My favorite recipe - Meet Bonnie Swannack, Lamont

The license plate frame on Bonnie Swannack’s red mini-van pretty much sums it up: “Quilting is My Passion.”

“I make quilts. It took over my life about 30 years ago,” Bonnie said.

Growing up as Bonnie Mays in Hooper, her mother quilted but Bonnie didn’t even know how to thread a needle until she took Home Economics in high school.

After graduating from LaCrosse High School, Bonnie attended Whitworth College in Spokane and the nurses training at Deaconess Hospital where she met her husband, Bill, who was a patient at the hospital.

“He couldn’t get away,” Bonnie remarked. They have been married 46 years.

After completing her training, Bonnie worked two and a half years before they were married. She quit working and moved to Lamont with Bill. They moved into the house where he was born, and they have been there ever since.

“Seventy-five years he’s lived here,” she noted.

Their two children, Tom and Janet, still live in the area. After the kids were in school, she decided it was time to get involved in the community and joined the Women’s Club. The group did different things throughout the year, but in the winter they tied quilts. That was Bonnie’s first experience quilting, and she became interested. She tied quilts for a while before progressing to sewing quilts. She hand-sewed for many years until arthritis made it too difficult. Now all her quilting and sewing are done by machine.

“I’ve got a closet full of quilts,” Bonnie said. Quilting is much more fun that housework, she added.

Members of her family have also been given many quilts. Bonnie has moved on to making quilts for charity, blessing the lives of strangers with her passion. She is a member of the Cheney Country Quilters and Washington State Quilters, Spokane Chapter. The groups make and donate quilts to the Ronald McDonald House in Spokane and Sally’s House, a home for children two through 12 who are on their way to foster care. Sally’s House is run by the Salvation Army and every child that comes into the house gets a quilt.

So far this year, Bonnie has made about 20 quilts for Ronald McDonald House.

Quilting didn’t entirely supplant all other sewing. Bonnie has sewn clothes for herself, family and friends, including a rodeo outfit and prom dresses. Nevertheless, she prefers quilting.

Bonnie also sews things for craft shows such as potholders and table runners.

“My car just automatically goes to Cheney every Monday,” she said. Monday is when the Cheney Country Quilters meet. The group joined the Spokane Chapter of the Washington State Quilters which has about 600 to 700 members. Recently the group put on a quilt show at the Spokane Interstate Fairground.

The only thing that can really compete for Bonnie’s time over quilting is watching her granddaughter Tommie Sue Swannack compete in rodeos. Tommie Sue is a member of the Palouse River Ropers Association and Eastern Washington Junior Rodeo Association. She does barrel racing, goat tying and break away roping and grandma is always there to watch.

She and Bill have bought a retirement house located in Lamont. While Bonnie would have moved the day they signed the papers, Bill still isn’t ready to make the two-mile move into town .

Recipes:

Layered Lettuce Salad

1 head lettuce

1 cup celery, diced

4 eggs, boiled

1 pkg. frozen peas

1 sweet onion, diced

8 slices bacon, fried and diced or use bacon bits

2 cups mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. sugar

4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

Layer first six ingredients in order given in a 9 x13 pan. Add sugar to mayonnaise and frost top of salad. Top with grated cheese. Cover and refrigerate 8-12 hours before serving.

Baked Hamburger Casserole

3/4 cup milk

4 slices bread, cubed.

Onion, salt and pepper to taste

2 lb. hamburger

Cream of mushroom soup

Soak bread cubes in milk. Add with seasoning to hamburger. Form into patties and brown over medium heat. Place in baking dish and cover with soup. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Chocolate Lush

Layer 1

1 1/2 cubes margarine, melted

1 1/2 cups flour

Mix and pat into 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.

Layer 2

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 of a 12 oz. carton of Cool Whip

Mix well and spread over Layer 1.

Layer 3

1 lg. pkg. Chocolate Instant Pudding

2 1/2 cups milk

Mix well and pour over Layer 2.

Let set for a few minutes.

Layer 4

Spread remaining Cool Whip over top. Sprinkle grated chocolate over Cool Whip.

Whole Wheat Bread

4 cups water

2 Tbsp. yeast

1/2 cup margarine

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup honey

1 Tbsp. salt

4 cups white flour

6 cups whole wheat flour

Mix water and yeast. Let set for 10 minutes. Put margarine, molasses and honey in large measuring cup and melt in microwave. Add to water. Mix remaining ingredients and knead well. Place in large greased bowl and let rise in warm place. Makes 6 small loaves or 4 large loaves.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Brush tops with margarine when removed from oven.