COOK OF THE WEEK - LYLE SCHWENDEMANN

I learned a lot about spinning wool when I visited with Lyle Schwendemann and his wife, Pat. The pictures today feature his spinning wheel and his spinning process, but in visiting with Pat, I found out he does a lot of the cooking also. Lyle and some friends got into spinning when another friend was going to teach the group about spinning. They pooled their money and bought a spinning wheel from New Zealand. Lyle says you can buy them on line now but the wheel he is using actually came from New Zealand. I didn’t ask what kind of wood it was made of but it was pretty enough to be an accessory in your home. It was really interesting to visit with Lyle about his spinning. I had so many questions that he ended up sending me a “Recipe” or method for his spinning. I knew I could get this into the Cook of the Week and I bet it has never been repeated (the recipe for spinning wool, that is!) He gets the wool from the Erickson’s west of town. He had a sweater sitting on a table. I asked if he or Pat knits the yarn after he makes it. The answer was no, that a lady in Fort Dodge knitted that sweater. Here is his method for creating the yarn. Spinning wool: 1. Pick and separate the wool fiber into a thin line of equal thickness, keeping the sheared side (clean side) to one area. 2. Carding the wool is next. It cleans and strengthens the fiber into a final uniform roll, making it ready for spinning. 3. Whether using a spinning wheel or a drop spindle, the technique is the same. One hand pulls the fiber into a relatively thin and uniform size while the other hand pinches or squeezes the fiber and keeps the fiber from twisting above the area you are squeezing. Twisting the fiber makes the fiber strong and into yarn. 4. You then wash the yarn and dye the yarn into a color of your choice. You can use natural colors like beet juice, walnuts or marigolds, any color you choose. Then it’s ready to knit into a sweater or any other project you like. Lyle and Pat will soon be celebrating their 50th anniversary, having married on Aug. 23, 1964. Lyle grew up in Dayton and Pat came from Gowrie, but they met in college and both graduated from Wayne University in Nebraska. They are both retired teachers and each worked for 35 years in the Humboldt Community School system. They have three children and six grandchildren, four were helping him card and spin the wool when I visited with the family. Lyle continues to work with Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance in his retirement. Their children are Todd, Ted and Susan. Todd and Jenn live in Avon, CT and have two children, Kate, 9, and Alex, 6. Todd is a Physics and Engineering Professor at the University of Southern Connecticut. He also is in research at Yale in New Haven, CT. Todd’s wife, Jenn, is a Doctor of Psychology and works at a hospital in Hartford, CT. Ted and his wife Darci live in Tulsa, OK, and are both doctors and pharmacists. They have two children, both who were here helping grandpa with his spinning. They are Sidney and Shelby. The other two children helping grandpa were Wyatt and Wes, children of Susan and Gary Streit. They live in Bode. Susan works at Heartland Mutual Insurance in Algona and Gary works for Sande’s Construction here in Humboldt. Their children attend school in Algona. Lyle and Pat attend Faith United Methodist Church in Humboldt. Pat’s hobbies include quilting and she is a member of the Honey Bee Quilters. One of the fun things they used to do was work at Disneyworld at Epcot for seven years. One week each year all the family would come and spend time together at Disneyworld. They agreed that anything grilled is their favorite menu. Pat shared some of their favorite recipes and many of them are recipes that Lyle cooks. You can see that Pat also cooks up some good recipes.Lyle’s Colorful StuffedPeppers1 pound ground beef2 cups salsa1 cup frozen corn1/4 cup water3/4 teaspoon ground cumin3/4 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon pepper1 tablespoon garlic, minced1/2 cup uncooked instant rice1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided1/2 cup (2 ounces) Velveeta cheese, divided4 medium green peppers, halved lengthwisesliced canned jalapeno peppers, optional Crumble beef into a 2 quart microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes; stir. Cook on high 1 to 2 minutes longer or until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in salsa, corn, water, cumin, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until mixture bubbles around the edges. Stir in rice and half of combined cheese. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes; stir. Spoon 1/2 cupful into each pepper half. Place on a 12 inch round microwave-safe plate. Cover loosely and cook on high for 8 to 10 minutes or until peppers are tender, rotating a half turn once. Cover and let stand for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; top with jalapenos if desired. Yield: 4 servings.Lyle’s Burritos1-1/2 pounds hamburger1 onionfresh cut up mushrooms1 tablespoon garlicsaltpepper3 cans mashed red kidney beans2 tablespoons cut up green chilies1 can chicken broth1 can cream of chicken soupany leftover gravy Fry the hamburger and onion. Add other ingredients. Wrap in 10 tortillas. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve with lettuce and sour cream.Lyle’s French Dip Sandwiches3 pounds beef roast1/2 cup soy sauce1 bay leaf1 teaspoon rosemary1 teaspoon garlic1 beef bouillon4 whole peppercorns1 teaspoon thyme Add water to cover roast. May be cooked in slow cooker or oven. Cook until tender enough to pull apart. Slice and put on large buns.Lyle’s Onion Rings1 cup flour1 cup cornmeal1/2 cup corn starch2 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon pepper1/2 teaspoon paprika Add water or beer to make a pancake like mixture. Dip onion rings in mixture and fry in hot grease.Spaghetti Pie1 pound cooked spaghetti, broken1 cup milk2 eggs beaten1 tablespoon butter Mix and put in pan.Top above mixture with:2-1/2 cups cottage cheese1/2 cup parmesan cheeseOn top of this add the following:15 ounce jar spaghetti sauce1/2 onion1 pound hamburger1/2 cup green pepper1 teaspoon oregano1/2 teaspoon garlicTop all layers with:8 ounces mozzarella cheese Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35 minutes or until done.Kool-Aid Pie1 can sweetened condensed milk8 ounces Cool Whip1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid (any flavor) (Orange or strawberry is great)1 graham cracker crust Sprinkle Kool-Aid into condensed milk. Blend thoroughly. Add Cool Whip, pour onto graham cracker crust. Refrigerate overnight.Snipple Pumpkin Pie(From Ruth Schwendemann) Peel and slice a raw pumpkin into an unbaked pie shell. Cover with:1 cup sugar1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon nutmeg1 scant teaspoon cloves1/4 teaspoon allspice1-1/2 tablespoons molasses2 tablespoons flour (if juicy pumpkin) Cover with top piecrust. Bake 1 hour or until pumpkin is done. This is similar to an apple pie.Tang Pie1 can Eagle Brand milk8 ounces sour cream8 ounces Cool whip1/2 cup Tang powder Mix altogether. Pour into an already baked regular piecrust or a graham cracker crust. Makes 2 pies or one 9 x 13 inch pan.Apple Rum Bundt Cake3/4 cup Crisco oil2 beaten eggs1 teaspoon vanillaSift:2 cups flour1-1/2 teaspoons soda2 cups sugar1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon saltAdd:4 cups sliced apples1 cup nuts Pour into a Bundt pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.Rum Topping:1/4 cup Crisco1/4 cup butter1/2 cup cream1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup brown sugar Simmer 20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon rum extract.Baked Beef Roll withMushroom Soup1 pound hamburger1/2 cup onion1/2 cup mushroom soupCrust:2 cups biscuit mix3/4 cup milk Roll out crust. Top with hamburger. Roll up, slice and place in pan. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Top with 1-1/2 cans of mushroom soup and 3/4 cup milk the last 5 minutes of baking.Supper on a Bun1 pound hamburger2/3 cup evaporated milk1 teaspoon pepper1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup cracker crumbs1/2 onion2 tablespoons mustard Mix and spread on French bread cut in half. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Cover with Velveeta cheese last 5 minutes of baking. 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.