The Rhinelander Daily News - Online news and information for the Rhinelander, Wisconsin region

Pat Pfeiffer
Correspondent

I think we will have a “White Christmas.” Maybe we have enough snow to keep the skiers and snowmobilers happy for awhile. There is more than enough for people who had to shovel and plow. And I know the ice fisher folk would be happy if we never got any more — it weighs down the ice and forces water up onto the surface, making an inconvenient mess. You’ll probably have to admit it is very pretty to look at, to photograph and is a fond subject of artists.

Hiles Fire Receives Second FEMA Grant

When the Hiles Fire Department recently received phone calls from Congressman Steve Kagen and Senator Russ Feingold the department guessed that it might be good news. The news was that the group had been awarded a $48,000 grant under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program which is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The funding will be used to purchase nine SCBA’s (self contained breathing apparatus) which are air packs used in most fire conditions to protect the firefighters. These will replace units at Station A of the department that are more than 15 years old.

The new units are about half the weight of the current ones and have many new safety features. An example is an integrated and automatic PASS (personal alert safety system). This device provides a loud alert in the event that a firefighter is no longer mobile. Also included is a specialized air compressor which will be used to refill the department’s two ‘cascade systems’ which are large air tanks which are use in the refilling of SCBA air tanks.

The fire department had also received a major FEMA grant five years ago which was used to purchase pagers and other communications equipment. Hiles is the only municipal fire department in the county to have been awarded two FEMA grants in the eight years of the program. The Argonne Fire Department received a FEMA grant for a vehicle two years ago.

With Sadness

We have learned of the passing of our friend, former Hiles resident, Marion Moser. Her obituary will no doubt appear in this issue of the Forest Republican. A few weeks ago I included a note from Marion, and included their address. You can send cards to her husband at that address: Joe Moser, Riverway Place, Apt. # 24, West Bend, WI 53095. His telephone number is 262-338-7708.

Red Hatters Luncheon

For those that I have again managed to confuse, please accept my apologies. The date of the Red Hatter’s pot luck luncheon and Scrap Book work session is on Wednesday, Jan. 7, not the 14th.

The ladies will meet at the Hiles town hall at about 11:30 a.m. for a noon lunch. Hostesses Darlene Wolf and Leigh Travis are very efficient, and have probably contacted all the ladies, but if anyone somehow was missed, give one of these gals a call to find out what to bring. Besides your dish for lunch, bring any pictures and other memorabilia from Red Hat outings in the past couple of years. It would be handy to bring along pair of scissors, plain or fancy, a ruler and anything that might be pretty to add a decorative touch to the pages.

Get Well Wishes

Kathy Bruenning, mind your doctor, do your therapy, and get well quick! Pool Season is coming on soon and your team will need you!

Calendar and Almanac

Dec. 25 – Christmas

Dec. 28 & 29 — National Chocolate Day — Note that this is so important that it needs two days!

Dec. 31 — New Year’s Eve, Make Up Your Mind Day, No Interruptions Day and World Peace Meditation Day.

Jan. 7 — Red Hat Pot Luck and Scrap Book Update Day

Feb. 7 — Hiles Fire Department’s Annual Fisheree

Another Chocolate Celebration

We just have to do it! After all, we just couldn’t let a good holiday like National Chocolate Day go by unobserved!

By the way, to add to last week’s list of things we can cover in chocolate, add marshmallows, large or small. Crispy chow mein noodles, with the addition of raisins, craisins, nuts or miniature marshmallows can be dropped in melted chocolate and dropped in clusters on a baking sheet to be chilled for a nice easy treat the kids can make.

These recipes came from one of everybody’s favorite chocolate purveyors, Hershey’s. I discovered we can even start the day with chocolate, as in this recipe for French toast.

Le Chocolat French Toast

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Hershey's Cocoa

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

8 to 10 pieces thickly sliced bread

Powdered sugar (optional)

Pancake syrup (optional)

Beat eggs, milk, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, if desired, in medium bowl until smooth. Heat griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Grease griddle with margarine, if necessary. Dip bread in egg mixture. Place on griddle. Cook about 4 minutes on each side. Serve immediately with powdered sugar or pancake syrup, if desired. Makes 8 to 10 pieces of French toast.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

These are delicious with coffee, or cocoa.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

1-1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa or Hershey’s Cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sliced almonds

Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)

White Glaze (recipe follows)

Additional sliced almonds (optional)

Heat oven to 350°F. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and almond extract; beat until smooth. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until smooth. (Dough will be thick.) Stir in almonds with wooden spoon.

Divide dough in half. With lightly floured hands, shape each half into rectangular log about two inches in diameter and 11 inches long; place on large ungreased cookie sheet, at least two inches apart.

Bake 30 minutes or until logs are set. Remove from oven; cool on cookie sheet 15 minutes. Using serrated knife, cut logs diagonally using a sawing motion, into 1/2-inch thick slices. Discard end pieces. Arrange slices, cut sides down, close together on cookie sheet.

Bake eight to nine minutes. Turn slices over; bake an additional eight to nine minutes. Remove from oven; cool on cookie sheet on wire rack. Dip end of each biscotti in chocolate glaze or drizzle glaze over entire cookie. Drizzle white glaze over chocolate glaze. Garnish with additional almonds, if desired. About 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Glaze: Place one cup Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Chips or Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and one tablespoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at medium (50%) one minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at medium an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and smooth when stirred. About 1/2 cup glaze.

White glaze: Place 1/4 cup Hershey’s Premier White Chips and one teaspoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at medium (50%) 30 to 45 seconds or until chips are melted and smooth when stirred. About two tablespoons glaze.

Chocolate Quickie Stickies

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter or margarine, divided

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

4 tablespoons Hershey’s Cocoa, divided

5 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated quick crescent dinner rolls

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Heat oven to 350°F. Melt six tablespoons butter in small saucepan over low heat; add brown sugar, three tablespoons cocoa and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until mixture comes to boil. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Spoon about one teaspoonful chocolate mixture into each of 48 small muffin cups (1-3/4-inches in diameter). Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon nuts, if desired, into each cup; set aside.

Unroll dough; separate into eight rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal. Melt remaining two tablespoons butter; brush over rectangles. Stir together granulated sugar and remaining one tablespoon cocoa; sprinkle over all rectangles. Starting at longer side, roll up each rectangle; pinch seams to seal. Cut each roll into six equal pieces. Press gently into prepared pans, cut-side down.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven; cool 30 seconds. Invert onto cookie sheet. Let stand 1 minute; remove pans. Serve warm or cool completely. Four dozen small rolls.

Note: Rolls can be baked in two 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Cook chocolate mixture as directed; place half in each pan. Prepare rolls as directed; place 24 pieces, cut-side down, in each pan. Bake 20 to 22 minutes. Cool and remove from pans, as directed above.

Thought for the Day. Any Day

"Finish each day

And be done with it.

You have done what you could.

Some blunders and

Absurdities have crept in.

Forget them as soon as you can."

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