Meals & Recipes

My mother’s cooking was simple but nutritious and plentiful. You’ll be hard pressed to find a visitor to the farm who was not blessed by an invitation to her table. There was always an extra portion. She strived to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.
Proverbs 31:5

Her famous Chili has been served each year in December at my father’s Chili Days for his seed customers.
1 lb. of ground beef (browned and drained)
1 8oz can of tomato soup
1 15oz can of tomato sauce
1 15oz can of stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz can of chili beans

Blend stewed tomatoes. Put everything into a crock pot to heat. Chili powder and minced onion to taste.

Chocolate chip cookies
I love my mom’s chocolate chip cookies and the dough just as much. We always would have to set some dough without the chocolate chips aside for dad. Mom would get so mad at us when dad would come into the kitchen and help us steel the bowl of dough. We would go running through the house with mom screaming behind us.

A few years into our marriage I wanted to make her cookies and I couldn’t find my copy of the recipe. I was shocked when I called my mom for help and she causally says “just grab the chocolate chip bag, the recipes on the back.” “What” I said, “all these years I thought this was your secret recipe.” I think she got a good laugh at that one.

1 c. butter, softened
¾ c. packed brown sugar
¾ c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 c. chocolate chips

Cream butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto sprayed cookies sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.


A few other family favorites are

Tater Tot Casserole
1 lb hamburger (browned and drained)
1 can cream of chicken
1 bag tater tots

Mix hamburger and soup mixture together in a baking dish. Add tots on top. Bake at 450 for 30-40 minutes or until tots are crisp.

Cavatini

1 lb hamburger (browned and drained)
1 bag of extra wide egg noodles (cooked and drained)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 pepper
1 glove garlic

Mix everything together in a baking dish. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Add shredded white cheese on top and bake for additional 5 minutes or until melted.