My favorite recipes

Julie Aune Kincaid is right at home on a farm near Colfax, as the daughter of a LaCrosse area family. Parents Bud and Judy Aune welcomed Julie after having three boys, so she learned to do her homework at her brothers basketball games and was exempt from truck driving during harvest; her mother claimed her for cooking help. She made a mean batch of cookies at an early age.

After graduating from LaCrosse High School, Julie majored in education and special education at Washington State University. After college, she married Dennis Kincaid and settled back into the farming life. She earned a masters degree in curriculum and instruction at Gonzaga University and did substitute teaching.

For the last six years, Julie has taught sixth grade at Jennings Elementary in Colfax while keeping up with a busy husband, sports-loving boy, and a little one with special challenges.

Their family includes Tyler, now a freshman at Colfax High School; Brett, a seventh grader, and Kacy, age 10. Balancing the needs of teens while caring for Kacy is an everyday challenge, and she is helped by Dennis, Tyler, and Brett’s interaction and support. Extended Kincaid and Aune families have also been a great source of support and help taking care of Kacy. The grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins play a big part in their lives.

The Kincaids have big changes this year with Julie taking a year’s leave of absence to focus on her family. The older boys are even more involved in school and sports, and they’ve reached a critical point in Kacy’s development. Kacy is at a good stage for some specific therapies for his brain condition. This will involve travel and going to swimming three times a week.

Julie noted that brain research has advanced greatly in the last decade, and they also know more about Kacy’s brain. This allows more specific therapies that target his needs and strengths.

Kacy will go to school part of the time, as he needs the peer interactions, as well as bonding and relying on adults other than his parents. Along with helping Kacy, being in the bleachers cheering on Tyler and Brett while not correcting papers is on Julie’s list.

Julie knows that she’ll need to plan carefully to accomplish their goals this year, and she is learning to organize when not totally swamped. She planned to enjoy coffee on the patio in the morning and reading time in the afternoon, but that’s not been very frequent. There are flower beds to redo, but all projects yield to taking the boys to sports, sports camps, swimming, back to the farm for work and getting together with family and friends. There’s probably plenty of time for coffee and reading in a decade or so.

Julie noted that she decorates with a minimalist touch—less to dust on a farm! Her goal is a comfy home and she uses earth tones and materials that can take dirt— “Weave the dirt right in,” she says. She uses a variety of browns and tans, with a rich country red kitchen featuring light ceilings, countertops and tabletops.

Since harvest is a big part of farm life in the Palouse, the Kincaids make a harvest day of fun for Kacy’s August birthday. Kacy wakes to a floor covered with balloons and his favorite breakfast, a quesadilla. He rides combine with dad and tractor and truck with his brothers. The crew stops early and Julie brings dinner to the field. Fried chicken, salads and John Deere birthday cookies are on the menu. Kacy prefers cookies.

Her guys sometimes request afternoon treats. Brett prefers snickerdoodle cookies warm from the oven, Dennis likes root beer floats, and this week, Tyler requested apple pie in a jar. Of course, they don’t turn down treats requested by another family member.

Julie learned to cook with her mother, Judy Aune, and her grandmothers Betty Aune and Bernice Leinweber were great cooks. A home economics class in high school gave some more cooking opportunities.

Julie is a self-described “blog junkie” looking for recipes. She averages two new recipes a week, and Pioneer Woman is her new hero.

With all of this cooking, feeding an active husband and boys, Julie has learned that she can’t eat with them. To maintain good health and her desired weight, she eats lots of veggies, drinks a gallon of water a day and just one cup of coffee. She avoids the boys’ snacks.

The family is preparing for the start of school this fall without mom in the classroom, and she is looking forward to the Palouse Empire Fair with a little more time and less stress. Ty and Brett take care of their animals independently now, so Julie is the support person and makes sure everything is in order.

After six years of Saturday youth league football, the Kincaids will be back in the stands at Martin Stadium this fall. Those were the only years that Julie has missed Cougar football. They will attend with the extended Aune family, and all of the Cougar gear they need is waiting in their closets for the first home game. Some families vacation together, but the Bud Aune clan goes to WSU football games. They’re excited to be back, and the Kincaids look forward to what Coach Leach has in store for the fans.

Recipes:

BBQ Beef

7 pounds boneless chuck

1 cup water

3 Tablespoons white vinegar

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons dry mustard

4 Tablespoons Worcestershire

3 cups Ketchup

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 cloves garlic, minced

Place the roast in your slow cooker along with the water. Cook on low for 2-4 hours, or until the beef can be easily shredded with a fork. Remove 1/2 cup broth from the slow cooker and reserve for later. Add vinegar, brown sugar, dry mustard, Worcestershire, and ketchup. Mix in the salt, pepper, cayenne, and garlic. Stir to coat meat. Cover and continue to cook on low an additional 4-6 hours. Add the reserved broth if necessary to maintain moisture. Serve on toasted buns.

Parmesan Ranch Chicken Bake

2 pounds chicken

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup crushed Ritz crackers

1 package dry Ranch dressing

Dip washed and dried chicken in melted butter. Dredge in a bowl of dressing, crumbs, and cheese. Bake, uncovered, in a well-greased pan at 350 degrees till golden and juices run clear.

Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup light soy sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 Tablespoons white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast meat

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup chopped green onion

Toast sesame seeds and set aside. Cook pasta until al dente; drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, sesame seeds, ginger, and pepper. Shake well. Pour sesame dressing over pasta, and toss to coat evenly. Gently mix in chicken, cilantro, and green onions.

Cowboy Caviar

1 (11 ounce) can white shoepeg corn, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes, with juice

2 ripe avocados, diced

2/3 cup red onion, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

2/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Combine all ingredients, adding avocados last, and toss gently. Serve with chips.

Margarita Fruit Dip

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup frozen (thawed) margarita drink mix

1/4 cup orange juice

2 teaspoons grated lime peel

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

whole strawberries

Beat the cream cheese, margarita mix, orange juice, and lime peel on low speed until smooth. Beat whipping cream in a small, chilled bowl on high speed until stiff. Fold into cream cheese mixture and refrigerate one hour. Serve in sugar-rimmed margarita glasses with strawberries.

Chocolate Lasagna

1 (15.5 ounce) package of Oreo cookies

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 (3.9 ounce) packages chocolate instant pudding

3 1/4 cups cold milk

1 (8 ounce) containers Cool Whip

1 cup powdered sugar

Crush all Oreo cookies and save 1/2 cup of the crumbs for the topping. Pour the remaining crumbs into a 9 x 13 pan and add the melted butter. Stir and press into the bottom of the pan to make a crust. In a bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk. Refrigerate. Blend cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar. Mix and fold in one container of the Cool Whip. Spread over the crust. Spread pudding over the cream cheese mixture. Top with the other Cool Whip, and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Oreo crumbs over the top.