RecipesOh-So-Easy Tomato Cream Soup “I like to make things that are quick, easy and tasty, and this soup is all three. If you’re counting calories, substitute reduced-fat or fat-free cream cheese and milk.” —Eileen Korecko, Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
RecipesSugar Plums While working as a secretary in a library, I got a request from someone looking for a sugar plum recipe. I searched high and low but eventually stumbled upon this version in a local publication.—Virginia Barber, Waynesville, Georgia
RecipesBaked Apple Dumplings These versatile dumplings can be made with peaches or mixed berries in place of apples, and drizzled with hot caramel sauce instead of icing. Add vanilla custard or ice cream, and it’s the perfect dessert.—Evangeline Bradford, Erlanger, Kentucky
RecipesBrainy Cake My Godson and I made this cake after fun day at the science museum. We’ve made it several times now, and we get a kick out of experimenting with the frosting colors. —Faith Cromwell, San Francisco, California
RecipesSummer Splash Chicken Salad When it’s too hot to eat inside, I head out to the patio. Shred some rotisserie chicken and toss with mango, watermelon and grapes for an ooh-ahh healthy chicken salad. —Barbara Spitzer, Lodi, California
RecipesRed Potato Salad Dijon My mother made the best warm potato salad, and now it’s a tradition at all of our tables. Sometimes I use Yukon Gold potatoes to make it even prettier. —Patricia Swart, Galloway, New Jersey
RecipesScallop Pasta Salad If you’re a scallop-lover, you’ll really enjoy this chilled pasta salad seasoned with lemon juice, olive oil and red wine vinegar. “You can serve it hot, too,” notes Bernadette Johnson of Woodstock, Georgia.
RecipesBlue-Ribbon Rye Bread My kids once had a little bread business, selling homemade loaves to neighbors and people in the community. Many purchased this rye that won best of show at our county fair. —Susanne Spicker, North Ogden, Utah
RecipesOven-Fried Green Tomato BLT For years I have used this same idea to cook eggplant slices, and recently I decided to try it on green tomatoes. It worked! Now my family loves them in BLTs. —Jolene Martinelli, Fremont, New Hampshire
RecipesRoast Beef Pasta Salad I made this salad one year when a neighbor came over to help my husband put up hay. They both were hot and dusty, so this cool dish was well received. It’s a meal in itself.
RecipesFried Shredded Wheat Intent on giving her family a hearty breakfast during the depression, my mother-in-law came up with this simple recipe. With it’s great flavor, this unique breakfast survived the generations and is now a favorite meal for my family.
RecipesGrilled Dijon Pork Roast I created this recipe one day when I was scrambling to find ingredients for dinner. My husband absolutely loved it. Now it’s the only way I make pork!—Cyndi Lacy-Andersen, Woodinville, Washington
RecipesButternut-Pineapple Crumble I tried this sweet and crunchy casserole out on my 80-year-old parents and they loved it! Butternut squash now has a place at our holiday table year after year. —Barbara Busch, Henrico, Virginia
RecipesSweet Broiled Grapefruit I was never a fan of grapefruit until I had it broiled at a restaurant—it was so tangy and delicious! I finally got the recipe and now I make it often for my whole family. —Terry Bray, Auburndale, Florida
RecipesSavory Ham Cheesecake My mom was the best cook—everything she made was special. She served this elegant cheesecake on Sunday following a Saturday ham dinner. Now my family loves it, too!—Shannon Soper, West Bend, Wisconsin
RecipesBrownie Biscotti Daintily drizzled with white chocolate, these eye-catching biscotti are loaded with chocolate chips and crunchy almonds. “They look so pretty in a holiday gift basket with an assortment of hot chocolate and teas,” notes Amber Sumner of Congress, Arizona.