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
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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