Scrumptious Popovers

2 eggs

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Generously grease (not oil) popover pans, deep custard cups, or muffin tins. In small bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add remaining ingredients and beat just until blended. (Do not overbeat.) Fill prepared cups half-full (about 1/3 of a cup) of batter. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake 25-30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Serve immediately.

Peaking at these while baking is inadvisable as irreparable fallage may result.

Simple Pot Roast

1-2 Tbsp. oil

3-3-1/2 lb. pot roast
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 medium onions, sliced
3 stalks celery, cut into pieces
1 bay leaf
1-1/2 cups water
6 medium carrots, cut into pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved

In electric skillet, brown meat in hot oil. Add salt, pepper, 1 onion, 1 stalk celery, bay leaf, and water. Simmer, covered, 2-2-1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Add remaining vegetables; simmer 45-60 minutes or until tender. Remove meat and vegetables to platter. If desired, thicken juices with 3 Tbsp. flour mixed with 1/4 cup water. Stir into juices. Heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Serve with meat.

6 servings, questionable. Good with popovers.

Scandanvian Kringler

Crust:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine or butter, chilled
2 Tbsp. ice water

Puff Topping:
1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Frosting:
I cup powdered sugar
I Tbsp. margarine or butter, softened
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2-3 Tbsp. milk or cream

Sliced almonds to sprinkle on top

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl, add flour and margarine. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 Tbsp. at a time. Stir with fork just until soft dough forms. Divide dough in half. On ungreased cookie sheet, press each half into 12X3 inch strip.

In medium saucepan, heat water and 1/2 cup butter to boiling. Remove from heat; immediately stir in 1 cup flour until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in 1/2 tsp. almond extract. Spoon half of batter over each crust, spreading to 3/4 from edges. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and puffy. Immediately remove from pan; cool. Topping will shrink and fall. In small bowl, blend all frosting ingredients. Spread on cooled kringler. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

16-20 slices, so they say.

This was a great cherub favorite -- when they were little.

Baked Pork Chops and Stuffing

4 pork chops or steaks

2 cups (2 slices) soft bread cubes
4 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine
1/3 cup water
10-3/4 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown pork chops in a little oil; place in single layer in shallow casserole. In small bowl, combine bread cubes, onion, poultry seasoning, 2 Tbsp. water and margarine. Cover chops with stuffing mizture. Combine 1/3 cup water and soup in skillet used for browning chops; pour over stuffing and chops. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until chops are tender.

And actually, I would always double the stuffing amount -- their recipe does not make nearly enough.

2 servings

The Original Cindy's Stew

1-1/2-2 lb. beef stew meat

1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. oil
2 cubes or 2 tsps. beef boullion
2 medium onions, quartered
1 stalk celery, cut into pieces
1 Bay leaf
3 cups water (hah!)
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, cut into pieces, slices, whatever
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup water
Bag of frozen peas

In large bowl or plastic bag, coat beef cubes with flour, salt, and pepper mixture. In large skillet, brown meat in hot oil. Add boullion, onions, celery, bay leaf, and 3 cups water. Simmer covered, 1-1/2 hours or until tender. Remove bay leaf. Add potatoes and carrots. Cover, continue cooking until vegetables are tender, 30-45 minutes. Combine 2 Tbsp. flour with 1/4 cup water; stir into stew juices. If the stew is not looking brown enough, shake in a little Worcestershire. Heat mixture until it thickens and boils, stirring constantly. Add a bag of frozen peas at the very end. When they are bright green and heated through, serve. (In order for this to be Cindy Stew, the peas -- at the very end -- are a must. Authority: my kids.)

5-6 servings

"Leftover Turkey" Soup

1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning or sage
Bones and trimmings from one turkey
Leftover turkey meat, chopped
3 cubes or 3 tsps. chicken boullion
1 bay leaf
6 cups water (add lots more)
1 cup wide egg noodles (maybe more), uncooked
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery. sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

In large saucepan, combine first six ingredients. Simmer covered, 1-1/2 hours. Remove bones and strain. Cut off meat and return to broth. Add chopped leftover turkey meat. Add remaining ingredients (except parsley) to broth. Simmer covered, 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Garnish with parsley.

6 to 8 servings

Perfectly Delicious Chicken Noodle Soup

3-4 lb. stewing chicken

1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
12 cups water
3 carrots, sliced
2 medium stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 cups wide egg noodles, uncooked

In large saucepan, combine first four ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat.

Simmer covered, 2-2-1/2 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken. Skim off fat and strain broth. Cut meat from bone and return to soup. Add remaining ingredients except noodles. Continue simmering covered until vegetables are almost tender. (The vegetables should still be pretty and colorful -- but cooked.) Add noodles; cook about 10 minutes longer until noodles are tender.

Deluxe Hamburger Soup, Momma's Style

2 lbs. ground beef
2 tsps. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 medium carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cups water
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce (or more)
28-oz. can chopped tomatoes, undrained
2 15-oz. cans undrained white and red kidney beans
Crushed tortilla chips
Grated cheese (marbled jack from Costco is really good)

Brown ground beef; drain excess fat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer covered, 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occassionally. Top with grated cheese, then crushed tortilla chips. Serves 6.

New England Clam Chowder with Mounds of Bacon On Top

As many slices of bacon as you see fit to cook, but at least 2 per person

1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium stalk celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. thyme
2 cans (6-1/2 oz. each) minced clams, drained (reserve liquor)
Reserved liquor
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk

In large saucepan, fry bacon until crisp; drain on paper towel. Fry potato in the drippings until partially cooked; add celery, onion, salt, pepper, thyme, and liquor from clams. Heat to boiling and cook covered, about ten minutes or until vegetables are tender. Combine flour and milk; add to vegetable mixture. Heat over medium heat until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Stir in clams. Heat through, but do not boil. Garnish with crumbled bacon.

Says 5-6 servings, but I think this is enough for 2-3.