COOK OF THE WEEK - BANK IOWA EMPLOYEES WEEK 1

The employees at Bank Iowa have gotten together and have given me several weeks of cooks for the Cook of the Week! When I went in last week, I thought I was just going to pick up a group of recipes and do an article for one week’s Cook of the Week, but to my surprise they had seven groups ready for me. Some will be individuals and some will be a small group that work together. By the time we finish, I hope you will feel like you know all of the ladies you meet when you go into Bank Iowa both in Humboldt and in Gilmore City. Jane Heinle and her husband, John, live in Humboldt. Jane has been a Customer Service Representative for almost 29 years and will be retiring at the end of this year (2015). “She loves her co-workers and cus-tomers and the diversity of her job.” Jane says, “Bank Iowa is a ‘Great Place to Work’!” When asked how she sees the future of Bank Iowa and the Humboldt community, she re-sponded with, “Humboldt, as a small town, has a lot to offer. Bank Iowa is a big part of that – always contributing and being an anchor to any project going on. I’m proud to be associated with a progressive bank and a progressive community.” John is a crop consultant. They have been married for 43 years. They both grew up in the Oelwein area and both graduat-ed from Iowa State University. They moved to Humboldt in 1985. They have two children. Scott lives in Fargo, ND, and Tim lives in Des Moines. They attend the Oak Hill Church. They enjoy paddle boarding, kayaking and hiking. They list their preferred menu as seafood, cheesy potatoes and anything chocolate. Rita Julius is our second em-ployee of Bank Iowa we will meet today. Rita and her husband, Ron, live in Humboldt. Her parents were Kathleen and Lyle Jen-nings (deceased) and Ron’s par-ents were Phyllis and Eugene Julius (deceased). Rita is a bookkeeper at Bank Iowa and has been for 23 years. Ron is a farmer and self-employed. They celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary on Aug. 26, of this year. She grew up in the Bradgate area and graduated from the Gilmore City/Bradgate High School. Ron grew up in the Humboldt area. He graduated from the Humboldt High School. They have four children. Tracey and Kelly both live in Minneapolis, MN, Landon lives in Kansas City and Brooke lives in Bondurant. They have four grandchildren. Rita and Ron attend Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Humboldt. They list their hobbies as watching sport-ing events, riding motorcycle and playing with their grand-children. Sheri Moritz is the third em-ployee and last of the group to-day that we will get to know. Sheri is the Regional Retail Su-pervisor at Bank Iowa and has worked at Bank Iowa for 20 years. The thing she likes best about working at Bank Iowa is the friendships she has estab-lished with co-workers and cus-tomers. Sheri sees the future of Bank Iowa as “being a support-ive and beneficial figure in the community, keeping up with the changing technology and always there when you need us.” Her husband, Gary, is the Director of Community Devel-opment at the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. On Oct. 9, they will celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary. They both grew up in Rem-sen. Sheri graduated from Rem-sen St. Mary’s High School and Gary graduated from Remsen Union High School. They moved to Humboldt in 1987. Sheri and Gary have two chil-dren. Chuck and Kari Radack reside in Baltic, S.D. Adam and Stephanie Moritz reside in Brentwood, TN. They have three grandchildren, Addison, Colten and Katelyn. Sheri and Gary attend St. Mary’s Church in Humboldt. Their favorite hobbies are being with their grandkids, volleyball, golf and football season. They list their favorite menu as chick-en lasagna, garlic bread and sal-ad. Since all three of these Bank Iowa employees and their hus-bands enjoy sporting events, they have chosen recipes that would be popular at any tailgat-ing scene.Waffle Iron CookiesRita Julius1-1/2 cups sugar1 cup margarine4 eggs2 teaspoons vanilla2 cups flour1/2 cup cocoa Cream together sugar and softened margarine. Add eggs, vanilla, flour and cocoa. Mix well. Drop teaspoon of dough on hot waffle iron. Cook for 3 minutes. Let cool and frost with either white or chocolate frost-ing.Easy Chicken andCheese EnchiladasRita Julius1 can cream of chicken soup1/2 cup sour cream1 cup Pace picante sauce2 teaspoon chili powder2 cups chopped cooked chicken1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese6 flour tortillas (6 inches) warmed1 small tomato, chopped1 green onion, sliced Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl. Stir 1 cup picante sauce mixture, chicken and cheese in a large bowl. Di-vide the chicken mixture among the 6 tortillas. Roll each up and place them seam side up in an 11 inch by 8 inch shallow bak-ing dish. Pour remaining picante sauce mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until hot and bub-bling. Top with tomato and on-ion.Caramel CornRita Julius9 ounce bag of Puff corn1 cup butter (not margarine)1-1/4 cups brown sugar2/3 cup light corn syrup1 teaspoon baking soda Combine butter, brown sugar and light corn syrup in a 2 quart sauce pan. Cook on medium heat until mixture has melted. Add baking soda. (NOTE: This will cause the mixture to foam.) Pour Puff corn into a large roaster pan and pour caramel mixture over the Puff corn and stir until coated. Place in oven at 250 degrees for 45 minutes, stir-ring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and pour on wax pa-per and break apart. Let cool and enjoy.Zucchini TotsJane Heinle1 cup grated zucchini, pat dry as much as possible1 egg1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese (or mixture of both)1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbsonion to tastesalt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients. Spoon 1 tablespoon and roll to ovals and put on cookie sheet. Bake 400 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes turning half way through.Cheese Olive TartsJane Heinle2 cups finely grated cheddar cheese1/2 cup soft butter1 cup sifted flour1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon paprika36 small stuffed olives Blend cheese with butter. Stir in remaining ingredients except olives. Wrap 1 teaspoon of mix-ture around each olive. Arrange on baking sheet and freeze until firm. Pack in freezer bags. When ready to use, place on baking sheet and bake 400 degrees about 15 minutes. Serve hot.Crab Meat Hors D’oeuvresJane Heinle1/2 pound butter, melted1/2 pound Velveeta cheese Melt these together and then add 14 ounces of crab meat. Cut crust off 20 to 28 slices of bread and roll thin. Spread mix-ture over bread and roll up. Dip in additional melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Freeze. When ready to serve, thaw slightly, cut in thirds and heat through until brown in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.Best Sugar CookiesSheri Moritz2 cups sugar4 sticks butter2 eggs2 teaspoons vanilla5 cups flour1 teaspoon baking sodapinch of salt Mix sugar and butter until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Combine your baking so-da, salt and vanilla. Add flour 1 cup at a time, mix until well blended. Roll dough into walnut size balls, roll them in sugar. Place them on a cookie sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass that has been sprayed with Pam dipped in sugar. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes. You can frost with va-nilla frosting.BBQ Bloody Mary MixSheri Moritz46 ounce can tomato juice1/2 cup beef consommé1 tablespoon ground black pepper1 tablespoon celery salt1 teaspoon rib rub1 teaspoon lime juice1 tablespoon pepperoncini juice1 teaspoon grated horseradish1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce7 ounces Bloody Mary Mix Mix all ingredients together. Store in refrigerator overnight. Shake well. Serve with Vodka.Camping EggsSheri Moritz8 slices of bread1-1/4 cups grated cheese8 eggsonion1 teaspoon saltpepper4 cups milk Cube bread, put in a greased 9 by 13 inch pan. Mix all of re-maining ingredients together, pour over cubed bread. Refrig-erate covered overnight. Add bacon or ham if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, covered. Reduce oven to 325 degrees, bake for another 30 minutes, uncovered. If you are reading this, then you probably enjoy new recipes. If you would like to share some of your recipes with the com-munity, 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.