A Holiday Parade

Oh Dear.  It isn't even Thanksgiving Day yet, and the local communities are having their holiday parades.  We went to one tonight in Berlin Wisconsin.  Every year our grandchildren are in the parade.  This year it was only the youngest who participated.  He was in the parade with his daycare.  He was so excited.  He didn't even want to go to school today because he didn't want to miss going to the parade.  Last night they decorated his truck and he drove the parade route.

Ewan's truck all decked out for the Holiday parade.

He drove the whole parade route.

His mom and dad walked along beside him.

 

The parade is over and Ewan is heading home.

Even Piper the Puppy got to walk along.

It was difficult to photograph in the dark, but I got a few shots of some of the floats.  The weather was cool but not too bad.  It was supposed to snow a little but it didn't.  It was a perfect night for a parade.  Now to get on with the Holiday preparations.  The next month will be a busy one.

A Surprise Bluebird Visitor

Today I woke up really early.  It was very dark outside.  I went in the kitchen and made the coffee as I do every morning.  Then I turned on the TV and watched the local news.  I saw there was a bad car accident and other sad news.  Then I heard that a baby was born on Sunday in the Green Bay area with a broken collar bone.  They named the baby Aaron Rodger after the Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers who has a broken collar bone.  It was a happy story.  As it began to get light out, I noticed the birds were really busy at the bird feeders.  They hadn't been very active lately, so I figured that this means the weather is about to change.  That fact was confirmed by the weather report.  As I looked I saw the rose breasted nuthatches eating seed.  Then I thought the nuthatch looked really big.  I looked more closely and discovered it was a bluebird.  This is really late in the year for us to see bluebirds.  I grabbed the camera and took the first picture through the dirty window.  It was just getting light so the picture didn't turn out very bright but you can see how cute he is.

 I watched as he checked out all the bluebird houses.  I grabbed the meal worms and put some in the feeder.  Eventually he left and I'm not sure if he will stay or if he was just passing through on the way to a warmer climate.

Ebleskiver Pan

Today while putting some pans away in the little drawer under the stove, I discovered an Ebleskiver pan.  I have seen it spelled Aebleskiver and Ableskiver also.   It had been my mom's.   I'm pretty sure it was not the one her mother used.   Even though it is well seasoned, I don't remember my mom making them.   I kept it, but I never tried them before.  For those who don't know, an Aebleskiver is a Danish Pancake Ball. 

The pan says Ebleskiver Pan and then Apple Pancake Balls.

I had a recipe which I don't think this is a family recipe either.  I thought this would be something cute to make for Christmas brunch, but I needed to practice.  Way back, probably before 1930, my great grandmother made these.  I figured if she could make dozens on a wood stove, why couldn't I.  Well, it wasn't as easy as it looks.  I finally got the hang of turning them over.  I didn't have a skewer which might have worked better,  so I used a toothpick and it worked.

Danish Pancake Balls (Aebleskiver)

This recipe makes about a dozen pancake balls.  You can eat them with butter and jam or just rolled in powdered sugar. 

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons of flour
2 Tablespoons of sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon or cardamon
14 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoon melted butter

Mix the flour with the sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Then beat the egg and blend with milk and butter.  Add to the dry ingredients and stir until evenly moistened.

Put the Ebelskiver pan over the heat and heat the pan.  Then bush the wells of the pan with butter and fill almost full with batter.  Let them cook for a couple minutes.  You can see the bubbles form on top just like when making a regular pancake.  You can place a piece of apple or piece of sausage into the batter before you turn them.  Then take a tooth pick and flip the pancake over.  When the bottom is browned.  They come out very clean in the shape of a ball.

The pancake balls just before they were ready to turn.

The pancake balls are ready to eat.  Too bad we can't eat wheat anymore.

I forgot that many of us are not eating wheat but they were fun to make, and maybe I will make them again for Christmas.  I will give my dad a couple to see if they are good.   He is 89 and isn't too worried about eating gluten, high fructose corn syrup or fats.  Maybe that's the answer,  just eat what ever you want and not worry about it.  I did find a gluten free recipe and I may try that someday.  Stay tuned.

Country Values Country Store

We made a wonderful discovery recently.  I think I mentioned it briefly in another blog, but I want to talk more about it.  Last summer, we noticed a sign while traveling between our house and Montello, Wisconsin.  The actual address is W5798 Hwy 23, Princeton, WI  54968.  They are open everyday except Sunday.  The phone number is 920-896-1025. 

We didn't stop at the time because we were on a schedule, and we weren't quite sure what it was.  It looked like a little country store. We made a note to come back later.

Country Values Store

Since it is only two miles from our house, we returned a few weeks later to check it out.  I am very glad we did.  It is actually referred to as a "Bent and Dent" store.  Other bent and dents we have shopped at were not nearly as clean and tidy.  Actually I saw very few bent and dented cans.  This store had a variety of grocery items, some craft items,  Amish bakery, produce when it is in season and hand made Goat milk soaps and lotions.

A lot of canned goods neatly arranged on the shelf.

Coconut water, sparkling cranberry juice and other drinks.

We have been there several times now.  We bought a few new things last week that were gluten free items.  When I got home and tasted them, they were delicious.  We went back today to buy more.

Udi's granola usually sells for about $4.75 and Blue Diamond Nut Thins are $2.50 in a store.

As you can see we paid a lot less for these items.  $1.50 for granola and $.50 for the Nut Thins.

 When we first drove up we noticed they had a lot of goats. 

These goats were very friendly, and I knew why when we walked into the store.  On the counter were little packets of goat food.  The goats were hoping that we would feed them and not just take their picture.

I asked the proprietor of the store about the goats and if she made the soaps.  She told me she did and that she made each batch in a crock pot, but uses goat milk instead of the usual water.  I bought a bar of soap that smelled like lemons.  It is wonderful and leaves my skin so soft.  I will definitely be buying more of Creamy Doe Suds.

Hand made goat milk products like soap and lotions.

If any of you want to learn more about this store you can visit them on Facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/countryvalues  

They post what is going on and any new items that arrive.  Recently they have a lot of gluten free items at a wonderful price.  It gave us the opportunity to try some items we wouldn't normally have access to or wouldn't want to pay full price for.  I really like visiting small businesses like this and wish them all the best in their new business venture.

Deer Hunting Season In Wisconsin is Coming Up

I don't have a lot to say today.  This weekend has been very dark and dreary although the temperatures were quite mild for Wisconsin.   We had about an inch of rain in our gauge.  That would have converted into a fair amount of snow, so I guess I shouldn't complain.  Next weekend is the beginning of the gun deer hunting season.  It lasts for nine days.  We aren't hunters and I think the deer know it.  As I told a friend, the deer know our woods is a safe house.  We certainly see more at this time of year than we do the rest of the year.  Here are some of the photos we had on the trail camera from the past few nights.  I wrote about putting the pumpkins out.  I also put corn for them to eat.  It wouldn't be fair to feed them and then shoot them.  They are welcome to stay as long as they want.

A Puppy named Piper

In the summer of 2012, my daughter Heather was looking for a dog.  They really liked the duck-tolling retrievers, so they went to the rescue website.  After a long vetting process, they were approved to get a dog.  The Wisconsin rescue center called one day and matched them up with a seven year old dog named Sammy.  She was being given up by a family in northern Illinois.  They met at an agreed upon location.  The man was upset but said they couldn't keep her because they couldn't give her the attention she deserved.  The first thing my daughter did was take Sammy for a check up.  They found out that she had a thyroid problem and allergies.  She needed thyroid meds and benadryl every day.  She was a wonderful dog, but was sicker than they knew.  We think the people gave her up because she was sick, and they couldn't deal with her death.  A few months after they got her, Sammy died.

They wanted to get another dog, but they were afraid to rescue another dog.  They decided to get a puppy this time.   About a month ago my daughter got her new cockapoo puppy.  She is a cute little thing.   She is all black and weighs about eight pounds now.  She is eleven weeks old and her name is Piper.  Three and a half years ago my daughter was expecting a baby.  It was supposed to be a girl.  They were going to name her Piper.  Well, when Piper was born, we had a surprise.  Her baby girl was a boy.  They named him Ewan.  He is the little firefighter I write about regularly.  Since they liked the name Piper and my son in law is into aviation, they named the dog Piper.

Everything was going good until four days ago.  They played outside,  and then went down in the basement.  Piper was doing what puppies do, nosing around.  When they came upstairs, she had something in her mouth.  It was a small sliver of a hard blue item.  Panic took over, and they thought they should make her throw up in case it was poison.  They used hydrogen peroxide.  They weren't sure what it was, but our daughter thought is could be a piece of D-con.  About seven years ago when they moved into their house, they put out mouse poison.  They live on the river and one day by their garage they saw a mouse or rat.  They put the poison out and they forgot about it.  Fortunately my daughter lives in a small town, and she had the cell phone number of the vet.  She called her at home because the clinic had closed and met the vet at the clinic.  The vet couldn't tell for sure if it was poison, but treated her aggressively as if it was.  Piper got a vitamin K shot and pills to take for 42 days.  She had to be watched for bleeding and lethargy for at least 72 hours.   I'm happy to report that she had no effects.  She is as wild and peppy as ever.  She is chewing on ankles and anything that moves.  Raising a puppy is hard work but well worth it.  They are watching her like a hawk and puppy proofed the house again.  It was scary but she is fine.  As she grows, I will write how she is doing.  Hopefully she will turn out to be just as nice a dog as Sammy was.

Piper is growing up.

Sarah, Heather and Piper

Crane Migration

I have been watching the Operation Migration team attempting to migrate to Florida with eight young cranes.  These cranes were raised and trained about five miles from our house, so I have an interest in their welfare.  http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/  They left October 2 and are only as far as Southern Illinois.  They have gone 345 miles so they have a long way to go before they arrive at St. Marks Florida. The total trip is about 1100 miles.   I was worried that they would be late.  What they would be late for, I don't really know.  My worry ended when I saw a photo today of 4 young wild whooping cranes near the side of the road at the Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin.  I am also encouraged by the Sandhill cranes who haven't left this area either.  Supposedly the last of them migrate by Thanksgiving Day, so we shall see.

As long as the Sandhill cranes have water and food, they are in no hurry to leave.

They just hang out together deciding how long they should stay.

Some geese standing on some ice that formed overnight.

I'm pretty sure all our ducks and geese know they are protected from hunters in our pond.

An Amazing Work of Art in Nathan Strong Park

Last month I went trick or treating with my grandchildren in Berlin Wisconsin.  While they were going door to door, I walked around in a nearby park.  It was a park that my dad and mom would go to during the short time they lived in Berlin.  Their apartment was nearby and in the fall they went to the park, just to get some fresh air.  It was a little sad to think of that time.

While looking around, I noticed something new in the park.  It was a special clock built by a local man and donated to the community.  It was put in place in a temperature controlled gazebo by the Rotary Club and Friends of the Park.  It is made out various types of wood.  The gears are made out of plywood glued together at different angles to avoid warping.  The sides explain the history of the cannons and a monument in the park.  It also has engravings of all 49 past mayors of the city dating back to 1857.  Although this is in a neighboring community, it is a pretty amazing work or art.

Recycling Pumpkins

 
Every year when Halloween is over and it is almost Thanksgiving, we have a lot of pumpkins to dispose of.  My son in law's parents grow many different varieties of pumpkins.  They share many of them with the family.  They make beautiful fall decorations, but as the fall comes to a close and Christmas decorations are about to be brought out, we feed the leftover pumpkins to the wildlife.  They get eaten little by little throughout the winter.  By Spring there is nothing left but empty shells.

Here are a few pumpkins we have to put out yet.

The Gray Squirrels really like them,

          and so do the Black Squirrels.

We have birds pecking away at the pumpkins as well as the deer.  All the forest creatures get a nibble.  I also put out the apple peelings and cores from all the fall baking with apples.

This photo is from exactly two years ago.  See the snow on the ground already.

Today November 13, 2013, there isn't any snow.

This little buck was looking at me.  I think he likes corn more than pumpkins.

Tangy Meatloaf Comfort Food

It's Tuesday, the day I usually post a recipe.  I recently mentioned that my husband makes the meatloaf for our family.  He has made meatloaf for years.  In fact, his favorite recipe comes out of a 1979 Workbasket magazine.

Tangy Meatloaf

1/2 cup Ketchup (They call it Catsup, but I don't like that word)
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dry Mustard
4 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons Seasoned Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Onion Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1 Egg
3/4 cups ground up Oatmeal or quick cooking Oatmeal
(original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of Wheat Chex cereal crushed to 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 pounds Ground Beef (less lean ground beef makes a better meatloaf)

In a large bowl combine ketchup, brown sugar and dry mustard.
To this mixture add Worcestershire, salt, onion and garlic powders, pepper and egg.
Blend well.  Stir in oatmeal crumbs (or chex crumbs).  You can add 2 T. of finely chopped green pepper and/or chopped onion at this point, if you like.  Mix everything into the ground beef.  It works best to use your hands.  Shape in a shallow pan if you like a crustier outside or into a bread pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 70 minutes or until done.

He just puts all the ingredients in a bowl and mixes it together.

He likes to put it in a bread pan but free form is fine too.

Cooked meatloaf ready to slice.

If you would rather, the raw meat can be made into meatballs.

http://cabincountess.blogspot.com/2013/07/freezing-browned-ground-beef-or.html

Happy Veteran's Day 2013

Today is November 11, 2013.  It is Veteran's Day.  I have written about my dad who is a World War II Veteran a few times.  He understands so many things in the news.  Thank goodness he still has a good mind.  He was wondering today if the typhoon that recently struck the Philippines destroyed the island that was their home base during the war.   His birthday is November 14th and he will be 89.  That is pretty remarkable.

http://cabincountess.blogspot.com/2013/05/memorial-day-thanks.html

http://cabincountess.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-dad-is-hero.html
 
Just when I think I have heard all of his stories, he says something that I hadn't heard.  He told me today that his name is engraved in granite in front of his old high school in Owen Wisconsin.  He said the old school has been converted to something else, and he wonders if the names are still in front of the building.  He told me the names of all the young graduates who went to war from his high school are there.  Next time we get to the area, we will have to see.

As a gift to him from us, my sister and all five of his grandchildren, we have purchased a Legacy Stone.

http://cabincountess.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-highground-veterans-memorial.html

A Legacy Stone is a stone that will be placed in the walkway at the Highground Veterans Memorial in Neillsville, WI. Dad's information will be engraved in a 12 x 12 x 2 granite block and placed in a ceremony on Saturday, June 14, 2014 at 1:00pm. The ceremony will begin with ringing of their Liberty Bell.  Colors will be presented and then the pledge of allegiance.  Earth from the previous legacy stone ceremony is mixed with the earth from the day's ceremony.  Each family then places their stone.  When all the stones are in place, everyone forms a circle.  People are encouraged to share their thoughts.  We can submit any additional materials we would like to share in the Registry.  That is kept in the Highgrounds Learning Center Library.  It should be a good day.  Anyone is welcome to attend.