RECIPE SWAP: END OF SUMMER BRINGS COOL TREATS, RECIPES FROM SUMMER VISITORS

The end of summer brings so many new changes for many of us, and our family is no exception. We have had the true privilege of having a 21 year old college student living with us the past eight weeks or so.

Leigh Barrett is from Anthony, Kansas and is a student at Kansas State in Manhattan and has worked on a custom combine team during harvest. She fit in so well with our family that it almost seemed as though she was one of my own, except we couldn't claim her as a tax deduction.

Leigh's Mother, Shirley caters meals to the custom combine team as well as for the community and friends. Leigh tells me that she rarely uses a recipe and her specialties are breads and desserts. Shirley shared a recipe with me, and of course I will pass it on to you. Our family will miss Leigh terribly, but we are hopeful that she will come back next summer.

Shirley's Cool Cheesecake Dessert

(Of course she made this up and didn't have a name, so I've just made one up for her).

1 box yellow cake mix

1 small box lemon gelatin

1 cup boiling water

1 small box Jello Instant Cheesecake Pudding mix

1 cup cold milk

1 small carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

Prepare cake mix according to package directions, baking in a prepared 9x13-inch cakepan. While cake is baking, mix the boiling water and lemon gelatin together until dissolved. When the cake is finished baking, remove from oven and poke holes in the cake with a fork. Pour the lemon gelatin over the hot cake. Allow to cool completely. (I put mine in the freezer until it was very cold).

Mix the instant pudding mix and milk until thickened. Gently fold in the whipped topping. Spread this onto the cooled cake and refrigerate until served.

For those of you who have not seen the instant cheesecake pudding mix yet, give it a try. I have used it in several ways. There is also a new flavor, White Chocolate. They are both good.

Once again our faithful readers from Altenburg have a recipe to share. I think they are a little shy about putting their names on recipes, but we don't mind as long as they keep sending in their favorite recipes.

Slow Cooker Bread Pudding

8 cups cubed day old raisin bread or cinnamon rolls

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup margarine, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup raisins

Place cubed rolls in slow cooker. Combine next 6 ingredients. Beat till smooth. Stir in raisins. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

The peaches have been absolutely wonderful this year. Every year I say they are the best yet, but I think I just forget how really good they are from year to year. Recipe Swap received a piece of mail full of peach recipes. There were 10 recipes in the envelope, all of which sound great. I'll choose a couple for this week and share the rest at a later date, because I'm sure you will want them all.

Peach Upside Down Muffins

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shortening, melted

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup milk

6 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

3 cups sliced peeled ripe peaches

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add shortening, eggs and milk; mix until smooth. In the bottom of 18 greased muffin cups, place 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Place in a 375 degree oven for 5 minutes. Arrange peaches in the muffin cups. Fill each half full with batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until browned. Turn out of pans immediately.

Missouri Peach And Applesauce Salad

1 cup lemon-lime soda

1 package (3 ounce) peach-flavored gelatin

1 cup applesauce

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped peeled ripe peaches

In a saucepan, bring soda to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Add applesauce. Chill until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon. In a mixing bowl, whip cream with sugar, nutmeg and vanilla until stiff. Fold into gelatin mixture along with the peaches. Transfer to a 1 1/2 qt. glass bowl. Chill until firm. Garnish with grapes and mint if desired. Yield: 8 to 12 servings.

Chicken Fruit Salad

3 cups cooked elbow macaroni

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 cups cubed peeled fresh peaches

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup halved strawberries

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained

1 can (8 ounces) pineapple tidbits, drained

1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup chopped apple

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Shredded lettuce

In a large bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, orange juice, sugar, ginger and pepper; pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Kaye Kuntscher of Caruthersville shares a recipe for a good use of sausage. You'll enjoy knowing that Kaye is the Director at the Senior Centers in Mississippi county.

Sausage And Rice Casserole

1 pound hot sausage

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup chopped celery

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

2 soup cans of water

Brown sausage and drain. Add all other ingredients and pour into a 9x13-inch dish. Sprinkle with garlic salt and bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

A couple of weeks ago Jean Dudley wrote in to request a recipe for the wonderful fruit-topped cinnamon rolls she remembered eating at the old Hampton's Bakery. Jean, from your request I got to meet and visit with Ella Dee Hampton at the Senior Center. She shared with me that the recipe is long gone, but the rolls were made with many institutional type products that homemakers just don't use in the home. And I have found that to be true. Quantity cooking and institutional food preparation, especially in baked items, many times use stabilizers and other products that make them so good, but not really reproducible in small batches. Jean, I will look in Wes' files, but can't promise anything.

That will do it for this week. Keep those recipes and requests coming. You have a great week and happy cooking.