Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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A few weeks ago, I read somewhere that March is National Peanut Butter Month. "Aha!" I thought. "Perfect topic for a column sometime soon." But when I began doing research, I discovered that whoever wrote that was wrong. As far as I can tell, there is no actual National Peanut Butter Month, although November is recognized as National Peanut Butter Lovers Month. So while peanut butter doesn't get it's own month, people who love peanut butter do. They also get their own day with National Peanut...
Someone in a food group on Facebook recently asked fellow members what was the strangest thing in their freezers. My answer: 40 pounds of hamburger. Yep, I have four 10-pound tubes of ground beef in my freezer, just waiting for a time when I have a couple of days to thaw it and cook it. I do this a couple of times a year, usually 20 pounds at a time, purchased when it’s on sale. Since time has been in short supply around this household for a few months, that 20 pounds turned into 40 when it w...
Anyone who has grown zucchini in Nebraska knows that a little planting goes a long way. Zucchini jokes abound and there is even a National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day (more about that later), but zucchini is really a versatile vegetable that can be prepared in a myriad of ways. Let's start with some tips and tricks from Cami Wells, an Extension Educator in Hall County. "Whether purchasing or picking zucchini," Wells says "choose firm, slender zucchini with a bright green...
It's that time of year where you attend to your garden, harvest a couple zucchini and decide some of the others need more time to grow. So, you leave them on the plant. You come back to the garden two days later to find giant zucchini and double the number of squash you started with. Can anyone else relate to surges in zucchini? Squash varieties are split into the categories of winter and summer squash. Zucchini falls under the summer squash category since it is harvested during warm weather...
As much as I love fresh fruit, salads and sandwiches, I can't eat them for every meal when the weather is warm. Sometimes I want something cooked, but I really don't want to take much time to make it. And who wants to heat up the kitchen any more than you have to? Sheet pan meals may be the answer. "Sheet pan meals are a godsend when you're busy, or don't particularly love to cook," says food writer Gretchen McKay. "For starters, they're super easy to pull together. They also cook quickly, are...
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...
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...
Dealing with insect pests is a frustrating aspect of vegetable gardening. With some insects, by the time the damage is noticed it may be too late to do much but share produce with the little critters. Examples of such insects are corn earworm, tomato fruit worm and squash vine borer. Once these insects are inside the fruit or plant, it is too late to use control methods like insecticides. Corn earworm adults are buff colored moths that lays eggs on corn silks at night. After hatching, larvae...
All I really needed to know about gardening I learned from my grandparents. Gardening is hard, yet rewarding, work. Planting seeds, caring for tender plants, watering daily and harvesting require patience. You learn to adapt, sometimes you try new things. The end result, though, is worth the time. My Wausa grandparents grew rows of green beans, cucumbers, potatoes and a lot of sunflowers. I remember a few tomato plants, too, although I do not remember Grandma cooking a lot of tomato-based foods....
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 and has become a time to celebrate Mexican culture. While Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a small regional holiday in Mexico, it's become a popular celebration in the United States, recognizing the significant historical and cultural contributions of Mexico and Mexican-Americans. To make merry on this occasion, serve empanadas, a popular Mexican street food, or some tasty...
