Twenty years ago Apopka’s Habitat for Humanity International group kindly provided for The Apopka Chief’s and The Planter’s use in this weekly Kitchen Kapers column three of that international organization’s cookbooks.
The cookbooks’ extensive collection of recipes came from the kitchens of Habitat for Humanity members all around America.
Those cookbooks that were provided for this Kitchen Kapers column by Apopka’s Habitat for Humanity member Anita Bergh in 1996 are Partners In The Kitchen, Simple Decent Cooking and Home Sweet Habitat.
Those three cookbooks’ recipes collected from Habitat for Humanity’s members all across America two decades ago have indeed proven to be a gift which indeed “just keeps on giving.”
The same can be said about the dedicated Habitat for Humanity members here in the Apopka area and countless more living all across America or living and working internationally, all volunteering their time and hard work to Habitat for Humanity International’s projects which provide housing for homeless families. Together with other caring volunteers, they build those much needed homes.
In whatever free time they can find from their jobs, family needs and everything else in their busy lives, countless Habitat for Humanity volunteers are working toward their goal of decreasing and hopefully someday ending homelessness in America and around the world.
Creating and marketing their fundraising Habitat for Humanity cookbooks to finance their building of houses for homeless families was an inspired idea, because their collecting and sharing hundreds of recipes via their Habitat for Humanity cookbooks is a wonderful help for home chefs as well.
Enjoy trying this week’s recipes below, all from three of the Habitat for Humanity cookbooks collection of several cookbooks including these three, Home Sweet Habitat, Simple Decent Cooking, and Partners In The Kitchen: From Our House To Yours.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY’S POTATO PANCAKES
Recipe from Partners In The Kitchen: From Our House To Yours
4 pounds potatoes, peeled
2 large onions, grated
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
Nutmeg (amount to your taste)
Oil for frying
Grate the potatoes into colander and let stand to drain. In bowl, mix with onions and egg. In bowl, combine next five ingredients and stir into potato mixture. Drop small amount of mixture into hot oil in skillet. Fry for five minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain and serve.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY’S
TASTY CHEDDAR-POTATO CASSEROLE
Recipe from Partners In The Kitchen
8-10 large potatoes, cooked and peeled
1/4 cup hot milk
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, amounts to your taste
1 tablespoon butter
Mash the potatoes with the hot milk until fluffy. Add the cream cheese, two tablespoons butter and sour cream, while stirring well.
Spoon the mixture into a buttered two-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese, salt and pepper, and dot with remaining one tablespoon butter. Bake, covered with foil, at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes longer.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY’S
SPINACH AND MASHED POTATOES
Recipe from Partners In The Kitchen
6 to 8 large potatoes, cooked and peeled
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons chopped chives
1 teaspoon dill weed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
Mash the potatoes with sour cream and butter until light and fluffy. Stir in sugar, chives, dill weed, salt and pepper. Fold in the spinach. Pour into three-quart baking dish and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with shredded cheese if you wish.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY’S CREAMED BROCCOLI
Recipe from Partners In The Kitchen
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli
2 eggs, beaten
1 (10-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 cup mayonnaise
1-1/4 cups stuffing mix
2 tablespoons melted margarine
Cook the broccoli, using package directions. In a bowl, drain the cooked broccoli. Mix together the eggs, soup, cheese, onion and the mayonnaise. Stir in the broccoli. Spoon the mixture into a two-quart baking dish. Cover with the stuffing mix. Drizzle with margarine and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY’S CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW CHURCH WINDOWS
Recipe from Home Sweet Habitat
1/2 cup margarine
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 (ten ounce) package of colored miniature marshmallows
Shredded coconut (amount to your taste)
Melt the margarine and semi-sweet chocolate chips in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Let stand to cool. Add pecans and marshmallows, mixing well. Shape into two logs. Sprinkle coconut over waxed paper. Roll the logs in the coconut. Wrap the logs in foil and freeze until they are firm, then cut into thin slices of colorful candy that might look a little like stained-glass church windows.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY’S “SNICKERDOODLES” COOKIES
Recipe from Home Sweet Habitat
1 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2-2/3 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
In a mixer bowl, cream together one cup of shortening, one and a half cups of sugar and two eggs until light and fluffy. Stir in mixture of sifted flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Shape into one-inch balls. Roll the Snickerdoodles balls in a mixture of three tablespoons sugar and one tablespoon of cinnamon.
Place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until light brown. Remove to wire rack to cool.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY’S
OATMEAL COOKIES
Recipe from Home Sweet Habitat
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut
Cream the shortening, brown sugar and white sugar in mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg, water and vanilla. Mix well. Stir the mixture of flour, salt and baking soda into the creamed mixture. Add the oats and coconut and mix well.
Drop by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until light brown. Remove to wire rack to cool.
