Country Cousin

Deer...

Hi Folks!

Deer Season is in full swing, and many of the families that still own ancestral homesteads in Marinette County are gathering to celebrate the Thanksgiving Feast. The repast includes groaning tables filled with the finest foods available, but perhaps the greatest feast is the reconnecting of ties and sharing of lore and legends that keep families and friendships strong.

Whether the orange-garbed hunters have been successful in their quest for the elusive white tails is immaterial. What counts is enjoying the fields and the forests, and creating more fond memories for future years.

In our clan, the deer tale tellers are generally not impressed with who got the biggest buck, or when and where it was bagged.

No.

The stories passed along from generation to generation generally feature the guy who spotted his only buck of the season while attending to the call of nature.

Or the youngster who was shocked shotless when he had a mighty buck in his scope for the first time.

Or the renowned marksman who became unaccountably lost and had to be rescued by younger and less expert hunters.

Or of the year Grandma forgot to put sugar in her pumpkin pies.

Or the hardships Great-Grandpa met trying to get to America and conquer the new land.

Or how Grandma always managed, no matter how deep the Great Depression.

And, of course, how Dad (nowadays its Granddad) had to walk five miles to school in sub-zero weather, without boots, uphill both ways. The kids know Dad rode a bus, just like they do.

Unless it’s an exceptionally fine season, these tales in Marinette County aren’t told around a campfire. Too cold. The flames would probably develop icicles.

No, they’re told around the pot bellied stove or fireplace in the evening, and at the Thanksgiving table, while everyone is filled with the warmth of another awesome Thanksgiving dinner.

Have always cherished the hope that someday in TIMES-land - specifically in our yard in TIMESland - there will come a Thanksgiving with weather so fine that we can spread our feast on picnic tables on the lawn, as we’re told the Pilgrims did on that First Thanksgiving.

It’s a nice thought, but not likely to happen again this year, unless we’re all content to dine on frozen offerings fresh out of the oven while wearing mittens and parkas.

DEER TALES

Deer hunters love to tell stories of stupid women, and women sometimes like to retaliate. Here are versions of a couple of rounds fired in the war of the sexes. These are bad! Please don’t throw anything.

Man tale:

Two wives of avid hunters decided to go hunting themselves to show up their husbands. Wanted to beat them at their own game.

They secretly take the hunter’s safety course and assemble licenses, clothing, rifles etc. On opening morning they could hardly wait for their husbands to be on their way, because they were leaving right after them. Their instructor had told them to hunt for tracks, and hunt they would. There was even a fresh sprinkling of snow to help them.

Eventually the wives arrived at their chosen hunting spot, working their way quietly through the deep forest with only their flashlights to guide them.

As luck would have it, they came across a set of tracks. Using the new skills they had honed over the past few months they tried to identify the tracks. The first insisted they were bear tracks while the second believed they were made by a coyote. While they sat there debating, the train hit them��.

Woman Tale:

Two hunters walking through the woods came to realization that they were lost.

One says, “I heard when you’re lost you fire three shots in the air and help will come.” So his buddy fired three shots into the air.

After waiting an hour with no results, the first asked his companion to fire another three shots, which he did.

After a second hour with no relief in sight, the hunters realized they were in trouble. The sun was setting fast, and if help didn’t come soon, it would be a long, cold, hungry night. Again the first hunter suggested firing three shots into the air. Buddy said he’d like to, but he didn’t have three arrows left.

ADVENT

Advent begins on Sunday, Nov. 27. Just over four weeks to wait for Christmas.

Strange. In the old days, Christmas decorating wasn’t done until shortly before Christmas, and now it seems to start right after Halloween.

On the other hand, families used to be far more observant of Advent than they are today, and observing Advent traditions is a good way to make Christmas itself more reasonable and meaningful.

Doesn’t need to be costly. Create an Advent Wreath and set out at least some of the Christmas decorations by Sunday, the first day of Advent.

The Advent wreath is an Advent custom that originated in Germany and came to America with the German settlers. It consists of four candles (three purple and one rose), surrounded by evergreen branches. The light of the candles signifies the light of Christ, Who will come into the world at Christmas. One purple candle is lit the first week, two the second, three purple the third week, and finally all four in the last week of Advent. Some families light their Advent candles on Sunday, some light them each night of the week, but again only one candle at a time the first week, two the second, etc.

Strictly my own idea, but an empty manger in the center of the wreath, maybe with a waiting angel looking on, would be a nice addition. Then, on Christmas Eve, put in the Baby Jesus figure, and as room allows add other figures from the Manger Scene.

There are special prayers that go with the Advent wreath, but surely even a simple “Our Father” or “Come Holy Christ Child, the world needs You and we love You” would do nicely.

Help the kiddies make Advent calendars, or make some yourself, one for each kid. A suggestion is to take 24 leftover Halloween candies for each child and tape them to each day on a December calendar page, or a sheet of paper, hopefully cut out in the shape of a Christmas tree, on which you have drawn 25 squares, numbered one to 25. Tape or glue a candy piece to each day, but none for Christmas. There put a cut-out manger-scene picture, which is easy to cut from an old Christmas card if you’re any kind of self respecting hoarder.

For an even simpler Advent countdown, pick out a box for each child, large enough to hold 24 pieces of candy. It should have a removable lid. Decorate it nicely. Make sure to keep the lid removable. Then put in the 24 candy pieces and, starting with Thursday, Dec. 1, let the child take one piece of candy each day until Christmas. If they want to know how many days are left, make them count.

And do some spiritual soul cleaning to be sure you’re heart is ready for Christmas, and encourage the kiddies to do the same!

BLACK FRIDAY

We’re told that the Friday after Thanksgiving is the largest shopping day of the year, and that’s probably true.

So why do they call it “Black Friday”? Should be a happy day, except for he who must pay the bills!

Anyway, looked it up, and learned the name is attributed to two things: First, on this huge shopping day back in the 1960s (apparently people were a lot less civilized then!) people warmed to the shopping centers and physically fought to get the bargains offered. This resulted in traffic accidents and other injuries. According to sources, the Philadelphia Police Department in 1966 used the term “Black Friday” to describe this phenomenon.

The other explanation has to do with bookkeeping terms “in the red” and “in the black”. Connotation was that a merchant might be operating in the red most of the year, but when Black Friday rolled around they’d be showing profits, or in other words, be operating “in the black.”

RECALL SCOTT WALKER?

The union people and their friends are busy collecting signatures they hope will lead to the recall of Gov. Scott Walker, and they’ll probably get enough to force a recall election.

But we’d better all hope their drive to oust the most courageous man ever to head Wisconsin government isn’t successful or our state will be right back on the road to fiscal ruin that it was traveling when he took office.

Anyone who has attended school board meetings in Wisconsin recently, or even has read about them, should know by now that districts in which the policies promoted by Walker and enacted by his Republican friends are being found extremely successful.

Budgets are balanced despite cuts in state and local spending. Kids are being educated. Teachers have not quit in droves, nor have they been laid off except in districts anchored by union contracts that won’t expire for a year or two.

Yes, the contributions public employees are being forced to make toward their insurance and retirement benefits, do come out of their own pockets. They just don’t realize that most of us have been faced with far heftier contributions practically forever, for the benefits we do get.

But mainly, school budgets have benefitted by the fact that school boards are free to seek bids and free to accept the best offer. They aren’t forced to buy from union-owned insurance companies, so they save money.

The people we elected to represent us on school boards are free to run the schools as they feel is best, not as dictated by union rules, seniority, etc. They can reward good teachers.

And teachers,for the first time in many, many decades, are free to pay union dues or not, as they see fit.

So the unions lose money on insurance sales and on membership dues.

No wonder they’re mad at Scott Walker and anyone who supports him!

COOKIN’ TIME

Thanksgiving generally means leftover turkey, and these treats are a great way to use some of it. Incidentally, turkey white meat freezes beautifully if you slice it and seal tightly in foil packets. Then, when you want to use it, open the packet, put in a square of butter and some milk, then seal the package again and heat in a moderate oven, perhaps 350 degrees, for about 15 minutes, preferably while you’re cooking something else, like baked potatoes, or heating up the leftover green bean casserole.

TURKEY CRESCENT SQUARES

Serves four. The friend who passed along this recipe suggests serving them with a green salad and glazed carrots. I’d also like sour cream green beans and strawberry-banana Jello, or perhaps cranberry sauce as go-withs. Of course, you can make these with cooked chicken too, when you have no cooked turkey on hand.

1 package cream cheese (3 ounces)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 tablespoon diced pimento

2 cups cubed cooked turkey

1 package crescent rolls (8 ounces)

More melted butter

3/4 cup seasoned crumbs (crushed stuffing cubes also

work well)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first seven ingredients, preferably in food processor. Stir in the turkey. You can even add the turkey in the processor if you’re careful not to process too much. Separate the crescent rolls into four rectangles. Press performations in the middle to seal them. Put 1/2 cup turkey/cheese mixture on center of each square and pull up the corners to make a packet. Dab on a little water to get the edges to stick together. Brush the packets with melted butter and dip in the crumbs. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes

EASY OREO TRUFFLES

House still full, but desserts giving out? Takes about 30 minutes to make 48 of these luscious chocolate cream cheese bites, plus an hour to chill. They look and taste priceless, and unless you want them to, no one need ever know just how little energy you put into them. The recipe originated with the folks at Kraft foods, and yes, they do know food!

1 package cream cheese, softened

1 package (16.6 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided

2 packages (8 squares each) BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Mix cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended. Shape into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator. To melt chocolate: Place unwrapped chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high 2-1/2 minutes or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring every 30 seconds.

To easily coat truffles with the melted chocolate, add truffles, in batches, to the bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll them around in the chocolate until evenly coated. Remove with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place truffles on prepared baking sheet; let stand until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

HOLIDAY CHEER

What with deer hunting, snowmobiling, and holiday parties coming up, your guests might enjoy some special hot libations. These drinks are alcoholic, so they aren’t for the kiddies to share, except that you could prepare the Glogg up to the point of adding brandy, and at that point add apple cider or 7-up or other type soda. If you boil the mixture after adding the wine the alcohol in it will dissipate and only the flavor will remain. Have never made the corn wine, or even tasted it, but am told it’s good - very, very good. If you make it now it will be ready to drink before Christmas. Both are heirloom recipes. GLOGG

1 1/2 pounds raisins

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon broken cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon whole cloves

24 cardamom seeds

Water to cover

1 gallon red Burgundy wine

Fifth of brandy at serving time

In a very large enamel, stainless steel or glass kettle put the raisins and spices with enough water to cover. If your kettle is enamel be sure there are no dings that expose the metal. Crack the cardamom seeds, but put them in the pan shells and all. You’ll strain the mixture later anyway. Cover and simmer for two hours, adding more water if necessary to keep everything covered. Add the gallon of Burgundy wine and bring almost to a simmer. Keep hot for two hours. Cool, and let it sit overnight. Next day, strain out the spices and squeeze out the raisins. Pour into a bottle or bottles for storage. Cap or cork and keep in a cool, dry place. When ready to serve, reheat and add a fifth of brandy. This makes a lovely Wassail drink.

CORN WINE

Sounds a bit like corn whiskey to me, but who am I to say? If you were to mix this up by Saturday, Dec. 3, it would be ready to serve by Christmas. Haven’t tried this myself, but it’s supposed to be good, and surely sounds interesting.

2 quarts cracked corn, obtained from a feed mill or farm friend

8 pounds sugar

4 oranges, washed and sliced, with rinds

2 pounds raisins

2 packages dry yeast

2 gallons boiling water

The old instructions say to use a 4-gallon crock, but most of us don’t have one, and if we do and it’s an old crock we probably shouldn’t use for liquids anyway, especially alcoholic ones. Many of the old glazes had a pretty high lead content that can leach out. So instead, get a brand new white 4-gallon garbage can and wash it well before use or use a 5-gallon clear plastic water jug. It’s a bit of a trick to get everything into the jug, but it does work. Be sure the plastic is either white or clear. The dyes used to color plastics can sometimes leach out. Put the cracked corn into the container and pour the boiling water over it. Let it cool to luke warm, then add everything else and stir well. Cover with a clean cloth, maybe held on with a rubber band or something. Do NOT cover tightly. Put the container in a warm place and let stand for 21 days. Stir it daily. After 21 days, strain and bottle. A coffee filter should work well for straining. Or try layers of cheesecloth. If you can get some pretty decanters, bottles of this homemade wine would make good hostess gifts.

Thought for the Week: Prayer for the first week of Advent: Come, Lord Jesus, we pray Thee come; that we may be rescued from our sins, and being set free by Thee, obtain our salvation. Come Lord Jesus, who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

COUNTRY COUSIN

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