The Nomads Return 04/26/21 – 06/09/21

Countryside Campground, Mogadore, Ohio

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” He said.  “Do not do anything to him.  Now I know what you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” ~ Genesis 22:12        Remember way back on April 25^th when I said this is God speaking?  It’s the use of the pronoun ‘me’ that reinforces that belief.  No mere angel would ever use that word in such a way.  So, if God doesn’t want Isaac sacrificed after all, what was the purpose of all this?  It was the ultimate test for Abraham’s faith (and I say, Isaac’s, too).  Of course, God already knew the depth of his faith, but He wanted Abraham to see it.  And dare I say, He wanted us to see it.  To learn what God requires of us.  He demands that we willingly put Him first – above everything else.  “To fear (awe, reverence, respect) the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10)  How fearful are you of Him?  Do you have Abrahamic faith, whose faith was demonstrated by what he did (James 2:21-22)?  Or do you, like most of us, need to work on it?  What things do you put ahead of, or withhold, from God? 

After a marvelously crazy six weeks full of ups and downs and all arounds back home in Ohio, we’ve returned to our nomadic ways; albeit with a few tears.  It’s hard to leave, but it’s also hard to stay.  We both still feel the pull of life on the road.  Hopefully, the Lord will speak to both of us at the same time whenever He wants us to return to our ‘sticks and bricks’ life.

I’m pleased to report that Blaine’s mom Joan, is doing well!  Praise God!  She was only down for a short time, even released from the hospital and on the road to recovery by the time our two-day rocket journey brought us home.  (We traveled roughly 650 miles in two days!)  We were grateful to our campground owners, Gary and Tammy for allowing us to move in several days before the campground opened for the summer.  There were plenty of God Moments to be had during that time.  😊

His dad Ron, is also doing well. Blaine even got him to play Frisbee for a bit one day! My mom May, is also fantastic! God has surely blessed them, and us!

And thus began our whirlwind of events that filled nearly every single one of the 42 days we were in town.  Many of those days hosting more than one ‘appointment’.

We hosted two large family gatherings, with the venue graciously provided by our younger son, Kyle and his wife Shena.  As you can see, their home has a large, wide open area that combines the dining room and living room and is just perfect for our family of 20+ to eat together.  The first dinner was prepared solely by Blaine and I, and consisted of three different casseroles (each one doubled!), fresh green beans – cooked southern style like my mom makes them (which means they have a lot of bacon in them 😊), a napa cabbage/ramen noodle salad, and garlic bread.  Of course, there were also desserts!  Blueberry pie, dark chocolate cake and two types of cookies.  I only had one regret . . . . no one thought to get the gang all together for a family picture! ☹  I guess that means everyone was having a great time visiting. At least we took one of everyone sitting at the table.

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And OH the stories I could share about preparing and serving this meal!!

I’m a great (as in big, not fantastic) planner and organizer, so I began getting things together several days ahead, doing things like making the meat casserole sauce, preparing the salad dressing, snipping the beans, etc.  No big deal.  I had already made room in the frig and freezer.

One of the best tales I have to tell, involves the blueberry pie.

I chose to make this because it’s our younger son’s favorite, and since he’d agreed to host, I thought I should do something to thank him.  I even told all the guests that no one was allowed to eat it until Kyle got his piece. 😊

So now that the boring stuff is out of the way, here’s what happened.  As you read it, keep in mind that my kitchen is far from “chef” size.  If you’ve ever been inside a motorhome, you know what I mean.  I had an extra table set up to give me some additional, much needed space while I worked, but every counter/table space was full.

The pie recipe calls for boiling some of the berries in sugar water, which I did.  However, when I went to place it on my extra table on a rack to cool, I discovered that there was no room, so holding the berry pot in my left hand, I reached for the flour canister with my right, in order to move the canister to the counter.

The problem was, the lid wasn’t fastened tight.

You got it!  The lid came off, the canister full of flour fell to the floor causing the flour to poof out and scatter to the right and once it hit bottom and fell over, more made a nice thick dusting on the rug.

At the same time, since I jerked when the canister fell, blueberry sauce went flying out of the pan to the left, splattering the rug as well as the tile floor – all the way from kitchen, to frig, to bathroom, to hallway, to bedroom!

I stood there and let a word beginning with “d” exit my mouth.  (I wish to note here, that I never do that.  Not even in my head.  Truly!  I suspect my mother slapped all those vulgar words out of my vocabulary when I was young.)

It was deathly quiet for a moment as Blaine sat stunned, and deliberated on whether or not he should open his mouth – or even move – at this time.  Once he felt it was safe, he asked if he could help.  I told him he could wash the rug outside, but then changed my mind and told him to pitch it.  I mean, it was a small, cheap throw rug covered with berry syrup and flour.  What are the chances he’d get it clean?  Slim to none. It would just turn into paste.

So he took the rug to the trash and I mopped up a myriad of sticky lavender tainted splatters. What a mess!

Eventually, everything worked out and the pie was son-approved.  😊

Several weeks later, the second dinner was initially intended to be a picnic at my mom’s.  Unfortunately, Ohio weather stepped in and provided clouds with periods of rain throughout the day, so once again, we moved indoors to Kyle and Shena’s.  Sounds simple, but it wasn’t. Trust me.  This decision brought with it all sorts of phone calls and mild drama.  But in the end, we were all together and feasted on brats, hot dogs, ranch beans, Vidalia onion casserole, macaroni and potato salad, and bar cookies – lemon and Oreo rice krispies.

If you’re interested, you’ll find all these recipes at the end of this post.

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Blaine managed to complete a few much needed projects – replacing the shower door; replacing our slide covers; had the two captains chairs up front recovered; designed, ordered and purchased a new wedding ring for me; projects at our son’s homes; and projects at our parents’ homes.

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We took my mom on her “Christmas gift adventure” – a five-hour drive to Lancaster, Pennsylvania where we rented an Airbnb historical farmhouse (built in 1845) for two nights and went to see the Sight and Sound Theater production of “Esther”.  Their shows are always phenomenal, and this was no exception!  The owners of the Spring Haven Farm house, Matt and Katelyn, were exceptional hosts and we can’t say enough positive things about their place!

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We took two of our grandsons for a weekend and showed them the Mansfield Reformatory where “Shawshank Redemption” was filmed.  Once we entered the prison part, the boys found it much more interesting than reading information boards. 😊 

They also liked the fact that the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man and the Ghostbusters were gracing the entrance.  They do a lot of paranormal stuff here now, but we steered the boys away from all that.

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After the prison, we visited Malabar Farms State Park.  Blaine and I had never heard of it when we came across it in a Google search.  Very nice place!  And it had wooded trails and farm animals to pet.  It was a good day, until dinnertime hit.  We’d had a place picked out, but lunch was late and filling, so we didn’t want to eat at the restaurant, figuring we stop someplace on the way home.  The boys wanted Wendy’s, but all the ones we stopped at had closed dining rooms!  We decided it had to be a corporate decision, and guessing it has to do with the fact that no one wants to work these days.  We ended up going through the drive-through of one close to home, and taking it to our picnic table.

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We spent an afternoon hiking back at the campground too. There’s a trail along Mogadore Reservoir.

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Two other nights, with two different grandchildren, were also on the schedule.  We stayed around the campground with them, and had a great time!

It was cold when Harper came to visit, so we stayed indoors a lot. We played games, read and brushed hair. They also had a craft at the rec hall today, but the picture we took didn’t turn out.

Kade’s visit was much more active….

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Mr. Blaine celebrated an important birthday!  He’s (as one of his grandsons so aptly put it) an “old man now”.  Unbelievably, he’s 62 and receives his first SS check on July 14^th !  And I’m only two months behind him!  How did that happen???  I’m sure our parents are wondering the same thing.  😊

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On the up side of hitting 62, we are now eligible for a discount at Georgia State Parks, many activities and restaurants, and a lifetime pass to our National Parks!

There was the engagement of our nephew Gage, and his girl Morgan in the most beautiful setting ever! . . . .

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. . . . a baby shower for the up-and-coming Matthew Dean (due June 22) . . . .  

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. . . . a four-generation Peck-men trip to an Akron Rubber Ducks ballgame . . . .

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. . . . a 14th birthday party for oldest grandchild, Alex. Fourteen?!?!? Really?!?!? . . . .

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. . . . a few treks along the Mogadore Reservoir trail with just the two of us, trying to stay in shape. Unfortunately, due to a major storm, there were times when our walks were cut very short, as trees covered the trail.

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. . . . dinner with our parents at the Twisted Olive to celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Day . . . .

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. . . . and tons of visits with family and friends!

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It was so wonderful to have the time to visit everyone! 

Between all our running around and that trip to Lancaster, we managed to put well over 1200 miles on the Jeep!  That’s a lot of driving!  And then Blaine had to turn right around and drive the coach over 300 miles when we moved today.

I’m happy to report that the drive was uneventful.  A few sprinkles every so often, but that’s it.  Highway 30 turned out to be a great route west!  And, it’s the same road that passes by our older son’s home six hours from our final destination!  Isn’t that crazy?!?

Last Resort Campground, Hanna, Indiana

So the drive was uneventful, but my once blissful attitude took a sharp nose-dive almost immediately after we arrived.  The reason?  Little things kept piling up on a hidden foundation of mild despondency at having left home.  Things like:  three spiders, a highway just a few stone throws away, tons of ant hills everywhere (I’ll not be eating outside, and praying they don’t come in!) a short site, poor wifi signal (means I most likely won’t be able to update the blog right away as I’d planned), unbearable heat (for me anyway, especially during a hot flash!), living with only 30 amps as apposed to 50.  What’s the difference?  With 50 you can run any and all things pretty much as you please.  With 30, you get two items and two only, and each of our three air conditioning units count as one.  The microwave counts as one.  The toaster oven/air fryer counts as one.  Get the picture?  Oh, there was more stuff, but rather than run the risk of being more whiney, I think this is enough.

Eventually my attitude adjusted, probably because Blaine just let me simmer, didn’t say much, and killed spiders on command.  😊

The pond in front of us is lovely!  And there’s a family of geese with adolescents who enjoy the water. In an effort to remain truthful (if not a little dramatic at times), the next pictures were taken tomorrow morning. 😊

SHEPHERD’S PIE TATOR TOT CASSEROLE

1 lb lean ground beef

1 cup diced onion

1/3 C. diced carrots

12 oz canned corn, not drained

1/3 C. frozen peas

1/2 cup water

0.87 oz beef gravy mix

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tbsp onion powder

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

Mashed Potatoes

1 1/2 cups water

2 tbsp margarine

4 oz instant mashed potato mix

1/2 cup milk

Topping

28 oz frozen tater tots

2 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Brown ground beef a large pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the onions and carrots to the pan with the ground beef while it’s cooking.
4. Stir well and continue cooking until the onions are translucent and carrots are soft.
5. Add the canned corn and peas to the pan and stir well.
6. Add the water, gravy mix, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to the pan, cooking and stirring until the gravy thickens.
7. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish and spread it out evenly.
8. Set the dish aside while you prepare the mashed potatoes.
9. Pour the water and margarine into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
10. Once the water is boiling remove the pan from the heat and pour in the mashed potato mix and the milk.
11. Stir just until combined and then let the potatoes sit for 1 minute.
12. After one minute stir until smooth and creamy.
13. Spread the mashed potatoes over the ground beef mixture in the baking dish.
14. Place the tater tots in a single layer on top of the mashed potatoes.
15. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until the tots are brown and crispy and the meat is bubbly.
16. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the tater tots.
17. Return the dish to the oven and continue baking until the cheese on top is completely melted.

TERRIYAKI CHICKEN CASSEROLE

(see notes at the end of the recipe for my personal modifications)

 Prep Time35 minutes

 Cook Time15 minutes

 Total Time50 minutes

 Servings 4 to 6 

Ingredients

3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 Tablespoons cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons water

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 bag (12 ounces) stir-fry vegetables (broccoli, carrots, snow peas, etc. Can be found in the produce or freezer section of grocery stores)

4 cups cooked white rice

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
2. Combine soy sauce, ½ cup water, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a small saucepan and cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove lid and cook for one minute once boiling.
3. Meanwhile, stir together the corn starch and 2 tablespoons of water in a separate dish until smooth. Once sauce is boiling, add mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken then remove from heat.
4. Place the chicken breasts in the prepared pan. Pour one cup of the sauce over top of chicken. Place chicken in oven and bake 35 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and shred chicken in the dish using two forks.
5. Meanwhile, steam or cook the vegetables according to package directions.
6. Add the cooked vegetables and cooked rice to the casserole dish with the chicken. Add the remaining sauce.  Gently toss everything together in the casserole dish until combined. Return to oven and cook 15 minutes.

NOTES: So here’s the thing with this recipe.  Since it was a new recipe, I made half a test batch for Blaine and I before I served it to family.  I found making the sauce more time-consuming than I wanted, plus it was super salty tasting.  So instead, for the party, I did the following:

These are the ingredients I used which would fill a 9 x 13 pan. 

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 pkg Birdseye (Asian??) frozen veggies (broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts, snow peas (I picked out the snow peas and pitched ‘em), diced and thawed

1/2 pkg frozen red/green/yellow sliced peppers and onions, diced and thawed

3 cups cooked white rice

The sauce is a bit tricky, and you may have to modify it to suit your taste.  Sorry!

¾ C. teriyaki sauce (like soy sauce)

½ C. water

½ – 1 t. ground ginger

¼ – 1/3 C. brown sugar

The reason I don’t know the amounts of ginger and brown sugar, is because I just kept adding a little at a time until I got a flavor I was happy with.  These are educated guesses.

Since the teriyaki sauce is pre-made from the bottle, there was no need to cook it, until the cornstarch was added.  I just mixed the teriyaki sauce, water and cornstarch all together and poured it in the pan, cooking and stirring until thickened.

I didn’t pre-cook the veggies either, just diced them up while frozen.  They were pretty much thawed by the time I was done chopping ‘em up.

If for some reason you prepare the sauce ahead of time, it will congeal.  I was near panic when I went to use it on the day of the dinner and discovered a gelatinous glob in my bowl!  I microwaved it, but it didn’t help.  Then I thought to add hot water to it, and it worked!  I just kept adding a little at a time until it turned into sauce once again!  Whew!!

HINT:  When I make this in the future for Blaine and I, I plan on trying fresh veggies and stir frying them a bit.  You could also add peas to the mix if you wanted.

And one more thing. . . .  Aldi’s sells a really good thick teriyaki sauce, brand name ‘Fusia’.  We like adding it at the table for a bit more flavor.

MEAT CASSEROLE

I don’t have much of a recipe for this one, because it’s one I ‘invented’. We had little dibs and dabs of meat in our freezer (two people don’t always eat everything), and I was trying to think what to do with them, when this idea came to me. All amounts are ‘guess-ti-mates’, and subject to change depending on what I have on hand. 

Spaghetti sauce (equivalent of two jars)

¾ box rotini noodles

¼ – ½ # hamburger, browned (or 8-10 quartered cooked meatballs)

2-3 Italian sausage links (like brats), skins removed, chopped up and browned

½ package smoked sausage or kielbasa, quartered and browned

½ C. pepperoni slices, quartered and heated up a tad to remove some of the grease

1 C. white or dark chicken, cooked and shredded or chopped

1 C. onion, chopped

1 C. green and/or red peppers (total), chopped

1 C. mushrooms, chopped

2 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ – ¾ C. parmesan cheese

1. Heat up your favorite spaghetti sauce (I buy Ragu and doctor it up with additional Italian seasonings)
2. Prepare all the meat.  You can save a small amount of the grease to cook the vegetables in, otherwise, be sure to drain it well and roll up in paper towels to remove additional grease.
3. Sauté the vegetables until tender
4. Boil rotini noodles just until done
5. Meanwhile, stir together the sauce, meat and vegetables and allow them to heat together until the noodles are done.
6. Spoon a small amount of sauce into a 9 x 9 pan. Or spray with Pam.
7. Stir together the noodles and remaining sauce, then pour half into the pan. Top with half the cheeses.  Add the remaining noodle/sauce mixture, but not the cheese.
8. Bake at 350⁰ until heated through.
9. Top with the remaining cheeses and continue to heat until the cheese is melted.

GREEN BEANS  (this is another recipe that has no real recipe, and is my best ‘gues-ti-mate’)

A handful of fresh green beans per person

½ – 1 pound of bacon, diced (depending on how much you’re making.  20 handfuls of beans = 1# bacon)

A few shakes of pepper, to taste

Snip and break the beans into bite-sized pieces.  Put everything into a crock pot and add just enough water to cover.  Cook on high for 6-8 hours.

You could also do this stove-top if you’d like and just boil them, turning to simmer when they’re just about done.  It won’t take nearly as long, but you want the bacon to have a chance to infuse the beans with flavor.

HINT:  My mom makes these with canned beans, using the juice from the cans rather than adding water, and they taste yummy that way too!  She cooks them on low for several hours.

NAPA/RAMEN NOODLE ASIAN SALAD

2 T. butter

3 oz package ramen noodles, seasoning packet removed

½ C. slivered almonds

3 T. sesame seeds

1 ½ # Napa cabbage, about 8-10 cups shredded

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin about ½ cup.

DRESSING:

½ C. olive oil

¼ C. white vinegar

½ C. sugar

2 T. low-sodium soy sauce

1. To make the dressing: Combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce in a jar and shake until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. While the butter is melting, crush the ramen noodles while still inside the package. Remove the seasoning packet and throw away (or set aside for later use). Add the noodles, almonds, and sesame seeds to the melted butter in the skillet.
3. Sauté while stirring frequently, until the noodle mixture is golden brown. Remove to a plate and let cool.
4. Shred the cabbage and combine the cabbage and onions in a large mixing bowl. Add the noodle mixture. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

HINT:  I had to make this without the almonds because Blaine detests them.  😊  Everyone still loved it!  But it’s one of those salads that must be consumed immediately, otherwise the cabbage gets very soggy.

BLUEBERRY PIE

Prepared pie crust (see Pie Crust recipe below or use your own)

1 qt. fresh blueberries – DIVIDED

1 C. sugar

¾ C. cold water – DIVIDED

3 T. flour

Dash salt

Whipped cream (Cool Whip, Redi-whip or made from cream) optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Make crust and press into 9” pie pan.  Prick the bottom and sides well with a fork.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.  Cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.  In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the berries, sugar and ¼ cup of water.  Bring to a boil.

Make a flour paste using the remaining ½ cup water, the flour and salt.  Add the flour paste to the boiling mixture, stirring quickly with a whisk.  Cook until the mixture thickens.  Remove from the heat and cool.

When the filling has cooled, fold in the remaining blueberries.  Spoon the filling into the baked pie shell and refrigerate.  Chill until ready to serve.  Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

PIE CRUST:

1 ½ C. flour

1 t. salt (use this)

½ C. oil

2 T. milk

1 ½ T. sugar

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients until the mixture holds together when pressed under your fingers.

HINT:  I don’t use all the dough this makes, just what I need to make a thin crust.  If you like a thicker crust, then by all means, go ahead and use it all.  😊  Also, if you choose not to use it all, don’t get in your head that you’re gonna make cinnamon rolls out of it.  It doesn’t work for that.  They just kinda melt all over the place.  Funny, the pie crust doesn’t do that. . . .

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE  (Hershey’s Special Dark)

2 C. sugar

1 ¾ C. flour

¾ C. Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa

1 ½ t. baking powder

1 ½ t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 eggs

1 C. milk  

½ C. vegetable oil

2 t. vanilla

1 C. boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 9” round baking pans, then line the bottom only with parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of the pans.  (or line 28-30 muffin cups that are 2 ½” in diameter with paper baking cups). 

Stir together the sugar flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt in a large bowl.  Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin).  Pour batter into prepared pans (or fill cups about 2/3 full).

Bake 30-35 minutes for cake or 22-25 minutes for cupcakes or until wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from the pans onto wire racks.  Cool completely.  Frost with “Especially Dark” Chocolate Frosting.  (see below)

Serves 12 or 30 cupcakes

FROSTING:

½ C. butter, melted

2/3 C. Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa

3 C. powdered sugar

1/3 C. milk

1 t. vanilla

Melt the butter in a small, glass mixing bowl.  Stir in the cocoa.  Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading constancy.  Add small amounts of additional milk if needed.  Stir in vanilla.  Makes about 2 cups of frosting.

HINT:  You’ll also find this recipe on the back of the Hershey’s Special Dark can.  Be sure to have a magnifying glass handy if you go that route . . . .

GINGER KRAKLES

1 ½ C. butter                             

2 C. brown sugar                        

½ C. molasses (black strap is best)                

2 eggs                                      

5 C. flour                   

4 t. baking soda

2 t. cinnamon

1 1/2 t. ginger

1 t. cloves

colored sugars (optional)

Cream shortening with brown sugar, molasses and eggs until well blended.  Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon , ginger and cloves.  Add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Chill until dough can be handled easily -about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Form dough into 1” balls.  Roll each ball in colored (or granulated white) sugar to coat well.  Place balls about 3” apart on cookie sheets covered with parchment paper. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes until set but not browned.  

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

1 C. butter, softened

2 C. flour

¾ C. powdered sugar

¼ t. salt

1 t. vanilla

a few drops of food coloring if desired

Mix all ingredients together until well mixed.  Roll into a log shape in wax paper.  Tuck in the ends of the paper and chill several hours or overnight.  Slice ¼” thick and place on cookie sheet. 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly brown.

HINT:  I used this basic recipe and added ½ C. chopped dried cranberries and the zest from two large oranges, making them into cranberry orange cookies.  Everyone loved them!

RANCH BEANS

1 pound hamburger

1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix

2 large cans Bush’s Original baked beans

1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, drained

1 C. ketchup

½ C. cold water

½ C. brown sugar

2 T. yellow mustard

1 T. vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and cook 4-5 hours on low in crock pot or simmer several hours on the stovetop.

VIDALIA ONION CASSEROLE

3-4 large Vidalia onions, sliced thin

1 stick butter

1 package cheese mix from Original Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

¼ C. parmesan cheese

1 package Ritz crackers, crumbled

Sauté onions in butter until limp.  Mix cheese and crackers together.  Layer ingredients starting with onions and ending with cheese.  Microwave on high until heated thru, or you can warm them in the oven at 350 until heated through (about 30 minutes?).

HINT:  NEVER put these in the crock pot, except to keep warm for a very short time prior to serving.  They get really, really soupy!

LEMON BARS

1 1/2C plus 3 T. flour                                   

1/2 C. powdered sugar                

3/4 C. cold butter                                                        

4 eggs, slightly beaten                                                                 

1 1/2 C. sugar

1 t. baking powder

1/2 C. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 C. Flour and powdered sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly.  Press into the bottom of a 9” x 13” lightly greased pan. 

Bake for 15 minutes.

In large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, baking powder and lemon juice. Fold in remaining 3 T. of flour, one T. at a time, mixing well by hand. Pour over baked crust.

Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until firm.  When completely cool, dust with powdered sugar and cut into bars.

OREO KRISPIES

5 tbsp butter

9 cups mini marshmallows divided

5 cups Krispie cereal

16 Oreo cookies, gently crushed (don’t mash them, just break them up)

1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, mix together the Krispie cereal, crushed Oreo cookies and one cup of mini marshmallows.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.

Add the remaining 8 cups of mini marshmallows and salt and stir into the melted butter. Continue stirring over medium heat until the marshmallows are completely melted into the butter.

Pour the melted butter and marshmallow mixture over the Krispie cereal mixture and gently stir with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.

Spread the Oreo Krispie mixture into a 9-inch square pan and press gently with the spatula to flatten the top.

Allow the Oreo Krispies to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before slicing and serving.