My favorite recipes

The friendly greeter at the reception desk at Whitman Hospital and Medical Center is often Shirley Simmons. She lives in Diamond with her husband of 56 years, Jerry, but she spends much of her time in Colfax.

Shirley not only works at Whitman Hospital, but she is president of Whitman Community Hospital Auxiliary, and she is active in Thrifty Grandmothers Club.

A Spokane native, Shirley went to Rogers High School. She visited the Shriners’ Hospital frequently as a high school student, and that shaped her future interests in both health care and children. Along the way, she has furthered her education, and continues to enjoy learning new things.

Beginning her health care career in Colfax at the former St. Ignatius Hospital, Shirley worked in the dietary department and as a nurses’ aide, now titled nursing assistant certified, or NAC.

Her great passion after that was Love ’n’ Learn Day Care which provided child care in Colfax for 18 years. She eventually closed it due to the long hours and the difficulty in staffing.

Now she’s greeting people and giving directions and assistance at the front reception desk at the hospital.

“I love my job. I’m so thankful at this time of my life to work here,” she said.

“I love my office,” she added. Her office is the main lobby of the hospital with huge windows and the best view in town.

As Hospital Auxiliary president, Shirley has been able to keep busy, which is very important to her. Being busy, interacting with people and being productive have kept Shirley involved and happy. She joined auxiliary in 2004, after she closed her day care center. The auxiliary’s goal to improve services offered to the hospital captured her interest.

The auxiliary’s Spring Festival at First Baptist Church Recreation Center this year will be Thursday, May 10, from 7:30 to 3:30. The day will start with coffee and cinnamon rolls at 7:30, and include lunch service beginning at 11 a.m. Lunch items include ham and turkey sandwiches, chicken dumpling, cream of broccoli and taco soups and a large variety of pies.

The festival will feature bedding plants, perennial plants, hanging baskets, books, and new and nearly new items. This is where many in Colfax go first to buy spring plants and flowers. Tickets will be drawn for three top prizes: $200, a hanging basket, and a Blue Bird Gift Shop gift certificate. Tickets are sold by members and can be found in the entry at Rosauers in Colfax prior to the Festival.

The second event to note is the grand re-opening of the Blue Bird Gift Shop at Whitman Hospital and Medical Center May 2 from 1 to 4 p.m. New gift shop manager is Sue Henning of St. John, who has been working with volunteers and Michael Wetherell, gift shop manager of Providence Sacred Heart.

First, the auxiliary donates $10,000 each year to the hospital for equipment and technology. From 1954 to 2010 the auxiliary has donated more than $372,000. Their donations to the hospital have purchased everything from the GI tube for colonoscopies to cardiac monitoring machines.

The auxiliary also awards three $1,000 scholarships each year to graduating seniors to pursue higher education in a medical field.

Shirley said the auxiliary would like to increase their giving beyond $10,000.

“The sky’s the limit,” she noted.

Shirley also has been involved with Thrifty Grandmothers since 2006, serving as treasurer, and she encourages others to join the club. The Thrifty Grandmothers have much more display space in their new shop, and their proceeds are given as scholarships and donations to a variety of local projects.

When they find time to travel, Shirley and Jerry like to visit their three sons and their grandchildren in California. The three live fairly close together, as the sons frequently work on projects together. Jay and Scott are in their 50’s, and Richard is in his 40’s.

Jay is an audio-video contractor, and his brothers work in installation of audio and video wiring and equipment and in construction. Jay and Kelli live in Gilroy and have two sons and a daughter, Matthew, Stephen and Allie.

Scott and Khit live in Merced and have Allysa and Alexis, with another child due in September. Richard and Wendy live in Turlock and have five children, Joshua, Jesse, Cassie, Coren and Courtney.

Last year, Shirley and Jerry joined Jay and his family as guests at a condo in Maui which is owned by one of Jay’s business friends.

Shirley enjoys trying new recipes, and many of her favorites have been published in the Gazette over the years. She usually cooks “one-pot” dinners, prepared in quantity to serve at least two meals for the two of them.

An old family favorite is her grandmother’s potato soup.

Recipes:

Potato Soup

5-6 potatoes, peeled, cut up, boiled, drained of water, and mashed

3-4 hard-boiled eggs, cut up

4-6 slices fried bacon, in pieces

2 t. celery salt

2 cans milk (Double quantities for a large amount.)

....and serve with love!

Ham-Broccoli Royale

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. cooked rice

3 pounds broccoli

2 cups bread crumbs

1 1/2 pound smoked ham, diced

shredded cheese

White Sauce

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup flour

6 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

Stir flour into melted butter, then stir in milk. Cook until smooth and thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook rice. Pour into 3 greased loaf pans.

Cook broccoli, place on top of rice.

Stir diced ham into white sauce. Pour over broccoli.

Add cheese. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top.

Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Snickerdoodles

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/ 1/2 cup plus 2 T sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Put butter and 1 1/2 c. sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into twenty 1/ 1/4-inch balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chips Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 2/3 cups (10 oz. pkg.) Hershey’s cinnamon chips

3/4 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in oats, cinnamon chips and raisins. (Batter will be stiff.)

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen.

Bar variation: Spread batter into lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool; cut into bars. About 3 dozen bars.

Quick Chili Con Carne

1 pound ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-4 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 Tablespoons shortening

2 cans tomato soup

4 cans small red beans, undrained

2 cup water

2 teaspoons vinegar.

Cook beef with onion and garlic in shortening until meat is lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients. Cover, cook over low heat 30 minutes, stir often. Uncover, cook to desired consistency. 8 servings.