by Kellie Henderson
Kate Kyzar of Goshen will be the first to tell you she isn’t the world’s greatest cook, but she says she’s known and worked with some of the best around.
"I’d rather be eating, myself, and that’s always worked out because I’ve been around so many people who are great cooks," she says.
One of the sources for these great cooks is her coworkers at Anderson’s Peanuts in Goshen.
"I worked part-time at the Goshen Farmers Co-op for a few years, and eventually moved into a full-time position with Anderson. I just love the people here. The Anderson’s Peanuts and Goshen Farmers Co-op employees are all like family," she says and adds it doesn’t hurt that she only has a five-minute commute to work every morning.
Kate says some of the best dishes she’s ever eaten came from the kitchens of two Anderson’s retirees, Erma Jean Davis and Peggy Sims. "I didn’t have to go far to get good food. Erma Jean kept a pot of something going all the time it seemed like, and she could make the best soup you ever tasted out of just leftovers. Peggy made the best cheese straws you ever put in your mouth, too. And we never needed a special occasion to eat, either. All it took was one of us to say, ‘Wouldn’t a pot of lima beans and some cornbread be good,’ and one of them would bring it in for lunch the next day," says Kate.
Kate also says she’s had some great cooks in her family. "My mother and my husband’s mother and aunt were wonderful cooks, and my son Jay used to worry his children wouldn’t have a great cook in their lives because I’d rather be out working in the yard. But every now and then I’ll cook a meal that makes Jay say, ‘You’re getting there’ after dinner," she says.
Even though she says her mother enjoyed cooking, Kate says she can’t remember helping her in the kitchen. "I doubt I ever did help out in the kitchen much. I’d rather be outside climbing a tree, getting dirty, and getting into trouble, mostly. I grew up on a farm where Daddy had row crops. What more could you ask for as a kid? I loved living in the country," she says.
Kate and her husband Watson are both from Goshen, and spent most of their lives there. Kate and Watson have two children, Jason and Lee, and two grandchildren, Jackson and Olivia. They are also members of the Goshen United Methodist Church.
"We’ve been married forty years. We lived in Selma for five years, and enjoyed it there, but we were ready to come back to Goshen when we got the chance, and a big part of this community is the Co-op. It provides local shopping, which is especially helpful with gas prices being what they are. You can get most anything you need there, and even if you think they won’t have something in particular, sometimes they’ll surprise you. And we all love to buy pretty flowers there," says Kate.
Despite Kate’s reluctance to spend all day in the kitchen, she shares with us this month some of her cool and easy summer treats, along with a bushel of recipes from some of the ladies of Anderson’s Peanuts.
"All these women are still employees at Anderson’s. They’re fine people, and it’s nice to have the opportunity to share some of their recipes," she says. "I’ve tasted their cooking, and they are great cooks."
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Ice Cream
1 12-ounce frozen whipped topping (original or light)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (original or low fat)
½ gallon chocolate milk (whole or low fat)
Mix ingredients well, and pour into ice cream freezer. Freeze following manufacturer’s instructions.
Kate Kyzar
Broccoli Slaw
1 12-ounce package broccoli slaw mix
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
2 small cans mandarin oranges
½ cup chopped pecans
1 cup poppy seed dressing
Toss all ingredients and refrigerate.
Kate Kyzar
BLT Salad
1 head of lettuce, shredded
1 pound bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
4-5 tomatoes, chopped
1 bottle ranch salad dressing
1 box of croutons
Layer lettuce, bacon, and tomatoes in a 9x13 dish. Pour dressing evenly over top and cover with croutons. Refrigerate before serving.
Kate Kyzar
Pound Cake
2 cups butter-flavored solid vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
10 brown eggs
4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
Cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add flour and vanilla and beat with electric mixer for 1 ½ min. on high speed. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake at 350o for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cake will be moist and yellow.
Erin Williams
Mexican Chicken
2 cups cooked chicken*
1 10 ¾-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 ¾-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
1 8-ounce package Doritos
1 onion, chopped
1 ½ cups shredded cheese
Non-stick cooking spray
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Coat a shallow 2-quart casserole dish with non-stick spray; line with slightly crushed chips. Place chicken and onion into dish. In a separate bowl, combine soups and tomatoes with chilies. Pour over casserole then top with cheese. Bake at 350o for 30 minutes.
*Canned chicken may be used.
Bobbie Leverett
Oven Potatoes
2 pounds potatoes, cut into chunks
1 envelope golden onion soup mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Non-stick cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400o. Put potatoes, soup mix, and oil in a plastic bag. Seal completely then shake until potatoes are well coated. Grease a 9x11 dish with spray, then empty bag into casserole dish. Bake for 40 minutes.
Bobbie Leverett
Family Casserole
1 26-ounce can four cheese pasta sauce
1 pound ground beef
1 pound bulk sausage
1 12-ounce package shell pasta, cooked and drained
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped bell pepper
½ package pepperoni
1 pound Velveeta cheese, sliced
Brown ground beef and sausage and drain well. Saute onion and pepper. In a large baking dish, combine meat and pasta. Layer onions, peppers, and sauce over meat mixture. Add sliced cheese to dish and top with pepperoni. Bake at 350o for 45 minutes.
Susan Davis
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Blueberry Cake
1 stick (½ cup) butter, softened
4 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 box butter recipe cake mix
Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
1 8-ounce container frozen whipped topping
1 can blueberry pie filling
Preheat oven to 350o. In a large bowl, mix all cake ingredients well. Spread batter in 6 thin layers in greased and floured 8" pans. Bake 8-10 minutes.
For filling, cream together sugar and cream cheese. Add whipped topping and mix well. Spread cream cheese filling and a thin layer of blueberry filling over cake layers, ending with cream cheese filling on top layer. Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.
Betty Stewart
Peanut Butter Party Mix
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups wheat Chex cereal
2 cups rice Chex cereal
½ cup dry roasted peanuts
In a large boiler, melt butter. Add peanut butter and stir until well mixed. Add cereal and nuts and carefully toss until coated. Transfer mixture to an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350o for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before serving or storing in an airtight container.
Margie Best
Peanut Butter Cake
1 ½ cups peanut butter morsels
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups milk
Peanut Butter Cream Frosting
1 cup peanut butter morsels
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 350o. Melt 1½ cups morsels. Stir until smooth; set aside. In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar, beating until creamy. Blend in melted morsels. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Alternately blend in flour and milk. Pour into 3 greased and floured 8" round cake pans. Bake until golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing. Allow layers to cool completely before frosting.
For frosting, melt morsels and stir until smooth. In a large bowl combine melted morsels, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt. Beat well. Mix in powdered sugar alternately with milk until mixture reaches spreading consistency. Frost cake between layers, then cover top and side of cake.
Betty Stewart
Taco Soup
2 pounds ground chuck
1 large onion, chopped
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
2 envelopes taco seasoning mix
2 11-ounce cans white shoepeg corn, drained
2 cups water
1 15-ounce can each black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans
1 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
Brown meat and onions; drain. Add other ingredients and simmer 2 hours. Serve with any or all of the following: Grated cheese, chopped onion, sour cream, corn chips, corn bread.
Martha Hughes
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