The BEACON Feb. 2020

By
Jack
Zoller
beaconsports
@live.com
February 2020 THE BEACON Page 11B
By
Melanie
Alexander
Happy New Year!
By
Sometimes the Maxine idea that we’ll
celebrate twenty Klump years into
a new century is difficult to
believe. These Community years seem to
Correspondent
have passed by so quickly.
Yet even as I was reviewing
maxineklump.thebeacon@yahoo.com
recipes for this issue, I thought
how these winter days bring
out the desire to make the
familiar dishes from years
ago. This Taco Casserole
recipe differs from another of
a family favorite. This version
uses a packaged biscuit mix
instead of a cornbread crust.
It’s a quick way to create a
brunch or lunch treat. When I
don’t have company coming,
I simply divide into single
portion size and pop leftovers
into the freezer for another day.
Taco Casserole
1-pound ground beef or
ground turkey
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup ready-made biscuit mix
(such as Bisquik)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 400°.
Brown ground beef and
onion. Drain excess fat. Add
taco seasoning and mix well.
Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie
plate that has been prepared
with cooking spray. Sprinkle
cheese on top of this mixture.
Combine baking mix, milk,
and eggs in a small bowl until
smooth. Spread atop cheese
layer. Bake at 400° for 20-25
minutes. Cool slightly before
cutting into pieces. Pass your
favorite salsa along with sour
cream to top the casserole.
Is there anyone who does
not enjoy a loaded baked
potato with all their favorite
toppings? This recipe for a
casserole with those favorite
ingredients is quicker than
individual potatoes and
provides a wonderful side
dish no matter the meat or
other entrée sharing the table.
Beware-this dish is NOT low
fat!
Loaded Baked Potato
Casserole
4 pounds russet potatoes,
peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons thinly sliced
green onions
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup sour cream
½ - 1 cup half and half, milk
or light cream
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar
cheese
½ - 1-pound bacon, cooked
and crumbled
Place potatoes in pot; cover
with water and bring to a
boil. Cook until potatoes are
tender (about 15-20 minutes).
Preheat oven to 350°.
Mash potatoes to desired
consistency. Note: I leave the
potatoes slightly chunky.
Mash in butter, sour cream,
and half & half. Season with
salt and pepper. Stir in 1 ½
cups cheese and most of the
bacon, reserving a little of
both toppings for the top.
Pour into a 13x9-inch baking
dish that has been prepared
with cooking spray. Sprinkle
with remainder of cheese
and bacon. Bake for about
25 minutes or until hot and
cheese has melted.
I’m sharing this bar cookie
recipe because it didn’t get
into either of the holidayrelated
editions of the paper.
I am the designated baker of
pies for our family. This treat
relieves me of the burden
of time for pie crust, but the
pecan pie fans still get one of
their favorite flavors.
Pecan Pie Bars
Crust:
½ cup butter
1 ¼ cups flour
¼ cup sugar
Filling:
½ cup brown sugar, firmly
packed
1 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ to 1 cup chopped pecans
To make the crust, cut butter
with flour and sugar until
fine crumbs (like cornmeal)
develop. Press into the bottom
of a 9-inch square baking dish
and bake at 350° for fifteen
minutes. Let cool slightly.
To make the filling,
combine ingredients until
well blended. Pour over
partially baked crust and bake
at 350° for thirty minutes or
until golden brown and knife
inserted into the center comes
out clean. Cool in pan or a
rack. Makes three dozen 1 ½
inch squares.
Ron Spurlock, PG Gentrup, Cindy Nguyen, Marty
Sizemore (Chapter Financial Officer) and Fred Lester
(Commander)
A Christmas Angel
The Vietnam Veterans of America, Lary D. Fogle Chapter
71, held their annual Christmas Dinner for one hundred forty
people. Several Purple Heart Recipients and special guests
attended, including WW II veterans, Wilbur Rolfes (age 101)
and Lawrence Lyttle, along with Korean War veteran, Don
Weber. Another special guest was Cindy Nguyen who shared
a presentation about her family leaving Vietnam and coming
to USA after the fall of Saigon and South Vietnam. They left
with nothing--no food, no extra clothes, no money. They didn’t
speak English and faced a bleak future. Cindy was only five
years old when she and her eight siblings made the journey.
Today all of them have master’s degrees and doctorates. Ms.
Nguyen wanted the Vietnam Veterans to know that they are
loved and respected. The Chapter 71 veterans told her she is
now the Chapter 71 ANGEL.
BUSINESS &
PROFESSIONAL
DIRECTORY
C
By
John
Hawley
Purdue
Extension
Educator
hawley4@purdue.edu
Managing
Houseplants
During the Dreary
Winter Months
While little gardening
can be done outdoors in the
middle of winter, most of us
have at least a few indoor
plants that require year-round
attention. As the mercury continues
to dive, it can be easy
to overlook the remaining
greenery around our home,
and indoor plants are no
exception to this. In today’s
article, I will share a few tips
for managing houseplants
during the winter.
Consider Location
While some houseplants,
such as Pothos (Devils Ivy),
can tolerate little natural light,
most others will need legitimate
sunlight to thrive. Be
sure to place houseplants in
areas that will receive at least
a few hours of natural light
every day. Artificial lighting
from your home’s lighting fixtures
will help a bit, especially
during stretches of prolonged
cloud cover, but they are
never a true replacement for
natural light.
Another critical mistake
occurs when homeowners
place houseplants near a draft
or directly against a window.
Temperatures in these spots
will be much colder than
the rest of your home, often
causing undue stress on your
plants. Many of our common
houseplants are native to
tropical climates and will not
tolerate exposure to colder
temperatures. If in doubt,
use a small thermometer to
gauge temperatures near your
plants.
Water When Necessary
Even indoors, winter
weather encourages dry conditions.
While most of your
houseplants will be dormant
in winter, with little to no
growth occurring, many will
still require even watering
from time to time. A good
example would be the Boston
Fern. Like many other plants,
the Boston favors evenly
moist soils and higher humidity.
In addition to a conservative
helping of water, consider
regularly misting your Bostons
and other similar ferns
from time to time.
Fertilize & Prune As
Needed
Fertilizing houseplants can
be tricky. Too often, gardeners
approach plant problems with
fertilizer in mind as a quick
fix. However, fertilizing can
be a critical mistake. Fertilizers
should only be applied
as needed. Many potting soils
contain fertilizer additives, so
additional applications may
not be required if you are
working with a plant that is
routinely re-potted. As with
any garden project, regularly
monitoring plant growth and
vigor is crucial for long-term
success.
Pruning is equally tricky,
especially if you are working
with an unfamiliar plant. If
you are focused on aesthetics,
don’t hesitate to carefully
remove wilting leaves, flowers,
or branches with shears or
scissors. If you are attempting
to trim plants back to contain
growth, use caution. No more
than ten to twenty percent of
the plant should be pruned at
a time. Consider removing
long and protruding stems on
woody plants by cutting back
to a bud or lateral branch.
I can’t stress enough the
need to fertilize and prune appropriately.
Both practices are
valuable tools that make a big
difference, either good or bad.
Be sure to follow recommendations
from reliable sources,
such as extension publications
and peer-reviewed garden
manuals.
To learn more about managing
your lawn and garden
from our experts on campus,
please search “Purdue Consumer
Horticulture” on your
home computer or smartphone.
For additional information
about other agriculture and
natural resources topics, email
me at hawley4@purdue.edu.
You can also reach our office
at 812-926-1189. We are
located at 229 Main Street,
Aurora, IN 47001.
Look for my next article
in the March issue of The
Beacon!
Sunday Services 9:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
Fresh Worship • Relevant Messages • Warm Welcome
24457 State Line Road, Bright, Indiana 47025
brightchurch.org, (812) 637-3388
Jeff Stone, Lead Minister
LOVE GOD. LOVE PEOPLE. IMPACT THE WORLD.
American Legion Post 452 New Alsace
Newly
remodeled
rental
facility!
Perfect for Wedding Receptions,
Birthday Parties, Anniversaries,
Reunions, Holidays
Reasonable rates, nice atmosphere
Contact Art @ 812-623-2771 or visit
www.legionpost452indiana.org
Next euchre party Feb. 2 & 16
Doors open 12 noon • Games begin at 1 • All are invited
Proudly serving our veterans and the community since WWII
FLOORING SHOWROOM
Joe Brandel
20 E. Center St.
Lawrenceburg IN
812-537-0619
FURNITURE SHOWROOM
557 W. Eads Parkway
Lawrenceburg IN
812-537-0610
SHOP LOCAL and tell our advertisers you saw them in The BEACON!