ountry C cres A
A Supplement to the Star Shopper
Friday, May 5, 2017 • Edition 6
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
Vouks hold vintage plow day 19th annual event is just turning dirt By HERMAN LENSING Staff Writer
ST. STEPHEN – Nineteen years ago, Steve Vouk purchased a vintage tractor with a plow. A lifelong interest in older farm equipment soon had him wondering a bit about the tractor and plow and what it could do. “I wanted to try it out. I went to Donny Vouk’s farm. They had a small field, then another cousin, Shawn Vouk, came over. That first day was on a Thursday; we had three tractors and plows.” The field they worked was planted and grew crop. The decision to use the tractor and plow grew into an annual event. This year the 19th annual Vouk Vintage Plow Day was held on April 23. Fittingly, 19 rigs showed
PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM
Steve Vouk (left) and Frank Vouk with a Farmall tractor at the 19th annual Vouk Vintage Plow Day April 23 at the Jim and Marilyn Schumer farm south of St. Stephen.
up and helped plow about 20 acres. “We have had 30 to 40 rigs in the past,” Steve said. “We have done between 30 and 35 acres sometimes.” The use of vintage machinery is not unique to Steve
or other members of his family. His cousin, Frank, who has participated in most of the annual events, also likes vintage equipment. The love is sort of in their blood. “We like antique machines,” Frank said. “My
grandfather started the Vouk Steam Threshing Show in 1965 and it ended in 2000. In our family we keep fixing up old machines and learn how they work.” The day is dedicated to plowing. Of course there are
visits with friends and relatives, but there is no “show” time, no fundraising dinner, or even an after-work meal. “A few years ago the local Sportsman’s Club sold food, but they haven’t done that lately,” Steve said. What is interesting is the variety of equipment that shows up. “We say the plows cannot have hydraulics,” Frank said. “They have to be ground driven.” The people who show up are assigned to a field and get to work. A line of the tractors and plows coming down a field includes some familiar and some discontinued lines. Among the most interesting that have come were steam traction engines. These were brought by Steve’s brother Tom, and left an impression on everyone. “It could pull 10 bottoms,” Frank said. “There is a deck on the plow for people to stand on and operate the levers when you have to pull the bottoms from the ground.” VOUK continued on page 4
A light in dark times Weseman publishes book after mother’s passing By ELIZABETH BETHKE Staff Writer
GROVE CITY – Nearly two years after putting words on paper in memory of her mother, Heather Weseman is a published author. Weseman’s book, “Nettie’s Garden,” is based on a true story about her mother, Jeanette Cordes, and told from a plant’s point of view. The children’s book setting is based off of her childhood home near Litchfield. Weseman and her husband, Josh, and their five children – Hannah, 15, Holly, 13, Haven, 9, Heidi, 7, and
Jewel, 3 – live near Grove City on their family’s farm where her husband and father-in-law, Jerry Weseman, raise corn and soybeans. On May 29, 2014, Jeannette passed away from a sudden massive heart attack at age 58. To get through the sudden loss, Heather and her family turned to their faith, praying to get through the hardship. “For several months, the Lord was encouraging me to write down my thoughts,” Weseman said. “I have always journaled, but that September, I wrote ‘Nettie’s Garden.’” The title of the book was inspired by Weseman’s mother’s nickname, Nettie; at a young age, Hannah had given her the name. The caring, involved grandmother loved her grandchildren just as much as she loved her gardening. “Mom suffered from arthritis and SUBMITTED PHOTO
WESEMAN continued on page 6
In January, Heather Weseman self-published a fictional children’s novel “Nettie’s Garden,” which is based on a true story about her mother, Jeanette Cordes, and told from a plant’s point of view.
Page 2 • Country Acres - Friday, May 5, 2017
Country Acres Published by Star Publications Copyright 2014 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-352-6577 Fax: 320-352-5647 NEWS STAFF Diane Leukam, Editor diane@saukherald.com Mark Klaphake, Assistant Editor mark.k@dairystar.com Herman Lensing, Writer herman@melrosebeacon.com Liz Vos, Writer liz@albanyenterprise.com Laura Hintzen, Writer laura.h@saukherald.com Elizabeth Bethke, Writer elizabeth@saukherald.com Michael Strasburg, Writer michael.s@star-pub.com
Story ideas send to: diane@saukherald.com SALES STAFF Jeff Weyer, 320-260-8505 jeff.w@dairystar.com Kayla Hunstiger, 320-247-2728 kayla@saukherald.com Missy Traeger, 320-291-9899 misy@saukherald.com Tim Vos, 320-845-2700 tim@albanyenterprise.com Mike Schafer, 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Lynnette Ostendorf, 320-352-6577 lynnette@saukherlad.com Brian Trattles, 320-352-6577 brian.t@saukherald.com
PRODUCTION STAFF Pat Turner Tara Pitschka Amanda Thooft Nancy Powell Brian Dingmann Hannah Kroll Layout Jennifer Coyne, Proofreader Andrea Borgerding, Proofreader
This month in the
COUNTRY 8 Low till trials Brandon 10 A gift to share Spicer 12 Raising Crystal Kimball 16 Q&A: Fencing 101 18 Country Cooking
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Housekeeping and country roads
FACTORY
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be. We want to make those changes, and hope you will give us a call to do that. We don’t know unless we hear from you. Please email Lorie at lorie@saukherald.com or call her at 877-396-6577. And remember, tell our advertisers you saw it in Country Acres. It’s a win-win situation for both you and them. I hope you enjoy this issue. I also hope each of you gets a chance to enjoy the beauty that is springing forth in the countryside all around us. Country roads are more than just a John Denver song, but for many of you, they do take you home…to that place where you belong. How’s that for cliché?
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This is the third issue of Coun- that pretty much came to a halt for try Acres since we expanded our a while. The last few days, though, coverage area in early April, and the have been nice, so I hope a lot of you response from our readers are making good progress in has been heartwarming, to the fields. say the least. Thank you so You never know much for all the phone calls, what you’ll come across emails and letters that reinalong country roads. On this force what we already know: particular day, it was sunPeople love to hear the stony and fairly warm, and the ries of their fellow country laundry hanging on the line dwellers. at a farmyard brought back One man from Pope by Diane Leukam memories of doing just that. County called the day he I wonder how many received his first issue and said he people still hang their laundry out. would love to subscribe if necessary It’s so easy now to just throw everyto keep it coming. After hearing that thing in the dryer, that it’s much less it was a free paper, he said he would common than it used to be. There read it cover to cover twice and then are some things I miss about it, like share it with others. Now that’s en- the fresh smell of sheets – provided thusiasm! you are upwind from the barn, that is. Story ideas have been coming in It was also faster if you had time to as well, and where better to get them devote to it, to get everything on the than from you? You know what’s go- line as early as possible and then not ing on in your neck of the woods, so think about it until everything was to speak. You know the people and dry and take it all in at once. What their unique interests, hobbies, farms, I don’t miss is jeans and towels that families and homes, so quite a story end up more like boards after drying lineup is already developing for the on a calm day. months to come. Ironically, country roads can afA couple weeks ago my husband, fect your laundry. If you live on a Don, and I were taking a Sunday af- gravel road, have you ever wondered ternoon drive, following up on one when you brought your laundry in on of those great story ideas that was a windy day, is it cleaner or dirtier submitted. Taking the back roads, than when you hung it out to dry? we were heading to the St. Stephen Enough about laundry, though I area to take pictures at the Vouk Vin- know all you guys are just fascinated tage Plow Day (see story on page 1). by the topic! We saw quite a number of people in While driving along another the fields along the way, something gravel road on the way to the Paffrath
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Page 4 • Country Acres - Friday, May 5, 2017 VOUK continued from front
PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM
PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM
Vintage tractors and plows make their way through a field during a plow day. Fittingly, 19 rigs showed up for the 19th Farmers check out a John Deere track tractor and a vintage plow. annual event.
“They used those engines to break ment gets around. Most participants up the prairies in the west and in Can- are local, but plowers have come from New London-Spicer, Fargo, N.D. and ada,” Steve said. In addition to the steam engines, even farther. “Some years Frank’s uncle comes a few of the early shows had some from California,” Steve said. “He has teams of horses show up to plow. Most of those turning dirt on April tractors here. That is the farthest anyone ever came from.” 23 could be seen on Anyone who has ever the west side of CR 2 south of St. Stephen participated in the day on the Jim and Mariis on a list kept by lyn Schumer farm. The Steve. That is how he day itself is not hard to knows who to contact. organize, according Over the years, the day to Steve. He pretty has moved to different much picks a date in Vouk-connected farms April and announces near St. Stephen. The to those interested that event always draws it has been set. spectators, up to 200, “I make a postdepending on the er and send it out by weather. It is always email,” Steve said. “I held in the spring. In also tell some people part that is a tip of the and hang out a few hat to farming done a - Frank Vouk posters.” number of years ago. “Mostly it is by “Years ago plowing word of mouth,” Frank was always done in said. spring time,” Frank said. “The harvest Steve has been making the posters time often took until the ground was ever since the first vintage plow day. frozen, so you couldn’t plow in the “That poster was more of a joke,” fall.” he said. “I made it with a magic markThe participants start gathering at er and hung it up. We called it Vouk the fields on the morning of the day, Vintage Plow Day because we started start plowing at about noon, and by 4 it.” or 5 p.m. are done. Depending on how The word-of-mouth announce- many show up, some work on differ-
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Ed Prom relaxes on a B Farmall during the vintage plow day on Jim and Marilyn Schumer’s farm April 23 near St. Stephen.
ent fields. Crops of some sort are planted on those fields. The land at Frank’s residence is planted for wildlife. Frank pointed out that most of those coming have their plow scoured and ready to go for the day. A few have used grinders to clean off the rust. Anybody coming also knows they had better have a full tank of gas. As the day winds down, and the fields are finished, the viewers and participants begin to leave. For some it was a way to help turn a field and do
something they may no longer do regularly. For others it is a chance to work with equipment they grew up with. For all of them who attend there is one neat reward. “We don’t charge for the event. We don’t want to become commercialized,” Frank said. “We are just a bunch of guys and girls who like to play in the dirt.” And in doing so, they get to share a bit of local history and memories with others.
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Friday, May 5, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 9
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL STRASBURG
(Top) The difference between a field with cover crops (left) and one without. (Left) Ledermann’s cover crops protect the soil from wind erosion while their roots hold water and nutrients and maintain structure.
some positive results, he’s reserving judgment until he’s had more experience with the process. “It’s an ongoing process,” he said. “I’m making progress on some things; I’m still not comfortable on others.” Success, however, can be a difficult thing to determine when it comes to conservation efforts. Many farmers would measure success in terms of profits or crop yield. “Economically I’ve had a few instances where I believe the cover crop has helped the yield, but I can’t say that
consistently,” Ledermann said. However, by Ledermann’s own measure, he has found some success in six years of implementing conservation efforts on the farm. “At this point, I’m hoping to maintain yields while improving conservation measures,” he said. “You can see the soil is improving in quality. It’s a long-term commitment to improving your soil and keeping it in place.” Each year, Ledermann plants his cover crops — which include annual ryegrass, rapeseed and clover — in June. “If you plant the cover crop a little bit earlier, before the corn gets too big, it has a chance to germinate,” he said.
“Then as the corn gets bigger it canopies the ground and the cover crop will go dormant and stay there, but it’s had enough time to establish so it can survive.” Many farmers who use cover crops plant them after the harvest — but those farmers tend to live farther south and enjoy a longer growing period than our northern climate. “The timing is a challenge,” Ledermann said. “We’re pretty far north, after we harvest our fall crops there is not a lot of time to get another one established. If you do it after harvest, you need to be out there right away and it’s pretty limited as to what species you can plant that are going to have any benefit.”
Ledermann’s success didn’t spring out of nowhere, though. When he still lived back home with his parents — just down the road — he and his father tried their hand at ridge tilling. “That was in the mid1980s,” Ledermann said. “We didn’t have the equipment we have now or the know-how, we really struggled with some of the equipment. We made it work for a while, but after some inconsistent years we took a step back.” After a few years of hardship, the Ledermanns returned to full tillage, but John never forgot the prospect of low-tillage farming. “I wanted to get back into that,” he said. “I was just waiting for the right equipment to come along and then the time was right for me to try it again. It was always my goal to get back into conservation tillage.”
Nowadays, Ledermann’s roles as both a farmer and a conservationist are merged and reflected well in his mission. “We need to keep the land we’re working as productive as we can, that way we minimize the land we have to have and disturb,” he said. Thankfully, the trials Ledermann faced in the 1980s helped him approach conservation farming in a different way in 2011. As a result, he tries to pass that wisdom on to other famers that are looking to employ conservation measures on their farms. “I recommend going slowly,” he said. “You can jump in both feet at once and it forces to you make a change, but the danger is you can become overwhelmed and can’t handle it. Whereas if you start small, you keep your mistakes small and build confidence that way.”
PHOTO BY MICHAEL STRASBURG
Ledermann built this modified toolbar, which he uses to drop seed into his striptilled fields.
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Page 10 • Country Acres - Friday, May 5, 2017
A gift to share Paffrath uses ranch for youth outreach By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer
PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM
Joel Paffrath stands with some of the horses he boards at his ranch near Spicer. In addition to a boarding stable, the ranch is home to the Rusty Spur Arena, where sanctioned cow sorting competitions are held.
SPICER – On a quiet, sunny she would do, but after agreeing they April day, a wrangler named Lisa would figure it out, Paffrath purwalks Boomer, a Hereford heifer chased a ticket to bring her back to calf, down a path on the Paffrath the United States. At about the same Paint Ranch near Spicer. Having rid- time, Paffrath broke eight horses to den horses there for many years as a give trail rides for kids of friends youth, she is happy to help out at the from the Twin Cities, and things fell ranch as an adult. into place from there. The scenic backdrop is but a “Barb started riding lessons, the glimpse of the beauty of the 160 kids fell in love with the horses, the acres owned by Joel Paffrath, a man parents bought them their own horsintent on bettering the lives of youth es, and they needed a place to board who have been welcomed there for them,” Paffrath said. nearly 20 years. Having been “The Native around horses from Americans called a young age, Paf“I said, ‘Barb, you these the blue frath was right at spend all this time mountains,” Pafhome at the ranch. frath said. He started out ridoverseas. Kids in Over the years, ing a horse named America, they need Babe, and won his the ranch has been a hub for activities first ribbon at the help, too. Why don’t Kandiyohi County ranging from a biFair at the age of 4. ble camp, to preyou come back and “My 90-yearparing animals for 4-H, to riding les- minister to our youth.” old mother still has - Joel Paffrath that ribbon,” Pafsons, trail rides and frath said with a cattle sorting comsmile. petitions. A boardQuarter horses ing stable houses the horses owned The horses on the ranch are quarby many of the families whose chilter horses, with genetics suited to dren participate. The boarding stable started out work with cattle, much like certain with a family friend, Barb Mossberg, breeds of dogs are better at one thing who lived as a missionary in the or another. “These horses are bred for this. Philippines. “I said, ‘Barb, you spend all this The ‘cowier’ the horse, the more time overseas. Kids in America, they successful it will be in sorting. It’s in need help, too. Why don’t you come their blood,” Paffrath said. He refers to the horses as athletes. back and minister to our youth,’” “It’s kind of like having a star Paffrath said. The two didn’t know yet what athlete on a high school football
team. He is recruited and plays in college, and goes for a national championship. But he doesn’t quite make it into the NFL,” Paffrath said. “Those are the horses we ride.” The horses have many years of training, with an emphasis on good behavior. “Safety is huge. These animals are too big to tolerate them not being nice,” he said. “Young riders are trained as well, with every effort made to keep them safe while working with the animals.” Rusty Spur Arena On the property, Paffrath built the Rusty Spur Arena, a spacious building with interior walls made from the wood of an old barn that was being torn down in the neighborhood.
On one end is a wall made of barn doors from South Dakota. Paffrath happened to be going by and noticed them, and that they were going to be burned. He loaded them on a trailer and brought them home. In another corner, near an observation deck for spectators, is the “Rusty Spur Saloon,” where potlucks are served during competitions. Lessons aren’t as common as they once were due to not having an instructor. However, with Lisa’s help, the arena is home to many events, including leagues and cattle-sorting competitions sanctioned by the Minnesota Sorting Cow Horse Association (MNSCHA). The season starts in July and runs until April of the next year. During competitions, teams of
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Page 14 • Country Acres - Friday, May 5, 2017 LAHR continued from page 12 “It was tough, but I was younger then too — I had more spunk,” Lahr said. “When she learned to drive the tractor she’d do that while I picked rock. She loved that. If I cut hay when she was young, she’d sit on the fender. If I mowed lawn, she’d sit on my lap — eventually she would mow too.” Gerry’s mother, Darlene, was his rock throughout this time. In an era without modern internet, parenting information was hard to come by for a single father with two jobs. Fortunately, Darlene had a few years of experience. “Mom helped me as much as possible, she was a big influence,” Lahr said. “We had five kids in the family and all of us led a very good life — my parents did a good job in raising us.” As Crystal grew older she naturally grew more independent. During this PHOTOS SUBMITTED period Gerry started to fear the perils of Gerry Lahr believes raising his daughter – or any child – on a farm instills in them a greater of disciplining children, which could lead responsibility and maturity. Here, his daughter, Crystal, helps feed calves. to grudges, fights and rifts — especially when there is not another parent to talk to. Thankfully, Crystal was a well-behaved child and teen. “I knew right away that if I ever pushed her hard and said things like ‘you must be home at this hour’ then I’d push her away. I had to think of a different way of saying I was worried,” Lahr said. After high school, Crystal attended Ridgewater College in Willmar before transferring to St. Cloud State University, where she earned a degree in psychology. Crystal now lives in her new home in St. Joseph with her husband. The two were married last May. “It’s 26 miles from here, I watched on the odometer,” Lahr said. “That’s not too far.” The day of the wedding was both difficult and rewarding for Lahr. “It was hard, it was very hard,” Lahr said. “Walking her down the aisle there were a lot of tears. It was a big step for PHOTOS SUBMITTED me, letting her go on to her own life. You As Crystal grew, she took up responsibilities on the farm. One of which was taking care of the cats know you can’t hold her back. But it was and kittens.
a great wedding, absolutely great.” As the newlyweds approach their first anniversary, Lahr’s life is quieter around the house. “I still worry about her,” he said. “I’m going to worry about her until the day I die, but that’s the way it is. I do have more time to do what I want now. I get lonely but I try to grind feed, mow lawn and really focus on my cattle — make sure they get the best.” As Lahr refocuses more of his personal time on the farm, the cattle are likely in good hands — the Kimball farmer just singlehandedly raised the toughest stock there is: a farmer’s own daughter. “I’ll just know I did the best I could under the circumstances,” he said. And Gerry Lahr has living proof to back that up.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Walking Crystal down the aisle at her wedding last May was difficult for Gerry, but he said he knew she was in good hands.
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Friday, May 5, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 15
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Page 16 • Country Acres - Friday, May 5, 2017
Q&A Fencing 101 In the country, fencing can be an important part of everyday life. Here, we asked area farmers to give us the scoop on how they keep their animals confined. What are your fences used for? We raise elk. The fences are inspected once a year by the state and federal government and then we have to pay for their inspection.
What are the basic components of your fence? The fence is a high tensile wire. You’re actually supposed to be able to drive a small pickup into it and it shouldn’t break. With the steel post, we don’t have to replace them and the fence should last about 100 years.
DENNIS SUELFLOW Sauk Centre, Stearns County
What challenges did you have building your fence? When you build a fence, it’s a monumental job. The posts had to be driven into the ground and then had to be stretched very tight. Fortunately, I had two sons here that were ambitious and were at a good age to help out. Is there anything you would have done differently? At this point, not really. A number of people that put up elk fence in the past put up wooden posts. We were fortunate enough that we used steel right away and that has held up. It’s been good. The biggest problem with fences is not the fence so much. It’s usually the gate that people leave open. That’s how the animals get out. Nearly all escapes are caused by inattentive gate handling more than anything. What do you do to maintain your fence? Basically I don’t have to do anything to maintain it. I check it about twice a year to be sure there are no trees that fall on it – that would be the biggest part of it. If a tree falls on it and crushes it, something could get over. Other than that, there isn’t a lot that I have to do to keep up this fence. What advice do you have for someone thinking about building a fence? Patience. It’s gotten quite expensive to do it in the past few years because everything has appreciated. I would definitely visit a number of different farms first to see how they did it and what was done. It’s extremely labor intensive to do. It’s not like putting up a bunch of steel posts and putting an electric fence around it. It’s time consuming would be the easiest way to explain it. There are things we did that I could try to improve at this point too. I wouldn’t put any 90-degree corners in – I’d keep it all round.
DAN MEYER Sauk Centre, Todd County What are your fences used for? To mainly contain buffalo.
What is the scope of your fencing in height, length, etc.? Between the two farms we probably have 10 miles of fence around about 450 acres. On this farm, all the pasture fence is high tensile wire with fiberglass posts. It’s called, “Common Sense fence.” With the fiberglass post, there’s no shorting of insulators and it’s easily installed. We generally try to go 5 feet high for the buffalo. With the high tensile we electrify every other one. On the west farm, we have high tensile woven wire that’s also 5 feet high.
What are the basic components of the fence? All fiberglass corners, posts and high tensile wire – 200,000 PSI with 12.45-gauge wire.
Did you have any challenges building your fence? The high tensile wire with the fiberglass post can be easily completed within 10 hours if two people are working on it. The woven wire is a lot more labor intense than the high tensile is.
Is there anything you would have done differently? No, I really don’t think there would be anything. Our first high tensile wire and fiberglass went in, in 1988. It was at a different location. We picked it up and moved it when we bought this place in 1993. The fence has a 20-year warranty.
What do you do to maintain it? Tighten up the wires once in a while and periodically, if a tree falls right on the post or I hook it with a piece of equipment, then I replace the post. Pretty simple maintenance. At times we have to mow underneath it.
What advice do you have for someone thinking about building a fence? Do it right the first time. If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, when are you going to have time to redo it?
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What is the scope of your fencing in height, length, etc.? We have roughly 12 acres fenced. It’s 8 feet tall and has been there for about 25 years. We put up steel posts so we wouldn’t have to replace it. It’s relatively expensive to put up an elk fence.
Page 18 • Country Acres - Friday, May 5, 2017
COUNTRY COOKING Recipes Submitted by
SHARON KOLL Villard Pope County
RICE MERINGUE STRAWBERRY JELL-O FLUFF SALAD 3 ounce box strawberry jello 1 small box vanilla pudding (not instant) 1 small box frozen strawberries 8 ounce cool whip Heat 2 cups water to boiling. Add dry Jell-O and pudding. Take off burner. Cook to a rolling boil and cook for five minutes. Cool to room temperature and add whipped topping and fruit.
COPPER PENNIES 2 pounds fresh carrots (slice into 1/2 inch rounds) 2 medium onions sliced and separated into rings 1 medium green pepper, cut into thin strips 10 3/4 ounce can tomato soup 3/4 cup vinegar 1/2 cup cooking oil 1 tsp. prepared mustard 2/3 cup sugar 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp. salt Cook carrots in salted water until tender. Drain. Combine with onions, green peppers in large pepper in large bowl. Stir together remaining ingredients. Pour over vegetables in bowl. Cover and refrigerate several hours.
1/2 cup rice (not instant) 3 Tbsp. cornstarch 1/2 cup sugar 4 eggs (separate yolk/whites) 4 cups milk 1 tsp. vanilla pinch of salt Following the directions on the rice package, cook rice in water until done. Drain. Heat 3 cups milk and add rice. In separate bowl, mix sugar and cornstarch with 1 cup milk. Add to rice mixture and heat. Add beaten egg yolks and cook until thick. Put into baking dish. In separate bowl, beat four egg whites; add 1/3 cup sugar to the whipped egg whites. Add 1/2 tsp. cornstarch to whipped egg whites – this will keep the meringue from weeping. Top rice with meringue mixture. Put into oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or until golden brown.
BANANA PUNCH 6 cups water 4 cups sugar 5 large bananas 6 ounce can frozen orange juice 46 ounce can pineapple juice Boil water and sugar. Cool. Blend juices and bananas in blender. Mix with sugar water in ice cream pail. Freeze. Remove from freezer and thaw until mushy. Add 3-4 quarts Mountain Dew.
MILLION-DOLLAR RICE SALAD
CALIFORNIA BLEND HOT DISH
8 ounce package cream cheese 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 cups cooked rice, cooled 12 maraschino cherries, diced 10 ounce package miniature marshmallows 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained 12 ounce package whipped topping 1 cup chopped nuts Combine cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add rice, cherries, pineapple and marshmallows. Mix well. Fold in whipped topping and nuts.
1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 1/2 tsp. salt Onion Dash of pepper 16 ounce bag California blend vegetables 2 cups cheddar cheese 2 10 ounce cans mushroom soup 16 ounce box Stove Top Stuffing mix
SHOESTRING SALAD 1 cup celery, diced 2 cans boned chicken or tuna 2 tsp. onion, diced 1 cup grated carrots 1 cup salad dressing mixed with 1/4 cup French dressing Almonds (if desired) Mix together. Just before serving, add 1 cup shoestring potatoes. Serve on lettuce leaf.
MOCHA BARS 4 eggs, separated (save 1 yolk for frosting) 1 sup sugar 1/2 cup boiling water 1 cup flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. vanilla Beat egg whites until stiff. Mix together rest of ingredients and add in egg whites. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees in a greased 9x13 pan. Frosting: 1 egg yolk 1/2 cup butter 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar Beat together ingredients. Spread on cooled bars and sprinkle with chopped dry roasted peanuts.
Put salt and pepper on the bottom of the pan and brown hamburger and onion, drain. Slightly cook vegetables in separate pan. In a baking pan add hamburger and onion and top with vegetables. Cover with grated cheese and soup. Mix Stove Top Stuffing according to box directions and spread on top. Cover and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. *Can also use ground turkey
RHUBARB DESSERT 1 package graham crackers (plus additional 4 squares) 1/2 cup butter or margarine 6 cups rhubarb 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 3 Tbsp. cornstarch 1 tsp. vanilla 8 ounce package cool whip 1 1/2 cups small marshmallows 3 ounce box instant vanilla pudding 2 cups milk Crust: Crush package of graham crackers. Melt butter or margarine, mix together with graham crackers. Put in 9x13 glass pan, bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees and cool. Cook rhubarb and sugar; bring to a boil. Add water, cornstarch and vanilla. Mix together cool whip and marshmallows; put on top of cooled rhubarb. In a small bowl mix together instant vanilla pudding and milk. Pour over marshmallows. Sprinkle remaining crushed graham crackers on top. Refrigerate and enjoy!
Calling all country cooks! If you would like to share your favorite recipes on our Country Cookin’ page, contact Diane at 320-352-6577 or diane@saukherald.com
Friday, May 5, 2017 - Country Acres • Page 19
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