Country CousinIssue Date: November 5, 2020 Honor All Veterans Nov. 11!
Regardless of the political climate, we've been given at least a brief respite from winter. It's probably what we once fondly knew as "Indian Summer." To be politically correct in the parlance of today we'd probably have to call it "Native American Summer," and somehow that doesn't have the same ring.
Whatever you call it, the professionals at the National Weather Service Center in Green Bay are predicting that the sunny days and clear nights and relatively higher temperatures we've been enjoying will continue at least until Monday, when they're once again predicting a bit of rain.
The projected highs are all in the mid to high 60s, and nights in the mid to high 40s. Enough of a change to allow us to once again enjoy going outdoors with sweaters and sweatshirts instead of winter jackets. Maybe November will continue to be kinder to us than October was!
VETERANS DAY IS NOV. 11
When I was an elementary school student at Merryman School in Marinette, our class, and probably every other class in the nation, would stop whatever we were doing at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, place our hands over our hearts, and turn to face east, to honor the veterans of all wars who had fought and died for us. The 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month marks the anniversary of the Armistice that ended what was later to be known as World War I.
We should all remember to honor our Veterans on the day, the hour and the minute designated for them, which this year is at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11. And if we encounter a veteran on that day, we should thank him or her for what they have done, or were willing to do, for all of us.
Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day and marked the end of hostilities worldwide that officially occurred at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. In 1919, President Wilson commemorated the first Armistice Day with these words:
"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations"¦"
Armistice Day was originally set aside to honor the Veterans of of the first world war with parades and remembrances as well as a pause in activities at 11 a.m. the anniversary day of the Armistice that ended what was supposed to have been "the war to end all wars."
In 1938, it was made a legal federal holiday for all.
Sadly, it turned out that World War I was just that, and did not remain the war that ended all wars.
After World War II and the Korean War, Congress recognized a need to expand the meaning of the day to recognize all Veterans and not just those of World War I, so in 1954, the word "Armistice" was replaced with "Veterans" as a way to formally include all Veterans of all American wars in the day of remembrance.
Today, Veterans Day is a federal holiday which many cities celebrate with parades and ceremonies. In Washington, D.C., there are ceremonies throughout the city including a wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery.
Veterans Day is a day not only to remember those who died in service to our country, but also to recognize those who have served and come safely home, and those who continue to serve today.
Americans are encouraged to say thank you to those who fulfill this patriotic duty to maintain the freedoms of our country. Let us not insult them by surrendering the freedoms they fought for to those who offer us false security in exchange!
GROWIN' THINGS
With sunny skies and absence of frost, the next week or so should be a good time to take care of some outdoor chores that will make the indoor days to come a bit more enjoyable, for example washing windows inside and out, and washing window screens or taking them down completely to bring more sunshine into the house. Some experts say removing screens can increase the availability of indoor sunlight by 30 percent.
Green plants improve the oxygen content of indoor air, add to the ambiance of a room (unless you kill them off like I too often do), and can provide free fresh herbs for your dining pleasure.
I have managed to keep a terrific pot of parsley growing for almost a year, and use it almost every day. With a few sunny window sills you could have basil, chives and other herbs as well.
Even enough celery for seasoning can be grown on a sunny windowsill. Just cut off the base of your clump of celery intact, maybe two inches above the base. Insert four toothpicks to hold it up, and suspend it in a glass of water. In a week or two you will have fresh celery leaves popping up in the center, and if you remember to keep the water level above the base of the celery, those leaves and even little bitty stalks will keep coming.
On her website, Lisa Eldred-Steinkopf, who has been proclaimed a "houseplant guru," says if you have enough sunlight in your home to read, you certainly can grow a low-light plant.
In a recent book, " " she explains that growers should first determine what kind of light accessibility they have in areas of their home where they want to grow plants. In part, that means figuring out which directions your windows face.
Most plants, including herbs, do best in east, west and south facing windows. Keep them far enough from the glass that they don't get sun burned on the warmer days, or frost-bitten on the colder ones. A sheer curtain helps protect them on the sunniest days.
In the home where I grew up there was a south-facing picture window with a long, wide wooden window seat running under it. It was never used for extra seating space, though. Mom, who always did have a very green thumb, grew a wonderful array of plants on it, so there was no room for human occupants.
Eldred-Steinkopf says while east and west might be best for low-light plants, you can still grow plants in windows that face north, and suggests trying foliage plants there, such as arrowhead, snake plants, English ivy, or philodendron.
Plants do better when they're clean, so wash them occasionally with a sponge and water, or take them into the shower to wash off pet hair and dust if their pots are small enough. The plants will look better and clean leaves do a better job of using up the carbon dioxide that we humans breathe out and producing the oxygen that we breathe in.
Eldred-Steinkopf says plants, like people, are affected by temperature and generally are comfortable when you are, but they're generally not fans of dryness. Most of them like being misted, and many like living in pots that are set on a pebble tray filled with water.
Incidentally, plants give off carbon dioxide instead of oxygen when they're in total darkness, so it isn't good idea to fill your bedroom with plants.
TOO CLOSE TO CALL
At press time today, the presidential election was still too close to call, so I'm not crying yet. Results may be known by this evening, but it's so close there may not be a final answer for a week or so.
This may be one of the most bitterly fought elections in our nation's history, but it's not the first time election margins here in the good old USA have been extremely close, and there have been some surprises.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was in 1948, when Democrat Harry S. Truman was seeking election to the office he had taken over after Franklin D. Roosevelt died.
A faltering economy, labor strikes and the onset of the Cold War had seen Truman's approval ratings slump to below 40 percent, and nearly every major news outlet had Truman trailing New York Governor Thomas Dewey, the Republican candidate, by a significant margin. Dewey's Republican Party was on the rise, having just reclaimed a majority in Congress during the 1946 midterm elections.
The New York Times announced that "Dewey's election as President is a foregone conclusion." Even First Lady Bess Truman privately admitted that her husband would likely lose.
Rather than give in to the inevitable, Truman embarked on a 22,000-mile "whistle-stop" train tour around the country and courted the support of labor leaders and African Americans, and supporters responded with the "Give "em hell, Harry" battle cry.
His eventual victory was so unexpected that the Chicago Tribune had gone to press on election night with a headline that read "Dewey Defeats Truman." They had been forced to call the election early due to a printers' strike.
However, when the votes were finally tallied, Truman defied expectations and won by a margin of 303 electoral votes to 189. The result was instantly hailed as the greatest upset in presidential history. Two days after his shocking victory, a beaming Truman posed for a now famous photo while holding a copy of the Chicago Tribune with the erroneous victory declaration for Dewey.
Truman later became involved in a battle with the highly popular General Douglas MacArthur and did not pursue his party's nomination in 1952.
Another extremely close race happened in 1844, when Democrat James Polk won over his Whig Party opponent Henry Clay, a wildly popular politician who was considered one of the nation's elder statesmen. "The Democrats must be Polking fun at us!" one Whig paper joked in response to the nomination. Another group of Clay supporters was so certain of victory that they commissioned him a set of rosewood furniture for the White House bedroom. Don't know where that ended up.
Four years later, in 1848, Zachary Taylor, "Old Rough and Ready," won over Democrat nominee William Cass, an experienced Michigan politician who alienated abolitionists with his support of popular sovereignty"the idea that frontier territories should vote on whether to allow slavery. The electoral college margin ended up 163-127 for Taylor.
In the 1880 presidential election, Ohio Congressman James A. Garfield eked out a narrow victory over Democrat Winfield Scott Hancock, a former Civil War general who had served with distinction at the Battle of Gettysburg. The 10,000 vote difference was the smallest popular vote margin in history. Garfield's presidency was tragically brief. Just four months after his inauguration, he was killed by an assassin's bullet at a Washington, D.C. train station.
Democrat Woodrow Wilson's victory in 1916 over Republican challenger Charles Evans Hughes, an associated Supreme Court justice, was also won by an extremely narrow margin.
Both candidates went to bed thinking that Hughes was the winner, and a few late-edition newspapers even described him as the "president-elect." However, when more results were tallied later in the week, Wilson staged a famous comeback and claimed a second term by a razor-thin margin of 13 electoral votes.
COOKIN' TIME
The unseasonably cold weather of October has turned into some pleasant days and nights, at least for a time, but it's still the season for good hearty casseroles that can bake while we're outside playing, or doing the chores that we need to get done before winter truly sits in.
CHICKEN CRACKER CASSEROLE
Quick to throw together, even if you choose to cube and pre-cook the chicken yourself. Only takes about 15 more minutes to do that. If you use a pre-cooked chicken, including a rotisserie chicken, do save the skin and bones to boil to make soup or broth for another meal. You could add some diced fried mushrooms, frozen peas or broccoli florets to the chicken mixture, and/or a cup of shredded cheddar cheese, which gives it an entirely different flavor.
1 can condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1 cup cup sour cream
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed, or shredded meat from a store bought rotisserie chicken
2 sleeves Ritz crackers crushed
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2.5 quart baking dish (or a 9x9 square baking dish) with no-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together the soup, sour cream and green onion. Then stir in chicken. Spread mixture into the prepared dish. In that same bowl, combine crushed crackers with melted butter. Sprinkle the cracker mixture over the casserole. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the cracker topping is golden brown and the casserole is bubbly.
BAKED CHICKEN OREGANATA
4 bone-in chicken thighs
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 pound baby red or gold potatoes, quartered (about 3 cups)
8 ounces baby carrots, 2 cups
1 cup chopped onion
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Parsley, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon of the oregano. In a large roasting pan or deep oven-proof frying pan put the oil and then brown the chicken pieces, skin side down, over medium high heat, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the butter, and when it melts, stir in the seasonings. Turn the chicken pieces to coat and remove from the pan. Add the vegetables and the remaining teaspoon of oregano and toss until they are coated. Put the chicken pieces on top, skin side up. Bake for45 minutes or until the chicken is done. Internal temperature should be 165 degrees. Garnish with chopped parsley leaves if desired.
SLOW COOKER PUMPKIN TURKEY CHILI
Want something really different to do with the pumpkins that are left after Halloween is done? Try this chili. It's surprisingly good! Can also be made with winter squash.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups cubed fresh pumpkin
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can seasoned black beans
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon chili powder
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat; brown turkey, stirring often, until crumbly and no longer, pink, about 10 minutes. Drain and discard any fat. Transfer turkey to a slow cooker and stir in onions, diced tomatoes, pumpkin, chili beans, black beans, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and chili powder. Set cooker to Low, cover, and cook until pumpkin is tender and has started to break apart, at least 3 hours.
NO BAKE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES
Peel your Jack O Lantern inside and out, dice it and simmer in a little water until tender. Puree the remains in the food processor to make these little treats for eating now, or for Thanksgiving and Christmas treats.
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
2-1/2 cups white chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of sea salt
In a large bowl, put cream cheese and confectioners' sugar and beat until creamy. Melt the half cup of white chocolate in a double boiler over medium-low heat or in the microwave for about 1 minute. Stir often to keep the chocolate from burning. Add to the bowl with cream cheese, then add pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the gingersnap cookie crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt, and again beat until everything is combined. Cover and chill until just solid enough to roll into balls, about 2 hours. Shape mixture into balls (about 1 teaspoon per ball) by rolling a spoonful in the palm of your hand. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until firm again. (Longer is okay.) Melt remaining 2 cups white chocolate in small, deep bowl. (Deeper is easier for dipping the truffles). Dip the pumpkin balls into the chocolate and place on parchment paper. Garnish with reserved gingersnap/graham crumbs before the chocolate sets up.Let chocolate set, refrigerate and enjoy! These can also be frozen for longer storage. The Country Cousin
Thought for the week: Lord, please keep this nation in Your protection. Save us from the violence that has been threatening for the past year. Deliver us from the hatreds that have turned children against parents, brothers against sisters, and neighbors against neighbors. We have fallen into evil ways, and do not deserve Your protection, but if our nation fails, there is nowhere left to go. Please give us the courage to stand by our moral values, and to protect our freedoms, especially the freedom to worship You and speak up for You against Your enemies. 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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