Illinois Finest Cooking

Feeding the Flock This book, submitted by the Levee Pond Pentecostal Church in Cave-In-Rock, is paper backed, comb bound, sells for $10 each including shipping, and contains 91 pages of mouthwatering recipes. To order, contact Shirley Oxford, Levee Pond Pentecostal Church, Box 152, Elizabethtown, Il 62931.

Cranberry Meatballs
Charlotte Austin

Meatballs: 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef 1/2 lb.sausage 2 eggs 2 slices bread, crumbled fine 1/2 tsp. garlic 1 tsp. salt 1 med. chopped onion Sauce: 3/4 C. chili sauce 1 can cranberry sauce 3 T. brown sugar 1 T. lemon juice

Meat balls: Mix all ingredients roll into small balls. Sauce: Mix all ingredients. Heat until cranberry sauce is melted. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350° for 45 minutes uncovered.

Carrot Salad
Betty Syvers

Photos by Catrina McCulley Wagner

3-1/2 C. grated carrots 1/4 C. crushed pineapple 1 C. raisins 1/4 C.coconut 1 C. marshmallows 1 C. mayonnaise 1 C. Cool Whip

Thoroughly mix all ingredients. Refrigerate 1-2 hours.

Deep Dish Burrito Tammy Frailey 1 lb. hamburger, browned 1 pkg. burrito seasoning 2 flour tortillas 3 C. shredded Mozzarella cheese 2 C. shredded hot pepper cheese 1 can refried beans, watered down 2 C. salsa Mix hamburger and burrito seasoning; cook as directed and set aside. Place tortillas on the bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Layer 1 C. Mozzarella cheese, meat, 1 C. hot pepper cheese, refried beans, 1 C. hot pepper cheese, 1 C. Mozzarella cheese, salsa, and 1 C. Mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Cranberry, White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Dawn Wilson 1 C. butter or margarine 1-1/2 C.sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 2 C. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 C. quick-cooking rolled oats 1 C. raisins 1 C. dried cranberries 1 (10-oz.) pkg. vanilla, white chocolate chips In a large bowl beat butter for 30 seconds. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combine. In another bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in remaining flour mixture, oats, raisins, cranberries, and vanilla chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes about 42 cookies.

American Pride This book, submitted by the Carle Clinic of Bloomington, is paper-backed, comb-bound, sells for $12 including shipping, and is rilled with 540 wonderful recipes. To order, contact Betty Duzan, Carle Clinic, 1701 E. College Ave., Bloomington, IL 61704.

Southwestern Chicken Corn Chowder
Connie Sue Klendworth

1/2 tsp. Olive oil 1 C. chopped onions 1 tsp. bottled minced garlic 1 (14-1/2-oz.) can fat-free chicken broth 1 (10-3/4-oz.) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup 1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chilies, drained 1 (10-oz.) can chicken (or 2 C. diced, cooked chicken) 1 (14-1/2-oz.) can cream-style corn 1 (14-1/2-oz.) can whole kernel corn 1/2 tsp. chili powder, or more to taste 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1 (5-oz.) can fat-free evaporated milk

Heat olive oil in 4-1/2-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in garlic. Add broth and raise heat to high. Add soup and mix well. Allow soup to come to boil while adding chilies. When soup boils, reduce heat to low. Add chicken, cans of corn, chili powder, and cumin. Mix well. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Serve at once. Garnish with cheese.

Strawberry Soup Betty Duzan 2 pkgs. frozen strawberries, thawed 2 C. milk 1 pt. whipping cream 1/2 C. sour cream Mix in blender. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chocolate Popcorn Sharon Kerr 1 bag microwave popcorn, popped 1/2 lb. Wilton "candy melt" or other colored chocolate 1 T. Paramount crystals Melt chocolate and crystals in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Pour over popcorn and mix well. Spread on cookie sheet. Chill. Break apart and serve. Store in covered container. Paramount crystals can be found in specialty baking or candy stores.

Pizza Bread
Kristy Brawn

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed 1 egg Parmesan cheese 1 pkg. sliced pepperoni or Canadian bacon 2 C. Mozzarella cheese

Press bread dough into rectangle shape. Beat egg slightly and spread on dough. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Add meat and Mozzarella cheese. Fold dough lengthwise and pinch together sides. Bake on cookie sheet at 350° for 30 minutes. Cut into slices.

Visit www.icl.coop to see an archive of past Illinois Country Living recipes.

DECEMBER 2004 www.aiec.coop 23