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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 2020)
Cottage Grove Sentinel Community Community B1 THURSDAY | DECEMBER 10, 2020 Betty Kaiser: Cook’s Corner Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales Chocolate for Christmas Celebrations Betty Kaiser A re you ready? It’s time to start bak- ing! At this time of year, I’m usually getting ready for a house full of company. But not this year. Right now, as usual, the house is festively decorated for Christmas but that’s where many of our normal Christmas traditions end. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic shutting down our so- cial and holiday life- style, most of us are staying home alone this year. It is a sad but nec- essary isolation. Our family members live far away and my an- nual Christmas events with friends and neigh- bors are cancelled. On the bright side, that means my hus- band doesn’t have to polish my mother’s tea set and I don’t have to mop floors, iron table- cloths or get the fine china down from the top shelves. I also don’t have to send out invitations or bake until the wee hours of the morning. All of that is of small comfort because there will also be no hugging, laughing, getting caught up with family news or meal sharing. It’s going to be an iso- lated Christmas. However, that is not going to stop me from doing some baking! It just won’t be done in the usual amounts to share with crowds of people. I’ll still be mak- ing fudge, small batches of cookies and a pie (or two) with enough left- overs for the freezer. One of the joys of go- ing to cookie exchanges at holiday gatherings is the variety of things that people bake. Over the years, I’ve published a few of my guest’s rec- ipes and they’re always delicious. One of my non-bak- ing friends would bring a one-pound box of See’s Candy. Another would bring a bowl of Chex Party Mix. Both were a hit every time. My plan for today’s recipe column is all about simplicity and chocolate. The cookie recipes require no cut- ting or frosting — and the Chocolate Crinkles recipe makes enough for an army, so feel free to cut the ingredients in half. The Cookie Bars and chocolate pecan pie both go together quick- ly. Cookies also make great gifts. So if you don’t want to freeze the extra cookies you might share them with a neighbor. At our house, howev- er, the chocolate pecan pie would never make it out the door! Enjoy the season! There’s a reason. Chocolate Crinkles Cookies • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder • 2 cups white sugar • ½ cup vegetable oil • 4 eggs • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 2 teaspoons baking powder • ½ teaspoon salt • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar In a medium mixing bowl, mix together co- coa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Com- bine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into one inch balls. Use a small scoop. Coat each ball in con- fectioners’ sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 min- utes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a min- ute before transferring to wire racks to cool. Makes 72. Note: If the powdered sugar melts too much roll them again when cool. conut evenly over the chips. Finally, sprinkle wal- nuts over the coconut. Next, pour the Con- densed Milk over the walnuts. Put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool and cut into bars. Serves 12 or more de- pending on size of serv- ings. Nice served with vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream. Chocolate Pecan Pie • 4 eggs • 1 cup sugar • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 cup DARK corn syrup • 4 tablespoons butter, melted • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 2-1/2 cups pecan halves • 1 unbaked 9” pie shell (in baking pan) • Whipped cream for garnish Preheat oven to 400° F. Line the pie shell with pecans, adding more if necessary Combine eggs, sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, chocolate and vanilla in large bowl and mix well. Pour over pecans in pie shell. Re-arrange pecans as they rise to the top. Place pie in oven, re- duce heat to 350° and bake 40-50 minutes. The filling should be firm in center. Cool and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Serves 8. Magic Cookie Bars • 1-1/2 cups graham cracker cookie crumbs • 3 tablespoons sugar • 1/2 cup butter, melt- ed • 1 cup chocolate chips • 1-1/3 cups shredded coconut • 1 cup walnuts, chopped • 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk Butter a 13x9x2 Py- rex baking pan. Preheat oven to 350° F. Thoroughly mix gra- ham cracker crumbs with sugar and butter. Pat mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom Contact Betty Kaiser at of baking pan. 942-1317 or email bchatty@ Then, scatter choco- bettykaiser.com. late chips evenly over the crumbs. Spread co- Free parenting tips virtual workshops being offered Jen Nelson, Parenting Now! Parent Educator, will be offering a free parenting curriculum called “Make Parenting A Pleasure.” Classes will begin Tuesday, Jan. 5 and will meet each Tuesday for 12 weeks from 6 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. Parents will have an opportunity to share the joys and challenges they are experiencing, as well as learn the most current evidence-based information about being a parent. Participants will also learn practical stress and anger management techniques, effective communication skills, gain greater under- standing of your chil- dren, learn useful par- enting strategies and positive approaches to discipline. To enroll, call Parent- ing Now! at 541-434- 4343 or contact Jen for more information at 541-999 4880 or email her at jenn@parenting- now.org. Volunteers wearing masks will be on hand to assist you. In order to keep ev- eryone safe during these Covid-19 times, you may also make a mone- tary donation, • A similar Food Drive will take place on Sun- day, Dec. 13, also from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Crow Grange parking lot. • Let’s take this time to remember those less fortunate. Check out the buy one-get one spe- cial when shopping, and consider donating one to those in need. • Angel Tree is still up at the Lorane Family Store. Check with Ma- rissa to see of any other needs. Help some children have a brighter Christ- mas. • Lorane Christian Church is continuing its drive-in service on Sun- days at 10 a.m., as well as inside to keep everyone safe. LORANE COUNTRY NEWS Contributed by Lil Thompson for The Sentinel • The lights are down for now on Stoney Point and construction is over for the winter. Travel is back to two- way traffic. There are cones and concrete barri- ers along the edge of the road through the curves to keep us all safe. Please continue to keep your speed down, espe- cially in this section. The county staff and contrac- tor will continue to mon- itor the project site to keep everyone safe. Should you see any- thing alarming contact Becky Taylor at Becky. taylor@lane countyor. gov or call 541-255-5761. • There is a Drive-and- Drop Christmas food drive, this Saturday, Dec. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Lorane Grange parking lot. Non-perishables as well as potatoes, apples, oranges plus turkeys and hams are needed. Visit The Sentinel online at www.CGSentinel.com By Mary Ellen “Angel Scribe” Miraculous Survival Alice’s miracle cat, Lady Edwina (immortalized in this painting) survived an im-paws-ible ordeal. W hile downtown, Alice saw a child with an orange kitten riding on her shoulder. She approached the child who said, “I am giving our cat’s kittens away. It is the only one left.” Alice had two dogs and four cats, so she did not need another pet. Besides, her attorney husband, Hen- ry, would flip if she brought one home. But, a minute later Alice walked away with the free, fluffy feline wondering what to tell Henry. “When I arrived home,” said Alice, “I calcu- latingly placed the kitten on his lap to bond. I turned so he couldn’t ‘read’ my face preventing cross examination and said, ‘In the morning, she’s going to the animal shelter.’” It worked! Ten minutes later, Henry called out, “Honey, there’s no need to find Lady Edwina another home. She has one here.” Alice smiled at her premeditated adoption. Even though Henry was a brilliant lawyer, Lady Edwina is an amazingly clever kitty con artist. Henry and Alice’s cats have an enclosed out- door area that prevents them from falling prey to coyotes. Five years later, in November, Edwina somehow escaped. The frantic couple posted “lost” flyers, notices in the newspaper, and wan- dered the streets calling her. November turned into December. Alice was not to be deterred, she put up $500 reward post- ers. As the weather grew colder, Henry gently told Alice, “It’s been six weeks. You have to real- ize that Edwina is gone. She won’t be back. We have to let her go.” After Christmas, Alice, still not giving up, put up another round of posters. In late January, their neighbor’s 10-year-old son said, “I saw your orange cat in our yard.” “We’d had several phone calls from people who thought they had seen our cat,” said Alice. “Unfortunately, when we went to look, it wasn’t her. As I followed the boy he added, ‘I saw her in our basement.’” So, they descended into a dark-murky base- ment being remodeled. Alice peered around and saw new wallboard behind the furnace. She walked in that direction and was paws-itive that she heard a faint meow. She called, “Edwi- na” and a cat mewed back. The boy ran for his father. The man ripped off the dry wall. Alice squinted into the dark and saw cat’s eyes. She flashed a light beam towards them — and there was Edwina! Edwina was free, but her pitch black, three- month confinement left her dehydrated, starved and her eyes were glassed over. “I ran her home,” said Alice. “Henry took her from me, cradled her in his arms, and for the first time I saw him cry. The hardcore attorney then drove ‘his’ kitty to the veterinarian. The vet could not believe that Edwina had survived. ‘There is no reason that she is alive,’ he told him. ‘She was hours away from unconsciousness, and it is a miracle that she could meow being so dehydrat- ed. She must have survived by licking condensa- tion from the furnace and eating bugs.’” What happened after they arrived home was equally as shocking. Alice’s tough attorney hus- band turned into an excited little boy because his beloved cat was back. In his elation, he phoned his golfing buddies, grown children, business partners, government official friends (even one in Australia) exclaiming, “My cat is home!” It took Edwina several months to recover, and when she was held, petted or talked to she happi- ly purred and kneaded her paws. Edwina went on to live in the lap of luxury, until her 20th See EDWINA 2B
