Outdoor Living

Winter solstice is December 21st in the northern hemisphere. Leading up to this shortest day of the year, the evenings get darker earlier and earlier. Some of my children will return home from school in the dark, making potential time to play outside in the evening harder and harder. However, we have found illuminating ways to transition to these earlier evening by bringing light to the darkness in our greater community.

We’ve enjoyed the transition to shorter days in years past by having a special lantern walk celebration through Tinkergarten. We invited the community together for a free lantern walk, gathering at dusk for simple outdoor activities, traditional songs, and a walk with our lights through the woods.

A couple of weeks before the lantern walk, we gathered with other families to make individual lanterns. Using a pint mason jar, we used tissue paper and watered down glue to decorate our lantern. We let that dry, tied a twine handle on, and popped in a battery-operated tea light. By creating our own special lantern, we were preparing for and celebrating the changing of the seasons and light. These lanterns then lit our outdoor exploration time as it got darker. We’ve made lanterns in a few different ways. We typically use battery operated tea lights, though regular candles can be used as well. Here are a few ways to try: • Mason jar, tissue paper, watered down glue, twine • Snow balls formed into a dome • Ice lantern — tin cans of two sizes, rocks to weigh the smaller can down, nature sprigs, water, freeze! Release with a quick dip in water and insert light. • Tin cans punched with holes • Recycled materials — create your own! • Paper bag luminaries

Beyond our own lantern celebrations, there are a few evening walks in our greater community to enjoy the dark, ranging from a simple lantern walk to a gorgeous display of holiday lights. Embrace the dark through an illuminating evening walk or celebration!

Winter Wonderland Holiday Lights, various dates in December,

Wellfield Botanic

Gardens, Fee

Middlebury Tree Lighting, December 4th, 6:30-8:00, Memorial Park, Free

Tinkergarten Lantern Walk, December 12th, Dusk, Free, sign up at

Tinkergarten.com

Illuminated Hike, Dec. 14th, 5:30-7:30 pm, Bonneyville Mill Park,

Feedlot Shelter, Free

Marcia and Dick have volunteered with the Middlebury Parks for over 10 years. Marcia helps with park events, Riverfest, 8th grade work days, planning and planting the Quilt Gardens and serving on the Landscape Committee. Dick also helps with events, and he has been involved with Friends of the Middlebury Parks (FOMP) for many years. Marcia says, “I chose to volunteer when I was recently retired and looking for something with flexibility where I would not be locked in to a set schedule. The outdoors is my happy place and I love flowers and digging in the dirt--such a wonderful smell!” Dick says he has gained “the satisfaction of working with great people and the feeling of accomplishment toward reaching Park and FOMP goals such as the Ridge Run Trail, Trestle Terrace development, River Bend Park boardwalk and ten years of Mini-Golf at the Library.” They have gained new friends and enjoy meeting new people. They have a great appreciation for our Parks and staff, and our Park staff appreciates all their efforts!

This holiday tradition will begin at 6 p.m. with cookies and hot cocoa provided by the Middlebury Lions Club. Listen to the Victorian Singers, have your picture taken with the Grinch or Elsie the Elf, sing along with carols around the tree, and finally the tree lights will be turned on at 7 p.m. For details on related activities, see page 12.

For decades many individuals, businesses, service organizations and churches of Middlebury have shown their community care and pride by supporting the Middlebury Parks Flower Fund, the sole funding of the Town Center petunia baskets, Memorial Park’s stunning red, white and blue display, and many of the magnificent plantings in Kriders World Fair Garden. Though flowers remain the priority, the fund is expanding the use of your generous, tax-deductible donations to included “fixtures,” the longer term, more sustainable structures that both support and enhance your parks and downtown. Upgraded flower pots, landscape boulders and community art are some examples of “hardscape” that make your hometown vibrant. You can help Middlebury Parks “Making Life Better” in Middlebury by donating to the Flower and Fixture Fund.

This roasted Cornish hen recipe is an easy and elegant way to make a meal that’s quick enough for a busy weeknight, yet fancy enough for a special occasion. The hens are coated in butter, garlic and herbs, then cooked in the oven for perfectly tender and juicy results every time.

2 Cornish hens 1.5 - 2 pounds each 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1/2 small onion cut into wedges 1/2 lemon cut into wedges 6 tablespoons butter softened 2 teaspoons garlic minced 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves minced 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves minced 2 teaspoons fresh parsley leaves minced salt and pepper to taste cooking spray herb sprigs and lemon wedges for garnish optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Tuck the wings underneath the breast of each hen. Stuff each hen cavity with the rosemary and thyme sprigs, onion and lemon. Tie the legs of the hens together with kitchen twine. Place the butter, garlic, minced thyme, rosemary and parsley, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Stir to combine. Rub the butter mixture all over the hens, both on the outside of the hens and underneath the skin. Place the hens in the prepared dish. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. The cook time may vary a bit depending on the size of your birds. If the skin is getting overly dark as the hens cook, them with foil. Let the hens rest for 5 minutes. Remove the lemon, onion and herbs from the hen cavities. Cut in half, then serve with pan drippings. Garnish with lemon and herbs if desired.

2 jalapeños, diced 1/2 cup honey 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup water 12 oz fresh cranberries 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 1 teaspoon lime zest

In a large saucepan, combine diced jalapeño peppers, honey, salt, and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add cranberries, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. The cranberries will burst during the cooking. Stir often. Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and zest. Allow to cool. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. 8 inMiddlebury Magazine | DECEMBER 2021

4 cups cornbread 2-8 oz. jars of fresh oysters, drained with liquid reserved 6 oz. Andouille sausage, diced 1 diced green pepper ½ onion, diced ½ to 1 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning 1 tablespoon butter

Heat a skillet over medium heat and brown the Andouille sausage. Add the butter, green pepper and onion and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add the Cajun seasoning and oysters and cook about 5-10 minutes, or until oysters are fully cooked. If your oysters are very large, I recommend cutting them in half so they are more evenly distributed throughout the stuffing. If your oysters are smaller sized you can leave them whole. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oysters are cooking, crumble the cornbread and place in a large bowl. Add the oyster and sausage mixture and stir until combined. DO NOT OVER MIX. Just toss the mixture lightly. Add the reserved oyster liquid and chicken broth and toss to mix. Add the chicken broth ½ cup at a time to avoid over-saturation. Pour in a baking dish, cover (either with a lid or aluminum foil) and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the cover for the last 15 minutes of cooking to crisp up the top. Sweet potato casserole

3 cups cooked sweet potatoes sliced or cubed 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 12 tablespoons butter melted, divided use 1 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup flour 1 cup chopped pecans cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9” square pan or 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Place the sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract, eggs and 6 tablespoons of butter in a mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until well blended and fluffy. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the prepared dish in an even layer. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the sweet potatoes. Bake for 3040 minutes or until sweet potatoes are hot and topping is lightly browned. If your topping browns too quickly, you can cover your dish with foil to complete the bake time. Let sit for 10 minutes, then serve.

LIVE theatre

www.essenhaus.com

• Menu Dining Registration • Inn Front Desk

By Phone

800.455.9471

240 US 20 Middlebury, IN 46540

851 U.S. 20, Suite 2 Middlebury 574-825-7222 54595 C R 17 Elkhart 574-293-0222

Jack Dorbin is a fifth grader in Mrs. Welker’s class at Heritage Intermediate School. Jack’s Snacks is a way he and his family have found to help brighten the day of children, who like himself, are undergoing treatments for cancer.

On Mother’s Day of 2021, Jack went to the emergency room where it was discovered he has a brain tumor. He was flown via life flight to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis where, over the course of the next 10 days, Jack underwent three brain surgeries and was diagnosed with a nongerminomatous germ cell tumor. Jack has since undergone 6 cycles of chemo, 3 emergency hospital stays and twice weekly lab appointments in addition to MRIs, countless blood and platelets transfusions and meetings with various doctors. Jack is currently undergoing daily brain and spine proton beam radiation treatments in Chicago and will be finished with those on December 20.

Early in his journey, Jack and his family found that many groups were eager to give him toys and blankets and even a Make a Wish Trip which he is beginning to plan. However, often, what Jack wanted most, was something to eat that was not hospital food or something at all when appointments ran into each other and there was no time for meals. Many friends and family started sending their favorite snacks to Jack and he received so many, that he and his family decided to share with other children going thru treatment and the idea for Jack’s Snacks was born.

Although Jack has been to Riley Children’s and Lurie Children’s Hospital often, his family considers Beacon Children’s at Memorial Hospital in South Bend to be home. It is where Jack visits weekly to have his labs drawn and where he goes if there is an emergency with his health.

To date, Jack has donated, with the help of many friends and community members, 160 boxes of snacks to Beacon. The child life specialists and nurses there have shared stories of children who are comforted by the goodies Jack shares with them and he even heard from the mom of a girl who received one of his boxes on the day she was diagnosed with cancer. She told Jack that Jack’s Snacks was the best thing that happened to her daughter that day. Jack’s Snacks is currently on hiatus until January 2022 until Jack and his mom return home from his radiation treatments in Chicago. They do have a gofundme which benefits Jack and his family and is used for filling in Jack’s Snacks as well.

If you are interested in helping, please email Shirley Dorbin jsdorbin97@gmail.com. She has an Amazon wishlist that can be shared again soon. https://www. gofundme.com/f/dorbin-medical-expenses?utm_ source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link_ all&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet