Jo’s Column

1½ cups flour
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
¾ cup softened butter
Mix together the flour, sugar and butter until crumbly. Set aside ½ cup. Spread half of the remaining mixture in a 8 x 12 inch pan and pat down. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread on the filling listed below. Sprinkle reserved crumbs on top and bake an additional 25 minutes.
Filling:
½ dates, cut up
1 cup shredded coconut
½ cup chopped nuts
2 egg whites
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine dates, coconut and nuts. Whip egg whites until stiff and add sugar and vanilla. Fold in the date mixture.
That is it for this week. The greatest joy is giving.

2 cups cooked and deboned chicken
2-10-oz. pkgs. frozen broccoli, Steamed
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
¼ tsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. melted butter
Grease an 11 x 7 inch casserole dish or pan. Place chicken on the bottom and then the broccoli on top. Combine the mayonnaise, soup, curry powder and lemon juice. Pour over the broccoli. Sprinkle with a mixture of cheese and bread crumbs combined with the butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I have been thinking about the south so much lately, and I decided on Jambalaya…enjoy.

1 lb. bacon
½ cup chopped onion
2 green peppers, chopped
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-16 oz. can tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp. thyme
½ lb. cooked ham, cubed
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 lb. shrimp, cooked, shelled and deveined
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bacon into ½ inch pieces and cook in a heavy, oven-proof pan or dutch oven with cover. When browned, remove with slotted spoon to paper towel and drain. Saute onion until transparent. Add green peppers; cook for 1 minute. Add rice; stir and cook rice for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover pot and place in oven. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Sprinkle with parsley.