COOK OF THE WEEK - LANA PRATT

Many of you will recognize our Cook of the Week this week as the lady that greets you when you walk into “The Revue.” Lana Pratt and her husband, Mike, are the business owners of this shop of high quality new and gently used furniture. Plus she has some beautiful antiques, as well. Lana is a very busy lady, as she is also employed at the Humboldt Newspapers. Lana and Mike reside in Rolfe. They were married on Feb. 20, 1971. Lana’s parents were Cecil and Doris Sitzman of rural Kingsley. Both are deceased. She and her husband both grew up in Kingsley and were lifetime schoolmates. They both graduated from Kingsley Pierson. They have three children, David, Jarred and Michael Jr. They are all married. Lana and Mike have a total of six grandchildren. Lana also keeps very busy in her community. She sings in the Humboldt Community Chorus, as well as the Pocahontas and Rolfe choruses. Their hobbies include riding ATVs, camping and car shows. Lana told me she learned everything she knows about cooking from her mother-in-law, Vonnie Pratt, who is now deceased. Lana said, “Vonnie didn’t know what a box mix was. She made everything from scratch.” But with Lana’s busy schedule and the busy world in general she said, “It is ALL ABOUT SIMPLE! I’m too busy to make work of things. Life is stressful enough. If there are shortcuts to cooking use them.” That is her advice. Since they love camping some of her recipes given today can be used for the campfire or in the oven if you are not outdoors. And with her busy life, it is essential that she does much of her cooking with the crockpot. S’mores Cone Take an ice cream cone (funnel shape). Fill with marshmallows and chocolate and/or peanut butter chips. Wrap cone in foil. (Bake, grill or heat over open fire.) Unwrap and enjoy.S’mores Dip In cake pan or cast iron (oven or fire) spray butter flavor cooking spray. Place peanut butter cup candies to cover pan bottom. Cover with layer of marshmallows. Place in oven or over campfire until marshmallows are soft. Dip with graham crackers.S’mores Pie Place a ready-made piecrust in bottom of pie pan. Layer of marshmallow crème, then broken Hershey bars. Sprinkle mini marshmallows over chocolate bar pieces. Place another piecrust on top. (Into this crust press graham cracker crumbs into it.) Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes until lightly brown.Crockpot Tater Tot Casserole1 pound browned ground beef1 can Rotel tomatoes16 ounce package frozen tater tots1 can cream of chicken soup1 small onion, chopped fine2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded Brown beef and onion. Add Rotel tomatoes. Pour mixture into bottom of a greased crockpot. Mix in the soup. Top with tater tots. Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, top with shredded cheese. Crockpot Monkey Bread1 tube Pillsbury biscuits1 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 cup butter, melted1 cup brown sugar Cut biscuits in quarters. Dip in melted butter. Put quartered biscuits into bowl of cinnamon and brown sugar. Coat each piece. Place in crockpot. Pour mixture over the top. Cook on low for 2 hours. Check to see if pieces are done. (Lana’s note: I rotate pieces to ensure they all get done.) Dish out and enjoy.Crockpot Apple Crisp4 to 5 sliced, peeled apples1 cup of oatmeal1-1/2 cups flour1 cup brown sugar, packed1/2 cup white sugar3 teaspoons cinnamon3/4 cup butter Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Line with apples. Melt butter and mix all remaining ingredients. Pour over apples. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 4 to 5 hours. Enjoy.Easy No Fail Mealpot Roast or rump roast – pork or Beefbeef bullion4 cups water Place in quartered potatoes, baby carrots, chopped celery and onions. Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash. Lana’s note: I place on low for 8 to 10 hours. It is done and waiting for us to enjoy when we walk in the door. What could be easier! Lana says, “Crockpot my friend! I even prepare holiday turkey breast in them. So moist and easy!” 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.