Submitted by George Flevares, Yankton

An assortment of dark breads, a pot of mustard, and cold beer make the perfect accompaniment.

4 lbs. sauerkraut, drained

¾ tsp. caraway seeds

½ tsp. coarse pepper

2 large carrots, sliced thick

1 ½ pounds smoked boneless pork butt, sliced ½ inch

4 pork chops

Piece bacon

2 cups dry white wine or 1 16 ounces can light beer

Salt to taste

Place sauerkraut in Dutch oven, sprinkle with caraway seeds, add pepper and carrots. Place pork butt, chops, bacon, wine or beer, and salt on top (so fat from meat drops down.) Simmer covered for two hours until tender. Let stand until served. Add ½ pound knockwurst. Reheat. Simmer 20 minutes. Nice with small potatoes (cooked separately) to keep flavors distinct.

Serves 8-12.

BANANA BREAD IN JAR

Use pint wide-mouth jars

2 2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup shortening

4 eggs

2/3 cup water

3 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

3 ripe bananas

Cream sugar and shortening, beat in eggs and water.

Add mashed bananas. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to batter. (Mix all together.)

Grease inside of jars. I use non-stick cooking spray to grease jars. Pour 1 cup of batter inside each jar. Remove ½ tablespoon of batter to keep from rising over jar. If it does over rise when baking, just trim and eat it. Makes 7 pints. Place jars on a cookie sheet, and space about a finger between each jar. Bake at 325 degrees in oven approximately 45 minutes or check with toothpick.

I prepare the lids for sealing each jar in hot water before and place them on jars. Take one or two jars out of the oven at a time. Slap the hot lids on and tighten and the jar ring and tighten ring on jar. Fun to hear the seal pop.

Keeps for a long time. Good with cervelat meat. Right size. I use bananas that are ripe. Some time I freeze ripe bananas so I can use later. When using frozen bananas, unthaw bananas, smash bananas and juice together. Don’t drain banana juice. When I use frozen bananas I use 4 bananas in place of 3.

DAVID’S BIG BANG COOKIES

Submitted by Lynn Facile, Yankton

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 Tbsp. vanilla

2 large eggs (at room temperature)

¾ tsp. salt

2 ½ cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ cup chocolate chips

½ cup peanut butter chips

¼ cup white chocolate chips

¾ cup chopped English walnuts

Cream butter, sugar, molasses, and vanilla. Beat eggs until light yellow and add to the sugar/butter mixture. Sift flour, salt and baking soda into the wet ingredients. Mix until ingredients are incorporated. Add chips and walnuts. Mix. Form into balls and bake on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

DAVID’S AQUA MUFFINS

Submitted by Lynn Facile, Yankton

Makes 8 large muffins.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. salt

½ cup softened butter

2 large eggs

1 cup 2% milk

1 Tbsp. artificial vanilla

¾ can of blueberry pie filling

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat 1 minute. Add vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and add to the batter. On low speed, add milk a little at a time until the batter is cake mix consistency. Swirl 3 Tbsp. of the pie filling into the batter. DO NOT MIX TOO MUCH. Put batter into each large muffin tins. Add 1 Tbsp of pie filling onto each one. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until toothpick comes out clean.

Laura’s Southwest White Chili

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1# boneless chicken

¼ cup chopped onion

1 cup chicken broth

1-4 oz. can green chiles

21 oz. can white kidney beans

1 tsp. California style garlic powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. oregano

½ tsp. cilantro leaves

¼ tsp. ground red pepper

Brown chicken in olive oil, remove chicken, add onion and cook 1 minutes. Stir in broth, green chiles and spices, simmer 30 minutes. Stir in chicken and beans, simmer 15 minutes.

Garnish with Monterey jack or Swiss cheese and onions.

JACK –O-LANTERN CAKE

2 boxes devil’s food or white cake mix

Water, vegetable oil and eggs or egg whites called for on cake mix box

2 containers (1 lb each) vanilla frosting

Yellow and red food color

1 green flat-bottom ice-cream cone

chewy fruit snack rolls (any flavor)

Directions

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour 2-quart round casserole or 2 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl. Make 1 box cake batter as directed on box. Pour into casserole.

• Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Remove cake from casserole; place rounded side up on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Make, bake and cool remaining cake mix using same casserole or bowl.

• With sharp knife, carefully slice piece from top of each cake to make flat surface where cakes will be placed together to form pumpkin shape. (Cake scraps can be saved and added to another recipe such as pudding or trifle if desired.)

• In medium bowl, place frosting; tint with 9 drops yellow and 6 drops red food color to make orange frosting. On plate, place 1 cake, rounded side down. Spread 2/3 cup of the orange frosting over cake almost to edge. Place second cake, rounded side up, on frosted cake to make round shape. Spread a thin layer of frosting over entire cake to seal in crumbs. For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes. Frost entire cake with remaining orange frosting.

• Trim ice-cream cone to desired height for stem; place upside down on cake. Cut out eyes, nose, mouth, vines and leaves from fruit snack rolls. Place on frosted cake to form face. Store tightly covered.