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Melba Lovelace, Food and Dining Columnist

Read more columns by Melba Lovelace.

Contact Melba --Email: mlovelace@opubco.com. Phone: (405) 752-0194.

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Oklahoma City woman’s book has weekly menus

By Melba Lovelace Comments 0
Published: October 21, 2009

DEAR READERS: "I’m not a fancy cook, but ‘they’ say a good one,” wrote Mary Lou Caro of Oklahoma City when she sent me a copy of a cookbook she had written. All Caro wanted to do was help her daughter, Cindy Wilson of Broken Arrow, plan easy meals to prepare after work. But her ideas grew, and "What’s for Dinner?” evolved.

Not only does the book contain family recipes, it has 12 weeks of menus on cards that you can clip to the refrigerator.

I chose her Chicken Spaghetti as a good example of recipes she included. She doesn’t give number of servings, but it should serve 6 to 8 generously. The menu suggested serving it with a salad. I suggest adding her Beer Bread.

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

3 cups cooked thin spaghetti noodles

1 can Rotel tomatoes, original

4 ounces Lite Velveeta cheese

1 can reduced-fat cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup

¼ cup diced onion

¼ cup diced green pepper

6 ounces cooked, chopped white-meat chicken

½ teaspoon garlic powder

→Spray 9-by-13-inch casserole with cooking spray. Place spaghetti in bottom. In microwave-safe bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Microwave until cheese melts. Pour over noodles, blend and bake in 350-degree oven 30 minutes.

BEER BREAD

1 can (12 ounces) beer

4 teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

→Mix well and spoon into bread pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in 375-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes.

Her cookbook can be ordered for $19 from 7417 NW 114 Terrace, Oklahoma City, OK 73162.

Melba

DEAR MELBA: Please ask readers to save their Box Tops for Education, Campbell’s soup UPC codes, Best Choice UPC codes and Nestle’s water labels for us. We use them for buying playground equipment.

They can send them to me at Arapaho-Butler Elementary School, P.O. Box 160, Arapaho, OK 73620.

Vayda Brown

DEAR MELBA: I would like to locate someone who sells shelled black walnuts. I also need a recipe for Blueberry Jam.

Fonda, City

DEAR MELBA: I would love to find a recipe for Bourbon Chicken.

Virginia Spencer, City

DEAR MELBA: Does anyone know where I can find Sara Lee Banana Cakes? They were a favorite of mine for years, but I’m unable to find them now.

Mike Bean

DEAR READERS: Verna Alice Mitchell Osborne will be celebrating Sunday at Putnam City Baptist Church. She’ll be 100 years old.

If you want to shower her with cards, mail them to her at the church at 11401 N Rockwell Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73162.

Melba

If you have a problem other readers might help solve or an idea you’d like to share, write to Melba’s Swap Shop, P.O. Box 25125, Oklahoma City, OK 73125. Please include your name and address.