BREAD IN A JAR RECIPE MAKES QUICK, HOMEMADE GIFT

The past several weeks I have had a need for a small gift for various reasons. After so long of a time I had run out of ideas for food gifts and just seemed burned out as to what to fix or give. And as usual, one of Recipe Swap's readers sent in the neatest recipe for bread in a jar. Judith Reed of Jackson, Mo., came to my rescue, and I hope yours too as you make her recipe.

Bread In A Jar

2/3 cup shortening

2 2/3 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups canned pumpkin

2/3 cup water

3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves or less if desired

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup chopped pecans

Cream shortening and sugar, beat in eggs, pumpkin and water. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices. Add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour mixture into greased wide-mouth pint canning jars. Fill 1/2 full with batter. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. When done, remove one jar at a time, wipe-sealing edge with paper towel or cloth and screw cap on lightly. The heat will vacuum-seal the jar and the bread will keep up to one year. Makes 8 pints. To ensure proper storage, store in refrigerator.

Many variations to this bread are available. You might enjoy trying a substitute for the pumpkin using the following substitutes:

2 cups shredded apples and or carrots

1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce

1 3/4 cups applesauce, plus

1/4 cup raisins

2 cups apricots

2 cups fresh peaches that have been chopped

1 bag fresh cranberries that have been ground

1/4 cup pineapple

2 cups bananas that have been mashed

2 cups zucchini that have been shredded

It may help to place the jars on a cookie sheet while baking. Also be sure to use wide-mouth jars and no jars with "shoulders" on them.

I plan to make several different varieties and have them on hand. If you try something different, let me know. It could be fun to see what comes in.

n

Joan Weeks of Cape Girardeau shared a recipe with me for a mushroom beef pie. She knows how much I love mushrooms and decided to share this surprisingly good casserole.

Mushroom-Beef Pie

1 pound ground sirloin

10 (2-inch sized) mushrooms, sliced

Ketchup or chili sauce

Worcestershire sauce

Hot pepper sauce

Seasoned salt

Seasoned pepper

1 egg

1 cup small curd cottage cheese

1 prebaked 9-inch pie shell

Brown beef. Add mushrooms and saut. Mix in seasonings listed or do your own thing, according to taste. Beat egg and mix with cottage cheese. Place meat mixture in pie shell. Top with egg and cottage cheese mixture. Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees. You may wish to sprinkle shredded cheese, celery salt and paprika over all before baking.

n

The "Soup Queen" of Cape Girardeau has a very different potato soup recipe you might enjoy. Oh, and by the way, Happy Birthday "Soup Queen."

Artichoke Potato Soup

1/3 cup olive oil

2 small onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups dry white wine

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 (14-ounce) jars or canned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper, to taste

Saut onions in oil for 2 minutes. Add garlic and saut 1 minute more. Add wine. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes. Add potatoes, artichokes and lemon juice. Cook slowly 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and stir from time to time for 5 minutes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve hot. Yields about 6 servings.

n

If you need a dessert in a hurry using ingredients you probably have on hand, try this delicious apple pie sent in to us today from a "Dane."

Norwegian Apple Pie

1 egg

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup diced tart apples, like a Granny Smith

Generously butter a 9-inch pie pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine ingredients. Mixture will be stiff. Spoon into pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until brown and puffed. Top with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

n

Jodi Thompson has a favorite recipe for peanut butter pie to share with Mr. Nebel who recently made the request. She tells us the recipe is printed on the lid of the Smucker's peanut butter jar lid and is very good.

Smucker's Peanut Butter Pie

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup honey

1 (16 ounce) jar peanut butter, either smooth or crunchy

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (9-inch) chocolate cookie crumb pie crust or any flavor you like

2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup shortening

Beat together cream cheese and honey. Mix in peanut butter. Gently fold in whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Heat chocolate chips and shortening over low heat until melted, or microwave until melted. Drizzle over pie. Chill 4 hours or overnight. Serves about 8.

Jodi also shared another peanut butter pie recipe that we will save for next week.

n

We have two requests this week. The first is from Pat Statler of Jackson, Mo. Pat would love to have a recipe for pickled pig's feet. Someone is giving her some pig's feet and she would like to try this old-fashioned delicacy.

The second requests come from Renda who works at the Southeast Missourian newspaper. Renda would like recipes for her favorite Chinese dishes, Lo Mein and Sesame Chicken. She, like many of us, enjoys these on buffets at area restaurants, but occasionally would like to have them at home.

This will keep readers busy this week. When you find the recipes from this week's requests, you can e-mail them to me at news@semissourian.com and I will use them in Recipe Swap or they may be mailed in.

That will do it for another great week. Thank you so much for sharing recipes with other readers. That's what makes this column so much fun. Have a great week and happy cooking.