Fairfield-Echo.com

Thanks to their cookbook sales, volunteers with the Reily Presbyterian Church women's society have served up $1,700 for local charities.

All proceeds from the "Reily Presbyterian Church Recipes & Memories Cookbook" are donated to charity.

"We started with 324 cookbooks and have 100 left," said Hamilton resident Joan Fasick, who's president of the church's women's society and cookbook committee. "The proceeds are used to help people in need and shut-ins."

So far, they have given donations to the McCullough-Hyde Scholarship Fund, Serve City in Hamilton, One-way Farm, the Salvation Army, the Reily Fire Department and EMT and several other local and national organizations.

One local family needed money for fuel during the last cold blast of winter; some of the money from the sales of the cookbook kept them warm.

With 100 hardbound cookbooks left to sell, at $15 each, the church volunteers are eager to aid more of those in need.

This church was founded in 1836 and it's still going strong. Church members have done many other service projects for the community, but this is the first time they've done a cookbook.

"We have spent many hours on this; it took at least six to eight weeks to get it together," said Betty Updike, a longtime church member, vice president of the church cookbook committee, and cookbook contributor.

According to Fasick, each cookbook contains around 400 tried-and-true recipes — many which have been made and taken to church suppers and other occasions.

Church member Sarah James, of Darrtown, contributed her recipe for sweet poppy seed bread. It's a bread she's been making and selling for at least 20 years at the original Oxford Farmers' Market in the Talawanda High School parking lot.

For more information or to buy a cookbook, call Joan Fasick at (513) 523-8534 or Sarah James at (513) 524-9591 or Betty Updike at (765) 647-4732.

California slaw

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 packages Ramen beef-flavored noodles

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup slivered almonds

6 green onions, chopped

1 (16-ounce) bag cole slaw

Make the dressing by combining the sugar, vinegar, oil and the flavoring packets from the 2 packages of Ramen noodles. Put in a jar and refrigerate until well-chilled. (Note: The dressing mixture can be processed in a blender if desired before chilling.) Brown slivered almonds and sunflower seeds in a small amount of oil. Drain and reserve. The almonds are likely to brown faster, so do them separately from the seeds. When ready to serve, combine the Ramen noodles, chopped onions and cole slaw. Mix well. Add dressing and toss until well-combined. Garnish with toasted seeds and nuts; then serve. Yield: 20 servings.

— C

ontributed by Jean Eich and Connie Southerland

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