COOK OF THE WEEK - BANK IOWA EMPLOYEES WEEK 1

Bank Iowa is featuring four of their employees this week, Heidi Phillips, Michelle Nielsen, Tri-cia Greene and Denise Fevold. I can only imagine what one of their company potlucks must be like with all of these good cooks they have working together. I get hungry each week just writ-ing up their recipes! Heidi Phillips has been a teller at Bank Iowa for eight years. The relationships she has made with her co-workers is what she likes best about working at Bank Iowa. Michelle Nielsen is a custom-er service representative at Bank Iowa. She and her husband, Bob, are both natives of Hum-boldt. They have two children and four grandchildren. They attend Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Humboldt. Tricia Greene has been with Bank Iowa for three years work-ing as a teller. She stated that “Assisting our customers with their banking needs,” is what she likes best about working at Bank Iowa. She and her hus-band, Scott, both grew up in Humboldt. Scott is a custodi-an/groundskeeper at Corn Belt Power. They have two sons and three granddaughters. Denise Fevold is the last Bank Iowa employee we are visiting for today. Denise grew up in the Clare area and graduated from Northwest Webster High School. Denise is married to Warren Fevold. Warren gradu-ated from Humboldt High School. He works in construc-tion. Denise moved to the Hum-boldt area in 1993. Denise and Warren were married in 1996. They have three children and two grandchildren all living in the Humboldt area. Brian and Chloe Moore live in Dakota City. Their sons are Cody and Cee Jay Nielsen and both are living in Humboldt. Denise and Warren attend Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church. They both enjoy motorcycling in their spare time. Between the four of these ladies, we have a nice variety of new recipes to try out. I can hardly wait to get to the store and get some ingredients to try out some of these recipes!Chewy Granola BarsHeidi Phillips1-1/2 cups brown sugar1-1/2 cups peanut butter1 cup honey1 cup melted butter/margarine4 teaspoon vanilla6 cups quick rolled oatsOptional to add:1 cup coconut1 cup sunflower nuts1 cup raisins1 cup chocolate chips Mix sugar, peanut butter, honey, butter and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Press in greased 12 by 18 inch pan. As they bake, they will look raw in the middle. Bake 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool completely before cutting.Chicken Enchilada DipHeidi Phillips1 small can diced green chilies with juice1 small can chopped black olives1 can cream of chicken soup1 can Rotel diced tomatoes8 ounce carton sour cream8 ounce package cream cheese1 small block of pepper jack cheese, cut into small pieces1 small cooked chicken breast (Iuse the precooked chicken in the deli section) Soften cream cheese and pep-per jack cheese in microwave before adding the other ingredi-ents. Mix all ingredients in a crock pot.Hot Artichoke andSpinach DipHeidi Phillips8 ounce package light cream cheese14 ounce can Progresso artichoke hearts, drained, coarsely chopped1/2 cup spinach (frozen, chopped or steamed)1/4 cup mayonnaise (DO NOT use Miracle Whip)1/4 cup Romano cheese (you can use all Parmesan)1 clove garlic, finely minced1/2 teaspoon basil, dry (1 tablespoon if using fresh basil)1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated1/4 teaspoon garlic saltsalt and pepper to taste Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature. Cream together mayonnaise, Parmesan, Romano cheese, garlic, basil and garlic salt. Mix well. Add the artichoke hearts and spinach (drain this very well) and mix until blended. Store in a con-tainer until you are ready to use. Spray pie pan with Pam, pour in dip, top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the top is browned. Serve with toasted bread.Dried Beef DipMichelle Nielsen8 ounce cream cheese8 ounce toasted onion chip dip1 package dried beef Mix all together, chill and serve with vegetables or crack-ers.Taco DipMichelle Nielsen8 ounce cream cheese8 ounce toasted onion chip dip2 tablespoons taco sauce1/2 teaspoon cumin1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon cilantro Mix together, spread onto serving plate and top with let-tuce, cheese, tomatoes and on-ion. Serve with corn chips.Special K BarsMichelle Nielsen1 cup sugar1 cup corn syrup Combine mixture and bring to boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Take off stove and add:1-1/2 cups peanut butter6 cups Special K cereal Spread mixture into a 9 by 13 inch pan.Frosting:Melt together:6 ounces chocolate chips6 ounces butterscotch chips Spread mixture on top of Spe-cial K bars. Cut into bars.Fresh SalsaTricia Greene2 to 3 Roma tomatoessmall red onionfresh Cilantro to taste1 to 3 cloves garlicsaltpepper1/3 Jalapeno pepper Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse a few times until it is of the desired con-sistency.Fall Snack MixTricia Greenebag of Gardetto snack mixbag of fall candy corn mixbag of microwave popcorn, poppedjar of salted peanutsmedium bag of plain M and M’smedium bag of peanut butterM and M’s Mix together and enjoy.Bacon Ranch PastaSaladTricia Greene1 pound package of spiral shaped pasta, cooked, drained and cooled1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled1/2 red onion, sliced thin1-1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half16 ounce or larger bottle of Ranch dressing Mix the above ingredients together and chill before serv-ing.Homemade Ice CreamTricia Greene4 cups heavy whipping cream4 cups half and half1-1/3 cups sugar2 to 3 tablespoons vanilla extractdash of salt Add the above ingredients to an ice cream freezer and add whole milk to fill the container, if necessary. Freeze according to the directions on the ice cream freezer.Chicken and NoodlesTricia Greene2 to 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts1/2 stick butter or margarinesalt and pepper to taste24 ounce bag of frozen Reames Homestyle Egg Noodles2 cans cream of chicken soup Place chicken breasts in crockpot with butter, salt and pepper. Fill crockpot about half full of water. Cook on low 6 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours until done. Shred chicken and put in large pot on stove with broth from crockpot. Bring wa-ter to a boil and cook noodles until done. Add cream of chick-en soup to noodles. Serve over mashed potatoes.Pumpkin Pie DessertDenise Fevold6 eggs1-1/2 cups sugar3 cups pumpkin2 teaspoons cinnamon2 teaspoons salt1/2 teaspoon ginger1/2 teaspoon nutmeg1/4 teaspoon cloves12 ounce can evaporated milk18 ounce yellow cake mix1/2 cup margarine, softenedpecans Beat eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Stir. Add evaporated milk. Stir well. Put in 9 x 13 inch greased cake pan. Mix cake mix and margarine. Sprinkle on top of pumpkin mix. Top with pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes.Jalapeno Pepper DipDenise Fevold8 jalapenos, halved and seeded1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil(2) 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened1 cup sour cream1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided1 cup crushed tortilla chips assorted dippers – veggies, chips, pretzel, whatever you like Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat a broiler or grill to me-dium high. Toss the jalapeno halves with the olive oil and roast under the broiler or char on the grill until softened and blackened, about 3 minutes per side. Let the peppers cool enough to handle them; then chop them up. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, half of the cheddar and all of the chopped roasted peppers. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese and crushed chips. Bake the dip until golden brown and bubbly, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve with dippers. 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.