Sunday, January 18, 2026
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Trail Cookies

By
Debbie Dance Uhrig
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It’s a Sunday afternoon, and I once again find myself picking chickens. That is taking roasted hens and pulling the meat from the bones and then making homemade stock! I think the stock is sometimes my favorite part! Tonight I’m making salads for dinner with chicken added to the vegetables.

Then; my palate has been watering for a good trail cookie. I’ve named them Mark Twain Trail Cookies, because I live in the Mark Twain Forest, here in the Ozark Mountains. You can call them by your own name, just remember to change the recipe out with at least 2 changes, and re-write the directions in your words. I haven’t shared that tip in a very long time!

There have been times when I just go ‘poof’ and write a recipe as I’m making something. This time, however; I put 3-5 days into my thought process, trying to render a trail cookie that met my personal specifications.. What was I looking for? First, I didn’t want a rock hard cookie, thus the reason for using part shortening and part butter in the mixture. The shortening helped with the body and the butter brings in the marvelous flavor. My shortening was also butter flavored, but I think you would be fine without butter flavored.

I have both baking soda and baking powder in the recipe. The powder is going to help with a little lift to the cookie. I did dissolve the baking soda in warm water, that’s just to give it a better disbursement within the dough.

My additional product was dried cherries, dark chocolate chips, walnuts and date pieces. Can you believe I was blessed with a gift this weed of walnuts, almonds and date pieces??!! Indeed, what a gift, so tomorrow my husband, Ervin, gets to go deliver a few of these yummies to the kind friend who shared them with us.

I wondered when I baked them if I would be happy with a 2 tablespoon scoop versus a big 3 tablespoon scoop. The 2 tablespoon won, after dropping the scoop on the sheet I gently pressed each cookie down just a bit. This ended up rendering a beautiful size with the perfect thickness.

Sugar content, if you desired, a bit of honey could be brought in to help with the bind, but if you let these cookies sit to cool, and don’t try to eat them hot they stay bound quite nicely. I used dark brown sugar and no white sugar at all because I wanted more of the molasses flavor. Some people will take a cookie like this and shake on a bit of salt over the top, just as they wrap up the baking, or they will string a bit of melted caramel over the top. I’m great without these additions.

I eat a great deal of breakfast bars of a morning because I don’t like to eat when I first get out of bed. This week I popped into a favorite local bakery and had one of their trail cookies. What I noticed was the fact that I didn’t get hungry as fast as usual, in fact I made it til 3pm for lunch. It wasn’t planned for such a late lunch, it just happened, do to all the errand running. So the point I am making is use these for your breakfast to go bars. You might even consider the 3 tablespoon scoop in a muffin tin for a bigger on the go serving.

White chips might be nice with the dried cherries too. Coconut is another addition, but I would omit it if kids are eating the cookies. I broke up the English Walnut in a Ziploc bag with a soft pounding tool. Why? I wanted the walnuts to stick out, not ground down like you would for a cake or muffin. I started with halves, not pieces, etc. All kinds of nutmeats would work, you might even use a peanut!

Let’s chat flour real quickly. If you wanted to take out the small amount of all purpose flour for perhaps almond flour, it’s quite doable. Blue Diamond Almond Flour has a good chart on line to help you with the switch out. One thing you may need to pay heed to is the bind using almond flour, you may need to add a bit of honey or other binding agents.

Oatmeal comparisons: If you go with original long cooking oats you can use the same amount as I did with the quick cooking oats. You will notice they bake crispier than the quick cook which render a softer cookie.

OK tip time is wrapping up, and I have another dozen of cookies to pull from the oven. I cannot believe we are looking at returning to school, summer has just flown. Have an outstanding week my friends. Simply Yours. Debbie

MOMS: Bake these and put them in the freezer for after school snacks or the

lunchbox! It’s time to get creative again for lunches.

Mark Twain Trail Cookies

350 degree oven, 12 minutes per dozen

Yield: 3-4 dozen if doubled

4 tablespoons softened salted butter

¼ cup butter flavored shortening

¼ cup smooth peanut butter

¾ cup dark brown sugar

1 whisked egg

½ teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in1 tablespoon warm water

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup all purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons additional flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups quick cooking oats

6-7 ounces dark chocolate chips

½ cup scant dried cherries, my cherries were pretty big

½ cup date pieces, also scant half cup

½ cup English Walnuts, broken, not small pieces

Basically the recipe comes together in the order it is written. Cream the butters and shortening until well blended before working in the dark brown sugar, followed by the egg. Add the baking soda, baking soda, flour, salt and vanilla next. Bring to a good blend. Lastly; add the quick cooking oats and the remaining 4 ingredients. I did not use a mixer for this recipe, so by the time I got to the last four ingredients I dawned my disposable gloves and worked the dough quite well before baking. Using a 2 tablespoon scoop drop a dozen cookies on a sheet. Using an oiled glass press the cookies down slightly before baking. My bake time was 12 minutes per dozen; but I baked mine on a jelly roll pan. If you use a traditional cookie sheet with no sides, you may find them cooking faster!

Be sure and read the notes within the column for the reasons behind each ingredient and the baking outcome. Enjoy, Debbie

Anything New Under the Sun?

By
Steve Gilliland
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Even though I am a grandpa, I try hard not to look or act like the stereotypical, frumpy, old grandpa who thinks the world should function like it did when I was a kid, but allow me to digress a little in starting this week’s column.

I’m the oldest of five kids, and my nearest sibling in age is six years younger than me, so growing up, I had to learn to amuse myself, a skill sadly missing in many kids today. I’ll come clean here that I love my smart phone. I’m a FOX News junky, and enjoy surfing through FOX news or Facebook on my phone when sitting in front of TV in the evening or when waiting on my wife in a store parking lot, so I understand the draw. But When I was a kid and on-my-own, I learned to build hay forts in the “haymow,” shoot blackbirds along the creek with mom’s old .410 shotgun, and to catch crawdads under the bridge that crossed the creek in our pasture.

That bridge had metal sides that were three or four feet high and was built like a tank, but the huge, thick wooden planks that were the floor, were not fastened down and just laid in place, so there were big gaps between them. I learned I could lay on the planks looking through at the creek below, and catch crawdads with a long, forked willow stick. The water below was shallow and clear, and the crawdads would lay in the mud there. I’d cut the forked ends of the stick three or four inches long, and when I jabbed the forked end across an unsuspecting crawdad, they would flex enough to trap it between them like a clamp, and I could often raise the captured crawdad up through the planks, where I’d pull it out, toss it back and try again.

In the first chapter of Ecclesiastes 1 in the Bible, verse 9 says “What has been, will be again, what has been done, will be done again, there is nothing new under the sun.” Well guess what, speaking of crawdads, awhile back, the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) discovered a new crawdad species in Kansas. The Aquatic Nuisance Species Program and Ecological Services section of the KDWPT recently funded a university project focused on sampling Kansas lakes for invasive “crayfish,” (which is the politically correct name for the little buggers.) This study establishes processes that can be used to monitor both native and invasive crayfish in KS, something that has never been done before, and a process that some questioned the need for. During capturing efforts at McPherson State

Fishing Lake, the need for this process was validated early-on, as sampling found multiple Rusty Crayfish, an invasive species never before found in KS. Both males and females of various ages were found, indicating a reproducing population is established in McPherson State Fishing Lake. Rusty Crayfish are large aggressive crayfish known to attack the feet of unsuspecting swimmers, and outcompetes native fish and crayfish for forage that acts as important cover for select prey species.

Since Rusty Crayfish most likely arrived in Kansas as fishing bait, this a perfect place to remind everyone of the KS regulation regarding the use of live fishing bait here in our state. Quoting from the regulations, “Live baitfish, crayfish, leeches, amphibians and mussels, except for bluegill and green sunfish from non-designated aquatic nuisance waters, and baitfish, crayfish, leeches, amphibians and mussels from designated nuisance waters, may be caught and used as live bait only within the common drainage where caught.” In summary and in layman’s terms, this means, use wild bait ONLY where you catch it, DO NOT take it anywhere it couldn’t have gotten to on its own. This will help keep aquatic nuisance species like our “new” friend the Rusty Crayfish, from spreading to other KS waters… Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

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

Gas well experience

By
Milo Yield
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Thayne Cozart
Milo Yield

This is an era when drilling new oil and gas wells in the U.S. is commonplace. New oil and gas deposits are being found, and successfully drilled into, in places formerly thought to have no fossil fuel deposits.

That fact prompted an old stingy farmer, named Ty Twad, to convince himself that he should drill an oil/gas well near his home for the sole purpose of finding a natural gas pocket that would about eliminate the cost for heating his home and his shop during the long cold winters. Ty even had a dream that suggested that he could drill a gas well and enjoy “cheap” home heating for the rest of his life.

So, he called up a nearby oil/gas well driller and got a firm cost per foot to drill the well. He wuz happy to note that he’d saved up enuf moolah to drill the well down to 4,000 feet.

But, then the driller called back and said that it would be a waste of time and money to drill an gas well next to Ty’s home because the experts had looked at all the geological data and determined that there wuz no oil or gas beneath Ty’s place.

But, ol’ Ty wuz so convinced that his dream had been correct that he told the driller, “Well, let’s give it a try anyway. I’ve got the money and you’ve got the drill. Let’s drill a hole and see whether or not there’s a gas pocket down there.

So, reluctantly, the driller arrived, set up his drill, and commenced drilling. When he reached 1,000 feet, he suggested to Ty that it might be wise to quit.

Ty responded, “Nope, keep on drilling. I’ve just got that feeling I’d best keep drilling.”

So, the driller kept drilling and got to 2,000 feet. Again, he said it looked futile and it’d save Ty money to call it quits.

But, Ty said, “Go deeper. I just know we’re gonna hit that gas pocket.”

So, the driller went to 3,000 feet with the same negative result — and the same answer from Ty.

But, when the drilling reached 4,000 feet with not even a sniff of natural gas, ol’ Ty finally gave in. “Quit drilling. I’ve ran out of money to go deeper. My gut instinct and my dream were clearly wrong,”

That’s when the driller asked, “Do you want to spend a bit more to plug the dry hole? It’s the law that it has to be plugged unless it’s in use.”

That’s when Ty had another idea. “Nope. Just leave it open. I’ll build me a new outdoor privy over it. At 4,000 feet it will never fill up. It won’t smell or draw flies either.”

So, after the driller left, Ty build himself a fancy new one-hole privy. He build it out of bricks. He even put a half-moon window in the door.

Looking satisfied with his handy-work, Ty decided to celebrate his new privy with an outdoors cookout with his neighbors.

After the neighbors had gathered for the party, Ty broke into the conversation and declared, “Listen up, folks. I’ve spent a pretty penny on this fancy new outhouse. So, now’s the time to break it in. I’ll be the first to use it.”

And, that’s what he did. He entered his new privy with a wave to the crowd, told the folks, “I ain’t used one of these old outhouses since I wuz a kid,” and then he shut the door,

The crowd outdoors waited … and they waited … and they waited. Soon, after about two minutes, they heard an alarmingly loud thump from inside Ty’s new outhouse.

Concerned, they opened the door and were shocked to see ol’ Ty lying unconscious on the floor of his new privy. He wuz breathing, but out of it.

Someone dragged Ty out of the privy. Someone else fetched a bucket of cold water, threw it into his face, and slapped him on the cheek.

Ol’ Ty spluttered, gasped, and blinked back to consciousness.

“What in the world happened in there?” his closest friend asked.

“Well, I recalled when I wuz a kid I always held my breath until I heard ‘it’ hit the water.”

***

I read recently that some supermarkets are experimenting with “digital pricing.” That means the price of each item is displayed digitally on the shelf by it. And, it means that prices can be changed instantly, so you might be reaching for a package of $10 hamburger and the price might change to $10.50 right before your eyes.

The stores are trying this to see if it improves profits. My guess it that it will increase customer dissatisfaction more then it will increase profits. It’s just another inconvenience of living in the digital age. I hope it never catches on.

***

My “Masked Bandit War” to preserve my sweet corn crop took a couple of notable turns this week. First, I caught my third raccoon in a live trap. But, then I caught a skunk. Uh, oh! It took a bit of ingenuity on my part, but I managed to handle that situation with a negligible residual skunk smell around the house.

***

Lost another near life-long friend last week at the age of 94. When we buried her, Charlene had more than 65 great-grandkids, more than 20 great-great grandkids, with five more on the way. Her life was a productive one, for sure. RIP.

***

Words of wisdom for the week: “Spend time with your elders. Not everything can be learned on Google.” Have a good ‘un.

Inside the FSA: What Kansas Farmers Need to Know Now

By
Guest Columnist
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Kansas Wheat

Contact: Marsha Boswell, [email protected]

For the audio version, visit kswheat.com.

Kansas wheat producers depend on USDA programs every year, but how those programs are delivered can make the difference between smooth support and frustrating delays. In Episode 316 of the Wheat’s On Your Mind podcast, Kansas FSA State Director David Schemm joins the show to explain what’s happening behind the scenes at the Farm Service Agency and how new efficiencies are being rolled out across the state.

 

This isn’t just a policy update. Schemm details how real structural changes, like regionalizing certain loan programs, have significantly reduced processing time for farm storage loans, freeing up local staff and reducing paperwork burdens for producers.

 

“We took that approximately 60 hours of employee time clear down to about 20 hours,” Schemm said, explaining how the switch to regional processing streamlined operations and helped county offices focus on core services. For Kansas wheat growers considering on-farm storage upgrades or grain handling improvements, this shift could make those investments more accessible and timely.

 

The podcast episode also addresses the challenges of staffing rural FSA offices, especially as many field offices operate with just one or two program technicians. Schemm outlines how internal restructuring and technology upgrades aim to relieve pressure on overextended staff while maintaining the same level of in-person service Kansas farmers expect.

 

The conversation digs into the evolving relationship between producers and USDA services. As a new generation of farmers begins managing operations, the demand for digital tools and remote access is growing.

 

“My son Clay is back on the farm, and he wants to do everything on his phone,” Schemm said. “That shift, younger producers wanting to engage differently, is why we’re modernizing how FSA serves farmers.” Kansas FSA is responding with more mobile-compatible options, streamlined sign-up processes and better integration with precision ag platforms, all designed to save time and improve access.

 

Farmers also get a clear rundown of often-overlooked FSA tools, including the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), beginning farmer loans and expanded uses for farm storage facility loans. These programs can support younger or expanding operations and are especially relevant in times of tight margins and increased interest rates.

 

Finally, the podcast explores the uncertain outlook for federal farm policy. With no formal farm bill yet in place, Kansas producers will want to pay close attention to how the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” could impact reference prices, revenue protections and disaster assistance in the months ahead.

 

From policy to programs to practical efficiency, Episode 316 offers Kansas wheat producers a rare look at the inner workings of the agency that shapes much of their operational risk and financial support.

 

Listen to Episode 316 of Wheat’s On Your Mind or one of our other episodes at wheatsonyourmind.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Running and Knee Pain: Debunking the Myths with Science

By
Guest Columnist
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You’ve likely heard — maybe even from a medical professional — that “ is bad for your knees.” But robust scientific evidence, including X-rays, MRIs, population surveys and long-term data, tells a different story: recreational running doesn’t increase the risk of hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA). In fact, it may reduce it.

Debunking the Arthritis Myth

Despite popular belief, running isn’t a cause of OA. A 2017 meta-analysis in the Journal of Sports and Orthopaedic Physical Therapy found lower OA rates among recreational runners compared to sedentary individuals. More recently, Hartwell et al. (2024) surveyed 3,804 marathon runners and found no increased OA rates, even among those with decades of high-mileage training. Impressively, 94% reported no diagnosis of hip or knee OA, and many with more years and higher mileage reported less joint pain overall.

The Osteoarthritis Initiative, a longitudinal study of nearly 4,800 individuals over eight years, adds further support. Runners showed no structural progression or narrowing in joint imaging, even among those with pre-existing OA. Interestingly, runners who continued to run were more likely to experience resolution of knee pain than those who didn’t.

The Role of Metabolism in Joint Degeneration

OA is increasingly understood as a metabolic condition rather than a wear-and-tear issue. Risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and insulin resistance, which are components of metabolic syndrome, can accelerate cartilage breakdown and raise the likelihood of requiring total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

A large Norwegian cohort study (HUNT data) linked to the Arthroplasty Register found those with metabolic syndrome were significantly more likely to undergo TKA, even when adjusting for lifestyle factors. Similarly, a 2025 case-control study found that 68% of OA patients who had TKA met criteria for metabolic syndrome — nearly double the rate of those who avoided surgery.

Why Running Helps

Recreational running addresses key metabolic stressors that contribute to OA. It reduces body fat and inflammation by lowering levels of harmful adipokines, which are hormones released by fat cells that promote cartilage damage. Running also boosts insulin sensitivity and helps regulate blood sugar, reducing the low-grade inflammation associated with metabolic syndrome.

From a mechanical perspective, running supports joint integrity. Cartilage thrives on cyclical loading, and running supplies the ideal stimulus to help it stay nourished. Maintaining a healthy weight is also crucial; every extra pound of body weight adds roughly four pounds of compressive force to the knee with each step. Strengthening muscles and building bone density through running improves joint stability, reducing the risk of deterioration.

Smart Training = Injury Prevention

Running injuries are more often linked to training mistakes than to running itself. Sudden mileage increases, lack of strength support or ignoring warning signs are common culprits.

To minimize risk:

· Progress gradually. Avoid large changes in running.

· Incorporate strength training, especially for the glutes, quads, hamstrings and core.

· Tune into your body. Soreness is normal, but sharp or persistent pain warrants rest or adjustment.

Bottom Line

Far from being a joint hazard, running can be a powerful protector, especially for those managing metabolic risk factors. It strengthens supportive structures, counters inflammation and may delay or prevent OA and even TKA. With thoughtful training, running can help preserve joint health for decades to come.

Matt Dewald is a physical therapist who holds a position as an associate professor in the University of South Dakotas Department of Physical Therapy. He also serves as director of the Sanford Health and USD Sports Physical Therapy Residency, where he treats runners. His research focuses on running injuries, and he serves as education chair of the Running Special Interest Group within the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy. A dedicated runner himself, Matt starts most mornings on the move outdoors. Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.orgPrairie Doc Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Threads. Programming includes On Call with the Prairie Doc®, a medical Q&A show (most Thursdays at 7pm streaming on Facebook), 2 podcasts, and a Radio program (on SDPB), providing health information based on science, built on trust.

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