family favorite Buttermilk waffles

Buttermilk Waffles (from taste of Oregon cookbook)

2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup margarine, melted

Beat eggs well. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth. Batter will be thin. Bake ina waffle iron until golden brown. Serve with your favorite syrup, whipped butter, or fruit sauce.

Pavlova Deluxe

Servings: 8

"A special meringue is created in a spring form pan that bakes up into a beautiful nest for this gorgeous dessert. When the meringue is cooled, it's filled with a lightly sugared whipped cream and spoonfuls of exotic passion fruit."

Ingredients:

• 6 egg whites
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, chilled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
• 4 passion fruits

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease interior of 8 inch spring form pan and dust lightly with cornstarch.
2. Beat egg whites, preferably in a glass or ceramic bowl, until stiff and glossy. Make sure egg whites have absolutely no contact with grease (fresh or residual), or even a speck of yolk. Combine cream of tartar, white sugar, and cornstarch; gradually beat in to the egg whites. Sprinkle vinegar over egg white mixture, then fold it in very gently.
3. Pile meringue into prepared pan. Spread to the sides leaving a slight depression in the center. Place in preheated oven. Close the oven door, and immediately turn oven down to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Bake for 75 to 90 minutes. Open oven door, but leave meringue in the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove meringue to a draft free spot. Very carefully remove rim of spring form pan, and allow meringue to cool completely. There may be a slight sinking in the center. Carefully remove meringue from pan base, and place on serving platter.
4. Whip cream, vanilla extract and confectioners' sugar until thick and firm. Gently spread over the meringue.
5. Remove the pulp from the passion fruit, and spoon over cream. If using kiwi, peel and slice the fruit; arrange slightly overlapping slices in a pleasing design. Chill until serving time.

Chewy Soft Pretzels

Chewy Soft Pretzels Makes 8 pretzels

Dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
7/8 to 1 cup warm water

Topping:
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tlbs. baking soda
Coarse salt
3 Tbls. butter, melted

Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl and beat until well combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth, and quite slack. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets by spraying them with vegetable oil spray, or lining them with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn't, it will make your pretzels splotchy.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 to 30 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown. I only bake one baking sheet at a time and let the other rest while the first is in the oven.
Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that's what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in a oven or microwave. (King Arthur flour recipe)

Folk Class Spinach Salad

Dressing

3/4 c. Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/3 c. Vegetable Oil
1/2 c. Sugar
1 Tbs. Poppy Seeds
1 Tbs. Grated Onion (or Dried Minced Onion)
1/2 lb. chopped mushrooms

Blend dressing ingredients and then add mushrooms to marinate (for at least 8hrs, but no more than 24hrs)

Salad
Spring Mix
Spinach
Onions (sliced round)
1 regular-sized cottage cheese
1 lb. cooked and chopped bacon
2 c. grated swiss
almonds and Craisins (optional)

Layer the ingredients on a large platter and pour the dressing over the top when ready to serve.

Sweet Cornbread

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
6 tablespoons cornmeal
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Blend in eggs. Combine dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture. Add milk and mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. While cornbread is still warm, spread top generously with soft butter.

Fruit Dip

7 oz Marshmallow Cream
8 oz Cream Cheese
Orange Rind

Blend all ingredients and serve with sliced fruit.

Apple Fruit Leather (Grandma Ludwig's)

Applesauce
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Spray plastic wrap on a cookie sheet. Pour mixture over plastic wrap, no more than 1/4-inch thick. Bake at 250-degrees leaving oven door ajar for 8 hours or more. Let cool. Save for long amounts of time in the freezer.