By Tammy Ruggeri
Do you know what is scarier than the spooky season? The current blood shortage! Luckily, you can help by donating blood during the National Honor Society’s Blood Drive, which is scheduled to take place in the Marlboro High School Band Room on Thursday, October 19, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. To sign up, visit redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time and use the sponsor code MarlboroHS.
In honor of Manufacturing Day on October 6, a group of students from Marlboro High School took a field trip to the Sono-Tek Corporation in Milton to tour the company’s facilities and learn more about how they are using cutting-edge technology to maintain their status as an industry leader in precision ultrasonic coating systems. Thank you to these local professionals for giving our students this amazing opportunity!
Sarah Hull Hallock Free Library
How do you broach such sensitive subjects as stopping driving, seeing a doctor and making legal and financial plans with a relative or close friend who is showing signs of dementia? The Alzheimer’s Association presents the educational program, “Dementia Conversation,” at the Milton Library on Friday, October 20 at 3:30 p.m. This special seminar is part of the Sarah Hull Hallock Free Library’s Tea, Talks and Workshops Series and offers the opportunity to gather ideas for tackling the challenging and necessary discussions surrounding Alzheimer’s and other dementia. Refreshments follow the presentation, held in the Community Room of the Sarah Hull Hallock Free Library on Main Street in Milton. Call 845-475-2200 to respond.
Marlboro High School students have been enjoying a new book display in the Library Media Center, created in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. This annual event recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans on the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. A huge THANK YOU goes out to Library Media Specialist Shannon Mersand and student Victoria Sanchez for putting together the amazing display, which highlights Hispanic American subjects and authors!
The 15 Must-Dos of Fall Yard Cleanup
Clean out debris: Fallen leaves and weeds are the perfect place for pests to settle in for the winter. Clear out flower beds to keep the critters at bay. Pay special attention to rose beds, as their foliage can foster disease over the winter.
Clean up the vegetable garden: After the final harvest, pull out old vegetable plants and remove debris. If you compost, now is the time to add a layer of compost to help nurture your soil for planting next spring.
Trim rogue branches: Trim up dead, damaged or diseased branches you didn’t get to in the summer. Prune out-of-place tree branches that may cause trouble during the winter. You don’t want any branches breaking and falling during the snowfall to come.
Clean out the gutters: Not all fall cleanup is in the yard. This is the perfect time to clear leaves and other debris from rain gutters. Check for proper drainage, clear out any blockages with a small garden trowel, and rinse with a hose.
Dry everything out: Drain all water from hoses, fountains, drip irrigation systems and other water features, and store them in a dry place. Water left standing over the winter may damage your equipment if it freezes.
Aerate the lawn: Break up soil to keep water from pooling and guarantee that nutrients will reach the roots over the winter. A garden fork will do the job for small yards, but larger yards may require a walk-behind aerator, which should be available to rent for a reasonable price.
Feed the lawn: Send your yard into winter with the nutrients it needs to survive the long, cold sleep. Add a fall lawn fertilizer with high phosphorous content to encourage root growth and enjoy a lush, green lawn come spring.
Rake and mulch: Don’t let fallen leaves get the best of you; if left unattended they can suffocate the grass. Rake them up, shred them and use them as mulch for young trees, shrubs and flower beds to provide a boost of nutrients, help with weed control and keep roots warm. You might even be able to skip the raking part if you use a lawn mower to mulch the leaves in your yard.
Prune trees and shrubs: Trim any dead branches and cut back overgrown trees and bushes during your fall clean up routine. If you have spring-blooming perennials like lilac or forsythia, now is the time to prune without risking blooms.
Give it one last mow: Set your mower to a low setting and give the lawn a close buzz before winter sets in. This helps the soil dry out more quickly in the spring, which leads to a lusher lawn.
Divide and cut back perennials: If your perennials really took off this year, go ahead and spread the love. Divide the plants and add them to other beds where they will also do well. This saves money and time in the spring. Fall-blooming perennials like chrysanthemums shouldn’t be divided now—wait and divide them in the spring.
Protect cold-sensitive plants: Keep sensitive perennials, shrubs and roses in top shape through the cold days of winter. Add mulch to the base and wrap plants in cloth barriers to prevent damage from freezing. Depending on the hardiness of the plant and your climate, you can use a single sheet or blanket or wrap them in a combination of cloth and plastic.
Plant bulbs, shrubs, and fall annuals: Some plants do best when planted in the fall. If you want to add new shrubs or spring bulbs like hyacinth, now is the time to get them in the ground. Fall annuals like pansies are also a terrific addition to keep some color in your yard as other plants go to sleep.
Protect the deck: Prevent the growth of mold and mildew by giving the deck a good power wash. If you don’t have a pressure washer, you can rent one from a garden store. Once the deck is clean and dry, add a weatherproofing stain to protect the wood from moisture damage over the winter.
Clean tools and store them: Don’t throw your gardening tools in the shed and forget about them until spring. Take time to give them a good cleaning and add a light coat of oil—such as linseed oil or even vegetable oil—to prevent rust during the cold season.
If you follow this checklist, you’re bound to have a wonderfully winterized yard that will be ready to wow you with lush, green bounty once the warm weather returns.
Weekly Recipe
Fall Apple Skillet Cake
Recipe courtesy of Odette Williams
Assembly:
Unsalted butter, for the pan
4 apples cored and thinly sliced.
1/2 cup (120 milliliters) freshly squeezed lemon juice
Milk and Honey Cake:
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted.
6 tablespoons (80 grams) cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Vanilla bean ice cream, for serving (optional)
Milk & Honey Cake:
2 1/4 cups (290 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (240 milliliters) buttermilk, shake carton.
3/4 cup (255 grams) honey
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks/170 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch cast iron skillets with butter or prepare springform pans, making sure they are lined.
In a small bowl, toss the apple slices in lemon juice to stop them from browning, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
Make the batter for the Milk and Honey Cake according to directions.
For the Milk and Honey Cake: Place a large sifter or a sieve in a large bowl.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and sift.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together. Set it aside.
In another small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, honey, and vanilla. Set it aside.
Using an electric mixer with beaters or a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 30 to 45 seconds on medium speed, then gradually add the sugar. When all the sugar has been added, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Continue beating on medium speed for another 4 minutes or until light in color and fluffy.
With the mixer still on medium speed, add the eggs 1 tablespoon at a time, over 3 minutes. If the batter curdles, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the flour to bind it back together.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry and wet ingredients alternately two times, starting and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined and smooth. Don’t overbeat.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure it’s well combined. Divide the batter evenly between the skillets or pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.
Working from the center out, gently lay the apple slices on top of the batter; leave behind any excess juice.
Brush or drizzle the melted butter over the apple slices.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly over the apple slices. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden.
A skewer may not come out completely clean due to the moisture of the apple, but it should not be wet. If baked in a springform pan, let sit for 10 minutes then release and remove parchment paper.
Serve with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and vanilla bean ice cream.
St. Mary’s Church
The phone number for Religious Ed is 845-393-5005 and the email is religiouseducation71@gmail.com Grades 1-5 classes are being held on Sunday Mornings at 9:30 a.m. – Our first meet up went really well. We will see you all again on October 22.
Happy Birthday Danielle D’Elia, Heather Sukunda, AnnMarie Casey, Daniel Pirillo, Erica Coppola, Anthony DeAngelo, Melissa Gattuso, Nancy Molinaro, Tara Conn, Theresa Corso Happy Anniversary Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Molinaro. As always, any events, announcements recipes or pictures you want to share email me: Telltammy123@gmail.com or call 845-430-4394.