Mount Vernon Town Money Saver | December FOM 2022

Food For The Hungry Continues Building on Local Tradition of Giving

Working together to care for our neighbors this holiday season...

Iwasintroduced to this exciting project as the local manager of the radio station. I was educated early on, by Dave Bevington and Marty Trese, two popular show hosts on WMVO/ WQIO on the historical role the station played in building “Food For The Hungry”(FFTH). FFTH started from very humble beginnings at our small-town radio station, WMVO. Even as late as the 1980s there were not very many “organized drives” across Ohio to help those in need. Charlie Kilkenny, a popular radio host in Mount Vernon recognized the need in 1982 when a local factory closed and many lost their jobs. He organized the very first drive to help those struggling with the costly holiday season, high heating bills, and lack of food. He and his wife Carol could never have guessed how generous the community would be. They started that first year collecting canned goods in pickup trucks. The next year it grew. Now, over 40 years later, the drive expects to collect more than $250,000 in contributions and tons of food supplies, with annual giving goals.

From a fine fundraising dinner, to collecting canned goods during the Christmas parade, and even creative

auctions, the number of events held to celebrate a season of giving seems to be endless. Companies across the community stage their own collection efforts on behalf of FFTH. Better yet, everything donated in the community stays in the community! If you donate in Fredericktown, that donation stays in Fredericktown. If you donate in Mount Vernon, it stays in Mount Vernon!

A live video/radio broadcast is hosted through the collective efforts of 90.9FM WNZR, 93.7 the Super Q, 100.9FM and 13WMVO, the Knox Memorial, and many other amazing organizations. Through this broadcast they celebrate gifts from citizens and corporations, give checks to grant recipients in the community, monitor collection points across the county, and monitor the climb toward the annual goal.

If you have not yet given to this county-wide effort, please take a moment and reflect on a time in life when you, or someone you know, may have suffered financial hardship—to the point of struggling to put enough food on the table through the winter.

“The Spirit of Giving” is alive and well in Knox County as FFTH has multiple events taking collections in the upcoming weeks such as the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Morning, The Fredericktown Christmas Walk, The Kenyon Snowflake Gala, and Fire and Ice, and more! All of this is targeted to help those that might be struggling. Tune into their ANNUAL FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY DRIVE BROADCAST on Dec. 9 at mvnu.tv to keep up with the increasing total. You can also give at each event, on the day of the broadcast, or on their website!

For photos, videos, and radio interviews as well as continued opportunities to volunteer or donate, visit foodforthehungrycares.org or contact Executive Director Lisa Mazzari at 740.398.0659.

FFTH is the premier, community drive of the year in Mount Vernon, and YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Thank You

for supporting Mount Vernon Players production of

Steel

Magnolias

Counseling

Therapy for depression, anxiety, PTSD, anger management, grief, relationship issues

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Dental (Adolescents & Adults)

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Fillings

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Treatment of illness

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Women’s health

HOLIDAY baking!

Salted Caramel Nuts

Makes 8 cups

1 cup each whole roasted salted cashews, whole large pecan halves, whole unsalted almonds, and whole walnut halves (4 cups total)

1½ cups sugar

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp fleur de sel

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine nuts & spread them on a sheet pan, roast for 7 minutes, until they become fragrant. Set aside to cool. Place sugar & ¼ cup of water in a medium (10”) sauté pan and mix with a fork until the sugar is moistened. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar melts—from this point on, don’t stir the caramel, swirl the pan! Don’t worry—the mixture may look as though it’s crystallizing. Continue to cook 5-10 min., until mixture becomes clear golden brown, swirling the pan constantly at the end. (Careful—the caramel is very hot!) Off the heat, quickly add the vanilla (it will bubble up!) and swirl the pan to combine. Working quickly (the caramel will continue to cook in the pan), add the nuts and the kosher salt and toss with 2 large spoons until the nuts are coated.

Home Made Hot Cocoa

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup white sugar

1 pinch salt

½ cup boiling water

3 ½ cups milk

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup half-and-half cream

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and salt. Add water; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk; heat to serving temperature (do not boil). Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Whisk until frothy. If desired, garnish with marshmallows, cream or cinnamon sticks.

Cut Out Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups Sugar

• 2-1/2 cups butter

• 3 eggs

• 8 cups flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 2 tbsp. baking powder

• 3 tbsp. milk

• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla

Preparation

Cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time; beating after each addition. Sift dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. Add milk and vanilla.

Work dough until smooth. Chill and roll to desired thickness.

Sausage Parmesan Palmiers

also known as elephant ears

• 2 Tbs Butter

• 2 onions, sliced

• 8 oz breakfast sausage

• 1 sheet frozen pu pastry – thawed

• ½ cup grated parmesan (not shredded, grated to a powder)

• 1 large egg

Put the butter & onions in a skillet over medium heat & brown the onions until dark, 40 - 45 min. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the sausage to the same skillet and crumble; cook until done, 5 - 8 min. Roll the pastry out to 10” x 12”. Sprinkle the cheese over the pastry, then the sausage, then the onions. Roll both sides toward the center of the rectangle until they touch. Chill in the fridge for 20 min. or place in the freezer for 10 min. Preheat the oven to 400o F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Slice the pastry into 1/3-inch slices and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Mix together the egg & 1 TBSP water in a small bowl and brush the mixture over the top of the slices. Bake until golden brown, about 20 min.

Cheese Ball Wreath

• 1 lb. Cream Cheese – at room

• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• Salt and black pepper

• ½ cup pickled picuante (Peppadew) peppers – nely chopped

• ½ cup fresh parsley – nely chopped

• ¼ cup nely chopped fresh Chives

• Crackers, sliced bread or crudites, for serving

Line the inside of a 6-cup Bundt pan with plastic wrap. Process the cream cheese, shredded cheese, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and few grinds of pepper in a food processor until smooth. Empty the mixture into a medium bowl, and fold in all but 2 tablespoons of the chopped peppers. Spoon the cheese mixture into the prepared Bundt pan; pack it in, spread into an even layer and cover (or simply form the cheese mixture into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap). Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour up to 2 days.

Uncover and invert the cheese mold (or unwrap and transfer the ball) onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with the chives and parsley to completely coat the wreath, and garnish with the reserved 2 tablespoons peppers. Serve with crackers, sliced bread or crudites.

Home Made Hot Cocoa

• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• ½ cup white sugar

• 1 pinch salt

• ½ cup boiling water

• 3 ½ cups milk

• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ cup half-and-half cream

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and salt. Add water; bring to a boil.

Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk; heat to serving temperature (do not boil). Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Whisk until frothy. If desired, garnish with marshmallows, cream or cinnamon sticks.