The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings to ever one in western Illinois and all readers of The Quill.
Memorial day is over and many a grave was decorated by loved ones and grateful folk who appreciated the sacrifices those that have gone on before gave fer those that followed.
A Nice Weekend
Quite a few of our local villages held ceremonies this past weekend with also Memorial Services tak'n place at several local cemeteries, seven cemeteries by my count. Bands were played at some and gun salutes were fired off. Some places had Memorial Day breakfasts.
Small town USA is a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
Hay'n Time
Normally the first cuttin' of hay has taken'n place or is in progress by now. Recent rains have caused some delays but the rain wasn't heavy and was dried off by mid afternoon. It seems rain frequently has come around Memorial Day, as I think back through the years.
Cook Your Goose
A friend was tell'n me recently they had a crave'n for eat'n a goose. It reminded me of all the snow geese that was a fly'n around these parts and spend'n time in local corn fields. A feller could've shot a snow goose at his pleasure but then some folk don't like the taste of snow geese. So, I'm a give'n a good recipe fer snow goose fer the next time them feathered fowl come back around these parts:
Wild Goose & Sauerkraut
6-lb honker
1 T lemon juice
1 T salt
1 t pepper
Qtr lb port sausage
5 T butter
Rub bird inside and out with lemon, salt, and pepper. Put sausage in bird and sew up. In a large casserole dish, cover and cook bird in butter on low heat for 50 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove bird and serve with sauerkraut and sausage.
Sauerkraut
Half lb margarine
6 oz. lean pork, cubed
2 onions, diced
1 lb sauerkraut
2 apples, cubed
1 cup water
In a skillet, cook all together on medium heat about 15 minutes.
If'n ya don't like sauerkraut then try this recipe:
Wild Snow Goose Casserole
1 wild snow goose, cut in serving pieces
3 cups brown rice
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans of water
1 T bouillon
1 T garlic salt
1 t black pepper
2 T butter
Rub goose pieces with butter, salt, and pepper. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9" x 9" casserole dish, place rice, celery and onions. Now lay goose pieces on top and cover with water, soup and bouillon. Cover and cook at 325 degrees for 2 hours.
But then, maybe ya don't like casseroles. Maybe you'll like this recipe:
Roasted Wild Blue Goose
6 to 8 lbs wild blue or snow goose
1 onion, sliced
2 apples, sliced
1 orange, sliced
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 t sage
2 T butter
1 cup of broth from giblets, boiled separately; cooked and sliced heart, gizzard and liver
Dry bird inside and out with paper towel, then rub butter, salt, pepper, and sage inside and out. Place onion, orange and apple inside bird. Set bird, breast down, in an oiled roasting pan. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Boil giblets in two cups of water for 15 minutes. Take one cup of this water and pour inside bird. Place giblets around bird. Cover and cook bird at 350 degrees for 2.5 hours. Remove ingredients from inside bird, leave uncovered and cook 30 minutes more.
So ya don't want ta try Snow Goose recipes out, then try this on a Canadian Honker:
Easy Roast Goose
One 6 to 8 lb plucked and singed honker
1 store-bought cooking bag
1 T Italian seasoning (Parsley Patch salt-free)
1 T salt
1 T pepper
2 T flour
Sprinkle the cavity with Italian seasoning, and salt on the outside. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Place bird breast up in a floured cooking bag and set it in large baking pan. Puncture bag according to directions. Bake about 3 hours at 325 degrees, or until leg pulls free.
Fer those of you'ns that like duck, try this recipe:
Duck and Goose
Gumbo Combo
1 Canadian honker, cut in serving pieces
1 Mallard duck, cut in serving pieces
2 tomatoes, quartered
2 cups rice
1 green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 cup okra
2 T Worchestershire sauce
1 T salt and black pepper
Place meat pieces and chopped giblets in cooking pot, cover with water and cook on medium heat for 2 hours. Then remove meat and discard bones. Cut meat in 1" chunks. Skim off cooking water. Now put meat and giblets in water; then stir in rest of ingredients. Cook on low heat for 2 hours.
Other Delicacies
Fer those folk what was raised in hard times, heres three recipes fer meat easily located in your neighborhood. Them was the good ole days fer sure:
Fried Ground Hog
2 ground hogs, cut in serving pieces
Half cup flour
Qtr. cup milk
1 t garlic salt
1 t black pepper
1 t sage
2 T margarine
1 orange, quartered
Rub and squeeze orange all over meat pieces. Then sprinkle with salt, pepper and sage. Now mix flour and milk in a separate bowl. Dip meat pieces in batter and place them in a skillet on medium heat with margarine. Fry about 30 minutes and
turn pieces frequently. These are yummy.
Fried Muskrat
3-lb muskrat
2 eggs
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
2 slices of bacon, cut in small pieces
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 t sugar
Soak muskrat overnight in water with 2 T salt. Next day, boil for 20 minutes then rinse meat in fresh running water. Cut in serving pieces In a Dutch oven on medium heat, fry bacon a few minutes. In a bowl, mix eggs, milk, flour, salt, pepper and sage. Dip muskrat pieces in batter and put them in Dutch oven with bacon. Cook on low heat for about 30 minutes. Now you're ready to enjoy a real special treat.
Roast Opossum
1 opossum, cleaned and whole
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 potatoes, quartered
1 T garlic salt
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 t black pepper
Place opossum in a large pan, cover with water, and stir in garlic salt, black pepper, green pepper and onion. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. remove opossum and place in a foil-lined baking pan. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Boil water mixture until about 3 cups are left. Pour the 3 cups over opossum. Add potatoes, carrots and celery. Cover opossum and cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Baste once or more. Now you're ready for a real feast.
If'n ya don't like any of these meats, maybe ya has never known hard times whilst grow'n up in a large family. When we was utilze'n these recipes on wild game there was no such a thing as food stamps and similar welfare programs. We managed ta "get by" as it were. As I recall them "Good Ole Days" we had us a passal of "Hope." Here's what that amounts to:
HOPE
HOPE looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst in them.
HOPE opens doors where despair closes them.
HOPE discovers what can be done instead of grumbling about what cannot be done.
HOPE draws its power from a deep trust in God and the basic goodness of mankind.
HOPE "lights a candle" instead of "cursing the darkness."
HOPE regards problems, small or large, as opportunities.
HOPE cherishes no illusions, nor does it yield to cynicism.
Well, there ya has it fer this week's column. I'm a hope'n ya can make use of them recipes and keep "Hope" in your daily life.
And by the way, Dessa, send those recipes or hand deliver them to your brother. They should help satisfy his urge!
Hope'n ta see ya all in church this weekend.
Where ever ya is, what ever ya be a do'n "BE A GOOD ONE!'
Keep on Smile'n
Catch ya later
Barnyard Bruke