cup walnuts

Combine ingredients as for other cakes, adding only half of the buttermilk at first, stirring in the other half last. Bake in two 9 inch layer cake pans (greased) for 35 minutes at 350°.

SHORTCUT BANANA NUT CAKE

To one box yellow cake mix, add ¼ teaspoon soda, dissolved in ¾ cup water and the number of eggs in box directions. Add one cup mashed bananas and nutmeats. Bake according to box directions.

BANANA NUT CAKE ICING

Mix one package Dream Whip and fold in ½ cup chopped nutmeats. Slice bananas and place on top of filling between layers. Do the same for the top.

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MASON CITY CASSEROLE

In a 9 by 13 inch pan loosely pack one pound raw ground beef. Top with minced onions and one and one half packages of frozen Tater Tots. Add one can Cream of Chicken soup and one can Cream of Celery soup. Bake at 350° for 1½ hours.

RHUBARB CUSTARD PIE

1½ cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs
3 cups rhubarb

Blend sugar and other ingredients and our over rhubarb which is cut up fine. Our into an unbaked nine inch pie shell. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake another 30 minutes.

MAGGIE'S POTATO CHIP COOKIES

1 four ounce bag potato chips
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
¼ cup milk
1 cup flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup coconut (optional)

Recipe does not need salt other than on potato chips. Drop on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375°.

MULBERRY JAM

Simmer five pounds of mulberries and five pounds of sugar until berries are soft and jam thickens. Watch carefully to keep from sticking, adding a small amount of water if needed. Pour into jars and seal with paraffin. May be put through sieve while still hot to remove seeds.

MULBERRY JELLY

Combine one quart each of ripe and unripe mulberries with 2 cups water and simmer until berries are quite soft. Mash and strain through cheese cloth. Measure juice. Add equal amount of sugar to juice. Bring to boil. Boil four minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal with paraffin.

POWDERED SUGAR PIE CRUST

1 cup flour
½ cup margarine
5 tablespoons powdered sugar

Mix as for pie crust and push into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°.

BEEF STROGANOFF SANDWICH

3 tablespoons shortening
1 pint sliced fresh mushrooms or ¾ cup canned mushrooms
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 pounds beef, cut into one inch cubes
¼ cup water
¼ cup chopped pimiento
1 cup prepared sour cream
10 to 12 sliced hamburger buns

Melt shortening in skillet. Combine flour and salt. Roll each cube of meat in flour. Add floured meat to remaining fat in skillet and brown it on all sides slowly. Add water, cover tightly and cook slowly for an hour or until tender. Add pimiento, sour cream and sautéed mushrooms. Heat mixture thoroughly. To serve, place ¼ cup beef Stroganoff mixture in each bun. (Sandy Klingenberg, Bloomington, Illinois)

CHAMPAGNE RHUBARB CAKE

3 cups diced rhubarb
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1½ cup sugar
1 cup cream

Sift flour, soda and sugar. Add cream and rhubarb. Pour into a lightly greased 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes.

WILTED LETTUCE

4 slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup minced parsley

Fry bacon crisp. Pour off half of grease. Add sugar, salt and vinegar. Add vinegar slowly. Add parsley last. Pour over cleaned and torn apart lettuce and serve while still hot.

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CHINESE FORTUNE COOKIES

1 cup flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water

Mix above in bowl and let stand ten minutes. Heat Krumkake iron to 375°. Pour 1 tablespoon of mixture in iron. Heat 3 to 4 minutes on one side. Turn and do the other side 4 minutes. Remove cookie from iron while still hot. Place message in center of cookie. Fold edges to center, overlapping them. Then fold in half to form fortune cookies.

CHINESE FORTUNE COOKIES

Beat one egg until fluffy. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, a little at a time. Beat until light yellow. Fold in 2 tablespoons corn oil and blend in 2 tablespoons water and flavoring of choice. Stir in a small amount of egg mixture in ¼ cup cornstarch and add to rest of egg mixture. Heat electric skillet to 340°. Place one tablespoon batter on greased skillet. Spread to 4 inch circle 1/8 inch thick. Brown and turn with wide spatula. Brown on other side. Place fortune on cookie. Fold opposite edges to center. Fold again. Let cool. Makes about 15.

RAISIN UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Make a boiling mixture of 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon butter and 2 cups water. Pour into a lightly greased two quart loaf baking dish. For the pudding mixture, add the following in order given:

2/3 cup brown sugar
¾ cup milk
1 cup flour
dash of nutmeg or cloves
1 rounded tablespoon baking powder
¾ cup raisins
½ cup nutmeats
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 350°.

TO FREEZE FRESH GREEN BEANS

Cook beans completely, at least 30 minutes. Cool pot in ice water, retaining bean juice for freezing. Freeze in container of choice.

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING HIRES ROOT BEER

1. Shake well before using. Pour contents of one bottle of Hires extract over four pounds of refined sugar and mix well. (Some prefer more or less extract and sugar depending on individual tastes.)

2. Dissolve this mixture in 4¾ gallons lukewarm water.

3. Then mix ½ measuring teaspoon (level) or a bottle cap or crown full (level) of Fleishmann's Dried yeast or ½ cake of Fleishmann's yeast in a cup of lukewarm (not hot) water and let stand for five minutes. Do not use more yeast than specified, otherwise the drink will be unpalatable. Use only half quantity of yeast in very hot weather (over 90°); double quantity specified in cold weather (under 70°).

4. Then add this yeast mixture to the solution of sugar, extract and water. Stir well and bottle immediately, fastening corks in securely or sealing with crown or stopper. Fill bottles to within one half inch of the top. More air spaces may cause spoilage.

5. Now be sure to place bottles on their sides in warm place away from drafts, until effervescent. It should be ready to drink in five days after bottling (longer in cooler weather). Then set bottles in a cool place of even temperature.

6. Just before drinking, refrigerate bottles for a short time to make the beverage sparkling and to prevent excess foaming.

To make a half a batch merely cut the amounts specified in half. The balance of Hires extract will keep indefinitely.

IMPORTANT: Use regular carbonated beverage bottles .... NOT the returnable type, mason jars, catsup bottles, etc. Protect bottles from drafts after sealing. If set in a cool place when first made, the beverage will sour and remain flat. Be sure to pour extract over sugar before adding water. Be sure the yeast is fresh. Use yeast of proper strength in correct quantity.

Page 4 Top of Page

ROCKFORD GREEN TOMATO SANDWICH FILLING

Grind enough green tomatoes to make one quart. Grind three green peppers and two sweet red peppers. Put in colander. Pour boiling hot water over and let drain a few minutes. Mix in one tablespoon salt to the mixture and let set an hour. Add 1 cup vinegar and cook for ten minutes. Beat three eggs one cup sugar and two tablespoons flour with one tablespoon prepared mustard and add. Cook until thick. Add 1 cup evaporated milk, and one lump of butter. Grind up six sweet pickles and add. Cook fifteen minutes more on a slow fire. Seal tightly. Makes five small jars.

DELICIOUS DILL SWEET PICKLES

Place 1 peck cucumbers in a stone jar on top of 4 grape leaves and plenty of green dill. Add more dill on top and cover with four grape leaves.

Bring 1 cup salt, 1 cup cider vinegar, and 5 quarts of water to boil. Cool. Pour over cucumbers and place a large plate and weight on top of them to hold everything under the liquid. Let stand for ten days in a cool place. Drain and pour away. Cut the cucumbers in chunks.

Heat a syrup of 4½ cups sugar, 1½ cups vinegar and ¾ teaspoon alum. When boiling, add chunk of cucumbers and bring to a boil again. Then can in sterilized jars. Makes five pints or more. (Mrs. Walter Corum, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

COLD PACK SWEET PICKLES

Cut cucumbers in slices.

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon pickling spices
¼ teaspoon turmeric
dill (optional)
1 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon salt

Heat until sugar is dissolved. Pack cucumbers in sterilized jars. Fill jars with pickling solution. Seal for cold packing. Cold pack 5 minutes after water comes to a boil.

IOWA CITY CHUNK PICKLE

Wash long cucumbers and place in crock or enamel pan. Cover with boiling water. Weight them down to keep under water. Each morning change water, using boiling water. Do this for four days. On the fifth day, slice in chunks and drain. Make pickling solution with:

8 cups granulated sugar
4 cups cider or white vinegar
5 teaspoons coarse salt
2 tablespoons pickling spices
1 stick of cinnamon

Pour over cucumbers and let stand two days, stirring with wooden spoon. on the third day, bring to a boil. Put cucumbers in jar. Remove cinnamon from pickling solution and pour boiling syrup in jars and seal.

ROCK ISLAND PICKLES

Use small whole cucumbers, wash and pack in quart jars. Cover with the following:

3 quarts vinegar
1 quart water
½ cup canning salt
2 tablespoons pickling spices
1 teaspoon powdered saccharin

Use  liquid cold, but stir well  to dissolve salt. Seal and let stand for 2 weeks before using.

SOUR CREAM PICKLES

2 cucumbers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced thin
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
pinch of powdered tarragon

Peel cucumbers and slice very thin. Also onions. Make dressing of remaining. ingredients and pour over cucumbers and onions.

CUCUMBERS WITH SOUR CREAM AND PECAN DRESSING

Mix 1 cup dairy sour cream and 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, 2 teaspoons grated onion, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Peel 2 cucumbers and slice thin. Add dressing and toss slightly. Chill before serving.

TO CALL LONG DISTANCE FROM OUT OF IOWA, CALL COLLECT TO (Area Code 319) 366-2748.

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