Roasted Veal Chops With Mushroom Sauce

Roasted Veal Chops With Mushroom Sauce

The veal chops should be about 1 1/2 inches thick. Don't crowd them in the pan for roasting. Use a roasting pan if your skillet is not large enough. The sauce is outstanding but for the best flavor use real stock, either homemade or purchased, instead of bullion cubes or stock powder. Look for low-sodium at the supermarket or the butcher which when reduced, do not have the salty flavor. The natural gelatin in real stock helps the sauce to thicken. Frenched veal chops have the bone cleaned for an elegant presentation.

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Ingredients:

4 Frenched veal chops, 12 ounces each

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 Tablespoons olive oil

12 ounces oyster (aka king) mushrooms, quartered

Sauce:

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup beef or chicken stock

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in pieces

2 Tablespoons chopped chervil

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Preheat oven to 450F degrees. Sprinkle veal chops with salt and pepper and 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary.

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Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add veal chops and sear on each side and around the fat edge for about 2 minutes per side until golden. Remove veal from pan and reserve veal and skillet separately.

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Turn heat to medium and add mushrooms to skillet, adding a little more oil if needed. Saute until mushrooms are softened, about 3 minutes.

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Sprinkle mushrooms with remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary and place veal chops on top. Place in oven and roast for 12 to 14 minutes, turning once, or until chops are oink in center. Remove chops and mushrooms, which should be nicely browned and tender.

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Place skillet on medium-high heat and add wine and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of skillet. Add stock and tomato paste and boil until mixture becomes slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat in butter. Stir in mushrooms and chervil. Place veal on serving plate and top with sauce and mushrooms.

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Drizzle any remaining sauce around the side. Serves 4

Venison With Cabernet Mushroom Sauce

Venison With Cabernet Mushroom Sauce

We were the recipients of two packages of venison from a friend who is an avid sport hunting enthusiast. We appreciate the "game" flavor of the meat. Others may wish to season hoping to camouflage that wonderful flavor. We chose to enhance it with a Cabernet Mushroom Sauce.

Ingredients:

4Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup dry red wine

Freshly ground pepper

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Directions:

Melt the butter in a pan. Add olive oil and mushrooms and saute mushrooms until golden. Add garlic and saute a few minutes more. Remove mushrooms and garlic from oil and butter mixture. At this point I sauteed the venison in the oil/butter mixture. Remove the meat and add the wine. Reduce the liquid to about one-half. Return the mushrooms and meat just to heat. Serve meat with sauce immediately.

Note: I made 1/2 half of this recipe and refrigerated the leftovers.

Cappuccino Biscotti

Have you ever wondered how the name Cappuccino came about? According to my source one particular Capuchin Friar, Marco D'Aviano who was a powerful preacher of repentance is known for developing one of the most often poured coffee drinks in the world. Marco found a couple of sacks of coffee beans Turkish troops left behind. D'Aviano made himself a cup of coffee. Finding it too bitter, he added milk and honey. The grateful Viennese honored the friar by calling it "little Capuchin" or cappuccino.

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This dry cookie is traditionally made for "dunking" in coffees or wine.

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3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and coarsely chopped

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee powder

1/2 cup chocolate chips

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Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Toast hazelnuts for 10 minutes or until the skins blister. Remove the hazelnuts from the oven and wrap in a towel and let rest for five minutes. Rub the towel back and forth to remove the skins. Let cool, then coarsely chop, set aside.

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Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

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In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

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Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, spices, and espresso powder in a large bowl. Gradually add the egg mixture, chocolate and nuts. Mix until a dough forms.

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Divide the dough in half. With floured hands, form each half into a log about 10 inches long and 2 inches wide. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until cracks begin to form and it is firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

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Using a serrated knife, cut each log into 3/4 inch thick slices, cutting crosswise on a diagonal. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes, turn slices over and bake another 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Beurre Blanc

The Classic French Sauce

One taste of this smooth, supple butter sauce and you will understand why it is a French classic! After seeing the movie Julie and Julia, my interest in the Beurre Blanc sauce was heightened. A dear friend of ours shared his cache of pheasant breasts with us. What a treat! I thought something this special required a special sauce. If your first thought is the sauce is too high in fat, remember the French paradox. Drink wine with the meal! The theory is, the French have the richest diet but have the lowest incidence of heart disease due to drinking red wine! I made one-half of the recipe and had leftovers!

Beurre Blanc

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup white wine vinegar (I used rice vinegar)

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste

2 sticks unsalted butter

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Directions:

Boil wine, vinegar, and shallot in a pan over moderate heat until liquid is syrupy and reduced to 2 to 3 tablespoons, about 5 minutes. Add cream, salt, and white pepper and boil 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add a few pieces of butter at a time, whisking constantly and add new pieces before previous ones have completely liquefied (the sauce should have the consistency of Hollandaise), lifting the pan from heat occasionally to cool mixture.

Remove from heat, then season to taste with salt and pepper and pour sauce through sieve into a sauceboat, pressing on and then discarding shallot. Serve immediately. Yield 1 cup

Wild Mushroom Hunt

Wild Mushroom Hunt

This morning at 10 a.m. several local wild mushroom enthusiasts met at Meadowbrook Park on a hunt led by expert and guide, Diane. Due to the dry season we have had, the mushrooms found were beyond their "expiration date" and were shown as examples as what to leave behind for the deer and other animals. What I have posted are the photos shown at our lecture prior to our walk through the woods with examples of what we might find.

My husband found the epitaph "It sure tasted good" as comical and with truth.

Pasta With Wild Mushroom Sauce

Saturday morning a wild mushroom hunt will be held at a nearby woods led by a local expert who does this annually. I now can positively identify three Fall wild mushrooms. My husband only trusts the commercially grown mushrooms and not his wife. I also prefer a fresh mushroom to a dried mushroom as dried mushrooms are never tender after they become hydrated. I must admit the dried porcini mushrooms do add a great flavor.

Pasta With Wild Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms

1/2 cup boiling water

14 oz. dried pasta

1 lb. mixed mushrooms, such as black trumpet, chantrelle, portobella and shitake, cleaned and tough stems trimmed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled, halved and germ removed

1 tablespoon finely diced oil packed sun dried tomatoes

A large sprig of thyme

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Truffle oil, optional

Grated Parmesan cheese

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Directions:

Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and pour over the boiling water. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the water, then strain the soaking liquid carefully, discarding any grit or sand. Set the mushrooms and liquid aside.

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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. When boiling add the pasta. Stir and cook al dente. Meanwhile cut the mushrooms into 1 inch chunks.

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In a large frying pan with a lid, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring until it just begins to color, about three minutes. Add the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and thyme, stir then increase the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to stick. Reduce the heat to low, pour in the strained liquid, stirring to deglaze the pan. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Remove the thyme and garlic.

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When the pasta is cooked, skim 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid from the pot and set aside. Drain the pasta and then add the reserved cooking liquid to the sauce. Stir over low heat to coat the pasta with the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with truffle oil if using (olive oil will do). Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Serves four.

Roasted Corn Pudding In Acorn Squash

Each week I receive an email from Heidi Swanson and her blog "101 Cookbooks". Heidi does an incredible job with her recipes. This recipe came from a cookbook, "The Vegetarian Compass" by Karen Hubert Allison, published in 1998.

Heidi will take a recipe and often does a take on it to improvise with something very available or give it a twist to the likes of her family. Heidi found this recipe very interesting and again used the spices that her family enjoys.

While I am here in Ohio with an abundance of fresh vegetables so available and my appetite for squash, I will incorporate squash daily in my diet for the next couple of weeks. Squash is not as available in California as it is not grown in the state.

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Roasted Corn Pudding In Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

2 small (2lb.) acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded

1 Tablespoon clarified butter or olive oil

1 cup milk

1 egg plus 2 egg whites

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (or more if you like)

1/4 teaspoon anise seed, chopped

1/2 cup chopped scallions

a tiny pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1/3 cup freshly grated white cheddar cheese

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F degrees with a rack in the middle.

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Rub the orange flesh of the squash with the butter/oil. Place cut side up on a baking sheet. You will want it to set flat (and not tip). If you are having trouble, just level out the bottom using a knife. If the squash is tilting on the pan, the filling will run out-bad news. Add water to the baking pan about 1/2 inch in the bottom. Cover the squash with foil and bake for 40 to 60 minutes or until the squash starts to get tender.

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In a bowl combine the milk, eggs, corn, anise seed, half of the scallions, nutmeg, and salt. Fill each of the squash bowls 3/4 full. A tip here is to fill the squash in the baking pan on the oven rack. It might prevent spilling while carrying. Continue baking uncovered for another 30 to 50 minutes, or until the squash is fully cooked through, and the pudding has set. The amount of time it takes can vary widely depending on the squash and the oven. At the last minute sprinkle with cheese and finish with a flash under the broiler to brown the cheese. Keep an eye on things, you can go from melted cheese to burnt in a flash. Serve hot sprinkled with remaining scallions. Serves 4 to 6

Bake any left over filling in a ramekin for a nice corn pudding.

Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake

Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake

I was first introduced in Italy to Nutella, the wonderful tasty chocolate hazelnut spread. I bought several jars for family and friends as a gift from my travels. I thought it was something special only to be found in Italy. Soon it began appearing in the supermarkets everywhere. That made my special gift not so out of the ordinary! Today it remains our grandson's favorite spread. So Jacob and Philip this recipe is for you!

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Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 large eggs at room temp

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cup sugar

One 13-ounce jar Nutella

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour. In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups flour with the baking powder and salt.

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In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.

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Spread one-third of the batter in the prepared pan, then spread half of the Nutella on top. Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining Nutella. Top with the remaining batter. Lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not overmix.

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Bake the cake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve. Great with coffee ice cream.

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Recipe adapted from "Cake Keeper Cakes".

Identify This Tree

click on photo to enlarge

Can You Identify This Tree

This is not a Lechee Tree but a Dogwood!

Julie & Julia

"Julie & Julia" Julia receives word her cookbook will be published

Julia (Meryl Streep) In The Kitchen

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Julie & Julia

I received an email from friends telling me that I should see the movie Julie & Julia. Today we took the time to go to the theater. Meryl Streep should receive an Oscar for her performance. Her resemblance of Julia Child was amazing along with her voice and enunciation. I highly recommend the movie!

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Amy Adams portrayed a New Yorker and a food blogger. I watched her role with interest as I thought there were some parallels with her life and mine. I must admit there is a different energy level with less drama in my life.

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I remembered in 1964 when I first subscribed to Gourmet Magazine. We lived in a small community with limited choices but quality goods at the Supermarket. I remembered inquiring about availability of artichokes and being told that I was the only gourmet cook in the community since they did not have them. That hardly seemed to qualify me for the title!

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A few years later I thought I would take my skills to another level. I ordered a two volume set of cookbooks from Gourmet titled "French Cooking". The cover was crimson with my name stamped in gold on the front cover. I just don't remember getting into French cooking. I think the volumes are still in original condition. The books did not create any culinary revelation.

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I remember seeing a display in Napa CA at Copia which was a center created by Robert and Margaret Mondavi for the purpose of developing an appreciation of fine wine and quality food. Julia had the copper cookware from her kitchen displayed. I also attended a cooking class.

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Our oldest daughter lived in Cambridge MA for several years and did occasionally see Julia in a food store.

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Julie & Julia is entertaining and you will enjoy the movie.

Protected On The Peninsula

Protected on The Peninsula

Last week I spotted these deer ambulating along looking as though they wondered why I was in their space.

Warm Sweet Potato Salad

Warm Sweet Potato Salad

Another recipe from the October edition of Family Circle, "Warm Sweet Potato Salad" sounded like a dish, if I omit the ham, I can serve when a daughter who is a vegetarian comes to visit. Sweet potatoes are such a great source of iron, protein, fiber and vitamins in the diet.

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Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch-pieces

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

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Directions:

Heat oven to 400. Stir together vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; set aside.

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Place sweet potatoes, onions, and ham in a large bowl. (omit the ham to make the dish vegetarian.) Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; stir until coated. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through.

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Remove from oven and place in large bowl. Stir in spinach and walnuts. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Polenta & Mushroom Sauce

Polenta & Mushroom Sauce

The word Polenta is Italian and means pollen fine crushed flour. It can be mush made from chestnut flour, hulled barley, corn meal, semolina, or farina.

I spotted this recipe in October edition of Family Circle and chose to serve it for dinner Thursday evening. Everyone thought the dish was tasty. Cooler evenings sharpen the appetite.

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Ingredients:

1 cup dry polenta

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 1/2 cups water

Directions:

Magazine Directions: Heat oven to 350. Place polenta in an 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking dish and stir in 3 1/2 cups water and salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until most of the moisture is absorbed. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

My Directions: Place water and polenta with salt and pepper in a 3 quart pan. Cook on top of stove over a low flame stirring often for 30 to 40 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.

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Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 cup dried porcini mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

10 ounces mushrooms

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 can (14.5ounces)diced tomatoes

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Directions:

Since the dried porcini mushrooms were not available to me, I used one pound of the white mushrooms. If you use the dried porcini place them in a bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling liquid. Soak for 15 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and reserve the liquid. Chop the porcini mushrooms and set aside.

Heat oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Cook shallot 3 minutes. Add white mushrooms to pan; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 7 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.Whisk chicken broth, chopped porcini, diced tomatoes into skillet. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Spoon mushroom sauce over polenta. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese.

My Directions: I added about 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and sauteed the one pound of mushrooms. I added enough chicken broth to compensate for the liquid that the recipe called for from soaking the porcini mushrooms. The rest of the directions remained the same.

Optical Illusions

Click on the photo to enlarge. Look in the center of the shoreline. Do you see the carved rock which could appear as a face watching the water?

Views Of The Catawba Cliffs

click on photos to enlarge

Views Of The Catawba Cliffs

This evening we took a sunset cruise along the Catawba Cliffs. The weathered limestone cliffs create such a scenic view that is visible only from the Lake. The setting sun reflecting on the textures and rocks creates highlights and shadows offering some of the best shows Nature offers.

Pasta With Bean Sauce

Pasta With Bean Sauce

I saw this recipe on another blog, "Cream Puffs In Venice". The blogger lives in the Toronto area and must be of Italian descent. Her recipes are photographed so beautiful which makes them very enticing. I enjoy beans and try to incorporate grains and legumes often in our diet which gives much appeal to this recipe. The recipe was taken from Judith Barrett's cookbook "Fagioli". The mashed beans make the sauce creamy which coats the pasta very nice.

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1/2 cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup olive oil

4 slices pancetta (Italian bacon)

1/2 red onion, chopped fine

1 celery stalk, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt & pepper, to taste

Penne pasta

Parmesan cheese

Chopped parsley

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Soak beans overnight, or for 8 hours, in a large pot covered with 6 cups of water.

Bring water and beans to a boil, adding 2 bay leaves and 2 cloves of garlic split. Simmer beans one and one-half hours, stirring frequently. Turn off heat and leave the lid on pot.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook pasta.

I altered the recipe at this point. To eliminate cholesterol from the bacon fat, fry the bacon in another pan. Remove the crisp bacon, blot the bacon with a paper towel to minimize any residual fat.

In a large pan, add olive oil, chopped onion, and celery. Saute until tender stirring often. Add cooked bacon.

Drain beans, remove bay leaves and mash to flavor the mixture. Add to the pancetta / bacon mixture. Add the pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.

Add cooked pasta to pancetta and bacon mixture. Add parsley and Parmesan cheese. It is D-lish! Serves 4

Reunion Travels IX

Saloon #10 Reenactment "Wild Bill" From The Hollywood Movie Fame

The Cast Prepares For Their Moment The Girls And The Poker Players With The Bartender Does Anyone Recognize This Star? Another Known Face From The Reunion Group The Main Street Of Deadwood Looking South The Main Street Of Deadwood Facing North ***

Drama At Deadwood

The five o'clock reenactment at Saloon #10 brought many laughs. One of our reunion group was the bartender who served "Jack Daniels" root beer in shot glasses for the poker players. Another was the poker player who would not give up the seat to Wild Bill who always sat with his back to the wall not allowing anyone to see his hand of cards. The two other poker players were volunteers from the audience. The employee who played the role of Wild Bill Hickock was an actual Hollywood star who played the role in a film. The two servers were a lady from Kansas and the blogger. The fashions were designs of Saloon #10.

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We were taken backstage and quickly briefed as to how the reenactment would unfold. Some parts were left to ad lib. It was great fun and many laughs were given.

Reunion VIII

The Deadwood Tour Bus The Plaque Indicates The Flag Flies 24 Hours at Mt. Moriah Cemetery The Famed Saloon Where Wild Bill Hickock Was Shot

The Grave of Wild Bill Hickock

(click on photo to enlarge)

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The third and final day of our reunion began with a tour of Deadwood SD. Our big surprise was that our tour guide was a high school classmate of one of the wives. John shared a wealth of knowledge of Deadwood and the buildings and sites that played an important role in the history of Deadwood.

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After our tour of the business district, we were driven to Mt. Moriah cemetery where we visited the grave site of Wild Bill Hickock. Calamity Jane, another colorful character of that era rests to the right of Wild Bill's grave site.

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Mt. Moriah Cemetery was granted permission during World War I to honor the men who served in the Armed Forces by flying the flag at the cemetery 24 hours daily. It is one of a very few sites with that privilege granted.

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Saloon #10 was the name of the site where Wild Bill was shot. The original site of Saloon #10 was destroyed by fire but a Saloon #10 was rebuilt on the opposite side of the street in the next block south.

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Wild Bill was holding a pair of aces and eights when he was shot and today that is still known in the world of poker as "a dead man's hand".

Reunion Travels VII

The Shootout Between The Cook And The Biscuit Thief The Horn Family Singers

Circle B Chuck Wagon Dinner

The Circle B Ranch is located in Rapid City, South Dakota. The main attraction is the Chuck Wagon Dinner and Show. The offering is a meal of chicken, beef, or buffalo or a meal with a combination of the meats. Guests are served on a metal pie plate and proceed through a serving line. The meal consists of a potato, beans (pinto), and the meat of choice. A piece of waxed paper is place over your serving and a biscuit with a serving of ginger-bread placed on the paper serves as your dessert.

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Cowboy Horn tries to get the crowd psyched for a Wild-West setting with a shoot-out with The Biscuit Thief in the top photo.

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Following the dinner, the Horn family preforms a show singing songs from the days of the cattle roundups and campfires with some patriotic songs added. The sound of "The Sons Of The Pioneers" was a delightful

and appreciated show. We all actually thought the youngest son will be discovered by Nashville someday as his voice was beautiful and his instrumental ability was truly gifted.

Reunion Travels VI

Pronghorn Bison A Herd Of Bison White Tail Deer (in ravine)

Burros

Custar State Park

The second day in the Black Hills began with a tour of Custar State Park. The Park encompasses a 71,000 acre tract which is a preserve for elk, bison, burros, mountain goats, whitetail and mule deer, antelope, and pronghorns.

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Peter Norbeck, Governor of South Dakota and later Senator earned the nickname "Father Of Custar State Park". It was his vision in 1912 and later the collaboration with Gutzon Borglum which created Iron Mountain Road. This road would take visitors over Iron Mountain and connect with Mt. Rushmore National Park through a series of pig-tail bridges and tunnels that frame Mt. Rushmore.

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The bison herd is held at 1,500 to maintain the number the land can support. Each September a ceremonial round up is held and the bison are counted. To help keep a count each bison wears a collar with a chip. As old bison die and young calves are born, a veterinarian checks over the herd to determine which should be eliminated to maintain the number.

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In 1927 President Calvin Coolidge made Custar State Park the Summer Whitehouse.

Reunion Travels V

Armed Forces, Past And Present On Stage During The Flag Folding Ceremony The Flag Folding With The Honor Being Given To Our Reunion Group

10th Ord. Btn with Ranger Jackie

The Park Entrance With Flags Of The 50 States The Monument Of Our Democracy

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Reunion Travels

Tuesday evening was a solemn time for our group. Our reunion group was honored to be chosen to fold the flag at the closing ceremony of Mount Rushmore. Park Ranger Jackie spoke so eloquently about freedom and "The Greatest Generation" and the freedom we share because of all members of our Armed Forces. One widow stood with the men to represent her late husband, a member of our group.

Reunion Travels IV

Needles Highway

Following our tour of Crazy Horse, we returned to Keystone via the Needles Highway. The granite and stone projections create some of the most scenic sights. This highway also has three bridges carved through the rock formations. Each sight is more spectacular than the previous.