Elaine's Kitchen

Elaine's Kitchen Do you like to cook or bake, or want to try some of my recipes? Then this page is for you. I like to cook and bake, and I also like to write.

I am the author of a number of books; the first three are for children ages 7 - 10, and the titles are "Biff and Becka's Springtime Escapades, Biff and Becka's Stupendous Vacation," and "Biff and Becka's Splendiferous Christmas." These are stories of one year in the life of young rabbits and their family. After that, I also wrote a devotional titled "Journal Gems", and later published my collectio

n of poetry and short stories titled "Rhyme and Reason." My cookbook, "Elaine's Kitchen" was published after that, and my latest book was published just last November, and is a memoir titled "When The Wind Blows." My books are all available on Amazon.com.

Here is the recipe for the Applesauce/Raisin Spice cake from the Mennonite Cookbook. I also made half a recipe of the fr...
08/31/2026

Here is the recipe for the Applesauce/Raisin Spice cake from the Mennonite Cookbook. I also made half a recipe of the frosting I make for cinnamon rolls, recipe below. From Catherine Sommers years ago.

I was busy in the kitchen today, stewing prunes, making banana bread from overripe bananas, making two 8 x 8 pans of app...
08/31/2026

I was busy in the kitchen today, stewing prunes, making banana bread from overripe bananas, making two 8 x 8 pans of applesauce spice cake with raisins, cutting up a cantaloupe and stashing it in the fridge. Then I made frosting for the spice cakes, got the prepared casserole (I had frozen it earlier) into the oven and got 4 ears of corn on to cook. I'll post the recipe for banana bread here, and do a separate post for the applesauce/raisin spice cake.

Note: I baked my banana bread for 60 minutes, and it was done at 325. Don't bake it the full 1 1/2 hours like the recipe says.

This is good to know!
07/28/2026

This is good to know!

This afternoon I prepared a Pizza Casserole, to bake for dinner, recipe from B.J. Beachy, my uncle Sam's wife. Found it ...
07/27/2026

This afternoon I prepared a Pizza Casserole, to bake for dinner, recipe from B.J. Beachy, my uncle Sam's wife. Found it in my recipe file in the cabinet! Yay!

Cook 2 cups Rotini pasta (I used the whole box)
1 1/3 lbs. hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion (or more)
Salt and pepper
1 small can tomato paste
1 can Italian seasoned tomatoes put in blender
1 tablespoon sugar
Some garlic powder, onion powder and a few shakes Oregano
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 pack pepperoni sliced thin

Fry hamburger, onion, salt and pepper together until done. Blend canned tomatoes in blender and mix with tomato paste. Put into bowl and add sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and Oregano. Mix all together.

Put half the mixture into a 13"x9" casserole dish. Top with mozzarella cheese and a layer of pepperoni. Put remaining meat/pasta mixture on top and cover with a final layer of pepperoni. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

I made what I've named "Choice Frittata" this afternoon and will bake it tomorrow evening for our dinner. I forgot we ha...
06/22/2026

I made what I've named "Choice Frittata" this afternoon and will bake it tomorrow evening for our dinner. I forgot we had things to eat for our dinner this evening, but hey, now it's ready for tomorrow! We love this combination. Page 24 in my cookbook, "Elaine's Kitchen Made with Amish Stock." Here's the recipe for you.

2 tablespoons butter or bacon fat
1 cup diced tri-colored peppers
4 green onions, sliced thin
1 1/2 cups diced zucchini
1 1/2 cups diced mushrooms
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup diced ham
12 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cups raw baby spinach
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar for top

Melt butter or bacon fat in large skillet; add peppers, onions, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes and fry 3 minutes. Add ham, and remove from heat.

Beat eggs, add sugar, salt and pepper and Ricotta cheese, then add veggie mixture to egg mixture. Add spinach. Pour frittata mixture into a greased 13 x 9 " glass baking dish, then top with cheddar cheese and cover tightly with foil. Can be refrigerated overnight, but let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

Uncover and bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes, or until table knife inserted in center comes out clean. Makes a great brunch dish too!

This afternoon I made iced spearmint tea from dried spearmint tea tops my hubby cut for me from our plants we have in ou...
06/17/2026

This afternoon I made iced spearmint tea from dried spearmint tea tops my hubby cut for me from our plants we have in our landscaping. I had posted earlier how I wash and dry the tea, then weigh out 0.5 oz. on a kitchen scale and put it in a Ziplock bag. One bag makes 2 quarts of delicious tea!

When tea is brewed and leaves are removed and squeezed out as much as possible, add 1/2 cup sugar to the warm tea and dissolve. Add ice and water to 2-quart pitcher and enjoy!

This morning I made Chocolate Cream Pudding and covered the bowl with waxed paper to prevent skin from forming on top. H...
06/10/2026

This morning I made Chocolate Cream Pudding and covered the bowl with waxed paper to prevent skin from forming on top. Here's the recipe, also found in my Elaine's Kitchen Made with Amish Stock cookbook, page 64, listed as Vanilla Cream Pie. Additions are listed to make chocolate, coconut cream, and other flavors. This recipe gets perfect every time! So silky and smooth, and it's very easy.

I pulled a container of Cool Whip out of the freezer to mix with the pudding after it's cold. We like to dip graham crackers into the mix and eat it for dessert. Yummy!

1/3 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons Hershy's Cocoa powder
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix first 4 ingredients together, then add milk and egg yolks. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for another minute or two. Add vanilla and butter; mix well until butter is melted and incorporated. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Cover with waxed paper to prevent a skin from forming on top. Cool, then chill in refrigerator. Serve with Cool Whip, either mixed partially in, or on top of individual custard cups. Graham crackers for dipping if desired.

P.S. By the way, this blue-rimmed bowl is a Homer Laughlin bowl, made in the USA! Imagine that! My grandma Ollie gave it to me.

This morning I made Brownies Extraordinaire, a recipe from my daughter, Deb. Ooh they smell so good! I just made half a ...
06/08/2026

This morning I made Brownies Extraordinaire, a recipe from my daughter, Deb. Ooh they smell so good! I just made half a recipe and put it into a 7"x11" pan instead of the 13x9 pan for a full recipe. You don't need a mixer. Just a saucepan and a whisk. No baking powder or baking soda.

These are outstanding -- everything you want in a brownie: dense, chewy and delicious! The recipe is on page 45 of my Elaine's Kitchen Made with Amish Stock recipe book, available also on Kindle. My kitchen smells fantastic!!

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Elaine%27s+Kitchen+made+from+Amish+stock&crid=2MUI691844ETB&sprefix=elaine%27s+kitchen+made+from+amish+stock+%2Caps%2C88&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Okay guys, I had forgotten (almost) that I had the wherewithal to make myself a little chocolate dessert whenever I want...
05/27/2026

Okay guys, I had forgotten (almost) that I had the wherewithal to make myself a little chocolate dessert whenever I wanted! Single serving. Yep. In my kitchen freezer sits a little bag with a mixture of 1 box angel food cake mix and 1 box of chocolate cake mix. It's called "1, 2, 3" snack cake. One tablespoon of the mix, 2 tablespoons water (mix the two well) and microwave for 1 minute! Walla! A soft, spongy Mug Cake to eat with Cool Whip or ice cream! And the neat thing is, you can vary the cake mix flavors to add to the angel food, and store in your freezer: orange, pineapple, lemon, spice, or just plain vanilla. Whatever. Get it? I got it. Oh yeah.

Cinnamon rolls today -- frosted and done! Three in the freezer, one on the counter for hubby!
05/26/2026

Cinnamon rolls today -- frosted and done! Three in the freezer, one on the counter for hubby!

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