Newsletter - October, November, December 2002

Hello!

   With the coming of Autumn we see harvest in progress. The silo is filled with chopped field corn. Hay is put up in the barn ready for winter feeding. The last of the tomatoes are picked. Fall flowers are in bloom.

   The chicks hatched in May have become adult chickens and are running free about the farm. My sister, who teaches seventh grade science, hatched 5 chicks of unknown unusual breeds in her classroom, and gave them to us when the class was finished with them. We have fed and cared for them, anxiously awaiting their maturity. Now, weeks later, we are able to discern that we have two White Polish hens, a Golden Polish hen, a Dark Brahma rooster and a Buttercup rooster.

   Our chicks and chickens have been running free about the farm since July. At night they have chosen to roost in our lilac bush behind the house. Over the summer it is a challenge to collect eggs, as the hens will find a safe place to lay their eggs and keep them hidden, hence the expression 'hunt the eggs'. Occasionally one hen will cluck, or sit, on the eggs to keep them warm, and in three weeks time we will have a hen prancing about the farm with a brood of chicks in her wake. Soon they will live in the coop for the cold months. There we will be able to again easily collect eggs daily. Our chickens are of several different breeds, resulting in eggs of many colors. I find pink, blue, green and brown eggs in our nests.

   The school year has begun, opening a new chapter in our lives here on the Zahn farm. As of late August, 2002, school is in session at the new Dodgeland preK-12 school built on land across the road from our home. What was once farmland on which we produced corn and alfalfa is now a school with 48 acres of grounds.

   As I look out my kitchen windows I now see a football field, a baseball diamond, an elementary school playground and a building as lovely as a modern school can be. During my days at work in my home I hear children at play during recess. In the evening I see football practice and the occasional game. Progress.

   November 9, 2002 a group of Antique Sock Machine knitters will hold their second annual Socks for Soldiers knitting day at the War Memorial in Milwaukee, WI. Numbering more than 20 members, these people can produce upwards of 125 pairs socks in the day. The knitting machines date back into the early 20th century, some even as early as 1880. Using these machines, an experienced person can crank out a sock in as little as 15 minutes. Looking much like an old meat grinder the sock knitter takes a bit of practice to use. I have put in some time learning the skill and plan to join the club for their marathon knitting day this year. As a beginner I will be happy to produce just a pair or two with my 1902 model Gerhart knitter without mistakes!

   The socks we produce will be given as Christmas gifts to the veterans of war who reside at the Veteran's Hospitals in Milwaukee. If you own one of these sock machines and would like to join us, see www.just4ewe.org for more information. You may also mail your hand cranked socks for the soldiers to the address below before November 9, 2002. If you would like to donate money for yarn, or any unused yarn you may have, please contact

Jan Massie

1209 South 103rd Street

West Allis, WI 53214

www.just4ewe.org

   Or call or write me, Michelle Zahn, at the address on the back page of this newsletter. Yarn deemed unsuitable for socks is knitted or crocheted into lap robes for the veterans by volunteers. We thank you all for your consideration and donations!

   I am currently enrolled in the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program sponsored by the University of Wisconsin Madison. It is a program for training rural citizens for leadership positions within our communities. They hold three-day to two-week seminars every other month or so over two years to train us in leadership skills such as awareness of different ethnic values, leadership styles, government workings, political, social and economic issues. We will gain firsthand experience through instate, national and international travel.

   This my first experience with continuing education, as I married at age 18, and have been wife, mother and The Soap Lady these past 29 years on the farm. I am excited to be a part of a group of interested and interesting adults hoping to improve the quality of life in their communities! For more information on WRLP go to www.uwex.edu/ces/wrlp

and check out what group X (that is my group) is up to.

   Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner with holiday plans for all. Our three children are always home for holiday meals with us so I enjoy making special preparations.

•   Pumpkin pie made with a fresh pumpkin is a tradition. Choose a fleshy pumpkin without blemishes. Remove stem, wash pumpkin and cut in half. Scoop out seeds. Cut pumpkin into quarters and cover with water in stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered till flesh is soft. Drain. Scrape flesh from rind. Press through sieve, then clean out sieve and return flesh to sieve, set over a pot and allow to drain. Flesh is then ready for your favorite pie recipe.

•   Rinse your pumpkin seeds and dry them in your oven, then pulverize them in your food processor to use as a tea for bladder infection. Steep 1 teaspoon powdered pumpkin seed in 1 cup of boiling water and add honey to taste. Drink 1 cup of tea three times daily as soon as symptoms appear.

•   To keep wool moths at bay, dust your wooden shelves in closets with a cloth and a touch of lavender oil.

•   Mix 2 cups vanilla flavored coffee creamer, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 cup sugar and store in tightly covered glass jar. Add 3-4 teaspoons to a mug and add strong coffee or hot milk for a treat on a cold winter day.

•   Try pouring 1-2 gallons of boiling water down a sluggish drain to make it run clean and smell fresh.

•   For those winter colds and flu, drink 1 cup of burdock root tea (found in health food stores, or dig up and dry your own) three times daily. As soon as you feel a cold coming on, place one tea bag (or 1 teaspoon dried root) in quart jar and fill with boiling water. Allow to steep 1 hour. Measure out 1 cup and reheat to pleasant temperature for drinking. Refrigerate remainder. Add honey and lemon to taste. Tea will turn dark green in refrigerator over night. Drink 1 cup three times daily to ward off cold and flu. This really works!

•   House plants help to purify the air about the home. Keep ferns, ivies and philodendrons throughout the house for fresher air.

•   Add moisture to the air for your dry winters with an old-fashioned vaporizer. The steam will add sterile moisture to the air, unlike a humidifier, which has been shown to add bacteria to the air.



		Something New! Quarterly Newsletter October, November, December 2002 Recipes, hints, ideas, new books, whatever... Mixed Nut Bars 1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter Mix thoroughly and pat into 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes. 3/4 of a 12 ounce package of butterscotch chips 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup light corn syrup Mix together and heat in microwave till melted, stirring often. Remove pan from oven. Spread 12 - 13 ounces of mixed nuts evenly over hot crust. Drizzle melted mixture evenly over nuts. Reduce oven temperature to 325 and return pan to oven for about 5 minutes. Do not allow bars to bubble up in the center. Cool. Cut into bars. — Alice Watson, Stoughton, WI I tasted these delicious bars at a potluck picnic I attended this past summer with the Model A Ford Restorers' Club. Alice graciously agreed to share her recipe with you! October 2002 Hello! With the coming of Autumn we see harvest in progress. The silo is filled with chopped field corn. Hay is put up in the barn ready for winter feeding. The last of the tomatoes are picked. Fall flowers are in bloom. The chicks hatched in May have become adult chickens and are running free about the farm. My sister, who teaches seventh grade science, hatched 5 chicks of unknown unusual breeds in her classroom, and gave them to us when the class was finished with them. We have fed and cared for them, anxiously awaiting their maturity. Now, weeks later, we are able to discern that we have two White Polish hens, a Golden Polish hen, a Dark Brahma rooster and a Buttercup rooster. Our chicks and chickens have been running free about the farm since July. At night they have chosen to roost in our lilac bush behind the house. Over the summer it is a challenge to collect eggs, as the hens will find a safe place to lay their eggs and keep them hidden, hence the expression 'hunt the eggs'. Occasionally one hen will cluck, or sit, on the eggs to keep them warm, and in three weeks time we will have a hen prancing about the farm with a brood of chicks in her wake. Soon they will live in the coop for the cold months. There we will be able to again easily collect eggs daily. Our chickens are of several different breeds, resulting in eggs of many colors. I find pink, blue, green and brown eggs in our nests. The school year has begun, opening a new chapter in our lives here on the Zahn farm. As of late August, 2002, school is in session at the new Dodgeland preK-12 school built on land across the road from our home. What was once farmland on which we produced corn and alfalfa is now a school with 48 acres of grounds. As I look out my kitchen windows I now see a football field, a baseball diamond, an elementary school playground and a building as lovely as a modern school can be. During my days at work in my home I hear children at play during recess. In the evening I see football practice and the occasional game. Progress. November 9, 2002 a group of Antique Sock Machine knitters will hold their second annual Socks for Soldiers knitting day at the War Memorial in Milwaukee, WI. Numbering more than 20 members, these people can produce upwards of 125 pairs socks in the day. The knitting machines date back into the early 20th century, some even as early as 1880. Using these machines, an experienced person can crank out a sock in as little as 15 minutes. Looking much like an old meat grinder the sock knitter takes a bit of practice to use. I have put in some time learning the skill and plan to join the club for their marathon knitting day this year. As a beginner I will be happy to produce just a pair or two with my 1902 model Gerhart knitter without mistakes! The socks we produce will be given as Christmas gifts to the veterans of war who reside at the Veteran's Hospitals in Milwaukee. If you own one of these sock machines and would like to join us, see www.just4ewe.org for more information. You may also mail your hand cranked socks for the soldiers to the address below before November 9, 2002. If you would like to donate money for yarn, or any unused yarn you may have, please contact Jan Massie 1209 South 103rd Street West Allis, WI 53214 www.just4ewe.org Or call or write me, Michelle Zahn, at the address on the back page of this newsletter. Yarn deemed unsuitable for socks is knitted or crocheted into lap robes for the veterans by volunteers. We thank you all for your consideration and donations! I am currently enrolled in the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program sponsored by the University of Wisconsin Madison. It is a program for training rural citizens for leadership positions within our communities. They hold three-day to two-week seminars every other month or so over two years to train us in leadership skills such as awareness of different ethnic values, leadership styles, government workings, political, social and economic issues. We will gain firsthand experience through instate, national and international travel. This my first experience with continuing education, as I married at age 18, and have been wife, mother and The Soap Lady these past 29 years on the farm. I am excited to be a part of a group of interested and interesting adults hoping to improve the quality of life in their communities! For more information on WRLP go to www.uwex.edu/ces/wrlp and check out what group X (that is my group) is up to. Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner with holiday plans for all. Our three children are always home for holiday meals with us so I enjoy making special preparations. • Pumpkin pie made with a fresh pumpkin is a tradition. Choose a fleshy pumpkin without blemishes. Remove stem, wash pumpkin and cut in half. Scoop out seeds. Cut pumpkin into quarters and cover with water in stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered till flesh is soft. Drain. Scrape flesh from rind. Press through sieve, then clean out sieve and return flesh to sieve, set over a pot and allow to drain. Flesh is then ready for your favorite pie recipe. • Rinse your pumpkin seeds and dry them in your oven, then pulverize them in your food processor to use as a tea for bladder infection. Steep 1 teaspoon powdered pumpkin seed in 1 cup of boiling water and add honey to taste. Drink 1 cup of tea three times daily as soon as symptoms appear. • To keep wool moths at bay, dust your wooden shelves in closets with a cloth and a touch of lavender oil. • Mix 2 cups vanilla flavored coffee creamer, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 cup sugar and store in tightly covered glass jar. Add 3-4 teaspoons to a mug and add strong coffee or hot milk for a treat on a cold winter day. • Try pouring 1-2 gallons of boiling water down a sluggish drain to make it run clean and smell fresh. • For those winter colds and flu, drink 1 cup of burdock root tea (found in health food stores, or dig up and dry your own) three times daily. As soon as you feel a cold coming on, place one tea bag (or 1 teaspoon dried root) in quart jar and fill with boiling water. Allow to steep 1 hour. Measure out 1 cup and reheat to pleasant temperature for drinking. Refrigerate remainder. Add honey and lemon to taste. Tea will turn dark green in refrigerator over night. Drink 1 cup three times daily to ward off cold and flu. This really works! • House plants help to purify the air about the home. Keep ferns, ivies and philodendrons throughout the house for fresher air. • Add moisture to the air for your dry winters with an old-fashioned vaporizer. The steam will add sterile moisture to the air, unlike a humidifier, which has been shown to add bacteria to the air. Sign up to receive my quarterly Newsletter —