Meals for Young Cooks

By Winnifred and Ann Jardine

Buttered Brown Rice

2 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 cup brown rice

2 tablespoons butter

few grains pepper

1. Bring water to boil in medium-size saucepan. Add salt and cooking oil.

2. Stir in rice, turn heat to low, cover, and cook 1 hour or until rice is tender and water is absorbed.

3. Remove lid and allow to cook 10 minutes more to dry off rice.

4. Stir in butter and pepper and toss with fork.

Beans’n Mushrooms

1 (2-ounce) can mushroom pieces

2 (1-pound) cans french cut green beans

1 (10 1/2-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1. Drain beans and combine in medium-size saucepan with cream of mushroom soup and mushroom pieces, juice and all.

2. Heat for 5 minutes or until simmering hot.

No-Bake Brownies

1 cup chopped walnuts

4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

3 squares (3 ounces) unsweetened chocolate

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Grease an 8″ or 9″ square pan.

2. Combine nuts, crumbs, and sugar in a bowl.

3. Heat chocolate and evaporated milk over low heat, stirring constantly until smoothly blended. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

4. Gradually add to nut mixture, beating well.

5. Spread evenly in pan and chill 6 to 8 hours.

Hot Dog-a-Bobs

1 pound frankfurters

1 (14-ounce) can pineapple chunks

1 box cherry tomatoes

1 large green pepper

1. Cut each frankfurter into four pieces.

2. Drain pineapple chunks, saving juice for fruit drink later.

3. Wash and drain cherry tomatoes.

4. Wash green pepper, cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and cut into one-inch squares. Place each ingredient in separate bowl.

5. On roasting sticks, have family members alternate pieces of frankfurter, pineapple, cherry tomato, and green pepper, using four pieces of frankfurter per stick.

6. Roast over hot coals in fireplace, or barbecue until sizzling hot.

Illustrated by Julie Fuhriman