A Traditional Farm Life
By Shasta Hamilton
Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends! You’ve probably heard it said there is
something therapeutic about gardening.
This I can believe.
You see, I’ve been an “absent gardener” this year. The few hastily planted herbs I have in my
little herb garden have largely been left to fend for themselves. Timely rains have kept them alive, at least,
and thankfully there have been few weeds.
I stepped out the door into the cool of the morning this
day, saw the hoe, and a plan formed in my mind.
Why not now?
It was only a matter of 10-15 minutes to hoe around those
woe-be-gone plants and redefine the border of the bed. I felt an unexpected sense of justice—an old
wrong had been righted by simple act.
I always think I don’t have time to spend out in my little
garden—and I probably don’t—but a 10-minute random act of kindness toward my
poor little herbs gave me a mental boost to go on about the tasks of the
day. There are many other wrongs to be
made right around here, as I have also been the “absent homemaker” this week.
Extra time was spent early this week in preparation for our
Wednesday visit from the ROMEO Riders (Retired Old Motorcyclists Eating
Out).
ROMEOs gather every Wednesday from points all over central
Kansas to share camaraderie and a meal while supporting a Mom and Pop
restaurant. We were honored to be this
week’s choice.
The day dawned with rain, but by the 11 a.m. meeting time
the road was dry, yet the skies were still overcast. It was a pleasantly cool morning for late
July.
We welcomed 25 motorcycle riders in neon yellow ROMEO
T-shirts to Enterprise, and fed them a meal featuring BBQ Pulled Pork or
Chicken Sandwiches across the street from our restaurant in the Community
Building.
Planning for the event was tricky, as riders descend upon
their destination from their own hometowns spanning a large geographical area,
with no way for the restaurant to know how many will come. We had seating for 56 prepared, and probably
would have filled more seats had the morning’s rain not deterred folks from the
Lindsborg area.
We felt it was a very positive experience, and it gave us
another opportunity to learn how to serve large groups of people. One success builds upon another, and we look
forward to serving more large groups in the future.
Now, I suppose you have spent the last week patiently
waiting for the recipe to top your German Chocolate Cake with luscious
Coconut-Pecan Frosting. Well, friends,
the wait is over!
The following recipe makes quite a bit of frosting, but it
is my preference because both the whole can of evaporated milk and package of
coconut are used. How many times have I
thrown out a half-used can of evaporated milk weeks later from the fridge, or
found a little bitty bag of something in the back of the freezer?
If you have more than you need for the cake, you might find
another use for the leftovers. If I were
you, I’d try crowning a dish of vanilla ice cream with your extra Coconut-Pecan
Frosting and topping it all off with a generous squirt of chocolate syrup. I confess I have not tried this, but I’ll
also admit I’m salivating at the thought.
If you try it, let me know how it turned out!
Coconut-Pecan Frosting
4 egg yolks
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 pkg. (7 oz.) fancy flaked coconut
1-1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
Beat egg yolks, evaporated milk, vanilla in large saucepan
with whisk until blended. Add sugar and
butter and cook on medium heat 10-12 minutes or until thickened and golden
brown, stirring constantly to avoid scorching.
Remove from heat. Add flaked
coconut and pecans; mix well. Cool to
desired spreading consistency. Fill and
frost cake.
Copyright © 2015 by Shasta Hamilton
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.
