Sweet Valentine bonus

Last week we attended the Valentine banquet at church and enjoyed a fabulous meal with friends. The proceeds from ticket sales will go toward our youths' mission trips this summer. The youths were hard at work serving all the tables, looking pretty classy in white shirts and black pants. As an additional fundraiser for their trips, there was an auction of various Valentine's Day gifts, and the highlight was the homemade desserts. There were several up for auction, and it was great that the bidding was good to raise money for the youths.

I was able to track down a couple of the women for their recipes, which I have included here today, and will share the others with you as I get them. I hope you enjoy these desserts as much as we enjoyed our evening at the banquet.

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Fran Rediger made a beautiful three-layer cake that was garnished so elegantly you wanted to bid on it as soon as you saw it. Fran was busy during the banquet: She and her husband won first place in the "not-so-new newlywed game," beating out Denny and Paula Reeves and Jeff and Lois Long. Way to go, Harry and Fran, for showing us short-timers how a lifetime of love is well done.

Italian Cream Cake

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine

1/2 cup Crisco shortening

5 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

2 cups coconut

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup pecans

Frosting, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar, margarine and shortening together with an electric mixer. Add egg yolks and baking soda to buttermilk, then add to creamed mixture. Add flour. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites, nuts and coconut. Bake in 3 greased and floured 9-inch pans for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from oven, turn out onto cooling rack and frost cooled cakes, frosting in between layers, sides and top. Garnish as desired, with additional coconut and pecans.

Italian Cream Cake Frosting

1 stick margarine

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (1 pound) box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients and beat with electric mixer until well mixed and light and fluffy. Spread in between layers, sides and top of cooled Italian Cream Cake layers.

Note: If you don't have buttermilk, use 2 tablespoons vinegar in 1 cup whole milk. Stir to combine and allow to sit a few minutes to sour. Use in place of the 1 cup buttermilk.

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Shelby Shell made her famous pecan pie and the bidding was brisk for it. Shelby said new crop pecans are best in this pie.

Shelby's Pecan Pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together:

1 cup dark corn syrup

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla

Add and stir in:

2 cups pecan pieces or halves

Pour into an unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell. Use piecrust shields or strips of aluminum foil around edges to keep the edge of the crust from becoming too brown. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until center is firm.

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Where I work full time, we have had Faye Sandusky as a substitute cook with us for a few weeks. She brought in a pie to share, and it was so good. I really like coconut anyway, but it just made this pie.

Quick Country Pie

2 sticks butter, melted

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup coconut

1 cup pecans, chopped or broken

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and add chocolate chips; heat until chips are melted. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into 2 unbaked pie shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Makes 2 pies.

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Last weekend I made lasagna for the supper following my dad's 80th birthday party, and being in a hurry, I pulled a recipe off the Internet from Taste of Home's Quick Cooking site. It was really good, and I enjoyed the added herbs the recipe called for.

Quick Layered Lasagna

1 pound pork sausage

1 (26-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup water

2 eggs, beaten

3 cups (24 ounces) 4 percent cottage cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 to 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

9 uncooked lasagna noodles

3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, cook sausage and drain off fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley and seasonings. Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce into a greased 9-by-13-inch pan. Layer 3 noodles, 1/3 of the cheese mixture, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.

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My sister Pat gave me this recipe from her Illinois Country Living magazine she gets each month in the mail. This recipe for mint pie caught my attention, as I really like chocolate mint cookies.

Mint Cookie Pie

14 chocolate mint cookies, chilled

3 egg whites

Pinch salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 (8-ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick spray. Crush chilled cookies in a food processor and set aside. Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in cookie crumbs, pecans and vanilla. Spread into a pie plate. Bake for 35 minutes. Chill for 2 hours. Serve with whipped topping, garnished with additional crushed cookies and pecans.

It seems like I just get good and started, and I am out of room already. So, have a great week, and 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 Southeast Missourian staff.,