Innehållsförteckning för January 2017 från Country Extra

Cotton is a no-no Synthetic materials (such as Capilene, polypropylene, Thermax and Techwick) and wool are where it’s at. Cotton holds moisture, and moisture means cold feet, cold hands, cold everything. Cover your head—twice! Two head coverings are better than one. The first hat should be thinner, the second thicker with a wind-blocking layer. Don’t freeze those fingers The trick to prevent tingling fingers is to put both mittens and gloves on your packing list. Thin- to medium-weight gloves are good for dexterity. Heavy-duty mittens are good for toastiness. Layers, layers, layers Fleece, down and wool give warmth. Nylon shells—top and bottom—keep the wind out and the snow from sticking. Keep your tootsies toasty Boots that have removable liners are a must—specifically loose-fitting boots, since tight boots cut off circulation.…

When I woke up the morning of my daughter Stephanie’s wedding and looked out the window, my heart sank. Over a foot of snow had fallen. I had planned to finish up some last-minute jobs on Vashon Island, Washington, taking my car on the ferry, but I didn’t have snow tires. My husband, Eldon, would ride over a little later with my mother, his mother and several guests in his van. Fortunately, the wedding party had stayed near the venue the night before, and the preacher lived on the island. Maneuvering in the snow was difficult, but I drove slowly and made it to the ferry dock. I had lots of things to take with me, including keys to the church, a friend’s fruit salad for the reception, pretty bows…

It was dangerously cold. A few drivers slipping and sliding off the road and back on again had cut deep ruts in the slush that were now frozen solid. And the drum of our truck’s erratic engine worried us. Trees and bushes heavy with snow bent to form an icy tunnel. We inched and lurched along the eerie route as Howard gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to keep the truck in the ruts. We had taken this shortcut because of the limping old truck, and we were now riding through a nightmare with no going back. I noticed a small house off in the distance as I prayed the truck would not quit. The temperature inside the cab was cool, but for now our two snow-suited children snuggled safe…

Bible Stories Our minister had just finished a sermon about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the book of Daniel. He commented that he had told this to his little girl in a bedtime story and was tucking her in when she said, “I know—after Shadrach and Meshach, it’s a-bed-we-go.” Ron Bliven Everett, Washington Extra Long Lanes When I was in high school, I had just started swimming in physical education class and excitedly told Mom that I was going to participate in the mile relay. She said, “Oh my, I did not know that little school had such a long swimming pool.” Marcia Weeks Mendocino, California Out of Focus Recently, while walking with a friend, I stumbled and fell hard onto the pavement. Luckily only my pride was…

Snowy Smiles “We rarely get enough snow to play in, so my granddaughter HarperAnn is thrilled when we can make a snowman,” says Carol Hurt of Tompkinsville, Kentucky. Supersize Snowman “My grandchildren built this big buddy after a good storm,” says Cheryl Harris of St. Charles, Missouri. Laugh and Play “On a chilly winter day, my husband, Eric, made a frozen friend with our girls, Sophie and Violet. Then we all warmed up with hot chocolate and marshmallows,” says Jessie Sharon of Muskego, Wisconsin.…

Snow Play It’s time to pack away Christmas decorations, but winter is still going strong. If fluffy flakes are flying in your backyard, send us your photos. Take some snapshots of fun activities like sledding and snowshoeing, spectacular scenery and kids and pets playing. Tell us what led to the picture and who’s in it. Hidden Gems We like to introduce our readers to the most beautiful parks they’ve never heard of in a special section we call Hidden Gems. We’re looking for your recommendations. Are there any national or state parks or forests you’d like to tell us about? Please send your stories and photos. Make Us Laugh Country life produces more than its fair share of sidesplitting moments. Here at Country and Country Extra, we love nothing more…

ON THE DAY I SAW my husband slumped over a ladder clearing snow off the roof of the motel we were managing, my heart dropped. I turned in our notice on Christmas Day and started to cry. I was 58, and we were suddenly about to become homeless. I knew the owners wouldn’t have kicked us out in winter, but friends offered us their camper to live in while we looked for a place to rent. When I woke up the first morning, the temperature was 30 degrees in the camper—my husband, Wes, fearing a fire, had not kept the heater running through the night. But I was grateful for a place to rest, clear my thoughts and regroup. Before the month ended we had several leads for jobs but…

Yummy Chicken and Dumpling Soup PREP: 25 min. • COOK: 40 min. • MAKES: 4 servings 3/ 4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes 1/ 4 teaspoon salt 1/ 8 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/ 4 cup all-purpose flour 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided 1 cup water 2 cups frozen french-cut green beans 11/ 2 cups sliced onions 1 cup shredded carrots 1/ 4 teaspoon dried marjoram 2/ 3 cup reduced-fat biscuit/baking mix 1/ 3 cup cornmeal 1/ 4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese 1/ 3 cup fat-free milk DIRECTIONS 1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Remove from heat. 2. In a large saucepan,…

Dad and I had just finished work and were heading back home to Plymouth, Indiana, when he said, “Bob, we have seen what the covered bridge looks like in summer. On the way home, we’ll have to stop and see what winter does to it.” The transformation was spectacular. The formerly green pastures and forest surrounding the bridge were a noble white. Strands of once-tall green grass popped up through the snow, where wildlife tracks indicated busy pathways all around. The beautiful leafy trees of summer now stood skeleton tall; bare, dark limbs protruded where green leaves had fluttered and hidden branches during summer’s splendor. All this, plus birds flying overhead and furry creatures running and hiding in drifts, added to the very colorful existence of the covered bridge towering…

Winter is not the time most people visit Mackinac Island, at the tip of Lake Huron between chilly Michigan’s two peninsulas. But my trip there was better and more amazing than I could have imagined. The solitude gave me an internal sense of peace that I had been missing for longer than I knew. I finally understood why everyone I met and talked with believed this to be a truly magical place in the off-season, when folks get the island to themselves without the hustle and bustle of tourists. I arrived by ferry from St. Ignace in January, seeking some time away from the city to work on my writing. A small crowd of local folks and northern Michigan visitors joined me on the 20-minute voyage. Many of the people…

WE LIVED BY many rules in our Christian farm family household. All the normal ones, like the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments, were followed to the best of our abilities. Murphy’s law—what can go wrong will go wrong—took up residence along with the rest. Maybe that’s why we were big believers in the big-bang theory, but not the one they teach in school. No, our big-bang theory held that a temporary fix could be obtained by banging on a machine that wasn’t working. Believe it or not, hitting or kicking a nonfunctioning machine probably works 90 percent of the time! My parents, who often had to kick their sump pump and their furnace to keep them running, went on a vacation during a particularly cold winter, so my husband…

WAY, WAY NORTH—NEARLY TO CANADA— is the White Wilderness kennel. It’s just outside of Ely, Minnesota, along a two-lane highway lined with prickly pine trees and way-tall birch trees. I came to the kennel, which offers guided dog sled trips into Superior National Forest, with my partner, Sean O’Neal. Now, I’m a hardy farm girl from Iowa who loves the outdoors and appreciates moving beyond my comfort zone—as long as it’s in weather that is comfortably between about 40 and 82 degrees. But Sean had served as a U.S. Marine in the bitter cold of Norway, and exploring this wintry landscape by sled was something he had long wanted to do. Peter McClelland, a trained naturalist and musher, runs the kennel with his wife, Chris Hegenbarth. Chris manages the business…

READER PHOTO Erica Harvey RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA “I find winter to be the most beautiful season in the parks, especially Badlands National Park. Winter always brings with it spectacular sunsets.” READER PHOTO Jill Lusk GREENSBURG, INDIANA “Morning sun peeks through the trees, teasing our hopes for a warm winter day in southeast Indiana.” READER PHOTO Aaron Lenox BRADENTON, FLORIDA “Braving single-digit temperatures, my friend and I got up before dawn to hike to Sunrise Point at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.”…

Growing up in the 1950s and ’60s, I spent many Sunday evenings watching Lassie, the famous collie, on TV. I saw Timmy go through childhood with his constant canine companion faithfully by his side. As I tuned in to watch more of the heartwarming episodes, I realized I wanted a Lassie of my own someday. When I married my husband, Lloyd, we started our animal family with a German shepherd puppy—my version of Rin Tin Tin. Shortly after that our son, Scott, was born, followed by our daughter, Lisa. Throughout our marriage, we have had the privilege of owning 13 dogs that were each a special part of our family. Most were strays, abused or somehow unwanted by the world. We believed that part of our purpose in life was…

I had never made anything with sourdough starter before. But when I came across a recipe for sourdough cinnamon buns, I was more than willing to give it a shot. What could go wrong? Deciding to double the yield, I got to work on the starter. The recipe never mentioned what type of container to put it in, so I chose a glass bowl. Filling about a quarter of the bowl, I covered the top with a plate and placed it on the kitchen table while I did the dishes and waited for the dough to rise. When I’d placed the last cup in the cupboard, a half-hour had passed and the starter was on the move. They weren’t kidding when they called this a quick-rising yeast. Like lava from…