Country CousinIssue Date: March 17, 2022Shirley Prudhomme Spring
Birds sing, flowers bloom,
Babies are born, and hibernation ends"¦
Hopefully the heavy, wet snow that came out of the sky on Monday, March 14 was the last for the season, because the calendar says the official first day of Spring - on Sunday, March 20 this year - is just days away. The weather man has promised us some fine weather for the remainder of the week. Let's see if he keeps that promise.
Calendar and weatherman notwithstanding, Tuesday morning dawned with fields and forests looking a lot more like a beautiful Christmas card than an Easter greeting, but most of us didn't appreciate the sparkling white countryside. We don't want to see the Easter Bunny borrowing footwear from his cousin, the Snowshoe Hare, to deliver Easter baskets, and while we hope March goes out like a lamb, we also hope the fluffy white covering on that lamb will be furry wool, not snow.
By the way, animals often seem to know more about the coming of weather changes than we do, so there is hope. Friend on Facebook yesterday posted a photo of a bear that appears to have just come out of hibernation. On the other hand, another friend, a bit further north in the UP, posted a photo of a deer that had somehow ended up on a shed roof. (Chances are good that the pile of snow hidden behind the building helped it get there.)
SPRING FEVER
A web site called Chopra describes the spring equinox as a time of rebirth for all life on our planet. "As winter places us in a life of darkness, equinox comes to rejoice with more hours of sunlight. Those hours of sunlight will continue increasing each day until the official first day of summer in mid-June.
All life on Earth is dependent upon the sun. It's no wonder the ancients often worshipped the sun. It's not difficult to see that every living creature and plant is celebrating at the time of spring equinox. Birds sing praise, flowers open wide, bees dance, and babies of all species are born."
Those comments seem spot on for us, but they only apply to the north half of the planet. Share a tear for the southern hemisphere, which is now heading into winter.
Regardless, spring is a beautiful reminder for us humans to transform ourselves as well as our homes. There are reasons for Spring Cleaning, and for Spring fever.
As spring sunshine pours down, we generally feel energized and more alive than we have in months. Even humans seem to sort of go into semi-hibernation in the winter. Probably self defense from the days before electric lights and television, when there wasn't much to do once darkness fell.
Anyway, if Spring brings you an urge to tackle house cleaning chores, have at it. Open the windows. Wash the curtains. Polish the windows. And when the mud clears, get outside to play!
EASTER EGG CRAFTS
Want some pre-Easter fun for you and perhaps the older kids? Easter is less than a month away now, but there's still time to make these paper mache Easter Eggs part of this year's holiday. And the nice part is they're durable enough to put away to use again next year. Make the small version to put in Easter baskets or centerpieces, or a large one to be the basket.
You'll need:
4" or 9" balloons
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
Newspaper, cut or torn into 1"x4" strips
Acrylic paint
Small paint brushes
Scissors
Newspaper
Pencil
Craft knife
Acrylic non-toxic paints
Clear spray paint or gloss finishing spray
Individually wrapped small Easter candies
Lay out newspaper to protect your work area. This is a messy job. For each Easter egg blow up a balloon to the size you like. Blend flour and water to a smooth paste. Dip the newspaper strips into the paste and apply evenly to the balloon until it's completely covered, except around the knot. Leave an opening around the knot large enough to insert candy. Let your egg dry overnight. (For easy drying racks, cut paper towel tubes into 2" sections.) Once the egg is completely dry, pop the balloon. Insert several candies into the opening where the knot was. Add more strips of newspaper dipped in the flour/water paste to cover the opening. Let dry for several hours or overnight again. When dry, paint the eggs with several colors of acrylic paint. Make eggs as fancy as your artistic abilities will allow, decorating with flowers, Easter symbols, etc. Let dry. Seal with the clear spray paint or gloss finishing spray. On Easter morning children can use a pair of safety scissors to "hatch" the egg and reveal the surprises inside. Or you can use a craft knife to cut a zigzag pattern to carefully "hatch" the egg yourself, especially the large version. Fill the larger portion of the shell with Easter grass and Easter goodies as you would an Easter basket, then set the cutoff portion of the "shell" back in place. Humpty Dumpty would love this!
P.S. If you can find it (usually at a craft store) you can use plaster cloth instead of the newspaper/flour/water mix. It does make a nice white surface. For the large egg you'll need a 4"x180" roll. Cut the plaster cloth into 2"X5" inch strips. (Use smaller strips for the smaller eggs.) Fill a medium sized mixing bowl half way with warm water. Dip the plaster cloth strips into the warm water and smooth the surface of the strips with your fingers until the plaster has a creamy consistency. Then lay over the surface of the balloon, smoothing each strip into place wrinkle-free before adding the next one. For the large egg, let the first layer of strips dry about half an hour, then add a second layer of strips at cross angles to the first to add strength to the finished product. Let this dry several hours or overnight, then paint and decorate as with the paper mache version. For the large egg you might want to draw on your pattern, then cut the egg before painting it. Turn each portion upside down on a tall glass as a paint stand to make the task easier. Seal your painted egg by spraying on a clear gloss protective finish and let dry.
GROW YOUR OWN GRASS
Talking here abut Easter grass here, not grass of the contraband kind. Came across this idea for growing your own Easter Basket grass several years ago. It was too late for that year, and after that sort of forgot about it until now. Can't talk about a first-hand experience, can only quote what the article said at that time. There's still time to do it for this year, because the "grass" only takes a week or two to grow, and Easter Sunday - April 17 - is still a month away.
Line a pretty Easter basket with a clear plastic bag. Fill it about 2/3 full of potting soil or a soil and vermiculite mix. Sprinkle generously with rye grass seeds and slightly rough up the surface. (Get the seeds at the feed mill or shopping center. Do whatever you want with the leftovers.) Water and set aside in a sunny spot to let the grass grow. They say it takes seven to ten days for a healthy crop. If you plant too early you may have to cut your Easter grass before the big day, but that's okay too. Sure would be a pretty centerpiece with a few blooming miniature crocus and hyacinths tucked in, or arbutus if they happen to be blooming by then.
ON THE SOAP BOX
It's downright terrifying how determinedly President Joe Biden and his cohorts seem to be pushing us toward World War III.
Did none of them study history? Do they really think Russia will stop if we let them take over Ukraine?
It may be too late already to turn the tide, but one small thing our nation can still do to help restore world peace is re-open the Keystone XL Pipe Line and return America to a position of being an energy exporter instead of financially supporting our enemies.
And one small thing we peons can do is try to convince our national leaders to do that.
Get out old fashioned pens and paper. Fire up computers. Write to all the legislators and demand that they get America back into an oil producing mode before winter comes again.
Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin and others in her party might be good targets. The Republican legislators generally already support the idea of a strong and independent United States of America that has enough international clout to protect our interests.
Baldwin's website says U.S. Senate security precautions prevent her from accepting e-mail attachments, and advises that submitting comments on her U. S. Senate web form is the best way to ensure that your views and feedback get to her as soon as possible. The site also says if your issue is time-sensitive, you should call 202-224-5653 to speak with a member of her staff.
Address of Baldwin's Green Bay office is 1039 West Mason, Suite 119, Green Bay, WI 54303. Phone number there is 920-498-2668. Call or write. All we need to do is change the mind of one or two Democrats and our nation can be on its way back to the energy independence we were enjoying under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
And look up contact information for Democrats in the House of Representatives and flood their offices with mail. Much good it does to keep America working toward the Green New Deal if this old planet gets blown up in a nuclear war!
Even if Ukraine were not an issue, having affordable gas and diesel fuel is essential. Right now, I for one would be willing to keep paying the higher fuel prices as long as the money for those purchases wasn't going to Russia or leaders of terrorist nations in the Mid-East.
COOKIN' TIME
Some folks celebrated St. Patrick's Day last weekend, and others will be doing it on the proper day, Thursday, March 17, or during the coming weekend. Either way, the Dublin Potato Bake and The Irish Creme Bars don't need to be tied to a holiday. Enjoy them any time.
CREAMY TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE
You can use cream of mushroom soup, or even cream of chicken soup instead of the cream of celery soup, if you like. Pickled beets really compliment the delicate flavor of this great casserole, which was always considered a Friday (or Lenten) treat in our family. It's also a wonderful way to stretch the food budget without being a sacrifice at all.
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup,
undiluted
1/2 cup milk
2 cups egg noodles, cooked
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 can (5 ounces) light water-packed tuna, drained and
flaked
1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine soup and milk until smooth. Add the noodles, peas, tuna and pimientos; mix well. Pour into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Toss bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over the top of the casserole and return dish to the oven. Bake about five to ten minutes longer, or until the crumbs on top turn golden brown.
DUBLIN POTATO BAKE
Wonderful with fried or scrambled eggs for a down-home breakfast, or as a side dish for dinner with meat loaf or other non-gravy type meat. If your choice is meat loaf, put it in the oven before you start with the potatoes, so they can share the oven and be finished at the same time. Both get pretty tired from baking, so before serving, they need to rest for about 10 minutes after you turn the oven off.
4 tablespoons butter
7 slices bacon (thick-cut slices), chopped
5 potatoes, (or 4 large) peeled and sliced thin
1 onion, peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Chives or chopped green onions, for garnish
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the butter and bacon in a large oven-proof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Sauté until the bacon is turning crispy then toss in the onions. Stir and cook until they start to slightly brown. Add the potatoes, sprinkle on the dill, salt and pepper, and stir gently with a flat pancake turner (metal spatula) for a few minutes, to mix the onions, seasonings and potatoes and coat everything in the bacon grease. Press down slightly with the turner and drizzle the heavy cream over all. Bake on the low rack in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Rest for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with chopped chives and cut.
BAILEY'S IRISH CREME AND COFFEE BARS
These double-layer bars are made with coffee and liqueur, and they also go very well with a cup of hot coffee, tea, or whatever you wish, including a glass of milk. The alcohol cooks out of the Irish Creme so these are okay for kids as well as their parents, but once you taste them, you might not want to tell the kids that. Better to keep them for yourself. They would also be great Easter treats, perhaps with each bar nested into a fancy muffin paper for serving. The authentic recipe used Bailey's Irish Cream, but I've found the less costly Irish Creme Liqueurs work equally well in this recipe.
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup Irish Creme liqueur
6 large eggs, divided
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
8 ounces cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt together. Whisk in the melted butter, Irish Creme, and 3 eggs. Once smooth, stir in the mini chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish. Place the cream cheese in the food processor or the bowl of a stand mixer. Puree or beat to soften. Scrape the bowl, then add 3 eggs, powdered sugar, and instant coffee granules. Puree or beat on low, again until completely smooth. Pour this mixture over the top of the brownie batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the center is set when jiggled. Cool for 15 minutes, then place the pan in the refrigerator to chill. Once the bars are completely cold, lift the entire batch of bars out of the pan by the edges of the paper and cut. The Irish Creme Coffee Bars can be left out on the countertop for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to a week. For bars with pretty edges, wipe the knife with a wet paper towel between each cut.
The Country Cousin
Thought for the week: Dear God, forgive us all for allowing ourselves to turn away from You and all You have given us. Help us frail and foolish become humble enough to realize that without Your help and guidance we are heading toward destruction. Let this Lenten Season be a time of reawakening for Christians, a time for those of us who believe in You to be brave enough to announce it to the world. We should all be ashamed by the way we have allowed our society to reject the moral values You want us to follow. Please, Lord, forgive us and help us do better. Help us to once again sing, "Onward Christian Soldiers," and mean it. 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 715-927-5034 or by e-mail at shirleyprudhommechickadee@yahoo.com.)
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