Traditional and Favorite Recipes of the J. Ream Family

This page was written in honor of my mother, Madonna Elaine Ream, who, besides being a great mother (though I really didn't appreciate her at the time) was a magnificent cook. My brothers and I did truly love her cuisine though, and we have all tried to preserve it in our own ways. We can't really do her justice because no one can cook like Mom, but we never forget those great meals and wonderful desserts! These are some of her recipes; Grandma Striker's; and our own favorites!

2 cans saurkraut
1/2 - 3/4 lb. real butter (depending on how cholesterol conscious you are - I use 3/4 lb.)
1 bag of frozen bread dough - thaw before beginning

Thoroughly drain both cans of saurkraut
Get your largest frying pan (a deep one is best)
Turn your heat to medium
Place 1 stick of butter in the pan and let it melt.
Place both cans of the saurkraut in the pan and turn it so that the butter is through the saurkraut.
At this point, you should go ahead and cut the rest of the butter in the mixture, cutting it up in medium pats and stirring it through.
Once you have cooked it for about 15 minutes at medium, lower the heat and now we will start on the little buns!

First - Heat your oven up according to the directions on the frozen bread dough bag.
Roll out some wax paper on the work surface and flour it lightly.
Get a rolling pin and roll the dough out about 3/16 of an inch thick
Get something to cut the little buns out with - about the size of a plastic liter pop bottle cap (that's what I use)
Lightly grease a couple of cookie sheets
Cut the little buns out, lay them on the cookie sheets (not too closely together that they might touch when baking)
Let them rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place.
Place them in the oven and bake until golden brown

Now back to the kraut!
Keep turning it over, making sure it doesn't burn
It will eventually start to turn a darker color - when it does it's probably done. Taste it - it shouldn't have a real strong kraut taste when it's done
If it's done, take it off the stove and set it aside until the little buns are done

When the little buns are done, they should be a little smaller than a half-dollar and golden brown
If they are done, get a larger strainer and dump them into it
Now boil a small sauce pan of water.
Pour the boiling water over the little buns (believe me you are supposed to do this!)
Get a large crock and start mixing the little buns with the cooked sauerkraut, insuring that you have mixed the sauerkraut thoroughly with the little buns.
Cover with a towel and let set overnight to get that wonderful flavor through the buns

Next day - enjoy your treat and don't try to force anybody else to try them - they might like them!

2 tablespoons Parsley
5 eggs
Bread - About a loaf and a half of fresh white bread broken into small bits
Milk - This is kind of tricky but enough milk to make stuffing about the consistency of medium consistency cooked oatmeal when you finally mix all of the ingredients together
Salt and pepper
One large onion - minced
One turkey 15 lbs or better.

Place liver, gizzard, and heart in blender and grind up.
Get fat from the turkey and render (fry in skillet until liguid)
Add 1 stick butter to grease and let melt
Place all ingredients together in an extra large mixing bowl (should be level full) and beat mixture well with an electric mixer.
Pour as much mixture into the turkey as the cavity will hold and then sew up to keep from leaking out
Now, loosen the skin on the breast and around the legs and pour more of the mixture in here (the idea being that we want plenty of stuffing)and then sew this up as well
Bake Turkey until done