Pink Rhubarb Punch

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. + chilling

MAKES: 20 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
  • 8 cups water
  • 2-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons strawberry gelatin powder
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 2 cups pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 6 cups ginger ale, chilled

Directions

  1. In a Dutch oven, bring rhubarb and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid (save rhubarb for another use).
  2. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and gelatin powder in boiling water. Stir in pineapple and lemon juices. Stir in rhubarb liquid; refrigerate until chilled.
  3. Just before serving, pour into a punch bowl and stir in ginger ale. Yield: about 5 quarts.

 If using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.

Sour Cream & Chives Dip

1 cup of sour cream

¾ cup of fresh chopped chives

2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)

¼ teaspoon salt (optional)

Refrigerate for ½ hour before serving

Tomato Soup (an old family recipe)

4 large tomatoes (clean) Immerse in in boiling water and remove skins. Section and place in a pot, add 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper. Cook 20 minutes at a low simmer.

In a separate large sauce pan melt 1/2 cup of butter or margarine, add 1/2 cup of chopped onion and saute on medium low heat until onions are clear. add 1/4 cup of all purpose flour and mix until margarine has been absorbed and no lumps of dry flour remain. add 4 cups of 2% milk one at a time stirring to keep entire mixture at the same consistency. Continue cooking milk and onion mixture until thick and bubbly. Add hot tomato mixture to the pan, mix well and return to a boil. Soup freezes well and can be reheated in a microwave oven.

Note, tomatoes are added at the end as introducing milk to the hot tomato mixture will cause it to curdle.

Also the same recipe can be used to make celery soup , sauteing 1 cup of sliced celery with the onions and increasing the milk by two cups, or potato soup proceeding as above increasing the milk by one cup and adding 2 cups of cooked, diced potatoes in place of the heated tomatoes.