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Monday, June 1, 2015
Sunday, May 31, 2015
A Traditional Farm Life - Cream Cheese Frosting
A Traditional Farm Life - Cream Cheese Frosting
By Shasta Hamilton
Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends! Delicious smells are wafting through the
house from the kitchen as the birthday cake bakes for our youngest son who
turned six-years-old today. Our oldest
daughter, the Hamilton’s official birthday-cake-baker, spearheaded the effort
with the assistance of the birthday boy himself.
The only cake mix we had in the pantry this morning was a
strawberry-flavored cake. We offered to
buy whichever cake mix the birthday boy desired, but the novelty of a
strawberry cake—we’ve never had one before—overruled the not-exactly-boyish
pink color.
To compensate, we added several drops of green food coloring
to the homemade cream cheese icing. Now
we had a “Watermelon Cake.” (Ours
happened to be seedless, but if you want to make your own watermelon cake with
edible seeds, simply stir in 1/2 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips to
the finished batter before pouring it into the pans to bake.)
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we have had
the pleasure of reporting more rain here in Enterprise this week. The weeds in the garden are flourishing, and
the tomato and pepper plants we planted in the mud last week are doing their
best to get established and hold their own against the fierce competition. The
heavy clay soil of our garden is now so saturated that there are standing pools
of water in low spots throughout. It
doesn’t look like we’ll be tilling any time soon. Too bad we can’t sell weeds at the Farmer’s
Market—we’ve got the greenest, healthiest bindweed around!
Enterprise’s first Farmer’s Market was Friday night. Cloudy skies promised rain early in the day,
but by afternoon the sun came out, leaving everyone sweating in the hot, humid
air. We consider our first market here a
success, even with a grand total of only two vendors. Mike and Cat Voit from out Chapman way
brought two trucks full of some of the most amazing produce and fresh herbs
we’ve ever seen. Their fresh veggies
drew a steady stream of customers all afternoon.
Because of the cool, rainy spring it could be the end of
June before our boys have any tomatoes ready, but in the meantime they set up
shop with birdhouses and our oldest daughter’s “Doggie Snack Sticks.”
While a Farmer’s Market with only two vendors may seem a
mite small, we’ve already heard from others planning on vending in the weeks to
come. It is the hope of those putting
together the market here that it would inspire local residents to come share
their produce, baked goods, and handmade items with the larger community. The interest in all things “local” continues
to grow all over the country, and we want to foster a community spirit and
outlet for local entrepreneurs here in town.
By the way, the birthday “Watermelon Cake” turned into a
“Cake Corral” before dessert after suppertime.
Apparently the green frosting turned out to be “greener pastures” for
the cake decorating team. The toy box
was raided and miniature plastic fences were set up atop the cake to keep in
the livestock—including chickens—grazing on the cream cheese icing. It was a feast for the eyes as well as a real
treat after our birthday pizza party.
You don’t need plastic cattle, horses, and chickens—or even
a birthday--to enjoy a cake frosted with a “field” of cream cheese
frosting. Four ingredients are all it
takes to make a birthday cake the whole family will consider a gift!
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream
cheese,
room temperature
1 stick butter, room
temperature
3-3/4 cups powdered
sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
1. Blend the cream
cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer at low speed
until combined, about 30 seconds. Stop
the machine. Add powdered sugar, a bit a
time, blending with the mixer at low speed until the sugar is well
incorporated, scraping down with a spatula as needed.
2. Add the vanilla
and increase the mixer speed to medium and blend until the frosting is fluffy,
about 1 minute more.
3. Use at once to frost
the cake of your choice. Store leftover
cake in the refrigerator. Yield:
3 cups frosting, enough to frost a 2-layer or 9x13” 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.
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Wednesday, May 27, 2015
A Tradional Farm Life - Brownie Pie
A Traditional Farm Life
By Shasta Hamilton
Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends! We are enjoying steady rainfall once again
this Saturday afternoon—perfect weather for a cup of tea while we have our weekly
chat. I’ll pour a cup and be right back
. . .
Hip, Hip, Hooray!
The tomato and pepper plants are now planted in the garden! They finally escaped the confines of our
front porch Thursday afternoon. The
garden dried out just enough for the boys to get out there and “mud ‘em
in.” It was still much too wet to till
again before planting, so our tomatoes and pepper plants have dock and bindweed
as unwelcome, invasive neighbors.
On the east side of the garden, I was tickled to see a
few asparagus shoots coming up from the crowns we planted several weeks
ago. Thinking we had done something
wrong, I was about to give up hope--so it was very exciting to see some signs
of life there.
The girls continue to tend and plant their small
garden. The garlic is developing nice,
thick necks, so we have hope for good-sized cloves forming beneath the
ground. The field corn they planted has
come up and is growing nicely. It was a
pleasant surprise for them to see that the kernels they “re-purposed” from the
boy’s animal feed would actually grow.
The girls also planted three hills of Big Max pumpkins. The seeds were a
gift from a dear customer. It will be
interesting to see if they are able to grow any colossal 100-pound specimens
like the one on the front of the seed packet.
Progress is also being made on the round pen for horse
training. Michael helped the boys finish
up setting the posts Thursday evening.
All that remains is running the wire fence and hanging the gates. If it weren’t for the rain, they would be outside
working on the project as we speak.
Instead, we are spending the afternoon finalizing our
Farmer’s Market plans. Our boys
purchased a 10-foot tan-colored canopy to shade their tables of vegetables and
their sister’s Dog Biscuits. My
contribution will be much smaller this year, offering cinnamon rolls and
whatever else I may be able to “cook up” alongside my duties as wife, mother,
and restaurateur. It’s a delicate
balancing act that definitely requires a safety net!
You’ll see our familiar faces at the Abilene Farmer’s
Market starting Saturday morning, May 30, from 7 to 11 a.m. In addition to Abilene’s Wednesday Market
(beginning June 3, from 4 to 7 p.m.) we will also set up our wares at the brand
new Enterprise Farmer’s Market every Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.
Beginning Friday afternoon, May 29, the Enterprise
Farmer’s Market will be located downtown in the empty lot between Arc Angel
Firearms and the Community Center. This
happens to be right across the street from The Buggy Stop, so look both ways
before you cross the street and come say, “Hello.” If you’re “in the market” for a good
old-fashioned stick-to-your-ribs meal, we’ll have our BBQ Boneless Pork Ribs
and Bacon Jack Chicken ready to fill you up before you leave town.
While searching through my cookbook for new and different
way to use the rhubarb we were given this week, I stumbled upon a “Brownie Pie”
recipe. Being intrigued by the novelty
of this dessert spared the not-so-crazy-about-rhubarb folks in my family—and
perhaps in yours—from another rhubarb experiment.
Not having a commercial brownie mix on hand, I simply
mixed up a quick batch of my usual recipe and put it in a pie shell. The chocolate syrup and pecans sprinkled on
top made it look more distinguished.
Vanilla ice cream and more chocolate syrup on top make it a simple but
special dessert you can whip up in a jiffy.
Brownie Pie
Unbaked 9” pie
shell
1 (12 oz.) fudgy
brownie mix
(to fill an 8 x 8”
pan)
1/4 cup chocolate
syrup
1/4 chopped nuts
Vanilla ice cream
additional chocolate
syrup
1. Preheat oven to
350 degrees.
2. Prepare brownie
mix according to package directions.
Spread mixture evenly in pie shell.
Drizzle chocolatge syrup evenly over the top; sprinkle with nuts.
3. Bake 40 to 45
minutes, until brownie tests done. Cool
slightly. Serve warm with vanilla ice
cream and additional chocolate syrup.
Serves 8 to 10.
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.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Damn Yankees at Great Plains Theatre
Those Damn Yankees are going to be at Great Plains Theatre in Abilene, Kansas
 |
| Opening Night Friday, June 12 at 7:30 pm! |
Our 2015 Season kicks off on Friday, June 12 with the classic 1950s musical Damn Yankees!
Baseball fan Joe Boyd makes a deal with the devil, aka
Mr. Applegate, for a chance to help his favorite team win the pennant
against the NY Yankees in this classic 1950s musical comedy. Featuring
the songs (You Gotta Have) Heart, Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets, and
Shoeless Joe From Hannibal, MO, this musical is a sure-fire win! Rated
PG
Damn Yankees is based on Douglass Wallop’s novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant.
The novel is a modern retelling of the Faust legend, where a man
exchanges his soul to the devil in exchange for extraordinary powers.
Wallop chose to take the classic story and set it in Washington, D.C.
during the time when the New York Yankees were dominating Major League
Baseball.
Composer/lyricist team Richard Adler & Jerry Ross,
fresh from their success of their first Broadway musical, The Pajama
Game, took a large risk in writing a musical based on a sport. They
brought on Wallop to work on the book, and partnered him with renowned
Broadway director and playwright George Abbott.
Click link to our website below and read about a couple of the actors who will be coming to GPT for Damn Yankees!
Click Here to View Actor Profiles
Join us before the show on Opening Night at 6:00 pm on the east lawn of Abilene High School for hot dogs, potato salad, nachos, peanuts and even cracker jacks! Donations appreciated - see you there!
Thank you to our
2015 Season Underwriter:
ASTRA BANK
Thank you to our
2015 Season Corporate Sponsors:
First Bank Kansas
Holm Automotive, Inc.
Pinnacle Bank
&
Brierton Engineering, Inc.
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Cabela's National Team Chamionship at Milford
Please Welcome these 370 anglers and their families to the community with open arms! One way to do this is to put “Welcome Cabela’s NTC Anglers” on the marquees and signs around your businesses, or offer discounts or coupons. If you have any promotional offers/coupons that you wish for us to include in the Angler’s welcome packets, please bring them to the Chamber office by 5pm Friday (Tomorrow, May 22).
A $5.00 State Park Vehicle Fee is required, but Spectators are FREE & welcome to the tournament!
Please contact the CVB at 238-2885 or email gearycountycvb@junctioncity.org for questions or more information.
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Symphony at Sunset Concert at Eisenhower Presidential Library
Symphony at Sunset Concert to Commemorate D-Day at Eisenhower Presidential Library
 |
Click the Image to play the Video
|
The fourth annual Symphony at Sunset D-Day Commemoration
Concert will be held Saturday, June 6 -- the 71st Anniversary of D-Day-- on
the steps of the Eisenhower Presidential Library. The 35th Infantry Division
Band (Kansas National Guard) will open the concert at 7 p.m. followed by the
Salina Symphony headlining at 8:30 p.m.
This patriotic concert pays tribute to all veterans. Each
year Maestro Ken Hakoda masterfully plans a beautiful selection of music.
Salina native and award-winning tribute artist Les Lankhorst will perform as
this year's featured guest artist. Lankhorst will pay tribute to the
"Voice of the Century" marking the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra.
In lieu of a ticket fee, concert patrons are requested to
make a donation. Eisenhower Presidential Library Director Karl Weissenbach said
that since no tax dollars are used to fund public programs, the contributions
will be used to support this year's performance and future events. This free
concert is a #PayWhatYouCan performance.
Those attending the concert are invited to bring lawn chairs
or blankets and to picnic on the grounds. Food and beverages including such
items as barbecue, fritters, bierocks, pie, popcorn, nachos, donuts, candy,
soft drinks and beer will be available from area vendors beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Vendors include Amanda's Bistro, Cotton Candy Dreams, Cox Brothers BBQ, Dinky
Dunkers, Fun Foods, West's Country Mart, Salina Symphony Guild, and Eisenhower
Library/Trust Fund.
Concert attendees are encouraged to come early and visit the
museum and tour the Boyhood Home. Summer hours will be in place with the
Boyhood Home closing at 4:30 and the museum at 5:45 p.m. The
Visitors Center/Gift Shop will remain open until 10:30 p.m.
Symphony at Sunset sponsors include Marshall Motors
and KSAL 1150 AM Radio, both of Salina and the Arts Council of Dickinson
County. The concert rain date is Sunday, June 7 at 8:30 p.m.
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Sunday, May 17, 2015
A Traditional Farm Life - Fire Cider
A Traditional Farm Life
By Shasta Hamilton
Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends! The skies are dark and heavy with rain once
again, but we are still very thankful for every drop. If only we had been able
to get the rest of our transplants in the garden before the skies burst forth
again! Unfortunately, as of early
Saturday afternoon, our tomato and pepper transplants are still firmly rooted
on our front porch, and the rain still falls steadily and gently.
I had a pleasant surprise in the herb garden this week. The recent rains must have prompted my “lost”
Lemon Balm plant to come out of dormancy.
I didn’t even remember exactly where I had planted it last fall, and was
completely surprised to see the cluster of familiar light green leaves emerging
from the black earth. Picking one of the
small leaves and sniffing it confirmed my hopes—a delightful lemony fragrance.
We’ve had our share of spring illness around here
lately. It has taken the form of a nasty
virus causing fever, muscle ache, headache, stuffy nose, etc. Choosing natural remedies where practical, I
have been dispensing the “Fire Cider” lavishly among those brave enough to take
it. Fire Cider is chopped horseradish,
ginger, onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper steeped in apple cider vinegar with
lemon, rosemary leaves and turmeric powder for four weeks. At that time the vegetable matter is strained
out, honey is added, and the tonic is then ready for consumption. It is reputed to have anti-viral and
antibiotic qualities, but I just hope taking it strengthens their immune
systems enough to help them get better a little faster.
My children’s willingness to take it ironically corresponds
with their ages, though not like you’d expect.
Our oldest will not touch the stuff, but our three youngest children
take it freely. This has puzzled me, but
since the youngest don’t take pills yet, I’ve been pleased with their
willingness.
During these last few days of illness, I have encouraged
them to take small amounts frequently throughout the day. We put a teaspoon or so in a plastic
medicine-dosing cup, add water, and gulp it down quickly. To my surprise, sometimes they even suggest
taking another dose themselves. Pleased
at their desire for vibrant health, I’ve enthusiastically sent them to the
kitchen to get their own.
This morning after one of those times, I came into the
kitchen and noticed the sugar dispenser was on the counter next to the empty
bottle of Fire Cider. Suddenly the light
bulb came on in my head and I realized what they had been up to. Heavily sweetened apple cider vinegar diluted
with water makes a tangy apple juice/lemonade-like concoction. My four and five-year-olds had been making
their own horseradish and garlic-flavored apple/lemonade!
Our 12-year-old son has been hit the hardest with this nasty
bug (so far). He was sick in bed for 8
days. Thursday evening he was feeling
well enough to go along on a quick errand.
Upon arrival home he commented, “It was sure good to get out again. It was like coming home after a long trip.”
Our seven-year-old daughter has also been hit hard with the
virus, though thankfully not as severely.
She’s up and around after only 2 days in bed. We’re not sure who will go down next. It’s a bit of a puzzle because our
13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter each had a mild cold without the aches
and fever within the last week. Of our
six children, only our 5-year-old boy has remained healthy throughout this time
of illness. Perhaps the Fire Cider really
does work after all!
Is your curiosity peaked?
We all hope cold and flu season is almost over, but just in case you
want to try it for yourself, here is the recipe we used. While there are many variations on the same
theme in folk medicine, this particular recipe comes from Mountain Rose
Herbs. Be sure to use organic or
unsprayed vegetables if they are available.
Fire Cider
1/2 cup ginger root, freshly grated
1/2 cup horseradish root, freshly
grated
1 medium onion, chopped
10 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
zest and juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of dried rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
apple cider vinegar
(unpasturized, if possible)
raw local honey, to taste
Place all ingredients except vinegar and honey in a
quart-sized glass jar. Pour vinegar over
the ingredients, filling to the very top.
Use a plastic lid or a piece of parchment paper under the lid to keep
vinegar from touching metal. Shake
well! Store in a dark, cool place for 1
month. Shake daily. After 1 month, strain out the pulp, pouring
the vinegar into a clean jar, squeezing out as much of the liquid as possible
from the pulp. Next, add 1/4 cup honey
and stir until incorporated. Taste, and
add another 1/4 cup until you reach desired sweetness.
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.
Keep up-to-date with everything in the Junction City Community!!
GET The Free Mobile App HERE.
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