Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter just wouldn t be the same at our Myhre holiday celebrations without Flatbread. Flatbread? Yes, that Scandinavian treat my Grandma Myhre passed down to me. Flatbread is just what it says it is flat bread, but more like crackers or baked chips.

Grandma only made flatbread once or twice a year. I first became aware of the work behind this treat when I was in elementary school. I remember the winter day was very cold. Grandma invited me to her house to help make flatbread. When I arrived, she had the dough all stirred up and resting . The house was warm from the wood fire in the basement cook stove.

Grandma had a corner of the basement set up as an old fashioned kitchen a small table, a couple of chairs, a pantry, a cook stove, and a light bulb hanging from a cord.

We descended the steep wooden stairs with supplies in hand. Once she had everything in place and checked the fire, she pinched off a small piece of dough and began working in some flour shaping it into a most perfect sphere. Only when this sphere was to her satisfaction did she start to flatten it, and begin rolling with her grooved rolling pin (still working the dough to keep its circular shape). She used the long, wooden lefsa stick Grandpa had made her to flip the dough over. She rolled and flipped until the dough was paper thin. Then she cut the dough into pieces.

Now it was my turn. Grandma showed me how to place the pieces of flatbread on the cook stove without burning my fingers. The dough contracted and sizzled when it touched the hot surface. I continued to add more pieces until the cook top was full. After a couple minutes, it was time to turn each piece. We considered them done when they were lightly browned and crisp. Often we left a piece off to the side that needed more time to brown or crisp up. One also needed to be aware of the hot spots. We didn t want any to burn. Then the flatbread pieces were gently stacked inside a large, white metal dishpan.

Grandma always took care of the fire . She lifted the round lid with a special tool and stirred up the embers as she added more sticks of wood. It still amazes me how she regulated the temperature.

Grandma continued to roll and I took care of the baking for the next 2 hours. By the time we were done, our faces were flushed red from the warm wood fire and we were tired. I used a common table knife to turn the flatbread pieces, so my fingers were quite sore too.

There were a few dished to do, but I didn t have to stay to help with them. Instead, she found a brown paper grocery bag. She placed a paper towel in the bottom then gently and generously added flatbread for me to carry home.

We had fresh flatbread for supper! But actually, quite a few pieces disappeared before supper. I think my mom hid that brown paper bag so we would have some for later .

Many years have passed since then. Now I am carrying on the family tradition of flatbread. I have searched many recipe books on my quest for Grandma Myhre s recipe. She didn t share hers, so I ve had to rely on my taste memory. I ve settled on this one. It s pretty close; however, the methods are vastly different. I mix this recipe in a bread machine. A longer metal spatula works for flipping while rolling. By placing the flatbread on a cookie sheet, it browns and crisps nicely in about 10 minutes in a 325 degree oven. A grooved rolling pin is needed and a good hiding place is a must! Otherwise, flatbread has a way of disappearing and the holidays may be without our family tradition. You can t eat just one!

Great Grandma Thyen remembers Great Great Great Grandma Kranz being famous for her donuts. She remembers going to her house and playing cards and eating fresh donuts. These Drop Donuts (Dough Boys) have been passed down for at least six generations and maybe even farther back. Our family tradition is to make Dough Boys during snow storms. During the recent spring blizzards, our family has been reminiscing and researching this family tradition.

We have 4 daughters who have always liked to help me in the kitchen. It has been our tradition for years that the first week after school is out, we make Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches. It is just a way of celebrating "Summer is Here!". It makes a nice big batch so we enjoy them slowly over time (or share some with the nieghbors!). I started with a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe and made them more "cake like" by adding the milk, so they do not crumble when frozen and bitten into.

Pot Pie - Cherry Comp ( Cherry wins our bonus prize - A 30 dollar value gift-certificate from The CO-OP Natural Foods. Sioux Falls, SD

4 cups flour
1/2 cup lard or shortening
1 tsp. salt
milk
4 potatoes
chicken, pork, beef, tame or wild rabbit (your preference)

Put meat in kettle and bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 3 hours, or until tender. Peel and cut potatoes and add to broth.

Mix flour, lard, salt and enough milk to make a soft dough. Roll out onto floured board 1/4 inch thick. Cut into squares and drop into the broth about 15 minutes until done.

My most favorite thing that mom used to make when I was growing up is pot pie. Not like a pastry with filling, it was a soup. My mother acquired the recipe from her mother-in-law, Grandma Green. It was considered a depression dish back in those days made with rabbit, beef, pork, whatever was handy. I love it and to this day it’s still my favorite.

Swedish Pancakes
Put in blender and blend until smooth:
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/3 tsp salt
Pour about a 1/4 cup batter on a hot, buttered cast iron skillet. Lift the skillet to spread the batter. Loosen and flip the pancake when it becomes firm.
Serve rolled with syrup, sugar or Swedish lingonberries.

BREAD PUDDING:
2 slightly beaten eggs 2 c. 1 inch day old
2 1/4 C. milk bread
1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 c. raisins if
1/4 tsp. salt you like.
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Combine ingredients and pour mixture into
8 x 1 3/4 inch pan. Place in larger shallow pan with an inch of water and then bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. (Garnish if you wish with a sauce or ice cream) Double the recipe for 9x13 inch pan.

KRAUT BURGER - Carole Kling

Dough Meat Mixture
2 cup milk 1 Lg. White Onion
2/3 cup butter 4 lbs hamburger
2 pkg. yeast 4 16 oz. Cole Slaw
2 t. salt Lots of Salt
2/3 cup sugar Bunches of Pepper
3 eggs beaten
1/2 cup water
8 cups flour

Brown hamburger and chopped onion. Add cole slaw mix and salt and pepper. Cook until cabbage is cooked down . Drain mixture and cool. To make dough, mix wet ingredients together and heat until butter is melted and the let it cool. Add dry ingredients. Knead on a flour surface and let rise for 20 minutes. Pull off a ball of dought, big fist size and roll flat about pie crust size. Cut into four pieces. Spoon on meat mixture and fold and pinch dough closed. Arrange filled dough, pinched side down, on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 about 15 minutes until lightly browned. Makes about 2 dozen.

They freeze very well that's why the receipe is so large. I don't like the cabbage smell in my house very often. But it is worth it.

If your nose doen't run when you eat them you have not added enough pepper. My husband says you have to be a real German to get the pepper just right. Kraut Burgers are his childhood favorite.

I have modernized the receipe some. When his mother and Aunt Millie made them they chopped the cabbage. The cole slaw mix is much easier and the carrots give it a little color. The dough is a Kuchen dough receipe that is a bit lighter the the one his folks used.

The first time I made Kraut burgers was when we were newly married and I had no idea what they were or how to make them and my husbands directions were a bit far from the mark. The receipe comes from his German Russian heritage and is popular back in Colorado where he grew up. When we make them they have to be well hidden in the freezer or my children and grandchildren fight over them

Marinara Sauce: - Cena Keller

1/4 C. of good quality olive oil
7-10 cloves of garlic (depending on the size) minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (1/4 tsp. if you don't like it as hot)
2 16 oz. cans of organic crushed tomatoes
2 T. dried leaf basil
1 T. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. sea salt
black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
(to make a deeper, richer sauce, sometimes i add 1/2 C. good red wine, but it does change the recipe, it definitely becomes a heavier sauce, but delicious)
Saute' the garlic and red pepper flakes on medium/low until translucent; add tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer for at least an hour. You can let this sauce simmer as long as you like as long as it as at a gentle simmer. This is such a versatile sauce. Serve with pasta, meatballs, for stuffed pasta's, lasagna, you can add a can of tomato paste and a 1/2 tsp. fennel seed to make it into pizza sauce. I usually double or triple the recipe and then freeze extra. It always comes in handy.

I grew up like a typical mid westerner. My folks didn't have a lot of money and my father liked meat. Mostly meat. So we always had meat and a couple of vegetables. My folks always had a garden in the summer, so they canned most of their vegetables. I grew up eating this type of meal every night. We didn't have casseroles, or pasta's, or rice, nothing like that. I did however, grow up eating any kind of vegetable that they grew. When I started cooking, I cooked the same way my folks did. Meat and vegetables. I was always interested in ethnic foods, but was intimidated. This recipe came to me from a friend that moved to South Dakota from Connecticut about 20 years ago when I started cooking. She and her husband were Italian and she could not get over the shock of the landscape of South Dakota, but mostly she could not get over the shock of the lack of produce at a small midwest grocery store. She gave me this recipe and helped me make it the first time. I loved it, my family still loves it. To me now, it is my family recipe that I will pass down to my children. Any time my kids are sick, or sad or just plain tired, they always request this recipe. To them, it's their comfort food. I love that it's good for them and again, so versatile. As a midwesterner, we like to stretch the dollar and have it go farther. This recipe does that, yet it tastes so good. The best red sauce I have ever tasted.

Watermelon Pickles - Marla Hyatt

Ingredients: 10 cups watermelon rind cut into 1" cubes (remove outside skin and leave about 1/4" of pink attached) -
Boiling water to cover
1 teaspoon alum
2 teaspoons salt
8 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 cup "cinnamon hot" candies
1/4 teaspoon clove oil
Place watermelon cubes in very large stew or soup pot - pour water over to cover by about 1". Remove watermelon to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. (This gives you the measure you need for the water.)

Bring the water remaining in pan to a boil. Dissolve alum and salt in water. Add watermelon back and cook until tender, drain. Place in large glass bowl.

In large saucepan combine the sugar, 2 cups of water, cinnamon candies and clove oil. Bring to a boil. Pour over rinds in bowl, cover and let stand overnight. In the morning, drain the syrup from the rinds and bring to a boil - pour back over the rinds. Repeat for 2 more days. On the last morning return watermelon and syrup to the large pan and bring to a boil. Spoon into 1 pint jars and either freeze or hot-water process in boiling water canner for 20 minutes. (Count the time after water returns to a boil when jars are added.) Makes about 6 pints.

In our family nothing is supposed to go to waste. My mother started gathering up the watermelon rinds after our annual family picnic get togethers and making watermelon pickles. Then she would give jars of these yummy pickles to my aunts and uncles at the holidays - a great reminder of our summer picnics and an excellent addition to their holiday tables. I still can't stand to see people throw away their watermelon rinds, so I have continued the tradition. I found a great sale on cinnamon candies one year and substituted them for ground cinnamon, cinnamon oil and pickling spice that she had used in her original recipe. I've found that kids really like the "mellower" flavor of these pickles.

Homemade egg noodles - Mary Brasfield

2cups flour
3 eggs
pinch of sugar
dash of salt
1 or 2 T of water if dough is too dry

mix all ingredients together. knead dough on floured surface and roll thin. Works better if you can leave it to dry for a couple of hours. Then with a knife or pizza cutter cut your noodles- make them thin. Drop them in boiling chicken or turkey broth.

ESTRADA FAMILY PINTO BEANS -Laura Breck

This recipe for homemade pinto beans is a recent addition to my recipe binder. This is the Estrada Family Pinto Bean Recipe. My fiance, Andy, is of Mexican heritage. His Grandfather and Grandmother legally immigrated to Nebraska from Mexico in the 1940's. This past February, Andy's Grandfather passed away, and we drove 25 hours straight to be with the family. This was the first time I met his Abuela (Grandmother) and his Tias (Aunts). Needless to say it was a hard first meeting given the circumstances. By the end of our 5 days stay his family had taught me their secret recipes for flour tortillas, and beans. I usually make the beans and tortillas when he's feeling homesick or having a bad week and its my special way of telling him I love him, since his family lives across the country.

ESTRADA FAMILY PINTO BEANS

Ingredients:

-2 C. dried pinto beans; rinsed and picked through
-2 cloves garlic
-1 tsp. jalepeno; finely chopped
-1/2 tsp. cumin
-1/4 tsp. marjoram
-1/8 tsp. rosemary
-2 slices of bacon; chopped
-1 tsp. olive oil
-4 C. water

In a 2 qt. crockpot combine all the ingredients. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours. Serves 6-8.

Chocolate chip crumb cake - Jessie Apfel

Cake
1 1/4 cups baking mix
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Topping
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.

In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients until the mixture is crumbly; Set aside.

For the cake, beat together the baking mix, sugar, sour cream, butter, vanilla and egg for about 30 seconds, scraping the bowl constantly. Then increase the speed to medium and beat 4 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Hand stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the topping. Spread remaining half of batter and top with remaining topping. Gently press toping down into batter. Bake cake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

My grandmother used to make chocolate chip crumb cake for every family gathering that we would have. It was always my favorite and I would beg her to make more. Eventually, it got to the point where she would make two for every holiday...one for me, and one for everyone else in the family. I would take an entire crumb cake home with me (eating a lot of it on the car ride home!) and always think of my grandmother when I ate it. At some point, we began to make it together, and it was always fun cooking and leaning with her. We experimented with all different ways of preparing it. This quick and easy version was our latest and last creation.

Sour Cream Parmesan Potatoes - Trisha Kruse

Our family spent several years in Italy when I was growing up. That's where I learned my first lessons in cooking with fresh, local ingredients. This is one of the tradiotional countly recipes we brought back to the US with us. The Parmesan cheese is what really sets this apart from other potato casseroles – it’s worth splurging on a wedge of the real stuff to make this!

2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange potatoes over the bottom of the dish, and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons butter until melted. Sprinkle the flour, salt, and pepper over the onion mixture. Cook and stir until mixture about 2 minutes. Continue to stir the flour mixture while gradually pouring in the milk. Add the sour cream and reduce heat. Stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese; cook for 3-5minutes until melted, and mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture over the potatoes in the baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes more. Makes 8-10 servings.

SWISS ONION PIE - Marlys Barrie Burke

1 cup finely crushed saltine crackers (about 26 crackers)
4 tbsp. oleo melted.
Combine cracker crumbs and oleo, press into bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

FILLING:
6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1 cup chopped onion
8 oz. swiss cheese, shredded ( 2 cups)
3/4 cup dairy sour cream
2 slightly beaten eggs
dash pepper

In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 tbsp. bacon fat, add onion and cook until tender but not brown.

Combine all ingredients. Pour into the reserved cracker crumb shell. Bake at 375 deg. for 30 minutes or until knife inserted just off center comes out clean. Sprinkle with

2 oz, sharp cheddar cheese, shredded ( about 2 cups)

return to oven for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Make 6 to 8 servings and is a good brunch dish. It can be prepared the day before and put into the pie shell when ready to bake. May also be cooked, cooled and frozen, then reheated.

HORS D'OUEVRES

I have adapted the above recipe for individual hors d'ouevres as follows:
Buy 2 rolls of Pillsbury butterflake dinner rolls. Remove them from dthe package and carefully separate them in half . (if there are 10 in the package you will end up with 20). Press and shape them into little muffin or tart tins. (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter). Spray them with"Pam" before use. Put about a heaping tsp. of the filling into each muffin tin and cook in the 375 degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the sharp cheddar and return to oven for a minute or two to melt the cheese. Serve hot, and may be reheated in the oven. I make a double batch around the holidays and put them into the deep freeze. If possible thaw them and reheat in a 400 deg. oven for about 10 minutes. That way I always have a quick treat ready when guests stop by.

I use this recipe a lot and guests always love them

Peaches & Cream Pie - Renee Duman
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups fresh peaches
2 pie crusts (one for top, one for bottom)

Beat eggs slightly, add rest of ingredients. Pour into pie crust and add top crust. Brush top crust lightly with milk, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400* for 55 minutes. Enjoy!

This recipe was created by me at a time when I sought to create a bright spot in the life of my family. We were going through some challenging times and I needed to find a way to connect with everyone, to remind them that even on the darkest of days, you can find a reason to smile. Sitting around a steaming pie is surely a reason to smile! Since that first time, whenever we have a big decisison to ponder, or one of us is down, everyone knows by the sweet fragrence wafting from the kitchen that we need to band together, we need to break bread and enforce the bonds that make us family so that we can overcome whatever obstacle that stands in our way. And somehow, sitting there eating the tender fruit nestled in clouds of creamy custard and cradled in the flakiest crust, we each are reminded that we are not alone in our problems, that our love for one another is unconditional and infinite, that we can rise above all that holds us down as long as we have eachother - and a brand-new pie coming out of the oven!

A pig and a goat on a date - Jim Mathis

This is a very simple recipe for a delicious and fun appetizer... I jokingly call it "A pig and goat go on a date". The result is crunchy and chewy, sweet and salty all at once.

Ingedients:
12 medjool dates, pitted (Available at the The Co-op Natural Foods in Sioux Falls)
Organic Goat Cheese (Also available at the The Co-op Natural Foods in Sioux Falls)
1/2 pound of Pancetta (Italian bacon)

Stuff each of the dates with about a half tablespoon of goat cheese and wrap each with a slice of pancetta. Place on a rack on a shallow baking dish (like a jelly roll pan) and place under broiler at 450 degrees for about 7 minutes, or until the pancetta is crisp. Allow to cool for a few minutes, until you can easily handle. Serve warm.

Baked Potato Soup - Gretchen Hagin

- 4 large baking potatoes (about 2-¾ pounds)
- 2/3 cup butter or margarine
- 2/3 cup all- purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 6 cups milk
- 1 cup (4 oz.) thinly sliced green onions
- 10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Bake potatoes at 350 degrees for 65-70 minutes, or until tender; cool completely. Peel and cube potatoes
In a large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened
Remove from heat; whisk in sour crème. Add potatoes and green onions.Garnish with bacon cheese

YIELD: 10 servings

Grandma Valland's Potato Cakes or Lefse - Ruth Morey, Aberdeen, SD

Ingredients: 4 cups mashed potatoes, cooled
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 & 1/2 cups flour

Make into balls, after mixing well.

Roll out thin and bake on lefse grill or iron skillet.