Craig Daily Press

Diane Prather

Diane Prather's columns appear in the Craig Daily Press each Wednesday and Friday. You can contact her at 824-8809 or e-mail .

Craig — What a treat.

I received two recipes this week.

Mary Kihlstrom, who lives north of Craig, called with a recipe for “Parsnip Soup,” and Mary Matlock, of Craig, sent her recipe for “Brown Bread.”

First of all, the ingredients for “Parsnip Soup” are: 1/2 pound sliced bacon, 1 pound of parsnips, 2 (10.5 ounce) cans potato soup, 2 cups milk, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces and place it in a soup pot.

Fry until crisp.

While the bacon fries, peel the parsnips and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside.

Sauté the parsnip pieces in the fat until soft (Mary said they should be cooked then).

Stir in potato soup, milk, nutmeg and pepper.

Bring to a boil, stirring often. The soup is ready when it boils.

Just before serving, add the lemon juice and sprinkle with the fried bacon bits. (As I write the column it’s a blizzardy afternoon and I’m thinking how good the soup would taste about now.)

A while back, Mary Matlock and I had a great visit about chokecherry jelly, and it’s wonderful to hear from her again. Mary says most everyone likes “Brown Bread.”

Mary bakes the bread in 6 regular-size tin cans that are greased, (sometimes she fills more.) Mary’s cans are from “back when cranberry sauce came in smooth-sided cans.” She says she’s had the cans for years.

You do not have to use smooth-sided cans. Save some tin cans and gather up the ingredients for the bread. You’ll need the following: 1 box seedless dark raisins, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 tablespoons oleo (or margarine or butter), 2 cups boiling water, 4 cups flour, 2 cups white sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon rum extract.

Pour the boiling water over the raisins, baking soda and oleo. Cover and let sit for 4 hours.

Mix in the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the eggs, vanilla and rum extract.

Spoon mixture into the 6 greased cans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until done.

Mary says you can add a cherry to the top of the bread before baking. (This makes me think of Valentine’s Day.)

Thanks to Mary Kihlstrom and Mary Matlock for this week’s recipes!

Keep those recipes coming!

Do you have a special recipe for Valentine’s Day? Call me or send your recipes to me at box 415, Craig, CO 81625

Diane Prather can be reached at 824-8809.