FAMILY Reunion 9/24/11

It has been said, "you never get those times back again", usually about our young families and our children when they are little......But the truth of it, however unprofound it may be is we don't get any time back and so it becomes very important to cherish what moments we have to share.

Joan Elnora Neukam Burress

And so first I must pay tribute to our Mother, Joan Elnora Neukam Burress.

Bill Burress

And to our Father, William W. Burress for our linage and everything we are.

Grandma and Grandpa Neukam's wedding photo.

Then our wonderful Grandparents William Neukam and Elsie Bauer Neukam.

Grandma and Grandpa Burress' 50thWedding Anniversary.

And Robert Burress and Anna Eva Gibson Burress.

One last old photo I want to include hung that in the Burress home  is of Anna Eva and her half sister.  Grandma is on the right.

The half sister and Anna Eva Gibson Burress

As the oldest of their children I probably remember the now gone family members the most of us kids.

But what really counts is the new memories we are making for all of the little ones!!

Those rock climbers.

Those beautiful babies.

The memories we refresh in the minds of Mother and Gladys, Donnie, and Lester Earl.......and all of the rest!

So I thank you all for coming to our second reunion and if it goes forward I encourage you to bring other family members that we might grow and learn from them.

Here are the pictures from the reunion and I am just going to post them all today and I will work on filling in all of the names later. 

Bill Hagerty's family, wife Linda, niece Angelia and her husband Chad.

Gary Burress and family. Parents Bill and Joan. Son Casey and wife Amy. Walking in the background is Crystal Sisson McKenna and her children Connel & Caylen.

Sandy Vogel (maiden) Cave, daughter of Olphia, husband Doug and daughter Emma.

Billy Hagerty and a winning grin!! Son of Jaunita Burress and Lon Haggerty.

Billy's sis Carole (maiden) Mauder. daughter of Jaunita Burress and Bob Mauder.

Darla Biggs (maiden) Burress wife of Gary and Grandaughter Gracie.

Cheryl (maiden) Truelove Hlvers and husband Ron.

Carole Dudkowski, granddaughter Kaylee, grandson Kathon, and daughter Angelia.

Brian Cosby husband of Diane Burress and Donnie Neukam  (Joan's "baby" brother).

Lester Earl Truelove, Cheryl's brother and son of Catherine Burress and Woodrow Truelove.

Lester Earl's Family, son Tom and wife Diane.

Jeff Sisson, Linda Burress' husband.

Sherree Burress Bolling and husband Baxter.

Travis Burress, son of Gary, and long time gal, Kim!

Ron Gibson center with his lovely fiance Jena to the left and my Mother, Joan Burress to the right.

Glayds Baglon, daughter of Olphia and husband Clay Corrall.

Melissa Clos, daughter of Jeff & Linda Burress Sisson and infant granddaughter Brenna.

Steve Clos, son-in-law to Jeff and Linda Burress Sisson. Standing in the background is Parker Sisson.

Connel McKenna, son of Crystal & Chris and grandson of Linda and Jeff Sisson.

Jack Wade, son of Chris Wade, Grandson of Diane and Brian Cosby

Chris Wade son of Diane and Brian Cosby and Jack, (back to us) Sam Wade, Cheryl's two Grandson's, Michael and Mason, and Connel McKenna.  

Steve Clos and daughter Brenn

 Please call or e-mail me with additional names I can fill in on these pictures.  Also my apologies if I didn't get your picture of if it didn't come out.  I tried to get everyone and see now that I didn't.  Again I am so sorry.  Many thanks to everyone for all of the hard work, good food and good times.

God Bless you one and all until we meet again.

dkc

Apple Butter Ham

Does this sound good or what??? I am all for the pineapple and little red cherries but when I saw this recipe I knew I would have to try it. This is my other dish for the reunion. It just sounds so perfect for a fall day and ham is a great take along dish.

This is a recipe I adapted from a cookbook put out by the ladies of the Junior League of Evansville, Indiana. It is called Once Upon A Time, Recipes and Recollections From a River City, in 2003.

Ingredients:

1 (8-12 pound) fully cooked ham
24 whole cloves
16 oz. apple butter (I'm using a pint of my homemade)
1 1/2 C. ginger ale
1 C. real maple syrup
1/2 C. French Mustard

Score the fat on the ham into a diamond design and stud the scored fat with the cloves. Place the ham fat side up in a slightly greased 9 x 13" baking dish. Combine the apple butter, ginger ale, maple syrup, and French mustard in a bowl and stir well. Pour evenly over the ham. 

Bake at 350 degrees on the lower rack of the oven for 2 1/2 hours, basting with the pan juices every 20 minutes or thereabouts. Cool 20 minutes before slicing. Yield 20 servings.

Note: If your dinner plans were for fewer just use a half of a fully cooked ham (4-6 pounds) and cut the ingredients in half. I expect the cooking time would be about a hour and a half but there is usually a baking recommendation on the packaging. So check there too should you need to.

Cinnamon Molasses Blondies with Walnuts Just Feels like Fall!!

Heady aromas of cinnamon and molasses and chopped English walnuts give this bar cookie flavor plus!!

Golden rays of sunshine are streaming through the golden leaves as they change color on the dogwoods in my yard. I need an extra cup of coffee to get going and sleep a bit sounder these fall days. Desires for cinnamon and things baked in the oven play hide and seek in my consciousness as I go about my other tasks.

We have a family reunion to attend Saturday if Brian gets to feeling well enough to go. I am going ahead and do a bit of baking and if we don't go I am sure I can find someone to eat them!!

So my selection is a Cinnamon laced Blondie with a hint of molasses and studded with walnuts. I first saw this cookie on a blog called Chasing Delicious and have adapted it to our tastes.

Ingredients:

2 C. flour (King Arthur all purpose is my preference)
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon (Saigon is preferable)
2 sticks very soft butter (leave out overnight)
2 C. sugar
1/4 C. molasses
2 lg. eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla (Tahitian)
1 1/2 C. chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9 x 13 " pan by lining it completely bottom and sides with heavy duty aluminum foil. Spray with a nonstick vegetable spray and set aside for now.

Fully line 9 x 13" pan with foil.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and set aside. 

Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer and add the molasses while continuing to beat. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until all is well blended. Stir in the vanilla. 

On lowest speed blend in the flour mixture and then the walnuts just until incorporated. Do not over mix.

When fully cool peel back the foil.

Pour the batter, it will be stiff, into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 25 minutes and test with a pick. The pick should be dirty but not runny or wet. Cool completely before inverting the pan. Lift the pan off then remove the foil. Invert again so it is right side up then cut into bars.

My yield was 36 bar cookies.

You house will fill with the divine aromas of this bar cookie long before you have the pleasure of tasting them. What a two fold treat!!