Column from Nov. 26, 2009

Something to be thankful for

Next week is Thanksgiving and every year, someone asks, “What are you thankful for?”

It’s often a tough question because I have lots to appreciate in my life. Some are very personal, so I don’t always share those.

The one thing I’m always willing to tell people about is the birth – and survival – of my grandson.

Harley was born four months early and spent the first four and a half months of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. There were many touch-and-go days where we didn’t know if he would make it.

After all, he only weighed 1 pound, 10 ounces at birth and was 12 inches long. That’s really tiny and very scary for parents and grandparents.

During that time, the Ronald McDonald House was a godsend. Harley’s mom spent most of the time there. His daddy (my son) went to Spokane on his days off from work.

We saw firsthand what wonderful things the house does for people in need. We met and talked with other parents who were staying there while their children were in the hospital.

Today, Harley is a rambunctious 6-year-old and we are so thankful for everyone who helped make that happen. From the doctors and nurses at the hospital to the folks at the Ronald McDonald House. That’s why we try to do things to pay them back for what they do.

Each October, we deliver Halloween baskets for the children who are staying at the house. These are items that provide hours of entertainment for kids whose siblings are hospitalized, including games, toys, activity books, crayons, pencils, etc.

Chris Dorow generously provides us with 25 plastic pumpkins for the items to be put in. We let the ladies at Ronald McDonald House put the baskets together, which they enjoy doing.

Another thing we do is help put together meals for the folks staying at the house. Several times a year, some of the employees at the Othello McDonald’s, Fernando Moreno (the owner), my husband and I travel to Spokane and feed a few dozen people there.

Our next trip is planned for Dec. 11 and we’ll be putting on a spaghetti feed.

It’s just another way to say thanks for all they do for families who find themselves in a desperate situation. We are so grateful and blessed to have this service available to folks in our area.

So, this Thanksgiving, take some time to think about what you can do for someone who goes out of their way to help others, be it an organization or an individual. Even just a card of thanks can go a long way.

It’s folks behind the scenes, like the good people at the Ronald McDonald House, who make this world just that much nicer for others.

This week’s recipe was provided by Darla, the design and layout person here at The Othello Outlook. She brought these for us to sample one day and they were really good.

Darla said all the ingredients can be found at our local Wal-Mart, so you don’t have to travel out of town to do your shopping.

I hope you’ll give them a try.

Pumpkin streusel cheesecake bars

Cookie base:

1 pouch (1 pound 1.5 ounce) Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix

½ cup crushed gingersnap cookies

½ cup finely chopped pecans

½ cup cold butter or margarine

Filling: 2 packages (8 ounce each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 tablespoons whipping cream

2 eggs

Toppings:

1/3 cup chocolate topping

1/3 cup caramel topping

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, crushed cookies and pecans. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of ungreased 12-by-9 inch pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining filling ingredients; beat until well blended. Pour over warm cookie base. Sprinkle with reserved topping.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.

4. Before serving, drizzle with chocolate and caramel toppings. Darla suggested you only drizzle the part you are going to serve so the bars don’t get soggy. For bars, cut into six rows by four rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Column from November 12, 2009

Setting up for a celebration

You wouldn’t think manual labor could be so much fun!

Sunday, a bunch of us got together and went out to put up the Othello Centennial signs. We started at Napa and installed the first one at First and Columbia.

While there, Mayor Shannon McKay showed up and we put him to work, too. Then, it was off to the second site at Broadway, in front of Evergreen Implement.

All went well. The signs were easy to install … until they started on the third.

The ground in front of the field west of east of Wal-Mart on Main Street was more solid and it took more effort to dig the holes for the posts.

But a little extra elbow grease and the sign was up and ready to alert everyone that next year is the 100^th anniversary of Othello.

The signs look great. They are very bright and colorful and should be easily seen by folks coming into town.

The centennial committee has lots of fun plans for next year. Sean Bates, who is also involved with the American Fiesta Amistad, is helping with setting up the entertainment for the big event on May 22 and 23.

He’s looking for local acts that would like to perform that weekend.

It should be lots of fun as there will be things to do for both young and old.

The committee meets the first Thursday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at city hall. Anyone who would like to help with the planning is welcome to attend.

Also, if you’d like more information, you can call Ken Caylor, committee chair, at 488-0550. He’s a busy man, so if he doesn’t answer, be sure to leave a message.

I picked this week’s recipe for no other reason than because these cookies are yummy. I had planned to make them Sunday afternoon, but I spent more time out watching the signs going up than I had planned.

Maybe I’ll get them made next weekend!

Pineapple cookies

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped nuts

Cream shortening and sugars until light. Beat in pineapple, eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. Add nuts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes about five dozen.

Column from November 5, 2009

Don’t throw out that jack-o-lantern

Halloween is over and the question will inevitably come up: What do you do with the pumpkin? Many people make pie filling for Thanksgiving, which is just around the corner.

There are other ideas for that funny-faced creation, though.

I had a request to find a recipe for empanadas. The lady who asked me said she’s tried to ask some of the local cooks, but they say to use a pinch of this and a pinch of that.

Across the Internet, there are many recipes for these traditional Mexican desserts. I turned to my handy Better Homes and Gardens Mexican Cook Book, which is a standard when I want to cook this cuisine. It’s 30 years old and it often comes in handy.

I grabbed a glass of iced tea and sat down at the kitchen table to see what it had to offer. Sure enough, there was just the recipe I was looking for!

So, here it is and I hope some of you give it a try.

Empanadas (dessert turnovers)

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup lard or shortening

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Pumpkin filling

Fat for deep-fat frying (optional)

Powdered sugar or granulated sugar

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in lard or shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal. Beat eggs with milk. Add to flour mixture, stirring until combined (use hands, if necessary).

Form dough into a ball; cover and chill one hour. Divide dough into 16 portions. On lightly floured surface, roll each part to a six-inch circle. Place about 3 tablespoons filling on each. Moisten edges with a little water; fold in half, pressing edges with a fork to seal. Fry or bake as directed below. Makes 16.

To fry: Fry empanadas, a few at a time, in deep hot fat (375 degrees) for about four minutes or until golden, turning once. Drain on paper toweling. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

To bake: Place empanadas on baking sheet. Brush tops with a little milk; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Column from October 29, 2009

Italian cuisine right here in Othello

We had a marvelous Italian meal Friday – tomato basil raviolini soup, dinner salad, meat balls and ravioli, garlic bread and spumoni ice cream for dessert.

It was so tasty and the waiters were very accommodating.

To top it off, we didn’t have to go far to enjoy our dinner. We were a mere four blocks from the new Italian Gardens at Reichert’s Showhouse.

Bob and Donna Reichert sent me a special invitation to try out their new addition to the Showhouse. On Fridays and Saturdays, you can plan a night out for dinner and a movie for a very reasonable price.

Dinner is $15 per person ($10 for sixth-grade age and younger) and movie tickets are only $5 with the meal (or $3.50 for the younger crowd).

What a deal!

The Reicherts have always been innovative and this is just another example of that. Bob and his staff wait on tables and make sure you’re enjoying yourself, while Donna prepares your meal using an old family recipe for the sauce.

And as you eat, you get to enjoy the lovely scenery of Italy on the big screen behind the tables.

Dinner is served from 4:45 to 6 p.m. Reservations are required by calling (509) 488-9796.

Other days are available for groups. You can call the same number to find out more information about that.

It’s a perfect night out for any occasion!

I interviewed Donna in January 2003 for the Recipe Corner column in The Othello Outlook. She told me at that time she has used the sauce recipe for years. She also said he always cooks a sit-down supper at her house.

Donna is a familiar face on weekends for movie goers in Othello. She can be found behind the ticket booth at Reichert’s Showhouse, so several people said they enjoyed reading about her and were going to try her recipe.

As a special treat for readers of Table Scraps, I’m reprinting her sauce recipe.

Italian pasta sauce

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1/4 pound butter (“It has to be butter not margarine,” Donna said.)

12-ounce can tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons seasoning salt

1 teaspoon sweet basil

1 teaspoon rosemary

15-ounce can tomato sauce

28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 bay leaves

Sauté onion and garlic in butter until brown. Add tomato paste and stir while cooking for about five minutes on medium-low heat.

Add oregano, seasoning salt, basil and rosemary (“crushed first in the palm of your hand,” Donna said).

Stir this with the paste for a few minutes, then add the tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes. Stir mixture and add the bay leaves, which Donna said are important. Cook for a minimum of 3 hours.

Donna said she adds browned hamburger or her favorite meat balls while the sauce is cooking for a better taste. She also said you can substitute olive oil for the butter.