Country CousinIssue Date: April 13, 2022Shirley Prudhomme Wishes for a Blessed Easter for all....
Here we are in the middle of Holy Week. Easter is just a few short days away. Church services are being held on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, as well as on Easter itself.
Doesn't feel like Spring is really here, and wouldn't feel confident about having any great success with an Easter Parade. We've been spoiled in recent years, but in the old days, here in Wisconsin we often had to forego wearing new Easter shoes - especially the shiny patent leather ones - except when we were inside the house. Snow boots - sometimes called goulashes - were required for outdoors.
Of course, Easter sometimes happens in March. Latest possible date in any year is April 25.
Don't know for sure yet if there will be rain, shine or even snow for Easter this year. Predictions are for more of the dreary weather most of this week and next, with a mix of rain and sun on Easter itself, but cold, with a high of 41 and low of 31. Then on Monday, the nasty old weather man is calling for mixed rain and snow! Guess it's better than predicting it for Easter. Temperatures are expected to drop slightly below freezing at night, with the coldest night - 25 degrees - predicted for Holy Saturday.
We had a few very welcome sunshiny days before the winds left over from March blew those darned April showers back. On the other hand, frost seems to be gone from the ground in most places and that 25 degrees isn't really enough to freeze it again, so anyone determined to plant peas on Good Friday like Grandma always said we had to can do it, provided the mud isn't too deep.
Feel sorry for the birds and bees that may be back from their winter habitat. It felt so good to see a few happy birds on the few sunny days during the past week.
MODERN MIRACLES
Whatever the weather, starting on Holy Thursday, we'll be celebrating the biggest miracle the world has ever known - the death and Resurrection of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible is filled with tales of miracles, and certainly Jesus' life was filled with them. But there's every reason to believe miracles still happen today. We just don't recognize them, because they're often little favors God does for us as a kind and loving Father, not major life changing events.
A few years ago in an old magazine I came across a brief story by a young mother. Her husband was in the military, and payday was once a month. Their money usually ran out before the month did. Their baby was small and disposable diapers were not yet in general use. She had run out of laundry soap and couldn't buy more until the next check came in. The clean diaper supply would not last.
She got to worrying about the problem while they were at church on Sunday. She started to pray over it, then decided God shouldn't be bothered with such a trivial concern.
But when they got home, a sample package of laundry detergent was hanging on the door knob. Just enough to get her through.
Coincidence or miracle?
Bet if you think about it, your family also has had a modern day miracle or two. No one deserves miracles. We can't earn them. They just happen, but sometimes we have to ask. They are gifts from God. We just need to accept them, use them well, and hopefully remember to thank Him.
EASTER
If you have children or grandchildren the right age, check with recreation departments, Chamber of Commerce, and/or other business associations for the Easter Egg Hunt nearest you. Several are being held on Saturday, April 16, and the one in the City of Peshtigo requires registration at City Hall by Friday, April 15. It will be held at Badger Park Saturday morning - rain, shine or snow. They're great fun for the kids, and the adults they bring with them.
JELLY BEANS
Jelly beans and Easter seem to just go together. there's a cute little poem called the Jelly Bean Prayer is a cute Easter poem that uses the colors of jelly beans to tell the Resurrection story. It goes like this:
"Red is for the blood he gave, green is for the grass he made. Yellow is for the sun so bright, orange is for the edge of night. Black is for the sins we made, white is for the grace He gave. Purple is for the hour of sorrow, pink is for a new tomorrow. A bag full of jelly beans, colorful and sweet, is a prayer, is a promise, is an Easter treat!"
ON THE SOAP BOX
DEATH OF DEMOCRACY
Was researching old columns recently, and found one that was steaming about the Obama Health Care bill.
Remember how so many of us felt?
Here's what I wrote then, and some of the predictions have sadly come true:
Am too angry to say much about the devious, probably illegal, and certainly undemocratic processes used by President Obama and his henchmen in Congress to get that 2,700-page abomination of a health care bill passed.
Unless we manage to change things in a big way come November, we can bid a sad farewell to life with the freedoms we have known as American citizens.
If the provisions of that bill are implemented as we understand them, Big Brother will have the power of life and death over us, and there's every reason to believe the Socialists at the helm today will eagerly use that power to bring us all into line with whatever they think is best for us.
A law that requires private citizens to buy health insurance! Who would have ever, in their worst nightmare, dreamed that would happen in America? If we can't afford it now, how on Earth will we afford it when the insurance companies all know we have to buy from someone because we're under the gun from benevolent Big Brother. If Big Brother insists they sell at a loss they'll be out of business and then no one will have coverage. If Big Brother tries to pay for everyone's health care himself (with our money, of course) the whole nation will be bankrupt in a short time. Can't win!
Would bet all the tea in China - and all the money America now owes that country - that not one of the so-called Representatives who voted for that bill has read the whole thing, and that even those who did try to read it don't begin to understand its implications.
Some of the worst provisions of that bill were later modified, but many remain in place, and many of the problems predicted back then have sadly come to pass - particularly the last part, which was true then, but is even more true today:
"Hard to laugh at a sad time like this, when the death knell is tolling for democracy, but one jokester put it this way, "We've progressed from passing bills without reading them to passing bills without voting on them."
We seriously gave up freedoms then, and we're getting better and better at doing just that. Practice makes perfect.
We certainly gave up our freedoms when we let Dr. Faucci and company or mayors and governors dictate everything connected with Covid without anyone even voting on them. All Christians, especially Christian leaders, should be thoroughly ashamed of so willingly giving up our right to worship for fear of a virus.
The martyrs who gave their lives to stand up for God are doubtless still shaking their heads over all of us cowardly Christians!
As an unnamed Christian once said, "If I'm ever persecuted for my faith, I hope and pray that there's enough evidence to convict me."
WISE ADVICE
Regardless of religious preferences, wish our political leaders would take to heart these wise words from Thomas Jefferson: "A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned ?? this is the sum of good government."
How wonderful if we would return to that philosophy, which is what made our nation great in the first place!
COOKIN' TIME
It is possible to produce homemade Easter Peeps, and eggs are not even required. That is a very good thing, in view of the current egg shortage and the high egg prices to go with it. If you have a bit of extra time, and want to try something unusual, try these. Good fresh or frozen.
COLORED SUGAR
Make your own fine colored sugar, or cheat and buy colored sugar and then pulverize it in the food processor or blender. (Personally, I would cheat.)
To make your own: Place 2 cups of granulated sugar in a large, gallon-size zipper type plastic bag. Using a toothpick, place a generous dab of yellow gel food coloring or several drops of liquid food coloring into the bag and seal it. Work the sugar around the coloring by shaking the bag and repeatedly turning it, adding more color if necessary to achieve the desired shade. It will take awhile. Be patient and thorough. Sift the sugar once it is the color you want to remove any remaining clumps of color.
MARSHMALLOW PEEPS
You will need a candy thermometer, a piping bag with a round 1/2-inch tip, and an electric mixer, preferably with a whisk attachment.
2 cups yellow colored sugar
9 tablespoons water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2.5 teaspoons)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon liquid yellow food coloring (optional)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Put five tablespoons of the water in a small bowl and on it sprinkle the gelatin and stir. Allow this to sit while you prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil. On it spread a generous layer of the colored sugar. Combine 1 cup of plain granulated sugar and 4 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook to the soft-ball stage (235 degrees). Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture very thoroughly. Pour the hot gelatin syrup into the bowl of the electric mixer and let it cool until barely warm. Begin beating with a whisk attachment at medium speed, and once the mixture is no longer clear, add the vanilla and turn the mixer to high speed. Beat for 10 minutes, or until the candy is glossy and white. If desired, add the liquid yellow food coloring and beat until well-distributed. If you don't add it, the chicks will be white, but you can still cover them with yellow sugar. It's your call. Immediately place the candy in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (Or put it into a plastic zipper-type bag and cut a 1/2 inch hole in one corner.) Pipe the Chicks onto the baking sheet covered with colored sugar. To pipe the Chicks, begin with the body: hold the bag an inch above the surface at a 90 degree angle. Squeeze the marshmallow fluff out, allowing it to form a 1-inch round before beginning to pull back toward you. Taper as you move backward, forming a 3-inch body. Release pressure and pull the bag upward to form the "tail." Next, form the Chick head by again placing the bag at a 90 degree angle. Pipe on top of the body segment, and move the bag forward (away from you). Once you get to the front of the body, pull the bag backwards and finish with an upward flick to form the "beak." (Use a real Peep as a model if you have to.) Sprinkle the still moist Peeps with remaining colored sugar. Try to get it all over, top and sides. The bottom is already taken care of. Mix the cocoa powder with a few drops of water to form a thick paste. With a small paintbrush or a toothpick to dot the Chicks with cocoa eyes. Allow them to sit out overnight to dry and set. Store in an airtight plastic container.
(P.S. If the chicks just won't behave, pour the whipped "batter" onto the colored sugar in the pan and spread to the thickness you like. Sprinkle more colored sugar on top and let it firm up. Then cut into Easter-type shapes. Won't be as cute as Peeps, but it'll taste just as good.)
EMPTY TOMB ROLLS
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (8 count)
8 large marshmallows
1/4 cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8 regular size muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Be sure to spray the top of the entire tin too. In a small bowl, melt the butter. In another small bowl mix sugar and cinnamon. Lightly dust work surface with flour. Separate crescent rolls into 8 individual triangles. Dip marshmallow completely in butter, then in sugar mixture, coating all surfaces. Place a marshmallow on the crescent roll and roll it up, completely covering the marshmallow. Firmly pinch to seal all edges. Next, dip the filled roll in butter, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar and place in the buttered muffin tin. Repeat with remaining rolls. Place muffin tin on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes. (To avoid extra cleaning work, put a cookie sheet or foil on the rack below to catch possible spills from the rolls.) Allow to cool for a few minutes and then, using a butter knife or offset spatula, remove rolls and place on a cooling rack covered with wax paper. Serve warm if possible, but they're good anyway.
SOUR CREAM BEANS
Great and easy dish to go with the Easter ham.
1 can wax beans
1 can green beans
2 tablespoons chopped sweet onion
3 tablespoons sugar
Salt to taste
2 cups sour cream
Heat beans to boiling. Drain into colander set over a dish. Quickly sprinkle with salt, chopped onion and sugar. Dump out the liquid and again set the colander over the dish so the contents drain very well. When luke warm, put into dish and stir in sour cream. Can be served warm or cold. Stays good for 3 or 4 days if kept refrigerated.
SUNFLOWER PEEP CAKE
This pretty springy cake can grace your Easter table with very little effort. Use the homemade Peeps if you made them and they turned out, or use regular boughten ones that you can count on to be cute.
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cans (16 ounces each) chocolate frosting or make a double batch of your own favorite recipe)
19 yellow chick Peeps candies
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Prepare the cake according to package directions but add the teaspoon of vanilla. Pour batter into two greased and waxed paper-lined 9" round baking pans, but try to make the center a bit lower than the sides. Bake as package directs. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Carefully remove the waxed paper. Level the tops of the layers by slicing off excess if necessary. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. Without separating the Peeps, curve the row slightly so the chicks are arranged around edge of cake, with their heads pointing in. They'll look like sunflower petals at first glance, but they also look a bit like a ring of chicks getting ready to peck at the "sunflower seeds" in the center. For sunflower seeds, arrange chocolate chips in the center of cake. Makes 12 servings.
STAINED GLASS DESSERT
1 package (3 ounces) lime gelatin
4-1/2 cups boiling water, divided
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
1 package (3 ounces) orange gelatin
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup pineapple juice
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Combine lime gelatin and 1-1/2 cups boiling water; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Pour into a lightly greased 8x4-in. loaf pan; chill until very firm. Repeat to make the strawberry and orange gelatins in separate pans. Combine the crumbs, sugar and butter; press into a greased 13x9-in. dish. Chill. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soften unflavored gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring pineapple juice to a boil. Stir in unflavored gelatin until dissolved. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside until room temperature, 20-30 minutes. When the flavored gelatins are firm, cut into 1/2-in. cubes. In a large bowl, whisk whipped topping into pineapple juice mixture. Gently fold 2/3 of the cubes into whipped topping mixture. Spoon over crust; top with the remaining cubes. Chill for at least 2 hours.
The Country Cousin
Thought for the Week: We're in the final days of Lent, and counting down to Easter. Help us, Lord, to accept the gifts You offer, and to understand that though You do not always give us what we want, You do always give us what we should have.
(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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