Clay County App News Center: 2015

Saturday, November 28, 2015

A Traditional Farm Life - MeeMaw’s Pumpkin Pie

By Shasta Hamilton

Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends! Have you ever watched a boy make pumpkin pie? I had the privilege of doing so this morning.

As I write it is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and this year we are baking the pies a day ahead. (Last year, they took longer than expected Thanksgiving morning, making us late to the big Hamilton gathering. After my husband received repeated hints regarding the correct time to arrive this year, I decided arriving on time with day-old pie was a win-win situation.)

We will be taking seven pies tomorrow: three pumpkin, two apple, and two cherry. When finalizing this over the phone with my mother-in-law, she commented, “You have MeeMaw’s pumpkin pie recipe, right? She made the best pumpkin pies.”

My ears perked up, as I did not have this treasured family recipe in my recipe box. MeeMaw was my husband’s beloved maternal grandmother, so I had my pen and paper ready when my mother-in-law came back to the phone—with an time-worn label from a can of Libby’s pumpkin, marked “MeeMaw.” I transcribed the recipe over the phone and made a mental note to buy a can of Libby’s and compare.

As my 12-year-old son’s favorite pie just happens to be pumpkin, he quickly volunteered this morning to help make the pies.

We used MeeMaw’s method (hers was slightly different from today’s Libby’s label) when preparing the pie filling, mixing ingredients in the order listed. We got out our largest stainless steel bowl and a whisk, and got started.

Because we had found earlier this week on a pumpkin pie trial in the Test Kitchen that this pie recipe makes more than our 9-inch pie pan could hold, we decided probably two 8-inch pans would be about right. With this advance knowledge, we doubled the recipe for three 9-inch pies.

First came beating the eggs. My son asked, “Do I beat them like scrambled eggs?”

“Yes,” I replied.

Next thing I knew the whisk was vigorously circling the bowl, and the eggs were lemon-colored in a matter of seconds.

As I turned to get the sugar from the cabinet, I directed, “Go ahead and add the pumpkin.”

I turned just in time to see him give the can a hard shake to release the pumpkin—from about three feet above the mixing bowl. The resulting splash of lemon-colored eggs up and out of the sides of the bowl is permanently etched in my memory.

The mess wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared, so we pushed on and added the sugar, salt, ground cinnamon and ginger. After that was vigorously whisked, it was time to add the evaporated milk.

I got out the can opener and directed him to punch a hole in each side, one for the pouring of the milk, and the other to release the vacuum. It was a teaching moment, as his first pouring hole was too small to allow much to come out. After it was enlarged, he lifted the can up and down—with a big grin and a playful look in his eyes--as the milk now flowed freely into the pumpkin mixture.

Taking no chances with Thanksgiving’s pumpkin pies, I divided the filling evenly between the three prepared pie shells. It filled them perfectly—just full enough to carry them on their baking sheets to the oven without causing them to spill over the sides of the nicely fluted edges.

We followed the baking time as directed, switching baking pans top for bottom around halfway through.

All in all, we’re looking forward to a day full of food and family tomorrow. There’s a chance, however, that my growing boys may be putting slightly greater emphasis on the former. As we were preparing the pies this morning, my “bottomless pit” boy helper tentatively asked, “What’s my pie limit at Thanksgiving?”

MeeMaw’s Pumpkin Pie

2 eggs

1 can (15 oz.) Libby’s pumpkin

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

1 can (12 oz.) Carnation evaporated

milk

unbaked pastry for 2 (8-inch) single

crust pies, or 1 (9-inch, 4-cup

volume) crust

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pastry-lined pie pans on baking sheet.

2. Combine filling ingredients in order listed: Beat eggs, mix in pumpkin. Add sugar, salt and spices; mix well. Slowly whisk in evaporated milk.

3. Divide filling between the two pans; carefully place in oven on rack near bottom to ensure a crisp bottom crust.

4. Bake 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes or until thin-bladed steak knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Yield: 2 (8-inch) pies.

Shasta is a fifth generation rural Kansan now residing in Enterprise, Kansas. She and her husband own and operate The Buggy Stop Home-Style Kitchen with their six home-schooled children. You can reach The Buggy Stop by calling (785) 200-6385 or visit them on the web at www.thebuggystoprestaurant.com.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

"Bear Sign" Buttermilk Doughnuts - A Traditional Farm Life

A Traditional Farm Life - "Bear Sign" Buttermilk Doughnuts

By Shasta Hamilton

Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends! Our town’s new Grist Mill has bones and skin, but unfortunately it doesn’t have a head on its shoulders!

Turnout was great last Saturday morning for the mill’s “barn raising.” The girls and I took a break from preparing the crew’s lunch to walk down the block that beautiful morning, and were rewarded with an awe-inspiring sight. Just as we came to the corner with the site within view, the first 32-foot wall was “walked” up into place by a large group of men. It is always amazing to see how something that would be impossible for one or two is relatively easy for a group of folks with a goal in mind.

Work progressed well that day—the four framed walls were put up and were in the process of being “skinned,” but there was, and still is, much to be done to make the dream a reality. The amount of behind-the-scenes planning that goes into such an endeavor is incredible. Joe Minick has spent a lot of time and effort putting the plans in order and coordinating the building old-fashioned building “bees” that have got the project on its way.

Work on the mill did not begin last Saturday, of course. Men were on site the week before, cutting wood so the walls could be quickly framed, as well as other preparatory work.

Work has continued since Saturday. Both stories are now skinned and doors and some of the windows have been installed. Although work has on hold for the time being, by the time you read this, trusses will probably be installed in preparation for putting on the roof.

As a lover of history and a resident of this fine city, it’s exciting to see the Hoffman Mill rising again. It’s been encouraging to see folks from our community coming together to see this nod to Enterprise’s founding fathers become a reality. Our family is honored to be able to contribute our boy’s time to help with construction and have been delighted to feed hungry crews of workers as needed.

In the spirit of the community “work bees” of days gone by, the girls and I whipped up a batch of buttermilk doughnuts this morning. The crew we were feeding was limited to a bunch of hungry Hamilton’s--and perhaps that’s all right, because there would not have been enough left to feed the construction crew.

Buttermilk doughnuts would have been a familiar treat when the original Hoffman Mill was founded. The following recipe was handed down to the King Arthur Flour Company from a farmwife in Wisconsin, and was believed to be over one hundred years old. We’ve made it several times over the years to the delight of the children.

Made the way I’ve revised the recipe, it resembles a cowboy treat we’ve read about called “bear sign.” Bear sign was the cowboy term for doughnuts made out on the range for hungry cowhands by the dishpan full, and from my research I’ve learned the cook who made them was highly regarded.

They were not particularly difficult to make in my home kitchen, but I can only imagine how difficult it would be to whip these treats up for the boys on the range from the tailgate of the chuck wagon.

Though I won’t be traveling down the Chisholm Trail next week with a chuck wagon ready to feed my hungry boys, I will be in the kitchen preparing pies and other goodies for the Thanksgiving holiday. Please note: The Buggy Stop will be closed November 25-28.

“Bear Sign” Buttermilk Doughnuts

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in

1 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

about 4 cups all-purpose flour (enough to hold a spoon upright)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 cups (3 lbs.) lard or vegetable

shortening, for frying

confectioner’s sugar

1. In medium bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Beat in the baking soda/buttermilk, butter, and vanilla. Add baking powder, flour, and nutmeg, stirring until well combined. Dough will be sticky, but should be stiff enough to hold a spoon upright.

2. Place dough on a well-floured surface, sprinkle flour on top and roll 1/4 inch thick. (Dough may be divided in half for easier handling.) Cut dough with a 2 to 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter or rim of a large drinking glass. (Dough can also be cut into traditional doughnut shapes.)

3. In a large, deep kettle, melt the lard or shortening and heat to 375 degrees. Carefully slip doughnuts into oil and fry 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels; cool slightly. Put confectioner’s sugar in a paper bag, add a couple donuts at a time, and shake to coat. Excellent served warm with a cup of coffee strong enough to float a horse shoe in.

Yield: 1 dishpan of doughnuts.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Clay County Meadowlark Hospice Tree of Light

The Tree of Light ceremony is a treasured event in Meadowlark Hospice history. This year we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first Tree of Light ceremony. Thanksgiving weekend in 1990 was the beginning of this memorial tradition in the Clay Center Courthouse square. The names of those being honored were read and the lights on the tree were lit for the holiday season. The ceremony included music and the reading of a litany. Through the years, the Tree of Light ceremony has changed to better meet the needs of our communities, but the heart of the ceremony remains.

From that one ceremony, the Tree of light has now grown to six ceremonies throughout our service area. Meadowlark Hospice volunteers have become the coordinators behind each of the ceremonies. The ceremonies are now traditionally held indoors and include music, litany, and the reading of names of honored individuals. As the individuals' names are read, a symbolic votive candle is lit. The ceremony also includes memorial recognition of the Meadowlark Hospice patients that have passed away during the past year.

The tree of light ceremony is a blessed tradition of Meadowlark Hospice. It is an honor to have families remember their loved one at one of the Tree of Light ceremonies. Providing hospice care to the communities of North Central Kansas is a privilege. Our staff are members of all of these communities and are honored to provide end of life care to their friends and neighbors. We are humbled to see the amount of support the community provides to Meadowlark Hospice.

Gifts to Meadowlark Hospice are made in memory of a hospice patient, someone who has passed away, or in honor of an individual still living. Meadowlark Hospice continues to use the gifts to help provide care to any person in need of hospice care regardless of their ability to pay and to cover costs not covered by Medicare. It is a comforting reminder that our loved ones are still remembered and gives families a moment to treasure their memories.

There will be a Tree of Light Remembrance on Thursday November 19th on the Court House Square. We will be leading the community in singing Christmas Carols. This will be in remembrance of the 1st Tree of Light Ceremony in 1990. On Sunday December 6th at 2:00 PM, the 25th Annual Tree of Light Ceremony will be held at the Family Life Center at the United Methodist Church

CCBA Shop Punch Card

Community Orchestra WINS Award

The Community Chamber Orchestra LLC of Morganville, KS was recently awarded a 2015 Award of Merit from the Kansas Department of Commerce (admin@kansascommerce.com; KansasCommerce.com; 785-296-3481). The Award was made in the category of Professional Service by the Office of Minority & Women Business Development, Directed by Rhonda Harris. The Orchestra has been directed and performing continuously since 1997 by Dr. Anne Clark of Morganville . It employs youth and adults to perform live chamber orchestra and trains musicians in rural, economically depressed areas of North Central Kansas where the public school orchestra programs have been eliminated

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Hot Fudge Sauce - A Traditional Farm Life

A Traditional Farm Life

By Shasta Hamilton

Hot Fudge Sauce on Deb Sanders Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends! Blustering winds and dropping temperatures are a cool reminder that winter is indeed on its way.

We’re hoping to see walls and a roof up on Enterprise’s new Grist Mill before cold weather truly sets in. Concrete was poured, and walls are in the process of being built to be put in place on Saturday’s “Barn Raising.” By the time you read this, the barn raising will be history, but the historical nature of the project will continue.

Joe Minick has spearheaded this nod to Enterprise’s long history connected to the Hoffman Mill. We appreciate his desire to see a flour mill back in Enterprise. It is located on Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad property immediately after you cross the bridge across from Great Plains Manufacturing—and within eyesight of the location of the old Hoffman Mill.

Flour has been flying lately here in the Test Kitchen, but for an altogether different reason. I’ve been busy putting together bakery and spice mixes for sale at our restaurant and specialty shops here in the area.

Currently we have Buttermilk Pancake, Maple Cornbread, Wholegrain Maple Cornbread, Quick Cream Biscuits and Country-Style Milk Gravy mixes to make your meal preparation a little less hectic this time of year.

We are also offering four spice blends our Buggy Stop customers will find familiar. You can now make Buggy Stop Chili anytime in your own kitchen with our Chili Seasoning blend. Don’t forget the Maple Cornbread!

We use our “House Seasoning” on our ribs and chicken, add it to ground beef we’re browning, to simmering soups and gravies, and even stir it into sour cream for a quick chip or veggie dip.

We’re even multiplying the many ways you can eat Buggy Stop Bread. With the help of our Garlic Bread Seasoning, you can now make garlic butter at home just like we use for our Custom Grilled Sandwiches. In addition, we are even offering our own Cinnamon Sugar blend to sweeten up you next slice of toast!

I’m currently developing a line of gourmet pancake mixes here in the Test Kitchen to add some welcome variation to our Buttermilk Pancake Mix. Our children have been willing taste testers as I’ve served up Gingerbread Pancakes, Double Chocolate Chip Pancakes, and even Sunflower State Multigrain Pancakes--taking hint from our popular Sunflower Multigrain Bread.

Next up in the Test Kitchen are Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, Banana Nut, Pumpkin Spice, and just for fun—Cranberry pancakes. And to think our children used to think breakfast was boring!

While it is true that a chocolate pancake with chocolate chips topped with whipped topping and hot fudge sauce for breakfast will rival—and perhaps exceed--my childhood favorite, “Cocoa Pebbles,” for an early morning sugar rush, at least your blood sugar will be on an “all-natural with no artificial ingredients” high! (Parents with young children, a note of caution--maybe you better save this one for the weekend!)

Surprisingly, it turns out the pancake the children all flipped for was my Brown Sugar Oatmeal version. With chocolate chips it was superb—no topping needed--but I couldn’t resist trying the Hot Fudge Sauce recipe I’d been wanting to try on top. Since our goal is usually to restrict sugar at breakfast, none of our children passed up the chance at putting what they would usually only see on ice cream on top of a pancake!

And so, friends, the choice is yours: Sweeten the family up at breakfast, or wait for until later for a Hot Fudge Sundae. Either way, this simply rich homemade fudge topping is sure to bring a smile to their faces.

Hot Fudge Sauce

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

dash salt

1/4 cup butter, cut in 4 equal pieces

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In medium saucepan, mix sugar, cocoa, and salt.

2. Add butter and milk; bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, but maintain the full rapid boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly; remove from heat.

3. Stir in vanilla extract. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving. Sauce will thicken considerably as it cools. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 1 cup.

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Great Plains Theatre Presents On Golden Pond

Fifth Show of GPT's 21st Season On Golden Pond begins Nov. 13th

L-R Front : Lindsay Odegaard, Marcia Sattleberg, Herman Johansen
L-R Back: Paul Evans, Ted Kitterman, Nick Wright

Great Plains Theatre continues its 21st Season with Ernest Thompson's heartwarming comedy On Golden Pond. The fifth show in the 2015 season opens Friday, November 13th and runs through November 22nd. Directed by Mark Robinson, the production will feature Herman Johansen as Norman, the curmudgeonly retired English professor and Marcia Sattelberg plays his feisty wife, Ethel. Together, the retired couple spend their summers on Gold Pond in Maine. This particular summer, their estranged daughter Chelsea (Lindsay Odegaard) comes home for a visit, and the family learns to heal through humor and forgiveness. The cast also features Nick Wright, Ted Kitterman, and Paul Evans. Scenery is designed by William Snyder and costumes are by Peggy Riley. Mark Warner stage manages and serves at the Technical Director. "This will be our second production at our new location at 401 Cottage Ave, the home of Thunder Struck Bumpers, Inc.," states Elizabeth Weese, executive director of GPT. "Those patrons that had the opportunity to attend our last production were very impressed with what we had accomplished inside the building." "The theatre, once again, has a very intimate feel which is what our patrons like," stated Weese. With limited seating, Weese advises to get your tickets early.

Tickets for On Golden Pond may be purchased at the box office, 401 Cottage Ave., or by phone at 785.263.4574 or online at www.greatplainstheatre.com.

Great Plains Theatre's entire 2015 Season is graciously underwritten by ASTRA Bank, with Corporate Sponsorship provided by Brierton Engineering, Inc., First Bank Kansas, Holm Automotive Inc., and Pinnacle Bank.

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After Dark at the Den

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Sunday, November 8, 2015

A Traditional Farm life - Toasted Zwieback

A Traditional Farm Life

By Shasta Hamilton

Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends. How novel it is to have the calendar page change to November and still be comfortable in shirtsleeves! That little voice of reality in the back of our minds tells us it’s too good to be true, but we might as well enjoy it while it lasts, right?

Yet even knowing that “all good things must come to an end” somehow fails to motivate me this year to accept and prepare for the reality of winter.

In these modern times, of course, there is less to prepare for than for our pioneer ancestors. It is very easy for us to forget how the seasonal cycle dictated the activities for farm and city folks alike for hundreds if not thousands of years.

While we may still be motivated to lay in a certain amount of supplies for emergency situations, we are often lulled into a false sense of security these days, I’m afraid. When the supermarket has everything we could possibly want to eat—and more--ready for us to purchase at our whim to supply the day’s need, it’s easy to forget how our ancestors spent three seasons of four preparing for the cold, dark days of winter when fresh food would be scarce.

Those among us blessed with the wisdom of white hair remember the large gardens and the stifling heat of canning winter’s supply of vegetables in the height of a Kansas summer. Other methods were—and still can be—employed to preserve the harvest.

Before the advent of water bath canning, pickling was done by lactic fermentation in those large heavy crocks now often used for nostalgic decoration around our homes. Root cellars not only housed the pickles but potatoes, carrots, onions, apples and other fruits and vegetables that were “good keepers” into the winter.

Summer sun and heat also provided the means to preserve food for later use by drying. Sliced apples and apricots first come to mind, but some vegetables were also prepared in this manner. Dried corn can be prepared in a myriad of ways, and indeed was a pioneer staple. Perhaps you’ll be surprised to know that green beans were suspended in hot attics by needle and butcher’s string, dried, and these “leather breeches” were later rehydrated, cooked, and served.

Let’s not forget about salting, smoking and curing. Family, friends, and neighbors used to gather for hog butchering bees when temperatures remained cold enough in the late fall to safely process the meat. Our pioneer ancestors “used everything but the oink” to frugally prepare for the weeks and months to come. Salt pork, bacon, smoked sausage and ham, pickled pig’s feet, and head cheese were just a few examples of delicacies prepared from the humble hog. Butchering day often included spare ribs fried in the newly rendered lard—what a treat after a day of hard work and fellowship!

Preservation methods could also be employed to “extend the shelf life” of some baked goods. My Mennonite ancestors regularly “toasted” zwieback, as this homemade bread stales quickly. The top “double bun” was pulled off and cut in half vertically to create two half-moon-shaped pieces. The larger bottom was also cut vertically into three equal pieces. In days gone by, the zwieback was toasted after regular baking was completed, as the brick ovens held heat well and slowly cooled down over a period of several hours—perfect for slowly dehydrating the soft bread into a crisp cracker-like treat.

Before emigrating in 1874, my ancestors baked and toasted bushels upon bushels of zwieback to sustain them on the long trip from the Ukraine to central Kansas. How comforting this taste of home must have been in the dark, dingy confines of a steamer slowly chugging across the Atlantic toward an uncertain destination of unbroken prairie!

Making zwieback for our family gathering last weekend inspired me to carry on the tradition of simple food, simply prepared for our own family. A table simply set in the tradition of our humble forefathers with zwieback, sliced bologna, wedges of cheddar, and sheet cake shared among family can draw us together just as well as the finest fare a king could offer—and perhaps even better.

Toasted Zwieback

zwieback, as many as desired

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Pull zwieback apart; cut smaller upper bun in vertically in half and bottom bun vertically into three equal pieces. Place in a single layer on baking sheet.

3. Bake for about 90 minutes or until zwieback have dried out completely all the way through and have browned slightly. Remove from oven to cool. Delicious served warm with butter. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

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GPT Announces 2016 Season

Great Plains Theatre is excited to announce its 2016 season which is full of a wide variety of plays and musicals sure to please everyone.

June 10 - 19 Rated G

Renowned in the Wild West as a sharpshooter, Annie Oakley meets her match, both romantically and professionally, in the form of fellow ace gunslinger, Frank Butler. While Annie and Frank are performing as part of the famous traveling show headlined by the legendary Buffalo Bill, the two compete and flirt, with plenty of ups and downs along the way. The delightful musical comedy features a memorable score including "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)", "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun" and the greatest of all showbiz anthems, "There's No Business Like Show Business".

July 8 - 17 Rated PG

At the height of World War II, two boys are sent to stay with their estranged, tough-as-nails grandmother and their loving but emotionally-challenged Aunt Bella. In a small apartment above the family candy store in Yonkers, NY, the boys learn that their quirky relatives are each hiding something and soon find themselves comically caught in the middle of all their secrets. This heartwarming comedy by Neil Simon, about the importance of family and forgiveness, won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize

August 5 - 14 Rated G

Drive a ways outta town, somewhere between Frog Level and Smyrna, North Carolina, and you'll come to a filling station run by L.M. and Jim. Across the blacktop is the Double Cupp Diner, operated by Rhetta and Prudie Cupp. To look at it, you wouldn't know that this little stop on Highway 57 is where all the action is, but trust us - once the boys get that guitar and bass fiddle revved up, you won't want to be anywhere else. Pump Boys and Dinettes is a countrified musical packed with entertaining tope-tappers such as "Drinkin' Shoes," "Farmer Tan," and "The Night Dolly Parton Was Almost Mine!"

December 9-18 Rated G

Songs and stars of the 1940s come to life in G.I. Holiday Jukebox. If you're looking for a seasonal alternative to The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol, with WWII nostalgia, great old standards, Christmas songs and comedy, then G.I. Holiday Jukebox is for you.

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There will be some changes to the Great Plains Theatre schedule for next year. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday performances will be matinees only. Evening performances will be held Friday and Saturday nights, and we will keep our popular Sunday matinees.

Ticket packages are available now. Check out our website www.greatplainstheatre.com for more details on packaging and pricing.

Join us on January 30th for an exciting night of murder, mystery and masquerade. Winter Wonderland Murder Masquerade is Great Plains Theatre's gala fundraiser, a memorable night of interactive theatre complete with a catered Italian dinner and cash bar. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in evening wear, ball gowns, suits and tuxes, and of course no masquerade is complete without a stylish Venetian mask. There will also be an exciting raffle. The event starts promptly at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $50 a person. Contact 785-263-4574 for more details and to get your tickets for the fundraiser that people are "dying" to get into.

Proceeds benefit Great Plains Theatre.

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Save the Clay Center Zoo

The Clay Center Public Utilities has operated the Clay Center Zoo since the 1950's. The Zoo charges no admission fee and is not subsidized by a tax levy. The operational costs of the Zoo are paid out of the Utility's water budget. The Zoo is a gift back to the community from the Clay Center Public Utilities. Due to an aging facility and tighter regulations, the Clay Center Public Utilities Commission must make a change. The choices are to construct a new zoo, or find homes for our current animals and cease its operation. The PUC can maintain the operational costs of the Zoo, but cannot afford to construct a new Zoo. The Utility has a "self-imposed" deadline to raise $500,000 by December 31st of 2015 to move forward with construction.

The Zoo is a special place to many people. Please help us pass this legacy on to the next generation. The Funds from this account will go towards "Phase 1" in the construction.

We are well on our way to achieving our goal. We greatly appreciate your support!

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Brigadoon at Marty - Snodgrass Auditorium

"When Books Went to War" Brown Bag Eisenhower

"When Books Went to War"

Eisenhower Brown Bag Series

Bring your lunch and join in a discussion with Elinor Haas at noon on November 5. The brown bag discussion will examine how books raised the spirits of our soldiers during World War II. The program will be held in the Visitors Center Auditorium of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home.

While the Nazis were burning hundreds of millions of books across Europe, America printed and shipped 140 million books to its troops. Haas will review the book, When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II, by Molly Manning. It is the inspiring story of how the books were received, how they connected soldiers with authors, and how an army of librarians and publishers lifted spirits and built a new democratic audience of readers.

Haas taught high school English at Abilene High School for 37 years. She has volunteered at the Eisenhower Presidential Library for 25 years. In 2008, Haas received a national volunteer award from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for her years working with collections donated to the library. She has given programs for numerous groups and organizations in the area.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, a nonpartisan federal institution, is part of the Presidential Libraries network operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Presidential Libraries promote understanding of the presidency and the American experience. We preserve and provide access to historical materials, support research, and create interactive programs and exhibits that educate and inspire.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

A Traditonal Farm Life - Zwieback Bread

A Traditional Farm Life - Zwieback Bread

By Shasta Hamilton

Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends! Leaves are falling, coats are coming out of storage, and yet our two youngest children (4 and 6 years) are still resisting giving up the carefree barefoot days of summer.

Even with new shoes—if we can find them—it’s a pretty tough sell. (We searched here and there, up and down, and in and out for several days about a week ago for our six-year-old boy’s brand new shoes. They were eventually found—to his parent’s great relief—in his papa’s rubber chore boots, one shiny new shoe neatly stuffed into each knee-high boot.)

Today found us preparing for something other than cold weather. We received a special formal invitation to my parent’s house for an extended family gathering this Sunday afternoon. It is to be a “Penner Gathering,” which means catching up with distant family on my paternal grandmother—Lena (Penner) Schmidt’s--side. (For my children, this means rubbing shoulders with their great-great aunts and uncles.)

We will gather to talk about “old times” and partake of the traditional Mennonite afternoon meal, “faspa.”

Now, you might be wondering, just what exactly is faspa? My treasured “From Pluma Moos to Pie” cookbook, a collection of ethic favorites from the Goessel community, explains it this way:

“Faspa is one of those Low German words for which there is no direct English translation. Faspa meant a light lunch about 4 p.m. on workdays. Faspa also meant the gathering of family and friends, usually at 4 p.m. Sunday, for a light meal and fellowship, with an emphasis on fellowship. The meal always included zwieback and coffee and might also include cheese, cold cuts, and jelly.”

Our family ate faspa at 3 p.m. daily. (To this day I know if I want to catch my parents in the house, 3 p.m. is the best time to call. I also know not to talk long, or their coffee might get cold!)

For this Sunday’s gathering I offered to bring the zwieback (pronounced swee-bock). These “double buns” were traditionally baked on Saturday to be fresh for Sunday’s faspa. Milk and butter rich dough is kneaded and formed into double buns by pinching off small balls of dough. The bottom one is slightly larger than the top. The top one is firmly pushed onto the bottom one in order to keep the top one from becoming “the leaning tower of Zwieback.”

Making good zwieback in an art, and unfortunately it is a skill set I do not possess. I love working with yeast breads, so the making of the dough isn’t a big deal, but the shaping of the dough into zwiebacks is a whole different story.

Perhaps I don’t make them often because I know I won’t be able to keep the tops from sliding off, silently admonishing me for my lack of zwieback shaping skill.

Casting my fears aside in order to teach my three daughters how to make this classic table staple from their Mennonite heritage, we had a fun afternoon in the test kitchen doing our level best to shape them correctly.

First we all tried our hand at “pinching” off small balls of dough. This was great fun for all, and our eight-year-old in particular was a natural at it.

Now for the hard part—firmly attaching the top. After consulting numerous recipes in several cookbooks, we pushed, poked, and knuckled our way through about five-dozen zwieback, trying all the tricks in the cookbooks to get those naughty tops to stay on. When all were baked, we had a measly grand total of eleven perfect looking zwieback. (Visit www.thebuggystoprestaurant.com for a picture of some of the good ones.) How embarrassing!

My only consolation of taking less-than-perfect zwieback to a gathering of veteran zwieback bakers is the opportunity it affords the Hamilton ladies to learn how to do it right next time. We should have plenty to talk about over faspa!

Zwieback

4 cups milk

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons instant yeast

2 tablespoons salt

Enough all-purpose flour for a medium soft dough (approx. 14 cups)

1. In a saucepan, heat milk and butter until butter melts and milk bubbles around the edges; cool until warm to the touch, about 115 degrees.

2. Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a measuring cup; let proof until bubbly.

3. In large bowl or bowl of mixer, combine milk and yeast mixtures, salt, and about 8 cups flour. Beat until smooth; let rest 15 minutes. Continue adding flour gradually, kneading until a smooth, satin dough has formed that cleans the sides of the bowl. Spray top of dough with non-stick cooking spray, cover, and let rise until double.

4. Pinch off balls of dough about 1-1/2 inches in size; place on baking sheet leaving about 2 inches between rolls. Pinch off slightly smaller balls and place on top of larger ones (try making a dent in the center of the bottom ball to cradle the top, but no guarantees!) and press down firmly with flat of fingers to adhere top to bottom bun. Cover and allow to rise 10-15 minutes while preheating oven to 400 degrees.

5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve as dinner roll with butter, jam or jelly. Traditionally served with cold cuts and wedges of cheddar cheese.

Yield: About 6 dozen zwieback

On Golden Pond at GPT Abilene

Spend a heartwarming summer with retired couple Norman and Ethel Thayer when Great Plains Theatre presents Ernest Thompson's beloved comedy On Golden Pond. The play will run November 13-22 at our new location at 401 Cottage Avenue in Abilene, Kansas.

Norman and Ethel are all set for their perennial summer getaway of fifty-years in Golden Pond, Maine. When their estranged daughter Chelsea surprises the couple with a visit, the family must find ways to reconnect and heal, embracing each other's differences in spite of Norman's curmudgeonly ways.

On Golden Pond will be directed by Great Plains Theatre's Director of Education: Mark Robinson. The cast will feature GPT regular Herman Johansen as Norman, Marcia Sattelberg as Ethel, Lindsay Odegaard as Chelsea, Ted Kitterman as Chelsea's fiancée Bill Ray, local favorite Nick Wright as Bill's teenage son Billy, and Paul Evans as Chelsea's childhood friend and local mailman Charley. Scenery will be designed by William Snyder and costumes by Peggy Riley. Mark Warner stage manages and serves as Technical Director.

Be sure to get your tickets for the play that Variety calls "a rare and memorable theatre experience." For further information contact Great Plains Theatre at: 785.263.4574

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Partners Kansas State University Salina and Westar Energy build one of the largest enclosed flight facilities for UAS in the nation

Kansas State University Salina and industry partner Westar Energy are advancing unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, education, training and research with the creation of a new flight facility.

The UAS Pavilion, constructed on K-State Salina's campus, is one of the largest enclosed unmanned flight facilities in the nation. Measuring 300-feet-long by 200-feet-wide and 50-feet-tall, the structure will enable staff and students in K-State Salina's unmanned aircraft systems program to conduct flight training and research within steps of their lab space. Also, the structure connects outside industries to an arena for company training and research.

An official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the pavilion has been planned in conjunction with Westar Energy at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, on the K-State Salina campus. Both the media and the public are invited to attend.

Since the program's inception in 2009, all UAS flight activities have had to operate offsite because of the campus's proximity to the Salina Regional Airport. According to rules from the Federal Aviation Administration, unmanned aircraft — sometimes referred to as drones — cannot fly within 5 miles of an airport. The new structure will ensure UAS students and staff can avoid time and logistical challenges by flying onsite.

"This unique facility demonstrates the commitment of the K-State Salina campus to hands-on learning, student success and research excellence in the field of UAS," said Kurt Barnhart, K-State Salina's associate dean of research and engagement. "Unmanned aircraft systems are becoming an increasingly important part of our national transportation system, and this facility is also a further expression of our prominent strength in the field."

The new UAS Pavilion was built in September with the assistance of Westar Energy, Topeka, which has been an industry partner with K-State Salina for a few years. The electric utility company and the unmanned aircraft systems program have been collaborating on applied research and training related to the development of UAS technology in and for the electric power energy sector, primarily consisting of infrastructure inspection.

"The flight pavilion enables us to train employees in safer, more efficient ways to serve our customers, and helps prepare students with the emerging skills they will need in the workforce," said Jason Klenklen, supervisor of transmission maintenance for Westar Energy. "We appreciate K-State's partnership."

Along with the 25 wooden poles donated and installed by Westar Energy, the facility features custom fabricated netting panels on all sides and across the top. With the structure being contained but not completely closed off to outdoor elements, the facility does not block GPS signals on unmanned aircraft and allows flight missions to be conducted in various weather conditions. Because of the facility's size, on-campus location and multiple applications, the overall efficiency of the program's flight operations and the students' educational experience will be increasingly enhanced.

"This facility enables us to offer student training, literally in our own backyard, in an open environment that ensures safe operations with no interference to other campus activities, including manned aircraft operations," said Kurt Carraway, K-State Salina's interim UAS program manager. "We are grateful for our Westar relationship and its interest in helping keep the UAS program at the leading edge of developing this technology."

K-State Salina is the second university in the nation to offer a bachelor's degree in UAS, which began in 2011. Since then, the program has nearly doubled its enrollment every year. The initial degree focused on flight and operations, and in fall 2015, the campus added a second bachelor's degree in UAS design and integration. K-State Salina was the first entity in the United States to be awarded statewide access for unmanned flight operations by the FAA and is a member of the FAA Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

For assistance with aerial data collection and research or to learn more about the UAS Pavilion, contact Carraway at 785-826-2624 or kcarraway@k-state.edu, or Barnhart at 785-826-2972 or kurtb@k-state.edu. For information on the UAS Pavilion ribbon-cutting, contact K-State Salina event coordinator Kirsten Zoller at 785-826-7182 or kzoller@k-state.edu.

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

Register NOW to boost your business to the next level! $150 for EDG and Chamber Members $200 for non-members or $40 per course

Held from 5:30-7:30 PM @ CCMC Education Room on the following nights:
November 5th: Visual Storytelling: Web Design Users Love

January 7th: Continuation of Accounting Fundamentals & Maintaining Your Accounting Data

February 4th: Understanding Leadership Styles
March 5th: SEO/SEM Quick Start: Making Google Love You

April 7th: Making Decisions in Complex Situations: Overcoming Barriers to Effective Problem Solving

May 5th: How to Use Your Accounting Data

For more information, or to register for the Business Booster Series, please contact the Economic Development Group at 517 Court Street or call 785.632.5974

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Song of Souls: The Journey of a Writer

New Author Uses Painful Experience as CatalystFor First Book in Song of Souls Trilogy

By Karilea Rilling Jungel

One deals with grief in various ways. There are the seven stages of grief; shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, depression/reflection, the upward turn, reconstruction and working through, and finally, acceptance and hope. And somewhere in these stages, after only 18 months of marriage to Dustin, then widowed at a young age, Christen Stovall found a way to give voice to her loss, and her book, Soulbound, was conceived.

“I decided on a trilogy in order for the characters to play out.” Christen explains that even though she picks up side jobs, her primary job is dedicated to taking her characters on a fictional journey. “When I talked to my mom about this effort, she was very supportive of me. My mother lived out in the country, so I invited her and my brother to move into town with me; it would be easier on her to get to her job, and made it financially advantageous to all of us.

courtesy christen stovall

“I started writing as a hobby in my late teens, early 20’s. I wanted to write a book, but felt I didn’t have any new idea (for a novel) back then. About two years after my husband died, the idea for this story started building in my head, and the characters began evolving. On our vacation to the east coast in 2014, the whole outline of my story came into view, and when we returned home, it took about nine months to get the story written, and a full year before it was finally done.

“To a degree, the beginning story is based on my life. I had been home schooled, while Dustin attended Central High. Dustin and I met each other while we were still in school when we applied for auditions at our community theater. I thought then, and shared with some of the other actors, that ‘I think I really like him.’ This was well after he had been in a car accident in the winter of 2000, and Dustin had worked hard to rehabilitate his mind, body, and spirit. Not long after being in a play with him (The Odd Couple at Salina Community Theater, 2005) we started dating, because I realized the ‘crush’ was as strong as ever. I had noted that although Dustin had always been a deep person; his car accident just added another layer of depth to his persona. We were together for two years before he proposed in 2007, and we married a year later, on October 26, 2008.

“However, because he was not able to become 100% rehabilitated following his car accident, Justin’s depression from continuous physical pain had become too much for him to handle, and he died on May 1, 2012.”

In Christen’s first book Soulbound, her main character, Aislynn, draws upon Christen’s personal experience as a young widow for a character who marries her “soulmate,” only to also become a widow not long into the marriage. In this fantasy world, some soulmates are able to stay connected, which gives them certain abilities. Aislynn learns she will require training to use her powers correctly, in order that she stay sane, and not go ‘crazy’. Aislynn makes the choice to stay a soulmate and becomes soul bound. That’s when her adventures really begin.

Christen acknowledged that other facets of her own personality come through in Aislynn. “In terms of how Aislynn approaches situations, such as when bad things happen, which you can’t control, you can learn to control how it will affect you, and how you will approach your own healing. Whether you are going to be a victim, or a survivor, and grow stronger are characteristics that Aislynn takes on, and I have done the same. Close friendships are important to Aislynn. She uses the same term of endearment as I did. But she is not exactly like me. Some of my other characters are based loosely on my own friends. Family is important to her, and Aislynn feels a sense of responsibility toward other characters, as do I.”

Christen confesses that this first novel was more revealing about what she went through than she thought it would be. “I was nervous at my first reading, because (the story) was intimate to me, and shows what I went through. I’m an introvert, and it is difficult to be that open to others. But the more Aislynn grew, the more I felt I was coming back to myself, as well.” Christen imagines that her second book will show some darker sides of various situations she personally went through while dealing with her grief, which will be portrayed by her protagonist. Her third book will show a softer, accepting side of what Aislynn, as well as Christen, went through.

After Christen finishes the trilogy, she would then like to continue on with a prequel, and other writing projects.

Christen Stovall’s book can be found on Amazon.com (paper and e-book), and can be ordered directly through CreateSpace, as well as Barnes & Noble.