Oatmeal Cake

Cake:

1 cup Oatmeal      1 ¼ cup boiling water

1 stick margarine      1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar      2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla      1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt      1 tsp. cinnamon

1 ½ cup flour

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar      4 T. margarine

1 tsp. vanilla      ½ cup condensed milk

½ cup chopped nuts      1 cup coconut

Directions:  Grease and flour 9” x 13” pan (Can be smaller pan; think coffee cake, 

Adjust baking times to pan.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, cover the oatmeal with boiling water.   Let stand 15 minutes.  During wait, 

cream margarine and sugars together.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix in the oatmeal.  

Add the dry ingredients.  Bake for 30 minutes. 

During first phase of baking, mix together all topping ingredients. 

Remove from oven and cover with topping.  Put back in oven and bake additional 

20-30 minutes.

Comment:

Shrimp & Scallop Spiedino Di Mare

½ lb. large shrimp      ½ lb. sea scallops

1/8 tsp. kosher salt      1/8 tsp. white pepper

Splash Olive Oil

1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs

4 T. melted butter      ½ cup lemon juice

Chopped fresh parsley

Directions:  Rinse the shrimp and scallops and lightly pat with paper towel, leaving 

them damp.  Roll in bread crumbs mixed with salt and pepper.  Place coated shrimp 

and scallops on metal (or water soaked wooden) skewers.  Keep shrimp and scallops 

separate as the cooking times are different.

Place the skewers on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Prepare to grill or 

broil.  Start with scallops.  Depending upon size, they take about 3 minutes per side.  

When the scallops are flipped, add the shrimp.  Shrimp take a little over 1 minute per 

side.

Combine melted butter, lemon juice, and parsley.  Drizzle lemon-butter sauce over 

the seafood.

Comment:  A Carraba’s favorite.  Good with steak or on its own with rice as a main 

dish.

Stephanie's Cranberry Sauce

1 bag (16 oz.) fresh cranberries

1 cup orange juice

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp orange zest (optional)

Directions:  Rinse cranberries, then heat in saucepan over medium-low heat with the 

orange juice, sugar and vanilla until cranberries start to burst, 8-10 minutes.  Stir 

occasionally.

Move cranberry mixture to bowl, and add crushed red pepper.  Add zest to taste as 

an option.  Refrigerate overnight.

Comment:  When cranberries burst…they really burst.  May want to consider a 

deeper saucepan to save your kitchen!  Stephanie and Nicholas score!

Pie Crusts (another version, makes 2)

3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

½ cup milk mixed with 1 tsp. vinegar

1 1/3 cup Crisco

Directions:  Crumb together Crisco and dry ingredients.  Add milk mixture and mix 

with fork.   Do not over work.  Create two balls of dough and cover in plastic wrap.  

Refrigerate until chilled.  

Roll out on lightly floured board.  Can be refrigerated a couple of days or frozen.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Comment:  Makes two pie crusts. From the Pioneer Woman.

Pie Crust

1 ¼ cup flour      ½ tsp. salt

1/3 cup lard/shortening      5 T. milk

Directions:  In a mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt.   Cut in lard/shortening 

until pieces are the size of peas.  Gradually sprinkle milk over mixture, gently 

tossing dough with fork.  Repeat until all is moistened forming dough.   Create two 

balls of dough and cover in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until chilled.  

On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough with hands.   Roll dough from center to 

edge, forming a circle.  Wrap pastry around rolling pin.  Unroll onto a 9” greased and 

floured pie pan.  Trim to ½” beyond pie plate edge; fold under extra pastry, and flute 

edge.   Prick pastry with fork.  

Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Comment:  Romer recipe.