The late George and Mary (Sheppard) Barton reunion was Sunday, June 10, at Montauk State Park. The Barton boys barbecued for the aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Attending were Lois Grimm of Mountain Grove; Ruby Johnston of Arnold; Norma Hinton, Jackie Hinton of Houston; Bob and Jan Barton of Marquette, Wis.; Dennis and Marian Barton of St. Clair; Mike Barton, Jim and Louise Reed, Samantha and Andrew Barton of High Ridge; Bill and Sherry Southworth of Columbia; Mike and Lindsey Barton and kids of Winfield; Larry and Regina Prather of Pevely; Ray and Sudie York of Rolla; Gary Brown of Cumming, Ga.; Ryan, Owen and Dallas Brunner of Festus; Kevin and Susie Brunner of Hillsboro; Elizabeth Barton of St. Louis; Brandon Brown, Lawerence and Ethel Brown, Travis Brown and Jamie Lewis, and Ken and Karen Brown of Valley Park; Brittany, Aiden, Jasper and Theron Southworth and Grandmother Sandy of Salem; Greg and Loretta Hinton, Stephen Southworth and Gene and Carole DeWitt of Raymondville.
JOKE OF THE WEEK
A woman on the phone to her friend: “I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor’s permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down and perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.”
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
5-Star Beef and Cheese Manicotti
Ingredients:
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
Directions:
1. Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about four to six minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.
3. Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.
6. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand five minutes and serve.
To submit information to this feature, email Wendy Phipps at wphipps@houstonherald.com or call her at 417-967-4200.