My Favorite Recipes - By Linda Marler

Kylie, Craig, Laurie and Cody Gronning

Meet Laurie Gronning, Colfax

Laurie Gronning is not a native of Colfax, but her husband lived here as a child and wanted to return to raise a family. A graduate of Mead High School, Laurie attended Spokane Falls and Spokane Community Colleges and worked as a legal assistant for Paine, Hamblen, Coffin, and Miller.

Joe Durgan, Laurie’s grandfather, is famous among local golfers. He was the pro for decades at Downriver Golf Course in Spokane, moving later to a new course, The Fairways. Grandchildren were drafted into helping with the Lilac City Golf Tournament, which he founded. The kids were needed to sell concessions and do all sorts of jobs.

Craig and Laurie met at the Lilac City Golf Tournament in 1994, and they married in June of 1995 at The Fairways Golf Course. Craig was hired as the club pro at Colfax Golf Club in 1997 and they moved to Colfax.

Craig won the Lilac City tournament in 1999.

Cody was born in 1996, and Kylie was born in 1998. When the children started school, the Gronnings decided to change their lives. Craig needed more quality time with his family, and they wanted to buy their own home. Laurie began working for Whitman Medical Group in 2003, and Craig went to work for Steve Warwick in 2004. They bought a house in Hauser Heights.

In 2006, Laurie left Whitman Medical Group to work as a combination administrative assistant and board secretary at Whitman Hospital and Medical Center. Her background as a legal assistant has been very helpful in her current position, and her ease of writing and composing has helped with producing documents and newsletters.

Since then, she has achieved certification as a Certified Healthcare Administrative Professional and is now the hospital’s marketing coordinator. Coordinating hospital websites is part of her job. Her duties range from assisting board members to recording radio ads, and coordinating and editing the quarterly Health Scene.

Craig manages the Sport Town warehouses for the Warwicks, and this is a very busy time of year for him. The warehouses in Colfax supply the Sport Town stores in Colfax and Spokane, as well as their web business.

Two teens in high school keep their parents hopping. Cody, a sophomore, enjoys playing trumpet in concert and jazz band, plays football, basketball, baseball and golf.

Kylie, a freshman, enjoys volleyball, basketball, FFA, and plans to turn out for the golf team this spring. Now that both teens are interested in golf, they enjoying golfing as a family and with extended family, too.

Recipes:

Hamburger Soup

2 pounds ground beef

2 cups of each of the following:

Chopped onion

Chunked potatoes

Thinly sliced carrots

Sliced celery

2 cans of stewed tomatoes

1/2 cup rice

4 cups water

4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 bay leaves

1 can tomato soup

1 cup tomato juice

Brown ground beef and onion together in large pot - drain excess fat. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for an hour. Enjoy!!

Chicken Enchiladas

3 cups cooked cubed chicken

10 flour tortillas

3-4 cups cheddar jack cheese

MIX:

1 can cream of mushroom or chicken soup

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup salsa

1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

Add cooked cubed chicken and mix well. Fold mix sprinkled with cheese into tortillas and place in 9X12 baking dish. Spread any remaining mix over top of tortillas.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 350 – remove foil and bake 5 additional minutes. Serve with lettuce, salsa, sour cream and any other favorites!

Chicken Pot Pie

2 cups cooked cubed chicken

1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots

Layer above ingredients in a greased 2 qt casserole dish.

MIX:

1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup

1 cup chicken broth

Season with salt and pepper

Pour over layers

Stir together 2 cups instant biscuit mix and 1 cup of milk and slowly pour over top. Melt 1 stick of butter and drizzle over top.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden brown.