Country CousinIssue Date: August 25, 2021 Marinette County Fair weather predicted
...may not be sunshine.
Summer is almost over. Leaves are starting to turn, school bells are ringing in the distance, Labor Day weekend is coming up, evenings are starting earlier, nights are getting cooler, and the annual Marinette County Fair at Wausaukee starts this week - on Thursday, Aug. 26.
COME TO THE FAIR
Speaking of the Fair, don't miss it! The folks on the Fair Board have been working really hard all year to prepare for another great event again this year. Enjoy the fun. Admire the animals, flowers and foods produced by our local growers. View the work of local artists. Listen to the music. Enjoy the rides. Fill up on Fair foods. Meet your old friends, and make new ones.
HARMONY GARDENS OPEN HOUSE
If you love plants and want to know more about growing them, don't miss the Open House event to be held at Marinette County's Harmony Arboretum Demonstration Gardens from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 2. The gardens, located 7 miles west of Marinette and one-half mile south of Hwy. 64 on Marinette County E, are open for public viewing
The event is being held to showcase the opportunities found at Harmony Arboretum, as well as the local Master Gardener Volunteer program.
The arboretum is located on a 460-acre property formerly known as Harmony Farms. It has been developed into a conservation and horticulture education area, and holds a majestic hardwood forest, restored prairie, a pine plantation, winding walking trails, agricultural fields, plus vegetable and flower demonstration gardens.
There's no admission charge, and visitors are always welcome. There's lots of kids (and their parents) to see and do there. Most areas have an education element. There's a â€Åsailboat sandbox†for playing in and giant animals for climbing on. There is a 36 foot mural that depicts 50 animals and plants native to the area. It is the front of a triangular structure which houses the â€ÅChipmunk's Tunnel†exhibit, in which children are asked to imagine that they are only a few inches high, and what they see on the inside of the above-ground â€tunnel†is what a chipmunk would see in his underground home.
There's a â€Åpioneer cabin†that holds gardening tools for the children to use, together with handout material for families and teachers describing lessons for each area.
Marinette County Land & Water Conservation Department manages the property to provide wildlife habitat, recreation, and environmental education opportunities. Management decisions are made with the help of the Friends of Harmony Farms, Northern Lights Master Gardeners Association, Chappee Rapids Audubon Society and the UW Extension of Marinette County.
 The Sept. 2 Open House is cooperatively sponsored by the Marinette & Oconto County offices of UW-Madison's Extension and members of the Northern Lights Master Gardener Volunteer Association. They invite all area families and gardeners to attend the free event to learn about the Master Gardener Volunteer program, tour the gardens or the adjacent prairie, and get assistance with plant pest management questions. Scott Reuss, UWEX Agriculture/Horticulture Agent, will be on hand, along with Master Gardener volunteers, to identify any plant pest problem samples which attendees bring to the event and help you formulate a management strategy for dealing with them.Â
SAVE FUEL
Gasoline prices haven't gone up as much as they probably will, thanks to some of the Green New Deal policies. However, the price at the pump is much higher today than it was a year ago, and auto fuel costs remain a huge factor in the budgets of those of us who live in rural areas. Local bus service is simply not available in TIMESLand. Unlike our city cousins, we do not have the option of not driving our own vehicles, but we do have the option of driving smart.
Keeping tires properly inflated and properly aligned can cut fuel consumption.
A friend recently discovered that just changing his fuel filter cut his per-mile gas consumption by 20 percent.
Cleaning out clutter and eliminating extra weight in the vehicle also cuts fuel use, and my brother-in-law used to insist that keeping his car well washed and waxed made it run farther on a fill of the tank.
Drive gently, avoid sudden, hard stops and sudden, hard acceleration.
At highway speeds, keep the windows up to reduce drag and use the air conditioner if necessary. But in stop-and-go traffic, turn off the air conditioner to save fuel and open windows if necessary.
Another tip - this one to keep your car running better. If you pull into a filling station and see a delivery truck there filling one of the underground tanks, either buy another grade of gas, find another filling station, or come back later.
Based on long experience as a mechanic and former service station owner, he says moisture and even dirt particles settle out of all petroleum fuels. The gas rises to the top and water and other debris settles to the bottom. When gas is pumped into the tank it stirs up the collected water and other impurities from the bottom and allows them to be pumped into your car. This reduces efficiency of the engine on the short term and can cause some long-term problems. Avoid those issues by allowing contents of the underground tank to settle again before pumping the gas into your vehicle.
ON THE SOAP BOX
HONOR AND INTEGRITY
Am appalled, humiliated, overwhelmed and mystified by some of the things going on in the world today. Under current leadership, America has sunk to a level never seen before.
In his poorly planned withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, our president has allowed billions of dollars worth of American weapons to fall into the hands of the Taliban and seems prepared to allow American citizens and our friends in Afghanistan to fall into their cruel and punishing hands as well.
Instead of being the world pillar that it once was, America is being reviled and ridiculed by nations around the world. Taliban leaders are issuing ultimatums to us, and Biden has said out loud, in public, that we do not have the resources to fight them. Of course we have the resources! We just don't have the will…or at least he doesn't.
And there is no easy solution in sight. The understudies in line to replace a president who seems to be out of touch with reality are even worse than he is.
And with all this sad news, the liberals continue to oppose all efforts to be sure honest elections happen in the future and every vote cast really counts.
Instead, there seems to be a new rhetoric going around. A relatively new group spouting rhetoric in favor of election fraud is â€ÅCitizens for Ethics.†This group claims conservatives trying to clean up election laws and eliminate voter fraud are trying to â€Åsuppress the vote and curb voting rights.â€
They - and other liberals - refuse to accept the absolutely real fear many of us have that America will never have an other fair election that reflects the true will of the people who voted.
One of their recent articles stated: â€ÅThe conservative campaign to curb voting rights has helped spur passage of bills in at least 18 states and, backed by big money, is now widening its scope across the US in a concerted effort to suppress the vote and favor Republicans.â€
Opportunities for graft and voter fraud are too plentiful today - everything from unethical politicians paying large blocks of voters to cast absentee ballots for the candidate they favor to rigging voting machines, and allowing non-residents and convicted felons to vote.
Am completely amazed that anyone could believe that safeguarding our election integrity has anything to do with â€Åcurbing voting rights!â€
We need proper identification to get on an airplane, drive a car or buy alcohol or a pack of cigarettes. Isn't helping select our local and national leaders at least that important?
MEALTIME MAGIC
In recent decades we've seen growing social and emotional problems in this country, and probably everywhere in the world. Much of this is probably due to the breakdown of family units. Support groups are essential to human well being.
With school starting for the year, and many parents either already back to work or due to soon go back, it is more important than ever to focus on finding time, at least sometimes, to eat together as a family. Research has shown how important family meals are and there are significant studies that reinforce the benefits of mealtimes together. They also foster emotional balance by increasing things like self-esteem, a sense of well being, passing along family traditions, and building stronger family relationships. Dinner conversations help tie the binds that hold the family together. They can nourish the spirit, brain, and health of everyone at the table.
If you start those family meals with a prayer of thanks to Him who provided the food on that table and the family to enjoy it, you're really doing the family meal right. God the Father of all, deserves to be an honored guest at every family table.
COOKIN' TIME
Gardens, fields and orchards are yielding their bounty as the end of this year's growing season draws to a close. Let's put that bounty to good use.
Brown Buttered Apple Pie
with a Flaky Cheddar Crust
Makes 1 (9â€) pie
Ingredients:
cheddar crust:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, frozen and grated
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons ice water
apple filling:
4 granny smith apples, peeled cored and thinly sliced
4 golden delicious apples, peeled cored and thinly sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup pure cane sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons of tapioca starch or cornstarch
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted browned butter, cooled
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons water
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400ËšF.
2. Crust: Place flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
3. Add butter and gently incorporate into the flour mixture until a fine mealy texture forms.
4. Fold in cheese until just combined and stir in water. Turn mixture onto a clean, lightly floured surface and gently knead the mixture into a disc. Cover dough disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Filling: Place all ingredients, except for the butter into a large mixing bowl and fold together until well combined. Set aside and allow mixture to sit for about 1 hour.
6. Assemble: Once crust has cooled, divide in 1/2. Cover 1/2 and set aside. Sprinkle a little flour onto a clean surface and roll dough until about 1/8 inch thick.
7. Gently fold dough in half and carefully lift into a pie dish and unfold. Press dough into shell, cutting off any excess around the perimeter. Crimp the edge using your fingers and knuckles.
8. Gently fold the browned butter into the apple mixture. Pour filling into pie, forming an even layer.
9. Roll other half of dough until about 1/8†thick and cut into 10 strips of 3/4â€x 11â€.Gently lay 5 strips of dough across one direction of the pie, spacing them each even from one another. Form a lattice by arranging the remaining strips through the first strips. Trim the edges and gently press the ends into the crust of the pie.
10. Whisk together egg and water and brush egg wash over pie. Refrigerate pie for 30 minutes before placing onto a baking sheet and baking for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375ËšF and continue to bake for about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.
11. Remove pie from oven and cool for at least 1 hour. Serve warm.
APPLE MARMALADE
Use the bounty from orchards and gardens to create gifts for next winter.
1 orange
6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (6 cups)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
5 cups sugar
Quarter unpeeled orange. Remove seeds and the center membrane. Thinly slice orange. In 8 to 10 quart kettle or Dutch oven combine first three ingredients and 2 cups water. Bring mixture to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer till apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Add sugar. Bring to full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring till thickened and clear (220 degrees on candy thermometer). Remove from heat; skim off foam. Pour at once into hot sterilized jars; seal. Makes 6 half pints.
Raspberry-Cinnamon Muffins
These delicious raspberry muffins are low fat and dairy free.
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
1 large egg
1â€"°Ã‚½ cups all-purpose flour
1â€"°Ã‚½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1â€"°Ã‚½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Stir brown sugar, applesauce, and egg in a bowl until well combined. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and stir into applesauce mixture until just combined. Fold in raspberries gently. Scoop uniform amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin immediately and cool on a wire rack.
The Country Cousin
Thought for the week: God Bless America. Please, God, Bless America. We do not deserve it. Americans in general have has been acting like the Prodigal Son. We have abandoned You. We have allowed government dictators to â€Åmandate†that we not gather to worship You as You have asked us to do. We have allowed You to be banished from our lives, our government buildings, our courthouses and our schools. Please help us as a nation to once again give You the love and respect that You deserve. 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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