It is great to be home after being in Arizona for a couple of months. This year we took the long way home via Branson, Missouri, and the world curling championship in Winnipeg.
Five full days of music and shows in the friendly city of Branson were great. Branson is nestled in the picturesque Ozark Mountains. A fun Ride on the Ducks (a Second World War DUKW boat that has wheels and can go on water or land) toured us around the hilly city and also splashed down in the water of Table Rock Lake. To see the countryside we took a railway that went about 30 kilometres through the mountains.
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Near Branson is Precious Moments Inspiration Park. Signs from the freeway took us down a narrow road to a quiet space in the countryside where artist Sam Butcher built the park. His paintings and work were explained to us on a tour of the chapel.
Statues line walkways of the well-groomed grounds. Even though the park is set up to handle large numbers of people and isn’t far from a busy highway, it is a serene, peaceful place to visit.
And finally to Winnipeg and the curling. Didn’t our Canadian teams do well this year? To feel the excitement in the rink as the finals played out was a great experience.
It was a treat to arrive home to find water in the dugouts and sloughs. We were only home for about an hour when it started to snow. And snowed and snowed. More welcome moisture for the fields and pastures.
While in Arizona I missed my variety of cookbooks. I usually grab two or three as we are leaving and this year I took Jean Paré’s Dinners of the World. From it, this recipe was made a few times.
Crunchy salad
4 cups bite-sized 1 L
pieces of cauliflower
4 cups bite-sized 1 L
pieces of broccoli
2 medium red onions, slivered 10 bacon slices, crispy fried
and crumbled
Dressing
11/2 cups salad 375 mL
dressing such as
Miracle Whip
2 tablespoons vinegar 30 mL
11/2 tablespoons 25 mL
prepared mustard
11/2 tablespoons 25 mL
granulated sugar
Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl.
Dressing: Mix all four ingredients together. Pour over vegetables. Toss until vegetables are coated. Turn into serving bowl. This makes a generous amount of dressing. You may prefer to use less. Serves eight.
Old maple sugar
Dear TEAM: I have a question regarding a tin of maple butter and a couple of bricks of maple sugar my parents have kept in their freezer for several years. Would there be any value left in them? The sugar is hard as brick. Of course, the butter (unopened) is questionable also. If the bricks were salvageable, what is the best way to render them down? – K.D., High River, Alta.
Dear K.D.: For an answer to your question I wrote to our twin Women’s Institute group in Quebec. This is its answer:
“Yes, the sugar is still good. One of our members kept it almost 10 years. What she does is to put one of those ceramic bears you soak in water with the sugar in an airtight container. She said a slice of bread or a piece of apple would work as well, as long as the container is airtight. My husband’s father used to shave the sugar, heat it up a little and put it on toast. The butter is also good after it’s thawed. It may separate but that’s no problem if you don’t mind stirring it up before using. The butter should be kept in the fridge after thawing.”
Thanks to Cynthia Johnston and Richmond group 92 WI from Quebec for this answer.
Bugs hate DEET
There has been lots of discussion about the west Nile virus and how we should protect ourselves. Some of this discussion concerns DEET, a substance in some insect repellents.
A 2002 report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, says bugs hate DEET and insect repellents containing this chemical provide the best protection. Lotions with other chemicals don’t last as long.
“I don’t think DEET is the perfect repellent,” said Mark Fradin, one of the researchers. “But it is still more effective and very safe.”
Both Health Canada and the United States Environmental Protection Agency say DEET is safe for human use. Products containing no more than 30 percent concentration will normally provide adults with sufficient protection.
Studies show that products with lower concentrations of DEET are as effective as the high concentration products, but for shorter periods of time.
Insect repellents with a high concentration are being phased out and by December 2004 only bug repellents with less than 30 percent DEET will be permitted.
Alberta Health says 30 percent DEET will provide 61/2 hours of protection. A 15 percent concentration will provide five hours, 10 percent three hours and five percent two hours.
Do not use DEET on children under six months of age. For children aged six months to two years, try one application per day of 10 percent or less in situations where a high risk of complications from insect bites exist. Apply the product sparingly and not to the face and hands.
For children between two and 12 years of age, apply the least concentrated product (10 percent DEET or less) no more than three times daily. Always supervise the application.
There is no indication that DEET poses a hazard to the unborn or nursing child. However, consider non-chemical methods to reduce mosquito bites such as protective clothing and avoiding insect habitat during peak mosquito activity at dawn or dusk.
- If you get repellent in your eyes, rinse immediately with water. Do not use the repellent on open wounds or if your skin is irritated or sunburned.
- Use spray repellents only in well-ventilated areas and avoid inhaling spray. Do not use near food.
- Wash treated skin with soap and water when you return indoors.
- Use only insect repellents registered for use in Canada. They have a registration number granted under the Pest Control Products Act and are labelled as insect repellents for use on humans. Never use a product labelled as an insecticide on your body.
For more information on insect repellents contact Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency website www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pmra-arla/
english/index-e.html.
National reports are available at Health Canada’s West Nile Virus Surveillance Information website www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pphb-dgspsp/wnv-vwn/index.html.
Birth announcement
We are pleased to announce that Jodie and Rod Mirosovsky’s baby arrived April 30. Her brothers Carter, 7, and Skyler, 4, are excited about having a new baby sister. Her name is Jada Katrianna.
Alma Copeland is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
