COUNTING THE HOURS TILL CHRISTMAS

Maybe it’s my age, or the fact that I have been so busy uncovering old memories from former Christmases that has stalled my preparations for this year. As I write this, and the day draws near, I haven’t finished shopping, wrapped nothing, sent no cards and baked only a few cookies. It’s like I’m in a dream state where I can’t wake up and light a fire under myself. Ordinarily…well, I’m not even going to beat myself up remembering past organization.

This year I found the old cassette tapes of Christmas music we played when the kids were little. Fortunately, my radio brother still has something to play them on. So I am singing along to songs I haven’t heard in 30 years. I found the Christmas piano book my Mom used to play out of when I was a child and I’ve even plunked out a few tunes myself. I have spent hours poring over the old the picture book of Christmas stories and poems she read to us throughout December. I’ve sat paging through colorful children’s books that I used to read to my little ones. I’ve curled up by the fire with Christmas memories of various writers. I’ve gazed at the blue stone dime store ring my long deceased brother, Dan, bought for me one Christmas when we were still in grade school. I’ve savored the old ornaments dredged from the attic. I’ve enjoyed cup after cup of Christmas tea. Gazed at twinkling lights on frosty snow. Brilliant sunsets find me watching the western sky until dusk falls heavy here at Cricket Meadow, when I light cookie and cinnamon scented candles which still doesn’t propel me into the kitchen to bake. Mornings I linger over coffee and watch blue jays and cardinals flit to the birdfeeders filled with suet and sunflower seeds hanging by the potting shed. Then I head outside to do the chores and totally ignore the giftwrap beckoning me to fill the empty space beneath the tree. Instead I smile as I whiff the fresh pine wreath on the back door where I marvel at my lack of drive for what I’m “supposed to do.”

I am not counting the days anymore; now it’s the hours. I need to focus. Soon the family will gather and I have to be on my game. I need to fill the tins with frosted sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies, the holly rimmed plate with Christmas bread, I need to plan the menus for several people for several days, paper and ribbon need to cover the gifts which I still need to buy…

I may be way behind. But I’ve never enjoyed the season more. I am letting the season happen to me, instead of my usual “making it happen.” And I love it. This could be a habit. A lifestyle. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

SNOW COCOA (FOR CI-CI)

2 cups whipping cream

6 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

12 ounce package white chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Stir well to combine before serving. Place a dollop of whipped cream on top of each serving and sprinkle top of each with cocoa and use candy canes for stir sticks.

RED AND GREEN SALAD

Spring mix and/or spinach

Red leaf lettuce or red cabbage

Red onion thinly sliced

Dried cranberries

Crumbled feta or thinly shaved Pecorino

1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar or balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon gray sea salt

1/4 cup olive oil

Pecan halves

In a large salad bowl, toss greens, cabbage, onion, lightly toasted cranberries and cheese. In a jar with a tightly closed lid, shake together dressing ingredients: vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt and olive oil. Toss into salad and top with pecans.

GINGERBREAD STARS

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

4-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

White chocolate, melted

In a mixing bowl, blend butter and sugar. Stir in molasses and buttermilk. Beat in eggs. Stir in flour, spices and salt. Refrigerate overnight. Roll out dough on a lightly floured board. Cut into star shapes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool. Dip half of each cookie into melted white chocolate.

ONE HUNDRED AND ONE MICE

Maybe it was all the cute Edna Miller books I read to my children. “Mouskin’s Golden House” was their favorite. Perhaps it was Beatrix Potter’s, “The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse.” Or maybe it was the Brambly Hedge series. Or something by Arthur Scott Bailey. At any rate, our shelves are laden with cozy, endearing stories about mice. And I love them.

However. When a late night visit to the chicken coop revealed that there were 50 or more mice scrambling for cover at the flick of the light switch, I knew serious action would be in order. A hole had been chewed in the wood floor and feed was disappearing at an unprecedented rate. I was just glad the rats weren’t back, but something had to be done.

We decided that we would place live traps in the coop and, upon catching the mice, would move them to the field at the end of the driveway. That way we would avert killing them and they would be deterred from finding food and shelter with the chickens. After trapping nearly 100 in two weeks, I am pleased to report that all three traps were empty this morning allowing me to believe (though I have been scorned for my view that they won’t return) that they have sought a home elsewhere and I have a clean conscience regarding the demise of legions of mice.

I will say this, though. Even though I am hard pressed to kill a mouse in the out buildings,  I have a no tolerance policy regarding mice in the house. The old lake cabin harbored hundreds of mice over the years and I remember the smell and sight of everything mouse. And suddenly, mice lose their charm and all out war prevails. My heart is only SO soft.

CHOCOLATE MICE

4 squares semisweet chocolate

1/3 cup sour cream

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs, plus 1/3 cup

1/3 cup powdered sugar

24 silver dragees décor for cookies

1/4 cup sliced almonds

12 pieces long red string licorice

Melt the chocolate in a saucepan. Stir in sour cream. Stir in 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until firm. When chilled, roll dough by tablespoonfuls into balls. Mold to a slight point at one end for the nose. Roll dough in powdered sugar for white mice and chocolate crumbs for brown mice. On each mouse, place dragees for eyes, almond slices for ears and licorice for tail. Refrigerate for two hours before servings.

FARM MOUSE COOKIES

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Peanut halves

Chocolate mini chips

Black shoestring licorice

In a mixing bowl, cream peanut butter, butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and chill dough for 1 hour or overnight. Roll into 1 inch balls. Pinch one end forming a teardrop shape for mouse body. Place cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Press to flatten. For ears, press two peanuts into each cookie near the pointed end. Press chocolate chips into dough for eyes. With a toothpick, make a 1/2 inch deep hole for the tail in the opposite end. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. When cookies are still warm, insert licorice for tails. Cool.

CANDY MICE

30 Oreo cookies, halved

30 large maraschino cherries, with stems

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

30 Hershey’s chocolate kisses

30 almond halves

Red decorating gel

Split the Oreo cookies in half, reserving the half with cream filling. Unwrap kisses and set aside. Drain cherries and dry on a paper towel. Melt chocolate until smooth. Dip a cherry in chocolate until coated and set it on the Oreo cookie half with the stem going sideways for the tail. Place a chocolate kiss, pointed side out, on the opposite side of the cherry for the nose. Place two almond halves on top of the cherry for the ears. Put two red dots on the cherry body for the eyes.

DOG DAYS OF MY LIFE

I’ve had a lot of dogs in my life…at the present time we have four here at Cricket Meadow: Buck, Lily, Ruger and Nelli. I have a special place in my heart for each one. And, with advancing age and recent health issues for all but the latter, I am reminded that I may have to part with them sooner than later. Which reminded me of all the canine friends I have said goodbye to in my life.

The dog I remember best from my childhood was Smokey, a beautiful border collie mix with tan and white accents on his smoke-colored fur. He was really the mainstay of my youth in that we got him when I was four years old and he lived for almost 12 years.

We never had housedogs back on the farm. Our dogs were lavished with love, fed and sheltered well, but never set foot in the house. Smokey had a doghouse nestled in the lilac bushes in the backyard and was fed table scraps from an old iron skillet. He trailed us as we did our chores and followed us as we rode our bikes, always staying at the end of the driveway. My Dad had a  “no chasing cars” policy and somehow got the dogs we owned to refrain from tire biting and running in the road.

We all loved Smokey, who possessed a gentle personality but gave a firm bark to any stranger who drove in the yard. In the wintertime, Dad tucked his house right next to ours so he was sheltered from the wind and feeding him was easier when the drifts mounded up in the lawn.

One night during an ice storm, for some reason, Smokey sought shelter in the haystack near the barn. When Dad noticed him missing for morning chores, he discovered Smokey’s lifeless form under some fallen bales. We were as crushed as Smokey had been, and mourned for weeks over the loss of our beloved pet. Though we know going into pet ownership that it is a fleeting thing, it doesn’t make the loss any easier. We did have dogs that followed Smokey. But he was our first real dog love and none of us have ever forgotten him.

ICE STORM STEW

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 pound boneless pork, cut into chunks

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon oil

3 cups vegetable broth

12 ounces beer

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 parsnips, peeled and sliced

1 medium onion, cut up

1-1/2 teaspoons thyme

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

4 tomatoes, chopped

2 apples, cored and cut into wedges

In a plastic bag, combine flour and red pepper. Add pork and shake to coat. In a 4 quart Dutch oven, cook meat and garlic in hot oil until meat is browned. Stir in broth, beer, sweet potatoes, parsnips, onions, thyme, brown sugar and mustard. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and apples. Return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender.

CANINE CRUNCH (FOR PET OWNERS)

1 cup rice cereal

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts

1 cup dried apricots, diced

16 ounces almond bark

In a large mixing bowl, melt almond bark in microwave, stirring until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add other ingredients. Combine well and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Chill. 

HAYSTACKS

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup salted peanuts

2 cups chow mein noodles

Place chips and peanut butter in a large bowl. Stir. Add peanuts and chow mein noodles. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave until chips are shiny and soft. Stir and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Cool until set.

GHOSTLY FORESHADOWING

All of these glorious moonlit nights have reminded me of a story my mom once told of an incident forever a mystery to her.

Back in the early homesteading days in Meeker county, Mom’s grandparents, Nils and Ellen Martinson, Swedish immigrants, farmers in Swede Grove and sturdy, level headed, practical people were leaving a neighbor’s home, where they had shared a meal, a few miles from their farm. The October night was luminescent, with dry leaves swirling in the air and the only sound that of the horses’ hooves as they trotted back home to a warm barn filled with oats and hay. It was mid-October and there was a definite chill setting in as they traveled the lonely dirt road.

Suddenly the team stopped dead in their tracks and Nels was unable to get them to move. Out of nowhere, and I share this tale with a great portion of skepticism, two apparitions appeared in the middle of the narrow road. My great-grandparents, staunch Bible-banging Baptists, hearty, no-nonsense pioneers, knew them to be spirits. They were stunned speechless and later would liken the experience to that of Balaam’s donkey in the Old Testament book of Numbers.

Though it seemed an eternity, in a matter of seconds what they both saw was gone as mysteriously as it had appeared. And the horses proceeded as though nothing had happened. The couple was shaken by the experience, however, and wondered if God had sent the sign as a forewarning that night.

Within just a matter of days, my great-grandfather developed a blood clot in his leg and died shortly thereafter, on October 21, 1891. He was 49 years old and left behind 6 children between the ages of 12 and 2. My great-grandmother, no stranger to hardship, had lost her first three children in one month, a dozen years earlier, to the diptheria epidemic that swept the County in 1879. She held fast to her faith, never wavered in her resolve to live out her days a woman of God and a solid gold example of how to exemplify beauty from ashes. She had 50 more years to bless all the lives of those who knew her. Including my Mom. With whom I pondered this story from time to time. Who’s to say what really appeared on the road that dark fall night? It remains just one more unanswered question in our family’s legend book.

GREAT GRANDMA’S HARVEST MOON ORANGE CAKE

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Juice of one orange and zest

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together. Stir in buttermilk. Beat in egg. Add flour, soda, spices and orange juice and zest. Stir well. Fold in raisins and nuts. Pour batter into a greased and floured 8 or 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar over top before serving. 

HOMESTEADER’S SWEDISH APPLE CAKE

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

3 cups raw apples, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs. Stir in dry ingredients. Add apples and nuts. Pour batter into a greased and floured 8 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

GHOSTLY WHITE COOKIES

2 cups flour

1 cup butter

1/3 cup whipping cream

Sugar for dipping

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, butter and cream. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll 1/3 of the dough at a time on a flour-covered board. Cut into small circles with a cookie cutter. Dip each circle into sugar and place on a cookie sheet. Pierce each cookie with a fork a few times. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes, until set but not brown. Remove from oven and cool. Combine frosting ingredients together and, when cooled, frost between two rounds and layer to make sandwich cookies.

FROSTING

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Harvest Orange food coloring and flavoring (if desired)

AUTUMNAL THERAPY

Today is a perfect day to do some fall cleanup projects around Cricket Meadow. The sun is shining brightly in a beautiful blue sky, the maple is turning red and everywhere I look I see work. But I love being outside in the glorious weather, pulling stakes away from the hollyhocks and delphiniums, filling the bird feeders, cleaning debris out of the flower beds, properly disposing of a dead snake in the perennial bed, and finally, harvesting produce from a slightly overgrown and a bit neglected garden.

First the tomatoes and peppers. Hopefully, there will be enough for one last batch of salsa. Then I survey the herbs. Mountainous lemon balm plants. Spiky fragrant rosemary. Thick hedges of thyme, borders of basil and shrub- sized sage. I grab my largest basket from the shelf in the kitchen and head out with a shears to begin snipping. When my dehydrator is full, I place the rest on a screen in the garage, topped with another screen, allowing air to move freely around the herbs for proper drying. After a week or so, I begin crumbling the dried plants into canning jars and, covered and labeled, they rest in my pantry or on my kitchen shelves until I need them for cooking.

When winter has its grip on my soul, I reach for a jar of summer elixir, drop some lemon balm leaves in a china cup, pour boiling water over, steep and breathe deeply before sipping a bit of joy. And I can face the worst winter has to offer.

HERB GARDEN PESTO

4 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

8 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts

Place all ingredients in a food processor to make a smooth paste. Add salt to taste, desired. Place in jars. Cover and freeze.

HERBED BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

4 cups flour

1 tablespoon chives

1 tablespoon dill

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup cold butter

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, chives, dill, baking powder, sugar, soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Brush lightly with melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Yield: 24 biscuits.

SAVORY HERBED TOAST SQUARES

4 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons dried savory

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

4 tablespoon dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Stir together all ingredients and mix well. Cut the crusts from a loaf of your favorite bread, butter each slice well, sprinkle with herb mixture and cut into 4 squares. Place on cookie sheets, bake at 250 degrees until slightly brown, about 1 hour.

LEMON BALM COOKIES

1 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups white flour

1 tablespoon minced fresh lemon balm or lemon thyme

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together. When fluffy, add egg yolks, vanilla and herbs. Stir in flour. Use a cookie press to make desired shapes on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.

FISHIN' FOR MORE SUMMER...

I’m sitting on the dock as I write this, marveling at how fast the summer went. Flocks of seagulls are holding their late summer rendezvous, acorns are dropping on the wood steps, tree frogs buzz, campsites empty and cabins are vacated. The same as every year, but it always catches me by surprise and makes me a bit melancholy. Life without children in it is something one should adjust to, and I have, (time for grandchildren?) but I still miss my kids a lot when I am at the lake, remembering the fun years of endless water sports, biking and playing with friends. And fishing with Grandpa.

I am reminded of just that this morning. A few yards from shore, anchored in a prime fishing hole, is a pontoon filled with six kids of all ages with their grandpa. He has set them up with drop lines, poles and nets and they are pulling in sunnies as fast as he gets them off their hooks and into the basket. 

They are all chattering with excitement and buzzing with competitiveness. Grandpa patiently answers all their questions, assists them in their every need, and exclaims with enthusiasm over each of their observations and successes with the fishing experience. They exclaim over the tin of cookies Grandma packed as well as the jug of lemonade and cooler of sandwiches and fruit.

And I can still see, and hear, my own kids with my Dad in his fishing boat, just off the dock in the same spot, helping them bait their hooks and remove the fish which swam in thick schools in the fishing weeds just on the edge of the drop-off. No one in our family ever goes far without packing a lunch either, and my Dad patiently handed out sandwiches, cookies and beverages to his fishing buddies.

Maybe before TOO long, we can pass the tradition of fishing with grandkids to some of our own. Hurry back, Lucia!

SUMMERTIME STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

1 cup fresh strawberries

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 cup simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water boiled and cooled)

7 to 8 cups water

Combine first 3 ingredients in a blender. Puree. Stir in water. Serve iced with fresh strawberries and mint.

CHOCOLATE- CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup butter

1-1/2 sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Stir in cocoa. Beat in eggs. Add vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie  sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

TACKLE BOX BARS

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 package chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

1-1/2 cups Rice Krispies

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder, and vanilla. Bake at 350 degrees in a 9 by 13 inch pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven to melt. Cool. Melt together chocolate chips, peanut butter. Stir in cereal. Spread over cooled bars.

FISHING HOLE SNACK CAKE

1/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups raw apples, peeled and coarsely grated

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix well. Stir in apples, nuts and raisins. Spread into a greased 8 by 8 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Sprinkle powdered 

HOW DO YOU SPELL RELIEF?

I love summer, I love hot weather. I can even love humidity as long as the air conditioning works.

I stopped by my cousin’s rustic cabin (which is adorable and loaded with charm) to visit one day recently and was reminded of growing up without air conditioning. And I was reminded of how life used to be when we tried to cool the house with shades and fans. And lots of big trees near the house. I remember how sticky everything felt and how hard it was to cool off. How miserable it was to sleep, how you’d keep flipping your pillow in the quest for relief in your sweat-soaked pajamas.

Back then, Mom would always make sure the freezer was stocked with popsicles and ice cream.  We ate cold cereal, egg salad, tuna salad, potato salad. Did I mention watermelon? Cold food was requested at every meal. We even enjoyed the forays into our farmhouse basement, damp and unfinished, just because it was about 10 degrees cooler. On the very hottest days, when evening chores were finished, we piled in the car (another miserable experience with hot, sweaty, kid bodies packed in on top of each other) rolled down all the windows (manually, of course) and, with wind whipping through our hair, headed to the lake for a swim. Nothing spelled relief more to us than G-R-E-E-N L-A-K-E. Nothing does still.

So, while we continue eating egg salad and root beer floats so, too, we continue to drop our flip-flops and sunglasses on the dock and jump into the crystal clear water to cool off. And we are pleased beyond belief that the air conditioner is alive and well, forever keeping us cool through the long, hot summer nights.

HOT SUMMER NIGHT SHRIMP SALAD

1 large box macaroni shells, cooked and cooled

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, diced

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1/4 cup radishes, sliced

1 large bag cooked, frozen shrimp

3/4 quart mayonnaise or salad dressing

Fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh parsley sprigs

Paprika

Blend shells with vegetables and shrimp. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over all. Stir in mayonnaise. Toss. Season with salt and pepper and top with parsley and paprika. Chill.

MOM’S POTATO SALAD

8 large potatoes, cooked, peeled, diced

6 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and sliced or wedged

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup onions, chopped

1/4 cup radishes, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh parsley sprigs

3 raw eggs, beaten

4 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1 cup mayonnaise or unsweetened cream, whipped

Combine vegetables and cooked eggs. Season with  salt and pepper. In a medium saucepan, cook raw eggs with sugar, vinegar and dry mustard. Stir in salt, pepper and celery seed. When cool, whisk in mayonnaise or whipped cream. Fold into potatoes and vegetables. Garnish with fresh parsley, paprika and more hard-boiled eggs. Keep refrigerated.

50’S TUNA SALAD MOLD

1 small package lemon jello

1/2 cup boiling water

1 can tuna, drained

1 can chicken gumbo soup

2 tablespoons each: green pepper, green onions, celery, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 cup cream, whipped but unsweetened

Fresh squeezed lemon juice

In a medium bowl, dissolve jello in boiling water. Stir in all other ingredients, except cream. Chill until partially set. Then whip cream and fold into jello mixture. Chill in a mold overnight or for several hours. Serve unmolded on lettuce leaves.

ANOTHER TREK, ANOTHER SUNDAY (WITH THANKS TO THE DOOBIE BROTHERS)

Somewhere, somehow, my Dad, who was always scoping out new ideas, found out that there was a pastor at a small country church near Upsala, Minnesota named Leonard Bergstrom. He was sure that we were shirttail relatives and, that was all it took, we were northbound that next Sunday and on a quest for a new church destination.

The rest of the family wasn’t quite as enthusiastic. We kids hated veering outside of our comfort zones. Mom hated missing a Sunday in her home church in Grove City with family and friends. But we acquiesced. And off we went. Aside from the fact that we weren’t excited about worshipping in an unfamiliar setting, we equally loathed the idea of cramming into a car, charting new territory, scoping out farm fields for crop comparison, bouncing in the un-air conditioned vehicle on dusty back roads. Never mind the inevitable polka music and cigar or pipe smoke on the trip back. We’d almost choose the dentist, if given the option.

To add insult to injury, Dad was always shocked and somewhat hurt when we griped about meeting the kids in the family. Whatever was he thinking?? Most pre-adolescents aren’t particularly taken with the prospect of developing relationships in an afternoon. Trying to fit in with new pals. Enduring being snubbed. “Can’t we just go to the service and leave?” We begged. But no. We knew full well (from copious experience) we’d be there the better part of the day, dining with the pastor’s family, playing (or not) with the new kids, wishing to go home.

As it turned out, I loved the day. Lynn Bergstrom, a willowy blonde my age, with ice blue Nordic eyes and funky black glasses, turned out to be my sister in Christ! We hit it off right away, on the steps of that little white country church. My brothers found her brothers to be equally interesting. I loved her dad, Reverend Bergstrom…his preaching was engaging, even to an 11-year old. Mrs. Bergstrom whipped up a delicious Sunday dinner and she and Mom traded tales of tomatoes ripening, Ladies Aid, school bus drivers and the county fair.

Lucky Dad, not a one of us chomped our bits to leave or belly-ached on the way home. As I recall, we even looked forward to our next visit, which we knew was forthcoming. Even Mom. As it turned out, Dad and Leonard were NOT related. But, no matter. They were brothers in Christ, just the same. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

And I mean that.

SUNDAY DINNER LIME JELLO SALAD

3 ounce box lime Jell-O

3/4 cup hot water

1 cup whipped cream

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

In a medium bowl, mix gelatin and water together, stirring until dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour into a greased mold. Chill until set. Serve on an iceberg lettuce leaf, for a trip down memory lane. 

SUMMERTIME BARBEQUED MEATBALLS

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound ground pork

12 ounces evaporated milk

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup cracker crumbs

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

SAUCE

2 cups ketchup

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup chopped onion

In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Mixture will be soft. Shape into balls. Place in a single layer on waxed paper-lined cookie sheets. Freeze until solid. Store in freezer until ready to cook. To make sauce, combine all sauce ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved. When ready to bake meatballs, place them in a 9 by 13 inch pan. Pour sauce over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

SUNDAY COMPANY RASPBERRY DESSERT

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

10 ounces raspberries, frozen and thawed

1/4 cup cold water

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup cream, whipped

Fresh raspberries for garnish

Combine crumbs, sugar and butter. Press into an 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. For filling, drain raspberries and reserve juice. Set berries aside. In a small saucepan, combine juice, water and gelatin. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cook and stir over low heat until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat; cool for 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add berries and gelatin mixture; beat on low until thoroughly blended. Chill until partially set. Gently fold in whipped cream. Spoon into crust. Chill for several hours. Top with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

MY AFFAIR WITH TRIXIE BELDEN

I put sentiment on the shelf recently and actually emptied my bookshelf of all my old Trixie Belden books. When I was in 4^th grade, I began reading the series with gusto and through the years, amassed over 30 of the Trixie books, only missing a couple. I realized that I would never likely reread them and most were paperbacks anyway, dog-eared and yellowed. So they were perfect to add to the library sale.

Back in those days, my book collection was scant. We mostly checked books out of the library or bookmobile and swapped amongst friends. My mom loved books and was a voracious reader so one summer she signed me up for the Book of the Month Club and I received The Happy Hollisters series. I also loved the Hardy Boys mysteries and shared those books with my older brother. But Trixie was my favorite. She and her best friend Honey, blaze through one adventure after another and were friends I wished I knew in my hay bale childhood. They were obedient, kind, fair and loving. Great fiction.

Often Mom would have to track me down in the treehouse in the big elm, my “playhouse” (which doubled as the old corncrib) or the backyard tire swing to iron a basket of clothes, make beds or bake a pan of bars. She’d find me on a dude ranch in Arizona or camping in a red trailer or solving a mystery in a haunted mansion. Trixie, Honey and I were at it again. Mom was never angry with me for temporarily dodging my tasks. She’d chuckle and retell the story of how HER mother would find her curled up in the big chair by the fireplace when she was supposed to be dusting, or propped in the crotch of an apple tree in the orchard when she needed to feed the hens savoring “The Girl of the Limberlost.” She was a diehard book nut.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I guess that explains why I just received the first six Trixie Belden books (that’s it though, NO more!!) from Amazon and am rereading the delightful stories I enjoyed in my youth. I can hear the creak of the rope as the swing glides gently in the June sunshine and the screen door squeak as Mom calls my name.

TRIXIE’S CHOCOLATE CHERRY BARS

1box chocolate cake mix (use white cake mix for a variation)

1 can cherry pie filling

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk

6 tablespoons butter

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix with pie filling and eggs. Beat well. Pour into a greased 15 by 10 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. In a saucepan, combine milk, butter and sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and beat until smooth. Cool slightly and spread on cooled bars.

EASY SUMMER DAY OATMEAL COOKIES

1-1/2 cups raisins

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

5 tablespoons raisin juice (reserved from cooking raisins)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2-1/2 cups flour

2 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In a saucepan, cook raisins in enough water to cover them for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve liquid. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Stir in soda, raisin juice, salt, cloves and cinnamon.  Add flour and oatmeal, stirring well. Add nuts, if desired. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

SUNSHINE SPONGE CAKE

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cold water

1-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until light. Add sugar gradually. Continue beating until mixture is creamy. Add water. Add flour which has been sifter with baking powder and salt. Mix well. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  

A BUMP IN THE NIGHT

There are few things more disturbing than an invasion by an unwelcome guest. A tiresome visitor, carpenter ants, head lice. Or bats.

Last weekend I was roused from a deep slumber by a noise in the attic at the cabin. It seemed to be a branch on the roof or maybe a squirrel or chipmunk trapped in the rain gutter. No, that wasn’t really it. I knew it, but was in denial. I have lived with an occasional bat getting into the house but never dealt with residency. I panicked. Then, realizing I wouldn’t want to know until morning light, fell back to sleep.

The cabin has an unfinished attic, with no floor, only insulation on studs. There are no lights or windows. It’s accessible only through a small opening in the ceiling in our bedroom above the bed. And directly above the side on which I sleep.

The next morning, I informed my husband of my suspicions. He took a ladder and a flashlight to the attic. And spotted at least 25 bats hanging on the walls in a deep slumber.

I promptly placed a call to the “bat man,” a professional bat re-locater to snag a date with him and his services. He travels the upper Midwest with his wife, ridding homes of the persistent attic dweller. From what they have told me, bats live about 30 years and hate to be ousted from the spot they choose to reside in. Homes are warm, unlike caves and bat houses and, according to the DNR website, bats will opt for heated digs any day of the week.

Well, I haven’t had an appetite since they arrived. Or at least since I learned that we share the same home. But I’m sure I can rifle through my collection of recipes to include some here, even though I may not have tried them lately. If my recipes were in the attic, the column would end right here.

BUMP IN THE NIGHT IRISH COFFEE

Fresh lime wedge

Sugar

3/4 cup hot, strong black coffee

1 ounce Irish whiskey

2 tablespoons lightly whipped cream

Rub the lime wedge around the rim of a glass coffee mug. Dip the rim in sugar to coat. Pour coffee into mug. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar and whiskey. Stir. Slide the whipped cream off a spoon to float it on top of the coffee. Drinking a cup of this will ensure the courage to investigate any bump in the night.

DARK AS A CAVE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

1-1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

Maraschino cherries

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Mix well. Add buttermilk, butter and egg and blend until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill paper lined muffin tins 1/3 full. Place a cherry in the center of dough. Top with more batter to 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 17 to 22 minutes. Cool and frost.

VANILLA FROSTING

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 3 tablespoons milk or half and half

Combine frosting ingredients in a medium bowl with a hand held mixer, adding enough milk or cream to desired spreading consistency. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with chocolate sprinkles.

EVERYTHING LOOKS BETTER IN THE MORNING BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1-1/2 cups blueberries

1 tablespoon flour

1/3 cup butter

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup 2% milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 tablespoons coarse ground sugar

In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour with next 6 ingredients. Stir with a whisk. Toss blueberries in 1 tablespoon flour to coat. Place butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed 1 minute. Add milk, eggs and vanilla to butter mixture. Beat to combine. Add butter mixture to flour mixture; stir until just moist. Gently fold in blueberry mixture. Spoon batter into 14 muffin cups. Sprinkle coarse ground sugar over top. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. 

MOTHER'S DAY MUSINGS

Here comes another Mother’s Day, and I can’t believe how incredibly blessed I feel to be one and to have had one that was so amazing. I am reliving the days of my childhood when I would make Mom such goofy gifts that I’m amazed she kept a straight face as she opened them. If not the glitter-encrusted grade school gems, it was my homemade sand candles straight out of the seventies when I was “hippie-girl,” complete with patchouli oil, beaded headbands and big bellbottoms.

I redeemed myself later, as a young bride, by finding matching gifts for Mom and my dear mother-in-law, Charlotte Johnson, who were both so accomplished at making a wonderful home. I would search for meaningful gifts: baskets of gardening supplies, pretty aprons, cookbooks, recipe cards, teapots and books. For several years, I made them dinner on Mother’s Day, beef tenderloin, asparagus with lemon sauce, meringue-topped rhubarb pie. When offered a choice of dining out or in, they decided it was ever so much more fun at our house where our 3 young children romped about and entertained their captive audience.

Those little ones are now grown and long gone and have feted me in countless ways and expressed appreciation for my love. Now, this is the first Mother’s Day I get to witness my daughter as a mother which, of course, means I’m now a you-know-what. Still waiting to see what Lucia will decide to call me.What joy, this business of growing old brings: growing wiser, richer in things that last, deeper in love with my expanding circle.

Today my brother and I rifled through Mom’s plethora of recipes, searching for the cherished one that, more than any others, brings her to mind. We chuckled at her stained cookbooks, Tim joking that he thought we could just add water to the book and have a meal in itself.

When I am no longer here, I pray that my life will have made a difference in the world I was a part of, that my children and theirs will remember special things about me and care enough to pass the mangled cookbooks and ragged potholders to their own daughters. It’s, like the memories, pretty darn precious stuff.

SPRINGTIME ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON CHIVE SAUCE

1 pound asparagus

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup yogurt, room temperature

Grated zest of one lemon, with a squeeze of juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

Snap off tough stems of asparagus. Fill a large skillet halfway with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus. Cook until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and place on a heated platter.  To make the sauce,  blend cheese and yogurt together in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in lemon zest and salt. Spoon sauce over top of asparagus. Garnish with lemon zest.

FRESH FROM THE PATCH RHUBARB MERINGUE PIE

1 unbaked pie crust

2 or 3 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped

1-3/4 cup sugar

3 heaping Tablespoons flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cream

Sprinkle rhubarb over the bottom of an unbaked pie crust. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar and flour. Beat in eggs and cream. Pour over rhubarb. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for 40 minutes more.

MERINGUE

6 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add sugar. Beat until very stiff. Sprinkle in cornstarch and beat until blended. Spread over hot pie, sealing to the edges. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes till lightly browned. Cool gradually and avoid drafts. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

MOM’S CHERRY WHITE CLOUD

48 marshmallows

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups whipping cream, whipped but not sweetened

2-15 ounce cans cherry pie filling

Graham cracker crumbs

Whipping cream

Sprinkle a layer of graham cracker crumbs over the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch pan. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt marshmallows in milk. Add vanilla and salt. Cool. Whip cream and fold into marshmallow mixture. Spread on top of graham cracker crumbs. Carefully spread cherries over top of marshmallow layer. Cover cherry layer with whipped cream and sprinkle graham cracker crumbs liberally over top. Chill. Cut into squares. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

SPRING COMES TO THE MEADOW

As I write, a flaming orange sunset splashes the west horizon and it is the end of a perfect day at The Meadow. It’s the kind of day you want to hang on to and I soak up each hour. I love this time of year because there is no guilt about keeping a schedule for outdoor chores. The lawn doesn’t need mowing, nothing is planted yet so there is no weeding to do. Spring has just arrived and we can sit back and delight in birdsong, allow the golden sunshine to caress our shoulders, the balmy breeze to ruffle our hair.  The early perennials like pussywillow and forsythia provide a dose of color and texture and they need no attention at all, not unless picking an armful for the table later is on the agenda.

It was a perfect day for a walk to the pond, where there is so much going on it is hard to pick out the different sounds. Like an orchestra pit where each musician tunes his instrument, the concert from the marsh is discordant, yet lovely. Geese, swans, frogs, birds…the squawking, honking, croaking song is spring’s finest.
The dogs frolic and bound in and out of the water, as labs do, and seem as light-hearted as we humans. I make my way through the woods, looking for morels behind every dying tree, then head down the path to the barns. Suddenly, I hear thunder. It’s the horses, galloping across one paddock and into another. Tails and manes flying, they leap and kick up their heels. They’re feeling it too: spring has arrived in the meadow, a long stretch of warm days ahead, fresh green grass underfoot. 

There’s a baby kitten or two under the goat shed, the baby chicks will be here soon and the rhubarb is poking up behind the garden shed. As evening falls, we gather sticks for a fire. Sun sets, smoke swirls, s’mores are made and the quiet of evening is here. The screens on the windows will allow the outside in tonight so we can hang on to the ambience until sleep takes over. It doesn’t get any better than this.

MORELS IN CREAM

1/4 pound butter

1 pound morels, cleaned and sliced

Pinch salt

 Juice of 1/4 lemon

1/4 cup flour

2 cups heavy cream

Melt half of the butter in a saucepan. Add morels with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Drain. Reserve liquid. Melt remaining butter in another saucepan and mix in flour to make a smooth paste. Cook 3 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. When cool, add cream, stirring constantly with a whisk, until thick. Add reserved liquid to achieve desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in mushrooms and serve over rice or pasta.

RHUBARB PASTRY BARS

3-1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

3/4 cup, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1 egg yolk

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

8 cups rhubarb, chopped

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Whisk 3/4 cup milk and egg yolk. Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. Divide dough in half so that one portion is slightly large than the other.
Wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out larger ball into an 18 by 13 inch rectangle. Place in the bottom of a 15 by 10 inch baking pan. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add rhubarb. Toss to coat. Spoon into pastry. Roll out other ball of dough. Place over filling. Seal edges. Cut slits into top crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes. Cool. For icing, combine 1-1/4 cups powdered sugar and 5 to 6 teaspoons half and half or 2% milk. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla. Drizzle icing over pastry. Cut into squares.

S’MORE BROWNIES

1 package brownie mix

3 cups mini marshmallows

4 graham crackers, broken

2 chocolate bars, broken into squares

Prepare brownie mix according to package instructions. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased 9 by 13 inch pan. When brownies have been removed from oven, set temperature to broil. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows and graham crackers over warm brownies. Broil about 4 or 5 inches from heat for 30 to 60 seconds, until marshmallows are golden brown. Sprinkle broken chocolate pieces over top to melt. 

ROMPER, STOMPER, BOMPER, BOO...

As a kid, I loved March 29^th. Birthdays were special days, and then some, in my home. My mom was Party Central for my brothers and me. She had 2 or 3 parties for each of us with all of our favorite foods. And cakes. And gifts.

The only disappointment was that I never got what I really wanted in the gift department. When I was about 5, and never missed an episode of Romper Room, I began to hint for a “car.” Remember the milk wagon? The cute little truck that delivered milk to the children on the show? Well, I wanted it. I dreamed of it, daydreamed of it and begged incessantly for just such a vehicle. It’s funny my parents kept letting me watch Romper Room, for all the agitation it brought.

I just could not fathom why they couldn’t make that happen for me, but year after year I was disappointed to find that was one wish that wasn’t going to come true. When I was about 10, my parents began letting me drive on quiet country roads by moving way over in the driver’s seat to accommodate my arms on the steering wheel and my feet on the pedals. Then, when they realized my desire to be a teamster, let me drive lunch to the field (on the field road only) and soon I was able to get my farm permit and run errands like picking up twine for the baler, graphite for the planter, feed for the cattle.

This morning as I drove the John Deere Gator I realized what a perfect vehicle that would have been for me all those years ago. I love driving it and anything else I get behind the wheel of. So today, on my birthday, all these years later, I have a “no gift” policy. But I am behind the wheel of my dream vehicle and there is a confetti angel food cake waiting for me in the kitchen. That is all the gift I need or want.

BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST CAKE

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

4 eggs

3 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

21 ounce can cherry pie filling

1/2 cup sliced almonds

In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter. Stir in vanilla and almond extract. Beat in eggs. Add flour and baking powder and mix well. Spread 2/3 of batter in a greased jelly roll pan. Batter will be scant and thin. Scatter spoonfuls of cherry filling over the top then dot remaining batter on top of that. Using the back of a spoon, flatten each mound of batter slightly. Sprinkle sliced almonds over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 28 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

FAVORITE COCONUT BIRTHDAY CAKE  

4 egg whites

1-2/3 cups sugar

1 cup butter

2-1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/4 cups coconut milk

3 teaspoons coconut flavoring

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 ounces white chocolate

4 cups powdered sugar

2 cups coconut

Beat egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/3 cup of the sugar, beating continuously until stiff peaks form; set aside. Cream 1/2 cup butter in a medium bowl with mixer on medium speed. Beat in flour. Sift in baking powder, salt and the remaining 1-1/3 cups sugar, beating until the mixture is sand-like. Add 1 cup coconut milk to butter mixture with 2 teaspoons coconut flavoring and vanilla, beating until combined. Add the egg white mixture with the mixer on low speed, beating just until combined. Do not overbeat. Divide batter evenly between two greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. For the frosting, place white chocolate in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave for 30 seconds; remove and stir. Add remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk, the remaining 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring and the powdered sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well combined. Cool to room temperature. Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup butter. When fluffy, frost bottom layer of cooled cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of coconut. Place the other cake on top. Frost and sprinkle the remaining coconut over top.

RETRO BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES

1 package white cake mix

3 ounce package strawberry jello

1 cup boiling water

Whipped cream

Prepare cake mix according to package directions, using egg white version. Fill 24 paper lined muffin cups. Bake as directed on box. Let cupcakes cool in pan for 15 minutes. Spray a fork with non-stick spray; pierce cupcakes with the fork at 1/4 inch intervals. Place cupcakes on a paper towel-lined tray and set aside. Combine gelatin with boiling water, stirring until dissolved. Spoon liquid over cupcakes. Chill for 3 hours. Frost with your favorite frosting or top with sweetened whipped cream. 

A SHORT-LIVED BUT GRAVE UNDERTAKING

When I was a 14- year- old country girl trying out ideas for my future, I discovered an opportunity to volunteer at the Meeker County Memorial Hospital. The position of “candystriper” came to my attention. Those days that was as glamorous as “flight attendant” in my mind and seemed to fit with my servant nature, which was honed daily at the side of my farmwife Mom. She thought it would be a great experience for me. And so I promptly talked my dear cousin and best pal Kathy into joining me in this lofty endeavor.

Always eager for another adventure, Kathy gleefully agreed. School was out for the summer and we were anxious to try something new and exciting. However, since we both lived 16 miles from Litchfield, we had to make arrangements for being shuttled to our 2 hour weekly job. In those days, trips off the farm were planned far in advance, never a spontaneous jaunt that didn’t include various stops. Mom drove us a few times, filling the car with groceries as she waited, Dad brought us once and went to the dentist and the John Deere store, Kathy’s big brother Richard even ushered us to town once, as I recall.

We were quite excited to don our new uniforms: pink and white striped jumpers. We looked like peppermint sticks. Our duties included bringing floral arrangements to the rooms, delivering meal trays to the patients, freshening their water glasses, basically following the nurses around to help them when needed. We learned to change bedding on the patients’ beds (a skill I already had down to perfection, thanks to training by my invalid aunt when she wanted fresh sheets on her own bed. It was she who taught me to make the “hospital corners” on each end that I still practice to this day).

We only lasted about 6 weeks. I remember exactly the day we resigned and why. Towards the end of my shift, I was finishing topping off water glasses in each room in my section. I filled the glass of an old man who appeared to be asleep. Upon leaving his bedside, I witnessed a gurney being rolled into the room by a doctor and a couple of attendants. They asked me to step outside and, suspicious, I waited around the corner until I saw them leave with the man. Totally covered. Totally dead. I was totally done.

When I breathlessly informed Kathy of what I had just witnessed, she willingly handed over her jumper that day, as well. Wimps? Yup. We wanted to escape the world of sickness and confinement. Not sorry we had tried our hands at care-giving but, oh, so happy to return to the carefree days of summer with no dead bodies in it. We rejoiced at the thought of picking rocks, baling hay, baking cakes, canning tomatoes. It was the best summer of our lives in comparison to our latest undertaking. No disrespect intended.

GET WELL CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

4 cups chicken, cooked and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 bay leaf

4 whole allspice

8 to 12 cups chicken broth

8 ounces noodles

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley, cut up

In a stockpot, sauté onion and celery in butter for 5 minutes. Add bay leaf and allspice. Stir in carrots and broth. Simmer. Add noodles and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add chicken and parsley before serving.

PEPPERMINT STICKS

3/4 cup butter

6 tablespoons sugar, plus additional for dipping

1 egg, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup crushed peppermint sticks

Hershey kisses

In a mixing bowl, blend butter with 6 tablespoons sugar. Mix in egg yolk and vanilla. Blend in flour, 1/4 cup at a time. Stir in crushed candies by hand. Beat egg white until frothy. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dip top of each into egg white and then into extra sugar. Place on cookie sheet, sugared side up. Put thumbprint in top of each cookie and top with a Hershey kiss. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

BACK HOME LEMON POPPY SEED LOAF

3 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons lemon zest

1/2 cup poppy seeds

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Stir in lemon juice and sour cream. Add dry ingredients. Stir in lemon zest and poppy seeds. Pour into 2 greased 9 by 5 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

MOTHER KNOWS BEST ABOUT BEING PREPARED

My mom was rarely gone from home but, once a month, she went to Home Extension group, Ladies Aid and Women’s Club. Often the meetings were in the afternoon, but sometimes she ventured out at night.

One cold winter night she dressed up and went to some function at church. It was bitterly cold and settled when she left home. During the course of the evening, however, it began to snow heavily and as she drove the seven miles home to our farm from Grove City, it started blowing and she had a terrible time seeing the gravel road. The ditches were filled with snow and, with no lines to follow, everything looked the same. She made it to the turn off from County Road 25 (or Old 4, as it was called) and onto County Road 16 when she got disoriented and slid into the ditch. Well, she wasn’t prepared for a winter hike though, why she wasn’t I’ll never know, because she never left home without provisions for a stay on a deserted island and preparations for a hike at the North Pole. Never mind, all she had in the car was a wool blanket.

She stepped out into the deep swirling snow in a dress, nylons and high heels, her lightweight “church coat” and scarf and held the blanket over her head. Then she proceeded to walk to the nearest farmplace, which happened to be that of her friend, Gerda Koopman. There she called Dad who came with the tractor and pulled the car out of the ditch, then she followed him home. We kids were so relieved to see her, winded and cold but, after a hot bath and some steaming marshmallow- filled cocoa, she recounted her harrowing tale.

I think just maybe, that’s when she implemented the survival kit idea to be enforced in all of our ventures thereafter. Nowadays, I never leave home in the winter but what I am armed with fur boots, coat and hat, at least one cell phone, food, water, blankets and my roadside assistance card. I’ve learned, it pays to ALWAYS listen to your mother! 

WINTER WARM-UP COCOA

1 cup chocolate chips

6 cups milk

2 teaspoons malted milk powder

Malted milk balls and whipped cream

In a saucpan over medium heat, melt chocolate chips, stirring constantly. Whisk in milk and heat till steaming. Add malted milk powder and stir to dissolve. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and a malted milk ball on top. Or float marshmallows on top.

FLOAT- A- BUNCH MARSHMALLOWS

1-1/2 cups water, divided

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin

3 cups sugar

1-1/4 cups light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided

Oil a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Line with waxed paper and coat waxed paper with oil. Set aside. Pour 3/4 cup water into medium bowl and sprinkle gelatin over top. Let stand 5 minutes. Place sugar, corn syrup, remaining water, salt and vanilla in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook over high heat for about 9 minutes until mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 234 to 243 degrees on a candy thermometer. Beat hot mixture slowly into gelatin mixture for about 10 minutes, or until very stiff. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth top with a spatula. Let stand, uncovered, overnight until firm. Invert pan onto a surface covered with 1 cup powdered sugar; peel off waxed paper. Cut into shapes with cookies cutters or squares with a knife. Roll marshmallows in remaining powdered sugar to coat.

FIRESIDE WARM-UP PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup (Jif is best) peanut butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugars. Add egg. Beat. Stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Shape into balls. Roll in sugar. Flatten with fork and bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 5-1/2 dozen.

COZY COMFORTER (CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING)

2 cups milk

6 slices bread, torn

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

2 eggs separated

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Whipped cream

Heat milk in a large saucepan until tiny bubbles form. Remove from heat. Stir in  sugar and cocoa. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks. Stir in eggs, butter and vanilla. Stir in bread. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into bread mixture and add chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 8 by 8 inch baking dish. Set into a larger pan with one inch of hot water in it. Bake bread pudding in a hot water bath until firm, 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Garnish with whipped cream sprinkled with cocoa. Serve hot or cold but keep leftovers refrigerated.