Verla's Baked Beans

My Grandma Walker Verla's famous baked beans:


Ingredients:
1/2 lb hamburger
1/2 lb bacon
1 medium onion
1-15 oz red kidney beans
1-15 oz large butter beans
1/24 oz pork and beans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 Tbl Chili powder
1 Tbl mustard

Directions:
1. Cut the bacon into small pieces. Cook in a frypan, drain grease. Put bacon in big oven-safe dish that has a lid.
2. Chop the onion finely. Then cook in a frying pan with the hamburger. Dump in with the bacon.
Drain the kidney beans and the butter beans, but not the pork and beans. Dump all the beans into a 9x13 casserole pan.
4. Add all the other ingredients. Mix together, be careful not to mash the beans.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cover and bake for 1 hr at 350 degrees.

(Double for Parties)
Different beans may be added such as navy beans or white beans, etc... I do this when I double the recipe. Also, you may put more chili powder, ketchup, and mustard according to taste.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

When I was in high school, I made a cookbook for a Young Women in Excellence project. It was titled "A Recipe Book of Favorites". I collected all of my favorite recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner - typed them up and put them in a binder. That binder went to college with me and I have been grateful for it many many many times. However, in the almost-five years that David and I have been married - I've never once made this dinner for us. (Something to do with the fact that David doesn't like pineapple, soy sauce, or chinese food.) However, I've thought of it often and this week when I had a couple of peppers that needed to be used I decided to pull it out. Oh. My. Goodness. I can't believe that I have let so many years pass without enjoying this delectable goodness. I love it. I was immediately reminded why it made it into my recipe book of favorites. I'm pretty sure that the recipe came out of my family's old tattered copy of the Betty Crocker Cookbook. I love that cookbook. The pages are covered in grease/food and are all falling out but it has some of the most wonderful recipes. The new book isn't nearly as good. David didn't love it - for the reasons listed above - but he loves me and told me that I could make it whenever I wanted. Which I will be doing again soon. If you are looking for a delicious and fairly easy meal - this is it. SO good.  

Sweet & Sour Chicken
Source: Betty Crocket Cookbook/The Walker Family

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve syrup)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp soy sauce
2 carrots cut diagonally into thin slices
1 red or green bell pepper, cut into 3/4" pieces
1/4 onion chunked

Directions:
Cut chicken into 3/4" pieces. Heat oil in fry pan(I use a high edged electric skillet),  add chicken and brown. Right before chicken is done, add onions. When onions are slightly see-through, remove onions and chicken, set aside and keep warm.

Add enough water to reserved pineapple syrup to measure two cups. Heat syrup mixture, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, soy sauce, and carrots in fry pan. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are crisp-tender (about 6 minutes). Mix cornstarch and 2 tbs cold water; stir into sauce. Add chicken, pineapple, and green/red pepper. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Serve warm.