What! Cardboard Boat Race???

Setting The Record Staight On Eisenhower

Ike 125 Series: John Robert Greene Sets the Record Straight on the '52 Presidential Race

The third program in the Ike 125 lecture series commemorating the 125th anniversary of the birth of Dwight David Eisenhower will be presented by John Robert Greene, Cazenovia College history professor and noted presidential scholar. The title of Greene's program is "Liking Ike and Adlai: New Thoughts on the 1952 Presidential Election."

Greene in Abilene Kansas on Wednesday, August 5 at noon for a Brown Bag Lunch program, including light hors d'oeuvres, at the Eisenhower Presidential Library Visitors Center Auditorium.

Many myths and legends come out of presidential campaigns. Greene refutes the myth that neither Eisenhower nor Stevenson really wanted to run in '52 but were talked into it by supporters and then were less than fully engaged in their respective campaigns. According to Greene, Ike was an adept and effective campaigner, and Stevenson was also in control of his campaign.

The author of "The Crusade: The Presidential Election of 1952," Greene is a specialist on American political history, especially the presidency. He has written or edited 17 books and served as a commentator and script adviser for PBS and the History Channel.

Ike 125 is made possible by the generous support of the W.T. Kemper Foundation - Commerce Bank, Trustee. The Ike 125 series examines the legacy of the greatest soldier-statesman of the 20th century - from his unquestionably brilliant wartime command to two terms as U.S. President that are viewed with increasing favor by historians and political scientists. It was a time of momentous change, bringing historic civil rights legislation, the Interstate Highway System, space exploration, and a prudent foreign policy that gave the country eight years of peace and prosperity. The series lends fresh analysis and new views of the plain-spoken Kansan who became a model of leadership.

Future programs in the six-month series will be held Sept. 17-18 and Oct. 13-14.
Additional details of the Ike 125 series may be found on www.eisenhower.archives.gov.

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.  

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Abilene Launches 5 Star Arts Festival

Abilene Launches 5 Star Arts Festival

The Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau plans a fun-filled weekend September 25-27, 2015 with the 5 Star Arts Festival. The festival will highlight Kansas artists in both local businesses and tents in downtown Abilene. Festival goers can expect to see art of every medium represented and meet new and emerging artists along with well-known professionals.
 
Activities kick-off Friday, September 25 at 6 p.m. with live music at the main stage on 2nd Street with a full line up of family entertainment. Saturday morning includes a free pancake breakfast hosted by Eagle Communications beginning at 7 a.m. Artists open their booths at 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and again on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Bright balloons will signal the local business featuring an artist. Other artists will display their works in tents around the 2nd Street vicinity of Broadway and Spruce Streets.

A full schedule of live entertainment on two stages downtown will be released in the coming weeks. A tent filled with children's activities will be hosted by Frakes & Co on Saturday and Sunday. Food vendors will be set up for the entire weekend.

The "Taste of Abilene" which debuted last year will return Saturday, Sept. 27 with doors opening at 6 p.m. Tickets may be purchased for $20 at the CVB office. The "Taste" will be held in the historic depot on 2nd Street providing a chance to sample delicious dishes from local Abilene restaurants.

Special thanks to the Community Foundation of Dickinson County for their generous support. Additional sponsors include Eagle Communications and Rawhide Portable Corral as well as several other local businesses and individuals.

The mission of the 5 Star Arts Festival is to celebrate the arts with a 5-star experience bringing together a community of artists and audiences to educate and cultivate the development and understanding of diverse art forms.

The CVB is the marketing arm of the City of Abilene promoting all Abilene has to offer and attracting visitors to this community. The CVB located at 201 NW 2nd Street, Abilene, is housed in the restored 1928 Union Pacific Depot along with the Abilene Visitor Information Center and 160-person meeting room.

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A Traditional Farm Life - German Chocolate Cake

A Traditional Farm Life

By Shasta Hamilton

 

Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends!   It’s the dog days of summer, and I’m dog-tired.  Triple digit temperatures coupled with additional duties at the restaurant have left me dragging at the end of the week.  There simply aren’t enough hours in the day!

I spent several mornings this week teaching my husband Michael the finer points of making lunch specials.

We are bringing back a daily lunch special Wednesday through Friday.  Instead of trying to make a completely different stand-alone meal each day, we will prepare an entrée that can be served with our regular array of sides.  Not only will this bring an additional choice to those not hungry for a sandwich, it gives our own family some more variety as well!

Fresh tomatoes are also adding a little variety to our diet these days.  The boys took some beautiful slicing tomatoes to the Enterprise Farmer’s Market Friday afternoon.  I wish I had time to can the extra ones they brought home, but, alas, there are just too many other things ahead of them on the to-do list.

Here’s one of them.  Our oldest daughter was recently asked if she could bake a German Chocolate Cake from scratch for a friend.  She loves baking cakes, but there was one small problem:  We’ve never made a German Chocolate Cake before.

We aren’t big coconut fans around here, so this time we were really starting “from scratch.”

In typical Hamilton fashion, I put the cart before the horse and started with the frosting recipe. It was easy to come by, as my brother requests German Chocolate Cake for his birthday every year.  My mother was more than willing to share her recipe.  She uses a cake mix, so it was time to choose the right “horse.”

First I consulted our “Fanny Farmer” and “Better Homes and Gardens” cookbooks.  Fanny Farmer’s recipe required separating the eggs and beating the egg whites--something I avoid at all costs.  The Better Homes and Gardens recipe looked like a possibility. I was hoping to find a recipe that used cocoa, but each one I found used Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate instead.

Since this was to be a learning experience, we went ahead and bought the German sweet chocolate.  Wonder of wonders, there was a recipe right on the back of the box! 

Now we were really getting somewhere.  It looked a little short in the salt and vanilla categories, so after consulting a chocolate cake recipe in my King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion, I increased the salt and vanilla, and our oldest daughter rolled up her sleeves and got mixing.

The results far exceeded our expectations.  The moist chocolate cake coupled with the silky caramelized Coconut-Pecan Frosting was outstanding.  Our oldest son declared it his “new favorite cake” and requested another in a few short weeks when he has his next birthday. 

Because both the cake and frosting are from scratch, I’ll share the cake recipe with you this week, and keep you on the edge of your seat until next week for the final installment!

German Chocolate Cake

1 pkg. (4 oz.) sweet German baking chocolate

3/4 cup butter

1-1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*

Coconut-Pecan Frosting (next week)

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cut parchment or waxed paper to fit the bottom of two (9”) round cake pans or three (8”) cake pans.  Spray pans with non-stick cooking spray, place paper on bottom of pan, and spray paper.

3.  Place chocolate and butter in a saucepan and heat until butter melts.  Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Move chocolate mixture to mixing bowl.

4. Add sugar and beat with mixer until blended.

5.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Blend in vanilla.

6. Combine 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add to chocolate mixture; mix well.

7.  Add remaining flour alternately with buttermilk, mixing well after each addition.

7.  Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.

8.  Bake 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Carefully loosen edges with a table knife, turn out from pan, remove parchment paper, and finish cooling on a wire rack.  Fill and frost with Coconut-Pecan Frosting.  Yield:  12 servings.

*To sour milk, place 1 tablespoon vinegar in a 2-cup measure.  Add enough fresh milk to equal 1 cup.  Stir well and allow to stand at room temperature 5 minutes before using.

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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A Traditional Farm Life - Zucchini Bread

A Traditional Farm Life

By Shasta Hamilton

Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends.  Lock your car doors at church, folks, this is zucchini season!

It’s that time of year once again.  Gardens are beginning to overflow with fresh, flavorful goodies.  If you don’t have a garden yourself, you probably know someone who does and is more than happy to share—whether you like it or not!  Local Farmer’s Markets are a fantastic place to stock up as well. 

We’ve chosen not grow zucchini ourselves; it seems there is always someone ready to share their seemingly endless supply.  Today some dear friends who know we like zucchini bread gave us a “baseball bat” to shred for the freezer.  Personally, we think zucchini bread is the best way to use that fast growing “one that got away.”

We are finally enjoying tomatoes from our own garden.  Our daughters brought in a cute little basket brimming with them this morning.  It’s about time!

Now picture this:  It is a cloudy morning mid-July.  You are standing under a shade tree, half asleep, with your mouth propped open and your dentist is on one knee with arms extended high, sawing back and forth on your teeth with a file. 

I’m not making this up.  Our draft horse Jewel had the “pleasure” Tuesday of having her teeth “floated.”

Our vet, Dr. Sarah Mills, made a house call and filed the sharp edges off Jewel’s teeth that were making it difficult for her to eat properly. 

After sedating Jewel enough to make her sleepy, Doc Mills put a speculum in the horse’s mouth to keep her mouth open and promptly got to work.  My husband Michael held Jewel’s head while Doc used a variety of files to take off the rough edges.  While Jewel didn’t appear to mind her visit with the dentist, just watching the procedure was enough to make our human teeth hurt.

The next day was a historic day for us at The Buggy Stop.  We had the distinct pleasure Wednesday of serving 57 folks on a “mystery tour” with Great Adventure Tours out of Topeka.  Before their meal, lifelong Enterprise resident Ray Jackson hopped on the bus and gave them a guided tour of our fair city.

As our little Mom and Pop restaurant only seats 24, we made arrangements with the City of Enterprise to rent their Community Building just across the street from The Buggy Stop.  Hats off to our city employees who went above and beyond the call of duty to make this event a success.

As this was a “mystery tour,” the participants signed up not knowing where they would end up.  We assume Abilene was next on their itinerary, but the tour leader could not answer our query in order to avoid spoiling their plans.  (Ironically, we found out later one of the tour participants drove from nearby Chapman all the way to Topeka only to find out they were touring her home stomping grounds.  Isn’t that how it goes?)

If your garden—or your neighbor—hands you a tour bus full of zucchinis, roll up your sleeves and get shredding.  Divide shredded zucchini into 2-cup portions and place in reclosable freezer bags.  Flatten and squeeze out as much air as possible before completing the seal and freezing for zucchini bread all winter long.

The following Zucchini Bread recipe is a family favorite handed down to our family from my mother-in-law, whose mother gave it to her.  That makes our daughters at least the fourth generation baking up this special treat.  My mother-in-law uses white flour; if that is your preference see the note following the recipe for instructions.

Now, grab your nearest “baseball bat” and step up to the plate!

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

1 cup butter, melted

2-1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups unpeeled and grated zucchini

  (If frozen, thaw and include liquid.)

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 chopped nuts (optional)

3 cups white whole wheat flour

1-1/4 salt

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1.   Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.  Cut parchment or waxed paper to fit the bottom of three (8” x 4”) loaf pans.  Spray pans with non-stick cooking spray, place paper on bottom of pan, and spray paper.

3.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs.

4. Add sugar, butter and vanilla; mix well.

5.  Add zucchini, cinnamon, nutmeg and nuts; mix well

6. Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder; mix only until well combined.

7.  Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.

8.  Bake one hour, or until bread tests done with a few moist crumbs on toothpick.  Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 20 minutes.  Carefully loosen edges with a table knife, turn out from pan, remove parchment paper, and finish cooling on a wire rack.  Wrap any leftovers tightly in aluminum foil, label, and freeze for future use.  Yield:  Three (8”x4”) loaves.

Note:  If all-purpose white flour is preferred, reduce baking soda to 1 teaspoon and baking powder to 1/4 teaspoon.

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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Warplane, Salina, Siberia

C-47 Stops in Salina Before Beginning 'Warplanes to Siberia' Trek

As America's Fuel Stop, Salina hosts a number of historical aircraft and today a veteran of D-Day lifted off on her way to Great Falls, Mont.

A C-47 Skytrain stopped at Avflight Salina for fuel en route to participate in the Russian-American project "Warplanes to Siberia." The Warplanes to Siberia Project re-creates the World War II flights along Alaska-Siberia air route warbirds flying the route in 2015 will participate in the Airspace Show MAKS-2015.

Delivery of supplies to the Soviet Union via maritime routes was extremely difficult and dangerous during the "Great Patriot War," known today as World War II.  In 1941, the Soviet State Defense Committee made the decision to organize an air ferry route from the United States, across Siberia, to the Soviet Union. The chosen air route runs from Alaska, over the Bearing Straight and through the central regions of Chukotka and Yakutia to Krasnoyarsk. The American portion runs from Great Falls, Mont., up through Canada and ends in Fairbanks, Ala. The route was later named the "Alaska-Siberia Air Route."  

The project is a tribute to the memory of the resourcefulness, the bravery, the determination and the dedication of the thousands of men and women across three nations who suffered great hardships in an effort to save the world.

For more information on this fascinating historical project check out their website at en.rusavia.com.

The goal of the project "ALSIB 2015" is to recreate historical events occurred in 1942-1945, related to the air route ALSIB. The project is set to solve the following tasks:

- Historical WWII warplanes flight along Alaska-Siberia route

- Participation of ALSIB 2015 warplanes in Airspace Show MAKS-2015 (Moscow Region)

- Handing over of aircraft to various Russian Aviation Museums

- Revival and highlighting of ALSIB air route history and cooperation between the USA, Canada and the USSR (Russia) during World War II

- Development of small aviation in remote areas of Far North Russia

- Strengthening of friendship between Russia and the United States

- Honoring of aviation veterans dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory;

- Patriotic education of the younger generations

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Sunflower Bank Support Big Brothers Big Sisters

Sunflower Bank sets a goal to donate $50,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters®

Sunflower Bank is going big to raise funds and gain volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters. From July 1 through September 30 Sunflower Bank and local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapters are teaming up to increase the number of adult volunteers, help children in need find a mentor, and raise $50,000.

“Partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters is a great opportunity for us to fulfill our mission of Creating Possibility for people right here in our communities,” said Mollie Carter, president and CEO of Sunflower Bank. “Helping children in need find mentors to guide them into a successful adulthood is important. We are proud to help and support such a worthy program.”

To reach their goal of $50,000, Sunflower Bank will donate 5¢ for every swipe of a Sunflower Bank debit card, now through September 30th. Additionally, representatives and volunteers from Big Brothers Big Sisters will team up with local Sunflower branches to host educational events for their communities. Customers and non-customers can also make donations to specific Big Brothers Big Sisters chapters by clicking here.

Big Brothers Big Sisters strives to create and support relationships that provide consistent, positive, one-to-one interaction between a single-parent child and an adult volunteer who will be an advisor and friend on the journey from childhood to adulthood. Both the adult and child receive great mutual benefit as they learn from each other and together help create a more positive future.
For more information about Sunflower Bank and Big Brothers Big Sisters please visit Go Big with BBBS.

About Sunflower Bank

Sunflower Bank is a $1.7 billion community bank, offering a complete line of personal checking, saving, mortgage and loans options, as well as business deposit, loan, and treasury management services and trust and wealth management services. Sunflower Bank is based in Salina, Kansas, with other locations throughout Kansas, Colorado, and Missouri. For more information, please visit www.SunflowerBank.com.

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