Bran muffins make quick treat that's easy to freeze

smcclanahan

Last weekend our 6-year-old, Lexie, lost both of her front teeth. It has been a while since we have been through that, and I had forgotten all of the things that are difficult for a toothless little one to eat. Over the past several days we have gotten very creative in food preparation. At her kindergarten graduation, she looked pretty cute in her little cap and gown and a very big toothless grin. You know me by now, that this is just another memory I have engraved into my mind as a mother.

A couple of weeks ago Sherry Hoernig of Benton, Mo., has a recipe request for pineapple bran muffins. And we have received a response from Verna Esselman from Perryville, Mo. Verna send us two different recipes, and this first one gives the diabetic exchanges. She has made both of these and say they are very good.

Pineapple Bran Muffins

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-bran cereal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup molasses or brown sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk

1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple in natural juices, undrained

1/2 cup chopped pecans, dates or raisins

In a mixing bowl, combine first seven ingredients. Make a well in the center and combine the egg, oil, molasses or sugar, buttermilk, and pineapple with juice. Mix well. Stir in nuts, dates or raisins. Fill 18 greased or paper lined muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake in a 400-degree oven about 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and pans and serve warm. Diabetic exchanges: one serving prepared with nuts equals: 1 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 fat and 151 calories.

Pineapple Bran Muffins II

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups wheat bran

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 egg whites or 1 whole egg

1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple

Combine milk, bran, and brown sugar. Let stand for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into prepared muffin tins, each about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes and remove from pans. Makes about 12 muffins.

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Although we are nearly at the end of fresh local strawberries, many people put up frozen berries for use in recipes just like this salad sent in by Jo Leadbetter of Cape Girardeau.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2 cups crushed pretzels

3/4 cup margarine, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

1 (4 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 cup sugar

2 cups boiling water

1 large strawberry gelatin

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries

Mix crushed pretzels, melted margarine and 2 tablespoons of sugar together. Mix well and pat into a 9-by-13 inch dish. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely. Mix cream cheese, thawed whipped topping and sugar together until spreadable. Spread over pretzel mixture in pan and refrigerate three hours. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water, add strawberries and pour over cheese mixture. Chill until set. Cut into squares to serve.

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A reader from McClure, Ill., shares two family favorites with us today. She said her family really enjoys these chocolate sandwich cookies and the banana bread. As her bananas start turning brown on the counter top, she just drops them into a zip-top plastic bag and freezes them, in the skins, until she is ready to thaw the bananas and bake bread. After the bread is baked, it freezes very well. Then she has gifts ready baked to take to any occasion.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

2 packages devil's food cake mix

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

For the filling:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mixes, oil and eggs and mix well. Roll into small balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased pan. Do not flatten. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool for five minutes and remove from pan. For the filling: mix together cream cheese and butter, then add sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Spread cream filling on half of cookie and top with another cookie. Store in refrigerator until serving time.

Moist Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups oil

3 eggs

2 cups bananas, mashed

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 can crushed pineapple

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix oil, eggs, bananas, vanilla and pineapple together. In a separate bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Combine both mixtures together and pour into two sprayed loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes.

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Two very different potato salad recipes were sent in by a reader from Cape Girardeau. The writer said they borrowed these recipes from the Hobb's Chapel United Methodist Church cookbook and wanted to give them the credit for two recipes they enjoy very much.

Marinated Potato Salad

7 medium potatoes

1/3 cup Italian salad dressing

4 hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled

1/3 cup diced onion

3/4 cup thinly sliced celery

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

Cook potatoes. Dice and pour dressing over warm potatoes. Chill for 2 hours. Add onion and celery. Add diced egg whites. Sieve the egg yolks and add to mayonnaise and sour cream. Add dressing to potatoes. Chill for at least two hours before serving.

Potato Salad

8 medium cooked, cooled, peeled and diced potatoes

1 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 whole pimiento, diced

1/3 cup red wine salad vinegar

4 hard-cooked eggs

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dijon mustard, to taste

Miracle Whip salad dressing

Boil, peel and dice potatoes. While still warm, marinate with the vinegar, salt and pepper. Dice the celery, onion and pimiento; set aside. Peel and separate eggs. Dice egg whites and add to celery mixture. Mash egg yolk with some Dijon mustard and a small amount of Miracle Whip. Add to celery mixture. When potatoes are cool, combine with celery mixture and moisten with Miracle Whip. Serves about 6.

We do have one request today and it is one that anyone can respond to, and the more we get the better. I had a call from someone who wanted to plan a basic recipe file of need-to-know recipes to set up housekeeping as a new bride. With the most popular wedding months facing us this summer, this would make a great gift for any bride-to-be. Recipes she suggested were pie crust, biscuits, white sauce, gravy, some simple salads, chicken and dumplings and any basic cooking ideas you might wish to share. I always think of chicken recipes as chicken is economical and affordable for young couples and easy to prepare. If you would, please help out this person who is trying to give a very special gift to a very special bride.

Have a great week and I hope to hear from you with some new and exciting recipes. So until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.