FROMONLINE | 2014-05-28

  • By Daphne Ross
  • May 28, 2014
  • 468
                        
Small town life is sweet country living Column Summary I am not missing out on anything a big city might offer; my country living, my small town life has it all. I have never been to New York City, and Chicago, I have by passed on the roads built to do so. I have never been west of Beulah, Wyoming, and Cleveland, I have been to a couple events there, visited the hospital, but have never driven there myself. I am a small town country girl, and yes, you can be both, small town and country. While our home address is Wooster, we live in Plain Township six miles south of city limits, and that is most definitely the rural countryside. Just Enough Acres, the name of our five mini farm has been our home for 27 years. We raised our two children here, and as a babysitter for 21 years in this home, I would like to think I had a good hand in helping to raise nearly 100 other children. I grew up in the country three miles east of Smithville. I went to school in Smithville, much of my extended family still live here, and many of my school friends still have deep roots here. After high school graduation my best friend Kathy and I shared a small, upstairs apartment just west of the village square. My husband, I found him in the City of Orrville, where he lived his entire life, until we married and then shared the village apartment. If you are originally from a big city, Wooster and Orrville may seem small, and hardly cities, but they fit the criteria. I like the idea that I live in a township. And I like the idea that I own a business in Smithville, which has always been considered a village. It’s a sweet life. I don’t desire to travel to big cities, and I like spending my money at small businesses, the mom and pop places that built this country. The businesses that continue to keep our small communities glued together. I set up my antique shop on Main Street America. I am joined by other small businesses; an old-time hardware, the village plumber, a coffee shop, another antique shop, a one chair barber shop, a chicken inn, a carpenter’s workshop, a barn restaurant, a toy store, a bulk food store, a farmhouse gift shop, a uniform supply, a general store, a hair salon, a skin care spa, a pizza shop, a feed mill, a computer repair, an auto repair, and an ice cream stand. We have it. The best part of my township residence and the best part of my small town business are the people; the people I grew up with, my neighbors, my customers, my relatives, all these folks I consider my friends. True life lives in small town country. I like it here. Send in your favorite warm weather recipes for grilling and campfire cooking to; Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Rd., Wooster, Ohio, 44691. Emails are always welcome; thewritecook@sssnet.com Sweet & Tangy Macaroni Salad 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni Hard-boiled eggs, diced 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 cup diced celery 1/2 cup diced green bell paper 2 cups mayonnaise 1 cup milk 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish 1/3 cup prepared honey mustard 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain and rinse macaroni under cold water until chilled. Transfer macaroni to a large salad bowl. Toss pasta with hard-boiled eggs, onion, celery and green bell pepper. Whisk mayonnaise, milk, pickle relish, and honey mustard in a bowl and pour dressing over the salad; mix well and season with sea salt and pepper. Sweet & Tangy Grilled Country Ribs 4 pounds bone-in country-style pork ribs 1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 cup ketchup 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup hot pepper sauce 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons prepared mustard Place ribs in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until no longer pink. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside. Drain ribs. Grill, covered, over indirect low heat for 45 minutes, turning once. Baste with barbecue sauce. Grill 15 minutes longer or until meat is tender, turning and basting frequently. Sweet & Tangy Green Bean Salad 1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained 1 (15 ounce) can peas, drained 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained 1 (4 ounce) jar pimentos 1 onion, chopped 4 stalks celery, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup distilled white vinegar 1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons water Combine vegetables in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together oil, vinegar sugar, salt, and water. Pour over vegetables and sit to coat. Refrigerate, covered for 4 hours or overnight. Simply Sweet Fruit Cocktail Salad 2 cans (16 ounces each) fruit cocktail in juice, undrained 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened pineapple tidbits, drained 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 package (1 ounce) instant sugar-free vanilla pudding mix 2 medium firm bananas, sliced IN a bowl, combine the fruit and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the pudding mix. Stir gently for 1 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Fold in bananas. Refrigerate until serving. Yields: 12 servings. Sweet & Tangy Strawberry Spinach Salad 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoons minced onion 10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces 1 quart strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered In medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seed, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover and chill for one hour. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Sweet it is Pineapple Zucchini Bread 3 eggs 1 cup oil 2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups shredded zucchini, squeeze dry 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 cup raisins 1 cup chopped nuts Beat the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in zucchini and pineapple. Combine dry ingredients and add to batter. Pour in nuts and raisins and stir. Pour batter into 2 well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until firm. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Sweet & Spicy Cuucumbers & Tomatoes 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 whole dried red chilies 16 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Arrange half of cucumber in a 9-inch pie plate. Top with half of onion. Repeat procedure with remaining cucumber and onion. Combine vinegar and next 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Pour hot vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture. Cover and marinate in refrigerator up to 4 days. Arrange tomato slices on a platter; sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Remove cucumber mixture from marinade with a slotted spoon; arrange over tomato slices. Fried Sour Dill Pickles 3 eggs 1 cup milk 1 cup Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 15 dill pickle spears, well drained Oil for deep frying Garnish: Ranch or Thousand Island salad dressing Whisk together eggs and milk in a small bowl; mix bread crumbs and flour in a separate small bowl. Dip pickles into egg mixture; roll in crumb mixture to coat. Heat several inches oil to 375 degrees in a deep fryer. Fry pickles 3 to 5 at a time until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with salad dressing for dipping. Makes 4 to 5 servings. So Sweet Picnic Cake (18 ounce) box yellow cake mix 1 cup flour 3 eggs 1 cup water 1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup cocoa powder 2/3 cup diet cola soda 1/2 cup ketchup Grease a 13 x 9 inch cake pan. Mix together the cake mix and flour. Mix in the eggs, water, oil, sour cream, applesauce and vanilla. Remove 2 cups of the batter and pour into another bowl. Stir in the cocoa powder. Make sure to stir this in first before adding any liquid. Mix in the diet cola and ketchup Pour the vanilla batter into the pan and spread evenly. Pour the chocolate batter over the top and gently spread it to about 1/4 inch from the edge. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes. The cake will spring back slightly when pressed in the middle. Cool in pan for 30 minutes then cut and serve while warm. Or let cool overnight in fridge and cut and serve cold. Either way is good!


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