Country Cousin

Issue Date: October 31, 2019

Shirley Prudhomme

Halloween... Come as you aren't!

The first snow of the 2019 fall season came to TIMESland on Monday night, Oct. 28 and into the morning of Oct. 29, and it remains pretty chilly. Bet lots of youngsters will be out for Trick or Treating Thursday evening with costumes over snowsuits, much as when we were kids.

We were lucky growing up in Marinette. No one went Trick or Treating until after dark, and grownups did not go along. Older kids in the neighborhood shepherded the younger ones until they had collected a respectable bag of treats, and then delivered them home so they could continue on their rounds unhampered by responsibilities. Some years we were still eating Halloween candy when our Easter baskets arrived!

NOT REALLY OVER

Halloween may be over for the year by the time some of you read this, but its ghost lives on with celebrations at some places this weekend.. Sometimes we can't get enough of a good thing, and that's a good thing.

The Camp Five Terror Haunted House on Camp Five Road west of Middle Inlet is open Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1 and 2, 7 to 10 p.m. Admission is $7 or $10 for VIP treatment, whatever that is. Maybe the ghosts tip their hats??? Or maybe Count Dracula invites you for lunch instead of expecting you to be lunch???

Also on Saturday, Nov. 2, Crivitz VFW Post 2063 is holding a gun show at Crivitz Village Hall from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $4 to buy, sell, trade or look.

CHAIN REACTION WEEKS

Marinette County Elderly Services is still looking for volunteers for its Fall Chain Reaction days that started on Saturday, Oct. 26 and will continue through Saturday, Nov. 9. Volunteers will be helping senior citizens prepare for winter. Anyone willing to help is asked to call Elderly Services at 715-854-7453.

BONUS HOUR

On Saturday night, Nov. 2, we get back the hour we lost last Spring. That's when Daylight Savings time ends for this year, so don't forget to set clocks back before you go to bed on Saturday. It's the one night of the year when, if you fall asleep right away, you can go to bed at midnight and get up at 7 a.m. with eight hours of sleep!

SNOW DAYS

Always hate to see the glorious Autumn days end, but must admit Monday night's snow left the countryside looking like a Christmas card Tuesday morning, with every branch on every tree glistening inside its casing of snow.

And it was the kind of snow I've always wanted - the kind that clings to twigs and branches and covers the unkempt lawn, but doesn't stay on the road. The roads I drove on Tuesday morning were barely even wet, and not at all slippery. Perfect!

Wish snow could always behave that well, but it won't. Back in the day folks would have been putting tire chains in the trunk and/or snow tires on the car, maybe with snow tires with studs.

For those who don't remember, studded snow tires literally had metal studs embedded within the tread... small, strong pieces of metal designed to dig into ice to provide added traction. Some came with studs that could be removed in summer, because studs can damage the road when the driving surface isn't covered in ice or snow.

I personally loved driving with studded snow tires, and was really angry when they were outlawed in Wisconsin. Blamed it on those city folks, whose needs always seem to come first in this state. I realize the studs do cause damage to roads and city streets, and we can barely keep up with roadway maintenance costs as it is, but remain convinced that snow tires could prevent a good many winter accidents, many of which are fatal.

Used to think studded snow tires had been outlawed everywhere, but recently saw a report that Wisconsin one of only 10 states in which they are banned. The other nine are Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Texas, and Maryland, except in five mountainous counties.

Since we cannot have studs any more, and chains are only good when the snow is deep, be sure your tires have enough tread to keep your car on the road this winter. Carry a bag of kitty litter or a bucket of salt sand in the trunk to add traction if you get stuck. Be sure the snow scraper is in the car, and remember to clean snow off the headlights and tail lights before you drive off. Incidentally, a credit card makes a handy dandy little scraper to get ice off headlights, tail lights, rear view mirrors and even windshields if your scraper isn't handy, or even if it is.

FAMILY QUILT

I am fortunate to be part of three wonderful families - the one I was born into, the one I married into, and one that started when my husband and I were wed so many years ago.

Recently found a wonderful description of a family on the funeral card of a friend: "Our family is like a patchwork quilt,with kindness gently sewn...Each piece an original, with beauty all its own, with threads of warmth and happiness, it's lightly stitched together, to last in love throughout the years...Our family is forever!"

Am certain my sister will particularly appreciate that verse. She is an avid (and extremely talented) quilter, and has established a tradition of presenting one of her hand-made quilts as a gift for newlyweds in the family. Generally those quilts have open squares and are displayed on a table at the reception with a permanent marker pen for guests to write their names and good wishes as a long lasting and very special memento of their very special day.

ON THE SOAP BOX KUDOS TO TRUMP!

Remember how we celebrated the death of Saddam Hussein?

That was then, and the hero of the day was President Barrack Hussein Obama.

It' s different today, when an entire political party seems to spend all its energy on a single goal - spreading hatred of the man we elected president three years ago.

Too bad they don't put that much energy into making America a better place to live, work and raise a family. Oh. Right. Some of them don't think we should have to work if we don't want to. Forgot about that.

Back to the topic at hand.

Last week, President Donald Trump oversaw the operation that led to the ignominious death of murderous ISIS monster Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and in the last two days the two men poised to be second and third in line in the ISIS line of command have reportedly also been killed by American special forces.

Congratulations to our President, and to the brave men of the United States military whose courage has decimated the ISIS leadership! The terrorist group that had set out a few years ago to take over the and enforce its religious extremism on every one in it may not be eliminated by those deaths, but it certainly has been decimated.

The entire free world should be celebrating!

Have read that President Trump is considering releasing video footage of al-Baghdadi's shameful behavior just prior to his demise, and hope he decides to do it. What a powerful message that would be to those who considered him a hero. Shameful that this leader of a supposedly religious group also took three of his own sons to die with him, and that two of his wives also detonated suicide vests to go with him. Wonder if that was totally by choice?

It's marvelous that careful planning follow through on the part of our President and his top advisors have brought about significant military victories that benefit the entire world without the loss of a single American life!

You'd think everyone in this country would be dancing in the streets, but no. No matter what he does, the liberals can't stop hating President Trump long enough to recognize anything he does as good.

Shame on them!!!

COOKIN FOR THE CATS

When Halloween is over, you may have a Jack O'Lantern or two that could be put to other use. Am told that pumpkin is a marvelously healthy food for cats (and dogs) and have located a few recipes for pet treats to make from old Jack O' Lanterns that you do not want to turn into pie. Incidentally, only the smaller, thick shell type pumpkins are really good for human food. Grandma used to call the large ones with lighter colored flesh "cow pumpkins," and she was right. Cows like them. People generally do not. Incidentally when our guests from Crivitz, Germany came to America the first time they told us they had never tasted pumpkin, and considered them fit only for cattle feed. They were pleasantly surprised by pumpkin pies.

PUMPKIN KITTY OR DOGGIE TREATS

Instead of using canned pumpkin, cut up the Jack O'Lantern and cook it in a small amount of boiling water until tender. Drain well and whir in the food processor until it is pretty smooth. Have also read suggestions to simply mix pumpkin puree with dried dog or cat food as a healthy treat for your pet.

� cup unsweetened plain applesauce

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup canned (or cooked and processed) pumpkin

� cup oatmeal

2 cups rice flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix applesauce, carrots, and pumpkin until smooth. Add oatmeal and rice flour, then mix well until a dough is formed. Place dough balls onto cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes, then flip and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly before serving.

CATNIP PUMPKIN TREATS

1/4 cup flour

1 can (5 ounces) Tuna in water

2 tablespoons pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon dried catnip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix all ingredients until a dough forms. Using fingers, pinch off kitty-bite size pieces of dough and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate in an airtight container until used. Can be frozen also.

COOKIN' TIME

Autumn is here. It's time for some cozy, hearty foods to warm our chilly bones! Pumpkin pie is a great start. By the way, know how to fix a broken pumpkin? Find the answer after the last recipe.

CROCK POT TACO CASSEROLE

1 pound ground beef, cooked and crumbled

1 can (15.5 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 1/2 cups water, divided

2 cups pasta shells, measured dry

1/2 block cream cheese, cut into cubes

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 cup diced green pepper

1/2 cup dicd onion

Taco chips

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

Sour cream

Diced raw onion

Diced jalapeño peppers from a can

Shredded lettuce

Diced raw tomatoes

Sliced olives and/or ripe olives

Brown the ground beef in a frying pan or heavy bottomed kettle and put it into a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Rinse out the pan with one cup of the water, bring it to a boil and put that into the slow cooker. Add the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Stir, cover and cook on high for about an hour. Add the pasta shells, cream cheese, 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, onion, bell pepper and remaining cup of water. Stir and cook another two hours on high. Stir at least once while cooking. Serve with taco chips, the remaining cup of shredded cheese and whatever optional toppings you want.

LASAGNE SOUP

This soup is incredibly good served with grilled cheese sandwiches. I like to add a pinch of Cayenne pepper, or offer some to sprinkle on individual servings, because some like it hot.

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground thyme

1 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 (32 ounce) box chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

2 cups broken lasagna noodles (about six)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated

2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded

In a large pot over medium heat crumble the ground beef and brown this along with the onion and bell peppers. When the onions and peppers are almost done add the garlic, thyme, Italian seasoning, salt, brown sugar, chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce. Stir well, bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. (Break up the lasagne noodles enough to make them bite size, or use the mini noodles you can sometimes find.) Simmer in accord with the package directions, about 10 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese generously onto each bowl at serving time, and pass additional Parmesan.

CREAMY ROASTED PUMPKIN SOUP

If you make this with canned pumpkin the flavor is not quite as good, but you can omit cleaning and baking the pumpkin. You could even omit the food processing if you don't mind having bits of onion and garlic visible and a soup that's not as deliciously smooth. Your call.

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 4-pound sugar pie pumpkin (or 2 cans pumpkin puree)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Dash cayenne pepper (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream, or full fat coconut milk for a dairy free version

2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and/or spray with cooking spray. Halve the pumpkin and scoop out seeds, then cut the halves in half to make quarters. Brush or rub one tablespoon of the oil all over the flesh of the pumpkin and put quarters, cut sides down, on the baking sheet. Roast 35 minutes, or until the orange flesh is tender and pierces easily with a fork. Set it aside to cool while you heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large dutch oven. Once the oil is simmering add the onion, garlic and salt and cook over medium to low heat until the onion is tender and translucent. It should't brown. This will take maybe 10 minutes. While you're waiting, peel the pumpkin and discard the skin. Add the pumpkin meat to the kettle along with the spices and stir to break up the pumpkin and mix in the spices. Add the broth and stir again. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the syrup or honey and cream or coconut milk. Let it cool slightly. then use a stick blender to blend in the pot, or blend or food process in batches until it's all smooth.

PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE

Too easy, and really too good to keep in the house unless you have someone to help you eat it.

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (2 cups if you make your own)

1 can (10 ounces) evaporated milk

1 cup light brown sugar

3 eggs

3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers and/or chopped pecans

1/2 cup toffee bits, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9X13" baking pan with buttery flavored cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Once mixed, pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the top, the whole box, and on top of this evenly scatter the cracker crumbs and/or nuts and toffee bits. Pour the melted butter over the whole thing as evenly as you can. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center is set and the edges re lightly browned. Serve plain, or better yet, topped with whipped cream or a a scoop of vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce poured over it.

The Country Cousin

Answer: With a pumpkin patch, silly!

Thought for the week: Friday, Nov. 1 is All Saints Day, which once was a major holy day for Christians and still should be. It is a day for us to honor those who are recognized for having lived exemplary lives on this earth, for being good examples for us to follow, and for being in Heaven now, waiting for the rest of us to get there. We cannot all do great things, and very few of us will ever be recognized as saints, but we can try. As St. Therese of Lisieux used to pray: "Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what You want me to be and becoming that person." Amen.

(This column is written by Shirley Prudhomme of Crivitz. Views expressed are her own and are in no way intended to be an official statement of the opinions of Peshtigo Times editors and publishers. She may be contacted by phone at 715-291-9002 or by e-mail to shirleyprudhommechickadee@yahoo.com.)

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