MY FAVORITE RECIPES - Meet Aleta Heiner, Diamond

Jana Mathia | Feb 25, 20100

photo by Betina Workman.Back left to right: Rachel, Andrew, Aleta, Bruce, Leah. Front: Kimberly, James, Tyler and Tia Birch.

Aleta Heiner considers herself a dinosaur for being a stay at home mom who has raised six children. She also raises a garden, cans produce and make quilts.

“That’s always been me,” she said.

Aleta and her husband Bruce were raised in Southern Idaho; she in Mackey and he in Heyburn, near Burley. They met at the University of Idaho where Aleta pursued a degree in psychology until she met Bruce. He earned his undergraduate degree from the U of I and then went to Washington State University where he earned his masters degree. He is now a civil engineer for Fish & Wildlife and works on stream rehabilitation.

They moved to Washington when their first child, Andrew, was six months old. After Bruce graduated from WSU three years later, they moved to Olympia and remained there for nine years before coming back to Whitman County.

“We never did like big (cities), we always wanted to come back,” Aleta said.

They moved into their home in Diamond January of 2000 after renting in Colfax. By then they had four more children, Tia, Rachel, Kimberly and Leah. James arrived after they settled in Diamond and Leah was born eight years later.

James was born almost three months early. He stayed at Sacred Heart in Spokane for three and half months. Aleta was there at least five days a week every week. When he was finally allowed to come home, they were told to expect a lot of health problems. By then he had already had surgery for lazy eye. James will be six years old next month and has only had one more operation.

“I’ve been amazed at how well he’s done,” Aleta said.

Andrew and Tia now both attend BYU-Idaho and Rachel is taking classes at the Pullman branch of Spokane Community College. Kimberly and Leah attend school at Colfax. Kimberly is in jazz band and track and Leah in middle school volleyball and track.

Aleta picked up some of her homemaking skills, like making bread, from her mother. She learned to bake when she was eight. The later learned to can, a skill much needed because Bruce enjoys gardening.

“When you have tomatoes coming out of your ears, you have to figure out what to do with them,” she said.

Bruce does most of the gardening. He has rotation charts, seed catalogs and already has started some seeds. The family helps plant, weed and water.

“He likes to be outside. He would have been a happy farmer,” Aleta said. Bruce also has a small herd of cows.

While Aleta is active in her church, walks three times a week and likes to play volleyball, her favorite hobby is quilting. She had always wanted to learn to quilt. After moving to Colfax, she took classes from Becky’s Fabric to get started. Almost all of her quilts end up being given to family and friends. She recently completed one for James and has three more in production.

“I’d be happy to quilt all day,” she said and laughed. “In fantasy land.”

Buttery Sautéed Peas with Shallots and Thyme

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 medium shallots, minced

2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves

2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tsp.)

1 Tbsp. sugar

salt

2 lbs. frozen peas (do not thaw)

ground black pepper

Sauté the peas. Melt butter in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots, thyme, garlic, sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir the peas and cook, stirring often, until thawed and heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nacho Casserole

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. hamburger

onion

salt

8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 can refried beans

grated cheese

nacho chips

Brown hamburger, onion and salt. Drain. Add 1/2 can of tomato sauce and heat.

In casserole dish line bottom with refried beans. Add layer of cheese then a layer of hamburger mixture then layer of cheese then last 1/2 can of tomato sauce. Cook in microwave 7 minutes on level 7. Eat with nacho chips.

Festive cranberry salad

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained

1 can (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a bowl, combine milk and lemon juice; mix well. Stir in pineapple, cranberry sauce, marshmallows and pecans. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into a 9 x 13 pan.

Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Pumpkin spice cake

1 cup raisins

1 cup walnuts

2 cup sifted flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cloves

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin

Grease a 9 x13 inch pan. Set oven at 350. Chop raisins and nuts. Sift flour with baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon and ginger into large bowl. Add raisins and nuts. With electric mixer on high, beat eggs until thick and yellow. Gradually beat in sugar until thick and light. At low speed, add oil and pumpkin. Blend well. Gradually stir in flour mixture until well blended. Pour into pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

*For jelly roll, bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Frosting for Jelly Roll

3 oz. cram cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup margarine

2 cup powdered sugar

Mix together until creamy.