LAST DANCE IN THE MEADOW

I’ve called many places home for a few months, a season, even a year or two. But I’ve been luckier than most in that I have only had two spots that were truly home for me: the farm where I grew up and Cricket Meadow. I’ve never really moved. When my Mom decided to sell the family farm where I grew up, I took it pretty hard. It was home to me for 40 plus years. Sentiment ran deep and it was the last link to my deceased father and brother Dan. The only thing that made the move less painful was that Mom was moving to HER childhood home. One that had been in the family for generations and where I had spent much of MY childhood. It was comforting to be in familiar surroundings. When she passed away, my brother Tim kept the house and he and my sister-in-law Deb live there now.
I never thought the day would come when I would be leaving Cricket Meadow but here we are. I meant to die here. As it is, after over 60 years, I am no longer a “Meeker County farm girl.” I’m not exactly sure WHAT I am or where I’ll be. I’m truly fortunate to have had Grandma’s and Mom’s Green Lake cottage passed down to me. Maybe I’ll live there.
As the closing draws near, I am facing the daunting task of emptying my house of 40 years, where I raised 3 kids, acquired many heirlooms and collectibles in every nook and cranny. Then there are the barns and outbuildings to go through and pets to place.
I know, when I stop spinning, I’m going to be grateful that I was able to divest myself of much weight and excess. And that I can do this now while I’m able and not leave this overwhelming task to my kids once I’m gone. It will be ever so much more fun to disburse these items myself instead and of them choosing what to keep in a blur of emotion upon my death. Memories that I cherish will remain and those needing purging will be left behind.
I’ve written poems for my house, how it has held and cared for me all these years, odes to the land, memoirs and vignettes of my animals and the precious years spent on this piece of ground. When we first set foot in our new home all those years ago, I placed one hand on my pregnant belly and the other on the fireplace mantel and prayed that the Lord would bless this home, my family and all who entered here. Not so much as a broken bone or accident befell my dear ones and I know, as surely as the Lord watched over all here, He will continue to guide me every so gently, always lovingly.
So, I’m off to a new setting. It will never be Cricket Meadow, there are no greener pastures. But, I’ve loosed my grip. I’m letting go. Farewell, my beloved.
CRICKET MEADOW FAREWELL SCONES
2 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into chunks 1 cup whipping cream, divided
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut butter in to flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly. Freeze for 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cream and pecans stirring until mixture is just moistened. Turn dough out onto waxed paper, shape into a7 inch round. Cut into 8 wedges. Brush top with 2 tablespoons cream. Sprinkle raw sugar over top and bake at 450 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes.
HIT THE ROAD HEALTHY COOKIES 1/2 cup pitted dates

 1 egg
1/4 cup melted coconut oil 1/2 cup applesauce
1-1/2 tablespoons honey 3/4 cup oat flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup cashews, chopped 1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
Place all wet ingredients and dates in food processor and blend until smooth. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Drop dough by spoonful onto baking sheets. Press flat. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
LAST DANCE SANGRIA
1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc
1-1/2 cups St. Germain elder flower liqueur 1/4 cup Cointreau
6 strawberries, sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 raspberries
2 peaches, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 orange, thinly sliced crosswise
1 pound green and red grapes
Ice
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and let stand at room temperature for 3 hours, or cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve in wine glasses over ice.

CAKEWALK

FROM THE KITCHEN AT CRICKET MEADOW
By Julianne Johnson

Several years ago, as often happened, we were at my parent's farm for my husband's and my birthday celebration. We share the same day and it was a lovely night, spent with family, eating a wonderful home cooked meal and ending with gifts and birthday cake, complete with candles. This particular night I remember distinctly because, as we drove away, I was flooded with emotion and loneliness realizing that someday I wouldn't have this experience. I wouldn't be able to drop in and have morning coffee with my Dad, discussing politics, the world situation, the market report, the crop status. I couldn't eat my Mom's delicious meals, read the Bible with her and pray for everything on my heart and hers, to discuss my amazing children that she loved like her own.
I have never forgotten the feeling or the image that night of the silo, barn and farmhouse, cozy and lit up, as I looked back with wistful longing. A longing for my parents, my childhood home, the fellowship, the safety that comes with the older generation in place and loving on me and my young family, giving and supporting us in word and deed.
A few years later, my Dad was gone and, then the farm was gone. It is natural, yes, inevitable, sure. But, as we now head into our 60's and 70's, I fully realize how fleeting life is, how quickly we passed into the roles of married adults, parents, grandparents. I'm reminded of Psalm 71:18 where the Psalmist pleads, "Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God.
Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me." This is now my life verse.
I love John Mayer's song, "Stop this Train," where he declares "Stop this train, I want to get off and go home again...don't wanna see my parents go, one generation's length away from fighting life out on my own...so scared of getting older, I'm only good at being young..."
Now as I reflect on this new decade I'm encountering, I resolve, by God's grace, to enjoy each day, live my life doing His will and trying to bless others, spend as much time as I can with my family and embrace the fact that people say, "She's 60!" Instead of, "She WOULD have been 60!"
Pass the cake. And more candles, please!

SCRIPTURE CAKE

1 cup Judges 5:25 (butter)
1 cup Jeremiah 6:20 (sugar)
1 tablespoon I Samuel 14:25 (honey)
3 Jeremiah 17:11 (eggs)
1 cup I Samuel 30:12 second food (raisins)
1 cup Nahum 3:12 (figs), chopped
1/4 cup Numbers 17:8 (almonds), blanched and chopped
2 cups 1 Kings 4:22 (flour)
1 teaspoon Amos 4:5 (leavening, such as baking soda)
3 tablespoons Judges 4:19 last sentence (milk)
Pinch of Leviticus 2:13 (salt)
II Chronicles 9:9 (spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg)

In a large mixing bowl, cream Judges (butter), Jeremiah (sugar), and I Samuel (honey).
Beat in the 3 Jeremiahs (eggs), one at a time. Add I Samuel (raisins), Nahum (figs), and Numbers (almonds), and beat again.

Sift together I Kings (flour), II Chronicles (spices), Leviticus (salt), and Amos (leavening, or baking soda). Add to first mixture. Lastly, add Judges (milk). Bake at 325 degrees for 1 and 1/2 hours, or until done.

BACK ON THE FARM PLUM UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

6 to 8 plums, depending on size
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick  butter (8 tablespoons), divided
1-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Use a paring knife to cut the plums in half through the center, twist and separate. Remove the pits. If the pits don't come out with ease, use your paring knife to cut them out. Set aside.
Sprinkle the brown sugar to cover the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan. Dot 2 tablespoons of the butter over the brown sugar. Set the pan directly on a burner of your stove over low heat. Allow the butter and sugar to melt together, swirling occasionally so nothing burns. Place the plums cut-side-down into the cake pan so the fruits are touching. Start with the outside perimeter of that pan and work your way to the center. Set aside. Put the flour,  baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork and set aside. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the eggs and mix until thoroughly blended. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix again. Add the flour mixture and to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix together into a creamy, smooth batter. Pour the batter over the plums. Set in the oven with a baking sheet beneath to catch any plum juices that may spill over. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan, at least an hour. To remove cake, set a plate large enough to cover the pan on top. Flip the plate over so the cake inverts onto it. Lift off the cake pan.
Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONFETTI CAKE

8 tablespoons butter
2-3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
5 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles or jimmies, plus more for decorating


FROSTING

1-1/2 cups butter, softened
3-1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/4 cup milk

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust with flour, and tap out the excess. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter, sugar and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla until combined. Alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the batter with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. Add the sprinkles, and fold 3 or 4 times until just blended to prevent the colors from bleeding too much. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes on the same oven rack until golden on top and the centers spring back to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pans about halfway through if they seem to be browning unevenly. Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely.

For the frosting: While the cakes cool, beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Once it's all been added, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until white and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla until blended. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, and beat to incorporate. Beat in the remaining milk, one tablespoon at a time (the frosting will be spreadable but not runny). Place 1 cake layer right-side up on a cake plate or stand, and spread with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Decorate the top with additional sprinkles.

FARM BLOODED

I went to a women's Ag Seminar recently with my aunt and cousin and, though farming is their life, past, present and future, I found the forum to be fully engaging and fascinating. The first speaker was David Specht, a strategic consultant for family farmers and ranchers who is known as "The Farm Whisperer," which also happens to be the title of his book. His advice addresses how to preserve families while perpetuating farms. Several women shared issues they faced on a daily basis on how to co-exist with grown children to fairly divide labor, define roles, share assets, as well as the debt load, and ensure that perpetuity is possible for the seamless transition of the next generation taking over the family farm.

I couldn't help but reflect on my own situation growing up. Dad and all but one of his brothers were Meeker County farmers. Most had sons who kept the dream alive. Neither me nor any of my girl cousins were considered a viable option upon whom to pass the torch. And, none of us, to be fair, really thought of it either. My Dad expected that my younger brother would be the farmer that would ultimately take over his operation. But, he tragically and suddenly died at age 19. My older brother wanted a career off the farm and got a B.S. in Ag Education. He liked the idea of agriculture, but not the rigors or unpredictability of a livelihood close to the land. My youngest brother never once considered a life in overalls and went on to pursue higher education, as well.  As did I. But, after I was educated and married, though I was the one on the farm with him each day, Dad never, even then, looked at me seriously as a partner. I guess I never pushed the idea. I'm struck by the fact, that now I'm his only child living on a farm, tending animals and watching corn grow, planted and harvested by my cousin's sons. It all worked out, in a roundabout way.

I'm more than grateful to be living an agrarian life, one where, though it pales in comparison to REAL farmers, I can hold my own when discussing livestock, prices, forecasts and just when to bale that second cutting.

Yup, I'm a wanna-be. But, no matter. It connects me to a heritage that runs deep in the veins around here, ties me to people whose voices echo around every bend in the road, as I breathe deeply of the atmosphere shared by years of blood, sweat and tears lived, and lived well, at the end of my old dirt road.

END OF THE ROAD FARM HOTDISH

1-1/2 pounds hamburger

3 slices bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups cubed potatoes

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can lima beans, drained

2 cans tomato sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

Shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, brown hamburger with bacon, onion and salt and pepper. In a medium saucepan, parboil potatoes and celery until almost done. Stir meat mixture and vegetables together. Add beans, tomato sauce and sugar. Pour into a large casserole. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, until bubbly.

FARM GARDEN CUCUMBER SALAD

4 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced

3 green onions, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1/8 cup sugar

4 teaspoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

Salt to taste, if desired

Prepare cucumbers and onions and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar, dill and salt, if used. Mix well. Add cucumbers and onion and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with more dill weed sprinkled over top.

FARM-STYLE VANILLA PIE

3 cups plus 1/2 cup whole milk

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

1 tablespoon butter

In a heavy saucepan, scald 3 cups milk. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in eggs and 1/2 cup milk. Gradually stir into hot milk, keep stirring until boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and butter. Pour into a baked 9 inch pie crust. When cool, 

SPICE GIRLS

I’ve been an antique lover for as long as I can remember and every now and then, just have to make a foray into a shop of collectibles for a breath of the past, a bite of nostalgia, a shot of history. I grew up with all things old, used or handed down. The day my Dad would approve of a new piece of furniture, a lamp or tchotchke, was the day Mom and I high-fived each other and grinned from ear to ear. I have used this space before to share her Gold Bond stamp redemption items, but they were never substantial pieces. A blanket, a wall hanging, a toaster. Hardly something you would build a room around.

What we DID build our rooms around was USED. Dad wasn’t NOT generous, but he WAS frugal and careful of expenses. I guess it paid off, for his estate upon his death was nothing to be sneezed at. When I was young, however, our family often made junkets after church on Sunday, to Koch’s, a massive arrangement of barns and sheds near New London. Purveyors of everything from household items to car parts, it was really a second hand store but, for some reason, had such buyer appeal that it seemed to be swarming with shoppers every time we stopped in. We got much of what we owned at that time from this location. I even, at age 13, got my first eye shadow collection from a used Avon dealer. How did I dare apply “Sapphire Blue” or “Smokey Haze” to my juvenile lids?  We were not too good to be second hand shoppers and never wasted anything. It just made sense to “buy used as long as there’s wear in it.” And that eye shadow had lots of wear in it.

I recently went back to one of my favorite antique stores in the area and found, not one but two, wooden spice chests. Marked in primitive stamp, each of the 8 drawers in the little cupboard is marked. Allspice, cloves, cinnamon, mace, baking powder, soda, salt and pepper. I bought them both and gave one to my daughter for her birthday. Now we have matching spice chests in our kitchens and she also loves to hunt with me for yet another fine addition to our collections. There is something sweet about knowing that somewhere, most likely out here on the prairie, a housewife in the 1920’s was adding a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of cinnamon or a dash of mace to her cooking. In that era, I’m more than certain, she would have ascribed, as well, to the idea of old, used or handed down.

HERITAGE BUTTERMILK DOUGHNUTS

3-1/2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 scant teaspoon nutmeg

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar and milk together and stir well. Add sifted dry ingredients to this mixture. Stir in melted butter. Roll out on flour-covered board. Deep fry at 375 degrees until browned on both sides. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Dredge in sugar, cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar.

SPICE CHEST GINGER CREAMS

1/4 cup lard

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, mix together lard and sugar. Beat in egg. Stir in molasses. Add water. Blend in flour, soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. Cover bowl and chill dough for 2 hours. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.

CREAMY FROSTING

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon (or more) heavy cream

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. When cookies are cool, spread frosting over tops. Store in a tightly covered container.

SPICY MOLASSES CAKE

2-1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cloves

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon molasses

1 cup buttermilk 

3 eggs

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat brown sugar and butter together. Stir in molasses and buttermilk. Beat in eggs. Combine all ingredients. Place batter in a greased and floured 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wir

THE SCENT OF A TURTLE

Spring is in full swing at “The Meadow,” and every day brings more evidence of the season. Morning birds chirp a wake- up song, herbs are popping up in the garden, the rhubarb patch is a foot high. Scotchy, the little brown hen is nesting on eggs in the chicken coop, the geese are back with mates at their sides making homes of their own near the pond. And, the turtles have arrived, headed for the shelter and warmth of the lawn to lay their eggs as they have every year since we’ve been here at Cricket Meadow to witness their spring ritual.

I’ve never had snapping turtles come close to the house, but I have seen them in the marsh and ditches by the pasture. I will never forget my mom’s story of the snapper my dad killed and cleaned and coaxed her to fry. She was not a reptile lover, therefore was not eager to see a turtle show up in her kitchen as a potential meal. But Mom was a compliant, obliging, peacemaker type, so she bent over backwards to please her man and play the part of Betty Crocker-Suzie Homemaker.

So, when Dad sauntered into the kitchen with a freshly cleaned snapper in tow and persuaded Mom to try her hand at the preparation she balked, but to no avail. Then, in submit mode, proceeded to pan fry the disgusting mound of flesh. She recounted this tale from her newlywed years many times and, in the years since, claimed she never did fully eradicate from her memory the scent of cooking reptile and the sight of twitching meat in the pan. The meal was fed to a table of men my dad invited for the event, never letting on that it was turtle. They thought it was fowl of some sort. The dish went over well, was likened to chicken (surprise) and was promptly thrown up by one of the diners when the truth of species was divulged.

My mom was braver than I’ll ever be. I would not be able to perform such a feat. My ability to please has never hit those levels.

TURTLE (The one thing missing from this recipe is, who kills it and how?)

Turtle

3 sprigs fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 medium onion stuck with whole cloves

3 stalks celery

 6 tablespoons melted butter

To cook, place turtle in a pan of cold water. Bring to a boil and parblanch about 10 minutes. Drain. Plunge turtle into cold water and leave until cool enough to handle. Scrub well.  Place turtle in rapidly boiling water. Add herbs, onion and celery. Reduce heat and simmer 35 to 45 minutes or until claws can be removed by pulling. Drain, reserving stock. Allow the turtle to cool on its back in order to trap the juices as it cools. When cool, pry the flat plastron free from the curved carapace. Near the head, is the liver. Free it carefully from the gall. Discard the gall. Slice the liver thinly and reserve, as well as any eggs. Remove the meat from the both the carapace and the skinned legs. When ready to eat, toss in melted butter and garnish with more fresh parsley.

TURTLES (THE CANDY)

12 ounces pecan halves

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

Pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup light corn syrup

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

On a cookie sheet, arrange 3 pecan halves in a triangular shape. Separate each triangle by 2 inches. In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, sugar, butter, syrup and salt. Cook to soft-ball stage, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and stir well. Using a large spoon, put 2 tablespoons caramel on top of each group of nuts. Let set until cool. Melt chocolate chips in microwave and top each pecan caramel cluster with chocolate. Let set. Store in a tightly covered container.

TURTLE BARS

1-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup pecan halves

2/3 cup butter

1 cup chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Mix until crumbly. Pat into the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over crumbs. Combine 2/3 cup butter and remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Pour into pan, spreading evenly over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes and then use knife to swirl chocolate slightly. Cool before cutting.

PRETZEL TURTLES

20 mini pretzels

20 chocolate covered caramel candies

20 pecan halves

Arrange pretzels in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place one candy on each pretzel. Bake at 300 degrees for 4 minutes. While candy is warm, press a pecan onto each candy co

THE OPENER

I woke to a cold house this morning…the damp spring weather undermining my premature air conditioning choice. I quickly switched the thermostats to “heat,” but not before I was reminded of the dank and chilly lake cabin Mom and I used to ready for the season in early spring each year.

We always picked a nice, sunny day in late April to open the un-insulated cabin. Despite the strength of the sun, the big shade trees on the hillside kept the space from warming until we stoked the fireplace and turned on the stove. Then we set about polishing furniture, clearing away cobwebs, dusting books and washing windows. We brought clean curtains and towels, sheets and rugs and heated water on the stove to wash the dishes that the mice had used all winter. My grandparents built Linger Longer Lodge in 1920 and it was a no-frills place, with uneven wood floors, piecemeal décor and leaky windows. It withstood hundreds of storms and an equal number of parties. I have a ton of great memories from that place. My kids grew up there, and my brothers and me, and my mom and her siblings before that.

Mom loved that old cabin and enjoyed filling it with bric-a-brac, shells and driftwood she combed from the beach, Depression glass her mother passed down to her, linens embroidered by my great-grandmother. In one corner of the cabin, stood the old Victorola crank phonograph that had been given to her by her Uncle Oscar. On our periodic coffee breaks, we’d wind it up and spin her collection of Bing Crosby records. We loved “opening day” of the cabin: the lunch we fixed over the old gas stove, the cookies she always packed in a tin and the plaid thermos of coffee we sipped as we cleaned, the memories we shared as we worked to scrub away a winter’s-worth of dirt.

Before we left at the end of the day, we spent time in the sand, listening to the loons and the gentle gurgle of the creek that ran into the lake from the ravine nearby. We planned our summer and talked about life then and when she was young.

I will never forget those times and am grateful that Mom taught me how to work and eat and play and listen to good music, all at the same time. She taught me that work is play, play is work and it all equals fun. A habit I have perfected with time.

MOM’S PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Shape into balls and roll in sugar. Press a criss-cross pattern in tops with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. 

MOM’S MORNING GLORY MUFFINS

1-1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil or applesauce

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups grated carrots

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup diced raw apple

Coarse ground sugar

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil or applesauce, eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Fold in carrots, raisins, coconut and apple.
Spoon batter into paper-lined or greased muffin tins. Sprinkle tops generously with coarse ground sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

EVERYDAY SLOPPY JOES

1 pound ground beef

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

1-1/2 fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons vinegar

1-1/2 tablespoons water

2/3 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown meat with onion and celery. Drain. Stir in all other ingredients. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve in buns.

WHETHER THE WEATHER

“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.”

I come from a long line of weather watchers. Maybe, the fact that Minnesota has so much weather, explains the fascination with our ever-changing atmosphere in this state. The Farmer’s Almanac was never far from the kitchen table where it was consulted often in my youth.

My paternal grandfather proclaimed that, once March arrived, “winter’s back was broken” and, come what may, spring would not be far behind. My maternal grandmother would announce that, on any given cloudy day, if you “spy a patch of blue sky the size of a Dutchman’s breeches,” it would clear. If your bones ached, rain was on the way. If birds swooped low and huddled near shelter, a storm was brewing. So I guess my parents couldn’t help being indoctrinated in the art of weather watching. Nor could I.

When I was young, my Mother kept track of rain on the calendar. She would write down the rainy days, then flip ahead six months to the day for a prediction that hoarfrost would coat the trees. Oddly enough, it usually did. If we spotted sundogs, it confirmed that the temps were frigid. Winter thunder signaled we would see snow within the week. In the fall, we watched the wooly worms for the size of their black and brown bands. Folk wisdom claimed that a narrower brown band foreshadowed a harsher winter. The premature gathering of seagulls in August would signal an early fall. An animal’s thickening coat, as winter approached, meant a colder than usual season. Thicker than normal acorn shells also predicted a rough winter.

My Mother was weather obsessed and, I think, so am I. I have half a dozen weather apps on my phone and check them often. I could definitely live in perpetual sunshine and really don’t like a cloudy day. If it rains, though we may need it, I can hardly wait for night to fall so I don’t have to peer through gloom. But, life in a place that is constantly changing, is good for the soul and, as Mama used to say, “Take the bitter with the better.”

Kind of good advice for surviving March in Minnesota.

FARMER’S ALMANAC CHICKEN WITH CHEESE AND APPLES

5 tablespoons butter

3 medium apples, halved, cored and sliced

2 large onions, sliced thinly

3 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned and split

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 tablespoons brandy or apple cider

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 2 quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Spoon into baking dish. Rub chicken with salt and pepper and arrange over apple-onion mixture. Combine cheeses with bread crumbs and thyme and sprinkle the mixture over the chicken. Drizzle brandy or cider over the cheese. Bake for 35 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and chicken is done.

 

SNOW DAY MAC AND CHEESE

1 pound rotini or elbow macaroni

2 cups whole milk

8 ounces cream cheese

3 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1-1/2 cups sharp Cheddar, grated

1-1/2 cups smoked Gouda, grated

Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain and rinse with cold water. Drain and transfer to a baking dish. Set aside. Combine milk, cream cheese, butter, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter and cream cheese have melted, about 10 minutes. Assemble macaroni and cheese by tossing the Cheddar and Gouda with pasta. Add hot milk mixture and combine well. Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes until cheese is set and top is golden brown.

WEATHER TRACKER SUNFLOWER COOKIES

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

2 cups oatmeal

1 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds

1 cup coconut

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs. Stir in vanilla. Mix well. Add baking powder and soda. Mix in flour. When well combined, stir in oatmeal. Add sunflower seeds and coconut. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.