Fall Fest ________________________________________________
2006 Fall Fest
Barbara McMillen (right), Treasurer of Perry Valley Grange, presents the Greenwood FFA Chapter with a $500 check representing a share of the proceeds from the 2006 community Fall Fest jointly sponsored by the Grange and local FFA chapters. Students representing Greenwood (left to right): Ben Morrow, Sam Arnold, Kami Forgie and Eric Druckenmiller.
Barbara McMillen (right), Treasurer of Perry Valley Grange, presents the Newport FFA Chapter with a $500 check representing a share of the proceeds from the 2006 community Fall Fest jointly sponsored by the Grange and local FFA chapters. Representing Newport (left to right): FFA Advisor Natalie Aurand and students Brandi Adams and Dori Zearence.
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2005 Fall Fest
Two local FFA groups recently received $1,000 from Perry Valley
Grange to support their activities. The gifts of $500 each to the
Newport and Greenwood chapters represent the proceeds of the
Grange's October Fall Fest community festival and were presented
during a fellowship dinner in early November. Describing their FFA
work and accepting were Brandon Schreiber of Newport (left) and
Paul Druckenmiller of Greenwood (right).
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Members of the Greenwood and Newport High School FFA Chapters are all smiles after each chapter received a $500 gift from Perry Valley Grange during a "Night of Celebration" fellowship dinner and program held November 4, 2005. The gifts represent the proceeds from the Grange's 2005 community Fall Fest.
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Winning 2005 Fall Fest Dessert RecipesTwo Perry County women took top honors in the apple and pumpkin desserts contest judging at the third annual community Fall Fest held October 15th at Perry Valley Grange. Darla Bixler of Millerstown won the blue ribbon among apple dessert with her “Apple Delight” entry while Carol Rhoades of Newport entered a “Gingerbread Butterscotch Dessert” judged best among the pumpkin contestants. Millerstown's Bob Sowers took second place in both contests with his “Pumpkin Apple Pie” and “Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake”. Third place among pumpkin entries went to Judy Wilson of Newport for her “Pumpkin Nut Cake”. Contest judges
This year's dessert contests were chaired by Peg Bolton of Millerstown, Perry County treasurer and long-time Grange member. Serving as judges were: Kate Morrow of Millerstown, Perry-Juniata judge; Tom Dum of Elliottsburg from Radio Love 99; insurance executive Terry Ulrich of Ickesburg and Duncannon's Eric Finkenbinder, TV Channel 27 weatherman.
Try these prize winning recipes for your fall and holiday entertaining; your family and guests are sure to approve:
Apple Delight by Darla Bixler, Millerstown
Crust:
2 ½ cups flour
1 cup shortening
1 tbsp. sugar
1 egg (separated)
1 tsp. salt
milk
Filling:
2/3 cup crushed corn flakes
1 ½ cups sugar
5 cups sliced apples
1 tsp. cinnamon
Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Cut shortening into flour mixture with pastry blender. Put egg yolk in measuring cup and add milk to make 2/3 cup. Add to shortening mixture. Mix just until dough shapes into a ball. Roll out half to 11x15-inch pan. Spread corn flakes on dough. Then cover with apple slices, sugar and cinnamon. Roll out other half of dough for top crust. Place over apple filling; pinch edges together. Beat egg white until stiff; spread on top crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. While hot, drizzle glaze over top. Glaze: 1 cup confectioner's sugar; 2 tbsp. Lemon juice.
Gingerbread Butterscotch Dessert by Carol Rhoades, Newport
1 - 8” or 9” square Gingerbread Mix (Prepare according to directions on package)
Mix together:
4 small packages Instant Butterscotch Pudding
1 16-oz. Can Pumpkin
3 - 4 cups Milk
1 tsp. Cinnamon
Mix in 3 cups of milk and if it seems too thick, add additional milk up to 4 cups.
12 oz. container Cool Whip
In large glass bowl, put a layer of gingerbread (1/2 pan) that has been cut into small cubes; half of the pumpkin-butterscotch mixture and half of the Cool Whip. Repeat layer, ending with cool whip on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve. For added flavor, I drizzle caramel sauce and sprinkle each layer with toffee bits (Skor chips).
Fall Fest 2005 Raffle WinnersA popular new addition to this year's Fall Fest, held October 15th at Perry Valley Grange near Millerstown, was a raffle drawing featuring more than $1,000 in prizes. The top prize - a beautiful handmade shawl in tan and purple shades of hand spun and woven wool - was won by Sue Zettlemoyer of Millerstown. The shawl was the result of a “Sheep to Shawl” shearing, spinning and weaving demonstration that fascinated young and old throughout much of the day at Fall Fest.
Other raffle prizes and winners were:
Original watercolor painting by Dauphin area artist Craig Staller - won by Barbara Sheaffer from Mechanicsburg
Two halves of a prize winning hog from the Perry County Fair butchered, cut, wrapped and frozen courtesy of Benner's Meats in Thompsontown - won by Louise Cameron of Millerstown and Larry Barnes of Newport
“Dinner for 8” at the Grange's traditional Pennsylvania Dutch meal on Nov. 12 - won by Connie Zies of Newport
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Some of the features of Fall Fest 2004 included:
pumpkin growing contest for childrenantique farm equipment displays and demonstrationshayridescraft demonstrationseducational seminarsflea market/farmers' marketbingoBaby & Pet ParadePumpkin Decorating Workshopfood - iron kettle soups, sandwiches, pies, beverages, pig roast mealBlue Grass concertWinning Fall Fest Dessert Recipes SharedOne of the tasty highlights of Perry Valley Grange's annual community Fall Fest in October is the dessert contest judging. For the second year, contestants vied for awards in categories for pumpkin desserts and for apple desserts. Natalie Fritz of Newport coordinated the contest that saw 11 pumpkin desserts and eight apple desserts competing.
Sharon O'Neal of Millerstown entered the first place apple dessert. Her traditional apple pie drew comments of “beautiful crust” and “good layers of flavor” from the judges. Dauphin resident Craig Staller baked a Pumpkin Upside Down Cake to take top honors among pumpkin desserts. The cake features a cranberry pecan topping that combines sweetness and tartness in one dessert.
The award winning recipes are shared as follows:
Sharon O'Neal's Apple Pie
Dough 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoons sale
½ cup Crisco
½ stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
6-8 tablespoons ice water
Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening and butter. Add ice water until dough forms clumps when tossed with a fork. Remove ¼ cup dough for decorations. Divide remaining dough in half and chill at least one hour. Roll into two crusts.
Filling 6 cups pared, sliced apples
¾ cup granulated sugar
Lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3-1/2 tablespoons flour
Ground pecans (optional)
Mix apples with sugar, lemon juice and flour. Place filling mixture in pie shell and put dots of butter over top. Sprinkle with cinnamon and ground pecans. Top with crust and decorations of your choice. Bake at 400 degres for 10 minutes and 40 minutes at 375 degrees.
Craig Staller's Pumpkin Upside Down Cake
4 ounces chopped pecans
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup unsalted butter
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup pumpkin puree
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chopped pecans in a shallow pan and toast in oven for 7-10 minutes. Sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking power, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. Melt butter and add brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Add toasted pecans. Pour the brown sugar mixture into the bottom of the pan and sprinkle cranberries over. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin and oil. Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and carefully spread over the cranberry pecan topping. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Place a large plate or platter on top of the cake and invert. Scrape topping that remains in pan over the cake. Let cool completely before serving.
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Fall Fest grew out of a fun night event held in the fall for Grange members that was so popular that the organization decided to expand its scope and invite everyone in the community. An estimated 300 persons attended the first Fall Fest in October, 2003. Among the activities included were: apple and pumpkin desssert judging, decorated pumpkin contest, scarecrow making for children, a petting zoo set up by the local FFA Chapter, a special "harvest" version of Bingo, family hay rides, ghost stories around the bonfire, a Gospel concert, and a hilarious men's fashion. Many events were held outside and, luckily, the weather was a beautiful crisp fall day. Even the food was provided at no charge by the Grange. Large iron kettles of homemade chicken corn and ham bean soups were made outside over an open fire. Hot dogs and sausages were roasted the old fashioned way over the embers of the fire.