From the kitchen of: Carol James, of Strong, who sent in these tempting recipes.

Soft Molasses Cookies (Gram Berry’s recipe)

1 cup sugar

1 cup molasses

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp of ginger

¼ tsp of allspice

vanilla

1 tbs vinegar

2 heaping tsp of soda

3/4 cup lard

1 cup of hot water turned over soda

Add flour to handle

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes

Sweet and Sour Kielbasa

2 to 3 kielbasa pkgs

1 green pepper – chopped

1 onion – chopped

1 cup ketchup

1 cup grape or apple jelly

Cook in crock pot for 3 to 4 hours.

Good over rice or just plain

Raised Doughnuts

½ cup warm (not hot) water

2 pkg dry active yeast

¾ cup lukewarm milk

2 eggs

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup shortening

4 to 4½ cups flour

Soak yeast in ½ cup warm water for 5 minutes.

Pour milk over sugar and salt in a bowl. Stir until dissolved. Add flour, shortening, eggs and yeast mixture.

Beat until smooth. Add remaining flour to make a soft dough. When dough leaves the sides of the bowl, turn out onto lightly floured board. Knead until dough becomes smooth and elastic. Place in lightly greased bowl. Grease the top of the dough and cover with wax paper. Allow to rise in a warm place (80-85 degrees) until doubled in size, (1 to 1½ hours) Roll out dough about ½ inch thick. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. Let rise on the board until very light, about 30 to 40 minutes. Drop into deep hot fat (385 degrees) and turn when doughnut rises to the surface. Turn once again when sufficiently browned, about 3 to 4 minutes total cooking time. Drain on absorbent paper. While still warm, glaze with a mixture of 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water, ½ tsp vanilla and 1 cup confectioners sugar. (Carol doubles the glaze recipe and makes it thin enough to run off the hot doughnut. Use less water if you want a heavier glaze. Or dust with confectioner sugar or granulated sugar.)