Family Activities
Ginny Mangel
Director
111 Little Stone Ln.
Butler, PA 16002
(724) 285-3324
rvlm1968@zoominternet.net
Fall is starting to show its ugly head and soon the leaves will all be on the ground. After the long, hot and dry summer it is good to see some color in the trees. the grass was brown for a long while in the west this summer. Along with the change of the seasons is the change of the State Grange Session this year. It is a couple of weeks early this year, but we will convene to do the work of the Grange and move on. Next year we will be back to the third weekend and back to the full 4 days.
I know by the time you get this month's Advocate that the Session will be over. Please be aware that the results of the Family Activities contests will not be in it. All of the contest results will be in the November/December Advocate.
Now that the end of another year in Grange has come, it is time to start planning for 2008. After reading through the Family Activities annual reports I received for 2007, I did see that many of you are on the move, others are doing a little bit and yet others are doing very little. So...I have a few ideas here that you can do to get your Grange on the trail to helping do community projects or else taking the initiative to do the work through your Grange. By the results of some of the reports, many of you are doing the same thing now that you've done for years. Whether you have 150 members or 20, you can do something that is on this list. Once you have the job done, remember that the work you do does have a place on your annual report. This is how easy it is to do the report. We as a committee did not do this to make you work hard, just work and be noticed for what you have done.
1. Do something at a rest home, veterans home or Grange hall to make the outside more attractive. You can go to your local Lowes, Home Depot, or nursery and ask for a donation that will help you make things look nicer. If they do not give it to you, ask for a discount. If you are doing this for a local organization, they will do the same.
2. Go to a rest home, plant a simple little garden of vegetables that they can use at the home and then when you go back to work in the garden, see if there are people in the home that are able to help you. This would be like therapy for them.
3. Change your forum for a Legislative Dinner. Have a BBQ or picnic outside. Open it up to a friendlier atmosphere and make it less formal.
4. Have a Soup Contest at the Grange over those cold winter months. Invite the public to come and those that bring soup...no cost to them. Charge those that do not bring soup at $5 each. Have people come in and judge the soup before it is served. Then after dinner, ask some people which is their favorite or the winner. Then reveal the winner and give a ribbon or a simple prize.
5. On Holidays, go the local Veterans Homes and Hospitals, take them greeting cards, make Valentines, decorate their rooms for a given holiday or Halloween.
Now that you have a few ideas, bring them before your planning meeting, whether it be at Subordinate or a Pomona meeting. As a Family Activities committee, decide on one or two ideas and have some fun with it. Contact your local paper and get some publicity with your projects. Follow up on things and give different people various jobs and let them do it. This is not meant to be a one man or one woman show.
New 2008 Contests: If you were at the State Grange Session you had the opportunity to pick up a flier with the contests on it for next year. Please be sure that you share this with people now and get them planning for the contests for next year. Remember that you can do a lot of these during the long cold winter months. Go through your recipes and see if you have one that will qualify in the Baking/Cooking contest. They are all new in that area for 2008. Get our your scraps of fabric and make a quilt block. Just be sure that they are the color scheme as printed on the patterns you picked up.
Now we all wait for the Guide for Contests and Programs to come out. Once that is out, you can begin. Then in February the information packets for the Family Activities Chairmen in the Subordinate and Pomona Granges come out. If you have changed chairmen over the past year, please call the state office and get the right person's name turned in so the packet will go to the proper person. This is a great big help to us.
I wish to thank each person who participated in any way in our contests this past year. We did see a lot of beautiful things show up at the State Session. We also are hoping that you will get back to work for 2008 and surprise us with even more entries. Remember, you can also enter things in the Lecturer’s contests as well. Please read through your Guide and see what they have to offer.
Fraternally yours,
Ginny Mangel
FA Director
PS: Important notice: my email address is: rvlm1968@zoominternet.net
My old address is no longer accessible.
From Elaine Nilon:
Now, being that all the contests and reports are done for this year, I thought that it would be nice to give you some recipes on “Glazed Winter Root Vegetables,” such as turnips, celery root, parsnips and more, of course...to turn “boring” turnips, celery root, and parsnips into exciting side dishes?The goal is to produce root vegetables with a nicely browned exterior and a tender, creamy interior, coated with a lightly sweetened glaze. For the vegetables to cook evenly, the first step is to cut them into large pieces of equal size. For round vegetables such as celery root and turnips, 3/4-inch cubes makes the most sense. Long roots such as carrots and parsnips are best sliced 1/2 inch thick on the bias- easy and attractive.
Roasting tends to dry out most root vegetables, leaving the exterior tough and leathery. Boiling washes away flavor. The most promising results are achieved using a large nonstick skillet and a basic method of steaming the vegetables and reducing the remaining liquid.
To avoid a drab appearance and to provide a deep, virtually roasted flavor, I found that these vegetables need to be browned first in melted butter over moderately high heat. It is important to leave the vegetables alone for the first few minutes of cooking, as constant stirring hinders caramelization. To get the vegetables to a tender-but-not-mushy state, I then have to simmer them, covered, in a combination of broth, seasonings, and a small amount of sweetener. Once the vegetables are tender, it is easy to create a glaze out of the remaining liquid. All you have to do is remove the lid, increase the heat to high, and allow the sugar and broth to quickly reduce down to a slightly sticky, caramelized coating, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
With a simple technique that works across the board and the addition of a few complementary ingredients, the most maligned of root vegetables finally get the respect they deserve. In the end, it is only the vegetables that were glazed over, not my tasters’ eyes.
Glazed parsnips and celery (serves 4 as a side dish)
When selecting parsnips, try to choose those with tops no larger than 1 inch in diameter. If they are larger, their fibrous core should be removed before cooking.For this recipe for Glazed Parsnips and Celery, they encountered some aged parsnips that were gristly and fibrous at the core even when fully cooked. Those larger than an inch in diameter at the top tend to be the culprits, so I took to coring them before cooking. Should you wind up with big-top parsnips, here’s how to core them.
Divide the narrow tapered end from the bulky top end and halve the top end lengthwise (as directed in the recipe). Using a paring knife, remove the core by carefully cutting a V-shaped channel down the center of the parsnip.
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound parsnips, peeled, tapered ends sliced 1/2 inch thick on bias, large upper portions halved lengthwise, then cut 1/2 inch thick on bias
3 large celery ribs, strings removed with vegetable peeler, sliced 1/2 inch thick on bias (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper1. Heat butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; when foaming subsides, swirl to coat skillet. Add parsnips in even layer; cook without stirring over medium-high heat until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 2 minutes longer. Add broth, sugar, salt, and pepper; cover skillet, reduce heat to medium- low, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.
2. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid in skillet reduces to glaze, about 1 minute. Transfer to serving dish; serve immediately.
Glazed Celery Root With Onions, Grapes, and Pistachios (serves 4 as a side dish)
Sliced almonds can be substituted for pistachios.
2 tablespoons chopped roasted unsalted pistachios
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
1 medium celery root (1 to 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved lengthwise1. Toast pistachios in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl; set aside.
2. Heat butter in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat; when foaming subsides, swirl to coat skillet. Add onion and celery root in even layer; cook without stirring until browned, about 3 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all sides are browned, about 3 minutes longer. Add broth, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper; cover skillet, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Uncover, increase heat to high, add grapes and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid in skillet reduces to glaze, about 1 minute. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with pistachios; serve immediately.
Lemon-Tyme Glazed Turnips and Carrots (serves 4 as a side dish)
When selecting turnips, choose the smallest available (about the size of plums) , as they tend to be less fibrous and less bitter than their larger counterparts. Do not substitute yellow turnips for the white turnips called for in this recipe.1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound white turnips, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
3 medium carrots (about 9 ounces), peeled, tapered ends sliced 1/2 inch thick on bias, large upper portions halved lengthwise, then cut 1/2 inch thick on bias
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon grated zest plus 1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon1. Heat butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; when foaming subsides, swirl to coat skillet. Add turnips and carrots in even layer; cook without stirring until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 4 minutes longer. Add broth, brown sugar, salt, pepper, thyme, and lemon zest; cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 8 minutes
2. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid in skillet reduces to glaze, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice, transfer to serving dish, and serve immediately.
These are just a few recipes I thought it would be nice for this time of the year.
RECIPES, RECIPES AND MORE RECIPES
The Family Activities Department is going to make up a small cookbook that will be used next summer at the Family Festival. So...we are asking people from all over the state to submit some recipes for this book. Pick out your favorite recipes and send them to the state director or bring them to State Session. This will be the latest that they will be received. This is NOT a state cookbook, it is just a fun cookbook for the Festival in 2008. Join us and share in our fun.
Fraternally, Ginny Mangel, FA Director