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Kathy Richards decided in 1981 to use her baking skills to earn a living.
?When my kids got old enough, that?s when I started baking out of my home. I was delivering into five stores in West Lafayette,? she said. ?I was going to quit.?
But a local co-op encouraged her to stay by providing free rent. Later, she moved into a building in downtown West Lafayette, then to another building in Brookston. Her customers followed.
?It was a 20-minute drive from West Lafayette,? she says.
There, Richards ran Klein Brot Haus bakery until she sold it and moved to Allen County.
During those years, Richards says, she catered five times at the governor?s mansion when Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., was in office.
Flipping through an album with photos of the bakery, Richards says, ?Susan (Bayh) was always stopping by.?
Richards, 62, also shares photos of her visit to QVC in 1997 and the food shows she?s attended.
?I developed the recipes for the Wabash Valley Farms popcorn popper,? she says of appearing on QVC. ?They sold out in three minutes.?
Richards, of northwest Allen County, also uses her skills as a staff member at Heritage Mission School, a private Christian boarding school on West Shoaff Road in Huntertown. She teaches cooking classes.
Ten children attend the school, eight of whom are from Ethiopia. Two are from the United States, Richards says.
The children are adopted by Project Mercy, which according to its Web site is ?a U.S.-based ? not-for-profit relief and development agency that promotes education, health care and other holistic community development projects to create economically independent communities with high ethical and social values.?
?I work science, chemistry, social studies, health and speech – whatever they need help (in). When I?m teaching chemistry, I try to relate it to foods,? she explains. ?The reason we use baking soda and yeast in a recipe and how it reacts.?
Richards says the students are learning – and having fun while they learn.
She also teaches them to follow recipes and use food that?s donated to the school.
?The farmers give us vegetables and fruit. I tell them to come up with recipes for them. I was so proud. One day a girl pulled out a cookbook and made zucchini bread with zucchini someone had given us,? she says.
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 crushed very ripe bananas
2 cups flour (may use whole wheat, brown rice, barley, oats or any flour mixture)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Mix in order given. Put mixture into a large greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes. Check to see that toothpick comes out clean. This recipe can be made in double batches for coffee cakes or muffins. It freezes very well. You may add 1/2 cup chopped nuts, cranberries or dates. Wrap in airtight packaging while it is warm for best shelf life. Makes 1 loaf.
1 1/3 cups granulated cane sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (10-inch) deep dish pie shell, unbaked
1 tablespoon melted butter
Nutmeg, to taste
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, put sugar, flour, nutmeg and sea salt. Whisk until well-blended. Add whipping cream and vanilla. Mix with a whisk. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Pour melted butter on top of pie and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until it has a slight golden crust on top of pie and seems like filling is set. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
6 boneless chicken breasts, cut in half (may use chicken thighs or a whole cut-up chicken)
Flour, as needed
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
1/3 cup honey
2 cloves minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Dredge chicken pieces with flour then put on a greased pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour. While chicken is baking, mix in a large glass measuring cup the butter, orange juice concentrate, honey, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and turmeric. Heat in microwave about 2 minutes. After chicken is cooked, brush honey orange sauce on chicken and cook an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown. Be careful not to burn since the sauce will get brown quickly. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
1/2 large onion, chopped finely
10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 (9-inch) pre-made unbaked pie shells or unbaked homemade pie crust for two pies
16 ounces any white cheese, shredded
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
12 eggs
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Dash of cayenne pepper
Dash of garlic powder
Basil, enough to garnish
Parsley, enough to garnish
Sliced tomatoes, enough to garnish
Sauté onions and drain. Drain spinach. Press pie dough into 9-by-2 3/4 -inch deep spring form pan, trimming excess off of top. Layer in this order on bottom of pan; shredded white cheese, then the spinach, onions, crumbled feta cheese, then top with the mushrooms. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, dry mustard, cayenne and garlic powder. Mix well. Pour the mixture over the ingredients in the pan. Fill to 1/2 -inch away from the top of the pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for about 75 minutes on a baking sheet. Watch carefully until the top is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let set for 15 to 20 minutes before taking off the metal ring. Garnish with basil, parsley and sliced tomatoes. Makes 8 to 12 servings. Note: Instead of spinach and feta cheese, substitute cheddar cheese, bacon and chopped broccoli. Use your favorite vegetables and cheeses.
2 cups natural peanut butter (no added sugar or hydrogenation)
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups oat flour
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Enough sugar to roll cookies in
Mix peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Add flours, baking soda and sea salt. Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar and place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Press criss-cross with a fork on top to flatten. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Slightly under-baking increases shelf life of cookies. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.
