Country Cousin

Rising...

Hi Folks!

It’s a month early for April Fools jokes, but on Wednesday, Feb. 29, with Spring officially arriving in 20 days, TIMESland youngsters were treated to their first real snow day of the season. Maybe the Currier and Ives Christmas Card snow was nature’s way of announcing March is coming in like a lamb - all white and fluffy.

Not a blizzard, just a real old-fashioned snowstorm like we haven’t seen in years. At least six inches graced the area. There have been power outages all over the area, and for a time Wednesday morning Hwy. 141 north of Wausaukee was closed because too many trucks couldn’t make it through. Guess Cement Hill, snow covered and slippery, was too much for them.

Anyway, the overnight snowfall and relatively mild temperatures made conditions absolutely perfect for snowball fights and snowman construction projects. What a way to spend this year’s extra day! Oh, to be a kid again!

RISING PRICES, CUTTING COSTS

With the alleged gas shortage again sending the price at the pump soaring into the stratosphere, those of us who live on the financial edge are once again seeking whatever ways we can to trim spending elsewhere so we can afford to drive to work.

Some of us resort to shopping at warehouse stores and volume buying in an attempt to salvage whatever may be left of our budgets, but according to Tawra Kellam, editor of LivingOnADime.com, that’s not necessarily a way to save.

She says having checked comparable prices and factoring in other costs, she finds no really exceptional savings.

“Don’t buy impulsively just because it sounds like a good deal,” she urges, telling of a display offering gallons of bleach at $1.98 for a cello-wrapped two gallon pack. At the hometown store the same brand was sold at 98 cents a gallon.

“In most homes, one quarter of the food people buy gets thrown away,” she says. “If your family of four eats pancakes once a week, that gallon of syrup is going to last you a VERY long time. You might also consider that unless dry goods and freezer items are very carefully stored, they will go bad or get bugs in them. Remember to buy the size that is appropriate for you.

“You need to be very well organized to buy in bulk. Finding places to store everything and then carefully keeping track of what you have is critical if you want to use it all before it spoils.

“Most people usually spend more than they originally planned on things they don’t need. This never saves money. We taste samples and so often end up buying. If this is you, be careful. Maybe sampling is a bad idea, unless you’re making lunch of it!”

Speaking of making lunch of it, I used to do just that: bring the grandkids and sample all the food displays. By the time we made it through the store, everyone was full! Lots of fun, too. Once a girlfriend and I even ended up with a “doggie bag,” because a vendor was trying to close down his display and wanted his samples gone. See, there is such a thing as a free lunch!

But back to Kellam’s advice, she believes, “If you have a small or average sized family, you will probably save as much shopping for sales at your regular grocery store or discount store. The key is to do the math and evaluate your practical needs. You have to decide for yourself if buying at warehouse stores actually saves you money or just creates more work.”

It also puts more pressure on storage space, which may or may not be a problem at your house, but certainly needs to be taken into consideration.

ANOTHER WAY TO SAVE

The news clipping service, NAPS, informs us that homeowners who invest in a geothermal heating and cooling system get savings not only at the time of installation but well into the future. The system reduces energy consumption, lowers utility bills and increases home resale values.

Don’t understand just how it works, but those who do say the system taps into the abundant source of free solar heat energy stored in the earth and uses a series of Pipes buried in the ground to move that heat into the home during cold weather and put it back in the ground when the days are warm.

Homeowners who install a geothermal system before Dec. 31, 2016 can take advantage of a federal renewable energy tax credit that offers a tax incentive of 30 percent of the installed cost of whatever geothermal heat pump system they choose. Incidentally, for those who already made the investment, the tax credit is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2009, and can be used in combination with utility rebates and other tax incentives that might be available.

Once installed, homeowners report saving up to 70 percent of their heating costs.

It’s patriotic too. Every system put in cuts another notch or two out of our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

It’s also “green.” There’s no air pollution at all from a geothermal heat pump system.

For more information, talk to a local heating dealer, go online to www.waterfurnace.com, or call 800-GEO-SAVE.

WHY FORTY DAYS?

As the 40 days of Lent drag on, often wonder why the number “40” seems to be so important to our Creator. And if it’s that important, why is a month only 30 days? Don’t you think He’d have made it take 40 days instead of 30 for the Moon to make its way around the Earth?

In Genesis, the flood which destroyed the Earth was brought about by 40 days and nights of rain.

The Hebrews spent 40 years in the wilderness before reaching the land promised to them by God.

Moses fasted for 40 days before receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.

Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness in preparation for His ministry.

And if we do the math, the time lapse between Jesus’ death on the cross on Good Friday and the discovery of His Resurrection on Easter morning was also about 40 hours.

Is there something we’re missing here? A message, perhaps? Someday, maybe God will let us know the answer.

COOKIN TIME

During Lent, many of us try to go without meat on Wednesdays and Fridays, but enjoying seafood on those days can easily become a feast instead of a sacrifice. Today’s first recipe, though, was a sacrifice when we were kids. Not bad eating, but very plain, and certainly very economical, even in today’s world.

MACARONI AND TOMATOES

Seriously, this goes very well with baked fish or meat loaf. But sometimes in our family it was the whole meal during Lent.

1 box macaroni

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, diced

1 quart tomato juice, or stewed tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil macaroni according to package directions and drain it. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan melt the butter and brown the onion gently. You don’t want it to brown, just sort of cook. Add tomato juice and simmer. When the macaroni is drained, add it along with the salt and pepper. Stir and simmer until it’s as thick as you like it.

STUFFED BAKED POTATOES

This classic recipe came from a 1932 cookbook, “American Regional Cookery,” authored by Sheila Hibben, who was a food writer for The New Yorker. Russet potatoes are the best variety because their cooked flesh is dry and fluffy when mashed and the sturdy skin crisps nicely when baked. These potatoes can be made ahead. They also go very well with baked fish, meat loaf, salmon loaf, or perhaps a bucket of broasted chicken you bring home from the store. It can be made meatless by substituting imitation bacon bits for the real thing.

6 Russet potatoes

4 thin bacon strips, fried

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. finely chopped chives

2 tsp. chopped parsley

1⁄2 cup heavy cream, scalded

Salt and pepper

Melted butter

Paprika

Select smooth, moderately large potatoes of uniform size. Wash with a vegetable brush and place in shallow pan in a 425-degree oven. Bake for 50�60 minutes or until soft. (Test by taking up with a cloth and squeezing; if soft, the potato is done.) Cut a 1⁄2” slice off top of each potato. Scoop out insides, leaving about a quarter-inch of potato on the sides and bottom. Mash the scooped out potato with crumbled bacon, butter, chives, parsley, and cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stuff into shells. Arrange close together on a baking sheet, stuffed ends up. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with paprika. The potatoes can be made ahead to this point if you wish. Bake in hot oven (400�) just long enough to heat through and brown tops.

SEAFOOD GRATIN

To make this affordable, go ahead and use the imitation lobster meat available at the supermarket instead of the real thing. Not as good, but still delicious.

1 cup seafood stock or clam juice

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons good white wine, such as

Chablis, divided

3 tablespoons tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads (or 1/4 teaspoon turmeric)

8 ounces raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half

crosswise

8 ounces cooked lobster meat, cut into 1-inch chunks

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Salt

Black pepper

3 cups julienned leeks, white and light green parts (2 large)

1 1/2 cups julienned carrots (3 carrots)

1 cup panko (Japanese dried bread crumbs)

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 4 individual gratin dishes or ramekins on sheet pans. (Or double the recipe and make it in a 14 by 9 1/4-inch baking dish.)

Peel and devein the shrimp and simmer the shells in water to clam juice to make the stock. If you have lobster shells, throw them in too. For the sauce, combine the strained stock, cream, 1/2 cup of the wine, the tomato puree, and saffron or turmeric in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add the shrimp. After 3 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp to a bowl. Add the halibut to the stock for 3 minutes, until just cooked through, and remove to the same bowl. Add the cooked lobster to the bowl with the other seafoods. Continue to cook the sauce until reduced by half, about 12 minutes. Mash one tablespoon of the butter together with the flour. Whisk the butter mixture into the sauce along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Melt three more tablespoons of the butter in a medium saut� pan. Add the leeks and carrots and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender. Set aside. Combine the panko, Parmesan, parsley, tarragon, and garlic. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and mix it into the crumbs until they’re moistened. Divide the seafood among the 4 gratin dishes, or put it all into a larger dish. Strew the vegetables on top. Pour the sauce equally over the seafood and vegetables and spoon the crumbs evenly on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot.

BAKED SCAMPI

Easy to make, even easier to eat. Great meal with a tossed salad and possibly buttered noodles, stuffed baked potatoes or the macaroni and tomatoes.

2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell (or cheat

and pay more for the pre-cleaned butterfly variety)

3 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons dry white wine

Salt and black pepper, preferably freshly ground

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

1/4 cup minced shallots (or onions)

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, or 2 teaspoons

dried

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 extra-large egg yolk

2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)

Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. (Save the shells to boil for seafood broth to use in some other recipe. Freeze if not using right away.) Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined. Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval or oblong baking dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and toward the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

DRAMA QUEEN’S PAVLOVA

Try making this now. You just might want to do this beautiful and delicious dessert in a basket shape for Easter dinner, especially if there’s a diabetic in the family, because it can be made very nicely with imitation sugar and low fat whipped topping, so that basically only the fruit counts toward the meal’s dietary allowance. Incidentally, a “Pavlova” is a dessert created by a great chef in honor of the famed Russian prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova. The story is that he made it to be like her, airy and light and delectable.

6 egg whites

1 pinch salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar

2 cups powdered sugar, superfine sugar, or equivalent

artificial sweetener

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (optional)

2 cups sweetened whipped cream

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

2 kiwifruit, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced

1 fresh peach - peeled, pitted and sliced

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. (You will be turning the temperature down to 300 degrees when you put the meringue in to bake. Line a 9 or 10 inch round glass dish with parchment paper. Combine the egg whites and salt in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer or stand mixer using a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the sugar or sugar substitute gradually while continuing to whip to stiff peaks. Stir in the vanilla and vinegar, and fold in coconut, if you’re using it. Spread evenly into the prepared glass dish, making sure to spread out to all of the edges. This is the Pavlova. Place the Pavlova into the oven, and immediately reduce the temperature to 300 degrees. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is crisp and a pale straw color. Leave in the oven, and turn off the heat and shut the door. Let it stay there until the oven has cooled completely. (Can be made a day or so ahead to this point, if you cool it and seal well, perhaps into a plastic zipper bag.) Just before serving time, top generously with sweetened whipped cream. Arrange the strawberries, kiwis, peaches and blueberries in artistic concentric circles on top.

Thought for the Week: Sometimes, Lord, I feel so overwhelmed. My work is never done. The bills are never paid. When one problem is solved, another pops up. I dilly when I need to dally and vice versa. Sometimes I feel that if You really put me on Earth to accomplish a certain number of things. I’ll probably need to live forever because I’m so far behind. When those thoughts strike, help me remember that for all who try to serve You, the task ahead is never as great as the Power behind. Need help? Maybe all we have to do is ask. Please Lord, give the wisdom to recognize whatever it is You want me to do, and the strength and perseverance to do it. Amen.

COUNTRY COUSIN

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