COOK OF THE WEEK - BANK IOWA EMPLOYEES

We are again visiting with Bank Iowa employees. In fact, we are meeting four of the ladies who work for Bank Iowa this week. Kathy Peart is a Loan Processor at Bank Iowa. Kathy has worked at Bank Iowa for three years. “People” is what she likes best about working at Bank Iowa. When asked how she sees the future of Bank Iowa and the Humboldt community, she replied, “Very involved with community. Bank Iowa will continue to be a pillar in the community they support.” Kathy grew up in the Spencer area, attending Clay Central Everly and PIMA Medical Institute. Her parents are Michael (deceased) and Ruth Coleman of Spencer. Kathy moved to the Humboldt area 10 years ago. Kathy is married to William Peart. William is the son of William and Paula Peart of Humboldt and graduated from Humboldt and ILCC. William’s occupation is a carpenter. Kathy and William have three children. Kathy loves animals. William’s hobby is fishing. Chris Nostrom is a Loan Assistant at Bank Iowa. When Chris was asked what she liked best about working at Bank Iowa, she said, “All of the new friends I have made with my co-workers and customers.” Chris was born and grew up in Fort Dodge. She attended and graduated from the Fort Dodge Senior High in Fort Dodge. Chris’s husband is Miles Nostrom who is the son of Jim and Mary Jane Nostrom of Humboldt. Miles graduated from Humboldt High School. Chris and Miles have been married for 19 years and in July of 2014, moved to the family farm south of Humboldt. Chris and Miles have three children. Emma is a junior at Humboldt High School, Mason is a seventh grader at Humboldt Middle School and Carter is a third grader at Taft Elementary School. They all attend the Faith United Methodist Church in Humboldt. As far as hobbies, Chris says, “The kids’ activities keep us pretty busy!” Amy Conlon is a Credit Analyst at Bank Iowa. She has worked for Bank Iowa for one and one half years. Her parents are from Litchfield, MN. She grew up in that area and graduated from Litchfield High School in Litchfield, MN and Buena Vista University in Storm Lake. Her husband is Nathan Conlon. His parents are Roger and Pam Conlon of Humboldt. Nathan grew up in the Humboldt area and graduated from Humboldt High School and Buena Vista University in Storm Lake. They met through mutual friends in college. They have been married for five years. They have two children, Breckin and Hayden, 3-year old twin boys. Our last cook from Bank Iowa for today is Kari Evans. Kari is a Bookkeeper at Bank Iowa. Kari says, “Bank Iowa is a great place to work. I work with some great people!” Kari and her husband, Don, live in Humboldt. Don is a Scientist IV at Boehringer Ingelheim, which I know better as the Fort Dodge Labs. Kari grew up in the Osage area, graduated from Osage High School and Hamilton Business College. Don grew up in the Mason City area, graduated from Newman High School and Iowa State University. They were married in 1993 after meeting through a mutual friend in Mason City. Kari and Don have one child, Kendall Evans, who is engaged to Joe Begnoche. They are planning on getting married in June of 2016. Kari and Don attend St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Humboldt. They both enjoy golf, tennis and watching Humboldt sporting events. These four ladies have shared in giving us a number of delicious looking recipes today. If you try all of them we will be cooking for a week at least and of course we will have to eat what we cook!German Chocolate Cake BarsKathy Peart1 bag (50) caramels1 box German Chocolate cake mix2/3 cup evaporated milk3/4 cup margarine or butter1 cup chocolate chips Melt 1 bag (50) caramels with 1/3 cup evaporated milk – use only fresh evaporated milk. Mix one box of German chocolate cake mix with 3/4 cup melted margarine or butter and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Put half of cake mixture into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Put 1 cup of chocolate chips, melted caramel +/- coconut, walnuts, and pecans over the cooked cake mix. Crumble remaining cake mix or caramel and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. This is very rich. My daughter is a chocolate expert and loves these bars.Artichoke Spinach DipKathy Peart1/4 cup butter10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, partially thawed and remove excess moisture14 ounce artichoke hearts, drained and chopped(2) 8 ounce packages of cream cheese softened(2) 16 ounce containers of sour cream1 cup grated parmesan cheesegarlic to taste Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in spinach and artichoke hearts. Cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Mix cream cheese and sour cream into spinach mixture. Stir in parmesan and garlic salt. Cook, stir occasionally until thick for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm. You can always substitute for lower calorie/fat ingredients and use garlic powder instead of garlic salt. I usually add extra garlic and parmesan to my recipe. This dip can be served with corn chips, garlic bread or crackers. This is a simple and fast recipe.White Cheddar CornChowderKathy Peart2 tablespoons olive oil1 yellow onion, finely chopped1 celery stalk, finely chopped1/2 teaspoon ground coriander1/4 teaspoon ground cumin1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/2 cup dry white wine3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces2 cups vegetable stock1 cup skim milk3 cups fresh corn kernels2 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (3/4 cup)Salt and Pepper to taste Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add celery and cook, stirring until tender, about 4 minutes. Add coriander, cumin and cayenne. Raise heat to medium high, and add wine. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add potatoes, stock and milk and bring to a boil (skim any foam from surface). Reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add corn and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer 2 cups soup to a blender. Let cool slightly, then puree until smooth. Stir back into pan and reheat if needed. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, top each bowl with cheese. I haven’t made this for a while. It is one of my favorites. People in my house are carnivores. You can substitute other potatoes if you can’t find Yukon Gold.Pork and Bean BarsChris Nostrom16 ounce can pork and beans8 ounce can crushed pineapple, don’t drain2 cups sugar2 cups flour2 teaspoons baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon cinnamon4 eggs1 cup oil Blend all together. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.Frosting:4 ounces cream cheese1 stick oleo2 cups powdered sugar1 teaspoon vanillaChicken Pot PieChris Nostrom Boil 3 or 4 chicken breasts and shred. In a 9 x 13 inch pan put chicken on the bottom. Mix 1 can of cream of chicken soup and 1 cup of milk. Pour over chicken. Put veggies over chicken (any you prefer). Mix 1 cup milk, 1 cup Bisquick. Then add 1 stick melted margarine and mix with Bisquick. Pour over veggies. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours.Tator Tot Hot DishAmy Conlon1 can cream of mushroom soup1 can cream of celery soup1 pound hamburger1 can vegetable (I usually use green beans or peas)2 tablespoons sour cream1 can crispy onions1 package Muenster cheese slices (any cheese works)1 package mixed shredded cheese1 package tator tots Brown 1 pound of hamburger. In one dish, mix cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, vegetable of choice. Open package of frozen tator tots and spread on bottom of your 9 x 13 inch pan. Once hamburger is fully browned, combine with soups and vegetables. Also add in a few handfuls of shredded cheese and 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Stir and mix. Pour mixture on top of tator tots. Place slices of Muenster cheese over top. Sprinkle can of crispy onions on top. Place in oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese starts to brown or onions start to burn.Wild Rice Hot DishAmy Conlon1 box Uncle Ben’s wild rice1 can cream of mushroom soup1 pound hamburger1 can mushrooms (optional)1 package chow mein noodles1 can vegetable (I usually use green beans or peas) Brown pound of hamburger. In a separate bowl boil rice until done. Combine hamburger and rice with 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 can vegetables and 1 can of mushrooms. Stir and mix. Sprinkle chow mein noodles on top and serve.Crockpot Cheesy PotatoesAmy Conlon1 package frozen hash browns1 can cream of chicken soup1 package cubed ham1 package shredded cheese Combine all ingredients into crockpot, stir occasionally. Takes about 4 hours until able to serve.Cheeseburger SoupKari Evans1 pound hamburger3/4 cup onion, chopped3/4 cup shredded carrots3/4 cup celery, chopped1 teaspoon dried basil4 tablespoons butter, divided2 cans chicken broth4 cups diced potatoes1/4 cup flour2 cups Velveeta cheese, cubed1-1/2 cups milk3/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup sour cream Brown hamburger; add onion, carrots, celery, basil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add broth and potatoes; cover and simmer until potatoes are done.Cheese Sauce: Melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Gradually add the milk and flour until all in; constantly stirring. Cook for 2 minutes. Next add salt and cheese and cook until cheese is melted; stirring often. Add cheese mixture to hamburger/potato mixture (at this time I usually mix together in a crockpot and put on low). Add sour cream right before serving. This freezes well (if there is any left over!)Chinese ColeslawKari Evans1 pound bag of shredded cabbage4 to 6 green onions (sliced)1/2 cup sesame seeds2 packages ramen noodles (any flavor)3 ounce package slivered almonds1/4 cup margarineDressing:1/2 cup oil1/3 cup sugar2 tablespoons red wine vinegar1 teaspoon soy sauce Melt margarine in a pan and add broken up ramen noodles (no seasoning packet, this can be thrown away) and slivered almonds. When browned, add the sesame seeds and cook for a minute. Remove from heat and cool. Right before serving, mix cabbage, green onion and ramen mixture together. Mix all dressing ingredients together and pour over cabbage mixture. Makes 3 to 4 quart bowl. 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 Cooks 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.