American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Special Issue on Cooking RECIPES
From the Editor: In the early 1970s, Braille Monitor, the flagship publication of the National Federation of the Blind, launched a column called “Recipe of the Month.” By the 1980s this column had expanded to include several recipes in each Monitor issue. Often members of a particular affiliate were invited to submit recipes they thought Monitor readers would enjoy. Here is a small selection of recipes that were offered over the decades. You can discover the trove of past recipes by exploring the Braille Monitor Archive at nfb.org/publications.
by Sylvia Pearson
Des Moines Chapter, Iowa
Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 pound butter
2 cups bread flour
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
6 Heath candy bars (broken into small pieces)
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped nuts
Method: Mix the brown and white sugars, butter, and flour like a piecrust. Set aside 1/2 cup crumbs. To the remainder, add the egg, baking soda, vanilla, and buttermilk. Beat well by hand. Pour into a long pan. Top with the 1/2 cup crumbs, Heath bars, and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.
From “Recipe of the Month,” Braille Monitor, February, 1975
by Kenneth Carstens
Iron Range Chapter, MN
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Grapenuts [cereal]
1-1/4 cup uncooked rolled oatmeal
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 tsp honey
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup water
Method: Mix water last. Roll into balls of desired portions and freeze. Very good for diabetics.
Reprinted from “Recipes,” Braille Monitor, June 1985
by Mabel Conder
Charlotte, North Carolina
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter or margarine, melted
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups Rice Krispies [cereal]
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Method: Sift together flour, salt, and pepper. Stir cheese and Rice Krispies into margarine mixture and add flour mixture. Mix thoroughly. Roll into small balls and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Reprinted from “Recipes,” Braille Monitor, May 1995
by Gary Allen
Bristol, Connecticut
Ingredients:
2 cans crushed tomatoes
3 cans red kidney beans
2 packages McCormick's Hot Chili Mix
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp Allspice
1 bell pepper, chopped (for three-alarm chili, substitute 3 large jalapeño or 2 large habanero peppers)
1/2 to 3/4 onion, chopped
1-1/4 pound ground beef
1-1/4 pound sausage
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Method: In large pan, brown sausage and garlic to render fat. Add onions, peppers, and remaining meat.
Cook, stirring frequently until it is browned. Add tomatoes, beans, bay leaves, and contents of McCormick spice packets. Simmer covered for a half hour to 45 minutes. Add remaining spices, except the parsley, and continue simmering for an additional half hour. Sprinkle in parsley in the last five minutes of cooking. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Reprinted from “Recipes,” Braille Monitor, July 2005
by Mike Klimisch
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Ingredients:
1 can sweet peas
4 cups macaroni
2 cans tuna
Cheese (either Velveeta or shredded cheddar) to taste
1/4 cup chopped onions
Salad dressing
Mayonnaise
Method: Place the noodles in a pot of boiling water and cook. When macaroni is fully cooked, strain macaroni, running cold water over it so the macaroni does not stick together. Strain the liquid from the cans of tuna and peas. Toss tuna and peas with the cooled macaroni. Cut Velveeta cheese into small cubes or use shredded cheese. Mix in chopped onions for flavor. Next add equal portions of your favorite salad dressing and mayonnaise to taste.
Reprinted from Braille Monitor, March 2015