Chicken Gumbo

12 c. water

3 lbs. bone in chicken breasts

1-1/2 c. canned okra, rinsed

1/2 c. veg. oil

1/2 c. flour

1 lb. hilshire farm beef sausage, sliced

1 (28 oz.) can italian tomatoes

1 green pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cloves minced garlic

1 bay leaf

2 t. salt

1 t. each thyme, basil, cayenne pepper and black pepper

Boil chicken in water. Simmer about 1 hour. Cool chicken in a strainer. Reserve cooking liquid. Remove chicken from bones and dice.

Stir flour and oil in a heavy saucepan. Cook until golden brown over medium heat, stirring often. Add 4 c. of the reserved chicken broth, plus all other ingredients EXCEPT the chicken and the okra. Cover partially and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. Add chicken and okra and simmer 15 more minutes. Serve with white rice or saltine crackers.

Soft Lemonade Cookies

1 c. softened butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

Additional sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar; add eggs.Combine the flour and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with 1/3 cup of lemonade concentrate. mix well.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 for 8 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks. Brush with remaining lemonade concentrate and sprinkle with sugar.

*These cookies will look like they are too brown; they aren't. If you cook them any less, they are raw.