45 Monkeying Around

April/May 2007

18 on
Tasty Twists
Ground Beef

10 Editor’s Favorite Meal

Served on
Features
Our Cover... 5 Nothin’ Beats 25 The Great
Special Mocha Cupcakes,
Lemon Curd Cupcakes and Mom’s Cookin’ Cupcake Challenge!
Berry-Topped White A tasty tribute of family specialties Terrific top 12 from our contest
Cupcakes are all on p. 27.
12 A Complete Meal 44 Barnyard Bash
in Minutes
APRIL/MAY 2007

Cute cupcake critters “on the farm”

$3.99 U.S./$4.99 Canada
#
1 Cooking Magazine
in the World!

crazy
cr
cra
a for Catch up with tasty baked fish
52 Elegant Desserts
Timeless Recipes from Trusted Home Cooks ™

cupcakes
cupcakes!
12 Prize-Winners,
ating Tips
Decorating
...and more! 14 Kentucky Derby Treats Try this trio of fancy finales
Race-day snacks that go the distance
59 TOH Plans
18 Twists on Ground Beef “Cook’s Tour” New!
s:
cupcak
plu Meaty main dishes are sure to satisfy Join us for a Slice of California
e
bonus
ONTHEWEB

22 Appetizers & Snacks 66 Kitchen Memories

Goodies for graduations, spring parties Readers recall good times in the kitchen
 Departments
Time-Saving Tips 13

New Recipe Contest 43

Touring Country Kitchens 46

Ask Our Test Kitchen Team 49

Our Family’s Favorite Grace 54

Does Anyone Have…? 58

Stirring Comments 62

1,000 Taste of Home

Field Editors 63

Here’s Part of Our Staff 63

56 Cooking for One or Two Ted’s Toothpick Contest 65

Recipe Index 67
39 Cooking for a Crowd
PLUS Means
More for You!
For subscriber-only
BONUS recipes and features, visit
www.tasteofhome.com/plus.
You’ll find…
More Recipes • More “Meals in Minutes”
8 My Mom’s Best Meal • Great Ground Beef Dishes
Not your everyday chicken and dumplings • Spice Up Your Meals

10 Editor’s Favorite Meal • Crowd-Pleasers

Saucy beef brisket’s on the menu • Budget Dinners
• On-Line Cupcake Cupboard
16 Good Food That’s
Good for You
52 Elegant Desserts Luscious, light, spring-fresh dishes

21 Potluck Pleasers
21 Potluck Pleasers Appealing array for a luncheon buffet

24 Spice Things Up
Caraway adds robust note to breakfast

25 Clip & Keep Recipe Cards

Winning cupcakes and other fine food

45 Monkeying Around
Cupcake chimps—and more on the Web!

48 Feed Your Family for $1.96

Make the most of after-holiday ham

56 Cooking for One or Two

Three downsized entrees plus sides
Back Cover Bonus
Strawberry-filled cake roll is the star!
 Editor Ann Kaiser
Managing Editor Barbara Schuetz
Senior Art Director Sandra L. Ploy
Behind the scenes at Taste of Home Food Director Diane Werner RD
Food Editor Patricia Schmeling

Cupcakes caused a sweet commotion around here! It all started with Senior Recipe Editor Sue A. Jurack
Recipe Editors
readers’ terrific response to our national recipe contest, confirming that cupcakes Mary King, Christine Rukavena
are the treat of choice for so many occasions. Assistant Editor Melissa Phaneuf
Copy Editor S.K. Enk
Busy baking for the judging, the TOH Test Kitchen used:
Editorial Assistants
• 108-1/2 cups of sugar (granulated, brown and confectioners’) Jane Stasik, Mary Ann Koebernik
• 63 cups of flour Graphic Art Associate Ellen Lloyd
Test Kitchen Manager Karen Scales
• 21 cups of chocolate (chips, baking cocoa and baking chocolate)
Test Kitchen Home Economists
• 10 pounds of butter Ann Liebergen, Peggy Fleming RD,
Tina Johnson, Marie Parker, Annie Rose,
• 7-1/2 dozen eggs. Wendy Stenman, Amy Welk-Thieding RD;
There were so many fabulous cupcakes that our judges chose the delectable Contributing: Dot Vartan
Test Kitchen Assistants
dozen in the Clip & Keep section (p. 25) and then selected eight more runner-up Rita Krajcir, Kris Lehman,
recipes that you’ll find in our Taste of Home PLUS Web newsletter. See page 45 to Sue Megonigle, Megan Taylor

learn how to access those prize-winners,as well as readers’cupcake-decorating tips Recipe Asset Systems Manager Coleen Martin
Photographers
and more. Rob Hagen (Senior), Dan Roberts,
Also, cupcakes don’t get much cuter than the critters on pages 44-45. Jim Wieland, Lori Foy
Senior Food Stylists
Joylyn Trickel, Sarah Thompson
On a Roll with the Bookmobile Senior Set Stylist
Jenny Bradley Vent
Taste of Home gets a lot of mileage through libraries…particularly Assistant Food Stylists
in St.Louis County,Missouri.“Your magazine is extremely popular in Kaitlyn Besasie, Kate Baumann, Alynna Malson

our bookmobiles,” writes Mary Anne Marjamaa, manager of exten- Photo Studio Coordinator Suzanne Kern

sion services.“We have the largest fleet of bookmobiles in the President

country—10 mobile units that visit schools, nursing homes and communities. Barbara Newton
Senior Vice President, Editor in Chief
“Our staff (above) has many potlucks, with the ‘Bookmobile Bash’ being the Catherine Cassidy
biggest. Many Taste of Home recipes have made an appearance at our luncheons.” Creative Director
Ardyth Cope
Vice President, Advertising Sponsorship Director
Another Mouth-Watering Library Story J.P. Perkins

National Library Week is April 15-21, so what better time to mention another tasty
tie? At the Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library,the Taste of Home Sampler group (be-
low) gathers every other month for a bountiful
buffet,says director Karen Niemeyer.“We began
with each person providing a dish using a
recipe from the current issue,but have since ex-
panded to using any TOH issue,as well as Cook-
ing for 2, Simple & Delicious and Light & Tasty.”
Come Help Us Celebrate the Season!
You’re invited to our charming village for the Spring Into Greendale celebration on
Saturday, May 19. Festivities will include live music, a fashion show, craft fair, side-
walk sales and many in-store specials at the Reiman Publications Visitor Center and
other unique shops.Click on “Visitor Center”at www.reimanpublications.com for
more information. If you can’t make it that day, come another time soon!
Send Us Your Stories About…
• Meals from your church kitchen. We agree with Kathleen Jamieson, who
writes from Calgary, Alberta,“Wouldn’t it be great for TOH to run some stories on
various churches and organizations that utilize Taste of Home recipes?”Share yours
at www.tasteofhome.com. See page 62 for Contributor Guidelines.
Go ahead—catch our cupcake fever and enjoy the many other spring menu ideas
in this issue! —The Taste of Home Staff
Founder
Roy Reiman
Vol. 15, No. 2, April/May 2007 © Reiman Media
Group, Inc., 2007. “TASTE OF HOME” (ISSN 1071-
5878) (USPS 010-444) (Canadian GST No.
876052820 RT). (Canadian Distribution) Publications
Mail Agreement No. 40065693.
“Periodicals postage paid at Greendale, WI and ad-
ditional mailing offices.” Published bimonthly, by Reiman Publications, for
people who love practical cooking. Printed in USA. Taste of Home is a
registered trademark of Reiman Media Group, Inc.
Editorial offices: 5400 S. 60th St., Greendale WI 53129-1404.
Send stamped return envelope with photos, manuscripts and inquiries. Ma-
terial in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without per-
mission. “ POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Taste of Home, P.O.
Box 992, Greendale WI 53129-0992.” Return undeliverable Canadian ad-
dresses to: Customer Service, P.O. Box 905, Niagara Falls ON, L2E 7L1.
Subscription prices in U.S.: $19.98 for 1 yr., $29.98 for 2 yrs.,
$39.98 for 3 yrs. (Canada: 1 yr., $23.98 CDN plus 6% GST or 14%
HST, where applicable; international subscriptions: $25.98 per year,
U.S. funds prepaid.) Send new subscriptions to P.O. Box 5294, Harlan IA
51593-0794. Allow 4-6 weeks.
Questions About Your Subscription? Write to Taste of Home Cus-
tomer Service, P.O. Box 991, Greendale WI 53129-0991; call 1-800/344-
6913; or E-mail subscriberservices@reimanpub.com. For address
changes, include both old and new addresses. If the Post Office alerts us
that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless
we receive a corrected address within 1 year.
Notice About Continuous Renewal: As a service to subscribers, we
recently tried offering Continuous Renewal Service. If you are among the
subscribers who signed up, please be advised that we have discontinued
Continuous Renewal Service until further notice. To renew your subscrip-
tion, please return one of the renewal notices you receive by mail or with
your issues, or call 1-800/344-6913.
Consumer Information: Reiman Publications may share information
about you with reputable companies in order for them to offer you prod-
ucts and services of interest to you. If you would rather we not share in-
formation, please write to Reiman Publications Customer Service Mailing
List, P.O. Box 991, Greendale WI 53129-0991.

4 Taste of Home • April/May 2007

 Nothin’Beats
Mom’s
Cookin’

On these next few pages, Beef Rib Roast 1/2 teaspoon pepper

readers pay tribute to ❧ PREP: 15 min. 1 small onion, sliced

their moms by sharing ❧ BAKE: 2 hours + standing
dishes that captured “Our mom, Elizabeth Lorenz Abel,
their taste buds... topped beef roast with bacon and
onion,” says Betty Abel Jellencich from
and their hearts. Utica, New York. “Whenever I prepare
Chances are, these recipes it, I can’t help but reminisce about the
will trigger cherished wonderful life she gave me and my
6 to 8 bacon strips
Place roast, fat side up, on a rack in a shal-
low roasting pan. Rub with garlic, salt and
pepper; top with onion and bacon.
Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2-3 hours or
until meat reaches desired doneness (for
medium-rare, a meat thermometer should

childhood memories brothers.” read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°).

Transfer to warm serving platter. Let stand
1 bone-in beef rib roast
of your mom’s (4 to 5 pounds) for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Yield:
mouth-watering 1 garlic clove, minced 10-12 servings.
specialties. 1 teaspoon salt Mom’s Cookin’ continued…

www.tasteofhome.com 5
 Corn Bread
Layered Salad (Previous page)
❧ PREP: 20 min.
❧ BAKE: 15 min. + cooling
“Her corn bread salad
is so complete, it can be
a meal in itself,” says
Jody Miller from Okla-
homa City, Oklahoma of
her mother, Theresa Cas-
per. “The recipe has been in our family
for years and is great for potlucks.”
Food for Thought: The smell and taste of things remain poised a long time, like souls, ready to remind us... —Marcel Proust
1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn
bread/muffin mix
6 green onions, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel
corn, drained
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans,
rinsed and drained
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and
chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Prepare and bake corn bread according to
package directions. Cool on a wire rack.
Crumble corn bread into a 2-qt. glass
serving bowl. Layer with onions, green pep-
per, corn and beans.
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and
sour cream; spread over the vegetables.
Sprinkle with tomatoes and cheese. Refrig-
erate until serving. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Coconut
Drop Cookies (Previous page)
❧ PREP: 25 min.
❧ BAKE: 15 min. per batch
Cathy Wilson from Midvale, Utah says
her mom, Winnie Nash, added nutri-
tious ingredients to recipes whenever
she could. “Chock-full of nuts and
oats, these crispy-chewy cookies are
the perfect example,” Cathy says.
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups old-fashioned oats
6
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening
and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating
well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Com-
bine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking so-
da and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture
and mix well. Stir in coconut and walnuts.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 in.
apart onto greased baking sheets. Flatten
slightly. Bake at 350° for 11-14 minutes or
until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes be-
fore removing to wire racks. Store in an air-
tight container. Yield: 5-1/2 dozen.
Featherlight Rolls (Previous page)
❧ PREP: 25 min. + rising
❧ BAKE: 15 min.
“Aptly named for their
featherlight texture, these
tender rolls from my ma-
ma, Louise Smart, were a
favorite of family and
friends alike,” writes Terri
Duhon from Bryan, Texas. “They’re just
as tasty the next day with a slice of
cheese on each section of the cloverleaf.”
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active
dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1 tablespoon plus 1/3 cup sugar,
divided
1 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
Bottom Rule
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in
warm water. Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar; let
stand for 5 minutes. Add the milk, shorten-
ing, eggs, salt, 3 cups flour and remaining
sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Stir in enough remaining flour to form a
soft dough (mixture will be sticky). Do not
knead. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly
floured surface; divide into 24 portions. Di-
vide each portion into three pieces; shape
each into a ball. Place three balls in each
greased muffin cup. Cover and let rise in a
warm place until doubled, about 1-3/4 hours.
Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes or until
golden brown. Remove from pans to wire
racks. Serve warm. Yield: 2 dozen.
Pressure-Cooker
Pork Ribs (Above)
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 25 min.
Enjoy melt-in-your-mouth ribs when
you try this pressure-cooker recipe
shared by field editor Paula Zsiray of
Logan, Utah. “When I was younger, my
mom, Doris Stephenson (in photo above),
made these delicious spareribs for special
Saturday dinners,” says Paula.
2 pounds boneless country-style
pork ribs, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
 4 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
In a large saucepan, combine rhubarb and 1
cup sugar. Cook over medium heat for 12-
15 minutes or until rhubarb is tender.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, cream
shortening and remaining sugar; beat in egg
and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking pow-
the kitchen of Beverly Preston. “Mom’s
blueberry salad was served at every hol-
iday and celebration,” writes Beverly’s
daughter, Sharon Hoefert from Green-
dale, Wisconsin. “Now, her grandchil-
dren (in photo below) request it.”
2 packages (3 ounces each) grape
gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 can (21 ounces) blueberry pie
filling
1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened
crushed pineapple, undrained
TOPPING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream
cheese, softened

1 teaspoon paprika der and salt; add to creamed mixture alter- 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
nately with milk. Beat just until combined. 1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking
1 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dish. Pour the rhubarb mixture over the bat-
3 tablespoons ketchup ter. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

4-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar a toothpick inserted near the center comes In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling wa-
out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 9
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ter. Cool for 10 minutes. Stir in pie filling and
servings. pineapple until blended. Transfer to a 13-in.
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
x 9-in. x 2-in. dish. Cover and refrigerate un-
1/8 teaspoon celery seed Creamy Blueberry til partially set, about 1 hour.
Sprinkle the ribs with onion salt, pepper Gelatin Salad (Below) For topping, in a small mixing bowl, com-
bine the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar
and paprika. In a pressure cooker, brown ❧ PREP: 30 min. + chilling and vanilla. Carefully spread over gelatin;
ribs in oil on all sides. Remove from the pres-
sure cooker and drain. Return meat to the Plump blueberries and a fluffy topping sprinkle with walnuts. Cover and refrig-
pressure cooker. Combine the remaining in- star in this pretty, refreshing salad from erate until firm. Yield: 12-15 servings.
gredients; pour over meat.
Close cover securely; place pressure reg-
ulator on vent pipe. Bring cooker to full pres-
sure over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-
high and cook for 15 minutes. (Pressure reg-
ulator should maintain a slow steady rocking
motion; adjust heat if needed.)
Remove from the heat; allow pressure to
drop on its own. Skim fat from sauce if nec-
essary and serve with ribs if desired. Yield:
4 servings.
Editor’s Note: This recipe was tested at 13 pounds
of pressure (psi).

Old-Fashioned Rhubarb
Pudding Cake (Above)
❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 30 min. + cooling
“At 100 years old, my mom—Frances
Beechner (in photo above) of Lincoln,
Nebraska—still cooks, bakes, drives her
own car and lives in her own home.
She’s amazing!” relates Barbara
Collins from Andover, Massachusetts.
“And this is one of her best desserts.”

www.tasteofhome.com
My Mom’s Best Meal

Hungarian Chicken
Paprikash, Spaetzle Dumplings,
Sour Cream Cucumbers and
Tart Cherry Lattice Pie are a tradition
for Barbara Barocsi’s family.
By Pamela Eaton
Lambertville, Michigan
Who needs to go to a restaurant when
you have a mom who can cook like mine does?
My mom, Barbara Barocsi (shown at right), spe-
cializes in what restaurants like to call “home-
cooked” meals.
On Sundays, you’ll often find me and my fami-
ly dining at my parents’ house in Oregon, Ohio,
a suburb of Toledo.We’re often Mom’s “testers”for
the new recipes she tries out from Taste of Home.
When my older sister,Cheryl,and I were grow-
ing up, Sunday dinner was typically meat, pota-
toes, salad, vegetables and rolls. Sunday was also
the day Mom would write down her menus for
the week ahead. She had a repertoire of meals
that she repeated every 2 to 3 weeks.
Although Mom worked full-time as a customer
service rep when we were kids, she still enjoyed
cooking dinner from scratch.And after dinner,
she’d start the next night’s meal.
A Family Tradition
Her best meal—and my favorite—starts with
Hungarian Chicken Paprikash,served with Spaetzle
Dumplings. I always request it for my birthday,
which is in August. Some years I have to wait be-
cause Mom doesn’t want to cook over a hot stove
in the summer heat. Last year, she served it for
Christmas.
My mom learned to make the chicken and
dumplings from the Hungarian women at her
church.They serve it to about 300 people at an
annual church dinner.To fix it at home, Mom
had to cut down the recipe substantially.
It’s been a tradition at our house to serve Sour
Cream Cucumbers with the paprikash and spaetzle.
This side dish is especially good during the sum-
mer when the cucumbers are fresh-picked from
the garden.
My favorite meal is not complete without a slice
of Tart Cherry Lattice Pie, topped with vanilla
www.tasteofhome.com
ice cream.Whenever Mom is invited to a
party or potluck, everyone requests her
homemade, double-crust fruit pies. My dad,
Donald, grows apple, cherry and apricot
trees in their backyard, so fruit is always
plentiful. Mom freezes some of the fruit so
she can make pies during the winter, too.
She taught my dad, who’s retired from
an Ohio gas company,to make the pie crust
and fillings. Sometimes, I don’t know if my
mom or my dad made a pie, because now
they are both excellent pie makers.
Generation to Generation You’ll find this mom’s
Born and raised in Toledo,my mom learned her recipes on page 35.
cooking skills from her mother. According to
Mom, the secret to making food taste good is us-
ing onion,green pepper and celery for seasoning.
Onion is our family’s favorite vegetable, and we
especially enjoy green onions from Dad’s spring
garden.We add onion to almost all of our salads,
soups and main dishes.
Mom has passed on her cooking wisdom to my
sister and me. She prepares a lot of our favorite
dishes from memory, so when I started my own
family, I asked her to write down the ingredients
and instructions to many of those dishes.
Like my mom, I make a meal plan on Sunday
so I can be ready for the upcoming week, since I
work full-time. I’m a computer analyst at a local
hospital. My husband, Robert, is a shipping man-
ager at a competing hospital.We have two chil-
dren, Matt, 7, and Kate, 5-1/2.
Recall Your
We have Sunday dinner with my folks about Mom’s Best?
once or twice a month during the winter. In the If we feature your
summer, however, the tables are turned, and my mom’s meal, you’ll
parents visit us at our cottage in Indiana. One earn $75.00. Send at
thing doesn’t change, though. Mom still likes to least four recipes with
do the cooking…and starts making her meal plan background informa-
a week before she and Dad arrive. tion. See Contributor
I’m happy to turn over kitchen duties to her be- Guidelines on page 62
cause we all love her home-cooked meals. or on our Web site to
We hope you will, too! find out more.
9
 Editor’s Favorite Meal

Meat-and-Potato
Lovers’ Delight North meets South
in her tender
brisket.

Beef Brisket
with Mop Sauce,
Grandma’s Honey Muffins,
Tossed Salad with Carrot Dressing, Comforting
Potato Casserole and Poppy Seed Cake have the
stamp of approval from Darlis Wilfer’s family.

10 Taste of Home • February/March 2007


By Darlis Wilfer
West Bend, Wisconsin
For those who love to cook— and those
who love to eat—I’m sharing a meal that’s great
for a family gathering or a casual dinner party.
My popular menu features Beef Brisket with
Mop Sauce, Comforting Potato Casserole,Tossed
Salad with Carrot Dressing, Grandma’s Honey
Muffins and Poppy Seed Cake. As you will see,I’m
not a gourmet cook…I just like to put a differ-
ent twist on food that people enjoy. (You’ll find
my recipes below and on page 33.)
My husband,Chuck,and I have been married for
53 years. He’s a “meat-and-potatoes” guy, and I am
fond of desserts.Three of our five children and
their families live nearby, and we get together of-
ten for holidays and special occasions. I’m in my
glory with a houseful of hungry folks to feed!
What Kind of Sauce?
Beef Brisket with Mop Sauce was quick to
gain everyone’s approval.“You can make this
again,Mom!”they agreed. Before settling in Geor-
gia, our son Mike and daughter-in-law Sharon
lived in Texas.There, we learned that mop sauce
Comforting Potato Casserole
❧ PREP: 10 min.
❧ BAKE: 1-1/2 hours
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed
cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim
mozzarella cheese
5 green onions, sliced
1 package (32 ounces) frozen Southern-
style hash brown potatoes, thawed
In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream,
cheese and onions; stir in potatoes until coated.
Transfer to a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1-1/2 hours or un-
til potatoes are tender. Yield: 10-12 servings.
www.tasteofhome.com
is traditionally prepared for Texas ranch-style bar-
becue in batches so large that it is brushed on the “I love to
meat with a mop! But we love the zesty flavor of
the sauce and think you will, too.
take an old
Tossed Salad with Carrot Dressing always
draws favorable comments. It tastes so fresh and
recipe, tweak
is easy to mix up.We love going to the farmers it to my
market on Saturdays in summer and fall to buy
fresh produce. I like to dress up homegrown let- liking and
tuce with cut veggies, chow mein noodles, dried
cranberries and shredded cabbage. mix new
Comforting Potato Casserole (recipe below left)
was a dish I first tasted at a wedding reception,and with old...”
I asked the caterer for the recipe. I make these
snazzy potatoes often, as do our daughters, who
appreciate that the recipe can be made ahead.
Flavorful Hand-Me-Down
I fondly remember my Grandma
Wheeler making her honey muffins.
We’d eat them fresh from the oven…
nice and warm. Getting the correct
measurements for her recipe was dif-
ficult because she used “a pinch of
this”and “a handful of that,” and knew
when there was enough flour be-
cause it “felt right.”
Deciding which dessert recipe to Darlis Wilfer (left),
add to my menu was difficult. I asked the family, granddaughter Katie
and each one had a different suggestion. I chose and daughter Lauri
get ready for family
old-fashioned Poppy Seed Cake. Tender and
festivities.
chock-full of poppy seeds, it has a yummy cream
cheese frosting. I got the cake recipe from my
longtime friend Mabel, who is of Finnish de- Field Editor:
scent and bakes up a storm. Darlis Wilfer
West Bend, Wisconsin
Treasured Kitchen Traditions
I’m from a German family in which the grand- Family: Darlis and hus-
mothers and mothers took care to pass along band Chuck have five
cooking lore to their children.My mom,Lorraine, children and 12 grand-
children. Now retired, he
who’s 92,still remembers learning from her mom
worked as a power com-
and grandmother.I’m now passing on those skills
pany customer service
and cherished heritage recipes to my children
representative.
and grandchildren. I love to take an old recipe,
tweak it to my liking and mix new with old. Usu-
Job: Darlis has worked
ally, the result is surprisingly compatible. part-time for a catering
Browsing through cookbooks and Taste of
company.
Home gives me plenty of new ideas.What a priv-
ilege to have been asked to be one of the maga- Activities: Church work,
zine’s first field editors, in 1993.
Hurricane Katrina relief in
I want to thank the Taste of Home “family” for Mississippi, Angel on My
the many smiles you have brought to our dinner Shoulder cancer founda-
table. For when my family and friends enjoy my tion.
cooking, they are also complimenting the many
fellow subscribers who have shared their recipes. Hobbies: Playing piano,
I hope this meal of mine brings smiles and singing and art—“I love
good eating to you! to paint barns.”
11
A Complete Meal in Minutes

Catch-Up
Menu
Running behind? Then you need a quick-fix meal that’s ready to serve when
your family walks in the door. You won’t have to “fish” for compliments with this
menu,which consists of three reader favorites.It’s not only ready in just 30 minutes— Time-Savers
it’s full of great flavors, too.
On a Roll. Before opening a package of
• Ruth Hayward’s colorful Strawberry-Bacon Spinach Salad is sweet and crunchy bacon, I roll it into a long tube to loosen
with a tangy dressing.“I made this recipe for our prayer group,and everyone enjoyed the slices and keep them from sticking to-
it,” Ruth writes from Lake Charles, Louisiana. gether. —Carolyn Griffin, Macon, Georgia

• “An onion soup and sour cream mixture really adds zip to Busy-Day Baked Fish,”
says Beverly Krueger of Yamhill, Oregon.“Your family would never guess that it’s
so quick and easy to prepare.”
• Field editor Marian Platt of Sequim,Washington shares her luscious Coffee Whip
Dessert, a smooth and creamy finale fit for everyday meals or even special occa-
sions…and it takes just minutes to prepare!
Strawberry-Bacon
Spinach Salad
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 15 min.
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby
spinach
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
8 bacon strips, cooked and
crumbled
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, straw-
berries, bacon, onion and walnuts. In a small
bowl or pitcher, combine the mayonnaise,
sugar and vinegar. Serve with salad. Yield:
6-8 servings.
Busy-Day Baked Fish
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 30 min.
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 tablespoons onion soup mix
1-1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
2-1/2 pounds fresh or frozen fish fillets,
thawed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
In a shallow bowl, combine sour cream and
soup mix. Place bread crumbs in another
shallow bowl. Cut fish into serving-size
pieces; coat with the sour cream mixture,
In a hurry?
For another quick complete-meal menu and time-saving tips, visit
www.tasteofhome.com/plus.
then roll in the crumbs.
Place in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in.
baking dishes. Drizzle with butter. Bake, un-
covered, at 425° for 12 minutes. Sprinkle
with Parmesan cheese; bake 2-6 minutes
longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Yield: 6-8 servings.
Coffee Whip Dessert
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 30 min.
1 cup water
2 tablespoons instant coffee
granules
6-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Whipped cream and additional instant
coffee granules, optional
In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Re-
move from the heat; stir in coffee. Add
marshmallows; cook for 5-6 minutes over
low heat until marshmallows are melted, stir-
ring occasionally. Pour into a large bowl; cov-
er and refrigerate until slightly thickened.
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream until
soft peaks form; fold into marshmallow
mixture. Spoon into dessert dishes. Gar-
nish with whipped cream and additional cof-
fee granules if desired. Yield: 8 servings.
QUICK!
We want your favorite fast-to-fix
recipes. Visit our Web site, www.taste
ofhome.com, or see page 62 for Con-
tributor Guidelines.
It’s in the Bag. When a recipe calls for
graham cracker crumbs and butter to
be combined, I crush the crackers in a
heavy-duty plastic bag, make an inden-
tation in the crumbs and pour in the
melted butter. Then I close the bag and
shake to combine.There’s no bowl to
clean and no messy hands.
—Nonnie Strickler, Chilliwack, British Columbia
Oil Spills. Sometimes bottles of oil leave
a residue on cupboard shelves. I use pa-
per-lined, aluminum cupcake holders as
coasters under the bottles.They work for
everything from sun-dried tomatoes to
various herbed oils. —Paulette Sampson
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Curly Cue. If you have trouble making
chocolate curls, try using a large milk
chocolate bar and shaving the curls with
a vegetable peeler. —Jill Fellows
Coventry, Connecticut
Plan Ahead. Before I leave for work in
the morning, I pull my recipes and get
out the ingredients, bowls, spoons,
whisks and so on for preparing the
evening meal. I place them in one spot
on the counter, so everything is ready
when I get home.The only ingredients I
don’t put out are the ones that must be
refrigerated or kept frozen.It really saves
time! —Chris Eilerts, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Instant Breadsticks. When I have extra
hot dog buns,I split them down the mid-
dle, spread with garlic butter on each
side and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Then I pop them in the oven till hot,
and I have breadsticks for dinner in no
time. —Sarah Woodruff, Austin, Texas
HAVE A TIME-SAVING TIP?
To share a handy kitchen shortcut you
rely on to save time, visit our Contrib-
utor Guidelines on page 62.

www.tasteofhome.com 13
Getting in the Theme of Things While Thoroughbreds “run for the roses,”
fans can graze in style.
If you can’t make it to Louisville
this May, you might want to host a Ken-
tucky Derby party of your own. Race-
day treats from two TOH readers—An-
nette Grahl and Emily Baldwin—will
help you set the scene.
Annette, shown at right, owns
Scottwood Bed & Breakfast in
Midway, Kentucky, about an hour’s
drive from the famous Churchill Downs racetrack.“As you
might expect, we get plenty of business during race week-
end,” she says.
“I serve our guests pecan-topped Brie, grits with shrimp,
fresh asparagus dishes and Mini Hot Browns, my version of a
traditional Derby specialty.
 “The celebrated Hot Brown open-faced sandwich was
dreamed up by the chef of the Brown Hotel in Louisville in the
1920s,”Annette relates.“I make a smaller version, with juicy
turkey slices and crispy bacon, piled on toasted rye bread
and topped with a rich cheese sauce.
“Another Derby cornerstone, the mint julep, normally has
a healthy dose of Kentucky bourbon,” says Annette.“But I
concocted an alcohol-free recipe so all ages can enjoy the fresh
mint, tangy lemon and ginger ale fizz. Served in chilled stain-
less steel glasses,Mock Mint Julep makes for pleasant sipping.”
On race day, the Grahls’ bed-and-breakfast guests (below)
cast their votes for the winning horse.“When we return from
the race, the champion ‘betters’ are presented with bourbon
chocolates,” adds Annette.
Derby Spirit Goes West
Raised in Kentucky, Emily, far right, moved to Fort Collins,
Colorado and discovered,“My friends here had never been to
a Kentucky Derby party. So I hosted one for them.
“All of the race-day ‘spectators’ were delighted with my
Southern-style spread, which included barbecue chicken, bis-
cuits, potato salad and baked beans.
“For an exciting finish, I made Kentucky Derby Pecan Pie, a
lusciously dense dessert. Its smooth chocolate filling and the
toasted pecans are definitely a winning pair.
“I also served a Pretzel Horseshoe.Youngsters at the party
loved its fun horseshoe shape, and the crunchy, sweet ’n’ salty
taste appeals to all ages.
“Waiting for the big race on TV, the
kids had a grand time playing ‘pin the
tail on the horse,’ and we adults placed
our bets. The winners roped in both
100 Grand candy bars and homemade
horseshoe magnets.”
Thanks to Annette and Emily for shar-
ing their recipes that “go the distance”!

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss
cheese
18 slices snack rye bread
6 ounces sliced deli turkey
1 small onion, thinly sliced and
separated into rings
5 bacon strips, cooked and
Mock Mint Julep crumbled
brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in pecans
and chocolate chips. Pour into pastry shell.
Cover edges with foil.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove foil;
bake 10-15 minutes longer or until a knife in-
serted near the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.
Yield: 6-8 servings.

❧ PREP: 15 min. + standing 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 cups cold water
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup lemon juice
6 mint sprigs
5 cups ice cubes
2-1/2 cups ginger ale, chilled
Lemon slices and additional mint,
optional
In a bowl, combine the water, sugar, lemon
juice and mint; stir well. Let stand for at least
45 minutes.
Strain and discard mint. Place ice cubes
in two 2-qt. pitchers; add half of the lemon
mixture and ginger ale to each. Garnish
with lemon and mint if desired. Yield: 13
servings (about 3 quarts).
Mini Hot Browns
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 30 min.
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
granules
1/4 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup half-and-half cream
In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon in water;
set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter
over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth;
stir in cream and bouillon. Bring to a boil; cook
and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir
in cheese until melted. Remove from the heat.
Place bread slices on two baking sheets.
Layer each with turkey, onion and cheese
sauce. Sprinkle with bacon. Bake at 350° for
10-12 minutes or until heated through. Sprin-
kle with parsley. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.
Kentucky Derby Pecan Pie
❧ PREP: 10 min.
❧ BAKE: 35 min. + cooling
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet
chocolate chips
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, corn syrup,
Pretzel Horseshoes
❧ PREP: 20 min. + cooling
1 package (16 ounces) large
marshmallows
3 tablespoons butter, cubed
4 cups crushed pretzels
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
Place two 5-in.-diameter bowls upside down
in the center of two 9-in. round pans; coat
bowls and pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt
marshmallows and butter on high for 1
minute. Stir in pretzels. Quickly add chips;
stir gently until coated. Divide mixture in half.
Press one portion evenly into one prepared
pan. Shape into a horseshoe by forming mix-
ture around bowl, leaving a 4-in. opening at
one end. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Cool for 15 minutes.
Remove bowls. Run a knife around edges
of pans to loosen. Invert each onto a serving
platter. Reshape horseshoes by gently
spreading sides apart to elongate if neces-
sary. Cool completely. Yield: 2 horse-
shoes (14 servings each).

www.tasteofhome.com 15
Good Food That’s Good for You
Springtime-Fresh
It’s a season for new beginnings, so refresh your recipe
box with one or more of these terrific reader favorites and
lighten up your menus at the same time.
Steamed Salmon Kabobs
❧ PREP: 45 min.
❧ COOK: 15 min.
Guests will savor every
bite of these tangy and
colorful appetizer kabobs
from Kristen Strocchia of
Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania.
So make sure to have
copies of the recipe on hand!
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
16
Add flavor, not fat, to
menus with Steamed
Salmon Kabobs and
Garlic Vinaigrette.
✓ These recipes include
Nutrition Facts.
1 bunch broccoli, cut into 1-inch
pieces
1 large red onion, halved and cut
into wedges
1 pound salmon fillets, skin
removed and cut into 1-inch
cubes
1 whole garlic bulb, separated and
peeled
1 large yellow summer squash, cut
into 1-inch pieces
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil,
parsley, pepper and salt. Thread the broc-
coli, onion, salmon, garlic cloves and squash
onto 24 small wooden skewers; brush with
lemon juice mixture.
Place skewers in a steamer basket; place
in a large saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring
to a boil; cover and steam for 12-15 minutes
or until salmon flakes easily with a fork and
vegetables are crisp-tender. Yield: 2 dozen.
Nutrition Facts: 1 kabob equals 58 calories, 3 g
fat (1 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 43 mg
sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 lean meat, 1/2 vege-
table, 1/2 fat.
Garlic Vinaigrette
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 10 min.
“I use this flavorful salad
dressing all year round.
It’s especially nice with
assorted greens, garden-
fresh tomatoes and sweet
onions,” writes Carol
Birkemeier from Nashville, Tennessee.
2 tablespoons vegetable broth
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all in-
gredients; shake well. Serve over salad
greens. Yield: about 1/2 cup.
Nutrition Facts: 4-1/2 teaspoons equals 65
calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 choles-
terol, 191 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, trace
fiber, trace protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 veg-
etable, 1 fat.
Mediterranean Lamb
And Bean Salad
❧ PREP: 30 min. + chilling
This savory salad combines lamb, ar-
tichokes, beans and feta cheese with a
tangy dressing. “It’s also good with
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
chicken or beef in place of the lamb,”
notes Lora Winckler of Sunnyside,
Washington.
1 pound boneless leg of lamb
2 jars (6-1/2 ounces each)
marinated artichoke hearts,
drained
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans,
rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen cut green beans,
thawed
1/2 cup julienned sweet red pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese,
optional
Grill lamb, covered, over medium heat for
10-20 minutes or until meat reaches desired
doneness (for medium-rare, a meat ther-
mometer should read 145°; medium, 160°;
well-done, 170°). Cut into cubes.
In a large bowl, combine the lamb, arti-
chokes, kidney beans, green beans, red pep-
per and onion. In a small bowl, combine the
salad dressing, vinegar and pepper; drizzle
over salad and toss to coat. Cover and re-
frigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with fe-
ta cheese if desired. Yield: 6 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup (calculated without feta
cheese) equals 289 calories, 14 g fat (4 g sat-
urated fat), 43 mg cholesterol, 700 mg sodium,
22 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 19 g protein. Di-
abetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 lean meat, 1 starch,
1 vegetable, 1 fat.
Frosty Mocha Pie (Below)
❧ PREP: 20 min. + freezing
“This pie is so creamy
and rich-tasting that no
one would guess it’s
light,” relates field editor
Lisa Varner of Greenville,
South Carolina. “The
added bonus is that you Homemade Spaghetti Sauce and
can make it a day or two Mediterranean Lamb and Bean Salad
ahead and keep in the are delicious and nutritious.
freezer until needed.”
4 ounces reduced-fat
cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tablespoon instant
coffee granules
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
1 carton (12 ounces)
frozen reduced-fat
whipped topping,
thawed
1 extra-servings-size
graham cracker crust
(9 inches)
Reduced-calorie chocolate
syrup, optional
In a large mixing bowl, beat
the cream cheese, sugar and
cocoa until smooth. Dissolve
coffee granules in milk. Stir coffee mixture 3 cans (6 ounces each) tomato
and vanilla into cream cheese mixture; fold paste
in whipped topping.
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
Pour into crust. Cover and freeze for at
least 4 hours. Remove from the freezer 10 5 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
minutes before serving. Drizzle with choco- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
late syrup if desired. Yield: 10 servings. 1 teaspoon sugar
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece (calculated without 1/8 teaspoon salt
chocolate syrup) equals 259 calories, 13 g fat
(7 g saturated fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 198 mg
1/8 teaspoon pepper
sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g pro- 6 cups hot cooked spaghetti
Food for Thought: No matter how you slice it, baloney is baloney.
tein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 fat. Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce In a Dutch oven, combine the celery, onion,
❧ PREP: 40 min. green pepper and 1 cup water. Bring to a
❧ COOK: 50 min. boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncov-
Lean turkey sausage links spice up this ered, for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables
hearty sauce that turns pasta into a are tender and water is reduced.
splendid main dish. “I blend a cup of Crumble sausage over vegetable mixture;
the sauce for my young son, so there are cook until meat is no longer pink. Stir in the
no chunks of vegetables, and he loves tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste,
it,” says Laurinda Johnston, a field edi- parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt,
tor in Belchertown, Massachusetts. pepper and remaining water.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer,
4 celery ribs, chopped
uncovered, for 45-50 minutes, stirring oc-
1 large onion, chopped casionally. Serve over spaghetti. Garnish
1 large green pepper, chopped with Parmesan cheese if desired. Yield: 12
2-1/2 cups water, divided servings.
3 Italian turkey sausage links (4 Nutrition Facts: 1 cup sauce with 1/2 cup
ounces each), casings removed spaghetti (calculated without Parmesan cheese)
equals 230 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated fat),
1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce 15 mg cholesterol, 645 mg sodium, 40 g carbohy-
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, drate, 6 g fiber, 12 g protein. Diabetic Ex-
undrained changes: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 lean meat.
17

Sure, you have a lot of ground-beef standbys.
But these top-notch recipes from readers
will really perk up your menus!
Crowd-Pleasing Taco Salad
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 30 min.
“While this recipe might sound
involved, it can be fixed in just 30
Food for Thought: Sacred cows make the best hamburger. —Mark Twain
minutes,” notes Ann Cahoon from
Bradenton, Florida. “It’s always a hit
at get-togethers—and I don’t have to
bring any home after the shindig!”
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium head iceberg lettuce, torn
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded taco
cheese
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe
olives, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup taco sauce
1 package (10-1/2 ounces) corn chips
In a large saucepan, cook beef over medium
heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the
ketchup, oregano, chili powder, salt and pep-
per. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and
simmer for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, toma-
toes, cheese, olives and beef mixture. Com-
bine mayonnaise and taco sauce; pour
over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with
18
corn chips. Serve immediately. Yield: 14-16
servings.
Beef ’n’ Bean Braid
❧ PREP: 30 min. + rising
❧ BAKE: 20 min.
In Hotchkiss, Colorado, Val O’Connell
makes a big impression when she
brings this beautiful loaf to a potluck.
The hearty filling makes each slice a
satisfying treat.
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry
yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
FILLING:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans,
rinsed and drained
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded
cheddar cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in
warm water. Add butter, sugar, salt, egg and
1-1/2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in
enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until
smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl, turning once to
grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm
place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the
beef, onion and garlic salt over medium heat
until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in
the beans, water and seasonings; bring to
a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered,
for 5-10 minutes or until thickened.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly
floured surface; roll into a 16-in. x 11-in.
rectangle. Transfer to a greased 15-in. x 10-
in. baking sheet. Spread beef mixture down
center of dough; sprinkle with cheese.
On each long side, cut 1-in.-wide strips
about 1/2 in. from filling. Starting at one
end, fold alternating strips at an angle
across filling; seal ends. Cover and let rise
until doubled, 30 minutes.
Brush egg over dough. Bake at 350° for
20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Re-
move to a wire rack. Let stand for 5 minutes
before slicing. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Bavarian Meatball Stew
❧ PREP: 35 min.
❧ COOK: 35 min.
“This thick, tangy soup has been a
favorite ever since my daughter gave
me the recipe years ago,” says Janice
Mitchell of Aurora, Colorado. “It’s
satisfying any time, but especially on
a chilly evening.”
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
3 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef
broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced
tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 ounces) Bavarian
sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
2 medium potatoes, peeled and
cubed
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
 1 envelope onion soup mix
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingre-
dients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix
well. Shape into 1-in. balls. Place in an un-
greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.
Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, com-
bine the remaining ingredients. Add meat-
balls. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and
simmer for 30-35 minutes or until vegeta-
bles are tender. Discard bay leaf before serv-
ing. Yield: 8 servings.
Beef and Spinach Lasagna
❧ PREP: 10 min.
❧ BAKE: 40 min. + standing
✓ Includes Nutrition Facts.
Ground beef takes on fresh appeal in
(clockwise from lower right) Beef and
Spinach Lasagna, Bavarian
Meatball Stew, Beef ’n’ Bean
Braid, Stroganoff Sandwiches
and Crowd-Pleasing Taco Salad.
Using no-cook noodles gives you a
jump start on assembling this popular
main dish recommended by Carolyn
Schmeling of Brookfield, Wisconsin.
It cuts nicely after standing a few
minutes, revealing flavorful layers.
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 jars (26 ounces each) meatless
spaghetti sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 package (10 ounces) frozen
chopped spinach, thawed and
squeezed dry
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded
part-skim mozzarella cheese,
divided
9 no-cook lasagna noodles
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over
medium heat until meat is no longer pink;
drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, garlic, basil
and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat;
cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a bowl,
combine the spinach, ricotta and 1 cup moz-
zarella until combined.
Spread 1-1/2 cups meat sauce into a
greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Top
with three noodles. Spread 1-1/2 cups
sauce to edges of noodles. Top with half of
the spinach mixture. Repeat layers. Top with
remaining noodles, sauce and mozzarella.
Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes.
Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or un-
til bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before
cutting. Yield: 12 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece (prepared with lean
ground beef) equals 281 calories, 11 g fat (6 g
saturated fat), 50 mg cholesterol, 702 mg sodi-
um, 26 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 20 g protein.
Ground Beef continued…
 Stroganoff Sandwiches
(Pictured on page 19)
❧ PREP: 10 min.
❧ COOK: 30 min.
“This recipe is great for a game day—
at a tailgate party or at home,” says
Susan Graham of Cherokee, Iowa. “I
often make the meat mixture ahead of
time and add the sour cream when I
reheat it just before serving.”
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
Food for Thought: One resolve is like another—in one year and out the other.
1 medium onion, chopped
6 to 8 bacon strips, cooked and
crumbled
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed
cream of mushroom soup,
undiluted
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
8 hamburger buns, split
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over
medium heat until meat is no longer pink;
drain. Add bacon and garlic. Combine the
flour, salt, paprika and nutmeg; gradually stir
into beef mixture until blended.
Stir in soup and mushrooms (mixture will
be thick). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; sim-
mer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until heat-
ed through. Stir in sour cream. Cook 3-4 min-
utes longer or until heated through, stirring
occasionally (do not boil). Serve on buns.
Yield: 8 servings.
Diner Meat Loaf (Below)
❧ PREP: 20 min.
❧ BAKE: 1 hour + standing
“Oven-baked tomato sauce is a nice
addition to this traditional meat loaf,”
writes Joan Airey, a grain and cattle
farmer in Rivers, Manitoba. “To bake
the loaf, I line my broiler pan with foil
that has holes poked into it so the fat
drains through. This way, the meat
loaf browns beautifully.”
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup ketchup
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 pounds ground beef
BAKED TOMATO SAUCE:
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes,
undrained
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
flakes
In a large skillet, saute the onion, celery
and garlic in oil until tender; cool. In a large
bowl, combine the eggs, ketchup, bread
crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg and
onion mixture. Crumble beef over mixture
and mix well.
Shape into a loaf. Place in a greased 11-
in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake, uncov-
ered, at 350° for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until no
pink remains and a meat thermometer reads
160°.
Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients;
pour into an ungreased 8-in. square baking
dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour or
until thickened, stirring occasionally. Let
meat loaf stand for 10 minutes before slic-
ing; serve with sauce. Yield: 8 servings.
Cheeseburger
Meat Loaf Hoagies (Above)
❧ PREP: 20 min.
❧ BAKE: 30 min.
“I worked as a school cook for 15 years
and love to try new recipes,” notes
Connie Boucher of Dixon, Missouri.
“My family likes meat loaf sandwich-
es, and this one is something special.”
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
8 slices cheddar cheese
8 bacon strips, cooked and halved
8 hoagie buns, split and toasted
In a large bowl, combine the egg, tomato
sauce, oats, onion, salt and pepper. Crum-
ble beef over mixture and mix well. Press
evenly into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in.
baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 min-
utes or until no pink remains and a meat ther-
mometer reads 160°; drain.
Combine mayonnaise and ketchup;
spread over meat loaf. Cut into eight rect-
angles; top each with tomatoes, cheese and
bacon. Place on a baking sheet; broil 3-4
in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until
cheese is melted. Serve on buns.
Yield: 8 sandwiches.
Here’s the Beef! Find 10 more
prize-winning beef recipes at
www.tasteofhome.com/plus.
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
 Potluck Pleasers

Win a 2-Tier Pie Butler! Enter Ted’s Toothpick Contest for a chance to win the pretty pie stand shown in the photo. See page 65 for details.
An attractive table deserves appealing foods
such as, clockwise from bottom right, Ham
Bundles, Festive Rice Salad, Sesame-Almond
Romaine Salad and Frozen Peanut Parfait Pies.

For an afternoon luncheon that makes guests feel special, set

out a pretty buffet in your sunroom or on your deck, using your favorite
tablecloth, napkins, platters and bowls.Then dish up this crowd-pleasing
menu that features four reader specialties.
With a rich yeast dough and a flavorful filling, Ham Bundles make fun
pocket-style sandwiches for parties and other occasions.“I like to make
a double batch and freeze them to have on hand,” notes Chris Sendel-
bach of Henry, Illinois.
A sweet soy sauce vinaigrette gives Sesame-Almond Romaine Salad
an Oriental flair. Diane Alger of Hebron, Connecticut shares this delight-
ful and crunchy side dish.
“I love my Festive Rice Salad, and other people do, too,” Terri Simp-
son writes from Palm Harbor, Florida.“It’s a great dish for outdoor pic-
nics, but with its mix of red and green, it’s also perfect for Christmas.”
Frozen Peanut Parfait Pies are one sweet treat you can’t turn down.
“We have some hot summers here, and this scrumptious dessert
hits the spot,” says Anne Powers of Munford, Alabama.
Entertaining Ideas
Turning a dinner table or buffet into an invit-
ing showcase is a breeze when you have the
right accessories.
The serving pieces shown in the photo
above come courtesy of Taste of Home En-
tertaining, a new home-party plan that fo-
cuses on entertaining from preparation to
presentation.
At a Taste of Home Entertaining party,
consultants display high-quality products at
affordable prices...chef-approved cookware,
handy gadgets, stainless steel serving ware,
flatware, goblets, platters and much more.
If you’d like information on Taste of Home
Entertaining products, hosting a party or be-
coming a consultant, visit www.tohe.com.

www.tasteofhome.com 21
 Guests will savor Rainbow
Pepper Appetizers, Greek
Chicken Wings and
Pepperoni Pinwheels.

Appetizers Pepperoni Pinwheels

❧ PREP: 20 min.
❧ BAKE: 15 min.
These golden brown rounds from field

&Snacks
editor Vikki Rebholz have lots of Ital-
ian flavor. “They’re easy to make, and
really good,” says the West Chester,
Ohio resident.
1/2 cup diced pepperoni
Usher in spring with a taste-tempting appetizer party! 1/2 cup shredded part-skim
Fresh asparagus wraps and savory chicken wings are mozzarella cheese
just two of your palate-pleasing options. 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

22 Taste of Home • April/May 2007

 1 egg, separated
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated
crescent rolls
In a bowl, combine the pepperoni, cheese,
oregano and egg yolk. In a small bowl, whisk
egg white until foamy; set aside. Separate
crescent dough into four rectangles; seal
perforations.
Spread pepperoni mixture over each rect-
angle to within 1/4 in. of edges. Roll up jel-
ly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch
seams to seal. Cut each into six slices.
Place cut side down on greased baking
sheets; brush tops with egg white. Bake at
375° for 12-15 minutes or until golden
brown. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.
Yield: 2 dozen.
Rainbow Pepper Appetizers
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 20 min.
✓ Includes Nutrition Facts.
Don’t be surprised if company polishes
off this colorful vegetable medley in no
time. The crisp-tender peppers are
topped with olives and cheese. Marion
Karlin of Waterloo, Iowa submitted
the recipe.
1/2 each medium green, sweet red,
yellow and orange peppers
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded
Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons chopped ripe olives
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
flakes, optional
Cut each pepper half into nine pieces. Place
skin side down in an ungreased ovenproof skil-
let; sprinkle with cheese, olives and pepper
flakes if desired. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for
5-7 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender
and cheese is melted. Yield: 3 dozen.
Nutrition Facts: 3 pieces (prepared with re-
duced-fat cheese) equals 34 calories, 2 g fat
(1 g saturated fat), 7 mg cholesterol, 93 mg
sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 3 g pro-
tein. Diabetic Exchange: 1 vegetable.
Greek Chicken Wings
❧ PREP: 15 min. + marinating
❧ BAKE: 35 min.
Your guests will be delighted with
these moist, herbed chicken wings
from Lorraine Caland of Thunder
Bay, Ontario. Be sure to make plenty
of the cucumber dipping sauce—it
goes quickly!
www.tasteofhome.com
3 tablespoons lemon juice Place rhubarb in a large saucepan; cover
2 tablespoons olive oil with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat;
2 tablespoons honey
cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until
crisp-tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.
1 teaspoon dried oregano In a food processor, combine the cream
1 garlic clove, minced cheese, egg, flour, rosemary, garlic and pep-
1/4 teaspoon salt per flakes; cover and process until blend-
ed. Add rhubarb; cover and process until
4 pounds frozen chicken wingettes,
thawed blended. Transfer to a greased 9-in. pie
plate. Sprinkle with pine nuts.
CUCUMBER SAUCE:
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 min-
1/2 cup plain yogurt
utes or until golden brown and center is
1/2 cup chopped peeled cucumber set. Serve with crackers. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Pastrami Asparagus Roll-Ups
2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill or 2
teaspoons dill weed
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 25 min.
1 garlic clove, peeled
Celebrate spring’s bounty with this re-
Dash salt freshing asparagus wrap from Sharon
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine
Waller of Aromas, California. “Once
the lemon juice, oil, honey, oregano, garlic
people take that first bite, they’re
hooked!” she writes.
and salt. Add chicken wings; seal bag and
toss to coat. Refrigerate overnight. 24 fresh asparagus spears (about 1
In a blender, combine sauce ingredients. pound), trimmed
Cover; process until smooth. Transfer to a 1/2 cup prepared pesto
small bowl. Cover; refrigerate until serving. 24 thin slices provolone cheese
Drain and discard marinade. Place wings (about 1 pound)
on a rack in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. 24 thin slices deli pastrami (about
baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 3/4 pound)
35-40 minutes or until juices run clear, turn-
In a large skillet, bring 1/2 in. of water to a
ing once. Serve with cucumber sauce.
Yield: about 3 dozen (1 cup sauce). boil. Add asparagus; cover and boil for 3
minutes. Drain and immediately place as-
paragus in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
Baked Rosemary- Spread 1 teaspoon of pesto over each
Rhubarb Spread slice of cheese. Top each with an asparagus
spear; roll up tightly. Place each on a slice of
❧ PREP: 20 min.
pastrami; roll up tightly. Refrigerate un-
❧ BAKE: 25 min.
til serving. Yield: 2 dozen.
This zippy and unusual
spread is sprinkled with
toasted pine nuts. “The Pastrami Asparagus Roll-Ups and Baked
rhubarb adds a tangy Rosemary-Rhubarb Spread offer unique
note,” says Joan Ranzini flavor combinations.
from Waynesboro, Virginia.
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen
rhubarb
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary,
crushed
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red
pepper flakes
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Assorted crackers
Food for Thought: We are all green tomatoes ripening on the windowsill of life.
Spice Things Up!

Warm Up to CARAWAY 1 egg, beaten

Best known for putting pizzazz in rye bread, caraway adds its warm and robust
flavor to a variety of other recipes as well, including such favorites as potato salad 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
and sauerkraut. Eggs, cheese dishes, cream soups and sausage are among the foods 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
that get a lift from this age-old spice. 1 teaspoon celery seed
Usually used whole, the seeds can also be ground or crushed. (Try seasoning 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
popcorn with a sprinkling of crushed seeds.) Whole seeds last longer than ground,
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
so purchase ground caraway only if you expect to use it fairly quickly.
Caraway enhances the two recipes shared here by Taste of Home field editors. 3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in

Ham ’n’ Cheese Squares
❧ PREP: 15 min.
❧ BAKE: 20 min.
This appetizing egg dish from Sue Ross
of Casa Grande, Arizona is loaded with
ham, Swiss cheese and caraway flavor.
It cuts nicely into squares, making it an
ideal addition to a spring brunch buffet.
1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 carton (6 ounces) plain yogurt
1/4 cup crushed saltines (about 6)
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
6 eggs
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingre-
dients. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs
until thickened and lemon-colored; fold into
ham mixture. Transfer to a greased 8-in.
square baking dish.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until
a knife inserted near the center comes out
clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cut-
ting. Yield: 9 servings.
Caraway Yeast Bread
❧ PREP: 20 min. + rising
❧ BAKE: 25 min. + cooling
Caraway blends beautifully with
celery seed, nutmeg and sage in this
tender yeast bread from DeEtta Ras-
mussen of Fort Madison, Iowa.
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry
yeast
1 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter, softened
warm milk. Add honey; let stand for 5 min-
utes. Add the butter, egg, caraway seeds,
salt, celery seed, sage, nutmeg and 1 cup
flour; beat until blended. Stir in enough re-
maining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until
smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl, turning once to
grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm
place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Place in a greased
9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Cover and let rise
until doubled, about 40 minutes. Bake at
375° for 22-27 minutes or until golden
brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing
from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf.
Keep It Spicy! For more delicious
ways to spice up your meals, visit
www.tasteofhome.com/plus.

24 Taste of Home • April/May 2007


The Great
Cute and yummy cupcakes
have long been a favorite of
moms, who love their versatility
and portability. Easy to prepare and
serve, these mini cakes bake up fun for
birthday celebrations and school bake
sales.And these days, cupcakes are oh,
so trendy!
Taste of Home readers shared more
than 1,800 of their tried-and-true fa-
vorites for our recent “Cupcake Chal-
lenge” recipe contest. Our testing panel
found that selecting a winner was no
piece of cake! The cupcakes were lus-
cious, from fruity and filled to iced and
spiced. Judges smacked their lips with
delight over banana, maple, chocolate,
lemon, pumpkin, peanut butter and gin-
gerbread cupcakes. Some were topped
with nuts or sprinkles, others with ber-
ries...and even small cookies.
www.tasteofhome.com
CHALLENGE!
Our Test Kitchen home economists
baked a total of 686 cupcakes and made
over 71 cups of frosting before the judg-
ing was done and winners were selected.
Winner of the $500.00 Grand Prize
was Special Mocha Cupcakes from
Mary Bilyeu of Ann Arbor, Michigan.The
blend of chocolate and coffee flavors,
fluffy frosting and tender cake was un-
beatable. (See page 26 to meet Mary.)
Lemon Curd Cupcakes, submitted
by Kerry Barnett-Amundson of Ocean
Park,Washington, won the second-place
prize—dinner for four at the restaurant
of her choice.
Ten runners-up each received a copy
of our Contest Winning Annual Recipes
2007 cookbook.
RECIPE SECTION
You’ll find all 12 winning cupcake
recipes in the Clip & Keep recipe card
section beginning on page 27, along
with 20 more appetizing recipes from
our readers and 1,000 field editors.You
can easily lift out the 16 pages to place
in a three-ring notebook.
Next issue, along with more recipes
from our field staff and readers, the win-
ning recipes in our “Bountiful Harvest”
contest will appear here. (See page 43
for details on how you can enter
our latest national recipe contest.)
➜ Turn to page 27 for 16 pages
of recipes, including the winners of
our “Cupcake Challenge” contest, in
“card” form you can clip for your file!
25

❉ For an easy topping, I use whipped
cream as frosting on my cupcakes.
—Dionne Fisher, Grey Eagle, Minnesota
❉ To add a quick filling, my mother
would cut a small cone shape from the
top of the cupcake and fill it with
marshmallow creme.Then,she’d cut off
the pointed end of the cone and re-
place the cone over the filling.It’s a fun
alternative to frosting and can be easi-
ly packed in lunches.
—Josie-Lynn Belmont, Woodbine, Georgia
❉ Cake flour produces lighter cup-
cakes. If a recipe uses cake flour and
you don’t have any, use 1 cup all-pur-
pose f lour minus 2 tablespoons for
each cup of cake flour called for in the
recipe. —Barbara Frasier, Fyffe, Alabama
❉ To dress up cupcake batter, try
adding flavored chips of your choice
(peanut butter,swirled,raspberry,vanil-
la or chocolate). —Josie Bochek
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
❉ If your frosting is soft and fluffy,
simply dip the cupcake tops in the
frosting mixture to frost them.
—Lynette Lesmann, Minot, North Dakota
❉ I use my cookie scoop to fill muffin
cups. Two scoops is the perfect amount
of batter for one cupcake.
—Dannielle Larkin, St. George, Utah
❉ To create a lovely presentation,I use a
pastry bag and tips to decorate cupcakes.
—Rhonda Prewitt, Poteau, Oklahoma
❉ If you are making cupcakes ahead of
time, return cooled cupcakes to the
muffin tins and cover with plastic wrap
for easy storage. —Heidi Ojeisekhoba
Upland, California
❉ A packaged cake mix for a two-lay-
er cake makes about 24 regular-size
cupcakes or 60 mini cupcakes.
—Taste of Home Test Kitchen
26
Her Chocolaty Cupcakes
Reap Sweet Rewards
Do you enjoy a cup of coffee with a chocolaty
dessert? How about coffee in your chocolaty dessert?
That winning combination won over our judges in
the recent “Cupcake Challenge” recipe contest.They
couldn’t resist eating every last crumb of Mary Bilyeu’s
scrumptious Special Mocha Cupcakes, which earned
the Grand Prize of $500.00.
Tender and moist with a fluffy frosting, these cute
mocha mini cakes are made with brewed coffee and
four kinds of chocolate—baking cocoa,chocolate sprin-
kles, and both semisweet and milk chocolate chips.
“I’m a first-class chocoholic,” says Mary, who hails from Ann Arbor,
Michigan.“I’ve been baking cupcakes for years, and I
usually tinker a bit with the recipes.This one
just evolved over the years.
“I’ve made cupcakes for birthday par-
ties, Cub Scouts and sporting events,”
she adds.“Plus, they’re perfect for
bake sales and...just because.”
Among her favorites are ba-
nana split cupcakes, with
pineapple and cherries.“But
it’s hard to beat an old-fash-
ioned chocolate cupcake,”Mary
says.“And what’s not to like about
quadruple chocolate? It’s a choco-
holic’s dream!”
Grand
Practice Makes Perfect Prize
Like most women, Mary learned to
cook from her mother.“She taught me
the basics, like baking cookies, making
lasagna,and roasting chicken and turkey.
When I moved out on my own,I borrowed
cookbooks from the library and practiced
making the recipes.”
Now Mary cooks and bakes for her 16-year-old son, Je-
remy, and his band mates.“I’m unusual in that I actually like them rehears-
ing at our house,” she says.“Not only do I get to hear their music, but I have hungry
teenagers who are happy to try out my recipes.”
Mary is an administrative assistant and newsletter editor by day. In her leisure
hours, she likes to read, watch baseball, study foreign languages...and enter cook-
ing contests.
Her guidelines for making winning cupcakes, she notes, are simple:“Don’t overfill
the muffin cups, don’t overbake and don’t frost until the cupcakes are completely
cool. These may be basic notions, but they’re really important.”
Win Cash! Like Mary,each issue’s Grand Prize winner is awarded $500.00 in cash.
Turn to page 43 to learn how you can enter Taste of Home’s next national
recipe contest…and get your chance at the top prize!
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
 Special Mocha Grand Lemon Curd 2nd
Prize Place
Cupcakes Cupcakes

www.tasteofhome.com
❧ PREP: 25 min. ❧ PREP: 40 min. + chilling
❧ BAKE: 20 min. + cooling ❧ BAKE: 20 min. + cooling
Topped with a fluffy frosting and Homemade lemon curd flavors
chocolate sprinkles, these extra- these tender cupcakes that were
rich, extra-delicious cupcakes made for my brother-in-law’s
smell wonderful while baking birthday. He loves lemon and
and taste even better! gave these a big thumbs-up.
—Mary Bilyeu —Kerry Barnett-Amundson
Ann Arbor, Michigan Ocean Park, Washington

CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST

Runner- Runner-
Berry-Topped Up Coconut Pecan Up

White Cupcakes Cupcakes

❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 20 min. + cooling
Guests love these yummy white
cupcakes topped with a cream
cheese frosting.The garnish of
fresh berries makes them perfect
for a patriotic-themed party on
Memorial Day or the Fourth of
July. —Judy Kenninger
Brownsburg, Indiana
❧ PREP: 50 min.
❧ BAKE: 20 min. + cooling
Pecan lovers have lots to cheer
about with these luscious good-
ies. I created the recipe for my
best friend, Ann, who loves Ital-
ian cream cake.They have a won-
derful aroma and fabulous flavor.
—Tina Harrison
Prairieville, Louisiana

CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST

27

28
Berry-Topped White Cupcakes
5 egg whites
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter,
softened
1 cup sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups cake flour
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
ICING:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Fresh blueberries, raspberries and sliced
strawberries
Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl; let Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar and
stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. lemon juice. Spread over cupcakes. Top
In another mixing bowl, cream butter and with berries. Yield: 22 cupcakes.
Special Mocha Cupcakes
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup cold brewed coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons cider vinegar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
MOCHA FROSTING:
3 tablespoons semisweet
chocolate chips
3 tablespoons milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
APRIL/
MAY 2007
3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in
vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder
and salt; add to creamed mixture alternate-
ly with milk.
Beat egg whites on medium speed until
soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remain-
ing sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time,
on high until stiff glossy peaks form and
sugar is dissolved. Fold a fourth of the egg
whites into batter; fold in remaining whites.
With a spoon, gently fill foil- or paper-
lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at
350° for 18-22 minutes. Cool for 10 min-
utes before removing from pans to wire
racks to cool completely.
For icing, in a small mixing bowl, beat
cream cheese and butter until smooth.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour,
sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a
small bowl, whisk the eggs, coffee, oil,
vinegar and vanilla. Add to dry ingredi-
ents; mix well.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths
full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or
until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool
for 10 minutes before removing from pan
to a wire rack to cool.
For frosting, in a small microwave-safe
mixing bowl, melt chips; stir until smooth.
Add butter; beat until blended. Gradually
beat in confectioners’ sugar and coffee.
Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Top with sprin-
kles; gently press down. Yield: 1 dozen.
Coconut Pecan Cupcakes
5 eggs, separated
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans
FROSTING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese,
softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Lemon Curd Cupcakes
3 tablespoons plus
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4-1/2 teaspoons butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
BATTER:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1-1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
FROSTING:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons milk
Yellow food coloring, optional
APRIL/
MAY 2007
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30
minutes. In a large mixing bowl, cream
shortening, butter and sugar until light and
fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating
well after each. Stir in extracts. Combine
the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and
salt; add to creamed mixture alternately
with buttermilk. Beat just until combined.
In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites
on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold
into batter. Stir in coconut and pecans.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths
full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or
until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool
10 minutes; remove from pans to wire
racks. Cool completely. Combine frosting
ingredients; frost cupcakes. Store in the re-
frigerator. Yield: 2 dozen.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
For lemon curd, in a heavy saucepan, cook and stir
sugar, lemon juice and butter until smooth. Stir a
small amount into egg; return all to pan. Bring to
a gentle boil, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes
longer. Stir in lemon peel. Cool 10 minutes. Cov-
er and chill for 1-1/2 hours or until thickened.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add
eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add
vanilla and lemon peel. Combine flour, baking
powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed
mixture alternately with buttermilk.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a tooth-
pick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove
from pan to a wire rack. Cool completely.
Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or
plastic bag; insert a small round pastry tip. Fill
bag with lemon curd. Insert tip 1 in. into center
of each cupcake; fill with curd just until tops of
cupcakes begin to crack.
Combine frosting ingredients, tinting with food
coloring if desired; frost cupcakes. Store in the
refrigerator. Yield: 1 dozen.
Editor’s Note: You can find confectionery roses in
the cake decorating aisle at your grocery store.
 Runner-
Walnut Banana Up
Cupcakes
www.tasteofhome.com
❧ PREP: 25 min.
❧ BAKE: 20 min. + cooling
What makes these tender banana
cupcakes extra special is the nut-
meg,but make sure it’s fresh.I get
requests for them all the time;
they’re amazingly good.
—Rachel Krupp
Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania
CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST
Runner-
Cherry Up
Gingerbread
Cupcakes
❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 20 min. + cooling
A sweet frosting with a hint of
lemon complements these little
spice cakes, each baked with a
maraschino cherry in the cen-
ter.They’re a sure way of getting
my dad to come over for a cup
of coffee. —Laura McAllister
Morganton, North Carolina
CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST
29
Runner-
Peanut Butter Up
Chocolate
Cupcakes
❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 25 min. + cooling
I didn’t have any luck finding a
peanut butter-filled chocolate
cupcake (my two favorite fla-
vors), so I made my favorite
chocolate cupcake recipe and
experimented with the filling
until I found one I liked.
—Julie Small
Claremont, New Hampshire
CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST
Runner-
Pineapple Upside- Up
Down Cupcakes
❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 30 min. + cooling
I served as a room mother for
my three children, so I have
baked cupcakes for years.These
easy-to-fix, jumbo treats make an
attractive dessert for special occa-
sions or every day.
—Barbara Hahn
Park Hills, Missouri
CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST

30
Cherry Gingerbread Cupcakes
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
24 maraschino cherries, well drained
LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1-3/4 to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Walnut Banana Cupcakes
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sour cream
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening
and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs
and molasses; mix well. Combine the flour,
baking soda, ginger and cinnamon; add
to creamed mixture alternately with but-
termilk. Stir in walnuts.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full;
place a cherry in the center of each. Bake
at 375° for 20-24 minutes or until a tooth-
pick comes out clean. Cool for 10 min-
utes before removing from pans to wire
racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, beat
cream cheese and butter until smooth; add
vanilla and lemon peel. Gradually beat in
the confectioners’ sugar. Frost cupcakes.
Yield: 2 dozen.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and
sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating
well after each addition. Add banana and
vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, bak-
ing soda, nutmeg and salt; add to creamed
mixture alternately with sour cream.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake
at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a tooth-
pick comes out clean. Cool for 10 min-
utes before removing from pan to a wire
rack to cool completely.
For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, com-
bine cream cheese and vanilla. Gradually
beat in confectioners’ sugar. Frost cup-
cakes; sprinkle with walnuts. Store in the
refrigerator. Yield: 1 dozen.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes
6 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 small pineapple, peeled, cored
and cut into 1/2-inch slices
12 maraschino cherries, well drained
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Whipped topping, optional
Line greased jumbo muffin cups with
waxed paper; grease the paper and set
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes
1 package (3 ounces) cream
cheese, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon milk
BATTER:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FROSTING:
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
APRIL/
MAY 2007
aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter
over low heat; stir in brown sugar and corn
syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat
until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the
heat. Spoon 1 tablespoonful into each muf-
fin cup; top each with a pineapple slice and
a cherry.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and
sugar until thickened and lemon-colored.
Beat in the oil, sour cream and vanilla until
smooth. Combine the flour, baking powder,
baking soda and salt. Add to egg mixture;
mix well.
Fill muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at
350° for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick
comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before
inverting onto wire racks to cool complete-
ly. Garnish with whipped topping if desired.
Yield: 1 dozen jumbo cupcakes.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
6 tablespoons baking cocoa
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese,
peanut butter, sugar and milk until smooth;
set aside.
In a bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa,
baking powder, salt and baking soda. In an-
other bowl, whisk the eggs, water, milk, oil
and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just un-
til moistened (batter will be thin).
Fill paper-lined jumbo muffin cups half
full with batter. Drop scant tablespoonfuls of
peanut butter mixture into center of each;
cover with remaining batter. Bake at 350°
for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick insert-
ed into cake comes out clean. Cool 10
minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.
Cool completely.
Combine frosting ingredients; frost cup-
cakes. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 1
dozen jumbo cupcakes.
 Runner-
Up
Raspberry
Peach Cupcakes
www.tasteofhome.com
❧ PREP: 25 min.
❧ BAKE: 15 min. + cooling
These easy cupcakes,which start
with a cake mix, have an appeal-
ing combination of fresh fruit
and vanilla flavor.The delicious
lemon buttercream frosting adds
a citrus tang to the sweet treats.
My family loves them!
—Arlene Kay Butler, Ogden, Utah
CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST
Runner-
Chocolate Cream Up
Cheese Cupcakes
❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 25 min. + cooling
I got the recipe for these moist,
filled cupcakes from a dear friend
about 25 years ago. I have made
them many times for my family
and for church functions.They’re
irresistible. —Vivian Morris
Cleburne, Texas
CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST
31
Runner-
Up
Chip Lover’s
Cupcakes
❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 20 min. + cooling
Making chocolate chip cookies is
a challenge with three teenagers
who are always trying to sample
the dough.Their love of cookie
dough inspired the recipe for
these cupcakes that adults will
enjoy,too. —Donna Scully
Middletown, Delaware
CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST
Runner-
Texas Chocolate Up
Cupcakes
❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 15 min. + cooling
My husband remembers his
mother making “little black cup-
cakes with caramel icing.” I nev-
er thought caramel icing would
taste good on chocolate cup-
cakes...boy, was I wrong. His
mother passed down this recipe
to me. It’s to die for!
—Cathy Bodkins, Dayton, Virginia
CUPCAKE CHALLENGE CONTEST

32
Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes
1 package (8 ounces) cream
cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet
chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
FROSTING:
3-3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1/2 cup butter, melted
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Raspberry Peach Cupcakes
1 cup vanilla or white chips
6 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 package (18-1/4 ounces)
white cake mix
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup chopped peeled fresh
peaches or frozen unsweetened
peach slices, thawed and
chopped
LEMON FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Fresh raspberries and peach pieces,
optional
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
APRIL/
MAY 2007
For filling, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream
cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat
in egg and 1/2 teaspoon salt until com-
bined. Fold in chocolate chips; set aside.
In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking
soda, and remaining sugar and salt. In an-
other bowl, whisk water, oil and vinegar; stir
into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full with
batter. Drop filling by heaping tablespoonfuls
into the center of each. Bake at 350° for 24-
26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in
cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes
before removing from pans to wire racks to
cool completely.
For frosting, in a large mixing bowl, com-
bine confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, butter,
milk and vanilla; beat until blended. Frost
cupcakes; sprinkle with pecans. Store in the
refrigerator. Yield: 20 cupcakes.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the
chips and butter. Microwave at 70% pow-
er until melted; stir until smooth. In a large
mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, milk,
eggs, vanilla and melted chips; beat on low
speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for
2 minutes. Fold in the raspberries and
peaches.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths
full. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or
until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool
for 10 minutes before removing from pans
to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, beat
the butter, confectioners’ sugar and lemon
juice until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Top
with fruit if desired. Yield: 2 dozen.
Editor’s Note: This recipe was tested with Bet-
ty Crocker cake mix.
Texas Chocolate Cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CARAMEL ICING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup milk
2 to 2-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour,
sugar, salt and baking soda. In a large
Chip Lover’s Cupcakes
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white
cake mix
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup miniature semisweet
chocolate chips
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
4-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons milk, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup baking cocoa
18 miniature chocolate chip cookies
Prepare cake batter according to package
directions; set aside. For filling, in a small
mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
saucepan over medium heat, bring cocoa,
water, oil and butter to a boil. Gradually
add to dry ingredients; mix well. Combine
eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; gradually add
to batter and mix well (batter will be very
thin).
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths
full. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or un-
til a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for
10 minutes before removing from pans to
wire racks to cool completely.
For icing, in a heavy saucepan, combine
the brown sugar, butter and milk. Cook and
stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. In-
crease heat to medium. Do not stir. Cook for
3-6 minutes or until bubbles form in center
of mixture and syrup turns amber. Remove
from the heat; transfer to a small mixing
bowl. Cool to room temperature. Gradually
beat in confectioners’ sugar. Spread over
cupcakes. Yield: 2 dozen.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
Beat in flour and confectioners’ sugar until
blended. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full with
cake batter. Drop filling by tablespoonfuls
into the center of each; cover with remaining
batter. Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes or un-
til a toothpick inserted in cake comes out
clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing
from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a large mixing bowl, cream
butter, shortening and confectioners’ sugar.
Beat in 3 tablespoons milk and vanilla until
creamy. Set aside 1 cup frosting; frost cup-
cakes with remaining frosting.
Stir baking cocoa and remaining milk in-
to reserved frosting. Cut a small hole in a
corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert #21
star tip. Fill bag with chocolate frosting. Pipe
a rosette on top of each cupcake; garnish
with a cookie. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.
 Beef Brisket with
Mop Sauce
www.tasteofhome.com
❧ PREP: 20 min.
❧ BAKE: 2 hours
When one of our sons lived in
the South, I learned that “mop
sauce” is traditionally prepared
for Texas ranch-style barbecues
in batches so large that it is
brushed on the meat with a mop!
You won’t need that much for
my recipe,but it delivers big-time
flavor to this tender brisket.
—Darlis Wilfer
West Bend, Wisconsin
EDITOR’S FAVORITE MEAL p. 10
Tossed Salad with
Carrot Dressing
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 25 min.
We love going to the farmers
market on summer Saturdays to
buy homegrown lettuce and
fresh produce for salads. I hope
you’ll try my special dressing,
made with pureed vegetables.
I’ve received compliments on its
flavor and pretty color.
—Darlis Wilfer
West Bend, Wisconsin
EDITOR’S FAVORITE MEAL p. 10
33
Grandma’s
Honey Muffins
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 30 min.
I remember my GrandmaWheel-
er making these delicious muf-
fins—we’d eat them nice and
warm, fresh from the oven! She
was a“pinch of this”and“handful
of that” kind of cook, so getting
the ingredient amounts correct
for this recipe was a challenge.
Now it’s a family treasure!
—Darlis Wilfer
West Bend, Wisconsin
EDITOR’S FAVORITE MEAL p. 10
Poppy Seed Cake
❧ PREP: 20 min. + standing
❧ BAKE: 25 min. + cooling
As a sweet finale for my favorite
meal, this moist cake is the best.
It’s chock-full of poppy seeds.
(Don’t forget to soak the seeds.)
The cream cheese frosting adds
the final touch.This is also a tasty
dessert to bring to a potluck.
—Darlis Wilfer
West Bend, Wisconsin
EDITOR’S FAVORITE MEAL p. 10

34
Tossed Salad with Carrot Dressing
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 celery ribs, cut into chunks
1 small onion, cut into chunks
1 small carrot, cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
SALAD:
8 cups spring mix salad greens
2 medium tomatoes, cut into
wedges
1 medium cucumber, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup chow mein noodles
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Beef Brisket with Mop Sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 fresh beef brisket (3 pounds)
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a blender, combine the first six ingredi-
ents; cover and process until smooth.
While processing, gradually add oil in a
steady stream. Transfer to a bowl or small
pitcher; cover and refrigerate until serving.
In a large bowl, combine the salad in-
gredients. Stir dressing and serve with
salad. Refrigerate leftover dressing. Yield:
10 servings (3 cups dressing).
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a large saucepan, combine the first
seven ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring
constantly. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 min-
utes, stirring occasionally. Remove from
the heat.
Place the brisket in a shallow roasting
pan; pour sauce over the top. Cover and
bake at 350° for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until
meat is tender. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Thinly slice meat across the grain. Yield:
10-12 servings.
Editor’s Note: This is a fresh beef brisket, not
corned beef. The meat comes from the first
cut of the brisket.
Poppy Seed Cake
1/3 cup poppy seeds
1 cup milk
4 egg whites
3/4 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream
cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Grandma’s Honey Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup honey
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a small bowl, soak poppy seeds in milk
for 30 minutes. Place egg whites in a large
mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature
for 30 minutes.
In another large mixing bowl, cream the
shortening, sugar and vanilla. Combine
flour and baking powder; add to creamed
mixture alternately with poppy seed mix-
ture. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form;
fold into batter.
Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in.
baking dish. Bake at 375° for 25-30 min-
utes or until a toothpick inserted near the
center comes out clean. Cool on a wire
rack.
For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, beat
the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until
smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners’
sugar. Spread over cake. Store in the re-
frigerator. Yield: 12-15 servings.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, bak-
ing powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk
the egg, milk, butter and honey; stir into
dry ingredients just until moistened.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups
three-fourths full. Bake at 400° for 15-18
minutes or until a toothpick comes out
clean. Remove from pan to a wire rack.
Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.
 Hungarian
Chicken Paprikash
www.tasteofhome.com
❧ PREP: 20 min.
❧ BAKE: 1-1/2 hours
My mom learned to make this
tender chicken dish when she
volunteered to help prepare the
dinners served at her church.It’s
my favorite main dish, and the
gravy—seasoned with paprika,
sour cream and onion—is the fin-
ishing touch. —Pamela Eaton
Lambertville, Michigan
MY MOM’S BEST MEAL p. 8
Spaetzle
Dumplings
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 15 min.
These tender homemade noo-
dles take just minutes to make
and are a natural accompaniment
to Mom’s chicken.They’re won-
derful with the chicken gravy or
simply buttered and sprinkled
with parsley. —Pamela Eaton
Lambertville, Michigan
MY MOM’S BEST MEAL p. 8
35
Sour Cream
Cucumbers
❧ PREP: 15 min. + chilling
My mom always serves these
sweet-tart cucumbers with her
Hungarian Chicken Paprikash.
The sauce is creamy, and the cu-
cumbers have a nice crunch.
—Pamela Eaton
Lambertville, Michigan
✓ Includes Nutrition Facts.
MY MOM’S BEST MEAL p. 8
Tart Cherry
Lattice Pie
❧ PREP: 20 min.
❧ BAKE: 40 min. + cooling
Whenever my mom is invited to
a party or potluck, everyone re-
quests one of her homemade
double-crust fruit pies. In the
summer,she uses fresh,tart cher-
ries from my dad’s trees for this
recipe. —Pamela Eaton
Lambertville, Michigan
MY MOM’S BEST MEAL p. 8

36
Spaetzle Dumplings
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons salt
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon butter
Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter, cubed
4 to 5 pounds broiler/fryer chicken
pieces
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a large bowl, stir the flour, eggs, milk and
salt until smooth (dough will be sticky). In
a large saucepan, bring water to a boil.
Pour dough into a colander or spaetzle
maker coated with nonstick cooking spray;
place over boiling water.
With a wooden spoon, press dough un-
til small pieces drop into boiling water.
Cook for 2 minutes or until dumplings are
tender and float. Remove with a slotted
spoon; toss with butter. Yield: 6 servings.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until
tender. Sprinkle chicken with paprika, salt
and pepper; place in an ungreased roast-
ing pan. Spoon onion mixture over chicken.
Add hot water. Cover and bake at 350°
for 1-1/2 hours or until chicken juices run
clear.
Remove chicken and keep warm. In a
small saucepan, combine cornstarch and
cold water until smooth. Whisk in pan juices
with onion. Bring to a boil over medium
heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until
thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in
sour cream. Serve with chicken. Yield: 6
servings.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
Tart Cherry Lattice Pie
1-1/3 cups sugar In a large bowl, combine sugar and flour;
1/3 cup all-purpose flour stir in cherries and extract. Line a 9-in. pie
4 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened plate with bottom pastry; trim to 1 in. be-
pitted tart cherries, thawed and yond edge of plate. Pour filling into crust.
drained Dot with butter.
1/4 teaspoon almond extract Roll out remaining pastry; make a lat-
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches) tice crust. Seal and flute edges. Cover
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small edges loosely with foil.
pieces Bake at 425° for 20 minutes. Reduce
heat to 375°. Remove foil; bake 20-25 min-
utes longer or until crust is golden brown
and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.
Yield: 6-8 servings.
APRIL/
Sour Cream Cucumbers MAY 2007
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Pepper to taste
4 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
and separated into rings
In a serving bowl, combine the sour cream,
vinegar, sugar and pepper. Stir in cucum-
bers and onion. Cover and refrigerate for
at least 4 hours. Serve with a slotted
spoon. Yield: 8 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup (prepared with re-
duced-fat sour cream) equals 52 calories, 1 g
fat (1 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 10
mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g pro-
tein. Diabetic Exchange: 1-1/2 vegetable.
 Festive Rice Salad
❧ PREP: 30 min. + cooling
www.tasteofhome.com
I tasted a salad similar to this one
at a friend’s house, and I was de-
termined to re-create it at home.
After several tries,I came up with
this sweet-tart concoction. It’s
easy to prepare and colorful,too.
—Terri Simpson
Palm Harbor, Florida
✓ Includes Nutrition Facts.
POTLUCK PLEASERS p. 21
Sesame-Almond
Romaine Salad
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 25 min.
This crisp and crunchy salad is
one of my favorites, and it’s pop-
ular at potlucks, too.We espe-
cially enjoy this recipe when the
lettuce is fresh from the garden.
—Diane Alger
Hebron, Connecticut
POTLUCK PLEASERS p. 21
37
Ham Bundles
❧ PREP: 55 min. + rising
❧ BAKE: 20 min.
Whenever I serve ham, I can’t
wait for the leftovers so I can
make these tasty ham buns.I like
to serve them with homemade
bean or split pea soup. My hus-
band warms them up for break-
fast,too. —Chris Sendelbach
Henry, Illinois
POTLUCK PLEASERS p. 21
Frozen Peanut
Parfait Pies
❧ PREP: 20 min. + freezing
Folks will think you went to a
lot of trouble to make these lus-
cious pies,but with just six ingre-
dients, they’re quite simple to
make.The crowd-pleasing des-
sert will be the hit of any potluck
or party. —Anne Powers
Munford, Alabama
POTLUCK PLEASERS p. 21

38
Sesame-Almond Romaine Salad
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 tablespoon sugar
2 packages (3 ounces each) ramen
noodles, crushed
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 bunches romaine, torn
4 green onions, thinly sliced
DRESSING:
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Festive Rice Salad
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas,
thawed
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup dried cranberries
DRESSING:
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a large skillet, melt butter and sugar over
medium heat. Add the noodles, sesame
seeds and almonds. (Discard seasoning
packets from noodles or save for another
use.) Cook and stir for 6-8 minutes or until
browned; set aside. In a large salad bowl,
toss the romaine and onions.
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the
dressing ingredients; shake well. Just be-
fore serving, drizzle over romaine mix-
ture; top with noodle mixture. Toss to coat.
Yield: 12 servings.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
Cook rice according to package directions;
cool. In a large bowl, combine rice, peas,
red pepper, onions and cranberries. In a
small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients.
Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Re-
frigerate until serving. Yield: 12 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1/2 cup equals 172 calories,
9 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 77
mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g
protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 fat, 1
starch, 1 vegetable.
Frozen Peanut Parfait Pies
1 package (8 ounces) cream
cheese, softened
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened
condensed milk
1 carton (16 ounces) frozen
whipped topping, thawed
2 pastry shells (9 inches), baked
1 jar (11-3/4 ounces) hot fudge ice
cream topping, warmed
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
Ham Bundles
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
3/4 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup shortening
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
4-1/2 to 4-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
FILLING:
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cups cubed fully cooked ham,
coarsely ground
4 bacon strips, cooked and
crumbled, optional
1/4 to 1/3 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed
olives, optional
1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded cheddar
cheese, optional
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm
water. Add the milk, shortening, eggs, sugar,
salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese
and condensed milk until smooth; fold in
whipped topping. Spread a fourth of the
mixture into each pie shell. Drizzle each
with a fourth of the fudge topping; sprin-
kle each with 1/2 cup peanuts. Repeat
layers.
Cover and freeze for 4 hours or over-
night. Remove from the freezer 5 minutes
before cutting. Yield: 2 pies (6-8 servings
each).
APRIL/
MAY 2007
enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead un-
til smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place
in a greased bowl, turning once to grease
top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until
doubled, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion in
2 tablespoons butter until tender. Add ham and
mix well; set aside.
Punch the dough down. Turn onto a lightly
floured surface; divide into thirds. Roll each
portion into a 16-in. x 8-in. rectangle. Cut
each rectangle into eight squares. Place a ta-
blespoonful of ham mixture in the center of
each square. Add bacon, olives and/or cheese
if desired. Fold up corners to center of dough;
seal edges.
Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until dou-
bled, about 45 minutes. Melt remaining butter;
brush over dough. Bake at 350° for 16-20 min-
utes or until golden brown and filling is heated
through. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 2 dozen.
 Rhubarb Biscuit Mac ’n’ Cheese
Coffee Cakes For a Bunch

www.tasteofhome.com
❧ PREP: 45 min.
❧ BAKE: 30 min.
This big recipe makes 10 coffee
cakes—perfect for a church
breakfast or other large gather-
ing.Starting with refrigerated bis-
cuits makes preparation a snap!
As these coffee cakes bake, the
enticing aroma of rhubarb and
cinnamon will send everyone
running your way.
—Carla Hodenfield
Ray, North Dakota
❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 35 min.
You’ll satisfy the crowd with this
rich, comforting dish.The maca-
roni tastes wonderful covered in
an easy-to-make, creamy home-
made cheese sauce. It’s always a
favorite at potlucks.
—Dixie Terry
Goreville, Illinois

COOKING FOR A CROWD COOKING FOR A CROWD

Asparagus Biscuit
Brunch Pockets Mushroom Bake
❧ PREP: 20 min. ❧ PREP: 20 min.
❧ BAKE: 15 min. ❧ BAKE: 15 min.
I always receive compliments Mushroom lovers will appreciate
on these yummy asparagus bun- this home-style, biscuit-topped
dles.They’re great for brunch or dish. The recipe was passed
when served as a side dish with down from my aunt, and it’s a
dinner. —Cynthia Linthicum hit with my family.
Towson, Maryland —Dawn Esterly
Meadville, Pennsylvania

BONUS CARD BONUS CARD

39

40
Asparagus Brunch Pockets
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon diced pimientos
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch pepper
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated
crescent rolls
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon seasoned bread
crumbs
Rhubarb Biscuit Coffee Cakes
10 tubes (12 ounces each)
refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
20 cups sliced fresh or frozen
rhubarb (about 6 pounds)
2-1/2 cups sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
10 eggs, beaten
5 cartons (16 ounces each) sour
cream
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
TOPPING:
3 tablespoons sugar
1-3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a large saucepan, bring 1/2 in. of water
to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and boil for
3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream
cheese, milk and mayonnaise until smooth.
Stir in onion, pimientos, salt and pepper.
Unroll crescent dough and separate in-
to triangles; place on an ungreased baking
sheet. Spoon 1 teaspoon of cream cheese
mixture into the center of each triangle; top
with asparagus. Top each with another tea-
spoonful of cream cheese mixture. Bring
three corners of dough together and twist;
pinch edges to seal.
Brush with butter; sprinkle with bread
crumbs. Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes
or until golden brown. Yield: 8 servings.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
Divide biscuits among 10 ungreased 9-in.
pie plates; top each with 2 cups rhubarb.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar,
cornstarch, eggs, sour cream, cream and
vanilla. Beat on high for 2 minutes; pour
over rhubarb.
Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle
over filling. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for
30-35 minutes or until golden brown and
set. Remove to wire racks. Serve warm.
Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 10 coffee
cakes (8 servings each).
Editor’s Note: If using frozen rhubarb, measure
rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw complete-
ly. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid
out.
Biscuit Mushroom Bake
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated
biscuits
Mac ’n’ Cheese for a Bunch
3 packages (two 16 ounces, one 7
ounces) elbow macaroni
1-1/4 cups butter, divided
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 quarts milk
3 pounds sharp cheddar cheese,
shredded
1-1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
Feeding a hungry crowd?
Find lots more crowd-pleasing recipes at
www.tasteofhome.com/plus.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
In a large skillet, saute mushrooms in but-
ter. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add
broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and
stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and
bubbly. Remove from the heat. Stir in the
lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder,
salt, pepper and paprika.
Pour into a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in.
baking dish. Arrange biscuits over the
top. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 15-20
minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.
Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Yield: 5 servings.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
Cook macaroni according to package di-
rections until almost tender. Meanwhile, in
a large soup kettle, melt 1 cup butter. Stir
in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually
stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for
2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat.
Add cheese, stirring until melted. Drain
macaroni; stir into sauce.
Transfer to three greased 13-in. x 9-in.
x 2-in. baking dishes. Melt remaining but-
ter; toss with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over
casseroles. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for
35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Yield:
36 servings (1 cup each).
 Cuban Pork Rhubarb
Sandwiches Sticky Buns

www.tasteofhome.com
❧ PREP: 30 min. + marinating
❧ BAKE: 25 min. + standing
Seasoned pork, a homemade rel-
ish and Swiss cheese come to-
gether deliciously in this mouth-
watering sandwich.The tangy
taste is terrific.
—Connie Zangla
Annandale, Minnesota
❧ PREP: 25 min. + rising
❧ BAKE: 20 min.
These gooey cinnamon rolls
don’t last long at my house.All
of us enjoy the zippy rhubarb
sauce...it’s so pretty and makes
these rolls special.
—Kathy Kittell
Lenexa, Kansas

BONUS CARD BONUS CARD

Lemon-Dill Herbed
Chicken Popover Lamb Kabobs
❧ PREP: 30 min. ❧ PREP: 15 min. + marinating
❧ BAKE: 25 min. ❧ GRILL: 20 min.
Don’t be surprised if this one- These colorful kabobs are hard to
dish meal disappears quickly.The resist. The herbed marinade not
crisp golden popover has a delec- only tenderizes the meat, but
table and hearty filling. It’s great adds delightful flavor to the lamb
for a dinner party. and veggies. —Janet Dingler
—Patricia Tjugum Cedartown, Georgia
Tomahawk, Wisconsin

BONUS CARD BONUS CARD

41

42
Lemon-Dill Chicken Popover
3 tablespoons butter, melted,
divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1 cup milk
FILLING:
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed
cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 medium sweet red pepper, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cuban Pork Sandwiches
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup water
1 jar (7-1/4 ounces) roasted sweet
red peppers, drained and chopped
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
SANDWICH:
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 slices sourdough bread
8 slices Swiss cheese
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
APRIL/
MAY 2007
Brush the bottom of a deep-dish pie plate with
1 tablespoon butter; set aside. In a small mix-
ing bowl, combine flour and salt. Beat in the
eggs, milk and remaining butter until smooth.
Pour into prepared pie plate.
Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Reduce
heat to 350°; bake 5-10 minutes longer or un-
til golden brown and center is set.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine carrots,
broccoli, onion and butter. Cover and mi-
crowave on high for 5-10 minutes or until veg-
etables are crisp-tender; set aside. In anoth-
er microwave-safe bowl, combine chicken,
soup, red pepper, lemon juice and dill. Cov-
er and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes or
until red pepper is tender, stirring once. Stir
in cheese and half of the vegetable mixture.
Spoon chicken mixture into center of
popover. Surround with remaining vegetable
mixture. Cut into wedges; serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings.
Editor’s Note: This recipe was tested in a 1,100-
watt microwave.
APRIL/
MAY 2007
For relish, in a small saucepan over medium
heat, bring onion and water to a boil. Cook
and stir for 1 minute; drain. Transfer to a
bowl; add roasted peppers, vinegar, garlic,
oregano, salt, pepper and cumin. Let stand
at room temperature for 1 hour. Discard gar-
lic. (Relish can be made ahead and stored in
the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)
In a small bowl, mash the minced gar-
lic, cumin and salt. Rub over tenderloin;
place in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncov-
ered, at 425° for 25-30 minutes or until a
meat thermometer reads 160°. Let stand
for 10 minutes; thinly slice pork.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Top four slices of bread with pork, desired
amount of relish and two slices of cheese;
top with remaining bread. Cook sandwiches
for 2-4 minutes on each side or until golden
brown. Yield: 4 servings (2 cups relish).
APRIL/
MAY 2007
Herbed Lamb Kabobs
1 cup vegetable oil In a bowl, combine the first nine ingredi-
1 medium onion, chopped ents. Pour 1 cup into a large resealable
1/2 cup lemon juice plastic bag; add lamb. Seal bag and turn to
coat; refrigerate for 6-8 hours. Cover and
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced refrigerate remaining marinade for basting.
Drain and discard marinade. On eight
2 teaspoons salt
metal or soaked wooden skewers, alter-
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
nately thread the lamb, onion and peppers.
2 teaspoons dried thyme
Grill, uncovered, over medium-hot heat for
1/2 teaspoon pepper 8-10 minutes on each side or until meat
2 pounds boneless lamb, cut into
reaches desired doneness, basting fre-
1-inch cubes
quently with reserved marinade. Yield: 8
1 medium red onion, cut into servings.
wedges
1 large green pepper, cut into
1-inch pieces
1 large sweet red pepper, cut into
1-inch pieces
APRIL/
Rhubarb Sticky Buns MAY 2007
1 package (16 ounces) hot roll mix the rhubarb, brown sugar, corn syrup and
4 tablespoons sugar, divided remaining butter. Bring to a boil; cook and
1 cup warm water (120° to 130°) stir for 3 minutes. Pour into an ungreased
1 egg, beaten 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup butter, On a lightly floured surface, roll dough in-
softened, divided to a 15-in. x 10-in. rectangle. Combine
2 cups sliced fresh or frozen cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle
rhubarb over dough. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting
1/2 cup packed brown sugar with a long side; pinch seam to seal.
1/2 cup light corn syrup Cut into 12 slices. Place cut side down
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon over rhubarb sauce. Cover; let rise in a
warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the hot Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until
roll mix with contents of yeast packet and golden brown. Immediately invert onto a
2 tablespoons sugar. Stir in the water, serving platter. Serve warm. Yield: 1
egg and 2 tablespoons butter to form a dozen.
soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface.
Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine
 Enter Our Recipe Contest

RECIPE CONTEST RULES: You may

enter more than one recipe. Be sure to
include the contest topic and your
name, address and phone number on
each recipe.
It’s easy to enter at www.tasteof
home.com. Click on “Submit a Recipe”
to find a handy form with space for the
contest title (“Slow-Cooked Favorites”),
your ingredients, directions and com-
ments. Be specific with measurements
and sizes of cans, packages and pans.
Please include a few words about the
recipe and a bit about yourself.
Or, type or print each recipe on one
side of an 8-1/2- x 11-inch sheet of
paper. Send entries to “Slow-Cooked Fa-
vorites,” Taste of Home, 5925 Country

Slow-Cooked Favorites
Your best slow cooker recipe could win $500.00!
Our judges want to sample your
most treasured “set it and forget it”
recipes for TOH’s next national contest,
“Slow-Cooked Favorites.” Enter tried-and-
true recipes you prepare in a slow cook-
er. For instance…
Main dishes. We’re eager to taste
mouth-watering entrees such as tender
beef brisket, savory pork chops and
chicken cacciatore...meals that can be
assembled in the pot early in the day and
left to simmer to their finest hour.
Soups and Stews. Our spoons are
ready for chunky chili, three-bean soup,
chicken and dumplings, and any other
hearty delights that win compliments.
Casseroles and Breakfast Bakes.
These one-pot comfort foods are potential
prize-winners, too. Send in recipes for
creamy chicken enchiladas,easy egg dish-
es and spaghetti beef bake (to name a few).
Baked Treats. Since a slow cooker
can work as a mini oven,we’d like sweets
as well.Goodies like peach cobbler,deca-
dent fudge brownies and baked stuffed
apples immediately come to mind.
Party Foods. Be sure to remember
lazy-day relishes, mulled ciders and yum-
my appetizers,including tangy meatballs,
zesty cheese dip and cocktail franks.
Lane, Greendale WI 53129. Remember
to include your name, address and
phone number on each entry.
Entries become the property of
Reiman Publications.
Recipes that are not among the
contest winners may be published in
a future issue of TOH, in a cookbook
or on our Web site (www.tasteofhome.
com).
Get Those Recipes In
Don’t be poky about sending in your
recipes, though! Tuck in any tips and
hints you’ve found helpful for prepar-
ing your dish.
The “Slow-Cooked Favorites” contest
will close on June 15, 2007. Winners
will be featured in the Feb/Mar ’08 issue.
GREAT PRIZES! The Grand Prize win-
ner will receive $500.00 in cash. Second

Last Chance... place wins dinner for four at the restaurant

of the winner’s choice.
To Enter Your Turkey Specialties Ten runners-up will receive a free
copy of our Contest Winning Annual
Wing your recipes our way for the “Let’s Talk Turkey” contest. It closes
Recipes 2007 cookbook.
on April 15, 2007.
Tasty turkey casseroles, satisfying soups and stuffings, Plus, one of our winners
yummy potpies, savory sandwiches, fresh salads and may be selected to appear
mouth-watering appetizers are just some of the foods we on national television with
hope to gobble up...so act fast! Taste of Home Editor in
Enter on our Web site or E-mail entries by April 15, Chief Catherine Cassidy.
2007, to recipes@tasteofhome.com. Please write “Let’s The Early Show on CBS gives viewers a
Talk Turkey” on the subject line and include your name and street “taste of home” by spotlighting some of
address. Or send to “Let’s Talk Turkey,” Diane Werner, Food Direc- the delicious prize-winners in our nation-
tor, 5925 Country Lane, Greendale WI 53129. See the contest an- al recipe contests.
nouncement above for a general guide. For more information, visit our
Web site at www.tasteofhome.com.
www.tasteofhome.com 43
 BARNYARD BASH
These Barnyard Cupcakes Miniature semisweet chocolate chips
fantastic ❧ PREP: 1 hour 20 min. Black and red decorating gel

farm treats ❧ BAKE: 55 min. + cooling Miniature M&M’s baking bits

cultivate “My friend Kathy grew up on a farm, so I
thought a ‘Farmer in the Dell‘ theme would be
fun for kids perfect for her baby shower,“ writes field editor
and adults Colleen Palmer of Epping, New Hampshire.The
alike. pig and chick cupcakes are adorable next to this
bright red cake barn.And don’t forget the sun!
1 package (18-1/2 ounces) butter recipe
golden cake mix
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) devil’s food
cake mix
4 cans (16 ounces each) vanilla frosting
Red, blue, pink and yellow paste food coloring
Assorted candies (pink mint candy lozenges, Good
& Plenty candies and Brach’s white dessert mints)
Candy corn
Prepare golden cake batter according to package di-
rections. Pour into a greased and waxed paper-lined
13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for
33-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the
center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before re-
moving from pan to a wire rack.
Prepare devil’s food cake batter according to pack-
age directions. Fill 24 paper-lined muffin cups two-
thirds full. Bake at 350° for 21-26 minutes or until a
toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before
removing from pans to wire racks.
Tint 1 cup frosting red. Frost two-thirds of the
cake, forming a barn shape; spread frosting on sides
of barn. For sky, tint 2/3 cup frosting blue; frost remain-
ing top and sides of cake.
Outline barn roof with chocolate chips. Insert a #6
round tip into a pastry bag; fill bag with 1/4 cup
white frosting. Outline barn doors and window. With
black decorating gel and an M&M’s baking bit, add
a spiderweb and spider.
For pigs, tint 1 cup frosting pink; frost 12 cup-
cakes. Attach baking bits for eyes, pink candy
lozenges for snouts, chocolate chips for nostrils
and Good & Plenty candies for ears.
For chicks, tint 2 cups frosting yel-
low; transfer to a pastry bag. Insert a
#17 star tip; pipe frosting onto 11 cup-
cakes. Pipe heads and wings. Deco-
rate with dessert mints, baking bits
and candy corn.
For sun, frost remaining
cupcake with yellow frosting.
Position candy corn around
edges. Form a face with
chocolate chips and red
decorating gel. Yield: 1
cake (12-15 servings) plus
2 dozen cupcakes.
Editor’s Note: Use of a coupler
ring will allow you to easily
change pastry tips for
different de-
signs.

44
Monkeying Around...
Monkey
Cupcakes
❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 20 min. + cooling
Kids’ eyes will light up when they see
these cute jungle goodies. “They never
fail to make my grandkids smile, and
they’re always a hit at bake sales,”
says Sandra Seaman of Greensburg,
Pennsylvania.
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) each vanilla
chocolate cake mix wafer. Place a
1 can (16 ounces) chocolate wafer on each
frosting cupcake, with the
24 vanilla wafers rounded edge of
Black and red decorating gel wafer near edge of
48 light blue, dark blue or white milk cupcake, for face.
chocolate M&M’s Add dots of black gel
12 peanut butter cream-filled
for nostrils. With red gel,
sandwich cookies pipe a mouth on each.
Place the M&M’s above
Prepare cake batter; bake ac- wafers for eyes; add dots of black
cording to package direc- gel for pupils. Using reserved
tions for cupcakes. Cool frosting and a #16 star tip,
completely on wire racks. pipe hair. Carefully sepa-
Set aside 1/4 cup frosting. rate sandwich cookies;
Frost cupcakes with remaining cut each in half. Position
frosting. With a serrated knife, one on each side of cup-
cut off and discard a fourth from cakes for ears. Yield: 2 dozen.

Open Our On-Line Sometimes You

Just Can’t Resist!
Cupcake Cupboard
NEW! 152Yum
my Favorites for
Every Occ asion!

Taste of Home Cupcakes & Muffins is Bake a

Batch of
a 96-page, softcover collection of over Happiness
Today! p. 52

140 of our best cupcake and muffin Over-the-Top

Chocolate

recipes with a bonus section of time- Cupcakes

p. 32

honored baking secrets, perfect frost- p. 12

ings and handy decorating tips. Look

for it wherever magazines are sold Display until
p. 13

July 9, 2007

starting April 10, 2007.

$5.99 U.S./$6.99
Canada

❋ Creamy Drea
Frostings my
❋ Easy Baking
& Decorating
Tips

Taste of Home Plus, our new on-line newsletter for

subscribers, has even more winning cupcake recipes and
tips for you. Enjoy:
● Eight dazzling cupcakes, including Toffee Mocha Cup-
cakes (above).
● Fun and easy decorating ideas.
● An instructional video on how to make graduation-hat
cupcakes.
Just click on www.tasteofhome.com/plus, log in and
enjoy the delicious “extras” we have for you.

www.tasteofhome.com 45
 Touring Country Kitchens

BEFORE

Her New Kitchen

Takes the Cake!
By Dawn Andrews
Prosser, Washington
Imagine a cramped, ’70s-
style kitchen with worn wal-
nut cabinets and an oddly
sized pantry. Add a blended
family of seven, two grandchil-
dren and a busy cake-decorat-
ing business, and you can un-
derstand why my husband, Mike, and I
decided to give the outdated kitchen a
much-needed face-lift.
We began by gutting the entire room.
We tore out the old recessed lights,
Entry
Hall Desk Ovens
Refrigerator
Island
Hutch
raised the ceiling and installed new light-
ing. Mike, who’s a diversified farmer, re-
placed the old linoleum floor with easy-
care laminate wood flooring. And we re-
moved the old pantry and slid the garage
door over 30 inches…opening up 17
feet of space for floor-to-ceiling cabinets.
Lots of Storage
The two-toned cabinets have cream-
colored, laminate frames and honey oak
doors covered in baked-on vinyl. Sever-
al have glass doors and interior lights
that show off my blue-trimmed pottery
pieces.The oversized drawers are great
for towels and linens.
My new pantry is the best. I
Pantry was constantly rearranging and
Garage rotating groceries in the old
Door
one. Every nook and cranny
was overflowing. Now I just
was a big chore, mainly because of the
tight space.This changed dramatically
when we replaced our U-shaped island
with a rectangular one. Our youngest
son,Macauley,15,enjoys eating his break-
fast here (there’s seating for two), and I
rely on the space for food prep and buf-
fet-style entertaining. Guests can easily
walk from the kitchen into the dining
room, without trying to get around a
clunky island.
Designed with Business in Mind
I planned my kitchen around my cake
business, even though I opened a cake
shop in town (25 miles away) shortly af-
ter the remodel. I create novelty cakes
and have made wedding cakes for sev-
eral of my nieces and nephews.

Dining
Stove

Table
open the door and pull out the Now I can do extra baking at home
Dishwasher
drawers. It’s so much more ef- without feeling cramped.There’s a place
Storage

Living
Room
ficient and manageable.And I to store my baking supplies and a large
have storage space to spare! cubbyhole in the island for my 10-quart
Bay Window
Cooking in the old kitchen commercial mixer. My double convec-

46 Taste of Home • April/May 2007

Photos: Tedd Cadd, www.teddcaddphoto.com

Dawn’s 10-quart mixer tucks under the

island (above). She loves her pantry (below).

Mike and Dawn Andrews (right) and their

children, Michaela, 18, and Macauley,
15, enjoy having family dinners in the
dining room (below). Once the old kitch-
tion ovens are wonderful for running a en (inset, far left) was gutted, the An-
cake business.And the roomier kitchen drewses installed floor-to-ceiling cabi-
nets, laminate flooring and a new island.
also allowed for a large refrigerator, a
ceramic-topped stove and a handy work
desk. I had wanted these conveniences
for so long, and now I’ve got them!
Since we’re also wine grape growers,
I chose a grape theme for my kitchen. I
really like the burgundy wallpaper bor-
der, with its pretty, blue grapes. It com-
plements the country-blue carpeting in
the dining room and the grape knick-
knacks throughout the kitchen.
I have other collections that I work in-
to the decor as well,such as chickens and
asparagus pieces.My favorite collection is
my red dishes, which I display in the din-
ing room hutch. Most of the accents and
pieces decorating the kitchen have won-
derful memories connected to them.
I love every inch of my new
kitchen.It has truly been a blessing!

www.tasteofhome.com 47
Budget Meal
Makeover
Monday
Turn leftover ham
and eggs into a
mouth-watering
main dish that’s
thrifty, too!
6
$1.9
Our Test Kitchen matched up a sa-
vory ham and biscuits recipe with two
more reader favorites for this inviting
menu.You won’t feel like you’re serving
your family leftovers...plus, you can put
it on the table for just $1.96 a plate!
• Billie George from Saskatoon,Saskatch-
ewan puts her extra ham and hard-
cooked eggs to good use by making tasty
After-Holiday Ham on Biscuits with a
creamy white sauce.“When my chil-
dren were young,they loved to color lots
of Easter eggs, so this recipe was a great
way to use them up,” she writes.
• A light, lemony dressing drapes the
well-seasoned Vinaigrette Asparagus
Salad from Linda Lacek of Winter Park,
Florida.“Vinaigrette can darken the veg-
etables it touches, so be sure to toss the
asparagus with the dressing just before
serving,” advises Linda.
48
• “I make this refreshing Orange Slush
as a ‘cool’ snack for my family, but it’s al-
so a delightful addition to a meal,” says
field editor Amy Voights of Brodhead,
Wisconsin.“Sometimes I add strawber-
ries or use different fruit juices.”
After-Holiday 73¢
Ham on Biscuits
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 30 min.
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup milk
CREAM SAUCE:
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon
granules
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups milk
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking pow-
der and salt. Cut in butter until mixture re-
sembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk just
until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured
surface; knead 8-10 times.
Pat or roll out to 1/2-in. thickness; cut
with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place
2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet.
Bake at 425° for 10-12 minutes or until
golden brown.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute ham
and onion in butter for 3-4 minutes or un-
til onion is crisp-tender.
Stir in the bouillon, Worcestershire
sauce and pepper. Combine the flour and
milk until smooth; gradually stir into the
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min-
utes or until thickened. Gently stir in the
eggs and parsley.
Split warm biscuits in half horizontally; top
with ham mixture. Yield: 4 servings.
Vinaigrette Asparagus Salad
❧ PREP: 15 min. + chilling 66¢
✓ Includes Nutrition Facts.
2 tablespoons lemon
juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon or
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash salt
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
For vinaigrette, in a jar with a tight-fitting lid,
combine the first seven ingredients; shake
well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
In a large skillet, bring 1/2 in. of water to
a boil. Add asparagus; cover and boil for 3
minutes. Drain and immediately place aspara-
gus in ice water. Drain and pat dry. Place in
a serving bowl; cover and refrigerate. Just
before serving, shake vinaigrette and driz-
zle over asparagus. Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving equals 77 calories,
7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 59
mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g pro-
tein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat.
Orange Slush 57¢
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 15 min.
1 cup water
1 can (6 ounces) frozen
orange juice concentrate
1 carton (6 ounces) vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 to 12 ice cubes
In a blender, combine the water, orange juice
concentrate, yogurt, sugar, milk and vanil-
la; cover and process until smooth. While
processing, add a few ice cubes at a time
until mixture achieves desired thickness.
Pour into chilled glasses; serve imme-
diately. Yield: 4 servings.
Serve and Save! For more frugal-
but-flavorful recipes, visit
www.tasteofhome.com/plus.
www.tasteofhome.com
Ask Our
Test Kitchen Team
Rolling with Marble
I received a marble slab and a rolling
pin as a gift.I have no idea what I can use
them for. I love Taste of Home recipes
and appreciate any help you can give
me. —S.B., Depew, New York
Marble surfaces and rolling pins are
wonderful tools for rolling buttery
pasties and dough. Because marble is
always cool, it helps keep chilled dough
easy to handle as you roll it out. Some
cooks place their marble rolling pin in
the refrigerator so it is well chilled. A
marble surface is also desirable for
preparing fondant candies and temper-
ing chocolate.Marble is easy to clean as
well. So enjoy your gift!
Dough Cycles
I would like to make the Mini Maple Cin-
namon Rolls in the April/May ’06 issue of
Taste of Home, but I’m unsure of when
to remove the dough from the bread ma-
chine.The recipe says to remove the
dough when the cycle is completed,
but I’m not sure what that means.Please
help! —C.P., Pritchard, British Columbia
Yeast breads that are shaped, like cin-
namon rolls or breadsticks, are re-
moved from the bread machine after
the first rise.The dough is then shaped
and allowed to rise one last time before
baking. Most bread machines have a
dough setting that will stop or beep at
the end of the cycle, signaling that the
first rise is completed and the dough is
ready to be removed.
If your bread machine does not have
this option, you will need to keep a close
eye on it and remove the dough after the
first rise or refer to your owner’s manu-
al to determine when the first rise ends.
Substitute for Peach Pie Filling
I’d like to make the Creamy Fruit Delight
in the April/May ’05 issue of Taste of
STUMPED? If you have a food-related question, turn to page 62 for our Contributor
Guidelines or E-mail us at editors@tasteofhome.com.
Meet a Team Member:
Annie Rose
My mom always said,“Annie
had a good day at school only
if she’d had a good lunch.” This
may sound funny, but it’s pret-
ty much true.I love good food.
Being a home economist for
Taste of Home means I get paid to taste
thousands of delicious recipes from our
readers. I especially love making soups
that simmer all day long,because they fill
the Test Kitchen with mouth-watering
aromas. Co-workers walking by often
stick their heads in, wondering if we
need any extra testers for the day.
My college friends (I graduated with a
food systems and technology degree
from the University of Wisconsin-Stout)
always predicted I’d have my own cook-
ing show. But it was my grandma who
knew what I really wanted.When I was
a teenager,she and I visited the TOH Test
Kitchen at the Reiman Publications Visi-
tor Center, and it was love at first sight.
When I’m not working, I’m cooking
for my family and friends, camping or
reading a good book.
Home,but I haven’t been able to find the
peach pie filling called for in the recipe.
I’ve tried three national supermarkets,
but none of them carries this product.
What could I use as a substitute?
—C.R., Camden, Maine
You could substitute canned sliced
peaches for the peach filling. Simply
drain the peaches, reserving the syrup.
Then, add a few tablespoons of the
syrup with the peaches, along with the
other fruit called for in the recipe.
For a slightly different flavor, substi-
tute apple pie filling. Cherry or straw-
berry pie filling would also work nice-
ly, but keep in mind that the fluff
will be pink.
49
 Bob Grant/State of NH Division of Travel & Tourism Development
Jeffery Blackman/State of NH Division of Travel & Tourism Development
Tourism PEI

Autumn’s Best Vacations

Gorgeous colors and charming River Barge Autumn Adventure—Re- of their fall color show.
country backroads are the signature of lax aboard the River Explorer, a fabulous Around Lake Michigan—Thrill to Lake
autumn! floating hotel, as you glide with us down Michigan’s magnificent shoreline as you
So, if you’re searching for a new and the Ohio River all the way from Cincin- circle this gem of the Great Lakes, past
exciting way to revel in the spectacular nati to Charleston. the charming harbor towns of Michigan
fall scenery this September or October, You’ll disembark to enjoy the dramat- and Wisconsin.
look to our friends at World Wide Coun- ic views of New River Gorge.Then it’s Marvelous Missouri—A week of won-
try Tours.They offer a wonderful selec- back aboard the River Explorer for a ders awaits you, from St. Louis’ Gateway
tion of fall foliage vacations. colorful return cruise to Cincinnati as Arch to stunning Lake of the Ozarks and
Here’s a sampling of their color-packed you take in the stunning beauty of West from Kansas City’s Hallmark Crown Cen-
fall lineup for 2007: Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio at the peak ter to the Missouri River Valley’s color-
ful gardens, vineyards and orchards.
Bob Taylor

Tennessee & Kentucky Country Holi-

day—For glorious scenery and lots of
good-time fun,it’s hard to beat an autumn
visit with the friendly folks from the Blue
Ridge and Smoky Mountains of Kentucky,
Tennessee and North Carolina.The soft-
hued views are stunning!
Ohio’s Amish Country—Soak in the
rustic beauty of the Buckeye State as you
step back in time to an era of horse-
drawn buggies, exquisite craftsmanship
and old-fashioned hospitality.
Nova Scotia & Prince Edward
Spectacular sights of autumn in New England await!
Island—Experience a breathtaking

50 Taste of Home • April/May 2007

 Tourism Nova Scotia, Anne of Green Gables: Tourism
Dick Dietrich
Enjoy the quaint covered bridges and awe-inspiring views of our Autumn in New England tour.
CVB

Visit the idyllic and famous Peggy’s Cove lighthouse. Cruise the scenic Ohio and Kanawha Rivers.

coastal drive along the famous Cabot Trail tryside. Experience Colonial Days in
and enjoy the rugged history, unique Boston, too!
ecology and fascinating culture of Cana- Best of New York State—Come and
da’s Atlantic provinces. enjoy! The Adirondack Wilderness is awe-
Canadian Rockies Rail Adventure— some. The Hudson River Valley, West
Doyle Yoder

Travel in style aboard Canada’s two Point,Cooperstown and Saratoga Springs

newest passenger tourist trains and enjoy are magical and memorable.And New
breathtaking views of Alpine lakes,snow- York City is as sparkling as ever, whether Enjoy the color-draped countryside and autumn’s glory in
tranquil Amish country.
capped peaks, thundering waterfalls uptown, midtown or downtown.
and colorful valleys. Philadelphia Freedom & Amish Coun-
Autumn in New England—Marvel at try—Discover the charming Amish and Reserve Your Place Now!
the color-rich mountains of Vermont and Mennonite communities of Lancaster Coun- Always among the most popular tours
New Hampshire…Maine’s coastal beau- ty, and relive history at Valley Forge and of the year, these fall foliage travel pack-
ty and Massachusetts’ picturesque coun- Philadelphia’s famous Independence Hall. ages tend to sell out quickly. For a com-
plete itinerary,request your catalog today!
For complete tour itineraries
and departure dates, please
visit our Web site at
www.countrytours.com/fall
Call for your free
tour catalog:
1-800/344-6918
Mention claim #8086
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) Monday-Friday,
8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday

Travel the Canadian Rockies aboard the Rocky Mountaineer and the new Whistler Mountaineer. A R e i m a n P u b l i c a t i o n s C o m p a ny

www.tasteofhome.com 51
Just Desserts
End a meal
with style by
serving a fresh-
tasting tart, a
fancy cookie or
a showstopping
layer cake.
Gingered Strawberry Tart
❧ PREP: 35 min. + chilling
Pretty as a picture, this very berry tart
is a favorite of Marie Rizzio from
Interlochen, Michigan.“I serve it in
spring or summer,“ says Marie.“It‘s
elegant, and tastes great, too.“
24 gingersnap cookies (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup sugar,
divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons cornstarch
52

and
1 teaspoon finely chopped
crystallized ginger, optional
3 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1/4 cup water
TOPPING:
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
5 tablespoons seedless strawberry
jam
In a food processor, combine the ginger-
snaps, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter. Cov-
er and process until blended. Press onto the
bottom and up the sides of a 9-in. fluted
Easy
tart pan with a removable bottom; set aside.
In a large saucepan, combine the corn-
starch, ginger if desired and remaining sug-
ar. Stir in the chopped strawberries and wa-
ter. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min-
utes. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for
4-6 minutes or until thickened. Cool for 30
minutes. Pour into crust. Cover and refriger-
ate 2 hours or until set.
Arrange sliced berries over filling. In a
small microwave-safe bowl, heat jam on
high for 15-20 seconds or until pourable;
brush over berries. Yield: 8 servings.
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
 Coconut-Filled Nut Torte
❧ PREP: 45 min.
❧ BAKE: 20 min. + cooling
This torte has five kinds
of nuts, a coconut filling
and plenty of cream
cheese frosting. “It was
fun dreaming up this
recipe because my family
enjoys desserts and nuts,” writes Callie
Barnum from Prattsville, New York.
2/3 cup shortening
1-2/3 cups sugar
5 egg whites
1 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
FILLING:
Sweeten your meals with Rhubarb
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk Cranberry Cookies or Coconut-Filled
3/4 cup sugar Nut Torte.
6 tablespoons butter, cubed
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten center comes out clean. Cool for 10 min- 1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract utes; remove from pans to wire racks. 1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups flaked coconut In a large saucepan, combine the evapo-
2 eggs
1/2 cup each chopped hazelnuts, rated milk, sugar, butter and egg yolks.

pecans and walnuts
FROSTING:
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream
cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Pecan halves, optional
In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and
sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg whites
and extract; mix well. Combine the flour, bak-
ing powder and salt; add to creamed mixture
alternately with milk. Fold in nuts.
Pour into three greased and floured 9-in.
round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 20-25
minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the
➜ Preventing Soggy Tart Crusts
Brush tart crusts with melted jelly be-
fore layering with fruit. This will help
seal the crust and keep fruit juices
from being absorbed into it.
Cook and stir over medium heat for 10-12
minutes or until mixture is thickened and
reaches 160°. Remove from the heat; stir in
vanilla. Stir in coconut and nuts. Cool to
room temperature.
In a small mixing bowl, beat butter, cream
cheese and vanilla until smooth. Gradually
add confectioners’ sugar. Beat in milk until
light and fluffy. Spread filling between cake
layers. Frost top and sides of cake. Garnish
with pecans if desired. Store in the refriger-
ator. Yield: 12-14 servings.
Rhubarb Cranberry Cookies
❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 10 min. per batch + cooling
Elaine Scott of Lafayette,
Indiana submitted these
sweet ’n’ tangy cookies.
“I like the sweetness
from the white chocolate
It really complements the
tart flavor of the rhubarb and cran-
berries,” she writes.
1 cup butter, softened
Food for Thought: We don’t always get what’s coming to us—thank goodness.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1-1/2 cups diced frozen rhubarb
1 cup vanilla or white chips
1 cup dried cranberries
4 squares (1 ounce each) white
baking chocolate
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter
and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Com-
bine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinna-
mon; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir
in the oats, rhubarb, chips and cranberries.
Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto
parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake
at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Re-
move to wire racks to cool.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white
chocolate; stir until smooth. Drizzle over
cookies; let stand until set. Store in an air-
tight container. Yield: about 5-1/2 dozen.

www.tasteofhome.com 53

Our Family’s
Favorite
Grace
Many families cherish saying grace before Easter din-
ner and at other special-occasion meals.The following prayers
will warm your heart any time of year.
• Sylvia Bryant of Aulander, North Carolina says her father-
in-law always recited this prayer before each meal.
Lord, humble our hearts and make us truly thankful for
these and all our many blessings. In Christ’s name, Amen.
• “My mom wrote a prayer that I was to read before Easter
dinner,” writes Jessica Cogley from Franklin Park, Illinois.“It
touched me so deeply that she had to help me finish reading
it because I was in tears.”
Heavenly Father, You have abundantly blessed us.Thank
You for my precious children and grandchildren.Make us a
blessing in each other’s lives, as well as in the lives of
54
everyone with whom we come in contact.Although we are
thankful for the material possessions You’ve given us,
we’re most thankful for the treasure of our family—the on-
ly blessing we can take to Heaven with us.
• “My family has always teased me about this prayer,” says
Ruthie Somers of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.“No matter if we
have thunderstorms or 2 feet of snow, it’s always the same.”
Dear Jesus, thank You for this beautiful day.Thank You for
this food. Make it nourishing to our bodies. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
• Here’s a long-standing family prayer from Marsha Morri-
son of Chillicothe, Ohio.“This grace has been in the family
since my great-great-great-grandparents were slaves, back in
1804,” she relates.
Our Father in Heaven, we come to Thee again, thanking
Thee for the blessings that Thou hast bestowed upon us.We
thank Thee for our health, our strength, our family and our
food, dear Lord.We know that Thou art a good God, for Thou
hast been good to us. In Christ’s name, let us all say “Amen.”
PRAY TELL. Please share your family’s favorite grace with
us. Send it to “Grace,” 5925 Country Lane, Greendale WI
53129 or editors@tasteofhome.com. For Contributor
Guidelines, see page 62.
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
 Handy Helpers
Fresh Flavors
Save 50% Of f T h i s “ H o t ” F re s h To m a t o e s ,
Ta s t e o f H o m e C o o k b o o k ! N o H a rd Wo r k !
Spring is the perfect time to think about Get ready to grow red,
delicious ways to use the bounty from the juicy tomatoes the easiest
garden—and now is the best time to save! way possible! This upside-
You’ll harvest compliments with the fruit down planter eliminates all
and veggie dishes in Garden-Fresh Recipes. the stooping, bending and
Choose from 211 winners like “Tomato Zuc- hard work and makes the
chini Stew” and “Honey-Baked Apples.” picking a cinch.
This hardcover cookbook has dozens of Insert up to two plants
full-color photos and tips on 112 pages. in the bottom,fill with soil,
8-3/8" x 11-1/8". then water and fertilize
33909 Garden-Fresh Recipes through the top funnel.
Regular price……..$15.99 Subscriber price……..$12.99 $6.49 Plants are held up by the
special collar on the bot-
C o l o rful To m a t o P o t / C a s s e ro l e tom, filling with ripe toma-
D i s h f o r Yo u r S t o v e t o p toes in no time. (One cus-
tomer reported growing
Have fun cooking with this bright red
over 600 tomatoes from
tomato pot and lid with a decorative green
one plant!)
“stem” handle.
Hang it on your deck,
Removable handle transforms the pot in-
porch, balcony or tree.
to a casserole dish to go from stovetop to
Plastic planter with
tabletop in seconds.
steel hanger. 18" long
Carbon steel with nonstick coating for
x 10" wide.
easy cleanup. 5-cup capacity.
33308 Topsy Turvy™
36615 Tomato Pot .....................$12.99
Planter....$16.99

It’s a Real Whiz

At Chopping
One push of the lid, and this
tool chops vegetables into
perfect pieces for cooking
and deposits them in its stor-
age container. It has two
stainless steel blade sets—
one for chopping,one for dic-
ing. Plastic,2-cup container has measurements.10-7/8"
long x 4-1/2" wide x 2-1/2" high. Dishwasher-safe.
36454 Chop Wizard...................................$19.99
No digging, weeding,
staking or cages!
No more ground
insects and cutworms!
FREE Cookbook!
Order a Topsy Turvy™
and get our Prize-
Winning Tomatoes
recipe booklet FREE!
While supplies last.

To order, please have your credit card ready when you call us toll-free at
1-800/880-3012. Or you can order on-line at www.ShopTasteofHome.com. Refer
to Suite 1013P. Prices are good through August 2007.
To mail your order, simply specify the item code, Suite 1013P and the name of
the product.Be sure to add shipping and processing charges from the table at right
(add 5% sales tax for orders shipped to anywhere within Wisconsin).
For orders outside the United States,please double the shipping and processing
charges. Orders from outside the U.S. are accepted by credit card or postal mon-
ey order in U.S. funds only.)
Mail your order to:Shop Taste of Home,Suite 1013P,5400 S.60th St.,P.O.Box 990,
Greendale WI 53129-0990.
SHIPPING AND PROCESSING
If Your Order Is:
Up to $10.00.................................add $4.99
$10.01 to $20.00..........................add $5.99
$20.01 to $30.00..........................add $6.99
$30.01 to $40.00..........................add $7.99
$40.01 to $60.00..........................add $9.99
$60.01 to $80.00........................add $10.99
$80.01 to $99.99........................add $12.99
$100.00 or more .........................add $14.99

www.tasteofhome.com 55
Cooking for One or Two
Downsized
Dinner
Tired of leftovers?
These appetizing,
home-style dishes
make just enough for two and are so easy to prepare.
Try one (or two) tonight!
Crab-Stuffed Portobellos
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 25 min.
Fans of portobello mushrooms will
make these delectable treats again
and again. Pat Ford from Southamp-
ton, Pennsylvania fills them with a
tasty blend of crabmeat, cheese and
roasted sweet red pepper.
2 portobello mushrooms (5 ounces
each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
56
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (6 ounces) crabmeat,
drained, flaked and cartilage
removed
5 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 roasted sweet red pepper halves,
drained
2 slices provolone cheese
Remove and discard stems from mush-
rooms. Place caps on a greased baking
sheet. Combine oil and garlic; brush over
Perfect for two are Crab-Stuffed
Portobellos, Asparagus Fettuccine and
Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding.
mushrooms. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 4-
5 minutes or until tender.
In a small bowl, combine crab and mayon-
naise. Place a red pepper half on each mush-
room; top with crab mixture. Broil for 2-3
minutes or until heated through. Top with
cheese; broil 1-2 minutes longer or until
cheese is melted. Yield: 2 servings.
Asparagus Fettuccine
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 25 min.
✓ Includes Nutrition Facts.
Asparagus is in season, so
celebrate with this satisfy-
ing meatless dish from
Genise Krause of Sturgeon
Bay, Wisconsin. The ten-
der spears pair beautifully
with the creamy white sauce, which is
tossed with fettuccine right in the skillet.
4 ounces uncooked fettuccine
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
 1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Cook fettuccine according to package direc-
tions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute
the asparagus, onion and garlic in butter
until tender.
Add the remaining ingredients. Cook and
stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until
cheese is melted and sauce is blended.
Drain fettuccine; toss with asparagus mix-
ture. Yield: 2 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1-1/4 cups (prepared with 2%
milk) equals 396 calories, 17 g fat (10 g satu-
rated fat), 45 mg cholesterol, 388 mg sodium,
47 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 17 g protein.
Cinnamon-Raisin
Bread Pudding
❧ PREP: 5 min.
❧ BAKE: 35 min.
Field editor Edna Hoff-
man of Hebron, Indiana
shares this rich bread
pudding recipe that goes
together in minutes.
There’s plenty of old-fash-
ioned cinnamon flavor...it’s sure to
become a favorite.
1 cup cubed cinnamon-raisin bread
1 egg
Apple-Cherry Pork Chops
2/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
1/3 cup raisins
Place bread cubes in a greased 2-cup baking
dish. In a bowl, whisk the egg, milk, brown
sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt un-
til blended. Stir in raisins. Pour over bread.
Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until
a knife inserted 1/2 in. from the edge comes
out clean. Serve warm. Yield: 2 servings.
Apple-Cherry Pork Chops
❧ PREP/TOTAL TIME: 30 min.
You’ll never want pork
chops any other way once
you try this recipe from
field editor Doris Heath of
Franklin, North Carolina.
Doris seasons the juicy
chops with a fragrant herb rub and
serves them with a scrumptious apple
and cherry sauce.
2 boneless pork loin chops (1/2 inch
thick and 5 ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup apple juice
1 small apple, sliced
2 tablespoons dried cherries or
cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Rub pork chops with thyme and salt. In a skil-
Simple Salsa Chicken
let, cook pork in oil for 3-4 minutes on each
side or until juices run clear. Remove and
keep warm.
In the same skillet, combine the apple
juice, apple, cherries and onion. Bring to a
boil. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch
and water until smooth; stir into skillet. Bring
to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or un-
til thickened. Spoon over pork chops. Yield:
Food for Thought: Ever notice how some people eat with their fingers and talk with their forks?
2 servings.
Simple Salsa Chicken
❧ PREP: 10 min.
❧ BAKE: 25 min.
✓ Includes Nutrition Facts.
“My husband and I prefer our food a lit-
tle spicier than our children do, so one
evening I baked plain chicken for them
and created this dish for us,” Jan Coop-
er relates from Troy, Alabama. “My hus-
band liked it so well that it is now a reg-
ular menu item at our house.”
2 boneless skinless chicken breast
halves (5 ounces each)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup salsa
2 tablespoons taco sauce
1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese
blend
Place chicken in a shallow 2-qt. baking dish
coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprin-
kle with salt. Combine salsa and taco sauce;
drizzle over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.
Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 min-
utes or until chicken juices run clear. Yield:
2 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 chicken breast half (prepared
with reduced-fat cheese) equals 226 calories,
7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 92 mg cholesterol,
628 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, trace fiber,
34 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 5 very
lean meat, 1 fat.
 Does
frosting. My mother gave me
a copy, but I’ve misplaced it.
—Pam Harrington
1213 Georgene Dr. NE
rant in Colorado;Tamale Balls,
which are similar to cocktail
meatballs but taste like hot
tamales;and Roasted Red Pep-

Anyone
Albuquerque NM 87112
I attended a multicultural din-
ner, and one of the partici-
pants brought a potato-beef
per Tomato Bisque, made
with red peppers, tomatoes,
onions,cheese and something
with a kick. I hope someone
can help. —Helen Bisso

Have...
triangle pastry tart from India. 1709 Tyler St., Aurora MO 65605
Food for Thought: The nice thing about having a garden is that you can grow rather than buy the vegetables your children won’t eat.

It was fabulous! Is there any-

one out there who might have I’m searching for the recipe
this recipe? —Stacey Coye for Pecan Cobbler Pie.My son
17340 SW Hart Way tried it at a restaurant and
Aloha OR 97007 asked if I could make it for
Readers looking for recipes him. Can you help?
turn here for your help. Years ago, my husband and I —Lorine Washington
enjoyed tomato aspic, but my 210 Washington St.
If you can answer any of these requests, write directly to recipe is long lost. It was Houlka MS 38850-9626
the person seeking information. If you have a question, send made with lemon gelatin,
it to “Does Anyone Have…?”, Taste of Home, 5925 Country vinegar, tomato sauce and av- I’d really like the recipe for
Lane, Greendale WI 53129, or E-mail us at editors@taste ocado. Does anyone have the Polish Dill Pickle Soup.Even if
ofhome.com. (Make sure to include your street address.) recipe? We’d love to make it you don’t have the quantities,
We’ll use as many as possible. again. —Lola Griggs I can make do with just the in-
These readers may receive hundreds of responses and may 10552 Orion Ave. gredients. —Mary Arnold
not be able to personally thank everyone for their generosity. Mission Hills CA 91345 482 La Cuesta Dr.
Rest assured, they appreciate your help. Scotts Valley CA 95066-4716
Growing up in the 1950s,I re-
I’ve lost my recipe for beef the cranberry-colored rings member my mom’s friend When I was in high school,
short ribs. It was cooked in a that cafes use as a garnish and serving Glorified Rice. It con- my best friend and I made
Dutch oven with carrots, are slightly crunchy and mild- tained rice, crushed pineap- Mountain Dew Pudding.
onions,potatoes and cabbage ly sweet. ple, maraschino cherries, All I can remember about
and made a beautiful, thick If you know where I could whipped cream and minia- this dish is that you started
gravy. purchase them,I’d like that in- ture marshmallows. Would with saltine crackers, egg
If anyone has the recipe, formation, too. you share your version? whites and maybe vanilla fla-
or something similar, I’d love —Terri Crownover —Nancy Bucknell voring, and when done, the
to hear from you. 808 E. Georgia St. 9606 Cascade Loop NE top was brown and sugary.
—Betty Mashburn Shawnee OK 74804 Olympia WA 98516 I’m originally from Maine,
170 Maple St., Prattville AL 36067 so maybe it’s a “Yankee”
Does anyone have a recipe I’ve been looking for the fol- recipe. —Joan Terrell
for stewed tomatoes with a lowing recipes for some time: 320 E. Sixth St.
Might a fellow TOH reader thickened sauce? fried spinach from a restau- Garner IA 50438-1450
have the recipe for British —Roy Kronmeyer
Revolution Cake? 3314 Sudlersville S.
—Ann Chan Laurel MD 20724
Need a Quick Reply? Because we receive hundreds of re-
755 Oberlin Rd., Augusta GA 30909
quests for “Does Anyone Have…?”, it could be quite a
while before you see your particular question in print. So
My husband wants the recipe
if you need your answer fast, check out www.tasteofhome.
When I was in Georgia,I tried for a dish he enjoyed many
com on the Internet.
peach salsa. I’d like to make years ago. It had cheese, sum-
Our on-line Bulletin Board is the perfect place to ask your
it at home, if someone would mer squash and a potato chip
questions. Friendly, helpful readers quickly respond to
share their recipe. topping.Thanks. queries about recipes, ingredients, cooking techniques and
—Angie Young —Heather Norris more in this practical, easy-to-use service.
2035 New Hope Rd. 1633 San Juan Cir., Evans CO 80620 To access, click the “Bulletin Board” link on the Taste
Big Sandy TN 38221 of Home Web site or visit http://bbs.reimanpub.com.
I’m looking for a boysenberry Or you can search our on-line Recipe Finder, contain-
I’m in search of a recipe for cake recipe made with canned ing over 29,000 kitchen-tested recipes.
candied apple rings.They’re boysenberries and a cooked

58 Taste of Home • April/May 2007

 !
 Tour Highlights:
❥ Enjoy a private cooking
demo and unforgettable


dinner at the home

Slice of of Natalie Tognetti, a life-

long food en-
thusiast who
will soon

California have her own

television
cooking show.
❥ Sample produce like

Tour You’re invited to join In fact,the Slice of California tour will stop at
vine-ripened tomatoes,
flavorful garlic and fresh
peppers at Judy and Louie
Bonino’s vegetable farm
and market.
❥ Pick artichokes at a
me on a delicious new ad- two places I’ve visited for my workday articles: fourth-generation family
venture for Taste of Home cooks! Hi! I’m TOH Mari Rossi’s apricot farm near Hollister and farm and learn how easy it
Editor Ann Kaiser, and I’m excited to tell you aromatic Gilroy, the “Garlic Capital of the World.” is to cook the thorny, odd-
about our new “Slice of California” tour coming Mari and her family dry their entire crop of fla- looking little vegetable.
up this fall. vorful Blenheim apricots in the warm California ❥ Try Alene DeBrito’s
We’ve planned a trip… sun. Mmm,they are delectable! We’ll taste them, “Earthquake” candy apple,
• Especially for TOH readers, people who and she’ll share her best recipes. a seismic sensation of
love to cook and eat You can smell garlic in the air around Gilroy caramel, rice cereal,
• To a beautiful, food-producing area …seriously.When I helped harvest garlic there peanut butter and choco-
• Where we can visit fascinating farms, meet for one of my stories, the aroma in the fields late that will rock your
taste buds.
the best local cooks and sample their spe- and from the nearby garlic-processing plant
cialties—including an authentic Taste of made my mouth water for foods that showcase
Home recipe every day! it.Yours will,too,when a pair of fun and friend-
Where to? We’re headed to the fertile north- ly celebrity chefs from the annual Gilroy Gar-
ern Santa Clara Valley and the gorgeous Monte- lic Festival will demonstrate their specialties!
rey coast.I’ve traveled to that area several times to
do my“Editor in the Country”articles for Coun- Five Flavorful, Fun-Filled Days
try Woman, TOH’s sister magazine, and was so I’m signed up for the September 30 tour, ea- ❥ Savor a delicious meal
impressed with the people, food and scenery! ger to share all the fun and great eating with prepared by celebrity chefs
some of you.Another guided group will start Gene Sakahara and Sam
At right are highlights of our 5-day on October 7. Bozzo (above).
“cook’s tour” to whet your appetite… Please join us! Bring along your spouse, ❥ Marvel at the magnifi-
your mom or daughter, or your potluck cent ocean views along the
Space is limited, so reserve your place today!
group! Monterey peninsula’s
For a complete day-by-day itinerary, introduc-
spectacular 17-Mile Drive.
tion to the friendly cooks and chefs we’ll meet
along the way, and more details… ❥ Visit the factory and gift
visit www.countrytours.com shop of artist Ann
Morhauser, whose hand-
or call 1-800/344-6918. crafted glass dinnerware is
found in some of the
CALIFORNIA world’s finest restaurants.
❥ Spend 3 nights at the
Ridgemark Country Club’s
San Jose cottages, overlooking the
surrounding
Gilroy
Watsonville mountains.
Castroville Hollister
Pacific Grove
Monterey
Carmel-By-The-Sea

www.tasteofhome.com
 Web Contests

Win a
Great Trip!
At Taste of Home, we believe in keeping things
enjoy autumn in
new england
New England is beautiful all year
easy…and nothing could be simpler than our long, but in fall, it’s spectacular!
prize program. Enter on-line, and you could win! Trees aglow provide the perfect
backdrop to the “Autumn in New
Need a getaway? It just might happen! We’re offering two fantastic trips, and it England” tour through Vermont,
couldn’t be any easier to enter.Visit our Web site at www.tasteofhome.com/prizes and Massachusetts, Maine and New
register for a chance to win one of the wonderful prizes featured on this page. Hampshire, hosted by World Wide
Country Tours. Enter now for your
Win a chance to travel for FREE!

Taste of Home This colorful 8-day tour begins

with a trip back to the 1830s at Old
Homecoming Sturbridge Village. Walk through
original homes, craft shops, meeting-
Welcome home...to Taste of Home. houses and a mill—all from the 18th
The editors of Taste of Home, Simple & De- or 19th centuries—that have been
licious, Light & Tasty and Cooking for 2 preserved to re-create an authentic
have cooked up a “homecoming celebration”that’s sure New England town.
to appeal to home cooks from coast to coast. In Boston, follow the famous Free-
One lucky winner will spend the day at the Green- dom Trail and spend the morning
dale,Wisconsin headquarters of Taste of Home, learn- seeing such famous sights as the USS
ing how we put together our food magazines.Along Constitution, Bunker Hill, Old
with editors and home economists, the winner will North Church and more. Later, meet
taste-test recipes,watch food stylists and photographers a veteran lobsterman and learn
in our photo studio and review the page-by-page issue about trapping…then enjoy an au-
“road map.” thentic Gloucester lobster bake!
The winner will also enjoy a $200.00 shopping spree at the Taste of Home Outlet Store, Beauty abounds as we travel the
located in the Reiman Publications Visitor Center. Plus, there will be time to explore the region in a comfortable custom mo-
other unique shops in historic Greendale between meals with Taste of Home staffers. torcoach. Lush trees loaded with col-
or create a panorama beyond
This busy, fun-filled homecoming includes: compare in New Hampshire’s White
Mountains, with slopes and valleys
• Round-trip airfare for two to Milwau- • An autographed copy of the new The draped in fall color.
kee, Wisconsin, courtesy of vacation Taste of Home Cookbook The tour includes comfortable
together.com • Lots more Taste of Home goodies
lodgings and 14 meals at some of
• Two nights’ accommodations for two, For your chance to win the Taste of
New England’s finest restaurants,
courtesy of InterContinental Milwaukee Home Homecoming, valued at
inns and specialty shops.
• Limousine transportation $2,000.00, visit our Web site and click
For your chance to win a trip for
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner on the “Contests” link. Entries must be
• A $200.00 shopping spree at the received by July 31, 2007. One winner two with the Autumn in New En-
Taste of Home Outlet Store will be drawn on Wednesday, August 1, gland tour, valued at $2,998.00, visit
• A free magazine subscription (or renewal) 2007. our Web site and click on the “Con-
tests” link. Entries must be received
by July 31, 2007. One winner will be
To enter, and for official rules and details, visit our Web site at www.tasteofhome.com/prizes. drawn on Wednesday, August 1,
Don’t have Internet access at home? Visit your local library and set up a free E-mail account, 2007.
then visit our Web site to enter. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. See each prize de-
scription for respective sweepstakes closing dates. Open to U.S. residents 18 and over. Sponsor
is the Reiman Media Group, Inc. Void where prohibited.
61
 I just renewed my subscription, and I already
have 30 TOH annuals (the best books).My husband
brags to everyone how great “my” cooking is. I’m
sure we’ll be lifelong fans. —Glenda Dockum
Au Sable Forks, New York

Teen Loves Taste

I’m a 15-year-old cooking fan who has collect-
ed 150 or more TOH recipes...and I’m not done
yet! I wanted to thank Peggy Frasier of Indi-
anapolis, Indiana for her delicious Raspberry
Ribbon Cheesecake (June/July ’96). Also,thanks
Readers share I Want That One to Christine Eilerts from Tulsa, Oklahoma for
comments and My grandson Ahren was Home-Style Scalloped Potatoes (Dec/Jan ’04).
visiting me when the My dad remarked,“Those look just like how my
feedback from Feb/Mar issue arrived. grandma made her scalloped potatoes!” That
their kitchens. He immediately spotted was the best compliment I have ever received.
the Red Velvet Heart —Abigail Rider
Torte on page 14.“Non- East Point, Kentucky
ny,” he asked,“can you make me one of those?”
This is a picture of Ahren (above) with his cake. A Sweet Team
For his sixth birthday,I’m going to make the Race- My daughter Saman-
track Cake from the same issue. —Coralee Collis tha and her Grandma
Ankeny, Iowa Lavalette love cook-
ing, baking and TOH.
“Lifers” They made the Fluffy
About a year and a half ago,I was in a long check- Raspberry Torte (June/
out line and picked up a copy of TOH for the July ’05) for the annu-
first time.It was full of recipes I really wanted to try. al Carroll Family Re-
union in Tappahan-
nock,Virginia.I snapped this quick photo (above)
before Grandpa made the torte disappear!
CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES —Barbara Dunn
Want to send in your favorite recipe or handy tip, fun idea or photo to share Riverside, California
with other readers? We’d love to hear from you. Here’s how to get involved:
1. When sending recipes, please be specific with directions, measurements and Kid-Approved Treat
sizes of cans, packages and pans. Also, please share a few words about the recipe My sister made the Caramel Chocolate Trifle
and yourself. (For recipe contest entries, please follow the directions on page 43.)
(Aug/Sept ’06) for our family reunion.It was such
2. After you submit materials, please be patient. Due to the large volume, it a success that she has since made it for church
can take our small staff several months to review materials. We may hold your
material without informing you, but we will let you know if we publish something potlucks and other gatherings. She gets a laugh
you submitted. Materials that won’t fit in Taste of Home may be considered for when kids look at the trifle before the meal and
our Web sites, cookbooks, promotions and other publications. say, “Now that’s what I’m going to have for
3. By submitting material for publication, you grant Reiman Media Group, Inc., dessert!” —Maureen Shelton
its parent company, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners and licensees use of the ma- Mt. Sherman, Kentucky
terial, including your name, hometown and state.
We reserve the right to modify, reproduce and distribute the material in any TOH Birthday
medium and in any manner or appropriate place. We test recipes submitted to
us and reserve the right to alter them as needed. We may contact you via My daughter Jenna just turned 18. I asked her if
phone, E-mail or mail regarding your submission. she wanted to go out to eat or have a dinner par-
4. It’s easy to send us recipes and other submissions! Simply use the conve- ty at home. Immediately, she said,“Let’s get out
nient form on our Web site at www.tasteofhome.com. Or you can E-mail them our Taste of Home magazines, Mom!”
to editors@tasteofhome.com. If you have a particular department or feature in We chose Steak and Shrimp Kabobs (June/Ju-
mind, please type it in the subject line of your E-mail message. ly ’03), Stuffed Baked Potatoes (Aug/Sept ’02),
To send submissions via regular mail, please address them to: Taste of Cheesy Noodle Casserole (Oct/Nov ’03) and Mint
Home, 5925 Country Lane, Greendale WI 53129. If you have a particular de-
partment in mind, please print it on the front of the envelope. You can send recipe Chip Freeze (Feb/Mar ’05).The dinner was a hit,
cards or photocopies of family cookbooks, and they can be hand-printed or typed and Jenna and I had a great time preparing the de-
on a sheet of paper…whatever is easiest for you. If you would like mailed mate- licious spread. —Teresa Schooley
rials returned, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Ottumwa, Iowa
5. Sending photos? We accept 35mm color prints or high-resolution digital
photos. Please submit digital images as jpegs at 300 dpi.
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
 Meet the 1,000 Cooks Who Our Here’s Part of
Staff:
Help Edit This Magazine! We’d like you
Look to see which field editors are from your area.
Alabama: Mary Dixson, Decatur; Lisa Francis, Elba; Mary Al-
ice Brackin, Florence; Peggy Key, Grant; Charlotte McDaniel,
Jacksonville; Lisa Allen, Joppa; Grace Weeks, Kinston; Laura
Tessier, Madison; Gloria Lowther, Mobile; Roxana Quarles,
Ralph; Hazel Holley, Samson; Christine Ledbetter, Shelby; No-
ble Yeager, Tuscaloosa; Gene Pitts, Wilsonville.
Alaska: Isabel Fowler, Anchorage; Cindi Paulson, Anchorage;
Waunita Ann Roggenbuck, Anchorage; Carol Ross, Anchorage;
Anna Free, Fairbanks; Evelyn Gebhardt, Kasilof; Marg Austin,
North Pole; Linda Fox, Soldotna; Pat Hockett, Wrangell.
Arizona: Sue Ross, Casa Grande; Letah Chilston, Cottonwood;
Lynne Beykirch, Green Valley; Diane Thompson, Nutrioso; Ann
Perry, Sierra Vista; Clarice Schweitzer, Sun City; Linda Turner,
Sun City; Marcia Spitler, Tombstone; Edna Coburn, Tucson; Lin-
da Lambert, Wittmann.
Arkansas: Carolyn Kyzer, Alexander; Iola Egle, Bella Vista;
Martha Poplin, Cabot; Jill Whalen, Centerton; Nicki Evans, Con-
way; Eva Hickman, Crossett; Frances Owens, El Dorado; Ozela
Haynes, Emerson; Bettie Hartman, Fayetteville; Jacqueline Wilson,
Gravette; Renee Gee, Hamburg; Wanda O’Neal, Murfreesboro;
Katherine Cruthis, Roe; Donna Long, Searcy; Awynne Thurstenson,
Siloam Springs; Judith Gordon, Texarkana; Linda Emery, Tuck-
erman; Kristin Reynolds, Van Buren; Glenda Adams, Vanndale.
California: Peggy Louise Pruneau, Auberry; Marina Castle-
Henry, Burbank; Anita Curtis, Camarillo; Vicki Schlechter, Davis;
Janet Troxel, Delano; Susan Edwards, El Dorado; Lisa Bacon,
Fontana; Keri Scofield Lawson, Fullerton; Sandy Thorn, Jamestown;
Tina Fox, Lake Arrowhead; Shirley Goehring, Lodi; Alcy Thorne,
Los Molinos; Laurie Mace, Los Osos; Marilyn Klag, Mill Valley;
Bob Brown Korbel, Morgan Hill; Linda Svercauski, Murietta; Sal-
ly Grisham, Oxnard; Don Burns, Sacramento; H. Ross Njaa, Salinas;
Ken Churches, San Andreas; Sandra Vanthoff, San Diego; Michelle
Ramos, San Jose; Annette Traverso, San Rafael; Barbara Brittain,
Santee; Myrtle Albrecht, Shingle Springs; Kim Gilliland, Simi
Valley; Tiffany Mitchell, Susanville; Linda Kuecker, Tahoe Vista;
Mary Jane Cantrell, Turlock; Billie Moss, Walnut Creek.
Colorado: Rally Van Ostrand, Aurora; Ruth Marie Lyons,
Boulder; Janet Lebar, Centennial; Nancy Schmidt, Center; Shelly
Korell, Eaton; Sandra Titus, Denver; Ruth Fury, Dove Creek; Au-
drey Benson, Flagler; Cheri Eby, Gunnison; Karen Gorman,
Gunnison; Phyllis Herlocker, Highlands Ranch; Crystal Jo
Bruns, Iliff; Jo Ann Honey, Longmont; Christine Halandras, Meek-
er; Judith Miller, Parker; Trina Benson, Stratton; Naomi Giddis,
Two Buttes; Lucy Meyring, Walden; Betty Sitzman, Wray.
Connecticut: Jill Fellows, Coventry; Ellen Baczek Amodeo,
Derby; Jan Mead, Milford; Chava Karlovich, Monroe; Dennis Vi-
tale, New Preston; Sue Smith, Norwalk; Barbara Stewart, Portland;
Chris Dolan, Seymour; Ruth Hartunian-Alumbaugh, Willimantic;
Betty Sparks, Windsor.
Delaware: Traci Wynne, Bear; Beth Satterfield, Dover; Jan
Walls, Dover; Peggy West, Georgetown; Lisa Spiegel Westbrook,
Georgetown; Ronda Weber, Greenwood; Dot Swain, Milford;
Cynthia Bent, Newark; Kimberley Pittman, Smyrna; Betty Jean
Boyd, Wilmington.
Florida: Jane Walker, Bradenton; Kelly Ward Hartman, Cape
Coral; Marjorie Carey, Freeport; Julia Livingston, Frostproof; Lil-
lian Julow, Gainesville; Lynn Newman, Gainesville; Tracy Mauti,
Jacksonville; Nancy Larkin, Maitland; Laura Wheeler, Malone; Al-
lison Loo, Merritt Island; Mary Lou Robison, Miami; Diane
Hixon, Niceville; Barbara Carlucci, Orange Park; Kerry Dingwall,
St. Augustine; Marsha Manley, Sebring; Kathy Kruse, Thonotosas-
sa; Terry Bray, Winter Haven; Julie Hayden, Winter Park; Anna
Minegar, Zolfo Springs.
Georgia: Meredith Barrett, Atlanta; Ann Chan, Augusta; Han-
nah Lamb, Austell; Colette Jaworski, Buford; Jacqueline Graves,
Cumming; Susan Auten, Dallas; Joyce Kramer, Donalsonville;
Kay Rainwater, Fayetteville; Joy Allen, Forsyth; Henrietta
Brumbaugh, Hiawassee; Suzanne Cleveland, Lyons; Janis Garrett,
Macon; Carolyn Griffin, Macon; Merle Bates, Meansville; Pat
McLendon, Roswell; Laura Dierking, St. Marys; Ani Kramer,
Snellville; Tina Gay, Statham; Nancy Reichert, Thomasville;
Jean Rhodes, Tignall.
Hawaii: June Hasbimoto, Honolulu; Sharon Aweau, Kapolei;
Shirley Watanabe, Kula.
Idaho: Anne Boesiger, Boise; Mandy Saras, Boise; Donna
Shipley, Boise; Glenna Tooman, Boise; Betty Albee, Buhl; Carol
Wells, Buhl; Renae Moncur, Burley; Ella Faulks, Caldwell; Robin
Falck, Eagle; Trisha Kruse, Eagle; Shannon Crowther, Franklin;
Julia Powell, Jerome; Cindy Worth, Lapwai; John Nydegger, Lew-
iston; Donna Wall, Nampa; Raymonda Furness, Newdale; Brenda
Clark, Rexburg; Rhea Orr, St. Anthony; Signa Hutchison, Weiser.
Illinois: Christine Wall, Bartlett; Marjorie Lampe, Campbell
Hill; Jann Braun, Chatham; Stephanie Ward, Chicago; Rosella
Bauer, Cissna Park; Denise Albers, Freeburg; Andrea Johnson,
www.tasteofhome.com
to meet a couple
of our 1,000 field editors from across
North America.These cooks practice
their trade at home, day in and day
Freeport; Sue Mackey, Galesburg; Yvette Raschke, Geneseo; Dix-
ie Terry, Goreville; Julie Sterchi, Harrisburg; Kristi Starbuck, out, for family and friends. In fact,
Highland; Kathy Hawkins, Ingleside; Mary Houchin, Lebanon;
Millie Vickery, Lena; Ruth Hastings, Louisville; Geneva Evans,
they’re probably a lot like you!
Marshall; Kim Marie Van Rheenen, Mendota; Kimberly Kro-
nenberg, Milledgeville; Donna Musser, Pearl City; Janet Moober-
ry, Peoria; Ann Schilling, Peoria; Florence Grawe, Quincy; Eve- Dixie Lee Harmon
lyn Kennell, Roanoke; Gayle Becker, Rockton; Debbie Fisher,
Royalton; Carol Sinclair, St. Elmo; Donetta Brunner, Savanna; Bainville, Montana
Amber Sampson, Somonauk; Leona Kuhns, Sullivan; Martha Personal profile: Husband
Zumwalt, Warsaw; Marilyn Clay, Wheeling; Patricia Ruther-
ford, Winchester. Dave,three sons,one daugh-
Indiana: Sue Call, Beech Grove; Fancheon Resler, Bluffton;
Martha Fehl, Brookville; Brandi Fentress, Chandler; Amy Church, ter and seven grandchil-
Coatesville; Nancy Johnson, Connersville; Sonia Croucher, Decatur;
Inez Orsburn, Demotte; Nancy Jo Leffler, Depauw; Shawn Robey,
dren. Dixie, who’s a former
Evansville; Dolores Lucken, Ferdinand; Anna Mayer, Fort Branch; teacher, and her husband
Nancy King, Greenfield; Edna Hoffman, Hebron; Carolyn Goche-
naur, Howe; Bertha Johnson, Indianapolis; Donna Lisby, Indianapo- own and run a farm/ranch.
lis; Pauline Miller, Indianapolis; Virginia Phillips, Indianapolis;
Kathy Allen, Knox; Kelly Williams, La Porte; Alma Dinsmore, Leb- “When Dave and I married and
anon; Norene Wright, Manilla; Harriet Stichter, Milford; Linda moved to the farm, I soon learned
Ault, Newberry; Joan Truax, Pittsboro; Karen Owen, Rising Sun;
Bernadine Stine, Roanoke; Cynthia Kolberg, Syracuse; Trudy how to put balanced meals on the
Ludwick, Winchester; Maryellen Hayes, Wolcottville; Ruth Burrus,
Zionsville. table for Dave and the hired hand.
Iowa: Bernadine Bichel, Carson; Dorothy Bahlmann, Clarks-
ville; Sharon Evans, Clear Lake; Midge Scurlock, Creston; Karen
Luckily, we were blessed to live in a
Kreider, Cumming; Jackie Heyer, Cushing; Eunice Stoen, Decorah; rural community that loves to cook
Judy Thams, Denison; Waldine Marshall, Des Moines; Bea Aubry,
Dubuque; Marna Heitz, Farley; DeEtta Rasmussen, Fort Madison; and readily shares recipes!
Sharon Mensing, Greenfield; Linda Mullen, Guernsey; Tammy Neu-
bauer, Ida Grove; Salina Bontrager, Kalona; Shirley Hochstedler, “My mom was an excellent cook.
Kalona; Sue Phillips, Knoxville; Pat Schaffer, Lake City; Audrey She and my grandmother grew gardens
Groe, Lake Mills; Patricia Staudt, Marble Rock; Mavis Diment,
Marcus; Helen Koehler, Marshalltown; Carolyn Pope, Mason and canned, which I also do. Every-
City; Wendy Taylor, Mason City; Becky Ruff, Monona; Sherry
Adams, Mt. Ayr; Mary Loops, North Liberty; Jo Groth, Plainfield; thing raised in a garden tastes better!
Mary Ann Taylor, Rockwell; Sharon Holdiman, Waterloo; Dor-
othy Jennings, Waterloo; Marion Karlin, Waterloo; Denise Nebel,
“My greatest passions are women’s
Wayland; Jack Spratt, Webster City; Leona Luecking, West Bur- ministry, Bible studies…and spend-
lington; Gayle Olson, Winfield; Kathi Kuhl-Martin, Winterset.
Kansas: Myra Innes, Auburn; Marietta Slater, Augusta; Page ing time with our grandchildren.”
Alexander, Baldwin City; Carole Schlender, Burrton; Michelle
Beran, Claflin; Norma Felsburg, Gaylord; Karen Ann Bland, Gove;
Margaret Shauers, Great Bend; Shannon Wade, Kansas City;
Heather Campbell, Lawrence; Kathy Kittell, Lenexa; Jeanette Ur-
Carolyn Kyzer
bom, Louisburg; Peggy Paul, Olathe; Leona Therou, Overland Park; Alexander, Arkansas
Pat Habiger, Spearville; Merrill Powers, Spearville; Melanie Eddy,
Syracuse; Angela Oelschlaeger, Tonganoxie; Linnea Rein, Topeka. Personal profile: Hus-
Kentucky: Randal Wilson, Bellevue; Marcia Blaha, Bowling
Green; Jan Woodall, Cadiz; Tammy Hensley, Canmer; Lucille Ter-
band Leroy,a retired rail-
ry, Frankfort; Carlene Jolley, Fulton; Crystal Christopher, Hus- road clerk; one adult
tonville; Sherry Hulsman, Louisville; Naomi Cross, Millwood; Bil-
lie Wilson, Murray; Rena Nabours, Olaton; Jackie Roof, Paducah; son, Kris; three grand-
Christine Johnson, Ricetown; Jean Gaines, Russellville; Connie
Bryant, Wallingford; Anna Jean Allen, West Liberty; Jill Evely, children.Carolyn is a re-
Wilmore. tired high school counselor.
Louisiana: Brenda Melancon, Baton Rouge; Sundra Hauck,
Bogalusa; Rachel Garcia, DeRidder; Blanchie Morrison, Elmer; “I like to cook all types of foods,but
Edith Betz, Ethel; Pam Holloway, Marion; Kathleen Drott, Pine-
ville; Betty Janway, Ruston; Sandi Pichon, Slidell; Codie Ray, Tal- I have more requests for desserts than
lulah; Dwight Landreneau, Washington; Ruth Montgomery, Wash-
ington; Tonya Fitzgerald, West Monroe.
anything else. A recipe is never too
Maine: Kathi Grenier, Auburn; Emily Chaney, Blue Hill; Jan long or too difficult.I have cookbooks
Buck, Buckfield; Audrey Nemeth, Chesterville; Kami Horch,
Frankfort; Lee Ann Lowe, Gray; Susan Kanak, Moody; Cheryl (about 300 of them) everywhere,and I
Greeley, Pittsfield; Valerie Jones, Portland; Pam Brooks, South
Berwick; Heidi Harrington, Steuben; Brenda Deveau, Van Buren. always carry one with me…except to
Maryland: James Forcum, Baltimore; Beverly Sprague, Balti- church.I love sharing them—and what
more; Margaret Adina O’Bryon, Bel Air; Alice Krohn, Catons-
ville; Debbie Belote, Columbia; Cassandra Corridon, Frederick; I cook from them—with others. My
Priscilla Weaver, Hagerstown; Michele Ferrario, Ijamsville; Deb-
bie Wilkerson, Lusby; Charles Keating, Manchester; Rosemary grandsons like to get out my Taste of
Pryor, Pasadena; Nancy Saffield, Pasadena; Judith McGhan, Per-
Home cookbooks and pick out what
ry Hall; Bertille Cooper, St. Inigoes; Barbara Davis, Severna Park;
Betsy Hedeman, Timonium; Gail Buss, Westminster. they want to make.
Massachusetts: Laurinda Johnston, Belchertown; Lynn
Hartigan, Bradford; Elizabeth Montgomery, Cambridge; Joanie El- “I enjoy anything creative and take
bourn, Gardner; Arden Billings, Greenfield; Christine Omar,
Harwich Port; Judy Kimball, Haverhill; Charlotte Baillargeon, art classes once a week. Leroy and I
Hinsdale; Mary West, Marstons Mills; Helen Malwitz, Merri- are also active in our church.”
mac; Maria Mulligan, Methuen; Nancy LoRe, Rockland; Maria
Continued on page 64
63

Our 1,000 Editors:
(continued from page 63)
Regakis, Somerville; Kaye Gooch, Sudbury; Judith Sumner,
Worcester.
Michigan: Patricia Thomet, Alto; Ted Pottle, Berrien Springs;
Betty Korcek, Bridgman; Peggy Burdick, Burlington; Lynn Mir-
acle, Burton; Shirley De Lange, Byron Center; Teri Rasey-Bolf,
Cadillac; Diane Pickel, Comstock Park; Connie Simon, Durand;
Susan Falk, Eastpointe; Marti VanOrder, Evart; Deborah Amrine,
Grand Haven; Casey Stellini, Grand Junction; DiAnn Mallehan,
Grand Rapids; Barb Ruis, Grandville; Jackie Riley, Holland; Anne
Heinonen, Howell; Sharon Merchant, Ithaca; Linda Knoll, Jack-
son; Ruth Peterson, Jenison; Marcy Cella, L’Anse; Sondra Bergy,
Lowell; Virginia Ferris, Lyons; Geraldine Grisdale, Mt. Pleas-
ant; Shirley Beachum, Shelby; Jessie Strobbe, Smiths Creek;
Kathy Dorman, Snover; Marsha Ransom, South Haven; Christina
Till, South Haven; Dona Erhart, Stockbridge; Marian Christensen,
Sumner; Winifred Winch, Wetmore; Suzanne Veverka, White
Cloud.
Minnesota: Joan Taylor, Adrian; Linda Nilsen, Anoka;
Barbara Wellnitz, Ashby; Patricia Axelsen, Aurora; Sandy Mc-
Kenzie, Braham; Ruth Smith, Brooklyn Center; Judi Oudekerk,
Buffalo; Mary Kay Morris, Cokato; Judy Schiro, Cosmos; Ann
Botten, Courtland; Marlene Muckenhirn, Delano; Connie Johnson,
Detroit Lakes; Tami Escher, Dumont; Renee Schwebach, Dumont;
Deanna Richter, Elmore; Nancy Nord, Goodhue; Julianne John-
son, Grove City; Marcia Severson, Hallock; Katie Koziolek, Hart-
land; Mary Jo O’Brien, Hastings; Lucille Taylor, Luverne; Angie
Colwell, Morton; Shirley Kidd, New London; Dotty Egge, Pelican
Rapids; Pat Walter, Pine Island; Kari Rosenow, Roseau; LaVonne
Hegland, St. Michael; Jeane Jenson, Stillwater; Dianne Bettin, Tru-
man; Dawn Fagerstrom, Warren; Bethel Walters, Willow River;
Barb Stanton, Winona.
Mississippi: Anne Glidewell, Booneville; DeLois Douglas,
Charleston; Peggy Tucker, Fulton; Kristy Allen, Hattiesburg;
Shirley Glaab, Hattiesburg; Nancy Jernigan, Laurel; Linda Finn,
Louisville; Rita Futral, Starkville.
Missouri: Barbara Lovercamp, Alma; Linda Wilson, Ander-
son; Debbie Johnson, Centertown; Jeanette Fuehring, Concordia;
Sasha Cummings, Hazelwood; Geralyn Gloe, Hermann; Oleta
Cone, Holden; Dan Quade, Joplin; Cheryl Neale, Kansas City;
Beverly Plymell, Keytesville; Virginia Watson, Kirksville; Karren
Chamberlain, Linn Creek; Bernice Morris, Marshfield; Sonja
Blow, Nixa; Tammy Breen, O’Fallon; Carol Reed, Salisbury; He-
len Lamb, Seymour; Anna Bargfrede, Sweet Springs; Judy Mar-
shall, Waverly.
Montana: Kerry Bouchard, Augusta; Donna Mosher, Augus-
ta; Dixie Lee Harmon, Bainville; Nancy Fettig, Billings; Shari
McKinney, Birney; Kandy Clarke, Columbia Falls; Gail Kuntz,
Dillon; Doris Galleske, Fairview; Jan Roat, Grass Range; Car-
olyn Weinberg, Hardin; Beverly Stiger, Helena; Marie Hoyer,
Lewistown; Joy Maynard, St. Ignatius; Janet Loomis, Terry.
Nebraska: Ellen Teter, Arapahoe; Bonnie Myers, Callaway;
Ina Schmillen, Elkhorn; Judy Wilhelm, Elmwood; Alice Tatro,
Geneva; Shirley Engstrom, Genoa; Deb Waggoner, Grand Island;
Kathy Scott, Hemingford; Tami Kuehl, Loop City; Jenny Hugh-
son, Mitchell; Judy Kamalieh, Nebraska City; Judy Katskee,
Omaha; Amy Moylan, Omaha; Verona Koehlmoos, Pilger; Denise
Goedeken, Platte Center; Georgia Hennings, Scottsbluff; Susan
O’Brien, Scottsbluff; Joie Youngs, Scottsbluff; Dee Falk, Stroms-
burg; Betty Ruenholl, Syracuse.
Nevada: Karen Sikora, Dayton; Jenece Howard, Elko;
Rebecca Cook Jones, Henderson; Barbara Murphy, Incline Village;
Nancy Beckerbauer, Las Vegas; Nicole Clayton, Las Vegas; Sharon
Peterson, Las Vegas; Joan Schroeder, Mesquite.
New Hampshire: Phyllis Hickey, Bedford; Nancy Gaver,
Brookfield; Ruth Bolduc, Conway; Karen Clough, Danville; Colleen
Palmer, Epping; Linda Harrington, Hudson; Inge Schermerhorn,
Kingston; Margaret Drye, Plainfield; Tracy Weber, Swanzey.
New Jersey: Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House;
Helga Schlape, Florham Park; Lisa Finnegan, Forked River; Jean
Finkbeiner, Gibbstown; Sally Treonze, Hillsborough; Sandra
Csippan, Lafayette; Grace Yaskovic, Lake Hiawatha; Roberta
Strohmaier, Lebanon; Stephanie Hanisak, Port Murray; Marie
Forte, Raritan; Nancy Negvesky, Somerville.
New Mexico: Phyllis Bailey, Albuquerque; Catherine Hayes,
Albuquerque; Judy Parker, Albuquerque; Conita Derstine, Belen;
Molly Seidel, Edgewood; Pamela Huntley, Grants; Carol Mead,
Los Alamos; Karen Armatys, Raton; Terri Kearns, Roswell; Al-
pha Wilson, Roswell; Gloria Valdez, Tijeras.
New York: Louise Beatty, Amherst; Sandy Starks, Amherst;
Marilee Merle, Attica; Judy Losecco, Buffalo; Nancy Breen, Can-
astota; Margaret Gage, Cherry Valley; Rebecca Gage, Cobleskill;
Dolores Hayes, Fort Plain; Janice Arnold, Gansevoort; Karen
Buhr, Gasport; Arlene Mawn, Holley; Patti Mitchell, Horse-
heads; Helen Phillips, Horseheads; Cheryl Barney, Le Roy; Mary
Malinowski, Lee Center; Kathy Petrullo, Long Island City;
Frances Boise, Marion; Lucia Johnson, Massena; Linda-Ann War-
go, North Massapequa; Estelle Keefer, Olean; Rosemary White,
Oneida; Andrea Holcomb, Oxford; Darlene Markham, Rochester;
Michele Van Dewerker, Roseboom; Barbara Talbot, Salamanca;
Kristine Chayes, Smithtown; Penney Kester, Springville; Penny
Sands Fersko, Staten Island; Susan Seymour, Valatie; Harmony
Tardugno, Vernon Center; Kathy Anderson, Wallkill.
64
North Carolina: Cindy Winter-Hartley, Apex; Gerry Beve-
ridge, Beaufort; Doris Jennette, Buxton; Beverly Gottfried, Can-
dler; Katie Sloan, Charlotte; Doris Heath, Franklin; Paula Bass,
Greenville; Sigrid Hice, Hickory; Linda Thompson, High Point;
Doris McMahon, Morgantown; Mary Strickland, Nashville; Jane
Needham, River Bend; Hilda Pardue, Ronda; Rosalie Yopp Hy-
lander, Sneads Ferry; Dorothy Baker, Southern Pines.
North Dakota: Jeri Dobrowski, Beach; Marshelle Greenmy-
er-Wagner, Englevale; Rita Christianson, Glenburn; Patricia Bur-
ris, Grand Forks; Ann Marie Moch, Kintyre; Lisa Morman, Minot;
Amy Loeb, Raleigh; Lois Flaten, Ray; Carla Hodenfield, Ray;
Marilyn Hodenfield, Ray; Alice Kaldahl, Ray; Sarah Goetz,
Richardton; Lillian Domres, Towner; Lavonne Hartel, Williston;
Elmeda Johnson, Williston; Trish Gehlhar, Ypsilanti.
Ohio: Doris Taekett, Alger; Ruth Glick, Apple Creek; Mabel
Courtney, Archbold; Bev Spain, Bellville; David Klein, Berkey;
Diane Turner, Brunswick; Sherry Masters, Cincinnati; Kimberly
Rice, Cincinnati; Ruth Stoops, Cincinnati; Sheila Jarrells, Dayton;
Betty Heinold, Delaware; Kim Wallace, Dennison; Patricia Au-
rand, Findlay; Freda Becker, Garrettsville; Carole Finney, Har-
risville; Miriam Hershberger, Holmesville; Betty Spencer, Hope-
dale; Irene Thurston, Huber Heights; Catherine Dawe, Kent; Lin-
da Miller, Lowell; Debra Dohy, Massillon; Tammy Logan, Mc-
Comb; Diane Shipley, Mentor; Janis Engle, Milford; Ben and Arie
Coblentz, Millersburg; Maudie Raber, Millersburg; Polly Coumos,
Mogadore; Marilyn Storck, New Carlisle; Marilyn Bick, Norwalk;
Julie Mosier, Perrysville; Shirley Heston, Pickerington; Eldora
Willford, Plymouth; Dolores Ann Thorp, Salineville; Robert
Breno, Stongsville; Phyllis Jarman, Warren; Vikki Rebholz, West
Chester; Mary Detweiler, West Farmington; Lavonn Bormuth,
Westerville; Pat Waymire, Yellow Springs.
Oklahoma: Denise Vineyard, Ardmore; Alberta McKay,
Bartlesville; Barbara Shepherd, Edmond; Peggy Goodrich, Enid;
Flo Burtnett, Gage; Kay Curtis, Guthrie; Stacey West-Feather, Jay;
Donna Brockett, Kingfisher; Nancy Johnson, Laverne; Deanne
McCarty, Midwest City; Marcia Nelson, Ponca City; LaDonna
Reed, Ponca City; Christine Eilerts,Tulsa.
Oregon: Christy Freeman, Central Point; Susan Snyder,
Condon; Lynda Byrd, Dallas; Sherri Ann Gentry, Dallas;
Lu Ann Kessi, Eddyville; Deb Darr, Falls City; Naomi Pollard,
Gladstone; May Clark, Grants Pass; Mickey Turner, Grants Pass;
Stephanie Wilson, Helix; Leann Meeds, Klamath Falls; Cathee
Bethel, Lebanon; Sandra Geissel, Milton-Freewater; Christine
Brinkman, Molalla; Kathleen Jones, Newberg; Carolyn Allison,
Pleasant Hill; Shannon Burroughs-Campbell, Portland; Mary
Anne Thygesen, Portland; Krista Frank, Rhododendron; Laura
Nickles, Rosebury; Darlene Brenden, Salem; Virginia Crow-
ell, Stayton; Carol Baker, Summerville; Marie Hattrup, The
Dalles; Dala Johnson, Tualatin; Bobbie Talbott, Veneta;
Grace Dickey, Vernonia; Earlene Ertelt, Woodburn; Marilyn Par-
adis, Woodburn.
Pennsylvania: Sharon Allen, Allentown; Barbara McCalley,
Allison Park; Betty Claycomb, Alverton; Millie Rogers, Annville;
Amanda Dunham, Bristol; Janice Burkholder, Chambersburg;
Beth Ask, Cogan Station; Clarann Gafrarar, Columbia; Helen Has-
sler, Denver; Lorraine Armstrong, Downingtown; Susan Schneller,
Doylestown; Lillian Heston, Easton; Patty Kile, Elizabethtown;
Rita Reifenstein, Evans City; Pat Rimmel, Ford City; Lena Esh,
Gordonville; Lydia Garcia, Hanover; Gladys Moran, Honesdale;
Charlotte Goldberg, Honey Grove; Tina Repak, Johnstown; Lau-
ra Stoltzfus, Leola; Deb Moyer, Liberty; Bradley Moritz, Limer-
ick; Patricia Mele, Lower Burrell; June Sangrey, Manheim; Janet
Thomas, McKees Rocks; Joyce Guth, Mohnton; Melody
Mellinger, Myerstown; Mary Landis, New Cumberland; Elaine
Anderson, New Galilee; Becky Darling, Nicholson; Kathy Pe-
ters, North Versailles; Ann Nace, Perkasie; Joyce Daubert, Pine
Grove; Marlene Barker, Pitcairn; Debra Latta, Port Matilda;
Catherine Cremers, Pottstown; Alta Rodgers, Pottstown; Cherie
Sechrist, Red Lion; Pat Kreitz, Richland; Romaine Wetzel, Ronks;
Darla Germaux, Saxton; Christine Wilson, Sellersville; Lucinda
Walker, Somerset; Michelle Wise, Spring Mills; Nancy Foust,
Stoneboro; Dolores Skrout, Summerhill; Sandra Johnson, Tioga;
Ray Hoene, Tunkhannock; Irene Delbaugh, York.
Rhode Island: Julie Davis, Bristol; Heidi Quinn, Carolina;
Yvette Carozza, Central Falls; Janice Hemond, Lincoln; Pat
Medeiras, Tiverton; Nancy Lewis, Warwick; Barbara Lynch, West
Warwick.
South Carolina: Kelly Ann Gray, Beaufort; Sharon Bickett,
Chester; Alaina Showalter, Clover; Brenda Leonard, Columbia;
Katherine Moss, Gaffney; Lisa Varner, Greenville; Jeanie Jenkins,
Greenwood; Ollie Jackson, Inman; Claudia Grier, Lancaster; Lynn
Parnell, Lexington; Loretta Cergol, Myrtle Beach; Elizabeth Hunt-
er, Prosperity; Nancy Bridgeman, Summerville; Melanie Thurston,
Williamston.
South Dakota: Joan Antonen, Arlington; Judy Jungwirth,
Athol; NanCee Maynard, Box Elder; Sharon Nichols, Brookings;
Pam Hofer, Carpenter; Nina Vilhauer, Mina; Maxine Smith, Owan-
ka; Annette Hill, Pierre; Lisa Thomsen, Rapid City; Glenda
Goldade, Seneca; Helen Cluts, Sioux Falls; Frances Poste, Wall;
Roxy Wilfahrt, Watertown.
Tennessee: Sue Ashford, Blountville; Vivian Walker, Cross-
ville; Margaret McNeil, Germantown; Kathy Knight, Greeneville;
Beth Fugate, Knoxville; Eleanor Harris, Knoxville; Suzanne
Whitaker, Knoxville; Kim Randall, Kodak; Marjorie Green, Liv-
ingston; Kathleen Fuller, Murfreesboro; Shellee Harrison, Savan-
nah; Mildred Troupe, Shelbyville; Sharon Manus, Smyrna; Andrea
Bolden, Unionville.
Texas: Christine Groves, Archer City; Sarah Woodruff, Austin;
Join the Team
Our volunteer editors regularly share
recipes, cooking tips and ideas with
our home-office staff. In turn, their
names appear here, and they receive a
free subscription to Taste of Home.
Interested in joining our team of field
editors? If you’re a good cook and would
like to be considered, send several of
your favorite recipes, plus details about
you and your cooking background, to
“Join the Team,” Taste of Home, 5925
Country Lane, Greendale WI 53129.
Nila Towler, Baird; Tonya Jones, Brenham; Sue Broyles, Chero-
kee; Evelyn Hroch, Corpus Christi; Denise Baumert, Dalhart;
Tina Mills, Dallas; Luann Carlson, El Paso; Cindy Bertrand, Floy-
dada; Jeanne Brady, Fort Worth; Susan Garoutte, Georgetown; Pat
Stevens, Granbury; Martha Sue Stroud, Greenville; Gay Nell
Nicholas, Henderson; Rebecca Liao, Keller; Becky Duncan, Lem-
ing; Linda Clapp, Live Oak; Rita Leonard, Longview; Linda
Rainey, Monahans; Ann Cousin, New Braunfels; Joan Hallford,
North Richland Hills; Mary Anne McWhirter, Pearland; Shonie
Castaneda, Pharr; Penny Spearman, Pickton; Marilyn Katcs-
morak, Pleasanton; Helen Suter, Richmond; Mildred Sherrer,
Roanoke; Mary Lou Roberts, San Angelo; Jackie Fremming,
San Antonio; Billie Jeane Garner, Southlake; Dorothy Pritchett,
Wills Point.
Utah: Edie DeSpain, Logan; Paula Zsiray, Logan; Lesli
Dustin, Nibley; Arlene Butler, Ogden; Lucile Proctor, Panguitch;
Karen Allen, Park City; Keri Witte, Provo; Donna Higbee,
Riverton; JoLynn Hill, Roosevelt; Barbara Birk, St. George; Re-
becca Baird, Salt Lake City; Stacey Christensen, Salt Lake City;
Gaylene Anderson, Sandy; Debbie Mace, Sandy; Roni Goodell,
Spanish Fork.
Vermont: Patricia Le Blanc, East Hardwick; Virginia Breit-
meyer LaPierre, Greensboro Bend; Harriet Dumas, Hartland; Joan
Finley, Hartland; Patricia Bixby, Morrisville; Ellen Swenson, New-
port; Susan Greenall, Windsor.
Virginia: Margaret Wagner Allen, Abingdon; Dorothy Sho-
walter, Broadway; Teresa Mears, Chincoteague; Donna Rivera,
Colonial Beach; Ila Alderman, Galax; Esther Shank, Harrison-
burg; Carol Strong Battle, Heathsville; Rosemarie Forcum,
Heathsville; Eugene Presley, Honaker; Angela Leinenbach, Me-
chanicsville; Kyra Pulliam, Stephens City; Carrie Long, Suffolk;
Virginia Gentry, Sutherlin; Theresa Morris, Toano; Betsey Bish-
op, Warrenton.
Washington: Frank Anderson, Bainbridge Island; Bonnie Wa-
liezer, Brush Prairie; Janie Cooper, Chelan; Carol Beyerl, East We-
natchee; Margie Snodgrass, Gig Harbor; Patricia Crandall,
Inchelium; Carolyn Popwell, Lacey; Perlene Hoekema, Lynden;
Janis Plagerman, Lynden; Margery Bryan, Moses Lake; Virginia
Massey, Olympia; Hollis Mattson, Puyallup; Patte Nattrass,
Richland; Alice and Jake Weber, Ritzville; Diane Sardeson, Seat-
tle; Aljene Wendling, Seattle; Beverly Kearns, Selah; Marian Platt,
Sequim; Carolyn Eastham, South Bend; Nina Hall, Spokane; Ferne
Carter Chapman, Tacoma; Dolores Scholz, Tonasket; Marty Rum-
mel, Trout Lake; Janet Brinkman, Vancouver; Lila Scheer, Van-
couver; Tyffany Fries, Yakima.
West Virginia: Lori Daniels, Beverly; Jesse and Anne Foust,
Bluefield; Amy Short, Lesage; Cheryl Maczko, Reedsville; Jodi
Zickefoose, Tallmansville; Irmgard Koscielniak, Terra Alta.
Wisconsin: Janelle Lee, Appleton; Sue Gronholz, Beaver
Dam; Amy Voights, Brodhead; Gloria Warczak, Cedarburg; Ruth
Jungbluth, Dodgeville; Kathleen Taugher, East Troy; Dennis
Dolan, Fitchburg; Stephen Baseley, Fond du Lac; Nancy DeMas-
ter, Fond du Lac; Carrie Sherrill, Forestville; Bernie Bellin,
Franklin; Lisa Feld, Grafton; Jean Ecos, Hartland; Donna Gorman,
Lone Rock; Arlene Haupt, Madison; Holly Basford, McFarland;
Gail Sykora, Menomonee Falls; Mari Anne Warren, Milton; Char-
lene Griffin, Minocqua; Jeanette Pederson, Monico; Darlene
Alexander, Nekoosa; Lois Fetting, Nelson; Chris Kohler, Nelson;
Carol Smith, New Berlin; Lauren Heyn, Oak Creek; Judy Skaar,
Pardeeville; Mary Martin, Park Falls; Sandra Baratka, Phillips;
Ardyce Piehl, Poynette; Mark Trinklein, Racine; Linda Rock,
Stratford; Doris Sather, Strum; Karen Jarosz, Waterford; Vicki
Raatz, Waterloo; Betty Vondran, Wauwatosa; Mary Steiner, West
Bend; Darlis Wilfer, West Bend.
Wyoming: Lulu Shuler, Cody; Jo Maasberg, Farson; Ardis
Rollefson, Jackson Hole; Lori Couthard, Laramie; Vera Reid, Lar-
amie; Bertie Jones, Lusk; Denise Smith, Lusk; Arlene Zerbst,
Newcastle; Claudia Meyer, Pinedale; Bonnie Hiller, Powell; Car-
olyn Walton, Smoot; Bobbi Miller, Thermopolis.
Alberta: Joan Rose, Calgary; Connie Tiesenhausen, Demmitt;
Florence Barnes, Drumheller; Lori Stefanishion, Drumheller;
Orien Major, Hinton; Margaret Steacy, Lethbridge; Karen Bourne,
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
Magrath; Lise Thomson, Magrath; Joy Butler, Pincher Creek; Ruth
Ann Stelfox, Raymond; Frieda Meding, Trochu.
British Columbia: Joan Baskin, Black Creek; Brenda
Read, Burns Lake; Mary Dice, Chemainus; Merle Dyck, Elkford;
Leigh Moore, Heffley Creek; Deborah Maki, Kamloops; Doreen
Martin, Kitimat; Patty Burk, Nanaimo; Danielle Belanger, Victoria.
Manitoba: Mina Dyck, Boissevain; Marge Reimer-Toews,
Steinbach; Debbie Clark, Winnipeg; Linda Grienke, Winnipeg;
Alice Szarkiewicz, Winnipeg.
New Brunswick: Nancy Biddington, Boudreau-Ouest; France
Couturier, Edmundston; Marilu Hynes, McLeod Hill.
Newfoundland: Margot Nash, Mt. Pearl; Joan Kane, Trinity.
Nova Scotia: Lois Bent, Bridgetown; Cathy Longaphy,
Coldbrook; Celine Munroe, Guysborough; Wendy Dowling,
Queens County; Kelly Kirby, Westville.
Ontario: Joannah Jarman, Almonte; Pat Roberts, Cook-
stown; Mary Ellen Agnew, Dundalk; Donna Klein Gebbinck,
Elmvale; Nancy Horsburgh, Everett; Linda Russell, Exeter; Wendy
Masters, Grand Valley; Janet Tigchelaar, Jerseyville; Sarah Weber,
Kitchener; Elda Hall, Oro Station; Lois Taylor Caron, Ottawa;
Kathy Wakefield, Peterborough; Nancy Bergeron, Powassan; Jan-
is Plourde, Smooth Rock Falls; Raymonde Bourgeois, Swastika;
Loralee Hanes, Troy; Lynne Wilhelm, West Hill.
Prince Edward Island: Connie Sanders, Belle River; Nancy
Coughlin, Charlottetown; Tammy Clements, Murray Harbour.
Quebec: Anne MacWhirter, Hope; Diana Frizzle, Knowlton;
Linda Johnson, Pointe Claire.
Saskatchewan: Betty Abrey, Imperial; Del Mason, Martens-
ville; Norma Harder, Melfort; Margaret Clark, Regina; Carol Funk,
Richard; Val Lefebvre, Rosetown; Joanne Shewchuk, St. Benedict;
Peggy Gwillim, Strasbourg.
Two-Tiered
Beauty
Dazzle your guests with this quality
2-Tier Pie Butler from Taste of Home
Entertaining. The wrought-iron but-
ler holds two standard pie plates, or
you may wish to use it for platters of
delicious appetizers and goodies. Ei-
ther way, you’ll love showcasing
your favorite recipes on this sophis-
ticated yet sturdy stand. It’s also a
handy space-saver for potlucks (see
page 21). Suggested retail price is
$44.96.
For more information on Taste of
Home Entertaining products, hosting
a party or becoming a consultant,
visit www.tasteofhome.com/links.
www.tasteofhome.com
Ted’s Toothpick Contest
Toothpick Rolls Up Wrap
Locate the hidden drawing, and you could win!
Vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike seemed drawn to the fresh-tasting Zesty
Vegetarian Wraps on page 23 of the last issue. Many who studied the recipe also
discovered Ted’s Toothpick hidden on one of the spinach tortillas.
Elizabeth Mein from Chevy Chase, Maryland noticed the toothpick when she
was checking out the wraps for her daughter and granddaughter, both vegetarians.
“This recipe looks good enough for me to try, too!” wrote Elizabeth.
And in White Haven, Pennsylvania, Ruth Quinn got some help finding the elusive
pick from the family pet.“My sister’s cat jumped on my lap, and my magazine fell to
the floor,” she explained.“Picking it up, I looked right at the wrap.That cat definite-
ly gets a treat for helping.”
Our little game of hiding a drawing of a toothpick in each issue adds a challenge
for sharp-eyed readers. If you’re new to Taste of Home, here’s the story behind our
contest:Ted is an imaginary character who accidentally drops his toothpick after
sampling one of the dishes in each issue. Unfortunately, Ted’s not very good at find-
ing his toothpick…so he counts on Taste of Home subscribers to help him out.
Where Did It Land?
A drawing of a toothpick is hidden somewhere in every copy of each issue,includ-
ing the one you’re reading right now. It may be anywhere—tucked into a photo or
stuck in a drawing…in a margin…even used as an exclamation point at the end of
a headline. It resembles a real-life flat toothpick and looks like this…
The toothpick above is just an example—not the one hidden for this issue’s con-
test.We’ve concealed it elsewhere, and it could be a different color or size.
If you find the toothpick and want to enter our contest, go to www.tasteofhome.
com and click on the “Ted’s Toothpick” link. Or, mail a postcard or note saying,“I
found Ted’s toothpick on page ___” with your name and address printed on it to:
“Attn.Toothpick,” Taste of Home, 5925 Country Lane, Greendale WI 53129. Share
an anecdote about the fun you had locating it, if you wish.
Whether you enter on-line or through the mail, you have an equal opportunity to
win.We combine all entries (on-line and mail), then draw the prize-winners’ names
at random.
100 Valuable Prizes
This time, the first 12 winners will receive a 2-Tier Pie Butler from Taste of
Home Entertaining (see it at left;it’s also featured on page 21).Eighty-eight more win-
ners will receive our Best of Country Appetizers cookbook.
Please do not include subscription checks or change-of-address notes with your
mailed-in entry. The first entries received are not necessarily the winners, so you
need not use express delivery.We’ll conduct the drawing in May. Good luck!
?
Winners Listed On-Line
From those who correctly identified the tooth-
Where Was
pick’s location last time, 20 lucky readers won a
That Toothpick?
Big Chill Pastry Board from Kuhn Rikon, and 80
In the Feb/Mar issue,it was
more received our Best of Country Appetizers
hidden on the Zesty Vege-
cookbook. For a list of winners, go to www.taste
tarian Wrap on page 23.
ofhome.com.
65
Readers share their heartwarming, nostalgic and funny remembrances of
good times in the kitchen.These musings might remind you of some of your own
special moments with family and friends, too.
Blueberry Bounty
A few years ago, our
granddaughters,Elyssa
and Kaisa (left), spent
a week with us in the
Upper Peninsula. Dur-
ing their visit, the girls
discovered wild blue-
berries on our prop-
erty and started picking them. With a
recipe we found in the April/May 2000
issue of Taste of Home, they made their
very first pie. It was delicious.
—Fern Mattson
Calumet, Michigan
A Spicy Blend
My brother, Kurt, and I would often get
into mischief while our mother was get-
ting ready in the morning. One time, we
decided to “cook.”We emptied all of
Mom’s spices into a large roasting pan
and mixed them up.I seem to remember
hiding behind the couch.
—Ellen Swenson
Newport Center, Vermont
Dinner Disaster
My mother was an amazing cook, but
couldn’t suffer fools in her kitchen...
which pretty much described me when
I was a 20-year-old newlywed.I was good
at setting a table,but cooking? How hard
could that be?
So our first dinner party, which I
arranged shortly after our honeymoon,
was a nightmare.Our guests tried to hide
their giggles as I suffered through the
evening. I’d love to give you the details,
66
but,mercifully,they’ve been erased from
my memory...except the sight of my
kitchen with every dish, pan, towel and
bowl piled on the counter and coated
with food.
I didn’t get much sympathy from my
mother, so I was determined to learn to
be a better cook than she was.That didn’t
happen, but I eventually did become a
good cook. It was quite a while before I
hosted another dinner party, though.
—Lillian Julow
Gainesville, Florida
Memories of “Mamaw”
Visits to my grand-
parents’ home in
Searcy, Arkansas
are a special mem-
ory for me. My
cousins and I
would gather
pecans under the
huge pecan trees
in their yard. We
loved doing this
because we knew “Mamaw” would use
them to make her wonderful pecan pie.
Mamaw was the quintessential grand-
mother—always in a floral dress with
her apron bib pinned up.She wore wire-
rimmed glasses and her gray hair pulled in-
to a bun…just like a storybook grandma.
Now that I’m a grandmother (above)
of five,I want my grandkids to remember
their “Mimi” (me) in the same way I re-
member Mamaw…nothing but love,
good food and home. —Martha Poplin
Jacksonville, Arkansas
Hungry Helper
My granddaughter,Hannah,loves to help
me bake. Her favorite part is licking the
beaters. Any time I turn on the mixer,she
stops whatever she’s doing and comes
running.In the photo (above),Hannah is
making sure her parents don’t catch
her with both beaters.They allow only
one. —Rhonda Farris
Stoneville, North Carolina
Gone Fishin’
Every day I had with my Grandma Hud-
son was a special day. I loved her meat
loaf and dinner rolls, which she called
“light cakes.” She and Grandpa always
had a big garden, and we’d pick fresh
corn and prepare it for summertime sup-
pers. After supper,Grandma and I would
go fishing.
What I’d give to go to her garden,eat at
her table and head to the fishin’hole with
her one more time! —Rita McCaslin
Woodsfield, Ohio
Sink Serenade
I fondly remember doing dishes with my
younger sister Sharon.While I washed
and she dried, we sang classics that we
learned in elementary school and popu-
lar songs we heard on the radio.We har-
monized at the tops of our lungs—
Sharon singing alto, me singing sopra-
no.The time passed quickly as we belted
out one song after another.
Many years have passed, but one
thing’s for sure…it’s not nearly as much
fun doing dishes solo.
—Karen Ann Bland
Gove, Kansas
Taste of Home • April/May 2007
 ✔Festive Rice Salad, 37

Index •April/May 2007

Garlic Vinaigrette, 16
Mediterranean Lamb and
Bean Salad, 16
APPETIZERS & DESSERTS Sesame-Almond Romaine
SNACKS Cakes & Tortes Salad, 37
Baked Rhubarb-Rosemary Barnyard Cupcakes, 44 17 Strawberry-Bacon Spinach
Spread, 23 Berry-Topped White Salad, 13
Greek Chicken Wings, 23 Cupcakes, 27 Pies & Tarts Tossed Salad with Carrot
Pastrami Asparagus Cherry Gingerbread Frosty Mocha Pie, 17 Dressing, 33
Roll-Ups, 23 Cupcakes, 29 Frozen Peanut ✔Vinaigrette Asparagus
Pepperoni Pinwheels, 22 Chip Lover’s Cupcakes, 31 Parfait Pies, 37 Salad, 49
✔Rainbow Pepper Gingered Strawberry
Chocolate Cream Cheese SANDWICHES
Appetizers, 23 Tart, 52
Cupcakes, 31 & WRAPS
Steamed Salmon Coconut Pecan Kentucky Derby Pecan
Beef ’n’ Bean Braid, 18
Kabobs, 16 Cupcakes, 27 Pie, 15
Cheeseburger Meat Loaf
Tart Cherry Lattice Pie, 35
BEVERAGES Coconut-Filled Nut Torte, 53 Hoagies, 20
Mock Mint Julep, 15 Lemon Curd Cupcakes, 27 MAIN DISHES Cuban Pork
Orange Slush, 49 Monkey Cupcakes, 45 After-Holiday Ham on Sandwiches, 41
Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Biscuits, 48
BREADS, MUFFINS Pudding Cake, 7
Ham Bundles, 37
Apple-Cherry Pork
& ROLLS Peanut Butter Chocolate
Stroganoff Sandwiches, 20
Chops, 57
Caraway Yeast Bread, 24 Cupcakes, 29 SIDE DISHES
✔Beef and Spinach
Featherlight Rolls, 6 Pineapple Upside-Down ✔Asparagus Fettuccine, 56
Lasagna, 19
Grandma’s Honey Cupcakes, 29 Biscuit Mushroom Bake, 39
Beef Brisket with Mop
Muffins, 33 Poppy Seed Cake, 33 Comforting Potato
Sauce, 33
Raspberry Peach Casserole, 11
Beef Rib Roast, 5
24 Cupcakes, 31 Busy-Day Baked Fish, 13
Mac ’n’ Cheese for a
Bunch, 39
Rhubarb Biscuit Coffee Crab-Stuffed
Cakes, 39 ✔Sour Cream
Portobellos, 56
Special Mocha Cucumbers, 35
Diner Meat Loaf, 20
Cupcakes, 27 Spaetzle Dumplings, 35
Herbed Lamb Kabobs, 41
Strawberry-Mallow Cake Homemade Spaghetti SOUPS & STEW
Roll, 68 Sauce, 17 Bavarian Meatball Stew, 18
Texas Chocolate Hungarian Chicken
Cupcakes, 31 Paprikash, 35
Walnut Banana Lemon-Dill Chicken
Cupcakes, 29 Popover, 41 57
Cookies & Bars Pressure-Cooker Pork
Coconut Drop Cookies, 6 Ribs, 6
Pretzel Horseshoes, 15 ✔Simple Salsa Chicken, 57
BREAKFAST
& BRUNCH Rhubarb Cranberry SALADS &
Asparagus Brunch Cookies, 53 DRESSINGS
Pockets, 39 Miscellaneous Corn Bread Layered
Ham ’n’ Cheese Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Salad, 6
Squares, 24 Pudding, 57 Creamy Blueberry Gelatin
Rhubarb Sticky Buns, 41 Coffee Whip Dessert, 13 Salad, 7
Crowd-Pleasing Taco
✔ Recipe includes Nutrition Facts Salad, 18

www.tasteofhome.com 67


STRAWBERRY
Next Issue’s Menu…
Taste of Home’s sunny June/July issue will be overflowing with summer fla-
vor and fun. As always, all the foods are favorites of our readers—and
every recipe has a mouth-watering photo.
❋ Garden Bounty recipe contest winners are waiting in the wings.These
delightful dishes make the most of the season’s fresh veggies and fruit.
❋ You’re invited to a beautiful bridal shower luncheon. Even if you aren’t
hosting a shower this season, the marvelous menu will suit other spe-
cial occasions.
❋ Fire up your grill! Expect a selection of tasty cookout recipes, with easy
marinades that guarantee great taste.
❋ Also on deck is a baseball theme party. It’s sure to be a hit with fans—
from T-ball to major league—who work up an appetite cheering for
their favorite team.
❋ Plus...the June/July issue will serve up a carved watermelon “Lightning
McQueen” car, “Mom’s Best” cheese-stuffed meat loaf, a penny-pinching
sloppy joe supper and lots more real food for hungry folks. See it soon!
“This stunning cake roll is ever so
much fun to create and present,” says
Susan Olsen of Huntley, Montana. “I
entered it in competition at the Strawberry
Festival in Billings, where it placed first in the
‘Best Plated Presentation’ and ‘Creative Use of
Strawberries’ categories. All my neighbors
have tried and tested it, too!”
Strawberry-Mallow Cake Roll
❧ PREP: 30 min.
❧ BAKE: 10 min. + chilling
4 eggs, separated
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cartons (8 ounces each) spreadable
strawberry cream cheese
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided
Chocolate syrup, optional
Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Line a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with
waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set
aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until
slightly thickened. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beat-
ing until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in vanilla. Add
dry ingredients; mix well.
In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medi-
um speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in re-
maining sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, on high
until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
Fold a fourth of the egg whites into batter; fold in re-
maining whites.
Gently spoon into prepared pan. Bake at 375° for
10-12 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly
touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a kitchen
towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Gently peel
off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel, starting with
a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and
marshmallow creme. Unroll cake; spread cream
cheese mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with
2-1/2 cups strawberries. Roll up again. Place seam
side down on a platter. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Just before serving, garnish with remaining strawber-
ries. Serve with chocolate syrup if desired. Refriger-
ate leftovers. Yield: 10 servings.