“Kitchen Krafts,” Friend, Aug. 1996, 27

Kitchen Krafts

Picnic Pretzels

Make these pretzels first thing in the morning, before it gets hot!

1 envelope dry yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 teaspoon salt

4–5 cups flour

1 egg, beaten

coarse salt

In a large bowl, mix the yeast and sugar in the warm water; let sit about 5 minutes.
Stir in the salt and 2–3 cups of the flour to make a soft batter.
Keeping your hands dusted with flour, knead in enough additional flour to make a dough stiff enough to roll out.
Still keeping your hands dusted with flour, take a lump of dough about the size of a peach, and roll it between your hands to make an 8″ to 12″ (20 cm to 30 cm) rope about as thick as your finger.
Twist the rope into a pretzel shape (see illustration), place it on a greased cookie sheet, brush it with beaten egg, and sprinkle coarse salt on the top. Repeat these last two steps until the dough is used up.
Bake at 425° F (218° C) for 12 to 15 minutes until the pretzels are golden brown. Cover loosely.

Summer Tossed or Layered Salad

By Joan Stevenson

Spinach leaves are oh, so nice!
Mandarin oranges, slice by slice!
Shredded carrots, chopped celery will do!
Pineapple chunks, and strawberries too!
Sprinkle on some coconut!
Dot here and there with your favorite nut!
No, no—we’re not through yet:
Cover with dressing, raspberry vinaigrette!

Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

1 package (10.5 ounces/298 g) frozen raspberries, thawed

1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/4 cup salad oil

Press the berries through a strainer; set aside.
Combine the mustard, salt, and vinegar.
Gradually add the oil, and mix with a wire whip or a hand mixer until the mixture is slightly thick.
Gradually stir in the strained berries.

Makes about 1 cup.

Tin-Can Ice Cream

By Juliana Lewis

For this recipe, you will need two sturdy cans with tight-fitting lids. One will need to hold about a quart (liter) and fit inside the other with space all around it. In Steps 1 and 3, secure each lid to its can with duct tape, if available.

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

nuts, fruit in small pieces, and/or your favorite flavoring

crushed ice

rock salt

Pour all the ingredients into the smaller can, mix, put the lid on securely, and place this can into the larger one.
Pack crushed ice around the small can until it fills the bigger can.
Pour at least 3/4 cup of rock salt evenly over the ice, then put the can lid on securely.
Roll the can around on a hard surface for at least 10 minutes. (A mild game of keep away might be a fun way of doing this—but be sure the lids stay on tight!)
Open the cans, removing the smaller one to make sure no salt or ice gets into it. The mixture should be frozen around the edges. Scrape it away from the sides with a table knife, and mix it into the part that’s still liquid.
If it’s well frozen, dig in! If not, reseal the smaller can, put it in the larger can again, pack more ice and salt around it, reseal the larger can, and roll it around a few minutes more. Repeat Steps 5 and 6, if necessary. Serves four.

Photos by Jed Call