A Yummy Childhood Memory

 

Our first guest blogger here at O.C.J. is my friend, Noel Lizotte. Noel was raised in the country (Northern Crawford County) by a creative and adventuresome mother. Noel possesses those same qualities and is a talented writer. Her recent success is publishing her first cookbook, Apron Free Cooking. Here she shares one of the joys of living in the country that her mother created for her and her siblings, and a delicious recipe for cherry pie!

Marcheta *salavating 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Country Food from My Childhood

By Noel Lizotte
www.ApronFreeCooking.com

I remember my mother being more interested in creating grand adventures for us kids than being concerned about a gourmet dinner. I’m the oldest of five, and we sure had plenty of good times! One day, we all packed our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in red bandanas, tied the bandanas to sticks and hiked down the field to the woods. We pretended to be hoboes and had a picnic lunch on a log. We were probably two football field lengths from the house, but to a six year old, it was a grand adventure. 

 

We had three cherry trees in the front yard that would become overloaded with fruit every summer. We spent days picking, pitting and freezing those tart cherries! Mom would make up pies and cobblers with the frozen cherries. Her cherry pie recipe was simple.

 

Cherry Pie

Prepare a double crust pastry for 9 inch pan. Combine 4 cups fresh pitted tart red cherries, 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons corn starch and dash of salt. Turn into pastry shell, dot with butter and place top crust. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes.

We couldn’t wait for that pie to cool off enough to eat with vanilla ice cream! More recipes like this are available my cookbook, visit www.ApronFreeCooking.com to purchase your copy today!

 



The Avian Orange Bowl ~or~ Quick and Easy Suet Cups

Our feathered friends can use all the help we can give them during the cold months. Suet is especially important because it is usually made with animal but fats like peanut butter can be also used. Energy from fats helps birds sustain activity levels longer between meals. There are many recipes for homemade suet, but mine is quick and could not be easier. A big plus is that it is completely biodegradable. It is also a nice activity to do with children (be sure to keep the knife out of their reach and do the cutting yourself, for safety).

What you need

One orange

½ cup lard

2 ½ cups birdseed (a general mix)

Jute twine or baler twine

Paring or steak knife

2 small bowls

saucepan

The next time that you have an orange for a snack or breakfast, cut it in half and remove the fruit with a steak knife, leaving two orange ‘bowls’. A grapefruit spoon or knife would be helpful, but I don’t have one (it is now on my shopping list since I want to make more of these feeders!).

Using the tip of the same knife, make 2 holes across from each other in each ‘cup’. Then thread the twine through the holes and tie, making handles. Set cups aside in small bowls, ready to fill.

Melt lard in a saucepan on low heat until it is liquid. Turn off heat and add birdseed. Fill each orange half with mixture, return to the bowls and set them a cool place until the lard becomes solid again. You may need to put it in the refrigerator. This recipe made more than the 2 orange halves could hold. I simply put the extra in a plastic container and stored it in the fridge.

 

Place finished suet cups in your favorite bird feeding area, and enjoy watching winter birds scarfing down their treat.

 

 

                                                                         

 

  How much do birds like these orange suet cups? I suppose that it depends on what other goodies are available. When I placed mine in the small crabapple tree in our feeder area, a chickadee watched from a lofty perch in the nearby River Birch, checking out what was being added to its country diner.

 

 It did not take long for it, and other birds, to begin feasting. No problem, as the recipe made enough suet for a couple of re-fills.

 

The neat thing about using jute or baler twine for the handles is that, come spring, birds can use it for their nests. But, if you don’t have any and you have a piece of wire, pipe cleaner, or chenille stem, by all means use it instead. See? Quick and easy!

In true ‘bowl’ tradition, having 2 orange suet cups at the feeder gives home space for 2 teams. Who will win, the Cardinals or the Blue Jays? Oh, wait…that’s baseball, isn’t it? LOL

Note: I bought the lard from The Farmers Wife store  (see January 9 story about Mendy Sellman) because I wanted all-natural.

Marcheta *team player

Pigeons and Pennies

Our January Thaw is disappearing fast.  I was not bundled up warm enough for it this morning when I left the house, so skipped going to my nature spot until later and decided to do errands instead. Since I usually start my days with a visit to the reservoir, I felt a bit discombobulate, especially since yesterday’s trip to Columbus to take Ava to Darby Creek Metro Park and Nature Center was a disappointment because it only netted Canada Geese. Yeah, they’re nice enough, but so common now we see them every day. So imagine how my spirit was lifted this morning when I came across about 50 pigeons at a large grassy area in front of Target.

 

 

Yeah, pigeons are common enough, but not around here and not in such a large number. I watched them for a while from the warmth of my car and ventured out into the cold a few times to get pictures. The experience made my day better, and the smile from my good fortune of watching the birds’ antics stayed with me while I shopped. 

A bright shiny penny was part of my change at the checkout. It, too, put a smile on my face as I remembered various times of finding a penny on a sidewalk or in a parking lot. When I got back to my car, the pigeons were gone, but the joy that they brought to me is a lasting memory.

During the short drive to the next shopping plaza, I was thinking about geese, pigeons,  and pennies; of how fortunes and dispositions can change in an instant, and had an idea.

 

When I got out of my car, I put the penny on the white stripe that separates parking places. I chose the stripe so that the penny would be highly visible.

This morning’s smiles will continue because someone will find that “lucky penny”, and also smile because he or she found a sign of good fortune. The penny may get spent quickly, but the memory of finding it on a cold January morning will be a lasting memory for the person who found it.

So, what is a penny worth these days? By itself, not much, really, unless it is an unexpected find. Then it becomes priceless.

Marcheta *fortunate one

Favorite Things: Vintage Dishes

It's no secret that I love dishes, especially vintage transfer ware. Whether I have a single plate or a whole set, I change them out to coincide with the season.

The plate displayed here, with Mr.and Mrs. Frosty, is Harker Ware. It features a Currier and Ives print, The Old Homestead in Winter.

Dishes like this one are some of the things I'll have available for sale when I get my Etsy store up and running. After all, my home can only hold so many dishes, but I can't resist buying them!

Marcheta *living in an old homestead of her own

Yummy Treat for a Winter Morning: Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin isn’t just for autumn. This nutrient power house is welcome in my world any time of the year, but I especially love it during cold weather.

 

 

The other day, I opened a can of pumpkin to add to the chili I was making for lunch (and to sneak into other foods, too…shhh…don’t tell), which left me with a whole lot of pumpkin puree to use up. A great solution is to make pumpkin butter because it cannot be easier to make, it is delicious, and it makes a nice little “Thinking of You” gift.  I am not sure how long this recipe has been around. I came across it in the late 70's, when the mother's club I was in made it and sold it at bazaars. It is a tried and true recipe that remains a favorite. This afternoon my friend, Denise, and I are going to be gadding about, checking out thrift and craft stores. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s going to get squashed! (heh! heh! heh!)

Pumpkin Butter

One recipe fills a jelly jar

1 stick butter (or margarine)

¼ cup pumpkin puree

¼ cup brown sugar (I used half maple sugar from Erlstien’s Maple Products and half brown sugar)

1 – ½ teaspoon spice mix (I used apple pie. Pumpkin pie or your own mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, etc.  will work. Just use what you have).

Cream butter and sugar together, add pumpkin puree and spices.  Package in jelly jar or plastic container. Easy-peasy, eh? But be sure to keep refrigerated since this has not been canned or processed.

To gussy this up if you are giving it for a treat, cut a 5 to 6 inch square of fabric and place over top of jar. Secure with a rubber band.  You can also hand-write the recipe and suggested uses on a recipe card, card stock, repurposed greeting card, again, whatever you have. For something unexpected for a jarred food gift, I used a shipping tag. Tie it on the jar with twine, ribbon, jute, string, or as I did, with a piece of yarn.

 

Marcheta *looking forward to tomorrow's breakfast...oh, heck! I see a piece of toast w/ pumpkin butter in my immediate future...

Believe in a Love

The text on this card that I designed (from my own photograph) is probably too hard to read sized down, but I wanted to share its sentiment with you all during this time when most of nature is tucked away, being stored up for the warmer days ahead.

 It is a lovely passage from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who died in poverty but is well known today because a younger poet who sought advice from Rilke kept the letters that Rilke wrote to him. These letters are now published in a book that is aptly titled, "Letters to a Young Poet".

The passage that I chose for this photograph is:

"Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it".


Marcheta *true believer

Favorite Things: Starry Sky

Orion, as seen from my country sky

 

 

The Star Splitter by Robert Frost

`You know Orion always comes up sideways.
Throwing a leg up over our fence of mountains,
And rising on his hands, he looks in on me
Busy outdoors by lantern-light with something
I should have done by daylight, and indeed,
After the ground is frozen, I should have done
Before it froze, and a gust flings a handful
Of waste leaves at my smoky lantern chimney
To make fun of my way of doing things,
Or else fun of Orion's having caught me.’

The constellation Orion is a huge, magnificent sight to see as it rises over the horizon. To watch it is as awesome these days as it was during ancient times, when people referred to it as “The Hunter”.

To read Robert Frost’s story of what a particular farmer, probably in the 1920’s, did in order to have better views of his country sky, and what the star splitter is , go here . I know that you’ll enjoy Frost's wordsmithing, and the next time we have a clear sky, I encourage you to go have a look at the Mighty Hunter. While you are there, look for his dog, too. Hint: It contains the brightest star in the sky.

We country folk are lucky to have stars; there are actually people who live in big cities, like Tokyo, who've never seen star because of light pollution. Isn't that sad?

Marcheta *starstruck



Full-time country woman profile: Mendy Sellman

Mendy Sellman stocks her store's freezers with naturally raised meats that she and
her husband, Russ, raise on their farm in rural Galion

Yesterday I had a nice visit with Mendy Sellman at her farm. I was there to interview her, both for this blog and also for Acres of North Central Ohio newspaper. Maybe the story will be published in the Galion Inquirer, too. I hadn't seen Mendy since before Christmas, so it was good to catch up on things and to see how her business has grown.

Mendy is the epitome of a full-time country woman. She is the sixth generation to farm her family's land and has expanded the grain operation into a naturally raised meat business, a community garden, and an on-site farm store. More on that later.

A Pioneer in Establishing Local Farmers Markets


I first met Mendy about ten years ago when Main Street Galion organized a farmers market on Public Square. I was already set up with apples and pears from our orchard when she arrived. I offered to help her unload and set up, and we've been friends ever since. During our first conversation, I realized that her father is a good friend of my husband. That early farmers market failed, as many do; lack of parking being the biggest issue. In the meantime, Mendy was hard at work, offering garden space to friends. That small seed sprouted Hebron Community Garden. The goal of the gardeners is to grow food for their families in a healthy, organic way. They were so successful that they soon had a produce overload, and were looking for a way to share the bounty. Working with a local church, Mendy helped establish God's Little Acre Farmers Market. At this same time, other area families were starting market gardens. God's Little Acre became the place where these families met and got to know each other. With an abundance of produce, a vendor (Toni Norwood, who will be profiled at a later date) came up with the idea to start a mid-week market and approached me to help her. A quick, informal survey of vendors asking if they would like to participate resulted in a resounding "Yes!" so it was that Toni, Mendy, and I put our heads together. I immediately thought of Galion's K.F.C. as an ideal location because I am friends with the owners, who are extremely community minded. Their store is on a main route that comes into town and has a large grassy area in front, as well as ample parking. Jan and Joe, owners, were quick to agree to the market, and so NorthSide Farmers Market was born. By this time, Mendy and her husband, Russ, had established their naturally raised meat business. To show the type of support K.F.C. has for the market, Jan and Joe put up a barn-shaped storage shed and ran electricity to it, to help run freezers for vendors like Mendy and Russ. NorthSide Farmers Market has become the most heavily attended market in Galion. Mendy and Russ currently set up at four markets. The addition of meat has helped these markets to grow.

 
The Farmers Wife



Mendy and Russ Sellman. owners
and operators of Rus-Men Farms, welcome
customers to their new store, The Farmers Wife

For several years, Mendy had the desire to have an on-sight farm store. With the successes of community garden and farmers markets behind her, she set out to make her dream a reality. In 2012, The Sellmans opened the door to their new store, aptly named The Farmers Wife. The store sells meats, of course, and also their own farm-raised eggs and produce when in season. Bringing people together is something that Mendy does very well. To further help the local economy, Mendy also stocks items made by local women. A trip to her store for a roast for dinner might also have the shopper bringing home hand-milled soap, baskets, aprons, totes recycled from feed bags, hot pads, crocheted dish cloths, spice mixes, and more. The demand for eggs is so large that Mendy supplements her supply with eggs from Corrine and Matt Gompf, of Heritage Harvest Farm. Corrine is a full-time country woman who I plan to profile on this blog. To encourage healthy eating, Mendy also stocks organic sugar, organic coconut oil, and locally produced maple syrup. Looking towards the future, Mendy plans to add more wholesome food products for the health conscious consumer.

 

Inspiring a Younger Generation
 

During my visit with Mendy, a young woman, Carrie Cottrell, and her small child arrived to run the store while Mendy worked on other duties. My conversations with Carrie revealed that Carrie and her husband live on eight acres and are working towards living a sustainable lifestyle. She credits Mendy's mentoring as her inspiration to follow her dreams. When I questioned Mendy, who is far from being "over the hill" about it, Mendy's reply was she loves to teach farm life to others, and that these younger women are a blessing to her because they remind her why she lives the life that she chose to live.

 

Family First

 Mendy's family life runs deep. The sixth generation to farm her land, she was especially close with her grandfather, who she readily admits to butting heads with in more than one occasion because they're, well, built from the same cloth and both had strong opinions as to how the farm should adapt to a new era in farm techniques as well as a new economy. Now deceased, her grandfather is with her in spirit as she goes about her daily chores; feeding animals, collection eggs, helping during grain harvest, running the store, gardening, canning, freezing, preparing for markets...whew! this list is long! Help is not far away, as her daughter Emely and her husband, Dustin Tate, live across the road in one of the Sellman's three farmhouses. Son Jesse, who is active in Future Farmers of America and 4-H is also a farm hand, and younger daughter Elaina, also active in 4-H, helps run the store and works at markets.

Mendy's love of her family is part of what has fueled her desire to provide the same healthy foods that they eat to local families, as well as continuing the grain operation. In all aspects, she has been successful because she has been consistent in making her plans happen, even when they seem to be impossible dreams. To Mendy and other entrepreneurs, I quote Steven Tyler: "Dream on! Dream until your dreams come true!"

My visit to Mendy's farm was pure joy. Shopping at her store is quite the country experience, from seeing the animals that are in the Sellman's care, watching barn cats sun themselves on a roll of  straw, smelling lovely hand-milled soaps, and even coming home with a roast for today's dinner. What could be better?

The Farmers Wife is located at
710 Iberia Rd., Galion, Ohio
(419) 462-5295

Hours are Tuesday 10-2
Thursday 4-8
Saturday 9-1

For updates on the Sellmans and their buisnesses, visit Rus-Men Farms Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Rus-Men-Farms-Naturally-Raised-Meats/344044869152


Marcheta *dreamin' on

Scenes from Rus-Men Farms

 

 

 

 

 

Everything's Coming up Rosy

 

 

 

I woke up earlier than usual this morning, before the dawn. This gave me opportunity to watch the sun paint a desert-like scene on the low-lying clouds. The warm brushstrokes blended into a cool ocean of blue above. Higher up, the crescent moon shone clear and bright.

 

 

Within 10 minutes, the sun was filling my home with a rosy glow, which I found to be both relaxing and energizing. I have a lot that I want to accomplish today, but have peace of mind because I know there is enough time to do it all.

 

 

This morning I am interviewing Mendy Sellman, who specializes in naturally raised meats,  for the first Full Time Country Woman profile. While I am out and about, I plan a nice walk (with camera and binoculars) at my favorite nature spot. A writing session awaits for when I return home, along with the 'have to' chore of laundry. Clean clothes...what a good thing to have available. Our closets have been thinning out as the laundry hamper grows to bursting its seams. The past few days found washer problems because of a frozen water line. That's my excuse for letting laundry pile up, and I'm sticking with it!

 

 

But that's for later. This is now, and I am heading out the door to catch up on life with Mendy and maybe buy a roast for tomorrow. Yum!

 

 

Marcheta *a rose-strewn sky in winter....priceless!

Soup of the Week: Chili con Surprises!

Here it is, the first day of a ‘normal’ week, and for that I am truly thankful. Holidays are nice, of course, but ours are made even more hectic because two birthday parties are tossed in the mix. Mondays are typically busy for me as this is my errand/grocery shopping day as well as tidying up the house from the weekend. To make the day go smoothly, I usually make soup because we can have it for both lunch and dinner.

This morning’s work included taking pictures for the Galion Inquirer while I was out and about in slushy snow in slightly above freezing temps as well as gathering facts about Northern Cardinals for the nature column I’ll be writing this week. If ever there was a perfect Monday for soup, this is it!

 

Chil with pumpkin puree and barley for extra nutrition

Today’s soup du jour is chili. I am not going to post a recipe, as I am sure that everyone has their own favorite way to make chili. What I am doing is sharing a few “surprise” ingredients that you may want to try. First is pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!). I add a cup to the soup, but if you are going to try this, you may want to start with less. Pumpkin does not seem to affect the flavor, adds extra nutrition, and makes the chili a bit thicker. Another unexpected additive is barley. I had some already cooked, so I added a cup. If you are using un-cooked, begin with ¼ to 1/3 cup as it really expands when cooked. Quaker Quick Barley is a good one to try. Again, barley adds extra nutrition while adding some bulk. Probably the most surprising of all is cinnamon. I used 1 teaspoon of Penzeys Vietamese Cinnamon, which seems to make the chili a bit sweeter. Since I don’t add sugar, it works out just fine.

The spices vary each time I make chili. Along with regular chili powder and a bit of turmeric, my favorite combo is Adobo spice and Arizona Dreaming from Penzeys. The Adobo is smoky and the Arizona Dreaming is a nice blend that has a sweet note.

Both cinnamon and turmeric are said to be healthy spices that we should eat more of, so I sneak them in whenever possible.

University of Illinois Extension lists these nutritional facts about pumpkin:

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts
(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)

Calories 49 Protein 2 grams Carbohydrate 12 grams Dietary Fiber 3 grams Calcium 37 mg Iron 1.4 mg Magnesium 22 mg Potassium 564 mg

Zinc 1 mg Selenium .50 mg Vitamin C 12 mg Niacin 1 mg Folate 21 mcg Vitamin A 2650 IU Vitamin E 3 mg

Just about anything that you want to know about barley can be found at Barley Foods , which says that barley is a nutritional powerhouse, and for good reason! Check it out J

These ideas are not limited to chili; vegetable soups in particular benefit from having pumpkin added. What will you come up with?

Marcheta *Chasing the chill with souped up chili