THE BEST OF THE OPEN LINE BULLETIN

MAY  PAGES 1234

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Just as the month of April produced showers, Easter bonnets, and the Easter egg hunt, the month of May will bring with it May baskets, the popular Czech story of the "Three Frozen Kings", and if we're lucky, those of us still without Martins in our Martin House, may get them yet. This month's bulletin, as is each month's bulletin is a collection of recipes received by the Open Line. I hope you'll try the Dolly Varden Cake. It was a big hit at our house. By the way, if you dropped by the Me-Too store April 29, I hope you enjoyed those Open Line recipes. If not, try to stop by the next time we are serving Open Line recipes at the Me-Too Store.

First, the Dolly Varden Cake, sent in by Mrs. McLaughlin. Not just the recipe, but the cake, itself. It was divided by the Loyds and Sasses and was plenty for both.

DOLLY VARDEN CAKE

1 package (1 lb. 2½ oz.) white cake mix
¼ cup maraschino cherries, chopped
1 package (1 lb. 2½ oz.) spice cake mix
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup currants, optional
2 tablespoons chopped citron Toasted coconut (for garnish)
Maraschino cherries (for garnish)
Lots of frosty white cake frosting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 1 package white cake mix, following package directions. Chop maraschino cherries and drain well on paper toweling. Fold into white cake batter. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Place contents of spice cake mix in bowl. Stir in nutmeg and cardamom. Then proceed, following package directions. Fold in walnuts, currants and citron. Mix well. Pour into two greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. When cakes are cool, prepare your favorite fluffy white frosting, making more than enough for just one cake. Put cake together, alternating white and spice layers, with frosting between layers and on top and sides. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top and garnish with whole maraschino cherries. As this is a very high cake, you may wish to cut wedges in two for serving. Serves 12 to 14. (Mrs. R. A. McLaughlin, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

What goes better on a wet chilly spring day than a big bowl of hot soup. Here's one you can put together on a busy spring house cleaning day and call it homemade.

BUSY DAY SOUP

5 cups boiling water
1 pound ground beef
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 16 ounce can tomatoes
1 16 ounce can mixed vegetables, drained
1 cup uncooked shell macaroni
1 tablespoon parsley flakes

Add crumbled ground beef to boiling water and boil five minutes. Skim off foam. Add remaining ingredients and cook about 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender.

COTTAGE CHEESE CAKE

Combine 24 crushed graham crackers, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ½ cup melted butter. Line pan with this mixture, reserving a small amount for top. Use a large pan. For the filling, beat four eggs and add 1½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, pinch of salt, 4 cups sieved cottage cheese, 1 cup cream, and 1
teaspoon vanilla. Mix well. Pour filling over crust and bake one hour at 350°. Cover with reserved crumbs and chili. (Mrs. Emmet Jones, Waterville, Iowa)

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A regular contributor and caller to the Open Line is a lady in Waterloo, Iowa, who is yet to be stumped on a recipe request. Here's her latest answer to a call for a low calorie cheese cake.

LOW CALORIE CHEESE CAKE

1 cup crushed graham crackers (about 12)
2 tablespoons melted butter
¾ teaspoon liquid sweetener
¾ cup skim milk
2 beaten egg yolks
¼ teaspoon salt
1 envelope (1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin
1½ cups (12 ounces) cottage cheese, sieved
2 teaspoons liquid sweetener
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup instant nonfat dry milk
½ cup cold water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon liquid sweetener
2 egg whites

The first ingredients makes the crust. Refrigerate about 1 hour after pressing combined ingredients in an 8 or 9 inch square pan or pie pan to set it. Reserve some of the crumbs for the top if you wish.

In the top of a double boiler, combine ¾ cup skim milk, 2 beaten egg yolks, ¼ teaspoon salt and unflavored gelatin. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly until slightly thickened and gelatin is dissolved. Cool.

Combine cottage cheese (be sure to sieve it good), 2 teaspoons liquid sweetener, 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Mix well. Add to cooled cooked mixture. Combine instant dry milk, ½ cup cold water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon liquid sweetener. Beat until very thick. Beat two egg whites and fold into whipped milk. Fold whipped milk into
cooled cooked mixture. Spoon into crumb crust. Chill four hours or overnight. (Mrs. Walter Mau, Waterloo, Iowa) Makes 12 servings and each serving is 102 calories.

COLE SLAW DRESSING

Mix:
2/3 cup vinegar
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon mixed mustard and butter, the size of an egg.

Stir until it boils. When cool, pour over shaved cabbage.

This is an all purpose white cake recipe. It can be made into table cakes, wedding cakes, party cakes or sheet cakes. It is used by a semi-professional cake baker here in Cedar Rapids.

WHITE CAKE

2½ cups cake flour
1½ cups sugar
½ cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
4 egg whites
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon lemon extract

Mix flour, sugar, shortening and salt as making pie dough. Add cold water. Beat 6 to 8 minutes until creamy. Beat egg whites until frothy. Add 3 teaspoons baking powder and continue beating until stiff but not dry. Add flavoring to batter. Fold egg whites into batter. Bake at 350°. Time will depend on use of recipe.

Mrs. Dorothy Newport, of the Iowa State Rabbit Breeders Association offered this recipe for domestic rabbit. This is a different way to prepare rabbit for the table and a nice way to introduce it to your family.

SWEET AND SOUR RABBIT

Cut rabbit in pieces. Flour and brown in 3 tablespoons oil in skillet. When brown, remove from oil and add 1 tablespoon flour, ½ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and liquid from 4 ounce can of mushrooms plus enough water to make 2 cups liquid, and 3 tablespoons vinegar. Then return meat to thin gravy and simmer about an hour. When ready to serve, thicken gravy and add mushrooms.

Somebody tried this recipe called in to the Open Line and called in to say how good it was. Maybe you'll like it.

CHINESE CHEWS

Mix:
1 cup flour
½ cup butter
2 tablespoons sugar

Put firmly into 9 by 9 inch ungreased pan. Bake 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add 2 eggs (beaten), ¼ cup coconut, 1½ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 cup chopped nuts, and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Bake 30 minutes more at 350°.

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QUICK REMEDIES FOR RUG SPOT REMOVAL

You can remove, or check, some rug stains when they occur if you know two simple home formulas suggested by the National Institute of Rug Cleaning. Remember to act promptly, the sooner you attack, the better.

FORMULA 1

Mix one teaspoon of neutral (non alkaline) detergent, such as those used for washing delicate fabrics, with a half pint of luke warm water.

FORMULA 2

Mix half a cup of white vinegar with one and a half cups of lukewarm water.

The way to use either formula: Saturate a sponge with it, squeeze it gently upon the stain. Allow it to remain for two or three minutes, then blot it with a damp cloth. Begin at outer edge and work toward center of stained area. Then repeat the process, as necessary, with lukewarm water instead of formula to rinse. Never allow the area to dry slowly to air; blot as much as possible, then leave a thick pad of paper towels, held by a weight, to absorb what remains. If in doubt, don't experiment. Call in a professional rug cleaner.

PAINT

Apply turpentine with eye dropper, then a non-flammable, non-toxic, dry-cleaning fluid, if stain persists, get specific thinner formula from manufacturer of the paint.

NAIL POLISH

Polish remover could dissolve cellulose-acetate rug fibers, so scrape polish off, then use a dry solvent (such as petroleum paint solvent) and blot after you apply.

COFFEE

Blot First, then use Formula 1 followed by lukewarm water. Blot again and repeat process several times. Then apply Formula 2, blot excess. Don't let coffee dry.

TO CLEAN PAINT BRUSHES

(1) Pour one half box baking soda in an old coffee can. Add enough water to cover bristles. Boil 20 minutes. (2) Let brushes set overnight in a pint of denatured alcohol.

HINTS AND HELPS

To clean Corning Ware coffee pots, use household cleansing powder or household bleach. Do not use scouring pads. You can also use a mixture of automatic dishwasher detergent and hot boiling water, allowing to set awhile before washing coffee stains out of the pot.

MILDEW REMOVER

½ cup vinegar
½ cup oxygen bleach
2 quarts water

Soak until mildew disappears. Rinse in clear water and launder as usual.

OLD WAX REMOVER

1 cup tide or other washing detergent 6 ounces household ammonia 1 gallon hot water. Apply with mop to area you wish to clean. Let stand a few minutes before you remove the old wax with it. After mopping, rinse well, before applying new wax.

Gloxinia or African Violet leaves may be rooted by putting the stem through an empty spool and floating in a glass of water.

Rose bush slips will take root if you stick the stem in a white potato.

Muffin tins are excellent for baking apples, stuffed peppers and so forth.

Don't throw away old lemons you've been keeping in the refrigerator. They can be revived quickly and their natural juice will be restored, too, if you place them in a bowl and pour hot water over them. They won't be pretty for garnishing, but the flavor is there.

To cut hard-boiled eggs into smooth slices, dip the knife in hot water.

In making fruit pies, put sugar in between two layers of fruit as sugar next to top crust toughens it.

If you keep the candles for the birthday cake in the icebox for a day before using, they will burn slowly and evenly.

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SOUR CREAM COOKIES

1 cup sugar
½ cup butter or other shortening
1 cup sour cream
salt
orange flavoring
1 well beaten egg
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Dough will be soft so pat instead of rolling. Sprinkle with sugar and bake in moderate oven until done.

KALONA MOLASSES COOKIES

1 cup molasses
1 cup lard
1 cup sour cream
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
3 teaspoons soda
pinch of salt
4 cups flour

Chill dough until easy to handle. Bake 375-400° for 10 minutes.

DROP CHOCOLATE COOKIES

2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1¾ cup Flour
1 teaspoon double action baking powder
½ teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
½ cup sour cream
½ cup broken nut meats

Grease baking sheet slightly. Bake at 425°. Melt chocolate over hot water. Drop by heaping tablespoons full 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake 9 - 10 minutes or until barely done.

SONOLD A LA GOLKEN

Take a loose number of fendered smolg and gwilley them, being careful not to spoil the batterns. Then wampf slowly in a covered blogging bunk for time and a half. Twengle twice, garnish with bloats and fresh green blingers (if available) otherwise twetchers and serve indiscriminately.

With fresh strawberries in the stores now, how about a fresh strawberry pie?

STRAWBERRY PIE

1 quart fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
l/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Crush half of berries and combine with sugar, salt, cornstarch and water. Cook until thick and clear, stirring constantly. A small amount of red food coloring may be added. Slice remaining berries and put into baked pie shell. Pour cooked mixture over the berries. Chill. Garnish with whip cream to which a little powdered sugar has been added.

We always welcome recipes from other countries and when someone requested a recipe for Cornish Pasty on the Open Line, Mrs. Ed Cones of Martelle, Iowa just happened to receive this recipe From Cornwell, England.

CORNISH PASTY

Make the pasty on the day before cooking if possible. Roll out thin and using a large tea plate, you can cut out rounds in accordance with your requirements. The pasty can be your choice, short, puff, or rough-puff which ever you make best.

For the filling make as much as required, using these proportions:

½ pound rump steak
2 potatoes
1 small onion
1 thick slice turnip
salt and pepper
a little Fat or drippings

Slice the potatoes, the onion, and the turnip. Mix these together and lay on one half of the round of pastry. Slice the meat and lay that on top of the vegetables. Put a little fat or dripping on vegetables. Fold the other half of pasty round over and crimp the two edges together. Bake one hour in a moderate oven. Before you fold over pasty, put a little milk or egg on edges of pasty and this will help to seal it. Pasty should always be brushed with a little egg before baking. (Lillian Hicks, Cornwall, England).

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