Sugar Buns

Peggy’s Dakota Kitchen is honoring Memorial Day! My earliest memories of preparation for Memorial Day always include my Grandma Ethel Dullum. I helped pull weeds and prepare the family graves at the Nora Lutheran Church Cemetery for their Memorial Day wreaths. They were usually artificial flowers, sometimes on a cross, with a stake to mount them near the headstone. It was an early message of the importance of remembering those that have gone before us! Our local American Legion post was named after Grandma Ethel’s cousin Helmer Ellenson who was killed in action in 1918 during WWI. I always had a part in the Memorial Day service either singing or playing in the band. Memorial Day had family members carrying the colors and participating in the gun salute. It is tradition that every member that served in the military and has passed on, whether it be during wartime or afterwards, be represented with a white cross mounted in the grassy area outside the building. Roll Call of each soldier’s name, in order of passing, is read before the gun salute.

Today, I honor my family and friends for service. A special “Thank You” to Marlys (Aunt and Godmother) Dullum - Army, Walter (Cousin) Ihnken - Army, Kelly (Friend) Clark - Air Force and Darrell (Friend) Bowen - Navy.

MEMORIAL DAY ROLL CALL

Palmer (Grandpa) Dullum - Army
Omer (Grandpa) Barker - Army
Howard (Dad) Dullum - Navy and Air Force
Elmer (Great Uncle) Ihnken - Army
Blaine (Uncle) Dullum - Air Force
Bill (Friend) Diffley - Army Rangers
Harmon (Uncle) Barker - Army
Cecil (Uncle) Barker - Marines
Butch (Friend) White - Army
Cyndy (Friend) Bonner - Air Force

After the Memorial Day Service, Grandma Ethel’s Happy Thot Homemakers Club served coffee and donuts. Today’s recipe is a baked donut that is perfect with a cup of coffee! My sister and I starting making these in 4-H when we were in elementary school. I deleted 2 Tbsp. of the butter leaving plenty to brush the tops before dipping in sugar.

SUGAR BUNS
Makes 12 Sugar Buns - 2 Per Guest

2 C. all-purpose baking Mix
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ pint (1 cup) whipping cream
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
Sugar for dipping (¼ cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottoms of 12, non-stick, standard-size muffin cups.

Whisk together baking mix, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon in a 2-qt. mixing bowl. Stir in cream and egg with a silicone spatula till mixed. Let dough rest 5 minutes. Use a 2-inch ice cream scoop to measure the dough and drop one bun in each prepared muffin cup. Level each scoop with a straight-edge spatula before releasing. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups. Brush the tops of each bun with melted butter then dip in sugar. Serve warm.

Chili-Mac Skillet

As the school year comes to a close, reminders of the wonderful meals provided through the hot lunch program at Gardner Elementary School lead to today’s recipe. The menu was always written on a chalkboard as you entered the school and climbed the stairs to enter the school building. Looking back, we were “green” when no one knew what that was and fresh food cooked in the schools happened for us long before “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution!” Since there were only about 50 students in grades 1-8, the cook was a Mom and the meals were homemade. Wilma Maley, Violet Colwell and Donna Vinje worked their magic in creating a great lunch for us every day! Donna made homemade cinnamon rolls that were to die for! Since some of the students had religious restrictions for meat on Friday’s, there was Tuna Noodle Casserole. Much of the government subsidies for school lunch programs in the 1960’s was beef so there was roast beef, sloppy joes and many versions of hamburger hot dish! Today’s recipe is a re-make of Chili-Mac. Whole wheat elbow macaroni is substituted for the original white elbow macaroni. The salt is reduced by 1 teaspoon and the sugar by 5 teaspoons. A teaspoon of chili powder was added for flavor. I use whole wheat elbow macaroni made from durum wheat grown on the northern plains of Montana and North Dakota!

CHILI-MAC SKILLET
Serves 6

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
28-oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
8-oz. can tomato sauce
½ cup water
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni

Brown ground beef in a non-stick, covered 3-qt. chef’s pan, breaking up the beef as it cooks. Drain. Stir in onion and garlic. Cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, sugar, salt and chili powder. Stir in macaroni. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir. Re-cover and cool 15 minutes. Serve hot.