How long has it been since you gathered paper, pen or pencil, an envelope and a U.S. postal stamp and found a semi-quiet place and put these items to use?
What you were preparing to do is to write a letter. No technology was involved — no battery, no electricity, no Wi-Fi, no internet — just you and these simple items which have been around in some form or another for countless centuries.
This week I received several of these beautiful pieces of communication from several of you delightful readers. All right, I will admit that many were written months ago and got lost in the shuffle of getting to me, so I hope your various requests were not crucial to a recipe you were about to make. I know that those of you who wrote them are more than likely not reading this. However, maybe someone you know will be a user of technology and will tell you about this column.
First of all, I need to tell you how my recipes are filed. They are filed by column date, not by recipes or recipe titles. So, if you ask for a recipe it is helpful to me if you can give me an approximate year, season or month, if possible, for the recipe you are requesting. If you email me for a recipe, I try to get back to you quickly if I can find it by your description. Sometimes, due to my situation and responsibilities, I cannot get them sent quickly.
One of the recipes I am sharing with you today is one that a nice lady from Jacksonville asked me to send. Even though it’s a repeat, I think you might enjoy using it for the holidays.
White Chocolate Lasagna (really a dessert)
1 package Golden Oreos (about 36 cookies)
6 tablespoons butter, melted,
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
16 ounces Cool Whip
7.8 ounces white chocolate instant pudding mix (or vanilla mix)
3 cups milk
White chocolate bar to make curls
Crush Oreos to a fine mixture. Place in a ziplock bag and add melted butter. Mix until well blended. Press into a 9-by-13-inch pan. In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, powdered sugar and 1/2 of the Cool Whip. Blend well and pour over Oreo crust. In another bowl, make pudding with milk and pudding mix. Whisk until thickened.
Pour over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Top with remaining Cool Whip and shaved white chocolate curls, which can be made using a vegetable peeler. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
I know that almost every family has traditions for the holidays. When we lived in the Rio Grande Valley (until 2010) several of our family members came to spend Thanksgiving with us. The soup recipe that follows is always what I cooked to serve everyone after the long drive down from East Texas. It’s good in the fall or winter.
Pat Gelina’s Taco Soup
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion chopped
3 cans (16 ounces each) Ranch style beans, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can (14 ounces) chopped tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 package taco mix
1 package Ranch style dressing mix
Brown beef in large stew pot. Add onion and let it cook for about 5 minutes with beef. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover and reduce heat. Let simmer for about 30-40 minutes. Makes 10-12 large servings.