All posts by Publius Jr.

I’m a US Army Veteran, who used his GI Bill to earn a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics at the U of MN. I had transferred in from Iowa State University. I had a Secret Security Clearance for the job I did in the Army. I am a Packers Shareholder. I am a straight knitter. I put my intellectual ideas in a file I keep called Tom’s Bright Ideas. I’m a writer of sorts started from my letter writing I used to do in the Army at Ft Bliss Texas. I’m originally from Winona MN and I love maple frosted Long Johns from Bloedow’s Bakery.
Recipes

Shared Recipes: Oatmeal Raisin with Molasses Cookies

Leave a comment

Our  Neighborhood Party Chair of MN HD 66B Republicans, Tom Polachek, is a US Army Veteran. Last year he did a temporary job at the VA Hospital in Bloomington, Minnesota. He tells the joy of working alongside fellow Veterans.

When he first started working there he didn’t know it at the time he would eventually fall into the habit of making homemade-from-scratch Cookies nearly every week. The ones posted here with the exception of the “Energy Bites,” he would make.

It was a morale booster and I was planting in the minds of my fellow workers to recommend me for permanent employment there.—Tom Polachek

His boss, Brett, had a favorite cookie usually supplied by one of the salesmen,  Best Maid Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. At first break Brett would share a cookie with Tom, and his workmate Pat K (see Healthified Chocolate Chip Cookies–Pat’s Favorite).

So on one of Brett’s weekly days off–Fridays, Tom took a look at the ingredients on the Best Maid bag. It had a bunch of ingredients one couldn’t buy at the store like Barley Flour (in some stores you might find it, not his) and one he could: Molasses. He had never used Molasses in a recipe before.

So he looked up Oatmeal Raisin Cookies on his Better Crocker App and I found a recipe that had molasses in it, and he made it.

At the store he noticed one thing: there are two choices in Molasses either strong or mild. He took the mild. Later when he was making the cookies the aroma of the mild molasses took his breath away. “I can’t imagine what the Strong smells like,” he said.

The batter with the molasses in is not something to sample a lot of, as it has a pungent flavor. Below is the recipe for Brett’s favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Ingredients

A. 1 1/4 cups sugar

B. 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

C. 1/3 cup molasses*

D. 2 eggs

E. 1 2/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour (regular brand is fine)

F. 1 teaspoon baking soda

G. 1/4 teaspoon salt

H. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

J. 2 cups quick-cooking oats

K. 1 cup raisins

* I suggest mild flavor molasses. Your store might only have one type, so you don’t have a choice, but if there is a Mild then I suggest to go with it.

 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together A-D.

2. Stir in E through H. (blending the flour in first and oats last after the other ingredients is wise. I like to put these F-H ingredients in with the flour so it’s not isolated in one spot as the oatmeal will make the batter thick)

3. Stir in J with mixing spoon. (The blender will have problems with the batter)

4. Stir in K (raisins).

5. Preheat Oven to 375 F.

6. Prepare your ungreased cookie sheets (I like to use SILPAT Baking Mats on my Airbake cookie sheets). Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart.

7. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or just until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

 

Directions with Photos

1. In a large bowl, stir together A-D.

Start with the Sugar (A) and add the softened Butter (B)

Cream the A & B together

Add the molasses (C)

Add 2 eggs (D) and blend it

(I realize I’m not taking my own advice about adding the oatmeal last as the photos show…oh well take my advice)

2. Add E thru H

1 2/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour (regular brand is fine) (E)

Add 1 teaspoon baking soda (F)

Add salt (G)

Add Cinnamon (H)

3. Stir in J with mixing spoon. (The blender will have problems with the batter)

4. Stir in K (raisins).

5. Preheat Oven to 375 F.

6. Prepare your ungreased cookie sheets (I like to use Silpat baking mats on my Airbake cookie sheets). Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart.

The SILPAT Baking Mat is excellent. It allows for even baking, cooling, and a non-stick surface.

7. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or just until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

ENJOY!

HD66B, Recipes

Sharing Recipes: Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Cookies

Leave a comment

When the MNGOP HQ was in St Paul our Chair Tom Polachek used to volunteer upon the request of the office manager Barb Linert. Whether it was for phone-banking for candidates, or doing Precinct Caucus Data Entry after a Caucus Tom said the party didn’t always provide something to snack on so he would make cookies and bring them to share with others who were volunteering.

At the 2018 State Convention in Duluth Minnesota, Tom brought cookies for each Delegate & Alternate attending the convention.

Since we’re “Social Distancing,” and doing  remote conventions, Tom can’t bring cookies to those who attend.  Instead he is providing the recipe for you to make and share at home.

This is a recipe called Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies by Debby from Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

A. 1 1/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) softened

B. 2 cups sugar

C. 2 eggs

D. 2 tsp vanilla

E. 2 cups flour

F. 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa

G. 1 tsp baking soda

H. 1/2 tsp salt

J. 2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. In large mixing bowl cream A & B together.

2. Add into A&B mixture C & D.

3. Sift E, F, G, and H together into into ABCD mixture blend using low speed on mixer.

4. Stir into mixture J with wooden spoon.

5. Preheat oven 350 F

6. Drop by teaspoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheets.

7. Bake 6-9 minutes (do not overbake cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooking).

8. Cool slightly on cookie sheet remove from sheet to cool completely on wire rack.

Directions with Photos

1. In large mixing bowl cream A & B together.

Normally I like to add a little bit of the sugar at a time but the butter was super soft.

2. Add into A&B mixture C & D.

Add Vanilla.

Add two large eggs

Blend well.

3. Sift E, F, G, and H together into into ABCD mixture blend using low speed on mixer.

It is wise to have a catch bowl when adding the dry ingredients to the sifter.

Although out of order Baking soda and salt it’s not a big deal as you’re sifting them together

Add Salt

Add cocoa. All dry ingredients in the sifter. Start to add a little bit at a time while blending.

4. Stir into mixture Mini Chocolate Chips with wooden spoon.

5. Preheat oven 350 F

6. Drop by teaspoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheets.

(I went with smaller sized cookies as chewy cookies are easier to handle)

I like the Silpat baking mat as the cookies do not stick, cool faster and clean up is a snap.

7. Bake 6-9 minutes (do not overbake cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooking).

With the bake mat and Airbake cookie sheets I set the timer for 8 minutes.

8. Cool slightly on cookie sheet remove from sheet to cool completely on wire rack.

While the cookies were baking I did some clean up. It’s too bad I didn’t have a helper due to social distancing. I had to clean off both of these.

Enjoy!

HD66B

US Senate Candidate Jason Lewis to Visit HD 66B Republicans January 14th

Former 2nd Congressional District Representative Jason Lewis.

First there was Rob Barrett Jr who visited our Bpou meeting on July 9, 2019. Now the well known US Senate Candidate Jason Lewis will visit our regular bpou meeting on January 14, 2020 from 6:30 pm, at John’s Pizza Cafe’s Garden Room, 616 Como Ave (corner of Northbound Dale and Eastbound Como).

Jason Lewis will address us for about 45 minutes. Then we will continue with planning for the HD 66B Republicans Precinct Caucuses on February 25, 2020.

If you would like to order ahead at John’s Pizza Cafe go to their website at johnspizzacafe.com Their number is 651-488-1922.

This will be a working meeting, so be prepared to get involved in the planning. We are looking for Block Captains to help organize precincts and participate in precinct activities.

HD66B, St Paul

Mike “Bones” Hartzell Resident of Rice St Passes Away at 71

Leave a comment

Rice Street has lost its most famous Resident Mike Hartzell aka Bones.  We at MN HD 66B Republicans will miss Mike. Here is an article written by Fred Melo a reporter at St Paul Pioneer Press on December 3, 2018. ~~ Publius Jr

Mike “Bones” Hartzell, shown in a Jan. 1997 file photo, has been a familiar sight winter and summer along Rice Street from University Avenue to Maryland Avenue. Hartzell is known for his caravan of carts and wagons, including his heavily-loaded wheelbarrow. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)
| fmelo@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press

In St. Paul’s North End, Mike Hartzell was known by another name, one that drew familiar nods and warm smiles from storefront to storefront. “Bones” called Rice Street home, and residents and business owners claimed him as their own.

When television and newspaper reports described him as homeless, some bristled.

“The writer missed the point,” said a reader, responding online after a Feb. 2017 news article about a state legislative proclamation recognizing Bones on his 70th birthday. “Bones isn’t homeless. Rice Street is Bones’ home!”

Bones, a Vietnam veteran who swept and shoveled Rice Street’s sidewalks for his meals and found community outside its bars and stores, died Sunday following an illness, according to friends and family. He was 71.

In Feb. 2017, two state lawmakers read a proclamation at Lonetti’s Lounge on Rice Street honoring Bones on the occasion of his 70th birthday. The celebration included a nacho bar, cake and ice cream.

The proclamation recognized “Bones as an upstanding citizen of St. Paul and icon on Rice Street.” It noted that Bones attended Washington High School and, after graduation, served in the U.S. Armed Forces in Vietnam, a period that Rice Street locals say he never liked to talk about.

It went on to say: “After discharge, Bones became highly independent, caring for the North End neighborhood to the best of his ability … He is a steward of the community, cleaning up streets and sidewalks along Rice Street and caring for the health of abandoned pets.”

“He believes the world without walls is his home and has worked hard to keep the community safe … Bones became an iconic figure on Rice Street, and all stores in the area welcome him with respect.”

A Facebook page that was created a few years ago to track his exploits drew more than 11,000 followers, and a smattering of impromptu pictures of Bones on his bicycle. When his bicycle was stolen, the neighborhood sprang into action, scouring corners until it was returned to him.

Keith Skip Duffney, one of many Rice Streeters who considered Bones an unofficial extension of his own family, told the Facebook community on Nov. 20 that “Mike is still in hospital with pneumonia and a very weak heart. He is being stubborn about his care and he would like to go to VA hospital. We are trying to get him moved but that is not easy. We don’t really know what will happen here but praying for recovery.”

“I know Mike has been lucky to have all of you caring for him all these years,” he added.

On Sunday morning, as it became clear Bones had been transferred to hospice care, Jeremiah Welter posted, “I don’t know when things took such a turn for the worst? He seemed alright when we went and (saw) him in the hospital. He is very strong-willed and resilient though.” By Sunday night, Welter and others associated with Tin Cup’s Bar were fundraising for an engraved bench in Bones’ memory

Memorial Gathering on December 11th

A memorial gathering will be held from noon to 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at Bradshaw Funeral Home, 1078 Rice St. There will be a time of sharing at 3 p.m. and a prayer service at 4 p.m. A community gathering at the Klub Haus, 1079 Rice St., will follow.

%d bloggers like this: