RECIPE SWAP: NUMEROUS DESSERT RECIPES ARE AVAILABLE FOR DIABETICS

Nearly all of us know someone who is affected by diabetes, either personally, a family member, a friend or co-worker. Diabetes is a condition who knows no stranger, regardless of age. I have a friend who, at age 7, is insulin dependent.

Bethany is a sweet little girl who misses her special treats and desserts. Can you imagine being 7 and going to your friend's birthday party and not being able to enjoy birthday cake and ice cream like the other children?

Well, Bethany, our good Recipe Swap readers are here to help you. We want readers to please share their favorite diabetic cookies and dessert recipes.

Bethany is not the only person who has this problem. I know several people who watch their sugar, and they get tired of eating the same old angel food cake and graham crackers. I will see that Bethany's Mom, Tonya, gets all the recipes.

Last week we had a request for recipes using cucumbers, and as you would expect, this week we have several to share with you. As cucumbers ripen in gardens, I'm sure these recipes will be a welcome treat to those who have more cucumbers than they know what to do with.

One of our very faithful Recipe Swap readers sent in a couple of cucumber recipes. The pasta salad sounds very good and a nice cool salad on these hot days.

Cool Cucumber Pasta

1 (8-ounce) package pasta

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

3/4 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl; stir in oil, cucumbers and onion. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salad and toss. Cover and chill for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Anytime Cucumber Slices

3 to 4 cucumbers, sliced

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons minced fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dill weed

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, combine cucumbers, onions and dill. In a saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, water and salt; bring to a boil. Pour over cucumber mixture. Cover and chill for 3 hours or overnight.

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My friend Ruby Hostel sent in a real German recipe, Fried Cucumbers. We do not think of cooking cucumbers so try this and see what you've been missing.

Fried Cucumbers

cucumbers, unpeeled and sliced

butter

salt and pepper to taste

Fry cucumbers in butter until barely tender. Add salt and pepper.

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Donna Stover shares a salad that is quick and easy to make and a nice addition to your picnic menu.

Pasta Cucumber Salad

8 ounces pasta, cooked and drained

1 cup cucumber, seeded and diced

4 ounces cooked ham, cut into strips

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoons pepper

Toss together. Chill. Serves 4 to 6.

One last cucumber salad recipe was sent in without a name on it, but it sounds too good to pass up.

Cucumber Cottage Cheese Salad

1 large cucumber, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 to 1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon vinegar

salt to taste

dash hot pepper sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

8 ounces cottage cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 package lemon or lime gelatin

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup whipped topping

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Mix cheese, mayonnaise and whipped topping with electric mixer. Add gelatin and mix well. Add rest of ingredients. Pour into individual molds or a large mold.

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Also last week we had a request for a homemade mixed vegetable juice. Joan Weeks of Cape Girardeau shares a recipe that I'm sure is very good. She said in her note that it made her mouth water just writing out the recipe to send in.

Mixed Vegetable Juice

18 large fresh tomatoes, cored and cut in thin wedges, unpeeled

6 medium cucumbers, diced

3 medium green or red peppers, cored, seeded and minced

6 stalks celery, diced

3 medium zucchini or yellow squash, coarsely grated

6 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 large onions, peeled and minced

3 cups coarsely shredded cabbage

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

3 cups water

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 bay leaves, crumbled

3 sprigs fresh parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme or basil

Simmer all ingredients in covered, large heavy enamel or stainless steel kettle over low heat 45 to 50 minutes, stirring now and then, until vegetables are mushy. Strain through a fine sieve, forcing out as much juice as possible. Freeze or reheat and pour into sterilized jars and process.

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Carmen Amend likes her recipe for V-3 Juice. It does not call for too many vegetables, makes a small batch, and can be made very quickly.

V-3 Juice

10 to 12 tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

2 shoots of celery leaves

2 slices onion

Bring to a boil. Then simmer 30 minutes. Strain and chill until serving. Makes 4 cups.

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Recently we had a request for an orange cake recipe from Rita Burk of Cape Girardeau. We have a couple more recipes to share with her that sound like they would be very tasty on a hot day.

Orange Kiss-Me Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 orange

1 cup raisins

1/3 cup walnuts

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

Topping:

Reserved 1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Orange slices, to garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees, or 325 degrees for a glass pan. Grease with solid shortening, not oil, and flour a 9-x-13-inch pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Squeeze orange; reserve 1/3 cup juice. Grind orange peel and pulp, raisins and 1/3 cup walnuts together. Set aside. In large bowl, blend flour, sugar, soda, salt, milk, shortening and eggs. Beat for 3 minutes at medium speed. Stir in orange-raisin mixture. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Topping: Drizzle reserved orange juice over warm cake. Combine sugar, cinnamon and walnuts; sprinkle over cake. If desired, garnish with orange slices. Makes a 9-x-13-inch cake.

Note: Self-rising flour not recommended. A blender may be used to grind orange-raisin mixture if grinder is unavailable. A food processor may also be used.

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We have a few requests from recipe collectors in the area. In addition to the diabetic request we talked about earlier in Recipe Swap. Barb Hopkins of Cape Girardeau wants homemade ice cream recipes that are cooked and contain no raw eggs. Now we try not to use raw eggs in foods, and ice cream is no exception. I'm sure we will get a great response to this request.

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Juanita Moore of Kelso has an abundance of grapes coming on and wants to make jelly. I'm sure she would take any grape recipes, but jelly is her request.

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Tina Colyott will have a barbecue cookout in a few weeks and wants to make ribs on the grill. She would like to have a dry rub recipe to rub on the ribs before she grills them. I have already referred her to the cookbook authored by our own Cape Girardeau's Ruth Knote and her late husband, Charlie. It is an excellent book and certainly the barbecue reference for anyone who is wishing to barbecue or smoke meats.

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And last but not least, Edgar von Hostel wishes to make homemade sauerkraut. He recalls the "long drawn out affair" of shredding it and packing it into crocks. He says there has to be an easier way. My cousin Helen Poirot has been making sauerkraut and she does not go to all the trouble of the "old-fashioned way." Maybe I can get Helen's recipe.

That does it for this week. I will leave you with a very easy dessert recipe that can be made in a matter of minutes and is very good. If you use pineapple packed in its own juice or unsweetened, it would be acceptable for diabetics to eat. Have a great week and I'll see you next week.

Easy Angel Dessert

1 package angel food cake mix

1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pineapple and vanilla in a 9-x-13-inch pan. Mix in the vanilla. Add the dry angel food cake mix and mix together with a fork. Bake 30 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Serve with whipped topping or ice cream.