COOK OF THE WEEK - LEXI BROWN

Lexi Brown and Ray Brown are pictured behind the pumpkins (See picture 1) but I’m not sure they are the real cooks this week, although I bet Lexi can cook also. We are meeting an amazing family of three generations in one household in today’s story behind the recipes. Several weeks ago I met Lexi and her Grandpa Ray at the Farmer’s Market in Humboldt. Finally on Sunday I found out they were willing to do the Cook of the Week to share with everyone.
Lexi Brown is a seventh grader at the West Bend-Mallard Middle School in West Bend. I would have guessed her to be in high school when she met me in the yard when I drove into their yard. She is active in 4-H and will be active in FFA as soon as she is old enough. When she showed me the three doe goats she raised for 4-H this year they all came to the gate to meet her. She told me, “These are my goat kids!” with a laugh! They were so happy to see her. (See picture 2).
Maybe they were anxious to be fed too, as it was probably about feeding time when I was there. The sun was shining so bright so I’m not sure I was able to capture their pleasure in seeing her in the second picture or not. Her work paid off in 4-H as she won several ribbons and trophies with her three doe goats at the County Fair in Emmetsburg. Her three does will be added to the goat herd that Lexi helps her grandpa raise. Right now they have a small herd consisting of eight aged does and two billy goats, and now the three young does will be added to this herd. Grandpa Ray says, “They are building up the small herd slowly.” They raise the herd for meat. When the donkey brayed, they asked me if I heard that. I had. They told me that the donkey is there to protect their goat herd from coyotes. I guess the donkey scares those coyotes away with its braying. I seem to learn something new every day.
For Lexi’s birthday earlier this month, Grandpa Ray had these magnetic signs made for her. The one is shown in the picture with Lexi standing beside it. Even though she isn’t old enough to drive the vehicle the sign is on, she is pretty proud of the sign! (See picture 3).
I talked about the three generations at the beginning. Ray’s wife, Linda, graduated from the Emmetsburg High School. Ray graduated from the West Bend High School. Ray was happy to share with me that Linda is a cancer survivor of six years. She is well again and she and her sister paint interiors of homes. In fact, she got home from a painting job while I was there so I got to meet her too. Ray and Linda have four children, three daughters and a son. The son, Luke and his wife, Heather, live in the same household with Ray and Linda. Luke and Heather have two children, Lexi and her brother, Zach, who is a senior this year. Luke has a gun and ammo shop on the farm and also is employed at Wild Rose Casino in Emmetsburg with security.
Ray and Linda’s three daughters include, Jody and husband, James Zeller, farmers east of West Bend who have two children, and twin daughters, Angie and Amy. Angie is married to Matthew Putze. They live in Moville and have nine children. Three of these nine children are currently enrolled at Iowa State in Ames. Amy has never been married and lives in Mankato, MN, and is employed at Hubbard Feed Company. If you have been counting, Ray and Linda have 13 grandchildren.
4-H and FFA have been in the family for a long time. Ray held a state FFA office while in high school. He used to raise hogs. He was a 4-H leader for 27 years and is a 4-H Hall of Famer. He has judged swine at many county fairs, including the Spencer Fair, the Iowa State Fair and a few bordering state fairs.
The whole family are members of the Methodist Church in West Bend. Zach is in Methodist Youth Group (MYF) and Lexi will be in MYF as soon as she is old enough.
Ray and Lexi also showed me the washing stand that Luke made for her. They wash the soil off of all the gourds and pumpkins. Then the ornamental gourds and pumpkins are also put through a bleach dip which kills the bacteria so the pumpkins and gourds last longer. Lexi handed me one gourd as a gift, then I decided I should buy a couple more. (See picture 4).
Then when they were showing me all of the tomatoes they already have picked waiting for Farmers Market again, they showed me some pumpkins that Heather, Lexi’s Mother, paints. Since I’m married to a Hawkeye fan I decided to purchase the Hawkeye pumpkin they had sitting there. They had a Cyclone one sitting there also, but I didn’t think I better bring that one into my house!?! They were both adorable though. You can probably still get some at the Farmer’s Market in Humboldt this Saturday morning if you get there early! Heather does very beautiful artistic work and lettering on the pumpkins. They might even take orders to your specifications.
Lexi’s hobbies include hunting, fishing, trapping, raising livestock and gardening. She listed her favorite foods as fruit, veggies and Chevre’ (goat meat). We can thank Heather for our recipes you are reading today.

Buttermilk Brownies
1 stick margarine
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup cocoa
Combine above. Bring to a boil, then cool a bit.
Pour over following dry ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Mix together. Then Add:
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. After baking, frost with following frosting.
Frosting:
In saucepan, mix together:
1 stick margarine
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup buttermilk
After butter is melted, removed from stove, add 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar. May need more powdered sugar added slowly until the right thickness desired. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Frost brownies.

Apple Crisp
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
4-1/2 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples
Topping:
1/4 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Mix together. Sprinkle on top of apples. Bake in 350 degree oven 30 to 40 minutes or until apples are cooked.

Banana Bread
1/2 cup margarine
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour
3 or 4 over-ripe bananas
Mix everything together with a mixer until creamy. Halve batter between two loaf pans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until done when tested in middle with toothpick.

Scalloped Potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2-1/2 cups half and half
6 cups potatoes
1/2 cup ham
Slice ham and potatoes into large casserole dish. In saucepan melt butter. Add flour, salt and pepper, then slowly add half and half. When thickened, pour over potatoes. Place in a 350 degree oven. Cook until potatoes are done, usually takes around 1 hour.

Snicker Salad
3 large green apples
1 small bag red grapes
6 to 8 snickers candy bars
1 package instant vanilla
pudding
1 cup milk
1 container Cool Whip
Cut fruit and snickers to bite size pieces. Mix pudding and milk. When set up, add Cool Whip. Mix everything together. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip
Oatmeal Cookies
Cream:
1 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
Add:
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups flour
2-1/2 cups oatmeal
Mix well. Add mini chocolate chips and mini M and M’s. Bake in a 350 degree oven 12 minutes.

Cherry Bars
1 cup margarine
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can cherry pie filling
Mix all ingredients except pie filling. Spread in 9 by 13 inch pan. Spread cherry pie filling over the pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Spread frosting while still warm.
Frosting:
8 ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
3-3/4 cups powdered sugar
Slowly add the powdered sugar, as you want to be able to drizzle over the warm bars

Creamed Cucumbers
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 cucumbers, sliced thin

Chocolate Chip Bars
2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 package chocolate chips
Mix and spread in greased pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you are reading this, then you’re 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 Redenius, 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.

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.