From the Kitchen of Bette Lou Wathen

Hi Brianna:

I'm sending you two recipes that I like alot.

The Jello Pie. It's easy to make and you don't have to put it in the oven to bake. You can just use any kind of Jello. You can even put strawberries in it or pineapple in the lime one. My children do not want any fruit in it, so I made it plain.

Jello Pie

1 pkg. of Jello, any kind
1 tub of Cool Whip
1 Graham Cracker Crust

Boil Water. Use only 2/3 cup of hot water. Put the one box of Jello into the bowl with hot water. Stir for 2 minutes. Put in 10-12 ice cubes and stir about 3 minutes. Take out the ice cubes and toss into the sink. Fold in the tub of Cool Whip with the Jello. Then pour it into the Graham Cracker crust. Put the lid on and put in the refrigerator.


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The Hawill cake is easy also. No oven either. Take that back, you do have to put it in the oven for 35 minutes. Follow the recipe and I am sure you will like it.

Hawill Cake

Grease and flour 9x13 pan.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 can of Mandarin Oranges with juice
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil

Mix above together 3 minutes. Bake in 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool.

Topping

1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1 8 oz. Cool Whip
1 20 oz. crushed pineapple with juice

Mix pudding and Pineapple. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread on cake and refrigerate.


I love you Brianna and your mom too.

Love,

Grandma

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Little does Grandma know that I will be requesting some more recipes from her. From the sounds of her grandchildren...WE ALL WANT HER ZUCCHINI BREAD RECIPE!!!

~~~~~~~~~~to be continued~~~~~~~~~~

From the Kitchen of Jeannie Hughes and Family

Just for you Brianna, Love, Auntie Jeannie

As Uncle Ken can attest... I'm not a cook or baker...I'm a creator. Ask me to make a card, write a poem, decorate a house or tree...but please don't ask me to cook! I do have a famous Strawberry Jello Cake that my children ask for on their birthdays over any other cake baked or bought. Thank God for Betty Crocker, Jello and Cool Whip!

Strawberry Jello Cake

1 - Box of Yellow Cake Mix
3 - Lg. Eggs
1/2 Cup of Vegetable Oil
1- 13"x9" cake pan (coat pan w/Pam Cooking Spray or Crisco to prevent cake from sticking to pan)
1- Small Box of Strawberry Jello
1- Cup of Hot Water
1- Container of Cool Whip

Follow Cake box directions by preheating the oven to 350 degrees
Mixing the cake mix, eggs and vegetable oil together, pour cake mixture in to the coated cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until cake is done.
When cake is done...remove from oven and poke holes in cake (using
a large fork)...So Jello can absorb into the cake.
In a separate bowl combine Jello w/1 cup of boiling water...mix until
jello is dissolved.
Pour dissolved jello mixture over cake
Refrigerate overnight
Make sure you take the cool whip out of freezer and place it in the
refrigerate to thaw out overnight..
Before serving spoon cool whip over cake, cut and serve.
If there is any leftover refrigerate. Usually it is all gone by the end
of party.


Okay so I lied...I do know how to bake. But haven't had time. As a child I would go to my grandparents House for the summer. To give my mom a break from 4 child to 3 children. I spend a lot of time at my Aunt Marilyn's. She is a wonderful baker. She taught me to make Klatchkes. I didn't remember all the ingredients...until I ran across the recipe. And here it is for you Brianna.


Klatchkes

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon vegetable shortening
1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 ounce package active dry yeast
2 large eggs
6 1/2 cups flour
1 21 oz. can pie filling
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
lots of patience (time)

1. In a small saucepan, combine milk, salt, shortening, and 4 tablespoons of sugar. scald and set aside to cool.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water. set aside for ten minutes.
3. Add well-beaten eggs to the milk mixture then stir in flour. Knead together until it is smooth and satiny. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rise for about 1 hour.
4. Punch down, knead slightly, and let rise a second time for about an hour.
5. Roll the dough on a slightly floured surface and cut into 3" diameter circles. place on greased cookie sheets and press an indentation in the center. let rise until about doubled, 30 minutes
6. Preheat oven to 350*F
7. Place one spoonful of pie filling, poppy seed or almond in the center of each and fold over edges.
8. Bake 15 to 20 min. Brush on melted butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar (powdered if desired).

Of course I ate more than I helped. Poppy seed are my favorite. It brings back the special childhood I had. The relationships with my retired grandparents who had a lot of patience with all the inquisitive questions a young child of my age had to ask.

I hope this is a recipe that you can share with your children and keep
the tradition going on.

XOXOX
Love,
Auntie Jeannie

From the Kitchen of Jennifer Wathen and Family

My mom had gotten the idea for beer can chicken from someone at work and she decided to try it. It was just o.k. So I kept thinking about it and decided it would taste good with what I used on regular chicken, which is roasted potato seasoning. You see when we moved to Arkansas I didn't have of stuff to cook with. Well, I had bought a pack of roasted potato seasoning for potatoes and one night I was going to make chicken legs and that's all I had so I put it on them. Needless to say that's how I got the idea for the beer can chicken.


Beer Can Chicken

1 whole frying or roasting chicken.
1 pack of roasted potato seasoning. (produce department)
1 can of beer. (any kind)
1/2 of cup olive oil.
1 beer can chicken rack.

Start by cleaning the chicken and removing any insides packages and neck. Then dump out a 1/2 of the can of beer and set it into the rack. Place the chicken on top of the rack. Wipe down chicken with oil and the seasoning. Make sure you cover the whole chicken with oil and seasoning. Set oven for 350 degrees and place chicken in for 1 1/2 hrs. Let chicken rest for 10min and serve.






This dip is for Emily, Lillian and William. Since they love it so much.


Mexican Bean Dip

1 packages Mexican shredded cheese.
2 packages cream cheese.
2 cans Hormel chili (one regular and on Hot)

Let cream cheese set out for about an hour before making.
Then spread it on the bottom of a cookie sheet or cake pan.
Pour both cans of chili on top making sure to evenly spread both kinds. Then add the whole bag of shredded cheese on top. Set oven on 375 degrees and take out when the cheese on top is melted.

Jennifer Wathen

From the Kitchen of Nenia Vallejo

I first tried these pumpkin squares at work when a very sweet woman I work with brought them in. I was very surprised at how good they were and I immediately wanted the recipe. I knew everyone was anticipating pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving but all I could think about was those squares! So I decided they could have what they wanted, but I was making the pumpkin squares! Even if I had to eat the whole pan myself (which I definitely could handle! Haha!) So the night before Thanksgiving everyone was wondering what was that smell, what was I making? Pumpkin squares? We have pumpkin pie, why do we need pumpkin squares? I told them to just wait and see. Thanksgiving dinner came and went and it was time for dessert. We laid out all the pies and sitting there amongst the pie frenzy were my squares. Now mind u, I’m not the best cook/baker and it was my first time making them so I was a bit nervous. But as soon as one person tried one square, it was all over! Everyone wanted one, and then two, until the whole pan was gone!! I have already passed this recipe on to people there but I am happy to share it with whoever would like the deliciousness that is the Pumpkin Square! My preference is with Cool Whip on top, but it can be with or without any topping you like. Enjoy!


Pumpkin Squares

1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 c. sugar (divided)
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. walnuts or pecans
1/2 c. butter (melted)
1 large can pumpkin
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice


Grease and flour 9x13 pan. Remove 1 C. cake mix and reserve for topping. In large bowl, lightly beat one egg, stir in remaining cake mix and melted butter. Press into pan. Lightly beat 3 eggs, stir in pumpkin, 1/2 C. sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, and cinnamon. Pour over cake mixture. To the one cup of cake mix, add remaining 1/2 C. sugar, nuts and butter. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over pumpkin mixture.

Bake 50-60 minutes @ 350 degrees

Serve warm or cool.

From the Kitchen of Marie Wathen

This recipe is one of my mother's that I truly enjoyed when I was young and even today! It is fast and easy to make. If I am not mistaking, my mom told me that Grandpa use to make this...or he learned how to make this when he was in the Army. Either way, this recipe is right up there with spaghetti dinner!

Hamburger Chop Suey

1 lb. ground hamburger meat
1 can (14 oz.) bean sprouts DRAINED
1 can chicken noodle soup
1 can cream of chicken soup soy sauce
1 can of water (of your liking)

Brown hamburger meat and drain any fat. In a separate pot heat on medium, add chicken noodle soup, cream of chicken soup, and bean sprouts. Mix together, add UP TO 1 can of water (depending on the thickness you like). Add hamburger meat and mix. Heat until everything is nice and hot to your likeness. Add a few dashes of soy sauce into the mixture, again to your likeness, and mix.

Mom would make rice on the side, I have in the past put it into the pot or had open face chop suey by placing 2 pieces of bread on the plate, a few scoops of rice on top of that and then the chop suey over that.



This next recipe is a favorite by many people. When Nathan and I started to date, I made it one year for Thanksgiving and his mom, Karen, and family raved on it. Then a few weeks later we had another BIG family reunion for Christmas...meeting his grandparents, aunts, uncles...the whole crew. I was really nervous, not sure what they would say about Nathan dating someone with a kid. Karen asked me to bring a side dish for this event and kind of hinted around about the key lime pie. So, I made two of these and boy did I make some good brownie points with the extended family. Everyone was in love with my dessert and my daughter! So, to this recipe it was a good conversation opener with his family members and relieved the stress of meeting everyone.


Key Lime Pie


1 (8 or 9 in.) baked pastry shell or graham cracker crumb crust
3 egg yolks
1 ( 14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. Lime juice from concentrate
yellow or green food coloring, optional
whipped cream or whipped topping

Preheat oven 325 degrees. In large mixer bowl, beat egg yolks with sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and food coloring if desired. Pour into shell; bake 30 minutes. Cool. Chill. Top with cream.

I use a graham cracker crust and Cool Whip. Enjoy!

In memory of my mother, Lorraine Wathen

My mother was not an exciting cook, but she made some kick butt mac and cheese out of the box without using any measuring cups...ha! To this day, I still have to use measuring cups for the milk and butter! Anyways, she left behind her recipe box with recipes that I really have not done anything with, but store them away in the kitchen cabinet. So I got to thinking that I could share these with the family. Some of these recipes are on index cards that I remember her typing them on the type writer. I will have these scanned and on this website for all of you to see, take a minute and look at all the hard work she put into these, and by the way, all the strike marks threw letters was a cuss word behind it!

This first recipe I would like to share with you all is something that my mother would make on special occasions, a request that my brother would tell my mother and she would make it. I am not sure if this is her true recipe because I have tasted plenty of these. I think my brother would be the judge of this one!

Cheese Cake

1 9" graham cracker crumb crust
1 8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 14 oz. Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 C lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla

NOTE: there are no directions to this, so I will assume to put the ingredients in the bowl and mix, pour into crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

The last recipe that I would like to share would be Pound Cake. I can also remember my mom making this. She would usually eat this anytime throughout the day with butter on it and a cup of coffee (black with 2% milk to cool it down a bit).

Pound Cake

3 sticks shortening
3 cups gran sugar
6 eggs
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups cake flour
1 ½ tablespoons vanilla

Soften butter and cream cheese. Whip butter first, add sugar, add cream cheese. While whipping add eggs 1 at a time, then add flour and vanilla. Bake at 325-350 1 hr 20 mins

Findings in the recipe box...pictures

On the back...

To Auntie Lori

Freshman Year

92-93

Andrew H.S.

Y ya,

Nenia

On the back...

To Aunt Lori and ,

Love,

Tiffany

12 yrs. old

1992

On the back...


Aunt Lori, Marie, and Matthew

Emily Ann

at
2 months old

On the back...

To Aunt Lori, Marie, Matthew, and
Emily Ann Louise Dimock
at 6 months old

On the back...


To Aunt Lori, Marie, Matt, and


Emily Ann

at

1 year old

On the back...


To Aunt Lori, Matt, Marie, and ,

Love

Emily Ann

at

1 1/2 year old

On the back...



Emily

6th grade

11 years old

Fall

2002

On the back...


William

3rd grade

8 years old

Fall

2002

On the back...

Lillian

Kindergarton

6 years old

Fall

2002

On the back...


1993


Bethany and AJ Koudelka

On the back...



Ashlee Joanne


3 months

3/92

On the back...

Shayne

3 yrs

Introduction

Season Greetings!

I know for most of you that this is all going to be new in my family, but I am going to try like heck to get all of you connected here. This blog is for the Wathen family. I, Marie, want to start something new and exciting for everyone to explore, hoping that generations to come will enjoy this as much as I am. This year, 2008, am trying to start a new kind of tradition by posting recipes on this website for all of our family members to enjoy. I am starting this by writing letters to everyone in our family to write out 2 of their favorite recipes that they would like to share with the family. I want some thought with these recipes...something that brings memories to that family.
The reasoning behind this is that most of us enjoy cooking. Time after time, I regret not stepping into the kitchen when my mom use to make our favorite dishes. I know a few of them and yes, I will be more than happy to share them with everyone. As everyone can figure out for themselves, around this time of the year, I always have to incorporate some doing with my mother. I told my mom one day before she passed, that I would never let her granddaughter forget about who she was or what she was about. So, here I am keeping my promise and healing in the process by sharing bits and pieces of my mother. I hope that everyone really enjoys this blog and I hope that the next generation keeps it going!

With lots of love,

Marie and Brianna