Who Has Seen the Wind?

The poet who wrote "Who has seen the wind?" didn't live in Kansas! Last week we saw the wind. We saw it in the dust that rolled across the yard. We saw it as the weak and dead limbs fell from trees. We saw it as the dry grasses bent over in the landscape. And we saw it as the fire from a careless cigarette tossed out on the highway one mile away roared toward us.
Prairie fires are one of the dangers of living here. A controlled burn in the spring makes the grass grow green and lush to feed the cattle we raise on our ranch, but when the wind blows and the land is dry we fear the fire.
Last week the section south of us burned on a windy day when the wind howled from the south. Fourteen fire trucks from three towns and their volunteers were our heroes. Neighbors and family on four wheelers and pickups worked at the edges. The biggest truck, unable to maneuver the pastures, sit in our driveway, making us feel safer for our house.

When things like this happen, "thank you" is never enough. But sometimes little things can add to the "thank you". We took cake to the firemen sitting in our driveway and got a tour of the big red fire truck.

A firetruck in Nana's driveway is pretty exciting! 

Wearing o’ Green Cake

(flavors of pudding and gelatin could be varied for different colors/holidays)

Ingredients:

1 package white cake mix (regular size)

1 package lime gelatin

¾ cup boiling water

¼  cup cold water

Topping:

1 cup cold milk

1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla (or pistachio) pudding mix

½ - 1 carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

green sprinkles

Directions:

1.     prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Cook on a wire rack 1 hour. In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in cold water and set aside.

2.     With a meat fork or wooden skewer, poke holes about 2 inches apart into cooled cake. Slowly pour gelatin over cake. Cover and refrigerate.

3.     In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Fold in whipped topping. Spread over cake. Decorate with sprinkles. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Yield: 12-15 servings.

The baked cake with holes and lime gelatin poured in.
Not too attractive looking at this stage! 

The whipped topping frosting adds to the appearance
and the taste! 

tunnels of green gelatin

The Charm of St. Patrick's Day

Our luck was good on Saturday for St. Patty's Day. A sunny day, less wind, and a family gathering to celebrate birthdays and a baptism. This brunch menu worked well for preparing ahead of time and easy to serve. Cinnamon rolls were made the evening before (favorite recipe on Nov. 17, 2017 blog). The fruit salad, greek yogurt, and breakfast casserole in a slow cooker were easy to assemble earlier in the morning. And the sausage cooked in the kitchen grill while the coffee perked.

Fruit salad is always a tasty and nutritious part of a brunch. I like to use a bag of mixed frozen fruit (Sam's Club has Dole frozen fruit in 5 bag packages). If the fruit pieces are large, rough chop them. I added frozen blueberries and a few more frozen strawberries (from the frozen fruit boxes our UMW sells as a fund raiser) and fresh fruit of bananas and kiwi. The dressing is a mixture of agave syrup (or you could use honey), lemon juice (that helps keep the fruit from browning also), and crystalized ginger. You could also add poppy seeds.

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE (SLOW COOKER)     

Ingredients:

15-18 oz frozen hash brown potatoes (thawed)

12 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

3-4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 (12-oz) packaged shredded cheese

Directions:

1.     Spray the crock of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread hash browns to cover the bottom of the crock.

2.     Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl.

3.     Spread crumbled bacon over hash brown and spread cheese over bacon. Pour egg mixture over cheese.

4.     Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

(adapted from AllRecipes)

recipe on Nov. 18, 2017 blog

Potato Soup for St. Patrick's Day

The 17th of March

by Martin Shaw

st. Patrick's Day's a special Day,
When everyone wears green,
When shamrocks and wee Leprechauns,
Are very often seen.

It's time when people sing and dance,
Tell jokes and tall tales too,
For on the seventeenth of March,
That's just what people do.

Today is St. Patrick's Day, time to remember Irish ancestors and history with food and legend. I always think of potatoes as one of the foods we get from our Irish backgrounds. 

The potato was introduced to Ireland by the late 1500s. Within 200 years it had replaced older staples, including oats and dairy products. The potato became the mainstay of the Irish diet. In the 1840s, the country's heavy reliance on potatoes led to the disaster known as the Irish Potato Famine. Most Irish farmers grew one particular variety of potato, which turned out to be highly sensitive to disease. A potato blight that had started in Belgium swept the country. It destroyed one-third of Ireland's potato crop in 1845 and triggered widespread famine. In the next two years, two-thirds of the crop was destroyed. More than one million people died as a result of the potato blight, and two million emigrated (moved away) to other countries. Even though they had suffered through the Irish Potato Famine (also called the Great Famine), Irish people continued to love potatoes. As soon as the spread of the disease stopped, the potato returned its place as the staple food in the Irish diet. Farmers began to spray their crops with chemicals to protect them from disease. As of 2001 the Irish were consuming more potatoes than most countries in the world.

We in the U.S. consume our fair share of potatoes also, and it doesn't all have to be potato chips and french fries. Here's a recipe for potato soup mix that is easy to make, easy to store and makes a great gift. We like to keep a jar of the mix for a quick supper. For a thicker hardier soup, chop a baked potato onto a couple of servings and sprinkle shredded cheese on the top. 

Potato Soup Mix

2 1/2 cups instant mashed potatoes

1 1/4 cups powdered coffee creamer

1 packet chicken gravy mix

2 tsp. salt-free seasoning (i.e. Mrs. Dash)

2 tsp. dried minced onion

2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

1/2 tsp. pepper

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Divide into individual servings of 1/2 cup each in plastic bags; or store in a larger airtight container. To use place 1/2 cup Potato Soup Mix in a mug or bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water. Stir well. Let stand 3 minutes until thickened. Optional - sprinkle with shredded cheese or bacon bits.