Your Life

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

‘Cooking Under the Dome’ cookbook selling well

Sassy Seniors at First United Methodist Church in Gulfport decided to publish a cookbook and put out requests to the church family for their favorite recipes and the final count came to 624.

Church members also contributed familiar recipes of deceased members. Those include Virginia Rester’s Plum Cake, Marie Langlois’s Cheese Spread, Frances Blakeslee’s Beef Stroganoff and Elizabeth Storey’s Heavenly Hash Brownies, which was a favorite at every potluck supper.

The cover of the cookbook, titled “Cooking Under the Dome,” features a photo of the dome that was taken by the late Howard Yund. Inside, in addition to the recipes, there is a brief history of the church, which is now more than 113 years old.

There is also a history of the dome, that survived both Hurricane Camille and Hurricane Katrina.

You will find some recipes that will become your favorite from cooks such as Gene and Betty Schultz, Sonja Sheffield, Jeanie Pollard, Lou Hare, Helen Hlass and Carolyn Porter, Jo Ann Slade, Margaret Jackson, some of my own recipes, and hundreds of others.

Oreo balls

q 1package regular Oreos, crushed

q 1 package chocolate almond bark

q 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese

q 1 pkg. white chocolate almond bark

n Mix crushed Oreos and cream cheese together. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Place in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to harden. Use double boiler to melt first package of chocolate. Drop ball into melted chocolate and remove with spoon, tapping on side of pan to remove excess chocolate, then place on cookie sheet. Drip a little remaining chocolate from the spoon onto ball where spoon had been.

Place in refrigerator and melt white chocolate (about 1/2 block). Using a knife, dip in white chocolate and quickly sling over balls on cookie sheet. Place in refrigerator. Remove in time to reach room temperature before serving.

— Jeanie Pollard

And Carolyn Porter makes a delicious Chicken a la King:

Chicken a la king

q 3 tablespoon butter

q 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

q 3 tablespoon flour

q salt and pepper to taste

q 1 3/4 cup milk

q paprika to taste

q 3 cup diced cooked chicken

n In a large pot, melt butter and add flour, stirring constantly on low heat. Add milk gradually and keep stirring, then add the chicken and hard-boiled eggs. Lastly, add the salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Serve on patty shells or toast.

— Carolyn Porter

The cookbooks sell for $15. Proceeds go to the church’s ministry to help those in need.

The books can be purchased at First United Methodist Church , 2301 15th Street, Gulfport, in the church office Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They also are available from Lou Hare at 385-6624; Lou Black at 864-1804; and Jo Ann Slade at 863-7890 or yours truly at 864-4721.