Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 78
Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer, and many of us will observe the holiday with cookouts, road trips and other activities that involve food. And I think this year we will really be looking forward to getting outdoors and getting together with friends or family members we might not have seen for awhile. I know Memorial Day is also supposed to be the start of grilling season, but what if your group just wants to get together and eat and not have to cook when you get to...
It took me a long time to decide I liked asparagus. Of course, it wasn't as common in the grocery stores when I was growing up in western Nebraska as it is now, but it did grow wild along the North Platte River. I kind of remember Mom and Dad going out to gather some, but honestly, I don't remember what Mom did with it. Now I can't wait for asparagus season. I bought my first bunch just a couple of weeks ago. It's become a staple on my Easter dinner menu. But how much do you know about...
Terri Hahn It's no secret I love salads. All kinds of salads. Main dish salads. Potato salad. Pasta salad. Fruit salad. Side salads. Just about any kind of salad. OK, not kale salad. Tried it, just can't do it. But there is something about spring that just screams "salad." Maybe because it's getting too warm for the comfort food soups and casseroles we've loved over the winter. Maybe it's the sight of all the spring greens and veggies showing up in the supermarkets. Asparagus, while available...
March 17 is just a week away so it's time to get ready for St. Patrick's Day. But first a bit of history (thanks history.com): St. Patrick's Day observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a...
Like most people, I'm guessing, I know that Catholics don't eat meat on Fridays during Lent. (For the record, I'm Methodist.) And like most people, I'm also guessing, I never really stopped to think about why they don't. And why is fish OK? So, doing like most people do these days when looking for an answer to "why," I turned to our good friend Google. This is what I found on the website for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis at www.archspm.org: "Catholics abstain from flesh meat on...
When you think of Valentine's Day treats, chocolate is usually at the top of the list. But this year, skip the fancy box from the store and make your own chocolate treats. From breakfast to dessert, chocolate is the star of the day. ~~~~~ Show your affection with a plate of these colorful Cocoa-Kissed Red Velvet Pancakes, featuring rich 100% cocoa, buttermilk and fresh berries. Heart-shaped cookie cutters lend a special touch to these fluffy, flavorful pancakes. Add sweet garnishes like powdered...
I have no idea who invented chocolate cake, but I'm sure glad they did! Cake itself makes life better, but whoever decided to make it with chocolate deserves some kind of honor. In poking around online, I found several polls that found chocolate tops the list of favorite cake flavors. I'm not surprised. Aside from one former coworker who wouldn't eat anything made with chocolate (what's up with that?), I don't know anyone who doesn't like chocolate and very few people who don't like cake....
I know all too well how easy it is to either: 1) skip breakfast, or 2) grab something on the run that isn't exactly the most nutritious food in the world. When I do make time for breakfast, I have a tendency to grab a couple of frozen breakfast burritos or one of those sandwiches made up of a croissant, sausage patty, egg and cheese. I'm afraid to look at the nutrition label on either one. That alone should be my first clue I need to do a better job of choosing my breakfast menu. And with the...
I have a confession to make: I’ve never really learned how to make pie crust. In fact, most of the pies I’ve served in my life have a connection to Pillsbury, Mrs. Smith or the bakery department from my favorite supermarket. It’s not for lack of effort. I’ve tried to make my own crust, but I just don’t have it together. And you can’t blame my mother. For all of the good things she inherited from my grandmother, the ability to make a decent pie crust was not one of them. So long ago, I acknowledg...
I am a woman on a mission. Or, at least I have an idea I hope Ewing community members will believe is viable and consider pursuing. During Monday’s Village Board of Trustees meeting, discussion turned to the old water tower and the possibility of it coming down once the new tower is functioning. It got me thinking about my friend, and SAM freelancer, Terri Hahn. Terri grew up in Lewellen. About two years ago, she wrote about her hometown’s efforts to save the town’s water tower. The struc...
All that planning. All those lists. All that grocery shopping. All that prep. All that cooking. And now Thanksgiving dinner is done and you're looking at all those leftovers. Well, you are if you're lucky. What's the point of Thanksgiving dinner if you don't have leftovers? It makes me chuckle when I read those "how much will you need" suggestions for how big of a turkey will you need to feed your crowd and it says "1 pound per person, maybe 1-1/2 pounds if you want leftovers." I'm not sure I...
Growing up, Thanksgiving was pretty laid back in my house. As I've mentioned before, I grew up in Oshkosh, but both of my parents were born and raised near Valentine and that's where most of their families still lived. My dad worked for the local power company; he and a lineman were the service crew for the area. Someone always had to be there "on call." He worked over Thanksgiving so he could take Christmas off and spend it in Valentine with family. So usually, it was just Mom and Dad and me. O...
TERRI HAHN When I was a kid, the only squash I knew about was acorn. That little green thing that showed up every fall and mom baked with butter and brown sugar. It was pretty good and I still bake it that way from time to time. But over the years, I’ve discovered the wide world of squash from summer squash with its thin, edible skin (think zucchini) to winter squash like the aforementioned acorn and its siblings including butternut, buttercup and spaghetti. Winter squash are some of the most v...
Halloween cookies With fall comes cooler weather and with cooler weather comes the season to bake. And what could be better than counting down the days to Halloween this weekend with holiday-themed cookies. These shortbread ghost cookies are so good it's spooky. Serve them as a festive treat at your Halloween party. Shortbread Pecan Ghost Cookies 24 raw pecan halves 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter or vegan butter/margarine 1/2 cup sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt Beat butter...
I remember a story my mom used to tell about her coworker, Opal, and Opal's two little boys. One night, Opal asked the boys what they wanted for supper. One of the boys, about 4 or 5 years old, scrunched up his face and said, "Let's have ... let's have ... let's have ... POP TORN!" That answer became a joke in my family for years because I never met anyone who liked popcorn more than my mom. Popcorn was often her choice for supper. But it wasn't just popcorn my mom liked - she liked the butter...
National Hispanic Heritage Month, with roots going back to 1968, is a period, from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States. The term Hispanic or Latino refers to Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or those of other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. While those contributions and influences can be found in many segments of society, none are...
It’s been a weird summer, hasn’t it? Traditional Memorial Day programs were few and far between. Father’s Day was observed with proper “social distancing.” Fourth of July celebrations were canceled and most of the fireworks we saw were on TV. “Back to school” for many students across the country meant “back to the kitchen table.” And as for fall, I’m still trying to wrap my head around September, October and November with no Husker football or volleyball. And even the sporting events tha...
A couple of weeks ago, a lifelong friend and I took a road trip through Western and North Central Nebraska. We checked out Chimney Rock, the Scotts Bluff National Monument, Toadstool Geologic Park near Crawford and the Niobrara River near Valentine. Social distancing was not a problem. The first night of that five-day trip we spent in Oshkosh, where I grew up and where my travel companion and I met on her third birthday. Her family was new to the neighborhood, her mom was looking for enough...
Sandwiches have come a long way since the bologna-on-white-bread standard fare I used to take to Girl Scout day camp or Vacation Bible School. This past weekend I had two yummy sandwiches from a great deli and bakery in Valentine. One was an Italian on a focaccia bun and included salami, pepperoni, pastrami, mozzarella, tomato, onion, bell pepper, lettuce and olives, topped with a creamy Italian sauce that was made in-house. The second was a Reuben on marble rye bread. Although it featured the...
I love salads. My weekly grocery list always includes "salad mix, lettuce, fruits and veggies." It's a permanent line on the note app I have on my phone where I keep a running list. It doesn't matter if it's June or January. There is something about main-dish salads in the summer that make them the perfect choice for a easy week-night meal. But what makes the main-dish salad different than your standard side salad? One word: Protein. A main-dish salad is the perfect place for sliced pieces of...
My mom made the best potato salad ever. Now I know there are many of you reading this who are thinking, "Nope, I/my mom/grandma/Aunt Jane/whomever make the best salad. No question." And that's OK. But I'm still putting my mom's out there for contention. When I was growing up in western Nebraska, my community was home to a nine-hole sand-greens golf course that hosted a state tournament every year. Every year my mom was asked to make the potato salad the host committee served to the contestants...
When you hear the word "barbecue," what's the first thing you think of? Throwing a couple of steaks or burgers on the grill and inviting the family over for a Father's Day cook-out (keeping socially distant of course)? That metal thing in your backyard that cooks those steaks or burgers using either gas or charcoal? Or the sauce you find in the grocery store next to the ketchup and mustard? Well, if your answer is yes to any of those three thoughts, then, well I hate to tell you this, but...
Summerland Advocate-Messenger publisher, LuAnn Schindler, earned three awards and partnered with SAM designer Jenna Hemenway for a fourth honor, during the National Federation of Press Women's virtual Professional Communications Contest ceremony, Saturday, June 6. Usually the culminating activity of the organization's annual convention, this year's ceremony was held on Zoom, with approximately 200 members logging in. Schindler took top honors in personality profile, less than 500 words. Her...
Growing up, homemade ice cream was a special summer treat I always looked forward to. It was special because the only kind of ice cream freezer we had then was the kind you turned with a crank. And it seemed to take forever. I remember at Grandma and Granddad’s house, the grandkids got to take turns with the crank. The recipe was pretty basic — vanilla, of course — but to be honest, I don’t remember it and can’t seem to find a copy anywhere. And that’s probably for the best. Back in those days,...
Although more and more of us tend to grill all year 'round, May and June have long been tagged as the start of the official grilling season. And with social distancing still the norm, many folks will probably turn to outdoor entertaining so it's easier to stay apart. When the weather gets warmer, that's the thing to do. But what if you're not an expert or new to grilling? With increasing beef prices, no one wants to ruin a great piece of steak. That's when you turn to the folks who are the...
