The "An Old Favorite Gum!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Shopping at our local Stauffer's of Kissel Hill grocery store near the small town of Lititz, Pennsylvania.  Carol and I used to laugh at my parents when they would tell us they were at Stauffers one day, Weis Supermarket another day and then Oregon Dairy another day.  They had specific items they bought at each supermarket and therefore had to make visits to each location each and every week.  Well, that day has arrived for Carol and I!  Yesterday we made our weekly visit to our Giant Supermarket for the majority of our groceries and today we visited Stauffer's where I love their small brown ceramic dishes of Creme Brûlée.  Stuff is addictive and the little ceramic dishes make great dishes for our cats.  They also make great apple dumplings, baked oatmeal as well as containers of tapioca pudding.  As the years go by I feel more like my mom and dad all the time.  Well, today while we were standing in line using social distancing, I noticed some of my all-time favorite chewing gums on the racks next to the check-out counters.  

Gums such Chiclets, Juicy Fruit and even Black Jack filled the small boxes on the shelves by the cash registers.  Was tempted to buy a pack of Black Jack, but some of my 70 year old fillings might complain a bit if I did so.  For those of you who might have never heard of Black Jack, it is an aniseed-flavored chewing gum that is currently manufactured by the Geritt J. Verburg Co.  America's chewing gum industry began in the 1850s when Thomas Adams was secretary to General López de Santa Anna so was living in New York and plotting a return to power in Mexico.  Santa Anna had arrived in New York with a boatload of chicle, a latex substance from the sapodilla tree, and the idea of selling it as an inexpensive alternative to rubber.  Never materialized, but Adams realized chicle could be made into chewing gum.  So, Adams bought the load of chicle from Santa Anna and began adding flavorings.  Wasn't long before he was selling "Adams New York Chewing Gum" in drug stores.  In 1884 he introduced his first big seller, licorice-flavored "Black Jack" chewing gum.  

Thomas Adams ad for Black Jack Gum

Five years later he introduced Chiclets as well as the vending machine from which he dispensed his gum on New York subway platforms.  He eventually added flavors like Clove and Pepsin, but the company closed in the 1970s due to poor sales.  The company was eventually purchased by British confectionary company Cadbury and is again manufacturing gum once again.  And, one of these days I will have to buy a pack of Black Jack just to bring back the memories from my youth. Now, tomorrow we have decided to head to S.  Clyde Weaver's for a few of their great sand tart cookies and some of their sliced ham loaf for sandwiches.  Mom and Dad would be proud!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "When It Rains It Pours" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got home from working at the framing gallery for a few hours and decided it was time to each lunch.  Made a sandwich with some luncheon meat and thought I would put a bit of salt on it.  Salt shaker was empty so I opened the pantry door and grabbed the Morton Iodized Salt container.  

My container with the 1941 image.

When I was looking at the label on it, I realized there was a different label on either side of the cardboard container.  One side featured the traditional Mortal Salt Girl that I have known for quite a few years while the other side of the container featured an image of the 1941 Morton Salt Girl.  A small label was at the upper left of the container that read:  1941 -  The fourth Moton Salt Umbrella Girl was introduced to America in 1941 and appeared on packages until 1956.  While our boys were off to war, our little girl was serving at home.  I never realized that over the years the Morton Salt Girl changed her appearance, but it certainly looked like she had.  Did some online searching and found that the Morton Salt Girl, umbrella clasped in one arm and an upturned container of salt in the other, has been a fixture on the Morton container for more than 100 years.  

The current image of the Salt Girl.

The Morton Salt Company began in 19th century Chicago as Richmond & Company.  A businessman from Nebraska named Joy Morton acquired a major interest in the company in 1889 and began to realize the nation's rising population and meatpacking industry was going to create a demand for salt.  Eleven years later the company was incorporated as Morton Salt Company.  At the time, the salt as we know it today, had a tendency to clump in humid or rainy weather.  Tough to extract from a shaker when it was in chunks in the shaker.  The salt was much like sugar in that it was what was called hygroscopic, or it absorbed water vapor from the air around it.  Then in 1911 Mr. Morton added magnesium carbonate, an anti-caking agent, to prevent the salt from clumping.  He had created the world's first free-pouring salt.  His next step was to add a small metal spout on the top of the company's round blue container.  

Early advertisement showing the wrapping on the package.

To advertise his "new salt", he hired an advertising company who ran a series of 12 advertise- ments in Good House- keeping magazine.  One ad, an image of a curly-haired little girl with an umbrella in one hand and a spilling salt container in another, summed up exactly what the company hoped to convey to the public which told the buyer that their salt would run even when it was damp outside.   Mr. Morton's son, Sterling, didn't like the words that were displayed with the advertisement that read: "Even in rainy weather, it flows freely."  Too wordy for him so he searched for something else and found that "It never rains but it pours" had some promise.  But, a newer version of much the same thing that read: "When It Rains It Pours" seemed to be the one he wanted.  Both the "Umbrella Girl" and the new slogan appeared on the cylindrical package in 1914 as well as in Good Housekeeping ads in October of 1914.  Since that time the Morton Salt girl's image has been slightly updated six times.  In 1921 her blond curls were switched to straight hair, before becoming curly again in 1933 when Shirley Temple became a household name.  In 1941 Morton's Salt Girl donned her now-signature yellow dress and got blond pigtails.  1956 saw the handle of her umbrella turn yellow while in 1968 her hair and dress changed.  Then, six years ago she got a refresh to mark the company's centenary, this time appearing in simplified linework.  Over the years she has been named as one of the Top 10 Female Ad icons of All Time and had 100 birthday parties in 100 cities over 100 days on her centenary.  Today you can buy t-shirts, tote bags and even umbrellas with her likeness on them.  And, you can always find it in our pantry...unless I use all of it and forget to get another container.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Morton Salt Girl from 1914.

Morton Salt Girl 1921.

Morton Salt Girl 1933.

Morton Salt Girl 1956. 

Morton Salt Girl 1968.

Morton Salt Girl 2014.

The "The One & Only...John Cope's Corn" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about one of Lancaster County's most famous products: John Cope's Dried Sweet Corn.  If you enjoy dried corn I assume you've heard of the John Cope name before.  Actually, it is the biggest brand of dried sweet corn on the shelf at your Super Market.  And, if you look a bit closer, you will notice it more than likely is the ONLY brand of dried sweet corn in the frozen food compartment.  Over 100 years ago Martin Cope began his company, trying to capture the rich history of the Pennsylvania Dutch community of Lancaster County.  As far as Cope's dried corn, originally it was picked at the height of the growing season, when the natural sugars and mouthwatering flavors are at their very best.  The corn was then husked and cooked and the kernels cut from the husk by hand.  Martin then dried his first batch of sweet corn on a coal-burning stove at the family homestead near Manheim.  This locked in the flavor of the corn. in 1900 he began his business and as the business grew, Martin grew in size and a processing plant was opened in Rheems, Pennsylvania.  In no time there were nine plants.  The Great Depression cut that number to two.  Martin owned one of them while his grandson John owned the other one.  In 1947 Martin died and eventually John F. Cope purchased the old Rheems plant and consolidated the families operations.  The Cope family continued to make the dried corn until 2006 when Hanover Foods began to sell Cope's dried corn.  And, it's as good today as it was over 100 years ago.

Box of John Cope's White Corn.

 Thanks- giving and Christmas dinners wouldn't be the same without Cope's corn.  It has become a family tradition for many families in Lancaster County as it is in many other parts of the world.  Mr. Paul Johnson of Wichita, Kansas makes sure it is always a part of his holiday meal.  Mr. Johnson used to be a music teacher in Lancaster County, but now teaches music at Wichita State University.  He still makes chicken corn soup, bakes Lancaster County shoofly pies and keeps his pantry stocked with Cope's dried corn.  Another story tells of a Dr. Jeffrey T. Cope, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Lancaster General Health who knows Cope's dried corn tradition as well as anyone.  He was the Grandson of John Cope, and son of the late Thomas L. Cope who brought the John F. Cope Co. to prominence as its president and CEO.  Dr. Cope spent his summers at the corn plant when he was growing up working on the dryers.  His operating room is far from the corn dryers, but his business of valve surgeries and coronary artery bypasses is forever linked to his family's corn history.  His patients ask him about the corn business on a daily basis.  Any person who is from Lancaster County and has a name of Cope just has to have been part of the Cope business.  Great icebreaker for the doctor to begin his talks with his patients.  And, the good doctor still eats Cope's corn every Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Dr. Cope explains that: "It exudes Lancaster County-ness.  It's hard to describe...tradition, old-school work ethic and an honest, home feel."  Cope's corn gained popularity during President Eisenhower's term in office, when it was said to have been a popular ingredient for many White House meals.  It is still a part of many of my meals.  May be hard for some folks to purchase online, but check it out and if you can find a dealer online, give it a try.  You won't be sorry!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an oridnary guy.

The "Gardens During A Time Of Need" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Doing an archive "Dive" of the Lancaster Newspaper's files which date back to 1794.  I'm in search of stories about a topic that has recently been in the Lancaster Newspaper known as "Victory Gardens," or an earlier rendition of the same known as the "War Gardens."  Being that I am a subscriber to the Lancaster Newspaper's print edition, I also have access to the Online edition which gives me a chance to search the past 226 years of history of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania that has been set in type, produced by the Linotype machine, typed on a typewriter or digitally entered on a computer into print form.  And, Lancaster's history is amazing!  I found an article published in The Daily New Era from Saturday, January 26, 1918 that has a headline that reads, "Will Lay Ground Work For Next Summer's War Gardens."  Seems a public meeting was called by the Agricultural Bureau of the Chamber of Commerce to discuss the war garden work in the city and suburbs of Lancaster.  

Poster for War Gardens

The War Garden, or food garden for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks during WWI and WWII.  In war time the government encouraged people to plant gardens to supplement their rations and also to boost morale.  These gardens were used along with Rationing Stamps and Cards to reduce pressure on the public food supply.  They were also considered a civil "morale booster" in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown.  In the January 26 story, it was written that the New Era has been in touch with the National Emergency Food Garden Commission in regards to the coming growing season.  

The Garden Primer

A new, illustrated, 32-page war garden primer will be available to help with the planting and growing of your war garden.  Another article from Saturday, July 13, 1918 was titled "Just See Our War Gardens! We Have Hundreds of Thousands Of Them at Work!"  The article told that the war gardeners of the United States answered General Pershing's call to "keep the food coming."  It was reported that there were 4,900,000 war gardens in the United States.  That was said to be 40% more than in 1917.  The article went on to tell which parts of the country had the biggest increase of war gardens.  Then on Friday, September 4, 1942 the title of a story on page 3 read, "Victory Garden Show Sept. 18-19."  Seems the war garden is now known as the Victory Garden in hopes of leading our nation to victory.  

A Victory Garden years ago.

The event was a flower and victory garden show held in the Armory on North Queen Street.  It was sponsored by the Victory Garden Committee and the Men's Garden Club.  The show was part of a program of 20,000 registered flower and vegetable shows throughout the country, destined to raise $2,000,000 for men in the service and their families.  Also, during the fall of 1942, 200 people had signed up for the public victory gardens in Lancaster City.  For $1.25, you received a plowed and fertilized plot of land, 50 feet by 50 feet.  

More posters telling you to participate in the victory garden.

For $1 more you got a 50x100 foot garden.  As the war continued, people were asked to make more sacrifices.  Food and gasoline supplies were rationed so more could be sent to the war effort.  In order to make up the difference, people began to grow their own vegetables.  In 1943, nonessential vegetables and fruits such as watermelon, artichokes, eggplant, celery, cucumbers, radishes, rhubarb, leeks and pumpkins became scarce so if you wanted any of them, you would be best planting them yourself in your victory garden.  The land in front of Lancaster McCaskey High School, as well as parts of the local Media Heights Golf Club, were offered for those who wanted to plant a victory garden.  

How to make an outdoor seed box.

Many people turned their lawns into gardens.  An article from Sunday, April 11, 1943 showed how to make an outdoor seed box useful to speed your victory garden.   A four-panel explanation showing a woman creating her seed box was featured in the article.  Then in the summer of 1944 a wave of optimism swept over the country when a collapse of Germany seemed near.    When the war finally ended, it wasn't the end of the victory garden since food was badly needed in Europe.  Victory gardens were more needed in 1946 than during the war.  One local group, the Illustrious Order of Yams held a picnic in Lititz Springs Park in July of 1946.  Eventually the gardens began to disappear with some becoming playgrounds while others turned back into lawns.  It wan't until 1971 that victory gardens were mentioned once again.  Some even renamed them inflation gardens due to the cost of food.  Then on April 4, 1991, an article appeared in the Lancaster New Era that was titled "Is now the time to bring back the Victory Garden?"  

Many people today have neighborhood plots.

With the economy being uncertain, was it time once again to grow your own fruits and vegetables?  Should the Victory Gardens of old be turned back into gardens once again?  It did prove to be a place where people could gather and socialize and develop new friendships.  Today there are many local communities that sponsor garden plots that you can use to raise your one fruits and vegetables.  In the community where I live, Manheim Township, we have a very large plot that you can use to raise what you care to.  As for my brother, a few years ago he got tired of having to mow the grass on part of his property so he turned in into a garden.  Now has fruit trees as well as tomatoes, corn, asparagus and a variety of other vegetables.  I enjoy his garden since he makes great soups with what he raises and invited the family to visit for a meal.  A victory for all of us!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Lancaster Chef Wins 'Chopped Sweets' Award Of $10,000" Story

Chef Cedric Barbaret at his restaurant at 26 E. King Street.

It was an ordinary day.  Watching Chef Cedric Barbaret, who owns Bistro Barbaret & Bakery in the first block of East King Street in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania work his charm on the Food Network's "Chopped Sweets" pastry competition.  A few months ago I wrote about another Lancaster County chef, Laura Merkel of nearby Ephrata who won $10,000 on an episode of Food Network's "Chopped."  But, being that I enjoy desserts and sweets, this was a really neat experience to cheer on someone who could make my mouth water just watching him prepare his "sweet" treats.  Chef Cedric went against three other highly skilled pastry chefs who wanted the big prize just as he did.  But, saying you are the "Chopped Sweet" champion carries that little extra bit of notoriety needed to claim your Bistro Barbaret & Bakery is the best in the nation.  

The first round of competition featured items listed here.

Cedric and his wife Estelle opened their business in 2015.  Cedric is a native of Ville- franche-sur-Saone which is outside Lyon, France.  He began his baking career in his father's pastry shop.  Before moving to Lancaster, he worked at prestigious restaurants Le Bec-Fin and Buddakan in Philadelphia, PA.  He was also the executive pastry chef at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach.  In 2016 he was named one of the top 10 pastry chefs in America by Dessert Professional Magazine. Seems they will now have to change that to #1 all by himself.  On the show tonight, Cedric had to incorporate unusual "mystery basket" ingredients into his pastry presentations.  He had to create three sweet treats based on strawberry, vanilla and chocolate challenges on the Neapolitan-themed show.  The sweet treats were judged by Matt Adlard and Dan Langan as well as show host Scott Conant.  

Cedric's strawberry round presentation.

In the strawberry round Cedric had to incorporate century eggs, which is said to be a strong smelling egg which looked gross, cilantro, strawberry crispy rice treats and strawberry liqueur into his dessert.  He met the challenge by creating a bright-looking dish, plated around the edge of his serving dish.  He created a strawberry gelée with cilantro-mascarpone cream with a rice treat crumble.  The judges called it an immaculate  presentation and advanced him to the next round.  

The vanilla round presentation.

Each round one contestant is eliminated until a winner is declared after the third round.  In the vanilla round, the remaining three chefs had to incorporate a rotisserie chicken, vanilla chai latte mix and dried apricots into a dessert.  Cedric wowed the judges with a bourbon-apricot floating island with chai latte-vanilla Anglaise which featured poached meringues, sugar work, gold leaf and bits of crispy skin on top.  You had to see it to appreciate the artistry displayed in his creation.  

The ingredients for the third round drew a smile from Cedric.

One judge called the dish "sublime" and Cedric advanced to the final round where the two best chefs faced off.  In the chocolate round the contestants had to use a 24-layer chocolate cake, chocolate wine, frozen mixed berries and honey-mustard dressing which drew a smile from Cedric when he viewed the dressing bottle.  

The chocolate round presentation.

Up to this point, it was hard to see a smile the entire time on Cedric's face who approached the competition with workman-like vim and vigor.  He created what he called his flexible chocolate ganache with honey-mustard whipped cream and a chocolate cake-wine sauce.  

Cedric was crowned "Chopped Sweets" Champion.

By the time the final round began, the room tempera- ture was very warm which caused the chocolate to melt faster than it should and he was disappoint- ed in his chocolate dish.  When the judge lifted the top on the dessert tray to display the winning entry, Cedric said he was surprised when he was declared champion.  

Cedric being congratulated by the judges.

His bakery in downtown Lancaster was probably busy when he returned.  Since he has carry-out, his restaurant is still open during the current medical crisis.   When Laura won her award I had to visit to buy a few cookies and I will now have to make a visit to sample the sweet treats that the best pastry chef in the United States creates.  How many cities in the country can lay claim to two of the best cooks/chefs in the country?  One...Lancaster, Pennsylvania!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "With A Bit Of Sugar...All Is Made Well: Part I - The Hostess Twinkie" Story

Preface: Many years ago I developed a taste for items made with sugar; donuts, long johns, wacky cake, banana split dessert, chocolate chip cookies, donuts, candy bars, Twinkies, sugar cookies, licorice, caramels, donuts, Necco wafers, Swedish fish, Tastycakes, double-bubble gum, Chuckles, Mary Janes, Twizzlers, donuts, etc., etc...and the list goes on and on.  My story today is about one of those favorites, Twinkies, since they have been around for 90 years.  Tomorrow I will treat you to a story about one of Lancaster's sweetest products, Twizzlers.  Enjoy!

It was an ordinary day.  Searching for a few packs of Hostess Twinkies to dunk in a glass of milk.  Most of the shelves in the local grocery store have been emptied by food and dessert hoarders due to the ever present threat of the Coronavirus.  And...today is no different...since there are NO Twinkies on the shelf.  What can I do about my sugarvirus?  My taste for the old-time Twinkie was recently rekindled when "Reminisce" magazine featured a story about the sweet treat.  They had a headline that read: GOLDEN OLDIE STILL FRESH AT 90 - Fit for a wedding or a murder trial, Twinkie delights!  Years and years ago you could always find a single pack or a value party pack somewhere in a kitchen cabinet, but with the advent of a variety of other new and interesting treats, Twinkies were only purchased about once a month.  

The Twinkie was developed as a budget snack cake due to its inexpensive price.  The Twinkie achieved a status high enough that it was placed in the Millennium Time Capsule.  That was until a few staff members who were packing the time capsule decided that the sugary treat might eventually draw rodents, grabbed them from the capsule and devoured all of them.  

How can you NOT like one of these?

Then, somehow in 2012, Hostess Brands fired most of its workers and went out of business.  NO MORE TWINKIES!!  Luckily, the new owner of the business relaunched the making of the Twinkie.  The success of the original product 90 years ago had to do with the fact that it was a feather-like sponge cake filled with sweet cream.  Who would have guessed that something as simple as that could have been such a success.  

The inventor of the Twinkie. James Dewar.

The Great Depression did have something to do with that, since the treat was so simple and inexpensive that it was actually affordable to the masses even during a time of fiscal hardship.  The guy who "invented" the Twinkie, James Dewar, used his bakery's shortcake pans which sat idle during most of the year, since strawberries were only in season for about one month of the year.  The original Twinkies, which I do not remember, were made with a banana filling, but when WWI came along, bananas were replaced with a vanilla cream, thank goodness.  

Buffalo Bob Smith, Howdy Doody and
Clarabell Clown pushed Twinkies on TV.

I can still remember watching Buffalo Bob Smith on the Howdy Doody Show telling me to ask my mom to get Twinkies at the store and put one in my lunch pail.  When the Twinkie was first made it was stuffed by workers who at times added too much filling and caused the treat to explode.  What a job...having to eat all that excess stuffing so it wouldn't go to waste!  And, when people began to make fallout shelters in there basements in the late 1940s, Twinkies were the perfect item to stock in them since they had a shelf-life of close to two months.  Originally the Twinkie was said to be bad for you due to all the sugar in it, but that recipe was changed and today has 39 ingredients, eight of them being corn-based.  Now it is much better for you.  That is probably the reason why I couldn't find any at the grocery store today.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Ephrata, Pennsylvania Claims The Best Cookie Baker!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Driving north on Rt. 272 toward the town of Ephrata, Pennsylvania.  My quest today is to buy a few decorated cookies to place in the stockings of my grandchildren for Christmas.  Not just any cookies, but cookies made by the award winning "Cookie Lady" known as Laura Merkel.  This all came about when Carol and I were talking about something different to put in our granddaughter's stockings and I suggested I make a visit to "Laura the Cookie Lady" who has a store at 30 E. Main Street in Ephrata.

Laura's store at 30 East Main Street

Turned right off 272N onto State Street.  Not long before I had to stop at the light where State intersects Main.  Turned right and began looking for Laura's store.  Pulled into a parking space and walked  about 50 feet and then I saw it.  The sign read "Sold Out".  Seems the store opened at 11:00 a.m. that morning and 20 minutes later Laura had emptied her display cases of every cookie she and her helpers had baked for the day.  Laura has gained quite a bit of notoriety in this "neck of the woods" since she was on television's Food Network "Christmas Cookie Challenge".  Not only was she on the show, but she won the $10,000 that goes with being known as the best cookie maker in the United States.  Found out that the show was actually filmed last February in Los Angeles, but didn't air until the end of November.

Laura can be seen in the center of the photo with fellow bakers Megan
Savely to the left and Maisha Cottman on the right.  She won $10,000.

For 10 months Laura had to keep her win a secret from the town of Ephrata as well as the world.  She went up against four other cookie bakers from around the United States.  She baked an espresso-chocolate cookie that got high marks for taste and texture from the judges in the first round.  In the second and final round, she baked an oatmeal-kiwi-white chocolate Christmas tree cookie tart with cream cheese buttercream icing.

Laura holding one of her boxes she fills with cookies.

Carol and I enjoyed the show and were pulling for her the entire time.  When I left to head to Ephrata, Carol told me to get a couple of those cookies for Christmas gifts.  Well, the sign told me I wasn't going to get the treats today, but it didn't stop me from pounding on the door to arouse whomever might have been inside the bakery.  A fellow opened the front door and I asked if I could talk with Laura for a story I wanted to write for my blog.  He told me to follow him and in about 30 seconds I saw Laura behind the counter in her cookie store.  The place was bare of cookies, but not bare of smiles from Laura when I introduced myself and explained why I was there.

Laura's award winning entry.

She apologized about the lack of cookies, but told me the line when she opened was about a block long.  Everything was gone in about 20 minutes!  She told me to get in line tomorrow early if I want any.  She also told me that since her big win on the TV show she can't keep cookies in her cases very long.  Laura is a Long Island native who now lives in the small town known as Ephrata.  The neat little town is an agricultural community with the historical site Ephrata Cloisters and the nearby Green Dragon Farmer's Market.  Many Old Order Amish and Mennonites live in the surrounding villages.  The town now is the home to the best cookie baker in the country.  Congratulations to Laura and I only hope that sometime soon I will get a chance to try one of her award-winning cookies.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Laura's empty counters. 

Wish I could have gotten a few of these cookies. 

Or...maybe one of these. 

Another creative design.

Laura's logo for her business.

The "Spice Up Your Life & Give Herb A Try" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my wife about the upcoming holidays and all the meals she was going to have to prepare for family and guests.  Luckily she only has to prepare one Thanksgiving meal since we will be visiting relatives on Thanksgiving Day.  On the Saturday after Thanksgiving we will once again have a big turkey dinner.  The Saturday dinner is a big chore for Carol since she has to prepare two large turkeys along with stuffing and a few other vegetables.  We then have to transport the meal to a relative's home who will host the dinner.  Then again, on Christmas Day, she again has to prepare dinner for about a dozen guests by preparing ham, scalloped potatoes, pumpkin bread, etc.  At times it can be overwhelming even though she enjoys to cook.  And, she is a fantastic chef making some of the best meals as well as desserts.  To do so, she turns to quite a few different spices and herbs to add to the flavoring and aroma of the meals.  These spices and herbs are the topic of my story today.  Herbs are almost always the leafy part of a plant.  The leaves can be cut up or used whole, as with bay leaves.  Most herbs are grown in temperate climates where it doesn't get too cold or too hot.  Throughout history spices were so important that they were used as money.  

Pepper in a grinder unit

About 1,000 years ago people used black peppercorns, which today are used to make black pepper, to pay rent, ransoms and taxes.  Columbus, during his explorations to the new world, was told to see if he could find a source for different spices.  Two of the most valuable spices used centuries ago were cinnamon and  the "King of Spices", black pepper.  Today spices are still grown, harvested and dried by hand, much as they were for hundreds of years.  The grinding and processing of spices is easier today due to modern technology, but the growing is still the same as it was years ago.  A few favorite spices that Carol uses are cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and pepper.  Cinnamon comes from the bark of the Cinnamon tree.  There are several varieties of this tree and each produces a different flavor.  The cinnamon tree that grows in Vietnam has more than twice as much fragrant oil as other cinnamon trees.  

The vanilla bean

It is the extra oil that makes it more spicy.  It comes in stick or powder form.  Nutmeg, as well as a similar spice, mace, both come from the fruit of the same tree; Myristica fragrant.  Mace comes from the red covering on the shell that protects the seed while the nutmeg comes from the seed itself.  Vanilla comes from the beans of an orchid vine.  It grows wild in parts of Mexico and Central America.  The beans must be dried in the sun until they are dark brown.  Each night for three months, workers wrap the beans and take them inside, then unwrap them and take them back outside in the morning.  Does that give you an idea why vanilla is so expensive?  Black peppercorns grow on Piper nigrum vines.  Most black pepper comes from India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brazil.  Farmers climb ladders to hand-pick pepper spikes, or ears, full of berries, or peppercorns.  They spread the berries so they can dry in the sun.  They then turn the berries several times so they dry evenly.  At night they take the berries inside to protect them from moisture, then take them back outside every morning for seven to 10 days.  The herb, oregano, comes from plants in the mint family.  Oregano is used frequently to make pizza.  Another herb that Carol uses from time to time is Sage which comes from the leaves of a shrub that is also related to mint.  It grows in the U.S., Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Serbia.  There are many other herbs and spices that can be used for many different dishes and without those spices the meals might be bland.  So, no matter what you use to prepare you holiday meals, enjoy the meals with family and friends and try tp spice up your life a bit!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Thanksgiving Turkey From Heaven" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Starting to think about where I might want to buy my Thanksgiving Day turkey this year.  For those reading this who are not United States citizens, the holiday known as Thanksgiving is often traced back to the time when the Pilgrims and Native Americans broke bread together, but the holiday wasn't truly established until 1863 under President Lincoln.  A few traditions continue from that first "feast" in 1621.  One is the gathering of family and friends around the dinner table when a Thanksgiving prayer is offered and the traditional feast is consumed.  For most Americans, that feast includes turkey and all the fixin's.  We in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania are very lucky to have several excellent places to buy a fresh holiday turkey rather than a frozen one.  Places such as Doorstep Dairy in nearby Terre Hill, Lancaster Farm Fresh in East Hempfield Township, Livengood Family Farm in West Lampeter Township, Meadow Run Farm in Ephrata Township, Shady Acres Farm in Mount Joy Township, Weaver's Turkey Farm in Leola, Stauffer's of Kissel Hill Fresh Foods with several locations and my personal favorite, Esbenshade Turkey Farm in Paradise.  

You really can't go wrong with a turkey from Paradise.  Esben- shade's turkeys are farm-raised, broad-breasted, all-natural with weights from 10 to 30 pounds.  The senior member of Esbenshade's is 89 year old Bob Esbenshade who has worked on his family farm for more than half of the farm's existence which dates back to the Civil War.  He still manages the birds on the farm which was founded in 1858 and considers itself the country's oldest turkey farm.  

Bob and his turkeys.  Bob's the one with the blue hat!

He was born on the farm as were his dad, granddad and great granddad.  Today it is solely a poultry producer.  They have produce approxi- mately 8,000 Broad Breasted Whites a year in turkey houses for the past 40 years.  Bob's father used to hatch the turkey eggs himself, incubating then in a garage and the stripping room of the tobacco cellar.  Today the farm, which is on either side of the historic Strasburg Railroad line,  has the birds delivered as poults from a hatchery in Michigan.  

The young turkeys.

They receive the poults a day or two after they have been hatched.  Once on the farm they live in well-lit wooden and cinder-block floor houses and feed on alfalfa hay.  The feed comes from White Oak Mills in nearby Elizabethtown, PA.  They pride themselves on the quality of the birds they sell.  They are grown to 10 to 30 pounds and killed in the fall.  After the feathers are removed, the carcases are drained of excess water in metal-grate wheelbarrows.  

This one has been invited to Thanksgiving dinner!

Then the giblets are stuffed in the bird and the birds are bagged.  A machine shrinks the wrapping around the bird and it is weighed and put in an individual box.  The turkeys are stored in refrig- erated trailers until the customer comes for it.  They only begin to kill them two weeks before Thanksgiving and then again at Christmas.  Bob reported that he has a customer who comes from Illinois to buy a fresh turkey.  Turkeys not sold after the holidays are frozen to be sold throughout the year.  My wife, Carol, usually prepares turkey with stuffing (known to many as filling or dressing), both regular and oyster stuffing, asparagus wrapped in bacon, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn puddin', applesauce, cranberry sauce, warm rolls and pumpkin bread.  For dessert there was always pumpkin pie, cherry pie and ice-cream.  No one ever left the table with an empty stomach!  So, for those whom do not celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving...I'm sorry to say you are missing a great meal with family and friends.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Pumpkin...The Fruit For Many Seasons & Reasons!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the words to the English language nursery rhyme, "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater."  Goes like this:

Peter, Peter,

pumpkin-eater,

Had a wife, and

couldn't keep her;

He put her in a

pumpkin-shell,

And there he

kept her very well.

Old time Nursery Rhyme

I remember this nursery rhyme from my youth and back then didn't understand it.  Still was fun to say so I never inquired as to what it might have meant.  Well, I'm still not sure exactly what it means, or if young children should be exposed to it.  Seems there are many different interpretations to the nursery rhyme with one interpretation stating that Peter had a wife who was very sexually active, and he couldn't keep her from running off.  He decided to do the unthinkable and murdered her, and he then stuffed her body into a pumpkin.  And, it is there that he kept her very well.  Tough to believe, since he must have had a pretty large pumpkin to accomplish that feat.  And, can this really be the meaning of the nursery rhyme or some sick person's idea of a joke?  Anyway, my story today is more about pumpkins and less about sex and murder.  Seems that we are very close to end of the prime pumpkin picking season and as you drive around Lancaster County, Pennsylvania you will find numerous roadside stands that are inundated with the orange squashes.  Many think of pumpkins as a vegetable, but both the decorative stars of the season as well as the best ingredient in a fall-flavored, best-ever pumpkin pie, is indeed a fruit.  

A pumpkin stand in Lancaster Amish country.

A friend of mine, Jim Erb, whom I had as a student and whom returned to the same school to teach alongside me, now has one of those stands along SR501 that has hundreds of pumpkins of both the decorative and cooking varieties.  Pumpkin pie is one of my favorites and the pumpkin pie that is sold at Costco is perhaps the best you will ever eat.  

Piece of Costco pumpkin pie.

That is unless you try my wife's pumpkin pie.  Oh yeah, she also makes a mean pumpkin bread and pumpkin cookies with caramel icing.  So when did the American colonies begin to make items with pumpkins.  Seems that settlers thought of the pumpkin as a food of last resort.  When there was no wheat for bread or yeast for beer they'd turn to the pumpkin.  As pumpkins were first looked upon as a food, they soon became associated with people whom were looked down upon in society in general.  "Pumpkin eater" or "pumpkin roller" was a derogatory term for a poor, ignorant farmer.  But, during the Civil War, pumpkin became a weightier symbol.  In the 20th century the pumpkin gained the favor by helping farmers.  With the growth of the automobile industry people from the large cities could drive to the countryside on weekends where farmers could draw them to their fruit and vegetable stands.  And in the fall season of the year, the pumpkin was king!  Pick-your-own pumpkin patches were and still are a favorite today.  The past few weeks saw Jim's stand filled with many cars.  He even had a wagon to transport people to his pumpkin patch so they could pick their own.  Many of the pumpkins can grow to a gargantuan size with one pumpkin last year reading 2,032 pounds grown by a farmer in Napa, California.  There is even a book called "How to Grow World-Class Pumpkins," by Don Landevin which was written in 1993.  So, why would anyone want to grow a pumpkin that large?  Maybe to enter it in one of the many contests for pumpkin growers or...maybe as a place to keep a wife after she had just been murdered!  Just saying!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - While on a recent vacation to the island of Antigua, the resort where we stayed had a few items on its menu that were made of pumpkin.  Rather tasty and were a bit different.  Check out the photographs that follow...

Pumpkin Choker

Pumpkin Fritters

Pumpkin Soup