My Favorite Recipes 7/14/11

Jana Mathia | Jul 14, 20110

Meet Karen Coonrad, Pullman

When Karen Coonrad retired in 2006, eight years after her husband Dan had retired, people asked why they chose to stay in Pullman. Karen and Dan reply, “why not?” and continue to make Pullman their home as they have for the past 44 years.

Dan and Karen started dating in high school and continued to do so for four and a half years before they were married. Dan graduated from Washington State University with a degree in animal science. After graduation they moved to Coulee City where he worked on a Shorthorn ranch. They bought a ranch at Ellensburg, his home area and started to raise Angus cattle.

“And really had no intention of moving back here,” Karen admitted.

It was only five years before those plans changed. Dan was asked to return to Pullman as the manager of the WSU Beef Cattle Center. They left their ranch, eventually selling the livestock, and moved to Pullman in 1967. They resided next to the Beef Cattle Center on the Old Country Club road.

Karen stayed home with their four children, Craig, Julie, Darren and Kellie. When Kellie entered kindergarten, she went to work part time at a bank until a friend suggested she go to work at WSU. She took her typing test on New Year’s Eve and started working at the office of physical plant—now facilities operations—Jan. 15, 1976. She worked there for four years before going to the administrative office for housing and food service for seven years. She then worked for three years in the student services department before going to the department of residence life where she worked as an administrative assistant to the director for 16 years.

“I loved the contact with the students,” she said. That contact was what she missed most when she retired.

All four of their children graduated from Pullman High School. They all showed steers at the Palouse Empire Fair and Julie and Kellie were fair queens. The whole family was involved with the fair. Dan and Karen were 4H leaders for a Pullman club for about 15 years. Dan served as the president of the fair board for 10 years and was a beef superintendent.

“We’ve always had our love of Angus cattle,” Karen said. “We’ve been really active in the Angus industry.”

They have been active in the Washington Cattlemen Association and the Junior Angus Association. For 10 years Dan and Karen were advisors of the Northwest Junior Angus Association and were responsible for organizing bus trips which took Angus juniors from the Northwest to national shows throughout the United States. In 1988 Dan and Karen were voted National Junior Angus Advisors of the Year.

Dan also coached the WSU livestock judging for 15 years.

“But right now our real main emphasis is on grandkids,” Karen said. They have nine grandchildren, age 22 to four months. The family is spread out now with Craig in Stevensville, Mont., Julie in Yarrow Point, Darren in Pasco and Kellie in Fort Collins, Colo. Despite the distances, the family keeps in contact. Dan and Karen get to see even the most distant grandkids two to three times a year.

“There’s nothing so important that you can’t change your plans (for family and friends),” Karen said.

When Dan retired eight years ago, he went to work for a landscaper.

Karen is a member of Alpha Nu Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi and Chapter FI of PEO.

This year marks the Coonrads’ first in the WSU athletic student mentoring program which offers a family environment, whether it be a dinner or a shoulder to cry on, for an athlete. Karen said they are looking forward to the experience.

For years they have helped with a hamburger feed for student athletes who have to stay at school during the summer for training.

They enjoy WSU football, men and women’s basketball, volleyball and baseball.

Dan and Karen enjoy time at home, especially when entertaining.

“We do an awful lot of entertaining,” she noted. While going for walks in their community it is common to be invited or to invite a neighbor over, whether it is just for hors d’oeuvres or a full dinner. They love to barbecue and with their awning are able to do so any time.

When it comes to food, Karen likes to make rolls and is often asked to make her cheese bread or shrimp dip. Satisfying the shrimp dip requests has become more difficult because she has trouble finding Cream of Shrimp soup, one of the main ingredients.

Recipes:

Cheese Bread

1 loaf French bread, cut in half.

1 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise (do not substitute)

Chopped green onions—use just the green parts

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Mix mayonnaise, green onions, cheddar cheese and Parmesan. Spread on each half of bread.

Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown and melted. Cool to slice.

Sausage and Hamburger Rice Casserole

1 lb. sausage and/or hamburger

2 medium onions, chopped

1 cup finely diced celery

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 cup uncooked rice

1 cup boiling water

1 can mushrooms, undrained—can use fresh sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup lite Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. pepper

Brown meat; add and sauté onions and celery.

Mix both cream soups together and pour over sausage, onion and celery.

Add remaining ingredients. Pour into 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 1 hour. After 30 minutes, stir and bake another 30 minutes. May cover with foil last 15 minutes.

Garnish with crispy Chinese noodles.

7-Up Frosted Jello Salad

2 small pkg. lemon Jello

2 cups boiling water

2 cups 7-Up (not diet)

20 oz. crushed pineapple, reserve the juice

1 cup or more small marshmallows

2 sliced bananas

Dissolve Jello in water. Cool, but not set. Add 7-Up. Put in refrigerator. When partially set up, add pineapple, marshmallows and bananas. Put in refrigerator and set.

Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup pineapple juice

1 beaten egg

2 Tbsp butter

Pinch salt

Whipped topping.

Cook sugar, flour, pineapple juice and egg until thick. Add butter and salt. Chill. Fold in whipped topping. Frost jello. Can garnish with grated cheddar cheese.

Quiche Lorraine

Pie Crust

8 slices of bacon

1 cup Swiss Cheese

1/3 cup minced onion

4 eggs

2 cups light cream

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. red pepper.

Fry bacon. Drain and break into pieces.

Fill pie shell with bacon pieces, Swiss cheese and onion. Blend eggs, light cream, salt, sugar and red pepper. Pour over cheese, onion and bacon.