The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1469990
THREE INGREDIENT THREE INGREDIENT PEANUT PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES BUTTER COOKIES MY SO CALLED MILLENNIAL LIFE YOUTH FIRST TODAY By Jennifer Vallee It's outdoor events season and that means lots of pic- nics and reunions. It also means lots of baseball games and busy families. Here is one of my favorite recipes that is great for the outdoors and any events you may have because it re- quires no refrigeration. And great for families because they are so delicious! They are also gluten free and can even be adjusted to a vegan diet. I always use granulated sugar for this, but I have as of late thought of trying the brown sugar. It is also amaz- ing with the addition of a bag of your favorite chocolate chips and crunchy peanut butter. Enjoy! INGREDIENTS • 1 large egg (or flax egg for vegan) • 1 cup creamy peanut butter* • 1 cup light brown sugar (or granulated sugar) DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. Whisk the egg, then whisk in the peanut butter and brown sugar until a smooth dough forms. Chill for 15 minutes. 3. Make 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls (using a size 40 cook- ie scoop, if you have it) and place them onto the 2 bak- ing sheets, 5 cookies per sheet and evenly spaced about 2-inches apart. Roll the balls between your hands to make them as spherical as possible: if the dough is very sticky, lightly oil your hands to make it easier to roll*. 4. Use a lightly oiled fork to flatten the balls and make a criss-cross pattern (it's helpful to dip the fork in- to a small bowl of water before each one to prevent sticking). 5. Top the cookies with a small sprinkle of flaky salt if desired (oops, 4th ingredient!). 6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned on the bot- tom but still soft. Cool completely before eating. Store at room temperature in a cookie tin for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. NOTES *The consistency of the dough will vary based on the peanut butter brand. A thinner, creamier peanut butter will yield a stickier dough. Source: acouplecooks.com SWIRCA MENU FOR DELIVERY Tuesday, June 7: Smoked pork chop, scalloped potatoes, broccoli, pudding cup, wheat bread with margarine and milk. Wednesday, June 8: Chicken Parmesan, baby bakers, cauliflower, pear cup, wheat bread with margarine and milk. Thursday, June 9: Cabbage roll, French style green beans, fruit crisp, wheat bread and milk. Friday, June 10 : Quarter pound frank on bun, home- made macaroni and cheese, sugar snap peas, fresh fruit and milk. Monday, June 13: Barbecue riblet on bun, red skin po- tatoes, succotash, applesauce and milk. Tuesday, June 14: Sausage patty, gravy and biscuit, ov- en fried potatoes, apples and milk. MORE INFORMATION SWIRCA meals are available for delivery to housebound senior citizens (60 and older) in Gibson County. Meals are provided on a donation basis and whatever you can afford to contribute. There is no set fee or charge. A sug- gested donation is $ 3.50 per meal. Cash and check or food stamps are accepted. Meat/Entrée portions are 2.5 to 3 oz. Vegetables and salads and desserts are half cup servings. Margarine is 1 teaspoon. Bread is one slice. Milk is a half pint. Casse- roles are 8 oz. This program is operated by the SWIRCA and More Nutrition Program at 16 W. Virginia St. and Evansville. The number to call for information or to order meal deliv- er is 812-464-7807. Note that the soup and sandwich is only for our congre- gate site clients. It is an alternative option to the hot meal. No special orders. Call 812-464-7807 to order at least one day ahead. As a school year ends, America goes numb By Stephanie Hayes Columnist These are the last days of school in America. Children are supposed to be party- ing, dusted with potluck popcorn, com- ing home sticky. Done with standard- ized tests, done navigating another con- fusing pandemic year, done being pawns in the bizarre political schemes of adults, they're supposed to enjoy the spoils of their labor. They're supposed to be stuffed with pizza and Oreos, celebrating all sum- mer birthdays in a single week, shriek- ing, running on playgrounds. They're supposed to bounce into cars and bus- es and the arms of tired parents com- pelled to buy too many yearbooks and T-shirts. So many T-shirts. They're sup- posed to be sent off in gleeful parades, in long lines with claps. They're supposed to plunk down heavy backpacks and not open them until fall. But it happened. Again. Nineteen chil- dren and two adults dead, shot down at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. A na- tion wailed again, slipping into the same exhausted rhetoric, gearing up for the numb, fulsome fight, the one where ev- eryone has an opinion but nothing, noth- ing, nothing ever gets done. It's supposed to be a sickly-sweet time, a time to exhale, reassess, rest. A time for parents to share a laugh and an eye roll, not to stagger to their cars alone. A time for strong, under- paid, tired teachers to get a well-deserved break. With Scantrons in, SignUpGenius quiet, desks wiped clear of Dixie Crystals, it's a time to find kids hanging off railings in the car line, slumped like melty Hershey's Miniatures, all arms and legs and summer-ready. Instead, it's a time to ask when, not if. When's my turn? My family? My child? Will it be in the grocery store? A festi- val? Church? School? Beach? Did some- one drop something, or was that a shot? Was that a car backfiring, or was that a shot? Is someone yelling because they're having fun, or should I flee? None of it is incomprehensible. Not in- conceivable. Not unimaginable. It's tan- gible and it's real and it's an endless, morose cyclone to nowhere. When 20 schoolchildren and six staff members were killed in Sandy Hook, and when the leaders of this country could not reach a consensus for a federal policy adjustment of any sort, we crossed an invisible line. Nothing was too shocking. Not 58 at a Las Vegas country concert. Not 49 at an Or- lando LGBTQ nightclub. Not 17 at a Flor- ida high school. Not 10 at a Buffalo supermarket barely two weeks ago. So, we send our kids to school and hope for the best. They practice hiding under desks and barricad- ing doors and standing on toilet seats as if they're re- hearsing a play. It's a sick nation that won't entertain a conversa- tion about commonsense, constitutional- ly sound paths off this catastrophic mer- ry-go-round. It's a vain nation that will so easily move on. It's a traumatized nation that will accept atrocities no other devel- oped country accepts. It's a defeated na- tion, a resigned nation, a scared nation. They're supposed to be blowing off class work and watching movies. They're supposed to be performing xylophone solos, peeling their paintings off walls, making plans for summer fun. They're supposed to be tired and full and silly and happy and proud, and they're supposed to be alive. Stephanie Hayes is a columnist at the Tampa Bay Times in Florida. Follow her at @ stephhayes on Twitter or @ stephrhayes on Instagram. Summertime guide to entertaining your kids By Abby Betz Youth First, Inc. School is out. The kids are home. Sum- mer is here. Now what? If your budget doesn't allow for a family vacation or a fancy kids' camp, there are still many ways you can keep your chil- dren entertained and content at home. While there needs to be a happy me- dium between totally unstructured may- hem and an overpacked schedule of "must-do's," the key to a happy summer break is putting the time into planning a roster of things to do. It is vital for everyone's sanity to stick to a schedule. A lazy summer afternoon sounds great in theory until it turns in- to a day of sibling squabbles and parents watching the clock waiting for nap or bed- time. Just like in school, kids need struc- ture and a schedule in order to be happy and successful. The same goes for summer break. If planning an entire summer seems daunt- ing, break it down into days and give each day a theme. Here are some ideas: • "Make Something Monday" could be a day to focus on crafts or being creative. • "Take a Trip Tuesday" could center around taking a day trip to a local park or zoo. • "Water Wednesday" could involve a water activity or visiting the city pool. • "Thoughtful Thursday" could con- sist of volunteering at the Humane Society or participating in a commu- nity service project. • "Fun Friday" could be the day to do something from a "summer bucket list" the family has put together. Making a summer bucket list can be a fun way for the family to sit down togeth- er and discuss what each person would like to do over the summer. You can also explore any goals each child may want to achieve. With summer also comes the un- knowns of weather and possible rainy days. Keep a "rainy day jar" where each kid writes an idea on a slip of paper and then pulls one out when they get bored. Get creative! Make an escape room or a blanket fort in the living room. Look up STEM activities to keep the kids busy or put on a show using parts from favor- ite books. Allow the kids to make props and costumes. Perhaps the biggest struggle of any ex- tended break from school can be limiting screen time. The best strategy seems to be incorporating some screen time into the daily schedule without totally taking it away. The goal is to keep kids busy and entertained with other activities so they aren't asking for more screen time. Providing an action-packed, education- al, and stimulating summer may seem like an intimidating task; however, in- cluding the kids when making these de- cisions can help them feel their opinions are valued. Enjoy this time with your chil- dren while they are young and savor each new memory made! Abby Betz, LSW, is a Youth First Social Worker at Holy Trinity Catholic Schools in Dubois County and Washington Catho- lic Schools in Daviess County. Youth First, Inc. is a nonprofit dedicated to strength- ening youth and families. Youth First pro- vides 78 Master's level social workers to 107 schools in 13 Indiana counties. Over 60,000 youth and families per year are served by Youth First's school social work and after school programs that prevent sub- stance abuse, promote healthy behaviors, and maximize student success. To learn more about Youth First, visit youthfirstinc. org or call 812-421-8336. A-8 Tuesday, June 7, 2022 South Gibson Star-Times