Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2016)
6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL July 6, 2016 COMMUNITY BRIEFS Cook's Corner Quilters sought Newlyweds: You can’t go wrong with chicken BY BETTY KAISER For the Sentinel D id you know that there’s a list of the top 20 things newlyweds should know how to cook? I discov- ered the list completely out of desperation and on the Internet. In September my grandson, Paul, is marrying Ashley, his college sweet- heart. Her fi rst bridal shower is coming up. Buying her gift was easy. The recipe request slowed me down. Many shower invitations include a request to send a favorite recipe for the cou- ple. This time I was stumped. How does one begin to choose an appropriate favor- ite recipe for a young couple today? Times have changed. My roots are in the 1950s. Their roots are in an entirely different century. So I Googled ‘basic mod- ern home cooking recipes.’ I quickly discovered that many ‘basics’ have changed. Pan- cakes led off the list, closely followed by a classic omelet, French toast and a frittata. Condiments included a vin- aigrette dressing, quinoa sal- ad, nachos, guacamole, hum- mus and salsa. The top main dishes were chicken noodle soup, pizza, pasta carbonara, ground beef tacos and steak. Near the bottom of the list was the ‘basic’ I was expect- ing to see: roast chicken. Fi- nally. Back in the day, once newlyweds were settled, it was traditional to invite both sets of parents over for din- ner. It was also traditional (and affordable) to serve roast chicken. I vividly remember having Chuck’s parents over for my fi rst company meal. I served fried chicken, mashed pota- toes with cream gravy, corn on the cob and biscuits. My Missouri roots were clearly showing. Unfortunately, no one told me that my father- in-law hated poultry and they both had new dentures! You might say the meal was a di- saster. Still, unless you don’t eat meat, I think that roast chick- en should be part of every bride and groom’s skill set. It is delicious, easy to prepare and there’s usually leftovers for another meal. Working families can prepare the bird the night before and pop it in the oven when they get home. Or (better yet) they can put it in their slow cooker and it can cook while they’re gone for the day. So, in honor of tradition, today’s recipes include an up- dated version of “The Bride’s Chicken.” This is a recipe clipping that my mother left in one of her cookbooks. It obviously came along late in her life because it is much fancier—skinned and boned chicken, mushroom and arti- chokes covered in a sauce— than anything I remember eating as a child. The second recipe is an up-to-date chick- en pot pie for leftovers from a roasted chicken. Back to the recipe cards. I fi nally decided to write out my favorite brunch menu recipes and order the upcom- ing 2016 edition of Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for the newlyweds. It is my favorite cookbook and it even shows how to cut up a chicken. Problem solved! This is for you, Ashley and Paul. Enjoy! Interested quilters are invited to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3473 every second Wednesday of the month to help sew quilts for combat veterans. Quilts of Valor meets from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the VFW, located at 3160 Hillside Dr. Those with questions can contact Wanda at 541-912-7432. THE BRIDE’S CHICKEN 8 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup butter, divided 1/2 lb mushroom, sliced 1 (14 ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and halved 1 teaspoon dried whole tar- ragon, crushed 3 tablespoons all-purpose fl our 1 1/2 cups chicken stock 1/3 cup dry sherry 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped (half the amount if you use dry) Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer to a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish, reserving the drippings in the skillet. Add the remaining 1/4 cup butter to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until the butter melts; add the mushrooms, and sauté until tender. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet, reserving the drippings in the skillet. Place the mushrooms and halved artichoke hearts on top of the chicken. Sprinkle with the crushed tarragon. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Add fl our to the drippings in the skillet, stirring until smooth. Cook over low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add the broth; cook over medium Teacher hired Newly engaged grandson Paul and Ashley heat, stirring constantly, un- til the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat, and stir in sherry. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the chicken is done. Serves 8. CHICKEN POT PIE with FLAKY CRUST 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from 17.3-oz package), thawed 1 tablespoon olive or veg- etable oil 2 cups leftover chicken, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 large onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup) 1 cup celery, diced 1 pound bag frozen mixed vegetables 1/2 cup sour cream 1-1/2 cups leftover chicken gravy OR 1 Jar (12 oz) chicken gravy 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 teaspoon garlic salt Pepper to taste 1 egg, beaten, if desired Heat oven to 375°F. On lightly fl oured surface, unroll puff pastry. With rolling pin, roll out into 11- inch square. Cut off corners to make an 11-inch round. Cut slits or small designs in several places in pastry; set aside. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook about 4 minutes, stirring frequent- ly, until opaque. Add frozen vegetables and cook 5 min- utes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add chicken and stir until warm. Remove from heat. In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients except egg with wire whisk until well blended. Stir into chicken mixture in skillet. Spoon into 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate. Place pastry over fi lling allowing to hang over edge. Bake 20 minutes. Brush crust with beaten egg. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6. Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of reci- pes that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare. Contact her at 942-1317 or email bchatty@bettykaiser.com Cottage Grove Christian School is excit- ed to offi cially announce that it has hired what it calls an “enthusiastic, experienced and loving teacher.” Dianna Mohr comes to the school from the Sutherlin area most recently; she has served as both teacher and administrator, and sometimes both simultaneously. She has fi rst-hand experience successfully launching Christian elementary schools and effectively growing older schools. “We are looking forward to having Mrs. Mohr join us as we begin our fi rst year as a Christian elementary school in our com- munity,” said a recent press release. The school invites the public on Tues- day, July 12 at 6 p.m. to meet Mohr and other families that will be a part of our school. This event will be held at the new school, which is located at 820 South 10th Street, within the Cottage Grove Seventh- day Adventist church. Those with questions can call (541) 206- 0385. 'Chorus Line' auditions Cottage Theatre will hold auditions for "A Chorus Line" on Saturday, July 23 starting at 10 a.m. "A Chorus Line," win- ner of the 1976 Tony Award for Best Mu- sical, will run for four weekends at Cot- tage Theatre from Oct. 7-30. The play will be directed and choreographed by Lanny Mitchell. Roles are available for approxi- mately 13 men and 12 women, and the di- rector will consider a variety of ages. These auditions are open to any inter- ested performers and no appointment is necessary. Dancers are asked to bring both jazz and tap shoes and come prepared to sing 16-20 bars of a song from the musi- cal of your choice (but not from A Chorus Line). Further audition details are avail- able at www.cottagetheatre.org or by call- ing Cottage Theatre at 541-942-8001. W I L T I D F I R E S A F E T Y PS & COLORING ACTIVITY Children Playing With Fire... The 5th Leading Cause of Human-caused Wildfi res h ere are many children in Oregon who are curious about i re and set one as a result of the curiosity. h ere are other children who use i re setting to get even with someone with whom they are struggling. Regardless of the child, the adults in the home are responsible for the damage caused from the result of a child’s actions. Parents, do you have any idea how much it costs to suppress a wildi re set by a child? In the past i ve years, 21 i res set by children burned 8 acres and cost $53,501 to suppress on state protected lands in Oregon. Juvenile-set i res are the i t h-leading cause of human-caused wildi res on state protected lands in Oregon. It is critical to keep matches and lighters out of the hands of children. Children are naturally curious, and if the opportunity arises, they may use the dry grass out behind the house to see what the match can really do. h e wind picks up the i re and a wildi re results. Matches and lighters are tool, not toys. h ey are for adults to use to light the i replace, light candles on birthday cakes or light barbeques. Keep all matches, lighters, and other types of igniters up high and out of your child’s reach. “h is is absolutely the responsibility of the adults in the home,” said Kristin Babbs, President/CEO of Keep Oregon Green Association. “h ey, and only they, are responsible for keeping igniters away from their children." Parents are responsible for the damages and suppression costs of not more than $5,000 that result from a wildi re set by their child (ORS 477.745). h is message brought to you by these sponsors: Wildlife Safari Myrtle’s Upholstery South Lane County Fire & Rescue Jim h orp Lumber Products Lion’s Mane Fountain Gutter, LLC Sears of Cottage Grove Joseph Osborn Plumbing Cascade Home Center Cottage Grove Sentinel