The Monday Recipe Blog

How is your Halloween Monday going?  I have a feeling it's going to be a great week!

This blog features Lois Elaine Mueller's recipes every Monday. Lois' heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.
Today we have a Greek Casserole.  This is a casserole that will feed a family or would do fine as a pot-luck dish.  Not sure what makes it "Greek", but it sounds delicious!

Lois Elaine's Greek Casserole:

1 pound ground chuck
1 c. water
2 T. vegetable (or canola) oil
1/4 t. salt
1 t. sage
1/8 t. pepper
4 c. thickly-sliced potatoes
1 can (3 1/2 oz) French-fried onions
1 pkg dry spaghetti sauce mix
1 3/4 c. water

In frying pan, brown meat with oil and sage.  Cook potatoes in 1 c. boiling water in a covered saucepan for 5 minutes to par-boil.  Drain.  Toss with salt and pepper and a half can of the fried onions.  Prepare sauce mix, using 1 3/4 c. water according to directions on package.  Arrange layers of potatoes, meat and sauce in a 2 quart and buttered casserole dish, ending with sauce.  Cover dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven, add remaining onions and bake 5 minutes longer.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

The Friday Dog Blog

Hello, hope your month is going great!  We are coming up on Halloween, and we have a devil for you today.

Sofi the Talking Schnauzer thinks that her costume is the best, and will snag her lots and lots of bones for her Halloween treat bag this year....She might be right!

Some Nice Ways To Handle Stress, Part 5

Hello, hope your are having a great day!  Here is the fifth and final part of some quick and easy ways to cope with stress.

1.  Throw a paper airplane.
2.  Exercise every day.
3.  Get to work early.
4.  Clean out one closet.
5.  Take a different route to work.
6.  Leave work early (with permission)
7.  Remember you always have options.
8.  Quit trying to fix other people.
9.  Get enough sleep.
10. Praise other people.

And remember to relax - take one day at a time.  You have the rest of your life to live!

The Monday Recipe Blog

Hello, happy Monday!  Time for another recipe....

This blog features Lois Elaine Mueller's recipes every Monday. Lois' heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

With the holidays coming up, it's never too early to start thinking about what cookies you will bake this holiday season.  Nothing says "welcome" like a platter of home-made cookies, and the Mueller family was blessed with a mother who knew how to bake a cookie!  This week we will feature very easy Egg White Cookies...

Lois Elaine's Egg White Cookies:


2 egg whites, beaten very stiff
1 c. powdered sugar
1 T. flour
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. chopped dates

Add the ingredients to the egg whites and mix well.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Drop by small teaspoons on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 300 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

The Friday Dog Blog

Happy Friday, everyone - Here is a dog for your consideration....

Sofi the Talking Schnauzer loves being around the water.  It reminds her of a nice, big, juicy fish, which she is thinking of right now....

Some Nice Ways To Handle Stress, Part 4

Hello, hope your Wednesday is going great.  Here is the fourth part of a quick and easy set of ideas to lessen your stress.

1.  Strive for excellence, not perfection.
2.  Look at a work of art.
3.  Maintain your weight.
4.  Plant a tree.
5.  Stand up and stretch.
6.  Always have a Plan B.
7.  Learn a new doodle.
8.  Learn to meet your own needs.
9.  Become a better listener.
10. Know your limitations and let others know them too.

The Monday Recipe Blog

What a great Monday!  Time for a Lois Elaine recipe!!

This blog features Lois Elaine Mueller's recipes every Monday. Lois' heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

Before the advent of canned cake frostings, people made their own.  Imagine that!  These frostings were as healthy as cake frostings can be, with no preservatives or aluminum cans.  With the comeback of home cooking, home-made cake frostings are being featured once again.  It's about time.  Here is another frosting from Lois Elaine's recipe box....

Lois Elaine's Caramel Frosting:

1/2 c. butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Melt butter in pan and add brown sugar. Boil over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Add milk, bring to a boil again, stirring constantly,  then remove from heat.
Cool and add the powdered sugar.  Stir until mixed thoroughly, then spread on cooled cake.

The Friday Dog Blog

TGIF!  Here are two dogs to start off your week-end on a great note.

Mary Ann and Charlie Brown are the best of friends. Here they are taking a break and watching their favorite show - Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Some Nice Ways To Handle Stress, Part 3

Hello, happy Wednesday everyone!  Here is part 3 of some great and easy ways to lessen the stress in your life.

1.  Stop thinking tomorrow will be a better today.
2.  Have goals for yourself.
3.  Say hello to a stranger.
4.  Look up at the stars.
5.  Practice breathing slowly.
6.  Do brand new things.
7.  Stop a bad habit.
8.  Take stock of your achievements.
9.  Do it today.
10. Strive for excellence.

The Monday Recipe Blog

Hello, happy Monday to you all! It's raining in Oklahoma, and we are happy for it - It's been a long, dry summer....

This blog features Lois Elaine Mueller's recipes every Monday. Lois' heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

Today's recipe is Cherry Torte.  Lois noted on her recipe card that it came from her friend, Etta Kistler. Michigan is known for its great cherry trees, and the Mueller family grew up on cherry desserts.  Everyone in Michigan knows that July is cherry season!

Lois Elaine's Cherry Torte:

28 soda crackers
1/4 c. melted oleo (butter or butter substitute)
3 egg white, beaten stiff
1/2 t. cream of tartar
3/4 c. white sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1 can cherry pie filling

Crumble together the crackers and butter and press into a pan.  Let it sit in the oven for a little bit, then sit aside.
Mix the rest of the ingredients (except for the pie filling) together and spread over the cracker mixture in the pan.  Bake 30 minutes at 325 degrees.
Spread the pie filling over the cooled torte and serve with whipped cream.

The Friday Dog Blog

Hello, hope you are having a terrific day!  Here is a dog for your viewing pleasure.....

Sofi the Talking Schnauzer smirks a lot, smiles quite a bit and once in a while breaks out in a huge, tongue-waving laugh....

Some Nice Ways To Handle Stress, Part 2

Hello and hope you are having a terrific Autumn!  Here is the second part of some quick and easy ways to relieve stress in your life....

1.  Break large tasks into bite-sized pieces.
2.  Look at problems as challenges.
3.  Smile more.
4.  Be prepared for rain and snow.
5.  Schedule some play time into every day.
6.  Avoid tight-fitting clothes.
7.  Take a bubble bath.
8.  Believe in you.
9.  Visualize yourself winning.
10. Develop a sense of humor.

More to come....

The Monday Recipe Blog

Hello....Glad the weather is finally a little cooler and hoping that La Nina moves out fast!

Doing something a little different today - I'm going to take a one-week break from Lois Elaine's recipes of the 1960's, but her recipes will be back next week!

A friend sent this terrific idea for preparing corn on the cob when you need a lot of it, or when you go camping.  It was so good that I wanted to post it now and not wait - so here it is....

 Camping Corn on the Cob:

This is a great recipe for large picnics when you don't have enough room on your stove to have a bunch of pots of water with corn. You can let the corn sit all day and it tastes great.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• boiling water
• 12 ears of corn
• cooler

Preparation:

Boil water. Dump water into a clean empty cooler. Put raw corn on the cob into the cooler. Cover cooler for at least 30 min. Can be left all day, corn will stay hot in the cooler. Drain out water and eat.