Bedford County Farm Cooks Ready For The Holidays
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
BEDFORD (Bedford Co.)
“I never cooked at home when I
was growing up,” said Mid
Koontz of the Friends Cove area
of Bedford County. “But once I
was married and living on a
farm, I didn’t have much choice.
I had to learn and I have always
liked to do it.”
Mid, married 55 years, said
that she really can’t remember
when she didn’t cook two Christ
mas dinners. I do one for my side
of the family and one for the
Koontz side,” she notes.
She prepares one dinner for
her immediate family, which in
cludes three children, and seven
grandchildren, five of whom also
have spouses.
The Sunday before Christmas,
she sets the Koontz family
spread for her husband’s broth
ers and sisters.
Everyone pitches in to help
with individual favorite recipes.
However, Mid always prepares
the turkey, stuffing and gravy.
She also has several standby
dishes which the family members
just naturally expect.
Date Pudding
Make a syrup of the following;
11/’I 1 /’ cups brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup water
Bring to a boil. Pour into a casse
role.
For batter:
2 tablespoons butter
legg
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup nuts
Mix together batter ingredi
ents. Drop by spoonful into the
syrup. Bake at 350 degrees for 30
minutes or until a toothpick
comes out clean. When ready to
serve, cover with whipped cream
topping. Serve cold.
Popcorn Cake
1 gallon (plus) popped pop-
corn
10 large marshmallows (cut)
1 large handful (plus) of nuts,
peanuts, coconut and gum
drops
Mix together in a big bowl.
For the Syrup:
1 cup coffee cream
2 cups granulated
2 cups King Syrup
Boil until a softball forms.
Cool. Pour over popcorn. Put in
bread pans lined with plastic
wrap.
Wrap in foil to keep from dry
ing out.
Slice and enjoy.
THELMA WAREHAM
Sharing in the workload on a
large dairy and hog farm for
nearly 50 years, Thelma Ware
ham is now a widow. But, she
has not let her culinary skills go
by the wayside. She is often
found cooking for one event or
another at the Everett Church of
the Brethren.
She enjoys being a “adopted
grandparent” at the Breezewood
Elementary School.
Thelma’s large farmhouse liv
ing room is filled with her huge
collection of pigs.
“I get them from everywhere,”
she said with a laugh. “Friends
get them for me, I get them at
yard sales, or as souvenirs. I
started the collection for my hus
band and it just took off.”
One of her favorite recipes is
quick, easy, and a great treat for
any holiday celebration. “Just
change the colors for whatever
the occasion and you are ready
to go,” she said.
Peanut Butter Crackers
Spread Ritz crackers with a
layer of peanut butter. Melt coat
ing wafers in the microwave and
dip the crackers. Place on waxed
paper until set. Freezes well.
At Easter, use Ritz crackers
because they are shaped like
eggs. For Christmas choose coat
ing wafers in the colors of green
and red. Valentine’s Day, choose
red and white; on Easter, pastels,
and, on Halloween try orange
and chocolate.
Another Thelma favorite is
Pumpkin Pecan Pie.
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
For pumpkin layer combine:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup pumpkin
A cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Spread pumpkin mixture over
the bottom of an unbaked shell.
For the pecan layer, combine:
2 A cup light com syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mid Koontz
1 cup pecans
Mix well and spoon over
pumpkin layer. Bake at 350 for
50 minutes or until filling is set.
PEG WOLFHOPE
Peg Wolfhope is still feeding
beef cattle. Even after a dispersal
sale this summer, Peg stops each
evening on her way home from
work at the AAI Insurance office
in Bedford to feed their remain
ing beef cattle.
She has been living on a farm
since her marriage nearly 40
years ago. Her husband Ed,
daughter Tawnya, and son-in
law Troy enjoy her cooking. So
do her co-workers when she oc
casionally takes a treat to the of
fice.
One of her favorite holiday
recipes is apple cake. Here is her
recipe.
Apple Cake
3 cups chopped apples
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups flour
'A teaspoon sage
1 teaspoom cinnamon
'A teaspoon nutmeg
leup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup nuts
1 cup raisins
MMix together butter, sugar,
and apples. Add flour, spices,
and stir. Blend in nuts and rai
sins. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50
minutes in a greased 13x9x1-inch
pan.
Thelma Latterly
THELMA LAFFERTY
While not a farm wife, Thelma
Lafferty has a dresser drawer full
of blue ribbons she has won for
her culinary talents.
She cooks for family and
friends and considers it fun to
have guests for dinner.
One of her cherished holiday
recipes was handed down by her
mother. Here it is:
Cranberry Salad
1 bag fresh cranberries
Grind cranberries and soak
overnight in 1 cup sugar. Next
morning, dissolve 2 boxes lemon
flavored Jell-O in 2 cups hot
water (no cold water).
Add 1 cup crushed pineapple,
the juice and rind of one orange,
1 cup celery, and the cranberries.
Allow mixture to set until
jelled. If desired, add chopped
nuts.