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.

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!

Click to Play Video

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

As we gear up for the Cabela’s National Team Championship Fishing Tournament at Milford Marina on May 28-30th, please note that Anglers have already started arriving to town! There will be a total of 370 Anglers participating in the tournament and numerous other visitors to the community to cheer the anglers on!

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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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.

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Cabela's National Championship at Milford Lake

On May 28-29^th, the Cabela’s National Team Championship (NTC) will be at Milford Lake where 185 two person teams from across North America will battle for top honors!  Regarded as the walleye world’s premier grassroots championship, the Cabela’s NTC is comprised of teams that qualified through competition in local tournaments organized by walleye clubs sanctioned by The Walleye Federation.  There’s a lot of fishing that has to take place before the winners are determined as the Cabela's National Team Championship will crown the best team of anglers in the nation on May 30^th.  Many of the anglers have been pre-fishing the lake for several weeks, but most will begin arriving the week of May 17^th.  Teams will vie for ultimate bragging rights and more than $250,000 in cash and prizes.

The entire field will compete the first two days on Milford Lake with each team being allowed to bring their best fish to the scale each day.  Competition will be fierce, as only the top 25 teams advance to the final round on day three.  You are invited to cheer on your favorite teams daily when they take off from the Milford Marina – Milford State Park each morning at 7:00 AM, then watch the action unfold in person at the weigh-ins, which begin at 3:00 PM.  The tournament will be live streamed on the internet at www.cabelas.com/ntc and at www.walleyefederation.com.  The tournament is also being filmed for national television by NBC Sports and the Pursuit Channel.  Exact dates and airtimes will be announced at a later date.

Coupon Offers Needed

If any business is interested in offering coupons/promotions to the competitors while they are in town, please contact the CVB at 238-2885 or email the gearycountycvb@junctioncity.org.

Volunteers Needed

We are in need of 10 volunteers to help with the Cabela’s National Team Championship May 28 – 30, 2015.  Volunteer times are 5:00 AM – 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM through weigh in conclusion.  Jobs include traffic control, parking, information table and running fish after weigh in to the release boats.  If you can help, please contact the CVB at 238-2885 or email the gearycountycvb@junctioncity.org

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A Traditional Farm Life - Honeyed Rhubarb Pie

A Traditional Farm Life

By Shasta Hamilton

Greetings from soggy Enterprise, dear friends!  The Lord has blessed us with abundant rain this week—so much so that our pepper and tomato transplants are still sitting on the porch, patiently waiting to put down roots in our waterlogged garden.

As wet as it is now, my second son’s comment on the way home one stormy night earlier this week seems like ancient history:  “I love storms.  I think it’s because the rain brings hope.”

I heartily agreed at the time, and still do. We will take every drop of rain we can get, even if our best-laid garden plans are thwarted a bit.

Despite the rain, the boys were able to get in a row of cucumber transplants this week, and they are looking green and perky with all this moisture.  The area they were planting had already been mulched with straw, so they were able to stand on the mulch without sinking too far down when planting.

The garlic in the girl’s garden continues to grow at a feverish pace.  The girls were able to get three tomato transplants in their small garden before the rains came, and they are doing very well, too.

In our little herb garden, the two comfrey plants that survived a late season transplanting when we moved last fall are showing significant growth with all the moisture this week has brought.  The chive transplants we were given last week are now blooming.  Those purple pom-poms are so much fun!

Gardens continue to grow, and we continue to grow older as well.  I turned another year older this week.  As middle age sets in, so does an increase in the inevitable decrease of youthful energy and vigor.  (Hmm.  Could that be a touch of arthritis in my fingers?)

As I look back over the last year, there is much to be thankful for.  Despite a late-spring achy, feverish flu bug, our overall health is good, and we have been blessed with the opportunity to meet many new people at our restaurant, The Buggy Stop.  Take this encounter with new customers this week.  It went a little something like this:

After visiting with this couple, I handed Mr. Customer one of our informational sheets with our menu on one side and an invitation to read this very column on the other.

“You’re the lady who writes this column?” asks Mr. Customer.  “I read it every week.”

Smiling--a little smugly, perhaps--I reply, “Why, yes I am.”

A slight pause and a moment of recognition . . .

“So you’re that crazy lady!”

“They’ve been calling me a ‘crazy lady’ for years!” I replied with a smile and a chuckle. 

Oh, how we love our customers!  

Another Try at Rhubarb Pie

I was inspired this week by a customer’s quest to relive the memory of a double-crusted rhubarb pie from days gone by, and decided take another go at it this week. 

The double-crusted version I made last week relied on a large percentage of all-purpose flour along with the sugar to thicken the rhubarb juices.  The result was gritty and almost gravy-like with the unwelcome taste of flour. 

This week I tried a different recipe.  It still uses flour as a thickener, but at a reduced amount.  Honey was added in addition to the sugar, and this time the filling was much less cloudy with great sweet/tart rhubarb flavor.  The orange peel adds a surprisingly welcome note of citrus.  If you have vanilla ice cream in the freezer, try the warm pie alamode.  Perhaps it’s time to sample another slice . . .  

Honeyed Rhubarb Pie

Pastry for a 2-crust pie, (8”)

4 cups rhubarb (1/2” pieces)

            thaw if frozen, reserving juice

1-1/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons butter

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  In medium bowl, thoroughly mix rhubarb (with juices), sugar, flour, salt and orange peel.  Blend in honey.  Let stand several minutes while preparing the bottom crust.

3.  Spoon rhubarb mixture into pastry-lined pan; dot with butter.  Adjust top crust and flute edges; cut vents to release steam.  For a sparkling top, moisten top with water (a spray bottle works great for this) and sprinkle on an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, as desired.

4.  Place pie on baking sheet and bake on the bottom oven shelf until filling is bubbly and top golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes.  Cover crust edges with foil if browning too quickly. 

4.  Remove from oven, leaving pie on baking sheet.  When filling has stopped bubbling, remove pie pan from baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

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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