Lehman’s Country Life

By Melinda Hill

As the holiday season approaches I often need to stop and remind myself that the focus of the holidays doesn’t center around the preparations and the details but on the fellowship with family and friends as we celebrate the spirit of the season. As we gather to give thanks for our blessings, please keep in mind those who are less fortunate, those who are pending job loss, those who have lost loved ones, those who can’t be with us and then, put the rest of life in perspective. For all the joys we cherish, there are sorrows that burden us, and if nothing else, we just need to be mindful of those around us who are struggling during this time and offer a helping hand. 
    As you plan gatherings, remember to include foods for those who are trying to avoid putting on a few extra pounds through the holidays. Again, from our friends in Extension at the University of Kentucky, Janet Tietyen has the following tips for us to use.

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In our busy lives today we try to fit so many things into each day; tending family, keeping a home, working. It is no wonder Time has become another factor to consider in our lives. So where do we start to have fun with the holidays, use our time well and not be expensive?

I always seem to start in my kitchen.  Simple baked items can be very decorative and lots of fun!  I have always depended on a basic Sugar Cookie Dough - it can be easily made at home or affordably purchased ready-made at the market.  Turn a group of youngsters (or just the young at heart) loose with sprinkles and frosting and you are bound to get some fun results.
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When you decorate for the holidays this year, why not adorn your backyard with some edible treats your feathered friends (the wild birds) will love? You’ve seen those expensive edible wreaths covered with seed in catalogs and wished you could have some for your yard. Why not make one if you have chilly winter weather? They’re simpler than you think. The Seed Pine Cone Wreath works in any weather - up to 85 degrees. And there’s always a Bagel Wreath!
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Recently I was going through my cupboard of cookbooks looking for a certain recipe when I came across an old recipe booklet. This booklet was dated 1975 and was actually done on a mimeograph machine (remember those? -really makes you appreciate your computer, huh?) Well, I found a recipe with my cousin’s name on it but I’m sure it is from her mother, my Auntie Flo.

My Auntie Flo was a good cook and she was known for it in the community where I grew up. She actually was like a grandma to me, because my grandmothers both died when I was young and I really don’t remember them - plus, Auntie Flo lived right next door to us.  Her door was always open to my four brothers and me. If my aunt and uncle were eating when we decided to “pop in,” we were always offered a taste of their meal. We loved our Auntie Flo and Uncle Merl and the feeling was mutual.
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Don’t be caught with way too much, or (heaven forbid) not enough pumpkin pie this year. Plan for your holiday gathering by buying and preparing the right amount of food for the number attending.

Please note: These quantities are for 24-25 people. Multiply or divide as needed.

Beverages

• Coffee Servings: 25 Serving Size: 3/4 cup Amount Needed: 1/2 to 3/4 pound, ground
• Milk Servings: 24 Serving Size: 1 cup Amount Needed: 1 1/2 gallons
• Soft Drinks Servings: 24 Serving Size: 1 cup Amount Needed: three 2-liter bottles
• Tea, hot Servings: 25 Serving Size: 3/4 cup Amount needed: 5 quarts (20-25 tea bags)
• Tea, iced Servings: 25 Serving Size: 1 cup Amount Needed: 1 1/2 gallons (24-30 tea bags)
• Orange Juice Servings: 32 Serving Size: 1/2 cup Amount Needed: 1 gallon
• Lemonade Servings: 32 Serving Size: 1 cup Amount Needed: 2 gallons
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We’ve gotten some recent requests for the following recipe, a holiday tradition in my house since I found it several years ago. For cheesecake novices: this is a very easy and truly mah-velous one to make. Rich, creamy white chocolate cheesecake is studded with crunchy bits of peppermint candy and capped with a bit o’ whipped topping - simply sublime.

Ingredients:

1 c. graham cracker crumbs

3 Tbsp. melted butter

3 Tbsp. sugar

3 8-oz pkg. cream cheese

3 eggs

4 1-oz squares white baking chocolate

3/4 c. sugar
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Thanksgiving is a holiday that is shared over the many different cultures and beliefs that make up this country.  It is a time to stop and take notice of all we have to be thankful for every day.  In our busy days as parents, teachers, children, and farmers, it is easy to lose track of all the wonderful things that occur each and every day.  Many of us in different locations have suffered their share of hardships this year - drought and loss of crops in the southern states, flooding in the panhandle regions, fires in the west.  Thanksgiving begins the holiday season for many.

Have you ever thought about sharing that time of thankfulness?  Maybe it is customary in your family to gather and share a big meal.  But there is a new idea spreading through some areas: they are gathering together to share the “Thanksgiving Experience” as communities.
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By Melinda J. Hill, CFCS, CFLE
Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences
OSU Extension, Wayne County

  Warm days in October have lengthened our fall produce season by a couple of weeks for everyone to enjoy, but we all know that our fall harvest will soon be over when we have a killing frost.  The pumpkins and squash along with apples and cider bring fall aromas from the kitchen.  I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for a couple of new things to add to our family meals and these fall fruits and vegetables are wonderful additions.  As you look for recipes, try to find those that have low fat ingredients and use methods of preparation that roast, bake, grill or microwave to limit the necessity of adding fat like breading and frying.  Here’s a recipe I’m going to try from the University of Illinois Extension, to give a little variety to weekend breakfast with the family or snack/dessert to take to the next family gathering.  Hope you will try them too! 
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Ever since Elaine (One of Lehman’s buyers) told me to take a Terra Cotta bread pan with a crack in it home to test, I have been into making bread. She told me that the manufacturer said it was normal for a Terra Cotta pan to have these characteristics. Elaine wanted to know if, through use, the crack would get worse? Nope, it has not, in fact I like this pan a lot. Recently I stopped by the store to pick up the dough bowl that I have had my eye on for a long time. This is a wooden dough bowl that is intended to be used for bread rising. According to Sarah’s copy (our copy writer and the editor of this blog) and research on the internet, I find that the bowl provides the insulated environment that is perfect for the bread to rise.

Bread rises perfectly - Baked goods stay warmer
A welcome relief to bread bakers everywhere! You know how difficult it is to find the perfect spot when it’s time to let your bread dough rise. Our dough bowl is the answer. It doesn’t retain cold so bread dough rises perfectly. Insulates, so baked goods stay warmer. Absorbs oil (which helps season it), so fried foods stay crisp.

Another nice feature is the bowl does not need to be oiled, in fact it soaks up oil that comes out of the rising dough.

While at the store I picked up another terra cotta bread pan (being so satisfied with the first). The recipe I use makes two loaves so, typically I use the terra cotta pan and one of my standard glass pans for the recipe. As I was making my loaves of bread for the week this past weekend, I wondered how big of a deal it was to use the dough bowl. Then as I loaded the loaves in the new terra cotta pan that just got seasoned by my son and wondered how much of a difference these items make in the quality of the bread. I am going to answer that question below.
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4 great recipes to celebrate nature’s bounty!

How do we perceive the changing of the seasons? Is it the arrival of the first hard frost, falling leaves fluttering to the ground, the apple harvest and bright orange pumpkins? To me it is all of the above. After a long, hot summer, I embrace the sights and smells of the cooler weather. Such calming, comforting memories are aroused by the smell of the smoke from the wood stove in the crisp morning air.

Many of my childhood memories are tied directly to the splendid flavors of autumn foods. While the cutting of the corn and harvest of the soybeans are in full swing, there is a rich satisfaction in a bowl of hearty soup, a hot casserole and a slab of yummy pie.

Enjoy the bountiful harvest. Pull out the recipes saved from family members over the years. Prepare a warm comfort food to savor on a cool autumn night. Call together friends and family to share good food, old and new memories.
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