Flower Moon
Flower Moon Recipes - Recipes From Friends & Family
This is a collection of recipes given to us in celebration of our marriage. See the whole story below.

 
Apple Pumpkin Raisin Bake  Max and Robin Weekly (friends)
  • 1 smallish pie pumpkin, top cutoff and strings and seeds removed
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup "crushed 'n' chunk" pineapple, drained
  • 1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
  • 2 cups peeled, chopped apples
  • 1/3 cup sugar, brown or white
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
Mix together everything but the pumpkin, put it into the pumpkin, and put the pumpkin's lid back on. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 2 hours. After baking, stir pumpkin contents incorporating pumpkin shell flesh (or scrape some pumpkin out with each scoop while serving). Serve right out of pumpkin and top with whipped cream. Fun!

Can also be microwaved.
 


 
Caramel-Chocolate Pecan Pie  Charlie, Carolyn, and Dane Cavanaugh Toft (Tom's brother and family)
  • 1 cup pecan pieces
  • 1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell
  • 1 6-oz package semi-sweet chocolate pieces (~1 cup)
  • ½ cup caramel ice cream topping
  • 1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 8-oz carton dairy sour cream
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
Sprinkle pecans evenly in unbaked pastry shell; sprinkle with chocolate pieces and drizzle with caramel topping.  Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.  Add eggs, beating on low speed of an electric mixer just until combined.  Pour over caramel topping in crust. Bake in a 350º oven about 45 minutes or until center appears set.  Cool.  Chill, covered, for at least 1 hour before serving.  Sift cocoa powder lightly over pie, if desired. Makes 8-10 servings.
 


 
Chocolate Mousse Charlie, Carolyn, and Dane Cavanaugh Toft (Tom's brother and family)
  • 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
  • ½ cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • ¼ t salt
  • 2 cups heavy cream
Melt the chocolate over hot (not boiling) water.  When entirely melted, stir in the confectioners' sugar and mix well. Heat the milk just enough so that a film shows on the surface, then stir into the chocolate slowly and thoroughly.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches the boiling point.  Do not boil, however.  Remove from the heat and mix in gelatin (which has been softened in 3 tablespoons of cold water), the granulated sugar, vanilla extract and salt.  Place in the refrigerator and chill until slightly thick.  Beat the heavy cream until it holds its shape.  Then beat the chilled chocolate mixture until it holds its shape. Fold in the heavy cream, and then pour the combined mixture into a 2-quart soufflé dish or serving bowl.  Chill 2-3 hours or until ready to serve.

 
Chocolate Scotcheroos Mary Toft (Tom's mom)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 6 cups Rice Krispies
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
Combine sugar and syrup in a 3 quart sauce pan. Cook over moderate heat; stir frequently until it boils. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter; mix well. Add Rice Krispies and stir until well blended. Press mixture into a buttered 9x13 pan. Melt the chips together over hot water; stir well. Remove from heat; spread evenly over above mixture. Cool until firm. Cut into bars. Makes 48 bars, 1x2" each.

 
Cod with Cream Sauce Wynette Edwards (Eilien's Sister)
For fish:
  • 1 lb. Cod (or tilapia)
  • 1 med. sliced onion
  • 3 lemon slices
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 peppercorns
  • 2 Tbs.. copped parsley
For sauce:
  • ¼ cup copped onion
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 3 Tbs.. flour
  • 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • 1¼ cup broth (from the fish preparation)
  • 1 cup milk
Add onion, lemon, salt, peppercorns, and parsley to 1½ inch water in skillet. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Place fish in single layer in skillet. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until fish flakes. Remove fish with slotted spoon. Place on serving platter and keep warm. Strain broth and reserve 1¼ cup for sauce.

Cook onion in butter over low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Blend in flour, mustard, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in fish broth and milk. Boil and stir one minute. Serve over fish.


 
Date Nut Loaf Edith and Earnest Gant (Eilien's mom and step-father)
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • 3 Tbs.. butter
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1½ cups dates (or small pack)
  • 1 cup nuts
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • Powdered sugar
Combine sugar, evaporated milk, and butter in heavy bottomed pot and stir until sugar dissolves; cover for 3 minutes. Remove cover, bring to a boil, and cook to "soft ball" stage (235º F). Add chopped dates and cook to "soft ball" stage again, stirring constantly. Let cool to luke warm (110º F), add nuts and vanilla. Beat until cool and thick enough to knead on powdered sugar. Roll as a log to a 1½" thickness and then slice into ½" thick coins.

 
Hot and Sour Beef Soup Li Junru (a.k.a. Christina Li, friend)
  • 5 oz. (150 g.) lean, boneless beef
  • 1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
  • 3 tsp. rice wine
  • 2 Tbs.. cornstarch (corn flour) dissolved in 2 Tbs.. water
  • 1 small carrot, about 3½ oz. (100 g.)
  • 2 Tbs.. vegetable oil
  • 2½ cups (600 ml.) high stock
  • 1 oz. (25 g) cellophane noodles, cut into 4 inch (10 cm.) lengths, soaked in cold water until soft
  • 1½ Tbs.. vinegar
  • 2 tsp. fresh coriander (or cilantro), chopped
  • 1 Tbs.. chili (chilli) oil
  • ¼ MSG
Wash the beef and cut into slivers. Mix with ½ tsp. of the salt, 2 tsp. of the rice wine, and 1 Tbs.. of the corn starch mixture. Wash and peel the carrot and cut into slivers.

Heat the oil in a wok until the oil surface ripples. Add the carrot slivers and stir-fry briefly. Add the stock, cellophane noodles, and ½ tsp. of the salt, and bring to a boil. Add the beef slivers, 1 Tbs.. rice wine, vinegar, MSG, the remaining cornstarch water mixture, and coriander. Return to the boil and pour into tureen. Sprinkle with the chilli oil and serve.


 
 
Ichiban Dashi Nancee Toft (Tom's sister)
  • 1 strip of kombu, about 3 to 7 inches, wiped lightly with a moistened cloth or paper towel
  • 3 ½ cups water
  • ¼ to 1 cup bonito flakes (15 to 30 grams)
Makes 3.5 cups
 
Combine kombu and water in a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Turn off heat, remove kombu, and reserve for use in other cooking, such as making Number Two Dashi. Add bonito flakes and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and allow to stand for 3 minutes. Skim off foam. Filter dashi through a (cloth lined) strainer placed over a saucepan. Press flakes with the back of a spoon to extract remaining dashi and then reserve the flakes.

Comments: I use 15 g or more of bonito flakes and forego the use of cloth or cheesecloth in the strainer.
 


 
Lemon Curd bars Karen and Rich Else (friends)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 10 to 12 oz. jar Lemon Curd
  • 2/3 cup coconut flakes (optional)
  • ½ cup chopped toasted almonds, or other nuts
(from Little Traveler)

In a large bowl, cream butter. Add flour, sugar, and baking soda and beat until lumpy.

Path 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom oa a 9x13" baking pan. Bake in preheated 375ºF oven for 10 minutes. remove, cool slightly. Lower oven to 350ºF. With spatula, spread Lemon Curd over baked layer.

To remaining 1/3 of crumb mixture, add coconut and almonds. Sprinkle on top of Lemon Curd. Bake at 350ºF for another 25 minutes until lightly browned.

Makes approximately 40 2" squares.


 
Miso Soup Nancee Toft (Tom's sister)
  • 2 cups dashi
  • 2-3 vegetables, e.g. thinly sliced onion, shitake mushrooms, wakame (soaked first), brocolli, garlic
  • 2-3 oz. tofu, cubed or sliced into noodle-like strips
  • 2 t - 2 T miso (Akamiso, Shiromiso, Hatchomiso, Mellow Miso, etc.)

  •  
Serves 2 lovebirds

Bring the dashi to a boil. Add the vegetables and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the tofu and simmer for 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Spoon 6 to 8 T of hot broth into a small bowl or cup. Add the miso to the broth and mash in until smooth. Pour the blended miso back into the soup and stir.

Comments: Serve immediately, but let the soup rest before eating to enjoy watching the cloud dynamics.
The Japanese eat miso at any time of the day, including breakfast. Use your imagination in selecting vegetables to add.
 


 
Meatballs (yum-yum) Phil, Des, Heather, Shane, Ashley, and Ryan Edwards (Eilien's sister's son and family)
  • 1 pkg. frozen meatballs (5 lb..)
  • 1 bottle KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce (45 oz.)
  • 1 package onion soup
  • Water (refill the sauce bottle half way and swish it around)
Cook meatballs according to package. In large pan, mix barbecue sauce, soup mix, and water. Mix well and heat through. Drain meatballs and add to sauce. Heat half an hour. Put in chafing dish or crock pot to keep warm and serve.

 
Niban Dashi Nancee Toft (Tom's sister)
  • Kombu and bonito flakes reserved from making Ichiban Dashi
  • 2 ½ cups of water
Makes 2.5 cups
 
Combine kombu and water in a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove kombu and add bonito flakes. Bring back to a boil. Turn off heat and allow to stand for 3 minutes. Filter dashi through a strainer over a saucepan. Press flakes with the back of a spoon to extract remaining dashi.

Comments: Traditionally, Number One Dashi is used for making soups without miso and Number Two Dashi is used for making Miso Soup. However, I combine the Number One and Number Two Dashi recipes, resulting in Number 1.4 Dashi, and use that for Miso Soup.
 


 
Pasta, Beans, and Greens Sue Bowling (friend)
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • ½ cup finely chopped carrots
  • ½ cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. ground pepper
  • 1 (15.75 oz.) fat free, low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
  • ½ cup uncooked penne pasta
  • 1 (16 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • ½ (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry (~ 1/3 cup)
  • ¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
(from Cooking Light, April 2001)

Heat oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add carrot, onion, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add oregano, salt, pepper, broth, and tomatoes; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Increase heat to med-high, and pasta, beans, and spinach; cook 14 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.
 
 

Calories 300
Fat 6.9 g
Protein 16.8 g
Carb. 45.2 g
Fiber 7 g
Sodium 901 mg

 
Pepper Boys Hot Sauce Cathy Toft (Tom's sister)
  • Figs
  • Tomatoes (sun dried Early Girls are best)
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Pears
  • Habaneros
  • Carrots
  • Vinegar
  • Salt
Base of tomatoes and figs in equal volume.  A good choice of tomatoes is home grown of course.  My favorite is Early Girls "sun dried" and rehydrated.  But you might have a farmer's market or store bought cans of diced tomatoes would be fine.

"Some" onions, garlic and pears.  Depends on how sweet you want it, but the pears add a nice accent.  Same for the others.

Heat:  Habaneros cut with carrots.  Habaneros differ in how hot they are.  I started out recycling "Too Hot Sauce" which was a few really, really hot habaneros cooked with tons of carrots.  You add heat to taste.  My preference is for it to be chutney like, medium hot (4-5 on my scale of 10).

Splash of vinegar, which sets off the hot peppers really nicely and adds more acid for canning. Salt to taste.

Sorry no exact amounts.  All of my recipes are like that.  But 80% will be tomatoes and figs and the rest depends on your taste buds.

Future hot sauces include:
Rose's Green Sauce
Rose's Evil Twin
Pionus Breath
Dave MacCave Rave (first generation Pepper Boys)
Halloween Habanero


 
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Karen and Rich Else (friends)
For crust:
  • 1½ cups finely crushed ginger snaps
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp. nutmeg
  • 6 Tbs.. butter
For filling:
  • 1 10 oz. jar Pumpkin Butter
  • 1 8 oz. Cool Whip™
  • 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
(from Little Traveler)

To make crust:
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients; blend well. Pat into bottom and sides of a greased 9" pie pan.

To make filling:
Beat together softened cream cheese and pumpkin butter. Fold into whipped topping until blended.

To assemble pie:
Fill crust with filling. Chill, garnish with Cool Whip, and enjoy.


 
Purgatory Gap Chili Clark, Dee, Clark (the 3rd), and Jim Dennis (friends)
  • 4-6 slices of bacon
  • 1-pound ground beef
  • ½ pound chorizo (Mexican sausage)
  • ½ pound smoked sausage (I use turkey instead of pork) (sliced and halved)
  • 1 28-ounce can of stewed tomatoes (cut up)
  • 1 15-ounce can of pinto beans (undrained)
  • 2 4-ounce cans of chopped green chili peppers
  • 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 4 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
  • ½ teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 3 serrano peppers (can use jalapeño peppers) (chopped) – my addition
  • ½ pound cooked ham (cubed) – my addition
  • 1 12-ounce can of beer
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • ¼ cup Masa Harina tortilla flour (I use regular flour)
  • 1 tablespoon of paprika
In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp and drain grease. In same skillet, brown ground beef and chorizo; drain grease. In a 5-quart crockery cooker, combine crumbled bacon; beef and chorizo; and the remaining ingredients except the last 4.  Cover and cook on low to medium setting for 6 hours. During the last 20 minutes of cooking time, add the remaining 4 ingredients.

 
Quick Wild Rice Soup Mary Toft (Tom's mom)
  • 1 cup cubed cooked chicken
  • 3 Tbs.. flour
  • ½ medium onion, diced
  • 1 can (10¾ oz.) chicken broth
  • 1 cup cooked wild rice (broken rice will do)
  • 3 Tbs.. margarine
  • ½ cup chopped celery
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ tsp. rosemary
  • 2 cups milk
Melt margarine in sauce pan. Sauté onions and celery until "tender crisp". Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Add chicken broth and milk. Stir until thickened. Add wild rice and chicken. Heat thoroughly.

 
Sour and Spicy Soup Li Junru (a.k.a. Christina Li, friend)
  • Tomato
  • Green onion
  • Eggs
  • Tofu
  • Oil (vegetable or whatever)
  • Water
  • Shrimp (dried, small)
  • Sesame oil
  • Black pepper
  • Vinegar (Chinese, preferably)
I am glad you like the soup. I will try to summarize it here :

-- Things you need :
Tomato, green onion, egg, Tofu( if you like ), shrimp( I am not sure
whether U.S has the dried, mini shrimp or not, if not, still fine ), sesame oil( if not, fine too ), black pepper powder if you want some spicy.

Ingredients, there are many of them, if you can find some in Diho, which
named something like "Sour and spicy soup ingredients" that would be fine, otherwise, I think the taste will be still good.

There is also another
-- Procedures to make it :

  1. Cut the tomato into sliced pieces, cut the onion into small piece, cut Tofu into block (or whatever the shape you want ), mix the eggs (I don't know exactly the word, just use your chopstick to mix the egg.
  2. Put some oil (vegetable oil is fine) into the pot, heat it. Then put the tomato, onion in. Cook it a little bit.
  3. Pull in water into the pot. Wait the water to boil.
  4. Put the tofu in, put the ingredients in, shrimp. Boil it for some time.
  5. Finally, pull the egg in, shut off the fire.
  6. Put some sesame oil, if you want, put black pepper in it, or a little bit vinegar ( Chinese vinegar ).


I hope it is not too complex. It is a pity that I didn't teach you in detail last time!


 
Spinach Maxine Charlie, Carolyn, and Dane Cavanaugh Toft (Tom's brother and family)
  • 2 10 oz packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
  • 1 pint sour cream
  • 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
  • 1 can water chestnuts-drained and finely chopped

  •  
Mix ingredients well and put into a greased 9"x9" Pyrex baking dish.  Bake uncovered in a preheated 350º oven for 30 minutes.  Double or triple recipe for large group.

 
 

The Whole Story
When we decided to get married, we knew that people would naturally respond in a variety of ways, including gift giving. We didn't want to stymie anybody or do anything awkward, but the last thing we needed were traditional wedding gifts. We both had mature and perhaps even overabundant households, with both of us cooking as a hobby, collecting wall art and other decor, and always being willing to run out and buy whatever toy popped into our heads. Additionally, the timing of events was such that we were both already intimidated by the shear volume of stuff we both had to pack, move, store, move again, unpack, and store again in our soon to be occupied home. One more blender could have been a legitimate reason to just call the whole thing off and be grateful for all the effort we would have spared ourselves.

We needed to find a way to let people express their gift giving urges without digging ourselves in any deeper into the "too much stuff' hell that we already knew we had to deal with. At some point or another, the idea of gifted recipes dawned on us and it seemed to be a winner. They don't occupy any space to speak of, and asking people to donate their particularly favorite recipes helped ensure that the gifts would be highly personal and would stand as a "living" reminder of the person that gave it to us and the circumstances under which it was given. What more could you want in a gift? On top of all that, it wouldn't cost anybody anything, except maybe some time and postage.

So that's what we did. Well sort of. Things were happening pretty fast for us all of a sudden and we weren't necessarily planning things out real well. We got the recipe idea before we got married, but we didn't tell everybody about it, at least not the same way or at the same time. We had already warned our families that we were headed towards marriage and that we intended to do it privately in a civil ceremony. We were both middle-aged adults that didn't want to deal with all the hoopla associated with a traditional wedding. Eilien had already had one and I wasn't really interested plus there were logistical problems with guest list that potentially involved people traveling great distances. Rather than figure out who would be included or excluded, we thought it best not to included anybody except ourselves, and then find a way to celebrate with folks in more intimate and convenient circumstances later on. So our closest circle knew that marriage was in the wind, but to prevent anyone crashing our deliberately private event, they would only find out after the fact when it actually had happened.

So we did the deed and let our immediate family and closest friends know immediately. The announcement we made included mention of our recipe idea. In the following days and weeks, we let more people know, but we generally didn't mention the recipe idea. Some people heard it, some heard it eventually, others never heard it at all. So what we ended up with is probably a subset of the potential recipes we might have collected and there was nothing particularly systematic about who gave us recipes and who didn't. To anyone who reads this far and feels left out, please don't. Just send us your favorite recipe and we'll add it to the bounty.

Lastly, we received the recipes in a variety of forms and we tried to transcribe them faithfully here. Since the odds of getting everything exactly right are close to zero, we apologize for the errors.