Country Cousin

Plant...

-Hi Folks!

Spring arrived in TIMESland at 6 a.m. Tuesday, March 20, and what a marvelous entry it was! Almost on cue, greening was visible Tuesday morning in fields and lawns across the county.

For over a week now, the sun has been warm, the air balmy, and even nights have been comfortable, topped by lovely starry skies. We’ve broken all kinds of records for March.

Snow, what little remains, has dwindled to miserable little gray piles huddled against the shady north sides of ravines, buildings and wooded thickets.

Spring has truly arrived in the Northwoods. The first robins were reported nearly three weeks ago. Monday, someone spotted a hummingbird. Mosquitoes are buzzing and ticks are busy hunting their dinners.

Mother used to say that God created mosquitoes so that we who are fortunate enough to live in this lovely corner of God’s creation would know we aren’t really in heaven yet. Couldn’t He have found some other way to do it? Maybe hang a sign?

Meanwhile, what irony! On Sunday, March 18, while Wisconsin and much of the Midwest enjoyed record high temperatures, a major storm dumped up to 19 inches of snow on parts of sunny Arizona and New Mexico. Poetic justice, I guess. Take that, you Snowbirds!

LONGING FOR HOME

Guess snow isn’t an unusual occurrence in Arizona high country though. A sister-in-law, for years after she was transplanted from Menominee, Mich. to Phoenix, Az. would occasionally drive up to Flagstaff in winter to cure her homesickness. Worked, too. Said generally after a day or two up there in the snowy (and cold) pine forests she was happy to return to her warm, sunny desert home.

PLANT THOSE PEAS

My dear departed Grandma used to say that peas had to be planted on Good Friday. We used to laugh at her, because most years you’d have had to shovel away the snow and drill holes in the frozen ground to do that.

This year, however, conditions should be just right, unless of course Old Man Winter does an about face and pays a surprise return visit. That wouldn’t be unheard of, you know. He simply can’t be trusted!

That said, according to weather and soil conditions, peas could be planted right now, but the old time garden gurus do say they should go into the ground when the moon is full, so that would be on Friday, April 6, which just happens to be Good Friday. (Actually, that’s no surprise, because the date for Easter is based on the phases of the moon.)

But back to planting peas. Personally, I think it would be a good plan to get the growing area ready now, and plant some peas, both the eating kinds and the lovely flowering sweet pea kind, and see what happens. Then, on Good Friday, plant some more. See which batch does better. Think I’ll try putting in some cabbage, broccoli, spinach and radishes in soon, just to see if they grow. They’re hardy, so it could happen.

Considering how advanced the season is, if you plan to start some seedlings indoors for planting outside when the weather is warm, better get it done soon. With the soil as warm as it already is, Spring is bound to be early this year even if Winter makes a late-season encore. We could theoretically be planting tomatoes outdoors the first week of May instead of the first week in June.

IRISH GREETING

Now that St. Patrick’s Day is over, came across an item in the NAPS news clipping service publication that advises that the correct response to that familiar Irish greeting, “Top o’ the mornin’ to ye,” is, “and the rest o’ the day to yerself.”

Happy day to everyone, Irish or not.

STAY YOUNG

We all struggle to stay young, but Lucille Ball had the right idea. She advised, “Live honestly, eat slowly and lie about your age.”

Right on!

TAX TIME

Tax filing deadline is April 17 this year - less than a month away. For many Americans, tax time means getting money back, not sending it in. The refund check from the IRS is the largest single chunk of money they will get all year. NAPS says to learn how to get that refund in as little as 10 days, log on to www.freefile.irs.gov.

Also, you can dial 2-1-1 for information about free tax preparation options in your area, including how to schedule an appointment and what documents you will need.

EASTER IS COMING

Easter is coming faster than we think. In just over two weeks we’ll be hiding eggs, so it’s time to think about decorating them.

A dear old friend whose family was of Russian origin used to make onion skin eggs every Easter. The colors were muted, but the eggs were elegant. They looked like polished marble. The skins of red or yellow onions were placed on the bottom of the kettle and between layers of raw eggs. Enough cold water to cover was added, along with a tablespoon or so of vinegar. After simmering for 20 minutes or so the eggs were removed. While still warm they would wipe them with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil or shortening and buffed to get a nice polished shine.

To have some decorated eggs to display without sacrificing real eggs, blow out some shells and decorate them. Use the contents of the shells in cooking, and enjoy the decorated shells as lovely Easter centerpieces at almost no cost.

Decorate with regular egg coloring kits if you wish, and perhaps glue a sequin to hide the holes on each end.

To make the shells into lovely Glitter Eggs, place a tablespoon each of glue (like Elmer’s) and water in a cup. Stir the mixture and then paint the eggs with it. Sprinkle with glitter. This can also add sparkle to already dyed eggs!

Wet a white or dyed egg. Dab torn pieces of colored tissue paper, crepe paper or pieces of pretty colored napkins on the eggs. When the paper dries, it falls off and leaves the color behind on the egg.

One year, we cut some of the blown-out egg shells into tulip shapes and dyed them in bright, flowery colors. We then inserted green pipe cleaners as stems. By putting strategic twists in the pipe cleaners and then applying glue, the shells stay in place. We cut out leaves from construction paper and glued them on to the pipe cleaner stems, but buying fabric leaves and gluing them on would be even prettier. Put potting soil in a nice decorated box or flower pot, and stand the “tulips” upright in it for a bright and beautiful spring centerpiece.

SPRING CLEANING

Great as it is to get at outdoor chores in this lovely weather, some of us will be forced to give some attention to the interiors of our homes as well. Easter is coming, after all, and that Bunny does love a clean house!

Just learned a new trick for cleaning glass shower doors. (They say it also works on interior and exterior of car windows, and helps repel rain, but haven’t tested it personally.)

To clean those shower doors, even if they’re mildewed, mix some baking soda with distilled vinegar. Rub it on, and then rub glass shower door with the abrasive side of a sponge and rinse with clear water. The friend who passed this tip along said it miraculously took every speck of mildew completely off!

Mix baking soda with water to make a paste for polishing stainless steel and chrome. This I have done, and it works beautifully!

ON THE SOAP BOX

GAS PRICES

Wouldn’t you know, just in time for Spring planting season, and just as it seemed that our miserable economy might be starting to recover, gas prices have once again shot the moon - at or near $4 a gallon and still rising.

It’s easy for city folks suggest that we should conserve our Earth’s resources by driving less, but some don’t seem to understand that some of us travel many, many miles to work, and we don’t have the option of mass transit.

High gas and diesel costs hit all of us in the pocket book. During planting times, farmers spend major dollars getting their crops into the ground. At harvest time more major dollars are spent on harvesting and transporting their produce to market.

One way or another, those crops feed all of us, whether as vegetables for the table, or food for the livestock that will become steaks and chops on the grill next summer.

When gas prices are high, food prices necessarily go up. And that’s even without considering the cost of transporting those products to markets across this great land of ours.

Higher priced groceries for families on a budget - which most of us are - means that other spending gets curtailed. Weekend getaways are eliminated, which hurts the travel industries. We buy fewer clothes and gadgets, which hurts retailers and manufacturers.

Steven Chu, the man named by President Barack Obama to head our nation’s energy program, said in a 2008 interview with the Wall Street Journal - before he was put in his current position of power - that he hoped gasoline prices here would rise to those paid in Europe. He said Americans must be weaned from their dependence on fossil fuels.

Scary that with that opinion he was named to head the United States Department of Energy. Scarier still that he got his wish.

Did he - and the administration in power - do it on purpose, or is it an accident?

Now Chu claims he no longer wants the prices at the pump to keep climbing. He even admits that rising gas prices threaten our nation’s fragile economic recovery. Those prices also severely impact the chances of his boss being re-elected, and they should.

But, how sincere is he? What are he and President Obama and their supporters in Congress doing about it? Why was the pipeline from Canada stopped? Why are drilling permits on federal land still refused?

Why, in all this time, have no positive steps been taken to reduce our dependence on oil from Mid-Eastern countries?

Possible they want to pursue their original energy agenda, but protect their ability to blame the rising prices on someone or something else?

This time it’s Iran’s fault.

Whose fault will it be next time?

Think about those things, folks, when it’s time to vote in November.

COOKIN’ TIME

Running out of ideas for meatless Lenten meals? Try the marvelous Shrimp Scampi. If you’re cooking up fish from the freezer, remove the fishy smell and flavor from your fillets by soaking the raw fish in a baking soda solution for an hour inside the fridge. And if your hands take on a fishy odor from handling seafoods, remove it by rubbing with baking soda and then rinsing in warm water.

SCAMPI LINGUINI

1 pound linguini

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 shallots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (or 1 tablespoon crumbled dried parsley)

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it boils, add a tablespoon of salt and the linguini. Stir with a fork to make sure the pasta separates. Return to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is barely done. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saut� the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. cover and let sit about five minutes. Drizzle on a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.

POACHED EGGS WITH ASPARAGUS PARMESAN

Here is a luscious meatless dish, particularly pretty and a treat for this time of year when fresh asparagus is finally becoming almost affordable again. Go ahead and used canned stalks if you must. For this, select the thicker stemmed asparagus stalks, and as always, test with your thumb nail and only use the tender parts. Wonderful served atop buttered toast, or if you’re not worried about meatless, lay the asparagus spears over a grilled or panbroiled ground beef patty before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

2 pounds asparagus

Coarse salt or sea salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

4 large eggs

1 cup (lightly packed) parsley leaves, chopped

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, room temperature

Snap or cut off the tough ends of the asparagus; cook the stalks in boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, approximately 4 to 5 minutes for thick stalks. Remove from heat, drain, and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Poach the eggs while the asparagus is cooking. To do this, bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a simmer in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. One at a time, break each egg onto a saucer or small cups or bowls. Slip eggs carefully into the simmering water. Immediately cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Set a timer for exactly three minutes for medium-firm yolks. Adjust the time up or down for runnier or firmer yolks. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, depending on firmness desired. Lift each perfectly poached egg from the water with a slotted spoon, but hold it over the skillet briefly to let any water clinging to the egg drain off. Divide asparagus among 4 dinner plates and keep warm. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of fresh Parmesan on each Asparagus batch. Place a warm poached egg on top of each asparagus portion; dab with a paper towel to soak up any visible water. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley. Serve immediately, preferably with buttered toast. Makes 4 servings.

PRETZEL BON BONS

Pretzels in many nations are considered symbols of Lent and Easter, and originally their twisted shape was intended to resemble hands folded in prayer. They can be used as little handles to dip these chocolate coated candies, and their salty crispness makes these home made Easter basket treats extra special. Makes 24 little goodies. They can be frozen for a month or so, so make them now. Sneak a few now, they put the rest away for Easter.

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup milk

1 package (3.9 ounces) Chocolate Instant Pudding

1 cup thawed Whipped Topping

24 miniature pretzel twists

1 tub (7 ounces) Milk Chocolate Dipping Chocolate

2 tablespoons creamy Peanut Butter

1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; beat 2 minutes. Whisk in whipped topping. Spoon into resealable plastic bag; cut small corner from bottom of bag. Pipe about a tablespoon of pudding mixture into each of 24 paper-lined mini muffin cups; stand pretzel in each cup. Now you have bon bons. Freeze them for two hours or until firm. Peel liners off bonbons. Melt dipping chocolate as directed on package; stir in peanut butter until melted. Dip bottom halves of bonbons in chocolate, then in nuts. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Let stand until chocolate is firm. Bonbons can be stored in freezer up to 2 days before dipping in chocolate and nuts as directed, and dipped bonbons can be stored in freezer up to 1 month before serving. If you don’t have a mini muffin pan, place paper mini muffin cups on baking sheet before filling as directed.

Thought for the week: “When you have come to the edge of all light that you know, and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on at the end, or you will be taught to fly.” Lord, you somehow seem to grant us that kind of Faith when we need it the most, and with that You help us get through the dark days that come to us all. With Faith, and the power of Easter, we can stand against the winds of any misfortune. Amen.

COUNTRY COUSIN

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