Saturday, January 17, 2026
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Corn Dip

By
Debbie Dance Uhrig
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I had all kinds of plans last week to freeze sweet corn for the winter months. None of it made it to the freezer! We had company, I cooked the corn, and in a blink it was all consumed. I might try again this week to find some laterears, so I can attempt the endeavor again. When I was on Facebook Sunday afternoon, I saw that my friend, Becky, up in Lewistown, Missouri, had packaged like 4 gallons of corn. Which unbeknownst to her, gave me a very unsatisfactory feeling!

I was wondering what recipe to run this week, when I flipped past my corn dip, I thought, yum, made with fresh sweet corn, this would be so delicious. One thing I would definitely do is cook the corn thoroughly, before putting it in the dip, and I think I would go about this with a skillet saute using olive oil. Allow to cool, and then implement into the dip.

There are so many different things to make with corn besides buttered and spiced. This weekend some of our family was here and they wanted to make Mexican sweet corn, which was much more fattening than regular, but they enjoyed it. Corn Souffles, of course, good ole’ corn casserole, creamed corn. I even have a delicious recipe for a hominy and corn salad. I’m not a huge fan of the cornbread salad, but this too is an option for the fresh corn. I’m like a little kid, I like to eat mine cut off the cob with the big strips connected together, butter pat, a bit of salt and pepper and yummy. Then I have Fiesta corn with red onion, cilantro, red pepper, and zucchini. Lots of directions to go with our North American corn. While we enjoy each kernel across the pond they think corn is the nearest thing to nothing there is.

I call the corn dip a casual appetizer. Yes, I did say that! Perfect for tail gating, cookouts, outdoor events, adding corn chips or tortilla chips. It could even be served slightly warm. There’s no cilantro, but I would definitely add it, chopping very fine. (My husband greatly dislikes cilantro.)

This week is about keeping the house picked up, and finishing a few small projects before diving into bigger things. The extra warm temperatures here in the Ozarks have driven all of us inside more this past week. Early morning is the best way to stay active in this heat.

Keep visiting the city markets for home-grown vegetables and fruit. They are so

good for us, and the flavors just seem to pop on the palate. ErvIn got me into eating tomato sandwiches a few years ago, and now it’s one of my favorite things, especially with a little chopped basil on top. Enjoy your week, and relish the good times. The Covered Dish

Spicy Corn Dip

1 (8 ounce) package softened cream cheese

1 dry package Ranch Dressing Mix, makes (32 oz.)

1 (11oz.) can drained Mexicorn

1 can Rotel Tomatoes, undrained

4 ounces sour cream

4-6 green onions, finely chopped.

Soften the cream cheese and work the dry ranch dressing into it. When smooth; add the corn, Rotel, sour cream and lastly; the green onion. Work ingredients together until blended. This will yield about 2 cups of dip. If made the day before it allows the flavors to permeate the dip.

If the dip is softer than you desire add some finely shredded cheddar cheese to make it into a tighter bind. Pepper Jack would be another good cheese choice.

You could omit the Rotel and sour cream if you wanted. Bring in hotter spices if you like, green chilies, jalapenos, cilantro, even a shake or two of hot sauce.

This appetizer will hold for several days in the refrigerator, which is great for weekend entertaining. Allowing you to make things of an evening after work. Imagine making a few pinwheels to go with the appetizer, a marinated salad, and more all before Saturday, leaving you time to tidy and sleep in a bit on Saturday morning!

Ah, My Little Lotus Flower!

By
Steve Gilliland
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I remember several years ago clamoring up over the dike of one pond in the McPherson Valley Wetlands to be greeted by what looked like something from an exotic Chinese water garden. I’ve always called them water lilies, but the Public Lands Manager for the Kansas Dept of Wildlife and Parks who manages the McPherson Valley Wetlands system tells me their proper name is American Lotus, and says they are in fact native to Kansas. That reminded me of PePe Le Pew the skunk from cartoons of my generation. PePe fancied himself a ladies’ man, and his famous pickup line was “Ah, my little Lotus flower.”

The year I first discovered them was a wet year, and they filled the shallow waters in the corners of the pond like a mat of immense green leaves dotted with bold, pale, yellowish-white flowers the size of cereal bowls. Most of the time these plants are shown with their enormous leaves floating on the water, but here where the water was shallow, they actually rise above the water’s surface. Most of the leaves on these plants were about a foot wide, give or take, and the flowers that were fully opened measured 6 inches across. Leaves on older American Lotus plants can reach 24 inches in diameter. An interesting phenomenon is that American Lotus leaves never get wet; water forms a droplet on them and just runs off.

Each flower has a bright, yellow, round center resembling a little double-layer cake. When the flower dies, that center swells into a seed pod 3 or 4 inches wide resembling a wasp nest with several individual seed compartments that each contain a single marble-sized seed. As it further dries the seed pod droops toward the water and the seeds eventually spill out and lay on the bottom of the pond. The seeds can lay dormant in the mud for several years before germinating, which occurs when the hard outer shell softens. The plants grow from tuberous roots called rhizomes which can become up to 50 feet long and can have dozens of plants growing from them. American Lotus plants will grow in the still water of any pond, lake or stream that is shallower than 3 feet.

Waterfowl and other wildlife will eat the seeds and tubers if they can get to them. Native Americans peeled and cooked the tubers to eat as vegetables or dried and stored them for winter food. They ate the seeds in soups and other dishes or roasted them like chestnuts. Many Great Plains tribes attributed mystic powers to the American Lotus plants. A poultice made from the pulp of the root was thought to relieve the pain of inflammatory ailments such as arthritis, and a mash made from the blossoms and leaves was said to have anti-fungal properties. Although little sound research exists concerning the medicinal properties of the American Lotus, a close cousin, the Indian or Sacred Lotus which is native to Asia and Australia has been used medicinally for generations. It is known to relieve asthma, inflammation, headache and fatigue, and is said to promote good digestion.

When I first visited Kansas over 30 years ago, I either bought or was given a decorative seed pod of some sort that was brown and hard with numerous round compartments in it, each containing a round hard seed of some sort. I was told they were called “lake nuts.” That decorative object has long since disappeared, but at the time I remember no one seemed to know what the heck it really was. Guess what; after writing this column I now know it was an American Lotus seed pod! I never cease to be amazed at the wildlife and plants which flourish here in Kansas that common sense tells me shouldn’t be

here in our prairie state at all. Of the American Lotus someone has said, “Whenever you doubt your self-worth, remember the lotus flower. Even though it plunges to life beneath the mud, it does not allow the dirt that surrounds it to affect its growth or beauty.” Boy Howdy, can we use a heapin’ portion of that today! Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected].

Masked Bandit Warfare

By
Milo Yield
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Thayne Cozart
Milo Yield

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been lucky with my sweet corn gardening efforts here at our new home in Riley. Last year I raised and harvested two plantings of sweet corn without losing a single ear to Mother Nature’s masked bandits — raccoons.

This year my luck ran out. When my first planting of sweet corn approached maturity, one evening Nevah and I enjoyed our first sweet ears of corn on the cob. I planned on letting the ears fill out one more day before the main harvest. Alas, that harvest was not to be. That very night, my corn patch suffered a masked bandit invasion and they did the bulk of the harvesting..

The pesky critters — I suspect it wuz a mama coon and a litter of half-grown kits — pulled down stalks and ate all or bits and pieces of at least two dozen ears of corn. The corn patch looked like a hurricane had hit it.

Luckily, I wuz able to salvage around a dozen untouched sweet corn ears. I guess the masked bandits got full and could eat no more.

To add insult to injury, the raccoons not only ate my sweet corn, they discovered the suet at my bird feeders and emptied it, too. That did it. I declared WAR! First, I took the suet from my bird feeding tree. Second, I cut all the sweet corn stalks and put them securely into my newly-built compost bin.

Next, that night I put out two live traps. The critters stole the bait out of one without getting caught and tripped the other trap by reaching through. So, I changed tactics. The next night I baited the traps with baby marshmallows. The coons fooled me again. They didn’t show up at all. Guess they discovered someone else’s sweet corn patch.

But, I know raccoons. Once they discover a free food source, they don’t forget where it’s at. They’ll be back for my second-planting of sweet corn and I’ll be ready for them — lethally.

***

When they aren’t doing damage, there is nothing much cuter than raccoon kits. Yesterday, one of the infrequent visitors at our Old Geezers’ Gossip and Gabfest stopped and told a baby raccoon story that had just happened to him.

He’d been baling big round bales of hay when he said he spotted on the other end of the meadow what looked like “a big brown snake” undulating up and over the distant hay windrows. He’d never seen anything like that, so he said he sped up to take a better look. When he got close enuf, he discovered it was a mother raccoon and four or five babies tagging behind her in a close line. From a distance, they looked like a “big brown snake.”

***

Okay, back from warfare to humor. Thanks to my good friend, ol’ Willie Jay from Mt. Vernon, Mo., for this one:

An aging widower, who’d ranched all his life, and an aging widow, who’d been a farm wife all her life, met at a senior dance, fell in love, and soon thereafter decided to tie a senior knot and get married. They were tired of living along.

On one of their drives to the county seat town, they pass a pharmacy and mutually decide to stop in. Once they got inside, the pharmacist says, “Can I help you folks?”

The rancher asks, “Are you the owner?”

The pharmacist answers, “Yes, I am.”

The rancher asks, “Do you sell heart medication?”

The pharmacist replies, “Of course I do.”

The rancher then asks, “How about medicine for circulation?”

“All kinds,” answers the pharmacist.

“Medicine for rheumatism?” asks the rancher.

“Definitely,” says the pharmacist.

The rancher continues, “How about suppositories, hearing aid batteries, adult diapers for incontinence?”

“You bet!” replies the pharmacist.

“Medicine for arthritis, rheumatism, diarrhea, and upset stomach?” asks the rancher

The pharmacist replies, “Yes, we have a large variety. The works.”

“Well, how vitamins, sleeping pills, and pain relievers?”

The pharmacist replies, “Absolutely, I’ve got it all. What can I get for you today?”

The rancher replies, “Well nothing at the moment …. but we’d like to use your store for our wedding registry.”

***

A really loud-mouthed farm wife interrupted a quiet group of farmers gathered at the local co-op. They all knew her, so they tolerated her until she left.

After she wuz out of hearing, one farmer questioned: “Wonder why she speaks so loudly?”

Another replied, “I think she learned to whisper in a sawmill.”

***

One morning this week, I missed going to the geezer gabfest because Nevah and I were canning tomato juice. When I went to the afternoon gathering, one wag said, “Milo, we missed you this morning.”

I replied, “Did you really miss me, or did you just notice I wuz absent?”

***

Words of wisdom for the week: “A group folks doing the work of one is called a committee.” Have a good ‘un.

Plan Ahead: Wheat Rx and HPJ Live Offer Timely Tools for Farmers

By
Guest Columnist
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Kansas Wheat

Contact: Marsha Boswell, [email protected]

For the audio version, visit kswheat.com.

As Kansas wheat farmers look ahead to next year’s crop, two upcoming educational events offer timely tools and expert insight to support strong decision-making for fall planting. High Plains Journal’s HPJ Live runs Aug. 6-8 in Wichita, combining multiple crop‑focused “U-Events” with a tradeshow and networking opportunities. Then, on Aug. 20 in Pratt, Wheat Rx returns with a morning of research-driven presentations on variety selection, fertility, disease management and conservation. Both events are free for members of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, and both are designed to deliver real-world value for producers planning their next wheat crop.

HPJ Live: Aug. 6-8 in Wichita

The inaugural High Plains Journal Live (HPJ Live) will take place from Aug. 6-8 at the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, bringing together farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses and agricultural experts for three days of learning and networking. Hosted by High Plains Journal, this new event combines the publication’s “U-Events,” including Sorghum U Wheat U, with a regional tradeshow and more than 40 educational sessions covering topics across crop and livestock production. Attendees can connect with top vendors, hear from industry leaders, and expand their networks during this multi-day gathering built for producers across the Plains.

Wheat

producers attending HPJ Live will find several sessions tailored to their interests on Thursday, Aug. 7, with additional educational opportunities continuing into Friday, Aug. 8. Topics include advances in hard red winter wheat breeding for improved consumer traits, an update on the 2025 wheat streak mosaic virus outbreak and its management and a look at the future of HB4 wheat and its potential impact on the U.S. wheat industry. Attendees can also sit in on a high-yield success panel featuring lessons learned from top-performing commodity growers, as well as a session focused on farm marketing strategies and grain storage dynamics in a volatile global market. These sessions offer timely, research-backed insight for wheat producers preparing for the year ahead.

 

Members of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers (KAWG), check your email for a special code to claim free admission to HPJ Live. The first 50 members to use the code will receive entry to the whole event. For more information and to register, visit live.hpj.com.

Wheat Rx: Aug. 20 in Pratt

Kansas wheat producers will have another opportunity to sharpen their management plans for next year’s crop during the upcoming Wheat Rx seminar, scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the Pratt County 4-H Events Center, located at 81 Lake Rd. in Pratt, Kansas. This educational event is hosted by K-State Research and Extension and Kansas Wheat and will cover critical topics to support wheat management decisions ahead of the 2026 planting season.

 

The seminar will feature expert presentations on wheat variety selection, wheat streak mosaic virus, conservation practices in wheat-based cropping systems and soil fertility and nutrient management.

 

This seminar is part of the Wheat Rx initiative, an ongoing partnership between Kansas Wheat and K-State Research and Extension to promote the adoption of proven, research-based management strategies for producing high-quality, high-yielding winter wheat in Kansas. In addition to in-person seminars, the Wheat Rx effort includes a collection of Extension publications and resources available at kswheat.com/wheatrx.

 

KAWG members receive free registration to this event. Non-member registration is $110. To take advantage of the member benefit, join or renew at kswheat.com/join. The registration link for the event is https://kswheat.com/prattrx. Lunch will be provided for all attendees.

E-Cows

By
Lee Pitts
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lee pitts

It’s looking more and more like ranchers are going to have electronic ear tags shoved down their throat whether they like it or not. In the future you’ll be required to use EID tags so your cattle can be scanned like a can of peaches in the grocery store. Here are ten events I see happening to ranchers someday as a result. Just remember, you read it here first.

#10- The IRS will have a huge air force of drones for the sole purpose of flying over ranches to take an inventory so they’ll know exactly how many animals you have so that at the end of the year you’ll get an all-new inventory tax bill. Whatever happened to the unwritten rule that it’s impolite to ask a rancher how many cows he or she owns?

#9- Not only will the feds have drones to count cows ranchers will have their own drones to take a daily inventory. Then your neighbor will send you a feed bill for having five cows on his place for 27 days. If you thought the Hatfield and McCoy’s feud was bad just wait until ranchers start spying on their neighbors.

#8- The Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management will also have a drone air force too. One day after your due date for getting all your cows removed from your allotment they will do a flyover to make sure you got off on time. But because the EID tag is still in the ear of a dead cow that was either killed by wolves or shot by a short-sighted hunter the feds will assess you a huge fine, take your allotment away and throw you in jail for not removing ALL your cows in a timely manner.

7- The USDA will say that their new rules will apply only to those cattle involved in interstate commerce. But is a rancher in California going to commit economic suicide because most of the California stockers are sold to feeders in Nebraska, Colorado, etc. and by not using EID tags he’s going to eliminate them from bidding on his cattle?

#6- Auction markets are disappearing faster than a dozen donuts at a police station due to the U.S. beef cattle herd being the smallest it’s been in 64 years. This is really hurting some of the smaller auction yards. When they are told how much it will cost to install EID readers on their scale and to update computer programs to tie that information in with the price paid, many of the auction owners will just quit.

#5- EID readers and computer programs will make the USDA’s job much easier. At the touch of a keystroke they will know how many cattle and what prices were paid. This will allow packers to know immediately which auction markets to send their buyers to in order buy their cattle the cheapest.

#4- One day you’ll sell a slaughter cow that will be ground up in a big batch of ground beef that could potentially have meat in it from a couple dozen countries. When it’s found that a specific batch of hamburger has e coli in it and because they’ll know your cow contributed to that particular batch the USDA will send officials out to your place to depopulate your entire herd, including those two new $10,000 bulls you just bought. D9 bulldozers will then show up to dig a big trench and bury all your beautiful cows. The packers will love it because they can assign all the blame to you and you’ll get sued and lose your ranch despite the fact that the dirty cow meat actually came from Australia.

#3- Using the IRS inventory you will receive a BIG BILL from the EPA based on how many head you own multiplied by their supposed greenhouse gas production.

#2- Good help will be as rare as a cowboy with a 401K. That’s because a cattleman will someday be able to check the temperature of all his cows, or all his cattle in a feedlot, with a drone and a special EID reader. Cowboys will be replaced by drone pilots and virtual fences.

#!- You inventory tax bill may be inflated by one head thanks to the Longhorn head hanging over your fireplace with an EID tag still in its ear.

 

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