This Sept. 11 is the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, or 9/11 as we know it. It is a day on which we should all stop to honor and remember the nearly 3,000 innocent lives who were lost that day in New York City at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the hijacked plane crashed. Today, 25 years later, a memorial is located at the former World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan in New York City. Other memorial locations are the Pentagon Memorial and the Flight 93 National Memorial, where the hijacked plane crashed. We salute and honor this day.

Crunchy Chicken Casserole

This is a recipe that my sister recently shared with me. She had prepared it for guests and said they enjoyed the dish. She mentioned that she cooked the chicken breasts in a crock pot and used the broth from the cooked chicken to prepare the rice, giving the rice added flavor. She added some shredded cheese and let it melt the last few minutes in the oven. The water chestnuts and almonds in the recipe give the crunch to this chicken recipe. Serving a vegetable side dish such as steamed broccoli would make the meal complete.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped celery

1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine

3 cups cubed, cooked chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 10.5-ounce can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons chopped onions

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a skillet, saute the celery in butter until tender. Drain the water chestnuts and slice them into quarters. Remove from heat and add the next eight ingredients. Spoon into an ungreased 2 1/2 quart baking dish.

Topping

1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine

1/2 cup crushed corn flakes

Topping Instructions

Combine melted butter and cornflakes. Sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Can’t Leave It Alone Coffee Cake

This recipe would work great for a morning coffee, for taking out to the field for a morning break when harvest begins, or even for a treat after the kids come home from school.

Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix

1 3-ounce package instant butterscotch pudding

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon butter flavoring

Topping Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch pan. Beat the first six ingredients together for 8 minutes. Spread one-half of the batter on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle one-half of the topping over the batter. Repeat and end with the rest of the topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool and cut.

Taco Dip

Fall is such a beautiful time of the year. Taking a road trip to view the changing colors of the trees can be so fascinating. It is also football season for high school and college teams. Friends gathering and tailgating, as we all know, is a great time for many fans. This Taco Dip recipe is fairly quick and easy to make for such occasions.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 package taco seasoning

1 pound Mexican-American cheese

1 jar taco sauce

1 can refried beans

Instructions

Cook and crumble beef and drain. Add the chopped onions. Place ingredients in a crock pot. Add taco seasoning, sauce and refried beans. Cube the cheese and add to ingredients. Stir occasionally until the cheese has melted and mixed well. Recommended time in the crock pot is for 1.5 to 3 hours on low or until the cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla or corn chips.

Peach Salad

Some of the simplest recipes are the best. This recipe is one of those. The juice that is in the cottage cheese absorbs the dry jello and pudding powder, creating a delicious flavor along with the fruit. I like to mix the cottage cheese with the pudding and jello and stir together before adding the drained fruit and whipped topping.

Ingredients

1 8-ounce carton cottage cheese

1 29-ounce can sliced peaches, drained

2 3-ounce boxes peach jello

1 3-ounce box instant vanilla pudding

1 8-ounce whipped topping

Instructions

Mix together. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Serve and enjoy.

Loretta’s Tips

1. To cut a pie into five equal pieces, first cut a “Y” in the pie and then the two large pieces can be cut in half.

2. To help to raise bread; turn the oven to 200 degrees. When the temperature is reached, shut the oven off and put bread in to rise. Allow around five to 10 minutes.

Loretta Krahling is a columnist with over 39 years of newspaper experience. If you have a favorite recipe you would like to share or have any questions, email them to Loretta at krahling93@gmail.com.