We all have those days when the idea of making dinner (again?) just makes us tired. Or we’ve been running around all day and the family gets home late and everybody is hungry right now. What’s a mama to do? When that happens, Sandra Cullers, a Fayetteville mother of two young boys, likes to whip up two easy favorites.

Sloppy Joes

Sandra says: This recipe is great when you realize it is almost dinner time and you have nothing but ground beef, a few pantry items and condiments. You can spice it up with some jalapenos and extra onions or make it more kid friendly with shredded cheese or cheese slices.

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef

1 cup Onion, Chopped

1/2 to 1 cup Ketchup

1 Tbsp Vinegar

1 to 2 Tbsp Mustard

1 to 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Salt

Pepper

Directions: In a medium skillet, brown the onion and ground beef until the ground beef is no longer pink. Drain. Add meat back to skillet along with Ketchup, Vinegar, Mustard, Brown Sugar, Salt and Pepper. Until warmed throughout. If mixture is too tangy add more ketchup and sugar. If mixture needs more tanginess, add more mustard. Play around with the ingredients until the right taste is achieved. Serve on hamburger buns or Texas Toast.

Chicken and Dumplings

Sandra says, “This recipe uses ingredients I usually have on hand and the dish comes together in less than 30 minutes.”

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts, cubed

1 Onion, chopped

3 Chicken Bouillon cubes

3 cups Flour

1/4 cup Cornstarch

3 Eggs

Salt

Pepper

Directions: Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sauté onions with chicken in a medium skillet until the chicken is no longer pink inside and juices run clear.

Cover and keep warm. Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, eggs and 1 cup of water to form dough. Boil 4 to 5 cups of water with 3 bouillon cubes in a large saucepan. Form dumplings by dropping about 1 Tbsp of dough into the boiling broth. Boil the dumplings until they float.

With a slotted spoon, remove the dumplings and place them in the skillet with the chicken. When all dumplings are finished, mix cornstarch with water until milky. Pour cornstarch into broth, a little at a time, until the broth forms a thick gravy. Pour gravy over chicken and dumplings.

About Sandra: Sandra Cullers is a stay-at-home mom and loves to cook for her husband and growing boys. Her family recently moved back to Arkansas from Wyoming to live near their family. These two recipes were passed on to Sandra from her mother-in-law, Linda, who knows about cooking for hungry guys because she raised two sons herself (and a daughter!). Sandra says everything her MIL makes tastes absolutely amazing.

When my siblings and I go “home” to my parents’ house, we inevitably finish dinner and say we’re craving something sweet.

We often ask our mother to make oatmeal cookies, maybe because she always has the ingredients on hand. Or maybe because, when I bite into one, I seriously feel about 8 years old again. Especially when I eat them warm right out of the oven.

I’ve really been craving those cookies lately, so I’m pretty sure I know what I’m going to ask for on Mother’s Day. I’ll have to bring her flowers to plant in her garden. Sweets for me, flowers for her, just like we like it.

Shannon’s Mom’s Oatmeal Cookies

1 stick butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

Directions: Beat together butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Add flour, soda and salt. Mix well. Add oatmeal and mix. Drop by rounded spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet. Serve warm and start a new family tradition!

Ozark Natural Foods is a locally owned consumer cooperative dedicated to participatory democracy. Its mission is to provide owners and the Northwest Arkansas community with natural and organic products that encourage healthful living and a sustainable planet. Click here to become an owner, which has all kinds of special benefits!

With Spring well in swing in Northwest Arkansas (and we’ve got the sneezes to prove it!) it’s time to start thinking about fun outdoor events like wedding showers. Of course, the food is always one of the most important aspects of any party, so we thought we’d share a few event-worthy recipes.

These recipes come from a cookbook called “”Award Winning Recipes” published in 1990. It includes recipes from cooking contest winners across America.

Jumbo Shells Seafood Fancies

*Second place winner in the Appetizing Appetizers Pasta Contest, sponsored by the North Dakota Wheat Commission and North Dakota Mill, Bismarck, North Dakota.

Serves 8 to 12

1 (16-ounce) package uncooked jumbo-sized pasta shells

1 (7 1/2-ounce) can crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartillage removed

1 (2 1/2-ounce) can tiny shrimp, drained

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise

2 tablespoons thinly sliced celery

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped pimiento

Celery leaves, for garnish

Add the shells gradually to 6 quarts of boiling, salted water and cook until tender, yet firm. Drain; rinse with cold water, then drain again. Set aside, upside down, to cool. Combine the crabmeat, shrimp, cheese, dressing, celery, onion and pimiento in a small bowl. If the mixture seems too dry, add more salad dressing. Spoon the mixture into the cooled shells; cover and refrigerate until chilled. Serve the shells garnished with celery leaves.

Tropical Chicken Salad

*Third prize winner in the Savory category of the International Association of Cooking, Professionals Recipe Contest

Makes 4 servings

Tropical Salad Dressing (recipe follows)

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

3/4 cup coarsely chopped celery

3/4 cup seedless red or green grape halves

3/4 coarsely chopped macadamia nuts or toasted almonds

Lettuce leaves, for serving

Sliced strawberries, kiwifruit and avocado, for garnish

Toasted coconut flakes, for garnish

Prepare the Tropical Salad Dressing. Combine the chicken, celery, grapes and nuts in a large bowl; stir in 1 cup of the dressing. Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend. Mound the salad on a platter or individual plates lined with lettuce leaves. Garnish with strawberries, kiwifruit, avocados and coconut flakes.

Tropical Salad Dressing

Makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup cream of coconut

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic

1 cup vegetable oil

Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender. With machine running, slowly add the oil, blending until smooth. (Store the remaining dressing in the refrigerator and serve with fruit or mixed green salads.)

If you want some specially-prepared food to make your party special, Ozark Natural Food’s deli and produce areas have been fully a remodeled. The deli is now called À La Carte, and the produce department has a new cooler that includes cut fruits and vegetables. Click here for more info on the remodel or about becoming a member at Ozark Natural Foods.

 

Christy Walker, who blogs locally at Violets Before Roses, loves to collect cookbooks.

She recently shared this “deviled eggs” recipe with us and she said they are absolutely delicious. She plans to make them for her family’s Easter brunch. The original source is Susan Bigelow of Westover Jr. H.S., Morgantown, West Virginia.

Ms. Bigelow was a Home Economics teacher and her recipe was printed in a cookbook from 1988.

Gourmet Stuffed Eggs

6 hard-boiled eggs

½ tsp. prepared mustard

2 tbsp. shredded Cheddar cheese

1 tbsp. melted butter

2 tsp. lemon juice

3 tbsp. crumbled crisp-fried bacon

1 tsp. chopped olives

½ tsp. salt

Pepper to taste

Paprika to taste

12 strips pimento

Directions: Cut eggs into halves lengthwise. Remove yolks, reserving whites. Combine yolks with next 8 ingredients in bowl, mix well. Fill reserved egg whites with yolk mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Garnish egg halves with pimento.

Yield: 6 servings

What’s your favorite Easter recipe? Leave a comment and share with the rest of the class, says Ms. Bigelow!

If you want some delicious food to take to Easter brunch, Ozark Natural Food’s deli and produce areas have been fully a remodeled. The deli is now called À La Carte, and the produce department has a new cooler that includes cut fruits and vegetables. Click here for more info on the remodel or about becoming a member at Ozark Natural Foods.