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Don't wrinkle your nose at prunes (3/28/24)"They're still rather badly wrinkled, you know." That's the punch line in a classic commercial created back in the 1960s by Stan Freeberg. It featured a man who complained that he did not like prunes because they had pits and were wrinkled. He's urged to try one of Sunsweet's new pitted prunes and, complying, agrees that they're moist and sweet. ...
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Share the Easter story with family and friends (3/28/24)In the interest of space, let's jump right into this special Easter column today. Happy Easter, and may it be a meaningful and spiritually rich day for you and your loved ones. As you are planning for Easter, this is a fun way to pull kids into the kitchen and share the Easter Story with them in a way that they will remember...
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Recipes for Easter brunch (3/21/24)Easter is right around the corner and Easter brunch is a nice way to celebrate with family. Some meal preparation helps put the meal together quickly and not take away much time you want to spend with your guests. I've put together a few recipes today that can be served for brunch after church service. Easter is the best time to use your good dishes and make the table extra special, while serving your guests a delicious assortment of food. Enjoy your celebration of the risen Lord!...
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Community Cookbook: Caramels, Wes Mueller from Sidney, Nebraska (3/16/24)Wes Mueller grew up in Sidney, Neb., a city of 6,000 people — which he says wasn’t small for Cheyenne County, a mostly rural farming community in the western corner of the state. Wes says his mother Bert Mueller was known for her cooking throughout their community...
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Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with these recipes (3/14/24)St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, and you may already be planning your menu for your celebration. There's a fun saying that says, "Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day", and I sure think so. No matter what our family history tells us, it is fun to celebrate St. Patrick's Day...
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Outside the Office: Baking with Dr. Toni Alexander (3/13/24)As a professor and chairperson of the History and Anthropology Department at Southeast Missouri State University, Dr. Toni Alexander says much of her day-to-day work does not end with something tangible. The few “tangible” results in her job — students graduating, papers being published and other academic projects — require ample time and patience...
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A new month brings a batch of 'spring' chicken recipes (3/7/24)We welcome a new month and new recipes as we ease into spring with chicken recipes that are sure to please. I have been in a late winter cooking slump, and I need a few new recipes to shake things up a bit for us. Today I have found chicken recipes that are quick to prepare that will help busy families and people on-the-go to get supper on the table as quickly as possible, but not compromise on good taste...
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Whether you say tomato or tomahto, say San Marzano (2/29/24)Years ago, when I first visited the city of Pompeii, famously preserved in volcanic ash in 79 B.C. by the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius, I could not help but be impressed by two things: the sophistication of the ancient Roman city which had been frozen in time and the power of the forces which took only 15 minutes to overwhelm it...
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Recipes with a Leap Year theme (2/29/24)Today is a special day, February 29, which means it is Leap Day. Leap Day occurs only once every four years, and the actual purpose of having Leap Day is to keep our annual calendar and the seasons aligned over very long periods of time. The actual time it takes for Earth to orbit the sun is not exactly 365 days, but rather 365.242189 days (365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds), also known as a "tropical year". ...
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Presidential recipes over the years (2/22/24)As we celebrate Lincoln's birthday, Washington's birthday and also Presidents' Day I became curious about some of the recipes our Presidents and First Ladies might have enjoyed. As I started looking up recipes and trying to find more and more recipes, it was so interesting, and I really enjoyed reading really old recipes with very little or simple directions. I tried to imagine cooking over wood burning stoves with little way to control the temperature and the lack of ingredients we enjoy today...
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Recipes for pork tenderloin marinade (2/15/24)When you find a great buy on meat it is nice to stock up and have extra to put in the freezer. Pork tenderloin is one of our favorites and it can be prepared in so many different ways. We enjoy pork tenderloins grilled, but sometimes during the winter, that is not possible. So we resort to grilling or broiling. They can be prepared in a crock pot, but that is not my preferred method...
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Getting your menu ready for the big game (2/8/24)It is time to plan your menu for the big football game, if you are a football game watcher. For some of us, the fellowship with others and the snacks on the buffet are much more fun than the actual game. It is also an exciting time at our house with basketball. We far prefer basketball to football, so we are enjoying game food in a different way, with a different game...
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The pastrycook's dark secret revealed (2/1/24)You might think of the Kit Kat bar as a simple chocolate treat to give out on Halloween. But in Japan it's far more than that. Considered a cultural touchstone there, more than 400 distinct flavors like melon, purple sweet potato, and matcha green tea are available...
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A few new entree recipes to try (2/1/24)We'll kick off this new month with some new entree recipes that are sure to please your family. You may be in a post-holiday rut with what you are cooking, so a few new recipes might help solve that problem. I've chosen recipes today that are easy to prepare and call for mostly common ingredients. ...
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Hearty dishes with enough for leftovers (1/25/24)As I am writing this column, it is bitter cold outside and I am thinking about hearty, stick-to-your-ribs recipes that will warm you up on a cold day. It is nice to make recipes that will allow for leftovers to use during the week, and I think all of these recipes would provide a nice hearty meal and give you plenty of additional meals later in the week. Enjoy!...
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Try something outside your comfort zone (1/18/24)I enjoy exploring all types of recipes, and generally speaking, I am willing to try almost any recipe. I was reminded recently of the old-fashioned classic Velveeta fudge recipe from years ago, by my co-worker Myranda Hill, and it made me think about other recipes that have unusual or unexpected ingredients. ...
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Community Cookbook: White Cranberry Margarita, by Keller Ford from Cape Girardeau (1/16/24)Keller Ford says he got the “best of both worlds” during his childhood: During the school year, he lived with his mother in Phoenix and throughout parts of Orange County, Calif.; during Christmas and summer, he visited his father in Cape Girardeau. “It was living out there [in the West with] beautiful sunshine, then coming back here to snow,” Ford says...
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Soup recipes to take the chill out of the air (1/11/24)The chill of winter is in the air, and although the days are getting longer, evening comes so quickly. To help take the chill from the air, a nice hot bowl of soup is perfect for this time of year. One of the best thing about making soups is the flexibility of the recipe to do whatever suits you and your family or what ingredients you have on hand at the time...
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Finger foods are a good way to end 2023 (12/28/23)We are ending up this wonderful year of 2023 with finger food recipes. I know several families who are having a late Christmas gathering with family over the New Year weekend, while others are past Christmas and are planning their menu for New Year's Eve. Finger food, dips and snacks could easily be served at either of these celebrations...
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A few of recipes to share for Christmas (12/21/23)We are right down to the wire with planning menus and choosing recipes to serve for Christmas, but I still have time to sneak in just a few more recipes before Santa comes to visit. I have been looking at so many recipes over the past week or two, and I want to try them all, but time won't allow that. Instead, I'll pass a few of them on to you and maybe you can fit some of these onto your Christmas menu list...
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Eggnog recipes for Christmas (12/14/23)Eggnog is such an underused ingredient during the Christmas baking and cooking season. Eggnog has far more uses than just sipping from a cup around a fire with friends and family. Some of your favorite recipes can be made very special for the holiday season just by using eggnog as an ingredient. Personally, I am one of those people who would much rather cook and bake with eggnog than drink it from a cup or glass...
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Put some extra magic in your holiday (12/7/23)"She looks like an overgrown kewpie. She sings like a mood-mad hillbilly. Her dancing is crazily comic." That's how Life magazine described the legendary star, the late Carol Channing. A Tony Award winner, the first celebrity to perform at a Super Bowl halftime show, a Democrat who regarded her inclusion on Richard Nixon's enemies list as the highest honor of her career, and the actress who gave Clint Eastwood his first onscreen kiss, she was among the most unique performers in the history of show business.. ...
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A variety of Christmas cookie recipes (12/7/23)This annual cookie column is one of my favorite columns of the entire year. Cookies are such a quintessential part of the Christmas season, I like to share cookie recipes early in the season so readers will have time to bake. Almost everyone has go-to favorite cookie recipes that are often a tradition in their family. What I have included here are some different recipes that you might not have made before. You can try these and add the ones you like to your all-time favorites list...
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McClanahan's Recipe Swap celebrates 25 years (11/30/23)Saturday, Dec. 2, marks the 25th anniversary of Susan McClanahan writing the food column "Recipe Swap" in the Southeast Missourian. McClanahan said the original plan for the column was for readers to have a place to swap recipes back and forth. "The idea was people could write in requests for a recipe and then we would put that request out and then people could respond," McClanahan said. ...
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Sharing 25 years of recipes (11/30/23)Happy 25th birthday to this recipe column. When I started writing this column, I could not imagine I would still be doing it 25 years later. I had a baby and a toddler at home, along with my full-time job and decided to take on this column. Our children have grown up during this time, and now we have two grandchildren, and the recipe column continues into a new time in our lives...
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How to use those Thanksgiving Day leftovers (11/22/23)After all the family and friends leave from enjoying Thanksgiving together, there is the issue of all of the leftovers in the refrigerator. Even sending to-go containers home with family members may still leave you wondering what to do with all the leftovers...
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Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without the sides and desserts (11/16/23)Thanksgiving menus are being put together and shopping lists are well underway, but before you finish up your list, I'm hoping to tempt you with a few desserts and side dish recipes. Although your family may have favorite traditions, it is nice to add a few new menu items to change things up a bit. Desserts and side dishes are a great place to start, so that is what I am sharing with you today. Enjoy!...
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Not by pie alone (11/9/23)This is my favorite season of the year. No, not Fall. Pumpkin season. I like pumpkin in all of its culinary manifestations: pumpkin brownies, pumpkin chili, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin creme brulee, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin risotto, and, of course, pumpkin pie. Forty years ago, incurring the skepticism of some of my relatives, I was making pumpkin ravioli for Thanksgiving long before it was available at the grocery store...
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Wild game recipes for the hunter in the family (11/9/23)My nephew, Stevie Battaglia is an avid hunter, and he provides wild game for their family for the entire year. His son, Gunnar, has already gotten a deer during bow season, and they are gearing up for more hunting in the days ahead. Stevie is well known among family and friends for his Italian Deer served on toasted hoagie buns. Unfortunately, I don't have his recipe, as he just wings it, and he makes it as he knows how to do...
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It's time for soup, stew, chili and chowder (11/2/23)It is soup, stew, chili and chowder season and I'm ready to start making some to enjoy. Cool temperatures, shorter days and the beautiful colors of the trees has totally turned my thinking toward warm and savory recipes. Almost everyone has a favorite beef vegetable soup or potato soup, so I have put together a collection of recipes today that maybe you have not made before. ...
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Recipes just in time for cooler weather (10/26/23)In closing out the month of October, I keep finding so many recipes I am very eager to try. I really enjoy baking and cooking as the weather turns a little cooler and it encourages me to try new recipes and spend more time in the kitchen. Today I have included a recipe for a wonderful combination of biscuit and cornbread all in one. ...
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Recipes to reflect the cool weather (10/19/23)As the leaves start to turn and there is a cool crispness to the air, I start thinking about foods that tell me fall has arrived. When we had that cool weather recently, the first thing I did was make No Peek Beef Stew. I pulled out the large covered Ditch oven and put stew on to bake for five hours, and it smelled like fall and winter. Do you have favorite foods you make when you turn the calendar to October and the weather turns cool? Maybe chili is on your stove simmering?...
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Green's Garden: Let that delicious food speak (10/12/23)Sitting on the corner at 2 Main St. in Cape Girardeau is a special place, Green's Garden. Green's Garden is a family-owned and -operated business, and let me tell you, you can see the care put into every corner of the building. It feels very much like old-world street vendor carts, with shining bright vegetables displayed beautifully and stacked perfectly. ...
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Cooking the books (10/12/23)"The Internet really ought to have killed cookbooks," Helen Rosner, the award-winning food columnist of the New Yorker observes. But instead, cookbooks are selling better than ever. Rosner says this is because they have become more than merely collections of recipes...
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Jumping on the pumpkin bandwagon (10/12/23)It seems like everywhere I look there is a presence of pumpkin items. The ice cream shops have pumpkin frozen treats available, and the grocery store is full of pumpkin items that include about everything you can imagine. I must jump on board the pumpkin theme as I really enjoy pumpkin recipes for a few weeks in the fall. I've included recipe for sweets and savory dishes so there may be a recipe here for everyone. Enjoy!...
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Recipes for a new month (10/5/23)New recipes to kick off a new month. As we move right into October, I've pulled together several recipes for you to try. These may be new to you, or maybe a variation to a familiar recipe you've made for a long time, but with a new month, it's time to try some new recipes...
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Fall into some s'mores recipes (9/28/23)Before long it will be bonfire time as evenings get cooler, and that makes me think of s'mores made around the fire. There is something special about sharing a s'more experience with friends. I went looking for variations and recipes for all-things-s'mores and boy was I surprised! I found cookies, all types of desserts including pie, frozen treats, nachos, dessert bars of every kind imaginable and even bacon s'mores...
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Lots of recipes for apple season (9/21/23)Apple season is upon us, and unlike peach season, it appears there will be a plentiful crop. We missed so many good recipes for peaches, but I can already see we'll be making that up in apple recipes this fall. Whether you are using fresh apples, apple butter, apple cider or applesauce, the aroma that comes away from a fresh baked item seems to smell like fall has arrived...
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Community Cookbook: Ceviche by Gracie Aguirre from Durango, Mexico (9/14/23)Recipes tell the stories of communities and the people who shape them. Each recipe is more than a list of ingredients and steps; it is a written legacy of the individual who created the dish, their family and history. This monthly series highlights one of these legacies and gives readers the chance to create the recipe themselves...
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Nothing light at the end of this tunnel (9/14/23)Jim Carey auditioned several times for Saturday Night Live, but never got on the show. He's now considered a pioneering comedian. Jean Sibelius on his honeymoon tried out for a spot in the Helsinki Philharmonic. He didn't get it. Today he's considered one of the most innovative composers since Beethoven...
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Recipes for your tailgate or just watching the game at home (9/14/23)Football season has arrived and with that comes watch parties and tailgating for your favorite team. College football is in full swing, and high school teams are ready for another exciting season. Whether you are a stay-at-home-and-watch-on-a-device kind of fan or if you are at the parking lot cooking for your friends before the game, this group of snack dip recipes are just what you need. ...
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Rib City: How Dexter became Missouri’s barbecue capital (9/13/23)Dexter, Missouri, is known as “Rib City,” and West Business U.S. Highway 60 is where that name truly comes to life. On that highway, all within less than a mile of each other, exist some of the most popular and well-known barbecue restaurants in Southeast Missouri. And it goes beyond restaurants. Convenience stores, gas stations and small mom-and-pop shops are all advertising their barbecue products.
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Embrace your inner child with these recipes (9/7/23)Every once in awhile it is fun to embrace that inner child and do something unexpected. Rice Krispie Treats are one of those simple, childhood foods that are so simple yet so yummy. Have you looked up how many different variations on this recipe there are? There are so many and I had fun looking through many of the recipes and then coming up with a few ideas of my own...
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New Broadway Bistro will be three businesses in one (9/1/23)A new business coming to Cape Girardeau aims to be a one-stop shop for food, vintage products and event space alike. Ken Murphy, general manager of the upcoming Broadway Bistro and Vintage Trade, said he expanded upon his initial idea of just being a restaurant to include other business ventures within the same building...
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Pink recipes to celebrate a new granddaughter (8/31/23)I'm tickled pink as I'm writing this column today! Scott and I welcomed our new granddaughter into the world, and we couldn't be more excited. Ella Beth came into the world safe and healthy. We are so thankful, and we are already over-the-moon in love with her. Her parents are doing well, and her 21-month-old big brother was so sweet, gentle and loving when they brought her home. It looks like they are off to a great start for a sweet little family...
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Community Cookbook: Pat's Pastries recreates nostalgic small-town bakery experience (8/29/23)Recipes tell the stories of communities and the people who shape them. Each recipe is more than a list of ingredients and steps; it is a written legacy of the individual who created the dish, their family and history. This monthly series highlights one of these legacies and gives readers the chance to create the recipe themselves...
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A hodge-podge of recipes (8/24/23)I started putting this column together in a hodge-podge manner, for sure. I came across this blueberry-sausage breakfast cake recipe that sounded interesting, so I decided I had to try it. Then I came across a small jar of apple butter in my refrigerator that I need to use before I get new this fall; so found a recipe to use it up. ...
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Curds and whey seize the day (8/17/23)I never expected to find an article on cottage cheese in The Wall Street Journal, on the front page no less. But there it was a few weeks ago, with a headline announcing, "Whey Cool: Gen Z Discovers Cottage Cheese." The article explained that cottage cheese has become the new "it" food, at least among young people who are apparently discovering it for the first time...
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Recipes for a fun-loving uncle's birthday (8/17/23)Today is my brother-in-law's birthday! Collin is a little younger than I am, and he's been a great brother for the past 33 years. Behind that rugged exterior, he has a heart of gold, and he would do anything for me or my children, which is only one reason why I love him so much. Our kids always know a good time when Uncle Collin is around and knew him very early as the fun uncle. There's always some big piece of equipment to ride or drive, guns to shoot or side-by-side rides around the farm...
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Make-ahead casseroles are ready to bake (8/10/23)I started this column thinking about school starting back in session. Once school starts back, it seems like time goes so quickly and parents need a plan for supper ideas, and often casseroles fill the bill. Many casserole-style recipes can be made or assembled ahead of time and baked when needed...