My favorite recipes

Donna Brost has been the leader, organizer and cheerleader for the Colfax United Methodist Church’s monthly dinners. The attendance was eight for the first meal, and some of the workers wondered if they should just drop the idea. Donna was eager to keep trying. Now they’ve had as many as 85 people at a dinner. They normally serve 65 to 80 people. The Methodist Church does not charge for the meals, but many who attend donate.

The goals of the monthly dinners are to provide a community meal so that people can gather for a tasty dinner and conversation, relax and visit. The idea is simply to build community with a shared meal.

Her inspiration was the Walla Walla Community Center, which offers dinner five days a week. Walla Walla churches and organizations take one or two turns at hosting the meals each month.

The committee began serving dinners each month in June of 2010. For the first year, the Methodist Church supported the cost, but now donations are the primary support.

A roast beef dinner will be served Oct. 27.

In the second week of December, they will serve a holiday dinner.

Leftovers are frozen and used in the next meal or sent home with people who can use them. For example, the leftover prime rib from their prime rib dinner was frozen and used the next month in a hearty soup. Leftover salad is sent home with guests.

Regular dinner helpers are Dana Carroll, Dixie Brannon, Connie McBride, Mikki Tigue, Alex Hart and Kathy Lemon. Many others help as needed, and church members often donate salads and breads. They’ve learned that fruit crisps are popular and much less work than fruit pies.

Donna does the meal planning and coordinates the cooking. They use few recipes and prepare meals that their own families like, so they know the recipes by heart.

Donna grew up in Troy, Idaho, but the family moved to Walla Walla when she was a freshman in high school. She went to high school at Laurelwood Academy in Oregon. She loved her boarding school experience, with all of the activities and fun for the students. She was a member of the choir, which toured to area churches on many weekends.

After high school, Donna returned to Walla Walla, attended Walla Walla College for a year. She married and they lived in Walla Walla, but began moving frequently for several years with her husband’s contracting job. Donna found a wonderful place to buy tomatoes and corn in the area 43 years ago, and loves visiting the little German lady who grows the vegetables on the Old Milton-Freewater Highway. This is where Donna got some wonderful recipes, such as her German apple cake, as well as delicious vegetables.

Donna and Walt are enjoying a friendship that blossomed into love and marriage. Both were widowed. For years they and their deceased spouses, Jack Thompson and Verna Brost, knew each other through church activities and golf.

Donna and Walt were married Sept. 1 and the former UMC pastor, the Rev. Tori Hicks, came from Alaska to preside. The wedding party wore golf attire, and guests were invited to do the same. The bride wore a white golf visor with a small veil, and the other women in the wedding party wore pink golf visors. The reception followed at the Colfax Golf Clubhouse.

They have a circle of friends that go to dinner, play golf and take weekend trips together.

Recipes:

CrockPot Lasagna

1 package oven ready lasagna noodles

1 small can tomato sauce

1-24 ounce jar Prego or your favorite pasta sauce

1-16 ounce jar Alfredo sauce

1 pound ground beef

2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Cook ground beef and add to pasta sauce.

In bottom of crockpot, pour and spread the tomato sauce. Then layer noodles, then Alfredo sauce, and pasta sauce with meat, and the three cheeses, in this order.

Make three tiers of the layers. Cover with lid and cook on low heat for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. This can be made in a lasagna pan and baked in the oven for an hour or until done.

German Apple Cake

3 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cubes butter

1 teaspoon baking powder

zest of 1 lemon

Mix and then knead dough until completely blended and smooth. Let dough rest in the refrigerator for one-half hour. Cut dough in half for top and bottom crusts.

Roll first half of the dough to 1/8 inch thick on parchment paper. It should be about 13 x 9 oval size. Place in a 13 x 9 inch pan.

Slice 6 or 7 medium apples onto crust. Sprinkle apples with sugar and cinnamon. Roll other half of dough for the top crust. Place over the apples and bottom crust and use cold water on the edges to help seal them together.

Brush top crush with an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 55 minutes at 350 degrees F. Turn off oven and let set in oven to cool.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Fudge

4 1/2 cups sugar

1-12 ounce can evaporated milk

1/2 pound butter

2-12 ounce packages milk chocolate chips

2-12 ounce packages semisweet chocolate chips

2-7 ounce jars marshmallow cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

2/3 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream

2 cups chopped nuts, optional

Set chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, vanilla, Bailey’s, and nuts in a very large bowl. Set aside for later. Bring butter, sugar, and milk to a boil, and then cook slowly for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour milk mixture over the other ingredients and stir slowly to blend. Do not use a mixer. Pour into a butered 9 x 13 inch or 10 x 15 inch pan and chill. Makes about 5 pounds.

Almond Roca

1 pounds butter, room temperature

2 cups white sugar

1 cup finely crushed sliced almonds

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Put butter in pan and melt slowly; add sugar and bring to boil on medium heat. When at a full rolling boil, boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. (I use just over medium on my stove.) Add 3/4 cup almonds and continue to boil another 5 minutes. Mixture will turn a caramel color from scorching. This is a good thing! Pour onto shallow pans, such as 2 pizza pans. Sprinle with chocolate chips; spread when glossy and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup almonds on top.