COOK OF THE WEEK - JUDY OBERHELMAN

Being a coach for the Humboldt Special Olympics must take a lot of Judy Oberhelman’s time and she still has time for so many other things. This is her 15th year for coaching the Special Olympics and between 20 and 22 years for helping with the Special Olympics. Judy Oberhelman and her husband Ron, live in Renwick. Her parents are Al and Bonnie Riggert of Algona and the late Bill Otto. Ron’s parents are the late Norman and Lucille Oberhelman. Judy is a real estate agent for Smith Real Estate. Ron is a farmer. Judy moved at the age of 16 from Prairie City, to Renwick in her junior year of high school. She attended Prairie City Community School and then Boone Valley High School and Iowa Central Community College. Ron graduated from Boone Valley High School also. Judy and Ron met in high school. They have three children. Garret is 26 and drives semi for Harvey Farms of Goldfield. Brent is 22 and works two part-time jobs at Dairy Queen and Hy-Vee in Humboldt. Dacia is 20 and attends the University of Northern Iowa, majoring in Psychology and works at Dough Joey’s in Cedar Falls. They attend St. Paul Lutheran Church in Renwick. As a family ever since their oldest son was small, they have spent two weeks each summer at a cabin on Table Rock Lake near Branson, MO, where they have enjoyed boating, water skiing, and tubing. Many of those vacations were spent with good friends who also came to the same place. Judy says, “We have lots of fun lake memories.” Judy is the organist at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Renwick, a member of Renwick Chapter of Delta Phi, a Beta Sigma Phi service organization, Humboldt Special Olympic coach, Down Syndrome organizations and Humboldt Board of Realtors. Her hobbies are reading, motorcycling, boating, gardening and canning. Ron enjoys trap shooting, motorcycling and boating. Judy says the family’s favorite menu is anything grilled with a potato of choice and a vegetable. She shares some of her family’s favorite recipes with us today.Scalloped Corn Supreme(from Ron’s Mom)15 or 16 ounce can cream style corn (2-1/2 cups)1 cup milk1 egg1 cup cracker crumbs1/4 cup chopped onion3 tablespoons chopped pimento or green pepper3/4 teaspoon saltdash of pepper2 tablespoons butter or oleo1/2 cup cracker crumbs Mix corn and egg, stir in milk; add 1 cup crumbs, onion, pepper and seasonings. Mix well. Pour into a greased 10” x 6” or 8” x 8” pan. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter and pour over 1/2 cup cracker crumbs. Mix well. Sprinkle crumbs over corn. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes. This recipe makes 6 servings.Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie This was given to Judy by a close friend that died of cancer.Cream: 1 pound butter1-1/2 cups sugar2 cups dark brown sugarAdd:3 eggs2 teaspoons vanilla6 cups flour1-1/2 teaspoons salt1-1/2 teaspoons baking powderBeat 3 to 4 minutes (batter maybe dry.)Add:4 to 5 cups chocolate chips2 cups chopped nutsor2 cups raisins1-1/2 cups oatmeal Cover cookie sheet with wax paper. Scoop dough out with a small ice cream scoop. Place 2 inches apart. Change wax paper for every new batch. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 to 11 minutes. Cookies may not look completely done. Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies. DO NOT HALVE THIS RECIPE.Taco Salad1 head lettuce1 can chili beans, drained2 large tomatoes, chopped8 ounce package shredded cheddar cheese1 pound hamburger1 package taco seasoning1 package Doritos, crushedWestern (French) dressingsalsa Brown hamburger and mix with taco seasoning using only 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water. Let cool. Mix lettuce, chili beans, tomatoes, cheese, and hamburger. Mix dressing and salsa 1/2 and 1/2 to taste and add to lettuce mixture along with Doritos right before eating.Cabbage and Noodles with Bacon1 head of cabbage, chopped1 pound of bacon *1 large onion, chopped2 to 3 handfuls of egg noodles **black pepper * In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels, then break into bite-sized pieces. (Warning: There’s a chance that you could end up snacking on the bacon pieces while you’re finishing dinner. It’s been known to happen at our house.) ** Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the egg noodles. Add the noodles and cook until done. Drain the noodles and set aside. Drain some of the bacon fat from the pan, reserving enough to cook the onions. Add the chopped onion to the pan and cook for about 1 or 2 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Add the cabbage to the skillet and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. When the cabbage is tender, add the egg noodles and bacon, mixing thoroughly. Season with pepper. Serve immediately.Reese’s Peanut ButterNo-Bake BarsIngredients:1 cup salted butter, melted (Don’t use unsalted butter.)2 cups Keebler graham cracker crumbs1/4 cup brown sugar1-3/4 cups powdered sugar1 cup peanut butter1/2 teaspoon vanilla11 ounce bag milk chocolate chips Combine all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in a medium sized bowl. Stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour peanut butter mixture into a 9” x 13” pan. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave (at 50% power) for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir chocolate and pour over the peanut butter mixture. Spread chocolate with a spatula. To even out chocolate, tap pan on the counter. Refrigerate bars for one hour. Cut while bars are still cool. Enjoy!Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake1-3/4 cups boiling water1 cup uncooked oatmeal1 cup packed brown sugar1 cup sugar1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened3 eggs1-3/4 cups all purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1/4 cup baking cocoa1/4 teaspoon salt12 ounce package chocolate chips, divided3/4 cup chopped walnuts or nut of choice In a mixing bowl, pour water over oatmeal. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Add sugars and butter, stirring until the butter melts. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Sift flour, soda, cocoa and salt together. Add to batter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9” x 13” pan. Sprinkle with nuts and remaining chips. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.Loaded Spaghetti Bake12 ounce uncooked spaghetti1 pound lean ground beef1 cup chopped onion1 cup chopped green pepper26 ounce jar spaghetti sauce4 ounce can mushroom stems and pieces, drained2-1/4 ounce can sliced ripe olives, drained2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided10-3/4 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted10 ounce carton refrigerated Alfredo sauce1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese1/2 cup cornflake crumbs Cook spaghetti according to package directions. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and olives. Drain spaghetti; add to skillet. Transfer to a greased 13” x 9” baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheddar cheese. In a small bowl, combine the soup, Alfredo sauce and Parmesan cheese; spread over cheddar cheese. In another bowl, combine cornflake crumbs and remaining cheddar cheese; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings. This freezes well if there are any leftovers.Spaghetti Sauce From Ron’s sister, Delores Clowes.16 cups tomatoes3 cups onions4 cloves garlic4 large cans tomato paste (12ounces)4 cups water4 teaspoons basil leaves2 tablespoons oregano2 teaspoons pepper4 Bay leaves3/4 cup sugar2 tablespoons Lawry Seasoning Salt8 bouillon cubes (4 beef and 4 chicken)1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning2 tablespoons parsley flakes3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese Blend tomatoes, onions and garlic in a blender. Add remaining ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 2 hours. Add cheese; then put in jars and seal. If you are reading this, then you probably enjoy new recipes. If you would like to share some of your recipes with the community YOU could be Cook of the Week. Please contact me, Sally Cuthbertson, if you would like to be in this column some week. I can be reached by phone at 515-373-6346 or email me at sacuthbe@msn.com. I will be happy to email or send you my short questionnaire and set up a time to come and visit you at your convenience. I’m always looking for NEW Cook’s of the Week. Also, if you are new in town, this is a good way to introduce yourself to the Humboldt community and surrounding communities. I look forward to visiting with you. The COOK OF THE WEEK 3rd Edition Cookbook is available. Cost per copy is $10.70, plus $4.80 shipping/handling. Order a copy today by sending a check or money order, along with name and shipping address, to: Humboldt Independent, 512 Sumner Ave., Humboldt, IA 50548.