Country CousinIssue Date: February 9, 2022Shirley Prudhomme Presidents, love and valentines"¦.
Weather has been relatively kind for the past few days. Could this be the start of Spring?
Realistically, don't think this will last, but it's nice to dream. They're already predicting the return of colder temperatures, but hopefully the sub-zero deep freezes are done for this year. The sun is already getting up earlier each morning, and tucking itself behind the horizon for the night a bit later each evening.
Ole Man Winter likely isn't done with us yet for this year, but he's definitely getting to be a short timer.
FUN IN THE SNOW
Meanwhile, with at least tolerable outdoor temperatures, it's time for some outdoor fun.
There are always snowmobiling, ATV-ing, cross country skiing, sledding, skating and ice fishing opportunities here in the north country. Some of the fun is organized, some you need to make for yourself.
Hikes and cross country ski outings are planned on Saturday, Saturday, Feb. 12 at Gov. Thompson State Park, and Saturday, Feb. 19 at Goodman Park.
The Gov. Thompson Park event on Feb. 12 runs from 6 to 9 p.m. It features a 1 mile loop for cross county ski, skate and classic groomed trail or hike, dogs permitted. Check out ice sculptures along the way. Warming fires and hot chocolate will be available.
The Goodman Park outing the following weekend runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. It offers a one and a half mile loop. Dogs are permitted. A warming fire will be blazing and hot chocolate will be available. Participants will need to pay the regular park fee of $5 per vehicle or display a 2022 annual sticker, but there is no other charge.
Check the ads in the Peshtigo Times for ice fishing festivals and other events in the area.
BIRTHDAYS
Remember when Feb. 12 used to be Abraham Lincoln's Birthday and Feb. 22 was George Washington's Birthday, and they were national holidays, and we all paid tribute to those great men individually? Now neither Lincoln nor Washington have their own day. They are lumped into "Presidents Day" which by its very name honors the not so great presidents as well as the very great.
In years to come, will we remember that it is thanks to George Washington that not only did we win our freedom from England, but we created a form of government the world had never known before?
Washington was offered a crown - he could have easily become King of America had he so chosen. But he loved this land and its people and he believed in the freedom he fought for. Instead of becoming father of a dynasty he became father of our country in every meaning of the word. Wonder if he knew that would be a far more honorable legacy?
After serving two terms as President of the nation he helped carve, Washington declared enough is enough and gratefully retired to his beloved Mount Vernon. Lucky for all of us he had no hunger for power. It was not until after President Franklin Roosevelt and World War II that presidents were legally limited to no more than two consecutive terms.
Lincoln had the courage to do what had to be done to preserve the nation Washington created, and the stature to accomplish it. Had a lesser man been President, we might today be the United Northern States of America and the Confederate States of America. Or, divided as we would have been, we might not be free nation or nations at all, and instead have fallen under the flag of some other country. Sounds inconceivable today but what would the outcome of the Spanish American War been if the Civil War had resulted in a divided America?
Wisconsin could have ended up part of the United States of Mexico.
Had Lincoln not been assassinated the scars left by the Civil War on the hearts of this nation would never have been so angry and so deep. Even today in the South one occasionally feels an animosity toward "Yankees" still oozing from the festering wounds caused by carpetbaggers and others of their ilk.
The punitive actions taken by some of the victors in the War Between the States fanned the prejudices that we still suffer from today.
Let us all bow our heads in thanks that our land had George Washington for a father and the privilege of knowing "Honest Abe" at a time he was desperately needed. Old Glory waves far more proudly because of these two great men.
God has indeed richly blessed America in the past.
May He continue to so bless us in the future!
DREAMING
Spring may seem like a long way off, and that can be depressing to a dedicated gardener. But it isn't too early to start planning. Check out the new offerings. Spend a few delightful winter evenings poring over seed catalogs, dreaming of soft breezes, the heady scent of newly turned soil, the joy of watching seedlings pop up their little green heads, the bliss of popping that first sun ripened cherry tomato into your mouth.
Picture your yard as you'd like it to be, then start putting your plans on paper. Plan the vegetable garden too. Try to rotate. Put cabbage-related plants (brassicas) where you had cucumber/melon types (cucurbits) last year and vice versa. Less disease that way. Plan an herb garden to be somewhere near the kitchen door.
Use graph paper and make real diagrams so you'll know how many plants you need, and how much space each will require.
Think about the direction of the sun, and plan the tallest plants for the center of the garden so they don't shadow the shorter ones. Corn should be planted in square blocks rather than a few long rows for better pollination. Maybe plan to plant pumpkins and/or squash as companions for your corn.
Put perennials like asparagus and rhubarb in an area you won't need to disturb from year to year, and leave enough room to till around them. Plant parsley nearby because asparagus likes parsley, and parsley will grow for two years.
Consider putting in some horseradish. Treat it right and once established you'll have it for years.
Plan a row of dwarf marigolds all around the garden because they help keep many pests away. Garlic also helps ward off things other than werewolves.
When reading those seed catalogs pay attention to which seeds are planted directly to the garden and which ones you'll need to start indoors unless you want to buy the plants. Most years it's safe to start setting out tougher plants in mid-May and tomatoes, melons and the like at the end of May or the first week in June. Depends on the weather. Then check growth times for the indoor seedlings and count back for the right time to plant. Make a note of what you want to plant when. It's getting very close to time to start seedlings to make your garden grow next spring.
Spend an hour or two planning and dreaming, and then settle in for a long winters' nap, while visions of sugar plum tomatoes and candy carrots dance in your head.
Tomorrow you can plan an herb garden. Next week decide what flowers you want to plant and where you want to put them.
In no time at all summer will be here. See how time flies when you're having fun?
LOVE THY VALENTINE
Monday, Feb. 14 is the day we all are supposed to do something special for the one we love best - or for everyone we love if we prefer. Anyway, there are Valentine cards, Valentine candies, Sweetheart Bouquets, and fancier gifts like diamonds, gold, rubies and the like.
Where did it all start?
There are several stories about St. Valentine. Maybe all of them are true, or maybe none are. Maybe there was more than one St. Valentine.
Fact is, some of today's Valentine's symbols had their start in the myths of ancient Greece and Rome. Eros was the Greek god of love. Venus was the Roman goddess of love, and her son, that chubby cherub we envision as Cupid, supposedly mischievously shot his love-potion arrows at unsuspecting gods and humans alike, causing them to fall unaccountably in love.
Their feast days were supposedly some time in February. One legend of St. Valentine recounts that during the 3rd Century AD Emperor Claudius II decided single men make better soldiers than married ones and in hopes of building a stronger army prohibited young men from marrying. (He obviously missed the point that it wasn't the state of being married that was causing problems with the Army, it was the state of being away from the one they loved, married or not. Psychology was definitely not his strong point.)
Anyway, Valentine, a priest, felt the decree was unfair. He took pity on young lovers and performed more than a few marriage ceremonies in secret. When Claudius discovered this perfidy he had Valentine jailed and finally executed. The legend goes on that while Valentine was imprisoned a jailer's daughter fell in love with him. On the night before he was to be executed he smuggled to her a sweet and consoling letter signed, "Your Valentine". Thus the Valentine Card was born. And since he was a martyr and known to be a devout and pious man, St. Valentine was canonized.
SERIOUS/ROMANTIC
The Valentine's Card has become an American tradition. School children exchange them with virtually all their classmates, but from time immemorial (at least since I was a girl) little girls and boys have scrutinized the messages on their Valentine cards hoping to discover hidden meanings in their generally humorous cards.
Humor is often used by humans, especially those of the male persuasion, to hide finer emotions.
So men and boys, if you can't think of something romantic to say to your sweetie on Valentine's Day, try one of these. Maybe she'll understand. Then again, maybe she won't, and if she doesn't, you're in big trouble!
The first four are "knock knock" jokes. (Answers are after Cookin' Time.)
1. Olive
2. Justin
3. Oscar
4. Arthur
5. "What did the envelope say to the stamp?"
If you use these, be ready to run! Brickbats have flown over many a milder pun.
BY THE FIREPLACE
If your romantic evening includes cuddling by the fireplace, dry out some orange and lemon peels and toss them into the flames. The slightly spicy aroma will enhance the mood. Or at least it will leave the room smelling fresh.
COOKIN' TIME
Sweets for the sweet! These candies are so simple a child can make them, but they look and taste fantastic. You cook them entirely in the microwave. Very appropriate for a Valentine gift, especially if you package them in a heart-shaped box or fancy dish.
CHERRY HEART TRUFFLES
11 1/2 ounce package milk chocolate pieces
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Maraschino cherries, well drained, cut in half
Cocoa, confectioners sugar, chopped nuts, and/or the dipping sauce below
Use a 4-cup glass measuring cup. In order put in the milk chocolate pieces, butter (cut into 4 pieces), instant coffee powder and cream. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Put in freezer until firm, then with hands shape into balls, tucking a cherry half into the center of each. Roll the balls in your choice of cocoa, confectioners sugar or chopped nuts, or colored sprinkles.
CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE
Use this easy, easy sauce for dipping truffles, pretzels or fruit pieces. You can use it for a dip as you eat treat, or dip ahead of time for chocolate coated goodies, whatever your little heart desires. It hardens when it cools. Fresh strawberries and bananas are excellent dipped in chocolate, but at the price of strawberries right now you'd probably do better to spend your money on the diamonds mentioned previously.
1/2 pound chocolate (semi sweet, white or milk chocolate chips are fine)
1 to 2 teaspoons salad oil
In 2 cup glass container nuke on high until shiny, then stir until smooth. Times should be 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for semi-sweet, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 minutes for milk chocolate and 1 to 1 1/2 minutes for white chocolate.
SEAFOOD LINGUINE
This quick and easy dish tastes like you slaved all day, and broke the bank besides. Serve with champagne, a dish of cherry tomatoes, lettuce salad and a lovely heart-shape cake and you have the perfect Valentine's Day Dinner. Serves only 2, so if your family is larger you'll have to multiply. You don't have to double the seafood though unless you want to. It will still be very, very good.
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup sliced onion
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 ounces grated Swiss cheese
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces imitation crab
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper (preferably white)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups cooked linguine
Parsley, optional
In heavy fry pan melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the vegetables and cook quickly until tender crisp. It works well to put on a cover for about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables. Heat the remaining butter until bubbly. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to combine. Do not let it brown. Add the milk all at once and cook and stir until it boils and thickens, probably a minute. Add the cheese and stir over low heat stir until it melts. Have the imitation crab cut into nice bite size chunks. Add the lemon juice, crab meat and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, more or less than specified as you prefer. Serve over the hot linguine. Some fresh parsley snipped on top is an extra nice touch.
BANANA MERINGUE PUDDING
(Or make the full calorie version. It's your choice.)
Fills a sweet tooth to overflowing for only 147 calories, with 4 grams of fat and 19 grams carbohydrate. A 2/3 cup serving equals 1/2 of a fruit exchange and half of a lean meat exchange. Makes 8 servings. If you don't care about the low cal, low carb part, simply use real sugar instead of the substitute, add 3 or 3 more bananas, line the dish with vanilla wafers and a layer of banana slices before you put in the first layer of pudding, and crush about 10 more to sprinkle over the top of the pudding just before you put on the meringue.
3 eggs, separated
2 cups whole milk
Granulated sugar substitute equal to 3/4 of a cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 dashes salt
2 bananas, sliced
8 vanilla wafer cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using wire whisk, mix thoroughly milk, egg yolks, flour, dash of salt, and sugar substitute to equal half a cup of sugar. (Follow package directions to measure sugar substitute.) Cook over boiling water for 10 minutes or until thickened, whisking constantly. Stir in vanilla. Put about a third of the pudding into a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Slice the bananas and spread them over the pudding layer. Add another third of the pudding. Slightly crush the wafer cookies and scatter them over the pudding. Add the final third of the pudding. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, gradually add the final 1/4 cup equivalent of sweetener and the second dash of salt . Beat until stiff but not dry. Spoon over the top of the pudding, spreading evenly to cover the entire surface and seal the edges. Bake in top half of the oven for 15 minutes or until the meringue is browned. For best results refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.
RIDDLE ANSWERS
1. Olive you
2. Justin time. Here's your valentine.
3. Oscar if she likes me.
4. Arthur any chocolates left for me.
5. The envelope said, "Stick with me and we'll go places."
The Country Cousin
Thought for the week: Valentine's Day focuses on love, and we generally think of this as romantic love. Maybe we could all also focus a bit on the need for greater love for our Creator and our fellow beings. Brings to mind a lovely song I enjoy on the radio: "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love." God said it best, in the Holy Bible, Corinthians 13, verses 1-3 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
(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 715-927-5034 or by e-mail at shirleyprudhommechickadee@yahoo.com.)
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