(a.k.a. The Angel Lady):
I learned to cook as a minister’s wife. My Swedish mother was a fabulous cook and taught me what good food was. But she never taught me to cook!
Through the years my husband [William D. Webber] pastored seven churches, beginning with one of the smallest in our denomination and later becoming the pastor of large congregations.
I have found many “angels” in the churches we served. They were so encouraging and helpful, and many of them could cook. Usually when I asked for their heavenly recipes they shared them gladly. Sometimes I was only entrusted with a special secret recipe when we moved on to another church.
[I pay] tribute to the great cooks who have opened their hearts and homes, practiced the gift of hospitality, and shared their heavenly recipes.
Lemon Angel Pie
For the Crust
Ingredients
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4 egg whites
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup of sugar (a scant amount)
Add cream of tartar to partly beaten egg whites. Beat the mixture until stiff.
Add sugar in four parts, beating until stiff and glossy.
Spread the mixture evenly in a well-greased pie pan, filling up to the side.
Bake the pie for one hour in a 275-degree F oven or until the edges are golden brown.
Set aside to cool.
For the Pie Filling
4 egg yolks
½ cup of sugar
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of lemon rind
1 cup of cream
Any type of nuts (garnish optional)
Mix all the ingredients together and cook the mixture in a double boiler until thick and smooth. Set aside the mixture to cool.
Whip the cream and spread half of it over the crust in the pie pan.
Add the lemon filling on top. Spread the remaining cream on top of the lemon filling.
Let the pie set for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
When serving the pie, garnish it with nuts if so desired.
~Marilynn Carlson Webber
Besides angels, everyone enjoys food. We asked our readers for their favorite recipes that pay homage to angels. Here are their delicious choices, enough to put together a feast with the angels.
Appetizer
Main Course
Dessert
When my youngest son Jason was six years old (he's now 26), he asked me what I was making for dinner. I replied, "Deviled Eggs." He became deep in thought for a while, but then he said, "The devil is bad, right?" I said, "Yes, he is bad." Jason replied, "Then something that tastes as good as the eggs should be named after something good. I think we should call them Angel Eggs." So for the last 25 years, my family has had Angel Eggs for every special occasion.
~Msroni
Angel Eggs
Ingredients
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12 eggs
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of spicy brown mustard
15 green olives
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of celery salt
Paprika for garnish
1 tablespoon of cooking oil (optional)
How to Prepare
Boil eggs for about 15 minutes, or until the yolks are hardened. I like to put a tablespoon of cooking oil in the water as I am boiling so the eggs peel easier.
Allow the eggs to cool, then peel them.
Slice eggs in half lengthwise with a serated slicer. Remove the yolks and put them into a medium bowl. Set the eggs aside.
Slice each olive into three sections. Set aside one slice for each egg.
Put the remaining olives into a bowl with the yolks. Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, celery salt, and onion powder. Blend in the food processor until smooth. (If the mixture is too dry, add more mayonnaise).
Put a teaspoon of mixture into each half of the egg. Put a slice of with olive on top, and then sprinkle paprika over the eggs.
Arrange all the eggs on a pretty plate. Then, chill and serve!
Main Course
This is a family recipe that has been passed down by my mother. She made the dish every time there was a potluck; there were never any leftovers. My mom was the best angel I have ever known and I miss her deeply.
~Dollie Ferguson of Las Vegas, NV
Heavenly Potato Chip Casserole
Ingredients
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1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 med onion chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1can mixed peas and carrots
1/4 cup milk (more if too thick)
2 bags of regular potato chips, crushed
How to Prepare
Brown ground beef with onions and the garlic powder.
Drain the beef and add the mushroom soup, peas, carrots, and milk. Stir everything and add 1 bag of the chips.
Add a little more milk to thicken the mixture if you want it to be moist.
When the meat is thoroughly cooked, pour the mixture into an oven-proof casserole dish.
Take the second bag of chips and cover the top of the mixture.
Bake the dish at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, until the mixture bubbles and the chips are well-toasted.
My mother gave me this recipe. Mom is a beautiful southern woman known for her style and cooking. She has been my guardian angel several times. She has warned me against participating in certain activities or [spending time with] particular people. I always listened. The one time I did not, I was involved in an auto accident and I befriended a woman who proved to be very untrustworthy.
When I make this recipe, it brings a feeling of comfort and happiness. I remember all the wonderful times my mother and I have shared, and the new memories we are making with my daughter.
~Sherri S. Lastra of Tampa, FL
Golden Angel Mushroom Chicken
Ingredients
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| Photo by Sherri S. Lastra |
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can golden mushroom soup
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of mushrooms (fresh or canned)
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of white cooking wine
1/4 cup of water
How to Prepare
Brown chicken breast in the olive oil.
Combine cooking wine, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté them in the remaining olive oil.
Combine soup with the water. Pour the mixture over chicken breast in a roasting pan with a lid or with foil over the top.
Add chopped onion, garlic, mushrooms, lemon juice, and soy sauce.
Cover and bake one hour at 375 degrees F.
Take the cover off for the last 10 minutes to brown the top of the chicken. Serve over rice.
I am a chemo angel and I work with children and adults who are going through chemo and radiation. My motto is: Cooking feeds the soul when the spirit is down. I do a lot of baking and cooking and when I do, I pray while mixing ingredients together and when everything is completed. I give thanks that when someone else is hurting, I can do this.
~Sharon A. Mras (aka. TeddyAngel Sharon) of Stevens Point, WI
Angel Fruit Trifle
Ingredients
Photo by Sharon A. Mras
4 cups of cold milk
2 packages (3.4 oz. each) of instant vanilla pudding mix
1 prepared angel food cake
1 carton (8 oz.) of frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 can (20 oz.) of pineapple cubes, drained
1 can (15 oz.) of sliced pears, drained
1 pint of strawberries, sliced
4 kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
How to Prepare
In a mixing bowl, beat milk and pudding mix on low speed for two minutes. Set aside.
Split the angel food cake horizontally into thirds. Place one layer in a five qt. serving bowl that is nine inches in diameter.
Top with a third of the pudding and whipped topping.
Layer the fruit on top in the following order: pears, kiwi, pineapples, strawberries, and blueberries. Or arrange the fruit however you like.
Repeat the pudding, whipped topping, and fruits layer a second time.
Cover and chill for at least three hours before serving.
I created this recipe after the birth of my first child. He used to say--and still does--that his angel was with him and playing all the time. He thought of her as his great grandmother. In loving memory of his great grandmother Maria, my grandmother, I created this recipe for her.
~Gina Cianfarani of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Loving Angels Cheesecake
Ingredients
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| Photo by Gina Cianfarani |
1/3 cup of graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of butter, melted
1 tablespoon of soften cream cheese
1/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 medium size egg
1 cup of fresh strawberries
1/2 cup of Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread), melted
1 heart-shaped cake pan (shape is optional)
How to Prepare
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in bowl.
Butter the heart-shaped cake pan. Press the crumb mixture into it.
Bake the pan at 325 degrees F for approximately five minutes, or until the cake is golden brown.
Combine the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix on high speed until the mixture is fluffy.
Add the egg and remix until everything becomes a smooth mixture.
Pour mixture over the cooled heart-shaped graham cracker crust.
Bake the cake again at 325 degrees F for 35 minutes. Cool at room temperature.
Top the cake with the fresh strawberries. Pour the melted Nutella over the strawberries.
Chill and Serve. Buon Appetito.
This dessert holds a special spot in my heart because they are the same bon bons I made with my grandmother, who passed away last year, for over 20 years. There are so many stories that date back to these bon bons that I know she would want other girls and their grandmothers to start the tradition of baking together.
~Amy K. Albury of Wellington, FL
Grandma Trudy's Celestial Peanut Butter Bon Bons
Ingredients
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| Photo by Amy K. Albury |
2 cups of creamy peanut butter
1 lb. box of confectioners sugar
3 pkgs. (6 oz. each) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of margarine
3 cups of Rice Krispies
How to Prepare
Melt the chocolate chips on top of a double boiler.
In a separate sauce pan, melt the peanut butter over low heat so it doesn't burn. Add the margarine and mix together.
In a large bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar and Rice Krispies. Pour butter mixture over the cereal mix. Blend with hands and form into 1/2 inch balls. (Try to pack the balls tightly).
Dip the balls into melted chocolate chips and place the balls on a wax-covered cookie sheet.
Put the pan into the fridge for approximately one hour.
