Sunday, November 8, 2015

A Traditional Farm Life - Toasted Zwieback


A Traditional Farm Life

By Shasta Hamilton

Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends.  How novel it is to have the calendar page change to November and still be comfortable in shirtsleeves!  That little voice of reality in the back of our minds tells us it’s too good to be true, but we might as well enjoy it while it lasts, right?

Yet even knowing that “all good things must come to an end” somehow fails to motivate me this year to accept and prepare for the reality of winter.

In these modern times, of course, there is less to prepare for than for our pioneer ancestors.  It is very easy for us to forget how the seasonal cycle dictated the activities for farm and city folks alike for hundreds if not thousands of years. 

While we may still be motivated to lay in a certain amount of supplies for emergency situations, we are often lulled into a false sense of security these days, I’m afraid.  When the supermarket has everything we could possibly want to eat—and more--ready for us to purchase at our whim to supply the day’s need, it’s easy to forget how our ancestors spent three seasons of four preparing for the cold, dark days of winter when fresh food would be scarce.

Those among us blessed with the wisdom of white hair remember the large gardens and the stifling heat of canning winter’s supply of vegetables in the height of a Kansas summer.  Other methods were—and still can be—employed to preserve the harvest.

Before the advent of water bath canning, pickling was done by lactic fermentation in those large heavy crocks now often used for nostalgic decoration around our homes.  Root cellars not only housed the pickles but potatoes, carrots, onions, apples and other fruits and vegetables that were “good keepers” into the winter.

Summer sun and heat also provided the means to preserve food for later use by drying.  Sliced apples and apricots first come to mind, but some vegetables were also prepared in this manner.  Dried corn can be prepared in a myriad of ways, and indeed was a pioneer staple.  Perhaps you’ll be surprised to know that green beans were suspended in hot attics by needle and butcher’s string, dried, and these “leather breeches” were later rehydrated, cooked, and served.

Let’s not forget about salting, smoking and curing.  Family, friends, and neighbors used to gather for hog butchering bees when temperatures remained cold enough in the late fall to safely process the meat.  Our pioneer ancestors “used everything but the oink” to frugally prepare for the weeks and months to come.  Salt pork, bacon, smoked sausage and ham, pickled pig’s feet, and head cheese were just a few examples of delicacies prepared from the humble hog.  Butchering day often included spare ribs fried in the newly rendered lard—what a treat after a day of hard work and fellowship!

Preservation methods could also be employed to “extend the shelf life” of some baked goods.  My Mennonite ancestors regularly “toasted” zwieback, as this homemade bread stales quickly. The top “double bun” was pulled off and cut in half vertically to create two half-moon-shaped pieces.  The larger bottom was also cut vertically into three equal pieces.  In days gone by, the zwieback was toasted after regular baking was completed, as the brick ovens held heat well and slowly cooled down over a period of several hours—perfect for slowly dehydrating the soft bread into a crisp cracker-like treat.

Before emigrating in 1874, my ancestors baked and toasted bushels upon bushels of zwieback to sustain them on the long trip from the Ukraine to central Kansas.  How comforting this taste of home must have been in the dark, dingy confines of a steamer slowly chugging across the Atlantic toward an uncertain destination of unbroken prairie!

Making zwieback for our family gathering last weekend inspired me to carry on the tradition of simple food, simply prepared for our own family.  A table simply set in the tradition of our humble forefathers with zwieback, sliced bologna, wedges of cheddar, and sheet cake shared among family can draw us together just as well as the finest fare a king could offer—and perhaps even better.

Toasted Zwieback

zwieback, as many as desired
 
1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2.   Pull zwieback apart; cut smaller upper bun in vertically in half and bottom bun vertically into three equal pieces. Place in a single layer on baking sheet.
3.  Bake for about 90 minutes or until zwieback have dried out completely all the way through and have browned slightly.  Remove from oven to cool.  Delicious served warm with butter.  Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Copyright © 2015 by Shasta Hamilton

Shasta is a fifth generation rural Kansan now residing in Enterprise, Kansas.  She and her husband own and operate The Buggy Stop Home-Style Kitchen with their six home-schooled children.  You can reach The Buggy Stop by calling (785) 200-6385 or visit them on the web at www.thebuggystoprestaurant.com. 
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GPT Announces 2016 Season

GPT Announces 2016 Season

Great Plains Theatre is excited to announce its 2016 season which is full of a wide variety of plays and musicals sure to please everyone.
June 10 - 19                                   Rated G

Renowned in the Wild West as a sharpshooter, Annie Oakley meets her match, both romantically and professionally, in the form of fellow ace gunslinger, Frank Butler. While Annie and Frank are performing as part of the famous traveling show headlined by the legendary Buffalo Bill, the two compete and flirt, with plenty of ups and downs along the way. The delightful musical comedy features a memorable score including "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)", "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun" and the greatest of all showbiz anthems, "There's No Business Like Show Business".
 
July 8 - 17                                    Rated PG

At the height of World War II, two boys are sent to stay with their estranged, tough-as-nails grandmother and their loving but emotionally-challenged Aunt Bella. In a small apartment above the family candy store in Yonkers, NY, the boys learn that their quirky relatives are each hiding something and soon find themselves comically caught in the middle of all their secrets. This heartwarming comedy by Neil Simon, about the importance of family and forgiveness, won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize

August 5 - 14                                Rated G

Drive a ways outta town, somewhere between Frog Level and Smyrna, North Carolina, and you'll come to a filling station run by L.M. and Jim. Across the blacktop is the Double Cupp Diner, operated by Rhetta and Prudie Cupp. To look at it, you wouldn't know that this little stop on Highway 57 is where all the action is, but trust us - once the boys get that guitar and bass fiddle revved up, you won't want to be anywhere else. Pump Boys and Dinettes is a countrified musical packed with entertaining tope-tappers such as "Drinkin' Shoes," "Farmer Tan," and "The Night Dolly Parton Was Almost Mine!"

December 9-18                             Rated G

Songs and stars of the 1940s come to life in G.I. Holiday Jukebox. If you're looking for a seasonal alternative to The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol, with WWII nostalgia, great old standards, Christmas songs and comedy, then G.I. Holiday Jukebox is for you.

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There will be some changes to the Great Plains Theatre schedule for next year. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday performances will be matinees only. Evening performances will be held Friday and Saturday nights, and we will keep our popular Sunday matinees. 

Ticket packages are available now. Check out our website www.greatplainstheatre.com for more  details on packaging and pricing.



Join us on January 30th for an exciting night of murder, mystery and masquerade. Winter Wonderland Murder Masquerade is Great Plains Theatre's gala fundraiser, a memorable night of interactive theatre complete with a catered Italian dinner and cash bar. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in evening wear, ball gowns, suits and tuxes, and of course no masquerade is complete without a stylish Venetian mask. There will also be an exciting raffle. The event starts promptly at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $50 a person. Contact 785-263-4574 for more details and to get your tickets for the fundraiser that people are "dying" to get into.

Proceeds benefit Great Plains Theatre. 
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"When Books Went to War" Brown Bag Eisenhower

"When Books Went to War"

Eisenhower Brown Bag Series


Bring your lunch and join in a discussion with Elinor Haas at noon on November 5. The brown bag discussion will examine how books raised the spirits of our soldiers during World War II. The program will be held in the Visitors Center Auditorium of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home.

While the Nazis were burning hundreds of millions of books across Europe, America printed and shipped 140 million books to its troops. Haas will review the book, When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II, by Molly Manning. It is the inspiring story of how the books were received, how they connected soldiers with authors, and how an army of librarians and publishers lifted spirits and built a new democratic audience of readers.

Haas taught high school English at Abilene High School for 37 years. She has volunteered at the Eisenhower Presidential Library for 25 years. In 2008, Haas received a national volunteer award from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for her years working with collections donated to the library. She has given programs for numerous groups and organizations in the area.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, a nonpartisan federal institution, is part of the Presidential Libraries network operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Presidential Libraries promote understanding of the presidency and the American experience. We preserve and provide access to historical materials, support research, and create interactive programs and exhibits that educate and inspire.
 

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