Hometown Get-Togethers - Candace Floyd [1]
Edgar D. Galbraith of Jacksonville, North Carolina, won the First Place prize for his Taco Casserole. Galbraith serves this spicy crowd-pleaser at church gatherings and at the awards dinner for his bowling league.
Our final contest winner, in the French’s Original French Fried Onions category, was Kathryn Novak of Northville, Michigan. She brings out her recipe for Nona’s Italian Country Chicken every Christmas Eve, much to the delight of her large family. She says that her twenty-seven nieces and nephews all love it. We hope you will, too.
Breakfasts
There is nothing better than gathering around the table in the morning with family or friends to share good food and conversation. The occasion might be a weekend at the lake, a visit from hungry grandchildren, a college reunion, or even a stopover during a dogsled race.
Louise Thureen of Two Harbors, Minnesota, had three good reasons to develop her Grandma’s Overnight Breakfast Bars—her grandchildren. When her son, daughter-in-law, and their three children arrive, the bars are sure to be waiting. Thureen says coming up with the popular dish has been a mixed blessing—the children love the bars, but she has to make them every time they are coming to visit. Her answer? She’s now teaching the kids how to prepare them.
Thureen also spends time each year as a volunteer hostess and cook for the annual John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in northeast Minnesota, which has been held for more than a quarter-century. She keeps the racers, volunteers, and officials well fed at the Sawbill Landing Checkpoint, a mandatory stopover. Her South-of-the-Border Breakfast Bake has been a popular dish with the racers.
Jay Bertaccini of Old Forge, Pennsylvania, helped solve a dilemma at a college sorority reunion. Some twenty members of Theta Phi Alpha from Penn State University were due at one of the member’s homes for Sunday brunch. The hostess worried about how to have breakfast ready for all simultaneously. Bertaccini came up with Omelet in a Bag for a Crowd—an ingenious way to feed everyone at once and a real conversation piece, too.
Robbie Morgan of Myrtle Point, Oregon, wanted to welcome her new neighbors by hosting a brunch in their honor but was equally concerned about serving healthy fare. She came up with Low-Fat Breakfast Sausage, which starts with lean pork tenderloin. The dish was a hit—and Morgan says she shared the recipe with her new friends.
Carol Ann McClelland of Somers, Connecticut, worked at a bed-and-breakfast inn during the summer months, where one of the most popular breakfast offerings was Fresh Strawberry French Toast. Lucky guests who visit her home now enjoy this seasonal treat. It’s a hostess-friendly dish as well, since it can be prepared ahead.
Elda Baumgartner of Rossiter, Pennsylvania, took a sleepy morning mishap and turned it into a popular staple at her breakfast table. She accidentally poured her orange juice into the French toast batter but decided to give it a try instead of starting over. The results were excellent.
Grandma’s Overnight Breakfast Bars
Louise Thureen, Two Harbors, Minnesota
Serves 18
“With a son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren coming to spend the night with us, I was looking for a breakfast recipe that could be prepared ahead of time, would not take too long to cook in the morning, and would provide a nice tasty hot meal that everyone would like. I cobbled one together that became my grandchildren’s all-time favorite. Its success has been a mixed blessing. Every time the grandchildren come for a visit, they want me to make this recipe. I have now been showing them how to make it, as well.”
BARS
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons flax meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) butter, softened
2 eggs
11/3 cups buttermilk