Innholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2020 i Country Woman

I grew winter squash in my garden for the first time in a long time this summer. It was a fun project—I had forgotten how much those plants busy themselves spreading vines in every direction. But the end result of all that growth is a hearty crop of squash. If your garden adventures this summer involved growing pumpkins, you’ll find lots of ideas for what to do with the bounty beginning on page 40—and every recipe goes beyond the traditional pie. And if you still have too much of a bumper crop, consider donating some of that abundance. On page 13, you’ll meet Maria Rose Belding, who as a teenager saw a twin set of problems in food waste and food insecurity. She created a program that pairs organizations with…

Communities around the country have discovered the joy of a big spring reveal from mass bulb plantings, made possible with volunteer help from flower enthusiasts. In Gloucester, Virginia, the home of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, a fourth-generation family-owned flower bulb company, flower fans decided in 2018 to form a Daffodil Club. “We had folks who couldn’t tell a daffodil from a dandelion, as well as American Daffodil Society judges,” says founding member Peggy Bowditch. “All were there because they thought daffodils were important to Gloucester.” The town hosts an annual Daffodil Festival, and with the American Daffodil Society set to host its Mid-Atlantic Show as a part of the festivities in 2020, volunteers started planting with only these instructions: “flat end down, pointy end up.” The pandemic sent festival events…

Herb-Glazed Turkey Honey and corn syrup blend with savoy herbs and seasonings to give this turkey a slightly sweet flavor. My tried-and-true recipe never fails to win compliments. CHARLENE MELENKA VEGREVILLE, AB PREP: 10 MIN. BAKE: 31/2 HOURS + STANDING MAKES: 18 SERVINGS 1 turkey (14 to 16 lbs.) 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tsp. dried thyme 1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided 1 1/4 tsp. pepper, divided 1 cup honey 1 cup corn syrup 1/4 cup butter, melted 2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed 1 tsp. rubbed sage 1 tsp. dried basil 1. Brush turkey with the oil; tie the drumsticks together. Place turkey breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Combine the thyme, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper; sprinkle evenly over turkey. Bake, uncovered, at…

• The more you use your cast-iron cookware, the better it performs. Each use adds a layer of polymerized oil molecules that will make the metal darker and shinier, creating a nonstick surface. • When cooking, heat cast-iron cookware gradually and allow a few extra minutes for preheating. If the pan does get too hot and starts to smoke, turn off the heat, allow it to partially cool, then proceed. • Clean cookware as soon as it has cooled to the touch. But remember! Submerging hot cast iron in cold water can cause it to crack. • Don’t let cast iron soak too long. Long exposure to water + cast iron = rust.…

CANNERS KNOW THAT WHEN jar rings start to look a little rusty and dented, it’s time to replace them. This five-minute DIY project will give them a new use as a fall decoration. Gather 20 canning jar rings, all the same size, and thread them on a length of twine all facing the same direction. Tie the twine in a tight knot and fan the rings around in a circle. Hot-glue a cinnamon stick into the center of the circle and add a fabric leaf or two as desired.…

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Tell us about yourself. I am from a small coal camp in West Virginia and am the first person in my family to graduate college. My husband and I met and married in Beaufort, South Carolina. We have several fur babies. I work in higher ed as a student services manager. Oh, and my birthday is Halloween! What are your hobbies? I am a crafty girl and love everything from scrapbooking to quilting. I keep a blog on all of my activities and I’m working on a quilt for my niece’s birthday. I love shopping for clothes and home decor, and taking walks in the gorgeous West Virginia hills. What advice would you give about starting a blog? Do your research before you launch. What is it…

Garden Tour With gardening season winding down, we want to see what happened in your yard this year—especially on the small scale. Send photos of any creative containers you planted this year, as well as any solutions you have for growing in tiny spaces. Quilt Guild Love Do you belong to a quilters’ guild you’d love see spotlighted? Tell us about your group—what makes it special? Has it worked collectively on a significant project? How did it get started? Share your stories and pictures and your guild could be featured! Reduce, Reuse and Recycle What are your best tips for creating less waste in your home? Do you compost your kitchen scraps? Maybe you find a second life for plastics? Or do you choose products based on their packaging? Send…

I love my kitchen. Not because I’m a great cook—nachos and grilled cheese are staples at our house—and not because I’m a great baker. I love my kitchen because of the memories that pop out when I open cabinets and drawers. They warm my heart and wrap me in love. Opening my flour canister will always make me think of Russell, a high school buddy, who died too young. In Mrs. Stumbaugh’s home economics classroom, students invited moms and grandmothers—it was the early ’80s, after all—to cook their family favorites in front of our class. Russell’s mom, Mary Alice, came to class and made potato soup. My own baked-potato soup recipe calls for flour as one of the first ingredients. So every time I lift the canister lid to make…

Pumpkin Sloppy Joes When my granddaughter gave me eight pumpkins from her garden, I thought I’d tire of cooking with them. Thankfully, I recalled this recipe from a friend. (Canned works, too!) ELEANOR McREYNOLDS SCOTT CITY, KS TAKES: 30 MIN.• MAKES: 8 SERVINGS 1 lb. ground beef 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 garlic clove, minced 1 cup canned pumpkin 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 2 Tbsp. prepared mustard 2 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. salt American and mozzarella cheese slices 8 hamburger buns, split 1. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the pumpkin, tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and…

Our farm sits on 10 acres at the end of the Pecos River Valley in northern New Mexico. In Spanish, the area is El Valle de los Palos Amarillos, the Valley of the Yellow Trees. Bueno Para Todos farm is a women’s teaching cooperative and farm founded five years ago by the El Valle Women’s Collaborative and led by Yvonne Sandoval. We use Indigenous practices to grow organic produce and work on building rural economies through healthy growing practices. I’m a relative newcomer here, having moved from Los Angeles just 10 years ago after visiting. Villanueva is tiny—300 people on a good day, although it’s the biggest community in the valley. Locals here can trace their roots back generations and through multiple cultures—Indigenous, Spanish and Anglo. It’s a tightknit group…

1 Calendar Clock This calendar shelf clock measures 12 inches wide by 20 inches tall and kept a small-town county treasurer’s office up to date and on time for decades. Manufactured by widely regarded clockmaker Welch, Spring & Co. in the late 1800s, its double dials kept track of time, date and day of the week. Wound with a key, it has a “perpetual” feature which automatically accounted for leap years. Worth: $150 to $300 2 Seth Thomas Ball-Top “Eclipse” Shelf Clock The terms mantel clock and shelf clock can be used interchangeably. This lovely ball-top example was manufactured by Connecticut’s Seth Thomas Clock Co. around 1900. While the Eclipse name isn’t found in company records, collectors call it that, as the word “eclipse” is found on the original pendulum…

PREP: 10 MIN.• BAKE: 45 MIN.• MAKES: 8 SERVINGS 3 cups cold mashed sweet potatoes (prepared without milk or butter) 1 cup sugar 3 large eggs 1/2 cup 2% milk 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla extract TOPPING 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 Tbsp. cold butter 1. In a large bowl, beat the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, salt and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. 2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, pecans and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over potato mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 325° until a thermometer reads 160°, 45-50 minutes. 1/2 CUP 417 cal., 16g fat (7g sat. fat), 94mg chol., 435mg sod., 65g…

Orange-Pear Upside-Down Cake I love cooking with my cast-iron skillets, whether it’s for a main dish or dessert. They make the best upside-down cakes. LINDA PERSALL CULLMAN, AL PREP: 25 MIN. BAKE: 45 MIN. + COOLING MAKES: 10 SERVINGS 1/2 cup butter, cubed 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 Tbsp. grated orange zest, divided 2 medium ripe pears, peeled and quartered 2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup coconut oil 1 large egg, room temperature 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 3/4 cup half-and-half cream 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place butter in a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet; place pan in oven until butter is melted, 3-5 minutes. Carefully tilt pan to coat bottom and sides with butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and…