A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke It’s cold and it’s getting colder It’s gray and white and winter all around And oh I must be getting older And all this snow is trying to get me down There’s a fire in the corner slowly dyin’(away) Sometimes I just don’t feel like goin’ on (anymore) And yet I know it’s more than worth the waiting For another chance to see the summer sun There’s a fire in the corner slowly dyin’ (away) Sometimes I just don’t feel like goin’ on (anymore) And yet I know it’s more than worth the wasting (away) For another chance to see the summer sun Come on, shine on me! Season Suite: Winter Lyrics, Winter, by John Denver The words to this John Denver song keep rolling through my head even as the frigid temperatures have finally eased and the sun has begun sticking around longer each day. A deep craving for comfort food accompanied the song. Call it cabin fever or I don’t know what. I just needed comforting.  I made a meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn that we froze last summer and grapes for dessert. (Thanks to Mark Peck for the sweet corn and Sue Johnson for the recipe. It was like tasting summer.) I assume you have a meatloaf recipe. Everyone does and they are all slightly different and make you think of mom and that special kind of comfort only a homemade meal can bring. Then I dug around in the fridge and cupboards to see what we had in the house and what should get used up. This whole grocery shopping only when we are running out of milk or produce may have contributed to  my need for comfort food. I found mixed veggies, diced potatoes and some sour cream that was on the edge of going bad. I don’t even remember what we got it for so I knew it was time to use it up. I nearly  always have chicken in the house so I made a chicken pot pie. Gwen asked me to write the recipe down, so to kill two birds with one stone, here it what I came up with: Chicken pie Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dough for crust: 2 cups flour ¾ cup butter, softened ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt Sour cream Mix the flour and salt, then cut the butter into it until it forms little pellets. Add two or three tablespoons of sour cream, mix, adding a tablespoon of sour cream at a time until it feels like a pie dough crust should feel. Firm and a little damp. Cover and put in the fridge while you make up the pie filling. Filling: 1 or 2 boneless chicken breasts and/ or thighs, cubed 1 can or package of frozen mixed veggies 1 can or one large potato, cubed 2 teaspoons butter or mild oil, not olive oil but peanut oil would work well Heat up the butter or oil in a large frying pan, add the chicken and brown, stirring frequently. Remove to a plate or bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving any chicken juice and butter/ oil in the pan. Heat up the pan again with: 2 tablespoons each flour and butter/ oil Mix until flour is dissolved. Add one can of chicken broth and mix with a whisk until smooth. Add the chicken pieces and veggies to the pan with sauce, cover and heat on medium/ low while you roll out the crust. To roll out, take the crust out of the fridge and divide so you have two balls – one a third and the other two thirds of the crust. Flour a cutting board and roll the larger ball out until it is about ¼ inch thick. This dough is sticky so be sure to put lots of flour down and add more as needed.  Put the crust into a large deep dish pie plate, or an 8 inch by 8 inch square baking dish. Add the chicken veggie mix. Roll out the remaining dough and cover the pie, rolling and sealing the edges. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Don’t forget to put a pizza pan under the pie plate during baking. I served this with cantaloupe and the last of the grapes. My comfort cravings have been satisfied for now and soon it will be spring and hopefully my cravings will be for fresh veggies right out of the garden.  • •  • I sent letters and emails out to all the candidates running for office in the River Valley area. I’ve heard back from many candidates and will print their stories over the next couple weeks. I haven’t heard back from everyone. I think it’s important that the voters know what elected officials think about local issues, whether they are running opposed or not. If the folks up for election just don’t feel like answering, it’s unfortunate. If you’re a candidate and didn’t get a letter or email, please email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or give me a call at 574-3159 and let me know you didn’t get the questions. I’d like to get them in before the April 6. • •  • Stay in touch with me and with each other. My number is 574-3159. Email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588.  The news deadline is 12 noon on Mondays.  Visit our website at homenewsrv.com Get in touch with Gwen for sports or features at homenewssports@newspubinc.com. If you need a display ad, Dave Pronold can be reached at homenewssales@newspubinc.com or by calling him on his cell at 588-4777. Display ads, or ads that are in boxes, are due by 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. The classified ad deadline is noon Thursdays the week prior to publication for both the Buyer’s Guide and Home News. Classified rates are $13 for the first 10 words, then 30¢ per word for each additional word. Call (608) 767-3655 or email classifieds@newspubinc.com  Legal notices are due by 2 p.m. on Fridays, email them to legals@newspubinc.com Call the NewsPub central office at (608) 767-3655 for subscriptions and all other information Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, although afternoon hours can vary. Closed Fridays.