Category Archives: Missouri

Finding Your Park In Your Own Backyard #9…Meramec Spring Park Iron Works and Cherokee Blueberry-Honey Cake

31 Tuesday May 2016

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  • Adventure 9-Trail of Tears National Historic Trail 
  • Destination 1-Meramec Spring Park and Iron Works

The Trail of Tears

One of the saddest and most shameful moments in American history was the forced removal, by the United States government, of the Indian tribes who populated parts of the eastern regions of our nation from the Ohio River into Georgia.

The Cherokee Indians, along with the other Civilized Tribes, the Seminole, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Creek, had for many years sought to heed the invitation of the Americans to live in a civilized manner, just as the American citizens themselves lived. The Cherokee people instituted their own court system, built schools to educate their children, took up farming as an occupation, established their own newspaper, and created their own written language. They were, while also holding true to their own traditions and beliefs, living the typical American life.

But as time went on, the ownership of Native American land was threatened by the insatiable desire of white American citizens to move further and further west, and claim more and more land for homesteads. This desire for land was made even worse for the Cherokee living in Georgia when gold was discovered in the area, and miners paid little heed to those who owned the land, lived on the land, or were sustained by the land. These settlers and miners were attempting to live their own personal American dream, and the Native Americans were in the way!

As more and more land was taken from the various tribes, the Cherokee people went to the United States Supreme Court for help. In spite of the fact that the Court ruled in their favor, the President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, sided with the state government and initiated a forceful removal of the native peoples far to the west, to Indian Territory, in what we now call the state of Oklahoma.

Trail of Tears National Historic Trail-in Missouri

Today, the journey the Cherokee were forced to take is called the Trail of Tears. In 1987, the United States government established the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail to help us remember this important time in our history, to learn from it, and to keep us mindful of the fact that it must never be repeated. Part of that trail runs through our home state of Missouri, and that is our next stop in our effort to visit all the national parks in our state. We begin near St. James, Missouri, close to Meramec Spring Park, and not too far from our home.

The Snelson-Brinker House

The Snelson-Brinker House

The Snelson-Brinker house is the oldest house in Missouri’s Crawford County. Built in 1834, by Thomas Snelson and his son Levi, it served as a trading post, as well as being the first courthouse in the county.

In the years 1838 and 1839, several detachments of the Cherokee people stopped at the house and camped on the property as they moved toward the Indian Territory. The Cherokee family of Richard Taylor, with a total of four members, died while on the grounds, and were buried in the Snelson family cemetery.

Today, you can visit the property, now adjacent of the Woodson K. Woods Conservation Area, on Missouri Highway 8. It looks much as it did when the Cherokee saw it, and my husband I wish that it was a bit better taken care of. It is, however, a haunting place, one that when understanding its history, will not soon leave you.

Meramec Spring Park

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Meramec Spring Park is a little further west along Highway 8. Meramec Spring Park is not a new destination for our family…we simply love the place! I wrote about our family’s history with the spring and park in a blog on May 23, 2014. But it is also a place located along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

In 1825, Thomas James and Samuel Massey moved to the Meramec Spring area in central Missouri to open an iron works facility. Iron was used in making the essential tools used on the farms, and in the homes of early America. By producing it in the midsection of the growing nation, it could be sold at a much lower price, avoiding shipping costs. The large red rock pit the men found near the spring (a source of water), and the large wooded expanses (a source of fuel for the fires in the furnace they would build), assured the two men that this site was the perfect place for their iron works.

The red rock of the iron pit at Meramec Spring Park.
In addition to the red rock in the foreground, you can see the deep forested expanse typical of this part of Missouri. The wood from the forest was essential in the production of iron at the iron works.

So, from 1827 through 1876, the Meramec Iron Works was in operation at what is now a beautiful park, renowned trout fishing destination, and treasured artifact site of things from long ago-it is a part of our Missouri heritage. When you visit Meramec Spring Park you will see the preserved relics of the iron works, as well as having the opportunity to visit the museum. Exhibits in the museum explain how the work was done, who the people were who lived in and around the iron pit, and information about the natural flora and fauna of central Missouri.

In the most open area of the park you will find many remains from the days of the iron works operation…

These sign posts indicate where individual activities important to the production of iron were located. A map, obtained at the Museum will explain the function of each.
This furnace is where the ore that was taken from the pit was melted down.
The bloomery was where the “pig” iron, taken from the casting beds from the furnace, was remelted to prepare it to be pounded into ingots.

When you drive the historic trail at the park, you will find not only the open ore pit, but also evidence of the lives of the people who operated the iron works. It is a beautiful, quiet, and memorable drive.

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Meramec Spring Park is included in places to see along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail because the Cherokee people, taking the northern route of the trail, stopped here to rest and camp on their journey from the eastern United States to Indian Territory during the years 1838 and 1839. When you visit the museum, you will be able to see a very excellent film, produced by the National Park Service, on the Trail of Tears…how it happened, what it meant, and how we should learn from it to become a better nation going forward.

You can learn more about visiting the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail at its National Park website by clicking on the link. You can find help planning your visit to Meramec Spring Park by clicking its link. As you Find Your Park in this National Park Service anniversary year, I welcome you to visit our sites in Missouri, and I encourage you to visit other sites along the trail…to take some time to learn more about our national history by learning more about the Trail of Tears.

Cherokee Blueberry Honey Cake

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The Cherokee would have made this loaf cake with huckleberries they gathered in the southeastern United States, before their removal to Indian Country. Huckleberries and blueberries are members of the same family, and since we do not have huckleberries here in south-central Missouri, I used blueberries from my freezer, picked last summer just south of my home. Though I did add the extra tablespoon of flour to my batter, the blueberries still sunk to the bottom. But that was okay with me…this bread is very most and absolutely delicious. It is the perfect morning snack while reading, planning a new adventure, or just because I am hungry!

Cherokee Blueberry-Honey Cake *

  • 1/2 c. butter, softened
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. honey
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 1 1/2 c. plus 1 Tbsp. unbleached flour
  • 2 tsps. baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup blueberries or huckleberries, fresh or frozen

Cream together the butter, sugar and honey. Beat in the eggs and the milk. Sift the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt, and add it to the mixture, combining it completely.

Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour with the berries, and gently fold them into the batter. This is to help them stay suspended in the batter…as noted, it did not work in my cake. Perhaps you will have better luck!

Pour the batter into a 9×5 loaf pan and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

*This recipe is adapted from a favorite cookbook of mine that I purchased at the Native American Museum in Washington, D.C. It is entitled “Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking” by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs, and was published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang.

Finding Your Park In Your Own Backyard #8…Ozark National Scenic Riverways and Pretty Pinwheel Biscuits

21 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in Breads, Find Your Park, Food, Missouri, Photography, Travel

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Ozark National Scenic Riverways

There is no place like Missouri in the springtime, and in springtime Missouri, there is no place any more beautiful than Ozark National Scenic Riverways. So, that is where our next trip takes us as we travel to the special places in our home state that have been set aside to be protected and managed by the National Park Service.

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Deep into southern Missouri you will find a jewel of the Missouri Ozarks, the land where two crystal clear rivers, the Current and the Jacks Fork, flow to make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. This national park was established by Congress in 1964, and dedicated in 1971, becoming the first river system to be managed and protected by the National Park Service. The establishment of this riverways park would ensure that the two rivers would be allowed to remain in their natural state, and that they would never be dammed. And thank goodness, because they are beautiful, they are inviting, and they are invigorating…a day spent anywhere in the park will just plain put a smile on your face.

One of Missouri’s nicknames is the Cave State…for good reason. There are over 6,000 caves in the state (600 of which are in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways), and in many of these caves you will find underground rivers. The water from these underground rivers finds its way to the earth’s surface through springs, and it is from various springs that the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers get their water. This is a picture of water flowing from Big Spring into the riverways (more on this spring a little later)…

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A few weeks ago, Jim and I traveled to the Ozark Riverways to spend a beautiful spring day at the springs. We began our trip by visiting the park headquarters and the Visitor Center which sits atop a bluff overlooking the Current River in Van Buren, MO.

This bluff at the park headquarters overlooks the Current River.
There is a hiking trail behind the visitor center that runs along the top of the bluff as it follows the river.
We had a picnic lunch under these very tall shortleaf pines.

After visiting with the volunteers in the Visitor Center, we headed out on our day in the riverways. The volunteers were very helpful in suggesting some places to visit we might not have thought of. But, alas, this jewel in the Ozarks can not be taken in in one day, so we picked a few with promises to each other to return again…and again…

Our first stop took us to Big Spring, not too far south of the headquarters.

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Big Spring

Big Spring is Missouri’s largest spring. With an average daily flow of 286,000,000 gallons, it is one of the largest springs in the world. When you approach the spring, you are instantly taken in by its deep aquamarine color. If you would see this color on a television spot, or in a photograph, you would truly believe it was a touched-up rendition. When I first saw it, I thought it was caused by the depth of the spring. But what causes this intense aqua color is actually the minerals within the water.

We took some time to walk around the spring…

The water gushing from Big Spring as it rushes to feed into the Current River.
There is a trail that winds through the Big Spring Area, and at one point, goes behind the spring, and then leads up a rocky stairs to the trail atop a bluff.
The Big Spring Area is visited by a wide variety of animal life. I caught a picture of this swallowtail butterfly.

Big Spring has a visitor information center, a picnic area and a camping area. There are also cabins and a dining lodge, built by the CCC in the ’30’s which are presently closed for renovation.

Our next stop took us back north of Van Buren to Rocky Falls…

Rocky Falls

Rocky Falls

Most of the rock you will find in the Ozarks is sandstone and limestone, softer rocks which are dissolved over time by the action of water. But where you find Rocky Falls, the rock is rhyolite, which is harder and dissolves more slowly. So, this slower dissolving rock creates less space for Rocky Creek to flow, and you get this waterfall effect as it moves from one wider valley to the next. This area is called a “shut-in”. Regardless of how you explain it, it is a very pretty spot, especially in springtime, after a good rain.

While at the falls you can hear very few sounds other than the water falling over the rock, the wind rustling through the trees, and the birds in the area. It was very hard to leave this very quiet place. But…

We did move on to our next stop, Alley Spring, one of my favorite places in the state of Missouri.

Alley Spring

Alley Spring

We hiked around Alley Spring, which has an average daily flow of 81,000,000 gallons. It is a pleasant, easy trail, with many different views of the spring and the old mill, which is the focal point of the site.

The waters of Alley Spring rushing out to join the waters of the Jacks Fork River
On the trail, you will pass around and, sometimes, duck under large rock outcroppings.
And, in springtime, you will be rewarded with beautiful wildflowers, such as this Wake Robin Trillium…
this Spring Beauty…
some Bellwort…
and this Orange Puccoon

Alley Spring was once a thriving mill town. The mill you see today at Alley Spring was built in 1894 by George Washington McCaskill. It used steel rollers for grinding wheat and corn for the residents of the community. No other buildings from the original town are still on the national park grounds.

Several years ago, Jim and I visited the Story’s Creek School, which has been moved onto the Alley Spring grounds. It is a one room school house that was used into the 1950’s.

Story’s Creek School, which in 1903, had 42 students. Church services were also held in the school.
The interior of the school.

Our last stop on our trip to the Ozark Riverways was to Round Spring, which is just as the name suggests, round…and it is a very intense aqua blue. As with the other springs in the area, Round Spring maintains a water temperature between 55 and 58 degrees.

Round Spring

Round Spring

Near the spring is a wetland area where you might see birds, ducks, and other creatures who live in a wetland environment

Wood Ducks are prominent inhabitants of the wetland area.

Wood Ducks are prominent inhabitants of the wetland area.

We have come to the end of our visit to the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, and we have hardly begun to scratch the surface of the many things it has to offer. In addition to the sightseeing we did, there is canoeing, hiking, fishing, and camping available. The Current River is noted as being one of the best canoeing rivers in the country, and the Ozark Hiking Trail runs through the park. I do not think you can take in all the pleasures of this place unless you come and stay a while…we will be coming back again…and again…

You can learn more about this national park, and plan your own visit by visiting the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/ozar/.

Pretty Pinwheel Biscuits

While we were at the visitor center for the park, I picked up a cookbook entitled Secrets of the Great Old-Timey Cooks by Barbara Swell. It is full of recipes from years ago, the ones our grandmas and great-grandmas used to make. This recipe for fancy biscuits is adapted from this book. They are pretty, and when warm, they are absolutely delicious. I cannot wait to make some of them for my grandchildren when they come to visit.

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Pinwheel Biscuits

  • 2 c. flour
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 c. milk

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. With a pastry blender or a fork, combine the butter with the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk; then add to the combined mixture. You may have to add a little more milk to make a soft dough that can be rolled out.

Roll the dough into a rectangular shape about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch squares. Cut each square diagonally from each corner to not quite the center. Then fold every other corner toward the center, as in a pinwheel. Use your thumb to close the center, leaving a large indentation.

Bake on a greased pan at 450 degrees until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Keep and eye on them so they do not burn at the pinwheel tips.

When serving, put a dollop of jam, honey butter, preserves, or anything you can think of that would make these biscuits even better, in the center of each biscuit. Serve with coffer, tea, or milk.

Enjoy!

Finding Your Park In Your Own Backyard #7…Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, Clydesdale Horses, and White Haven Rice Pudding

30 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Find Your Park, Missouri, Photography, Sweet Treats, Travel, Uncategorized

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U S Grant National Historic Site

Continuing our quest to visit national parks in our home state of Missouri, we head back to the eastern side of the state and the city of St. Louis. It is time to visit the home of one of our Presidents, and take a peak at the world famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses.

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White Haven

Ulysses S. Grant began his life of public service when he entered West Point Military Academy. Upon graduation, Grant was assigned to Jefferson Barracks Military Post in Lemay, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi river just south of St. Louis.

He had been invited by his roommate, Frederick Dent, to visit his family home, White Haven Plantation, in St. Louis. And so it happened that on one of these visits he met, and soon fell in love with Julia Dent, Frederick’s sister. They were married on August 22, 1884.

Following their marriage, Grant was assigned to many different posts throughout the country, and Julia followed him to most of them. But after all the moves, and all the wars, Ulysses and Julia decided to settle down and raise their family at White Haven. They moved to Galena, Illinois for a period of time, but in 1869, they purchased White Haven from Julia’s family. It was the home they loved, the home with so many sweet memories, the home they wished to live in for the rest of their lives. But, once again, service to the country intervened, and the Grant’s would spend eight years in the White House. During those eight years, Grant managed the plantation through staff he hired to handle its day to day operation.

When you visit White Haven today, you will tour the house with a guide. As you move through the rooms, the guide will share information about the Grants and their life on the plantation. The tour was very interesting, the guide very engaging, but I did wish they had had more period furnishing to “fill” the space to better reflect what life in this house would have looked like.

The study where Grant would conduct his business affairs.
A friendly game of checkers is set up in one of the rooms.
And the color…You might have expected White Haven to be, well…white. But after careful research and much careful scraping, historians has determined that the Grants had the house painted Paris Green with a darker green trim in 1874. This was a typical Victorian color combination. Research also verifies the color with the discovery of ledger sheets verifying the sale of the paint from a local store.

Behind the main house is a kitchen house which was built at the request of a cherished servant of the family. It has a kitchen and a wash room.

The kitchen house sits just back of the main house.
The kitchen
The washroom.

And a little further back on the property you will find a chicken house and an ice house.

The chicken house, in the foreground, alongside the ice house.

The chicken house, in the foreground, alongside the ice house.

When you first arrive at White Haven, you will enter the Visitor Center where you will decide how to visit this interesting place in American history. You will probably want to begin by watching the excellent film on Grant’s life, as a soldier, a husband, a father, and a man with the strong belief that all men should be free.

You will then decide if you will next want to tour the grounds with your guide, or visit the outstanding museum dedicated to Grant’s life, which is housed in the horse stable. Either way is fine.

Learn more about White Haven, and plan your own visit by visiting the website at http://www.nps.gov/ulsg/index.htm

The Clydesdales

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Adjacent to the Grant historical site is Grant’s Farm. Grant’s Farm was originally owned by the Dent family, then the Grant family, and now it is the property of the Busch family, of Anheuser-Busch fame. It is an animal reserve and park. It also has stables for the world famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses. The fifty or so Clydesdales residing at the Grant’s Farm stables range in age from six months to some that are fifteen years and older, and are retired.

While visiting Grant’s Farm you can purchase tickets to tour the Clydesdale facility…or you can do what we often do, which is stop and see them in their pastures from the bike trail that runs along the edge of the park.

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Visiting the Clydesdales while biking the trail adjacent to the park.

Hardscrabble, a house Grant built for his family on the Dent property, is also located in Grant’s Farm, and can be viewed on a tram ride through the park.

You can learn more about planning a visit to see the Clydesdales and Grant’s Farm at their website, http://www.grantsfarm.com/.

Enjoy the journey!

White Haven Rice Pudding with Lemon Sauce

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One of Ulysses S. Grant’s favorite foods in all the world was rice pudding. I played with several recipes I found, and came up with a version my husband and I really enjoy. I hope you will, too!

Rice Pudding

  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 3 c. hot cooked rice
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 2 c. half and half
  • 2 c. milk
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 c. slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Put the hot rice into a large bowl. Stir the butter into the hot rice.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks slightly, then mix in the half and half, milk, sugar, lemon peel, vanilla, and salt. Add this mixture to the rice and stir together thoroughly.

Beat the egg whites until they are stiff. Fold the stiff egg whites into the rice mixture. Top with the slivered almonds.

Pour mixture into a buttered, shallow 2 quart baking dish. Place the baking dish into a pan of hot water. Bake for one hour or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. This will make eight warm and delicious servings.

Lemon Sauce

  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1 c. boiling water
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
  • 3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in the boiling water.

Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the remainder of the ingredients. Serve over the rice pudding.

And yes, wild violets are edible, and they are delicious. I picked these from our back yard. It makes the dish look so pretty, even if you don’t want to eat them…my husband doesn’t like them much, and so just leaves them.

 

Finding Your Park In Your Own Backyard #6…The National Frontier Trails Museum and Colcannon On the Trail

23 Tuesday Feb 2016

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  • Adventure 1-The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
  • Destination 6- The National Frontier Trails Museum

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As we come to the end of our first adventure in our quest to visit all the National Park Service sites in our home state of Missouri, Jim and I find ourselves in Independence, a suburb of Kansas City. We have come to visit the National Frontier Trails Museum. The museum tells the story of the major overland trails that left Independence on long, hard, sometimes tragic, journeys to the West.

As you enter the museum, you will see displays dedicated to the journey west of Lewis and Clark, and how the Corps of Discovery sparked the imagination and industry of a new nation eager to spread its influence across a continent.

Artifacts of the Corps of Discovery displayed at the National Frontier Trails Museum.

Artifacts of the Corps of Discovery displayed at the National Frontier Trails Museum.

During the middle of the nineteenth century, thousands of people left their homes in the eastern half of the United States and, along with many newly arrived immigrants, undertook a long and hard journey to set up new homes and new ventures in the great American West. Never before, and perhaps never since, had so many people traveled such distances to start new lives in new places. And almost all of them went through Independence, Missouri, the “Queen City of the Trails”.

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The city of Independence, founded in 1827, was the farthest point west in the United States along the Missouri River. It was here that steamboats and fur traders could unload their goods in the United States, and pick up supplies for their next trip west. Independence was where fur trappers could unload their valuable beaver pelts, used to create beaver hats, so much in demand in the United States and Europe.

Eventually, Independence became the “jumping off” point, and a supply post for three major trails to the West.

The Santa Fe Trail began operation in 1821. It served as an overland route on which supplies could be transported to business establishments, trappers, and government forts in the West, and products could be shipped back to market in the eastern United States. It also carried migrants out to new homes where they would open businesses to serve the trappers, the soldiers, and other adventurers, and where they would set up their own ranches and farms. The Santa Fe Trail was important to the expansion of the United States until the development of the railroad, which was able to ship goods, and carry people, in far less time and in far more comfort.

The Oregon Trail began carrying large groups of migrants west in 1843. It was the trail that 43,000 Mormons used to migrate to Utah, and at a “fork in the road”, you could transfer to the California Trail that led 2000 miles out to its terminus in Sacramento. You can still stand at the spot where so many people left to start their lives all over again in a new, and they hoped, more prosperous place.

The Jackson County Courthouse in Independence was built in 1837, and would have been seen by the migrants as they started their journey on the Oregon trail from the city.
Looking south on Liberty St., you can use your imagination to see the hundreds of wagons that traveled along this road.
This is a monument on the courthouse grounds that commemorate the many people who left Independence, MO on their arduous trip west to Oregon and to California.
Across from the museum, you can see swales left by the wagon wheels as they moved out on their long journey.

But, as already mentioned, these trips were long and hard. When you tour the National Frontier Trails Museum, you will see exhibits set up to help you see the trails from the point of view of the migrants. All through the displays, you will find quotes from different travelers, some heart-warming, some heart-wrenching. It was from Independence that the Donner Party left on its fateful journey in 1836. It is estimated that one in ten migrants died along the way. But many made it: gold prospectors, trappers, farmers and ranchers, along with their families, who began to fill the wide open spaces of the American West.

A wagon set up to depict the long trip on the Oregon Trail. How important it must have been for a child to have that one doll to remind her that while life was changing, some things would never change.
Filling the wagon was hard…you could just not take everything you wanted, but you always had to be aware of all those things you needed.
And no matter how hard you tried to pack sparingly, sometimes you had to throw things out. This display shows items that littered the trails and were picked up by other travelers, or left for future generations to find scattered across the desert.

You can learn more about the National Frontier Trails Museum, and plan your own trip, by going to its website at http://www.ci.independence.mo.us/nftm.

While in Independence, you can also take a tour in a covered wagon to learn more about the history of Independence and its importance to the western frontier trails.

Combination tickets can be purchased at the museum that allow you to take a covered wagon ride through historic Independence, MO.

Combination tickets can be purchased at the museum that allow you to take a covered wagon ride through historic Independence, MO.

This is a “journey” worth taking, a chance to see and feel some of the spirit that built this country across a very wide continent. I hope you will take the opportunity to experience it with your own family.

Colcannon On the Trail

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Many of the migrants who traveled on the western frontier trails were immigrants from other countries. They brought with them the traditions of their homelands. Some of those traditions were the recipes with which they had grown up. My own children each have a cookbook I made for them with the foods they had as we grew up together in our big. and old house here in south central Missouri.

One of the foods brought to the trail was Colcannon, something I make every year for our family St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Colcannon is also the one and only way I can get my husband to eat cabbage! This recipe for the traditional Irish potato and cabbage dish is one I found in a wonderful cookbook I bought in the gift shop of the museum. It is entitled Frontier Fare: Recipes and Lore from the Old West. It is not only full of great recipes, but the author, Sherry Monahan, shares stories and information about the culture and history of the foods eaten in the Wild West, and along the trails.

Travelers on the western trails did not always have the exact ingredients called for in the recipes they brought with them from their native lands. They often had to make due with the provisions they brought with them, in addition to any ingredients they could find along the way. And so it is in my kitchen…so I made a few changes, tried a few things, and ended up with some of the best Colcannon we have ever eaten.

Colcannon

  • 3 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 lb. cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup leek, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped fine
  • 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 milk

Melt the butter in a pan and cook the cabbage, leek, and garlic until golden, about 15 minutes. In another pan, cook the potatoes until tender.

Drain the potatoes and mash them with the 1/4 c. of heavy cream, and as much of the milk as is needed to make a rough puree.

Fold in the cabbage, and top with a nice, big pat of butter. Colcannon is absolutely the best side dish to have with your St. Patrick’s Day corned beef. Enjoy!

Finding Your Park In Your Own Backyard #5….Arrow Rock National Historic Landmark and “Sticky” Chicken

15 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Find Your Park, Food, Missouri, Photography, Poultry Dishes, Travel, Uncategorized

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  • Adventure 1-The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
  • Destination 5-Arrow Rock National Historic Landmark

As we enter the National Parks Anniversary year of 2016, we head out to our next stop on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail…part of our plan to visit every national park site in our home state of Missouri. Our destination is Arrow Rock National Historic Landmark.

As Lewis and Clark traveled through present day Saline County in June of 1804, on the Missouri River in what would become the state of Missouri, they noted that the area had many salt springs. In 1805, Nathan and Daniel Boone, sons of the famous frontiersman, Daniel Boone, set up salt production at these springs. The briny water from the springs was put into large iron boiling pots, and boiled in stone furnaces until the water evaporated, leaving salt crystals. The Boone brothers shipped this salt to St. Louis where it was needed for food preservation and for tanning leather.

This iron pot was used by the salt works at Boone's Lick. You can see it, learn more about the Boone brothers salt operation by visiting Boone's Lick State Historic Site.

This iron pot was used by the salt works at Boone’s Lick. You can see it, and learn more about the Boone brothers salt operation by visiting Boone’s Lick State Historic Site.

At the same time, the area saw many settlers arriving from the Upper South, the states of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. As more people arrived, and settled permanently in the area, it became known as “Little Dixie”.

The path used by the brothers as they moved their salt east, and by the settlers traveling west from the Upper South became known as the Boone’s Lick Trail. As time went by, more and more settlers, moving further and further west, used the Boone’s Lick Trail after it joined the Santa Fe Trail from where it began in Old Franklin, MO. Settlers also used the Boone’s Lick Trail as they traveled from St. Louis to join other trails to the most western lands of the United States.

Arrow Rock National Historic Landmark

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Along the Boone’s Lick Trail, you will find the small town of Arrow Rock. Many years ago, before it was a town, the Missouria and Osage Indians used the flint from the cliff at Arrow Rock to make their arrow points, and it became known as Pierre a Fleche, the Rock of Arrows. When Lewis and Clark passed by the Rock of Arrows in 1804, they not only noticed the salt springs. They were also stuck with the suitability of the site as a western American settlement or a military fort.

William Clark passed by the Rock of Arrows again in 1808, as he traveled down the Missouri River to establish Fort Osage (Destination #4). George Sibley, the factor at Fort Osage, came and built a new trading post at Arrow Rock when he had to abandon Fort Osage during the War of 1812.

A ferry began to take travelers across the Missouri River in 1817, and in the 1820’s. Arrow Rock became the place where travelers on the Santa Fe Trail crossed the river. Before leaving, the settlers would fill their barrels with fresh, sweet water from the Big Spring on the edge of the settlement.

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Today, there is a small park at the Big Spring.

In 1829, the town of Arrow Rock was founded, the newest port on the river. Its population rose to as many as 1,000 people as more and more people from the Upper South settled in the area, establishing farms and plantations where they raised hemp and tobacco. They brought their slaves with them to Missouri to work in their fields. When the Civil War broke out, the majority of these “Little Dixie” residents, dependent on their slave labor, sided with the South.

Following the war, this once vibrant river town began to decline as the railroads took much of the business that had kept the riverboats along the Missouri River busy for so many years. The town suffered devastating fires in 1864, 1872, and 1901. People left Arrow Rock, looking for work in other parts of the state, in other parts of the country, and Arrow Rock fell upon very hard times.

In order to preserve this piece of Missouri and American heritage, Arrow Rock became Missouri’s first historic site in 1923. In 1963, it was named a National Historic Landmark. Today this small town receives over 100,000 visitors each year who come to enjoy the many activities it offers to the twenty-first century traveler.

George Caleb Bingham, the famous Missouri artist, had his home and studio in Arrow Rock. It is one of the popular places to visit in town. Another popular attraction is the Dr. Sappington Museum. Dr. Sappington developed quinine pills, used to treat malarial fever.

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The Dr. Sappington Museum in Arrow Rock.

One of the most popular stops in town is the J. Huston Tavern. This two-story brick building was built in 1834, and served as a hotel and restaurant for many years. It is, in fact, the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi River…and serves really good fried chicken. It is operated by the Missouri Division of State Parks.

The J. Huston Tavern has been serving delicious food longer than any other restaurant west of the Mississippi River. When the Civil War ended, plantation slaves moved into town to find work. They became the dock workers, the warehouse hands, and the construction workers in Arrow Rock. They built the stone gutters that ran along Main Street, and are still there, and functioning today.

The J. Huston Tavern has been serving delicious food longer than any other restaurant west of the Mississippi River.
When the Civil War ended, plantation slaves moved into town to find work. They became the dock workers, the warehouse hands, and the construction workers in Arrow Rock. They built the stone gutters, seen here in front of the tavern, that run along Main Street yet today.

The reconstructed courthouse
…and if you did not fare well at the courthouse, you might get to spend some time in this one cell stone jail.

Arrow Rock served as the county seat of Saline County from 1839 to 1840. You can visit a reconstructed courthouse from the era and learn about how justice was served at that time.

But my favorite place to visit in Arrow Rock is the Lyceum Theater, Missouri’s oldest repertory theater. It has been staging Broadway caliber plays since 1960 in an old Baptist Church building. The play season is from June through September, and people travel from all over the state to see a quality performance on a summer evening, eat a great meal, and maybe even stay the night in one of the bed and breakfast inns in the area.

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The Lyceum Theater

Arrow Rock National Historic Landmark is a gem tucked away along the Lewis and Clark Trail. There are hiking trails in the area, as well as a campground. It is truly worth a visit. You can plan you visit to Arrow Rock by visiting its website.

“Sticky” Chicken

I mentioned earlier that the J. Huston Tavern makes a delicious fried chicken dinner. Unfortunately, the last time we visited, the tavern was closed for the season. We stopped on our way at an historic inn that touted its own fried chicken. It was absolutely wonderful, and reminded me so much of the chicken my mom taught me to make. It is the chicken our children grew up on, and it is the chicken our youngest daughter named “Sticky” Chicken…the name has “stuck” ever since.

So I decided to share my recipe for our favorite family chicken…

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  • 3 1/2-4 lb. cut-up chicken
  • 3/4 c. flour
  • 1 T. salt
  • 1/4 t. pepper
  • 1/3 to 1/2 c. lard or vegetable shortening
  • 3 T. flour
  • chicken broth

Combine the 3/4 c. of flour, the salt, and the pepper in a gallon sized plastic bag.

Heat the 1/3 cup of lard or shortening over med-hi heat in a cast iron skillet. Shake the chicken pieces in the bag of flour to coat them completely, and brown them a few at a time in the skillet, until they are golden brown on both sides…about 6 to 8 minutes per side. As you brown the chicken, it may be necessary to add a little more lard.

Place the cover on the pan a bit off center, and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove the cover, and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the chicken registers 165 degrees at its thickest point.

To make the best gravy ever…

Remove the chicken to a plate and keep it warm. Gradually add the 3 T. of flour to the chicken drippings in the skillet over med-hi heat, stirring for about 2 minutes. Gradually add the chicken broth and cook until the gravy is the thickness you prefer…I use about 3 soup ladles full of broth.

Note…Nothing makes this chicken taste as good as it tastes when cooked in a cast iron skillet.

Enjoy!

Finding Your Park In Your Own Backyard #4…Fort Osage and Chocolate Spice Cake

03 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by in Cake, Find Your Park, Food, Missouri, Photography, Travel

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  • Adventure 1-The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
  • Destination 4-Fort Osage National Historic Landmark

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Fort Osage National Historic Landmark

As we continue on our journey to all the National Park sites in our state of Missouri, our next stop is Fort Osage National Historic Landmark, a reconstructed fort which sits on a bluff above the Missouri River in Sibley, Missouri.

Following the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the United States government wanted to set up a system in which they would interact commercially with the Native Americans encountered by the Corps of Discovery on their long journey west. France and Britain were already involved in trading relations with the natives, as were the various tribes with each other.

At the same time, the United States needed more land for its ever-westward moving population, land that had, for centuries, been inhabited by native peoples. The best way to accomplish this would be to “civilize” the natives…teach them to live as an agricultural society on smaller spaces, dependent on trade and government protection. To these ends, the US government built Fort Osage, and William Clark signed the Osage Treaty of 1808 with the Native American people living in the area governed by the fort. Under the terms of the treaty, the Osage ceded land to the United States, while the government promised to protect the Osage people.

First, let’s take a look at the trading site. The “Factory” was a store, so to speak, where trade with the Osage would be conducted. Furs were the item the Native Americans provided in exchange for such things as blankets, guns, tools, and cookware provided by the Americans. As time went on, the Osage were encouraged to start small business ventures, such as candle-making. The candles would be traded to the factory. The factor, or “storekeeper” would then sell the candles to other retail businesses in the United States. Business with the Osage was conducted by the barter system. All the furs and other items brought in by the Osage were traded for things they wanted. No real money was ever given to the Osage in exchange for any items.

The Factory, the “store”, was built inside the main gate of Fort Osage. The factory opened on October 1, 1808. The factor at Fort Osage was George Sibley.
A view inside the Factory “salesroom”
Inside the Factory storeroom.
A view inside the living quarters of the factor, the “storekeeper”.
The dining area for the factor, his family, and guests.
The kitchen inside the Factory living quarters.

Now let’s take a look at the military fort. The purpose of the military fort at Fort Osage was to protect a portion of the Louisiana Purchase that sat in the Missouri River Valley, provide protection for the Osage if they needed it, give protection to the United States Factory Trade House within its gate, and to provide a safe place for travelers and settlers to stop, get needed supplies, and rest on their way west. Its commander was Captain Eli B. Clemson.

The fort had a commanding view of the Missouri River from this bluff.
Fort Osage flew a 16 foot by 24 foot US flag with 15 stripes and 15 stars from a flag pole that was 90 feet tall. One ship captain, upon arriving at the fort, said he could see that flag from six miles downstream.
The Officer’s Quarters at Fort Osage.
A look at the Missouri River out a porthole in one of the blockhouses.
Loopholes in the blockhouse… At times the smoke in the blockhouse, from the firing of muskets, would be so thick the soldiers would have to “look for the loophole”…and now you know!

Fort Osage was in operation from 1808 until it was closed in 1811 in the wake of the War of 1812. It was reopened following the war with George Sibley returning as factor. But by 1822, private traders wanted to conduct all the business with the Native Americans. These private businessmen lobbied Congress to end the Factory System and government competition. This, and the fact that settlers were moving the frontier farther and farther west all the time, resulted in the permanent closure of Fort Osage in 1827.

Fort Osage National Historic Landmark is owned and operated by Jackson County Parks + Rec. It is staffed by site interpreters and volunteers dressed in period clothes who possess enormous knowledge about the site and its history. When we visited, on a late autumn weekday, we did not run into too many other visitors. That was great for us, because the “factor” spent over an hour with us, answering every question we had, offering answers to questions we could not even think of, and providing anecdotes about the fort and the people who once lived there.

The fort is open Tuesdays through Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., year round. You can learn about the fort and plan your own visit to the fort by visiting its website at http://www.jacksongov.org/fortosage/.

Have fun finding our National Parks…in and out of your own backyard!

Chocolate Spice Cake

This delicious chocolate cake, with a kick of cinnamon, is great with a fresh cup of coffee. While the original recipe calls for the cake to be topped with a creamy white icing, we love it with a very generous dollop of whipped cream. I can honestly say that our two favorite cakes come from old recipes in heritage cookbooks, and this is one of them.

I have adapted the recipe from “An Army Wife’s Cookbook”, compiled and edited by Mary L. Williams, and published by Fort Davis National Historic Site, a part of the Southwest Parks and Monuments Association.

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  • 1/2 c. softened butter
  • 1/4 c. dry cocoa
  • 3 beaten egg yolks
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. cloves
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1 c. flour
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 3 egg whites mixed with 1/2 c. cold water

Cream the butter, then thoroughly mix in the cocoa. Add the beaten egg yolks.

Mix the cinnamon and cloves with the sugar and add to the batter. Beat well.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the egg white and water mixture.

Bake in a 9-inch square pan at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Finding Your Park In Your Own Backyard #3…The Katy Trail and an Apple Snack

31 Saturday Oct 2015

Posted by in Find Your Park, Missouri, Photography, Snacks, Travel

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  • Adventure 1-The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
  • Destination 3-The Katy Trail

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In 2000, Jim and I bought bicycles…they rank as one of our best, and favorite, gifts to each other ever. We have taken those bikes across country to so many places, and biked so many trails. But our favorite remains the Katy Trail, which runs for 240 miles across our own state of Missouri. (Full disclosure…this picture was taken fifteen years ago. We are now fifteen years older, not quite so thin, but still enjoying the trail.)

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The Katy Trail is a rails-to-trails biking and hiking path that begins in Clinton, MO on the western side of the state, and runs to Machens, MO on the eastern side. It runs along what was once the rail corridor for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, commonly known as the Katy. When the railroad decided to abandon the route, the state, over some time, was able to obtain it in bits and pieces, eventually turning it into a first rate biking and hiking trail. The trail was named Katy Trail State Park, and has been a busy recreational destination for many people ever since. The section of the trail between St. Charles and Boonville has been designated a part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

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When you travel on the Katy Trail, you will have an opportunity to see many of the features that make Missouri such a beautiful place in the middle of the country. Most of the trail hugs the Missouri River, and those are my favorite places to ride.

The Katy Trail follows the Missouri River for most of its length.

The Katy Trail follows the Missouri River for most of its length.

There are twenty-five trail-heads along the trail. At each of these you will find parking spaces, kiosks with maps of the trail and explanations for interesting sites to be seen along that particular section of the trail. Many of the trail-heads are in or near cities.

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The trail stretches through various landforms within Missouri. In addition to the river, you will see forests, wetlands, prairies, pastureland, and open farmland. Wildlife is abundant in these areas. If you are lucky, you may even see an eagle soar above you, or sitting in a tree. Or, as we did, you might see a cute little skunk run across the trail right if front of you. We stopped, were very still…he went on his way, then we continued on ours!

If you ride or hike the trail in different seasons, you will see an ever-changing, always beautiful landscape.

Farmland is a part of much of the trail..
Limestone cliffs border the trail along much of its length.
Spring is beautiful on the Katy Trail…
…as is autumn.

There are many historic towns along the trail, and stopping at them will give you an opportunity to explore some of the history of our state. You will travel through the “Missouri Rhineland”, home to early German settlers,  through Missouri’s wine country with its many outstanding wineries, cities that were founded before the Civil War, and areas visited by Lewis and Clark as they made their way up the Missouri River. If you are hungry, there are great places to eat. If you are on a long biking or hiking outing, and you are tired, some of the best Bed and Breakfast establishments can be found in the towns and cities along the trail.

One of our favorite places to eat when we bicycle is the Augusta Brewery which sits on the trail. Augusta is in the wine country, and also has several great wineries.

One of our favorite places to eat when we bicycle is the Augusta Brewery which sits on the trail. Augusta is in the wine country, and also has several great wineries.

All along the trail you will find relics of days gone by, when early farmers began settling the area, when the railroad was a fixture on the route, and many more.

This old building, not too far from Augusta, was used by the railroad as a “filling station” for water and coal.
Along the trail, just outside Rocheport, you can see an old emblem identifying the MKT Railroad.
This tunnel, in Rocheport, is such a welcome place on a hot summer day in Missouri. I don’t care how hot it gets, and Missouri can get very warm, it is always cool in the tunnel.
This cave, near Rocheport, served as storage for explosives that were used by the railroad.

Once again, as you venture out, finding your park in this National Park celebration year…come to Missouri, we have a lot to show you. If you live here, come find your park in your own backyard!

Dried Apples

We love to pick apples in late summer and early autumn here in Missouri. We always pick more than we can eat, and more than we want to make into applesauce. I like to dry some of the apples for healthy snacks. When I take these dried apples on a biking or hiking jaunt, I usually cut them up, and mix them with other healthy items I have on hand, such as nuts, pumpkin seeds, or coconut.

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To make dried apple slices:

  • 4 cups water
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 2 large apples

Cut the apples crosswise into 3/8″ slices. I do this with my mandolin, but a knife works just as well. Mix the lemon juice and water. Place the slices into the water mixture for 30 minutes to help prevent browning. When ready to dry the apples, pat off the water as well as you can with a towel

The apples can be dried in a commercial dehydrator or in the oven.

If you are using a dehydrator, set the temperature to 135 degrees, and dry for 4 to 8 hours. The time will depend on the water content of the apples, as well as the humidity in the room. The apples are done when they feel like raisins and have no visible liquid. They will keep for a while in a plastic bag, but if you want to preserve them longer, put them in the freezer.

To dry the apple slices in the oven, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the apples on parchment lined baking sheets in a single layer. Bake in the oven on the upper and lower racks for 1 hour. Remove the apples slices, turn them, and return to the oven for 1 to 2 more hours, depending on your preference for soft or crispy apple slices. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the apples stay in the oven 1 to 2 hours more.

Enjoy!

Finding Your Park In Your Own Backyard #2…and Provision Pork Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings

02 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by in Find Your Park, Missouri, Photography, Pork Dishes, Travel

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  • Adventure 1-The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail              
  • Destination 2-Lewis & Clark Boat House and Nature Center

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Our next stop at sites along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail takes us to St. Charles, Missouri. St. Charles is the oldest city on the Missouri River, having been founded in 1769 by Louis Blanchette, a French-Canadian fur trader. When he founded the city, he called it “Les Petites Cotes”, “The Little Hills”.

It was from St. Charles, that a group of men called the Corps of Discovery, departed on May 21, 1804, on the epic journey we call the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The purpose of their journey was to explore the western continent newly acquired by the United States. In the words of President Thomas Jefferson to Meriwether Lewis:

The object of your mission is to explore the Missouri river, & such principal stream of it, as, by it’s course and communication with the waters of the Pacific ocean…may offer the most direct & practicable water communication across this continent for the purpose of commerce.

Today, St. Charles is a vibrant city that has managed to retain much of its history and tradition. Main Street is still laid with bricks, and all manner of shops and restaurants line both sides of the street for its entire length. Frontier Park is on the banks of the Missouri River in St. Charles, and is a gathering place for festivals, picnics, and leisurely walks. Sunrise on the Missouri at Frontier Park can be a beautiful site.

Main Street in St. Charles
A statue stands as a tribute to the Corps of Discovery, and to Lewis and Clark, in Frontier Park.
St. Charles is in St. Charles County, the first place in Missouri to see the sun rise each morning.

But… back to the Boat House! The first thing you will notice as you approach the building is the large first floor space enclosed in iron bars. This is where the reconstructed boats of the Expedition are kept: the keel boat and two pirogues. The keel boat is 55 feet long and has a carrying capacity of twelve to fourteen tons. The boats at the Boat House are the boats you will see in an upcoming mini-series about the Lewis and Clark Expedition being filmed by HBO.

The reconstructed keel boat and the two pirogues are stored on the ground level of the Boat House when not in use on the river.
In 2006, my husband and I took our classes to Frontier Park to see the “corps” of new explorers as they returned from recreating the famous journey of the Corps of Discovery.

From viewing the boats, you will climb the stairs to the museum and the museum store. Inside the museum are displays relating to the Corps of Discovery and the city of St. Charles.

The museum is full of interesting information about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, as well as information about early St. Charles and the Missouri River.

A half scale model of St. Borromeo Church reminds us of the original parish church built in Les Petites Cotes and dedicated in 1791.
When you walk through the doors of the parish model, you enter a room in which to view films, see demonstrations, and hold educational activities…a truly magical place.
Today, St. Borromeo is a thriving parish with a school which serves many children in the city of St. Charles.

As you enter the museum, you can pick up a guide full of questions. As you tour the museum looking for the answers to the questions…I call it an information scavenger hunt…you will learn about the Corps of Discovery through interactive activities, models, murals, displays and dioramas.

These half models of buildings in St. Charles introduce visitors to life in the city as it developed.
You will find this bull boat in the museum, along with displays on weather, the river, and geology.
One of my students’ favorite displays was the nature display. The display, consisting of a beaver pond, a bubbling spring, a prairie, and a hillside cutaway, helps visitors learn about the plants and animals that were encountered by the Corps.

And, of course, there is a museum store. The Trading Post at The Boat House is full of many items pertaining to the Lewis and Clark Expedition to tempt both children and adults. I almost never get out of there without something, especially if I spend any time at all in the book section.

As we left the museum and the boats behind, we took a little time to walk through the garden in front of the building. The gardens highlight those plants that grow and thrive in a flood plain. A sign in the garden explains that many of the plants have roots that go six to ten feet down into the soil, and that many of the plants have survived three floods and a drought. You will also see an old canoe hollowed out from one large tree trunk. One of my favorite things outside the museum are the numerous pieces of driftwood. The Missouri River carries a lot of sediment as it flows through the western American continent to join the Mississippi River not far from St. Charles. The pieces of wood which come down with this sediment are broken down and smoothed to form, what I think are, pieces of art made by nature itself.

The garden on the riverbank with tall, fast growing plants.
A cup sunflower in the riverside garden.
An old canoe hollowed out of the trunk of a single tree.
I love the driftwood…
all the driftwood everywhere along the riverbank.

So, as you venture out this year to “Find Your Park”, maybe you will consider the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail, and The Boat House and Nature Center in St. Charles, MO, which lays along this national treasure. You can learn more about The Lewis and Clark Boat House and Nature Center on their website at http://www.lewisandclarkcenter.org/

*Provision Pork Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings

When the Corps of Discovery left on their epic journey, they carried with them 3,705 pounds of pork, more than any other commodity. It was their go-to item on those days when the men sent out to hunt dinner came back empty-handed. This stew may have been a second choice, but it is really good. My husband and I eat it often as a “first choice”.

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Pork Stew

  • 2 lbs. pork butt, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1/4 c. stone-ground cornmeal
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 onion, peeled and cut into eighths
  • 4 cups beef broth

Place the pork in a plastic bag with the cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Shake the bag until all the pork is covered in the cornmeal mixture.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven at medium-high heat. Lightly brown the pork on all sides. Add the onions and cook until they soften, stirring often. This will take between 8 and 10 minutes, and you may need to reduce the heat a bit to keep the onions from burning.

Add the beef broth and simmer over medium-low heat for about an hour.

This stew tastes best if you refrigerate it overnight. When it is dinner time, just skim the fat from the top and heat for at least 20 minutes, stirring often. Do not allow the bottom to burn. While the stew is heating, prepare the dumplings.

Cornmeal Dumplings

  • 1 c. flour
  • 1/4 c. stone-ground yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. melted butter

Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Stir in 1/3 cup of water and the melted butter, just until moistened.

Gently drop spoonfuls of dough on top of the stew  as it simmers over medium-high heat…I do this with my fingers. Cover tightly, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 10 minutes…DO NOT LIFT THE LID. Serve immediately.  Serves 4-6

Enjoy!

*This recipe was adapted from The Food Journal of Lewis & Clark: Recipes for an Expedition, by Mary Gunderson. It was published in 2003 by History Cooks in Yankton, SD.

Finding Your Park In Your Own Backyard #1…and Toasted Ravioli

31 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by in Appetizers, Find Your Park, Food, Missouri, Photography

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On August 25, 2016, the National Park Service will celebrate its 100th birthday and is encouraging all of us to get out and find our parks. But before we start…a little background…

  • On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill into law which established Yellowstone as our first national park.
  • President Theodore Roosevelt, often referred to as our most conservation-minded president, established five national parks. He established eighteen national monuments, including the Grand Canyon, set aside fifty-one bird sanctuaries, four national game refuges, and 100 million acres of national forest land.
  • On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill into law which established the National Park Service. The purpose of the NPS was, and still remains…”to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations”.

So, as we all make our plans to “find your park”, it has occurred to me that while yearning to visit the most popular national parks in the country, such as Yellowstone and Yosemite, we fail to realize that each of us has National Park Service sites in our own backyards. Sometimes we fail to notice them, or think we can take them in any time. Many of us do not have the vacation time, or we are not at that place in our lives when we can journey from the eastern side of the country to the far west. But we all have weekends, and most of us have holidays off.

It is Jim’s and my goal to visit each of the NPS sites in Missouri during this celebration year, August, 2015 through August, 2016. I will be writing about our adventures on this blog throughout this celebration year, and I hope you will follow along as we discover our parks, in our own backyard.

Adventure 1, Destination 1…The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail-The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

We are beginning our National Park Service adventures with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail as it travels through our state of Missouri, with all its interesting sites. Our first stop was the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, or as we call it, the Gateway Arch, or simply, the Arch.

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Long before Lewis and Clark began their historic journey from St. Louis on May 21, 1804, the city had been a hub of commerce and travel for a very long time. The city was founded by the French in 1764 as a fur trading post. For years trappers gathered in St. Louis with furs they had collected in the West. The furs were sold in St. Louis, then shipped via the Mississippi River, down to and out from New Orleans to all points east. The Mississippi River would be an important link in the growth, the security, and the development of the United States, and the city of St. Louis sat on its banks, midway up a continent.

After Lewis and Clark, the West was opened to settlement, and St. Louis became an important starting point. It was a place where pioneers could gather supplies before starting their journey from places like Independence and Westport in western Missouri. It was a supply depot for the western military posts and a starting point for Southwestern, as well as Western explorers. It was…the Gateway to the West!

The buildings of the original city are no longer in existence; they have long been covered over by highways, office buildings, and stadiums. It is sad we do not have those original sites to visit. St. Louis, however, continues to be a vibrant city for both commerce and travel. I-70, a major interstate highway that travels through the city, still takes visitors from east of the Mississippi, “out west”.

I love St. Louis, and I love going to the top of the Arch to look out over our “Gateway” city.

The city of St. Louis seen from 630 feet above, from the windows at the top of the Gateway Arch.
One of my favorite places, Busch Stadium, home of my beloved Cardinals, as seen from the Arch.
Looking from the top of the Arch into Illinois, the East, as we like to think of everything on the other side of the Mississippi River.

Also a part of the Jefferson National Memorial Expansion Memorial, is the Old Courthouse.

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The Old Courthouse was completed in 1862, when its dome was finally put into place. But since 1845, when it was opened, it had served as a gathering place for citizens and visitors alike to meet and discuss current events.

The Old Courthouse was also the place where Dred Scott first sued for his family’s freedom in 1846.

A statue of Dred Scott and his wife. Harriet, stands on the Courthouse grounds.
The Dred Scott case would have been argued in a courtroom like the one pictured here. It has been set up to look like a courtroom of that era.

Dred Scott was the slave of a surgeon named Dr. John Emerson. The doctor was a military surgeon, and took Scott with him as he served at military forts in the free states of Illinois and Wisconsin. After Dr. Emerson’s death, Scott and his family were returned to Missouri, a slave state, where the doctor’s wife still lived, and still owned Dred Scott. A hearing on the matter was held in the Courthouse in 1847, followed by a trial in 1850. The jury, made up of citizens of St. Louis, determined that because the Scott family had lived for a substantial amount of time in the free states of Illinois and Wisconsin, they were entitled to their freedom.

The case eventually went to the United States Supreme Court, where the decision of the Missouri court was overturned, and Dred Scott and his family were returned as slaves to Mrs. Emerson. This decision did much to fuel the flames of discontent over the issue of slavery, eventually leading to our Civil War.

The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is a national park where we can experience some examples of the best of America’s spirit, determination, and growth. It is also a place where we can reflect on some of our darkest moments. Hopefully, we can learn from both.

You can find out more about the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, the Old Courthouse, the Gateway Arch, and a journey to the top  of the Arch, by visiting its national park website.

So…maybe, just maybe, someday, after you have found and visited “your park”, you might find a time you can visit one of my parks, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, MO…the Gateway to the West.

Toasted Ravioli, St. Louis Style

If ever you are in St. Louis, you will discover that its signature dish is Toasted Ravioli. Here is an easy way to enjoy it, no matter where you live.

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  • 1 egg mixed with 2 Tbsp. milk in a small bowl
  • 3/4 c. breadcrumbs (I add 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning to the breadcrumbs and a little salt)
  • 1/2  of a 25 ounce pkg. of cheese ravioli, frozen or defrosted
  • vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
  • bottled marinara sauce

Warm the marinara and keep warm while you prepare the toasted ravioli.

Heat the oil in a heavy (I use my cast iron pan) frying pan over medium heat. It is hot enough when a few crumbs dropped into the oil sizzle.

Dip the ravioli into the egg mixture, then into a small bowl containing the crumbs and seasonings, Drop ravioli a few at a time into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown…this will take a little longer if you work with frozen ravioli. Let the ravioli drain on a rack covered with paper towel.

Sprinkle the ravioli with the Parmesan cheese. Serve with the warm marinara sauce. Enjoy! Making it yourself with this simple recipe tastes so much better than any frozen toasted ravioli you will find in the frozen food section of your supermarket.

This recipe is slightly adapted from a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com.

Beneath My Feet…In the Footsteps of Lewis and Clark

07 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by in Missouri, Photography, Weekly Photo Challenge

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In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Beneath Your Feet.”

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The confluence of the Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers…beneath my feet!

I have been interested in the Lewis and Clark Expedition since reading the novel, Sacajawea, by Anna Lee Waldo, many years ago. Over the years I have collected more books than my husband thinks I need on the subject, more memorabilia than even I think I need, taken family on Lewis and Clark trips, even taken first and second grade students on field trips to Lewis and Clark sites. And I have loved it all.

We have traveled to the headwaters of the Missouri River in Montana, but the one thing I really wanted to do was to stand with the confluence of these two mighty rivers “beneath my feet”. Last year I finally got to do just that.

I understand that the rivers no longer have the rushing, convulsive quality they had in 1804 …the Army Corps of Engineers took care of that. I understand that the confluence has moved over time, as the result of floods and dry seasons. But I was close…and I was satisfied. I know it seems crazy, but that was one of the most exciting days of my life!