From The Heart

My most treasured recipes are both delicious and tied to wonderful memories. I love to cook excellent food, and more than that, I love to cook for the people I love. I got to do that this weekend in Jamie's glorious kitchen (convection oven, gas stovetop...ah...) — here are three of the recipes we enjoyed:

BBQ Baked Lentils
My first year at college, Jamie and I were roommates and we tried our hand at being vegetarians. Many delicious (omnivorous) years later, this recipe is still one of our favorites:

Bring to boil (in about 4 quarts water) 2 1/3 cups lentils, then add 2 tsp. salt. Simmer for 30 mins, drain, then mix into a large, covered casserole dish with the following:

15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 Tbs. minced onion
1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. molasses
1 Tbs. Worchestershire sauce
2 tsp. dry mustard powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbs. vinegar
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)

Bake at 400 degrees F for 45 mins. Makes 8 generous servings.

Katrina's Crepes
This is an adapted Swedish Pancake batter recipe. Along with John's glorious biscuits and gravy, these crepes are a late breakfast favorite. This is a double batch — they freeze beautifully.

3 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. vanilla paste (or extract)
6 eggs
4 c. milk
2 T melted butter

Combine the dry, mix in the wet. Cook in medium-hot skillets (sloped sided cast iron pans are great, or medium sized non-stick), and stack 'em up until all the batter is gone. Tease Joel when he asks when it'll be time to eat. Serve with bacon, some fruit and good coffee. Squeeze a lemon or lime wedge over each crepe, sprinkle with powdered sugar, then a spray of whipped cream. Roll up and enjoy!

Christmas Gingersnaps
The original recipe is either from my great grandma Sartor or her daughter Alma. As usual, I've adapted it a little. Jamie and I have made these every year on the first weekend of December for the past six years. It all started with the Sauk Mountain Invitation-only Pottery Sale and some holiday baking at our house in 2000. Things change a little each year, and now we cruise a local sale for our holiday pottery shopping, but we always make these cookies. This is also a double batch (makes about 11 dozen), because we always make a bunch to share. They freeze like a dream too.

1 1/2 c. shortening
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. molasses
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
2 c. all purpose flour
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. ginger

Bake at 350 degrees F. Cream the wet ingredients, add the dry. Scoop onto parchment-covered cookie sheets with a 1-inch scoop and bake for about 8 mins for chewy cookies - 10 mins for crispier "snaps". You can roll the balls of dough in sugar before baking, but we've found that they taste better (and are better for you) without!