15 minute read
FOOD
Restaurant revamps THESE RESTAURANT-INSPIRED RECIPES TASTE JUST LIKE THE REAL THING
FOOD PREPARED BY EMILY SCHILLING, STEPHANIE GROVES AND AMBER KNIGHT PHOTOS BY KILEY LIPPS
‘COPYCAT’ TEXAS ROADHOUSE DINNER ROLLS Glenda Sensenig, Cutler, Indiana 1¼ cups milk
2¼ t. yeast
¼ cup honey
4 T. butter, melted
1 egg, room temperature
4 cups flour 1 t. salt
Scald milk. Let the milk cool to 110-115 F and then mix the cooled milk with the yeast and honey. Let sit 5 minutes. In a large bowl, mix 3 T. of the melted butter, the milk mixture, the egg and 2 cups flour. Mix slowly until smooth. Slowly add the rest of the flour and then the salt. Knead for 8 minutes. Let dough rise 1 hour. Punch down and roll out to ½-inch thickness. Fold dough in half and gently seal. Cut dough into 24 squares and let rise until doubled in size. Place rolls on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes until golden. Brush with remaining butter. Serve warm with cinnamon butter.
CINNAMON BUTTER
1 cup butter, room temperature
4 t. cinnamon
1¾ cups powdered sugar
1 cup non-dairy whipped topping
Beat butter until fluffy. Add cinnamon and powdered sugar. Fold whipped topping into mixture. Store in refrigerator.
Doris Ann Kahlert, Berne, Indiana
½ cup mayonnaise
⅛ t. salt
2 T. French dressing (orange in color, not red)
4 t. sweet pickle relish
1 T. finely minced white onion
1 t. white vinegar
1 t. sugar Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well. Place sauce in a covered container and refrigerate for several hours or overnight so flavors meld. Stir the sauce a couple of times as it chills. Makes about ¾ cup of sauce.
‘COPYCAT’ FRISCH’S BIG BOY STRAWBERRY PIE
Darren Riggs,
Jeffersonville, Indiana
1 frozen deep dish pie crust
1¼ cups sugar
3 T. cornstarch
1¼ cups water
3 T. strawberry gelatin
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced Bake frozen pie crust according to package directions. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Whisk in strawberry gelatin. Remove mixture from heat and set aside to cool. Add strawberries to the cooled pie crust then pour gelatin mixture over the strawberries. Refrigerate for a few hours until set.
Back in December 1983, Emily Born began what would become a 39-year career writing and editing for this publication.
Encapsulating time RETIRING EDITOR LOOKS BACK ON LONG CAREER
By Emily Schilling
Magazine writers possess the enviable ability to encapsulate time with every word they write. That’s because their stories and articles often reflect what was going on when they were written. So, as I look back on 39 years at Indiana Electric Cooperatives/Indiana Connection, the articles, headlines and columns I’ve written; the photos I’ve taken; and the stories I’ve edited all tell the story of my career and the years past better than I could on my own.
FIRSTS
I joined Electric Consumer (former name of Indiana Connection) as a staff writer in December 1983. The first issue I worked on was the January 1984 issue. My first bylined news article appeared in that issue, a profile of the newly elected president of Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (now known as Indiana Electric Cooperatives), Ross Westfall:
Ross Westfall: REMC leader looks ahead
“While the nation enjoyed the radio adventures of Buck Rogers and Amos and Andy and followed the birth of rural electrics in 3-cents-a-copy newspapers, Ross Westfall spent his nights shoveling coal.
Schilling (then Emily Born) interviewed Ross Westfall soon after he was elected president of Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc., in December 1983.
It was 1935 and he was working his way through college scooping lignite in a belching hospital boiler.” Westfall was an avid reader of Electric Consumer throughout his life. A former teacher, he’d occasionally contact me if a grammar error made it to print. Knowing he was keeping an eye on things always kept me on my toes!
Later that year, I penned a couple of cover stories that showcased some timely topics in the mid-’80s. In June 1984, my first cover story:
Computers go country
“How’re you gonna keep ’em down on the farm after they’ve seen an Apple III?
Easy. Because now the whiz kid computer experts have made way for a new breed of terminal wizard — the farmer. And Elsie the cow, Porky the pig and 800 acres of soybeans can only benefit from the new trend. Though some farmers were using computers back in the early ‘70s, agricultural computing has only programmed its way into the limelight in the past few years. Even with its relatively short history, on-farm computers have changed considerably and face an even more innovative future.” Back then, personal computers were just coming into their own. To introduce readers to new-fangled tech terms, because “it’s obvious computers are here to stay” (even though floppy disks and CRTs weren’t) we included a sidebar which explained just what “computer” and “program” meant.
In August 1984, I interviewed a Clay County couple living on dioxincontaminated land. They suspected the toxic chemical was behind the mysterious death of their cows, a
recurring skin rash and a story almost too unbelievable to be true.
Dioxin: Is it killing Mack's cows?
“Dime-sized red welts spot Mack McCullough’s feet. His wife, Caroline, suspects it’s his rash creeping up again.
The itchy patches have plagued Mack the past five years. Along with 47 Holstein cows that have died mysteriously, rotting away from the inside out, and shovels-full of dead birds that have fallen from maple and locust trees around the farmhouse, the skin rash may be visible evidence of an unseen enemy at work, they believe.
For the McCulloughs, rural Clay County residents for 23 years, are living on dioxin-contaminated land.
An Environmental Protection Agency soil test of their dairy farm last November revealed levels from 26 to 180 parts per billion of octadioxin, one of 75 man-made chemicals in the dioxin family. But neither of the McCulloughs, nor the EPA, know much about octadioxin’s hazards.”
In October 1984, Mike Hanley, who was managing editor of Electric Consumer when I was hired, was named editor and I became managing editor.
In May 1985, the publication commemorated the 50th anniversary of rural electrification in Indiana with historic photos, milestones and a timeline, and reader remembrances. This special issue was just one way Indiana’s electric cooperatives celebrated this golden anniversary. We held a statewide electricity-themed art contest and printed a calendar with historic photos, and I wrote a book about rural electrification in Indiana.
The "What killed Mack's cows?" feature story earned Schilling awards from the Cooperative Communicators Association and the International Association of Business Communications. My first issue as editor of Electric Consumer was the October 1985 issue. I wrote my first “That Reminds Me” column in that issue:
“There was going to be a picture of me accompanying my first column so you’d immediately know it was me and not Mike Hanley who was writing it.
Everything was going good until, in the middle of a hectic deadline week, the photographer handed me my 5 by 7 portrait. He was obviously pleased by his studio expertise.
I wasn’t. Through some measure of trick photography, I acquired a dark shadow on one side of my face resembling a half-shaven beard accentuated with a
Through its 71-year history under two name changes (from Indiana Rural News to Electric Consumer to Indiana Connection), this magazine has had only four editors. Schilling, its fourth editor, has held the position since September 1985.
handlebar moustache. I have many problems, but masculine facial hair is not one of them.” Note: My photo, sans faux facial hair, did make it into the November 1985 issue.
The publication evolved through the years, from a tabloid newspaper to a “hybrid” style publication (on a whiter, heavier paper) in June 1993, finally to a slick stock magazine in February 2013.
That Reminds Me: Brand new, all for you
“This month, Electric Consumer has shed its tabloid newspaper format and has relaunched as a magazine. As you peruse the pages, you’ll find a contemporary design, more extensive use of four color, and expanded energy, food and outdoor life sections.”
continued on page 24
Our evolution continued and in March 2019, the magazine’s name was changed to Indiana Connection. My column that month addressed the name change: “As any new parent will tell you, selecting the perfect name is not easy.
Of course, naming a child and naming a magazine are not quite the same thing. But both scenarios usually involve hours of debate, input (both solicited and sometimes unsolicited) from numerous sources, and a long and often ongoing list of pros and cons for each suggestion.
There’s a reason for this arduous process. A name is something you can’t just change on a whim. You live up to it. Make it your own. Make it proud. It stands to reason that it takes time to settle on one that ‘fits.’” FAVES
Among the favorite articles I’ve written:
1The “Cook’s Profile” feature we ran from March 1994 to December 2007. Getting to know some of the readers who submitted recipes to our food section through the years was great fun. I’ll always remember their hospitality during our visits to their homes.
In the spring of 2001, the Electric Consumer staff marked the publication's upcoming 50th anniversary. Staff members included Rose Anne Sellers, Connie Staggs, Schilling and Richard G. Biever.
2A feature on newly crowned Miss America Katie Stam in 2009 and a followup interview five years later. Stam, who grew up on a farm on Jackson County REMC lines, is just as friendly, personable, well-spoken and humble as you’d imagine a Miss America to be.
3An interview with Mina Starsiak Hawk of the HGTV home renovation series “Good Bones.” I’d met Starsiak Hawk and her mom/business partner/costar Karen E. Laine in 2016 when they spoke at a program I coordinated. Since then, we’d tried to do an article about them. Finally, Senior Editor Richard Biever was able to schedule an interview for the July 2021 issue, and together we had a great conversation with Starsiak Hawk soon after “Good Bones” began its sixth season.
One chick pages 18–23 and a hammer
MEET BUSINESSWOMAN, HGTV STAR AND AUTHOR MINA STARSIAK HAWK 4 I have several memorable columns. One was about my daughter’s horseriding days, when she gravitated toward a temperamental horse named Tucker and forged a special equine relationship. I also remember a whimsical story about my first boyfriend that I based on a favorite column from a college journalism class. (That relationship lasted one day. We were in kindergarten.) Plus, I enjoyed the Christmas columns I wrote through the years. In my early years,I talked about that season’s unusual or extravagant gifts, then later began giving away some of my favorite things in reader drawings.
FUTURE
Although I’m retiring from the magazine this month, I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing. Ever since I began my journalistic training — and later career — I’ve known writing and editing is what I’ve been meant to do. My dream now is to write a novel. So, if all goes according to plan, you’ll be able to read my work — in book form — sometime in the future.
Emily Schilling is retiring as editor of Indiana Connection this month.
Youth making a difference
profile
Since 2009, Indiana Electric Cooperatives has recognized young Hoosiers through the Youth Power and Hope Awards.
The awards program — coordinated by the staff of Indiana Connection magazine — honors a select group of middle school students in grades 5 through 8 who are making an impact on their communities.
The winners for 2022 were acknowledged before a gathering of 500 Indiana electric cooperative leaders and guests at IEC’s annual Recognition Banquet, Dec. 5, in Indianapolis.
In mid-2022, Indiana’s electric cooperatives began seeking online nominations for the awards. Nominees were to give examples of their community service activities; explain why they choose to help their communities and describe how they see their community service evolving in the future. “This year’s nominees impressed the judges with their dedication to making a difference in others’ lives,” Indiana Connection Editor Emily Schilling said. “Thirteen years into the YPH program and we’re still blown away with all the ways our kids are rolling up their sleeves and putting in the work to help others.”
While every student nominee who selflessly serves his or her community deserves a sincere “thank you” and pat on the back, these five students stood out among this year’s participants. Each winner received a $500 check to assist in furthering their community service activities.
Asher Abner,7th grade North Harrison Middle School Asher is active in 4-H, where he serves as a member, volunteer and student leader. At St. Michael Church, he is an altar server and participates in several community service projects including a fundraising picnic and a blood drive for the American Red Cross. And at his school, he helps with events such as food drives and a walk-a-thon.
The community project Asher is most proud of is one he does with his family. With the profit earned from selling eggs from the family’s chickens, the Abners create “Birthday Bundles” which are gift bags filled with cake mix, frosting, candles and other items to help those less fortunate celebrate special occasions that often are ignored. So far, the Abners have donated 150 Birthday Bundles to the Harrison County Community Services Food Pantry.
In his award entry, Asher described how he believes his community service will evolve and help him mature as he continues to assist the underrepresented.
Asher and his family are members of Harrison REMC. He is the son of Andrew and Linda Abner.
At school last year, Holland participated in a Young Entrepreneur class. After learning how to use a 3D printer in that class, she made over 100 articulated animal figures along with still figures such as castles and vases. She then sold the items, with the proceeds going to help a local animal shelter.
In addition, she is an active volunteer for Ascension St. Vincent Hospital where she has contributed her time to several events that raise funds for the hospital and its Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.
As she mentioned in her award entry, her volunteer work has allowed her to “make a positive impact in areas that involve younger people.”
Holland is the daughter of Christopher and Maureen Beck. The Becks are members of JCREMC.
Holland Beck
Holland Beck, 7th grade
Franklin Community Middle School
Continued from page 25
Josie Hartman,6th grade
North Decatur Elementary Josie is a member of her school’s FOR-Club which spotlights and encourages good deeds by students. One of Josie’s club projects was creating a “Compliment Board” to spread kindness at school. She raised $500 for the United Fund by leading a snack sale for students. And, Josie and her class also helped clean up her school following a storm. Due to her community spirit, Josie received her school’s Super Sixth Grader award.
Josie has also led a canned food drive and planted flowers at her church. She plants flowers at a local nursing home through her involvement in 4-H. In her award entry, Josie said helping others has impacted her by showing her the best in herself, the kindness of her community and the outcome of hard work.
She is the daughter of Mark and Susan Hartman who are members of Decatur County REMC.
Henry is a role model and leader through his membership in the Mayor’s Youth Council. The council conducts a camp for fifth and sixth graders each year to promote leadership and making good choices. In addition to supporting the camp, Henry volunteers at the free movie and pool days that the club and local drug-free coalition sponsor.
Henry also assists his church with many events and by serving mass. He is also an active 4-H supporter.
In his award entry, Henry said being involved in his community helps make it a better place to live.
He is the son of Mark and Megan Spreckelson. The Spreckelsons are members of Decatur County REMC. Henry Spreckelson,7th grade
Batesville Middle School
Elizabeth Walden
Elizabeth Walden, 8th grade
Greensburg Junior High School Elizabeth serves her local community by sending positive letters to nursing homes as part of her Girl Scout troop. She delivers flowers and baking treats through her 4-H club; volunteers at her church; and, like fellow winner Henry Spreckelson, is a member of the Mayor’s Youth Council.
Not only does Elizabeth serve others locally, she has taken her commitment to community overseas through her Girl Scout Silver Award project. She and two of her friends made and sold beaded jewelry which raised over $3,000. That money was used to purchase needed school supplies for children in Kenya.
This summer, Elizabeth was able to visit the African country and work in the same school that benefited from her donation.
When summarizing her community service philosophy, Elizabeth wrote: “When you help others, it helps you to realize how much of an impact you can make.”
Elizabeth is the daughter of Carrie and Johnathan Walden, and she and her family are members of Decatur County REMC.
