Trojan Times
November 2022 Edition
Vote On Your Favorite Thanksgiving Food!
Thanksgiving Themed Blooket
Next Month's Pole! What Do You Want For Christmas?
Remembering Mrs. Thompson
We will never forget the impact Mrs. Thompson had on each of our lives.
“Lauren was a shining star on the CMS faculty and was loved by her students and fellow staff members. This is a great loss to our students, faculty, and staff members.”
-CMS Principal Mr. Hamacher
“We are devastated, our prayers go out to her husband and family. It is with great sorrow that we provide support and comfort to our students and staff.”
-DSC Superintendent Dr. Pettit
"Be the things you loved most about those who are gone."
-Anonymous
The History of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States, and Thanksgiving 2022 occurs on Thursday, November 24. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
Written by: Madilynn Beschinski
Edited by: Aiden Workman-Kolczak
Poetry Corner
Thanksgiving Day
By: Madilynn Beschinski
Over the river, and through the wood,
To grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way
To carry the sleigh
Through the white and drifted snow.
Over the river, and through the wood—
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes
And bites the nose
As over the ground we go.
Over the river, and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring
"Ting-a-ling-ding",
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!
Over the river, and through the wood
Trot fast, my dapple-gray!
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting-hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.
Over the river, and through the wood,
And straight through the barn-yard gate.
We seem to go
Extremely slow,—
It is so hard to wait!
Over the river and through the wood—
Now grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin-pie!
What Are You Thankful For?
December Sports Schedule
Boys Basketball
As basketball season fires up, the boys at Chesterton Middle School are putting their game faces on. 7th and 8th grade Trojans stood their ground at tryouts, while the coaches examined their upcoming star players. On Tuesday, October 25 after school, 8th grade boys met at the main gym. The shiny floor squeaked from Paul Georges and Lebron Witnesses. Coach leads the tryouts and writes notes on a clipboard. Memory, dribbling, screening, and cutting drills were the main event. Though some struggled, many players dominated on the court.
Once our teams have been picked out, practice can begin! Our team interviewed some of the best 8th and 7th grade players during practice, and got their input on the season. 8th grader Peyton Dilbeck says that his motivation is the game itself. He was influenced by his dad to start playing, and mentioned, “The game is just really fun, that’s why I love playing.” However, Ryan Hicks says that his motivation to play is winning the championship.
Out of season, players like to go on runs and eat healthy food to stay fit. “Out of season, soccer is what keeps me in shape,” 7th grader Cooper Huwig states. Many of the players do other sports when it is not basketball season. Jake Billings voiced, “I play football. Lineman.”
We also asked the team, “What are some good foods or drinks to eat before a game?” Water, Gatorade, and protein bars summarizes a player’s appetite before a game. “Pretty much protein bars, or stuff that will give us a lot of energy,” Huwig states. Jake notes, “Gatorade helps give you energy, especially before a game.” On the contrary, we also asked the players what not to eat. “Sugary things like junk foods aren’t very good,” says Dilbeck.
All in all, the 2022-2023 Trojan basketball season is off to an amazing start, and there is much more to come.
Article by: Ruby Dudek
Comic Strips By Adam
Created by: Adam Tenbarge
Events in the Region in December
Holly Days in Valparaiso
December 2nd and 3rd, 2022
Kick off Christmas early this year! On December 2nd and 3rd Valparaiso will be hosting their Holly Days events! What is Holly Days you may ask? Well let us tell ya! Holly Days is a fun filled 2 days to get you in the Christmas spirit!
On Friday, December 2nd, 2022 from 5-7, Valpo will be hosting their annual tree lighting. This will be held at the Porter County Public Library Rotary Library Garden.
On Saturday, December 3rd, 2022 from 3-6, Valpo will be having more holiday fun to attend. These events will take place in the courthouse lawn and Central Park Plaza. The following events will take place:
-Pictures with Santa at the Northwest Health Amphitheater
-Holiday Train Rides
-Candy Cane Lane on the courthouse lawn
-Live entertainment
Elf the Musical at Memorial Opera House
What is this musical all about? It is based on the movie Elf featuring Will Ferrell, however, here is a quick snippet as to what to expect!
Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and that his half-brother doesn't even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
The musical will play on the following dates:
Sat, Dec 10th, 2022 at 2:00 pm
Sat, Dec 10th, 2022 at 7:00 pm
Sun, Dec 11th, 2022 at 2:00 pm
Fri, Dec 16th, 2022 at 7:00 pm
Sat, Dec 17th, 2022 at 2:00 pm
Sat, Dec 17th, 2022 at 7:00 pm
Sun, Dec 18th, 2022 at 2:00 pm
And remember.... The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.
Sunset Hill Farm Drive Thru Christmas Lights
Don’t forget that the Winter Lights Drive renamed Holiday Lights Drive Thru is open nightly at Sunset Hill Park from dusk thru 9 pm Nov. 19th, 2022 through January 1st, 2023 – FREE! The drive thru features a lighting of a display of myriad, dazzling light displays throughout the park.
The light displays are unique to the park, and many of them were custom-made by members of the maintenance staff. Some of the displays include farm scenes consisting of various pieces, a roller coaster in lights over 20 feet tall, and Santa taking off into the sky pulled by his reindeer and many more. The Winter Lights Drive Thru has been going on since 1999 – now in its 18th year.
Address: 775 Meridian Rd #8507, Valparaiso, IN 46383
Bass Pro Pictures With Santa
November Food Recipes
Don’t know what foods are perfect for November? Only thing coming to mind is bagel bites? I can help! The UDR (unique delicious recipes) are here to help! We’ll cover every recipe from turkey to stuffing to make sure you’re left happy and stress-free. Day of the Dead recipes and Thanksgiving recipes but also stuff you can have from day-to-day. These will definitely bring some smiles to peoples’ faces.
Lentil Bolognese
Ingredients: tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 cup carrots, small diced
1 1/2 cups celery diced
4–6 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes- optional
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs)
1/3 cup tomato paste
Generous splash red wine (optional) 1/4 cup-ish
1 1/4 cup black caviar lentils (or other small lentils- see notes)
3 medium tomatoes, diced with juices (or sub a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes)
3 1/2 cups veggie stock or broth (or sub water plus 2-3 boullion cubes)
3/4 cup hemp seeds, or crushed toasted walnuts or pecans
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions: Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes stirring until fragrant.
Lower heat to medium, then add the carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and herbs. Saute 7-8 minutes, stirring.
Add the tomato paste, browning it just a bit in the pan (this will deepen the flavor), then deglaze with wine if you want, scraping up any brown bits.
Once most of the wine has cooked off add the tomatoes and their juices, cook them down for just a few minutes.
Add the lentils, veggie stock and hemp seeds or walnuts. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, lower heat to low, and simmer gently 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Uncover.
Continue cooking uncovered until most of the liquid has cooked off. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, vinegar and chili flakes to your liking. Keep in mind, you want this just slightly salty if tossing with pasta.
Serve this tossed with your favorite pasta or serve it over this creamy polenta or this Instant Pot Polenta. Sprinkle with optional pecorino cheese… or try this Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle!
Notes:
If your veggie broth is bland or your bolognese is bland, you can intensify the depth here by adding a tiny splash of soy sauce, or miso paste mixed with a little water, or a little veggie stock bouillon paste.
Feel free to sub-French Green Lentils or Split Red lentils
This can be made ahead and will keep up to 4 days in the fridge.
Nutritional value: Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 268
Sugar: 6.4 g
Sodium: 481.6 mg
Fat: 11.5 g
Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
Carbohydrates: 30.9 g
Fiber: 6.6 g
Protein: 13.9 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Biscuits
flour
baking powder
salt
fresh rosemary
butter, frozen and grated
buttermilk
Instructions:
Start potatoes, carrots, cauliflower steaming. Then get the onions caramelizing with olive oil.
Sauté (What does Sauté mean?-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTyV3JExDT8) celery a bit with the browning onions then push to the side and add chicken chunks and herbs, cooking about 8-10 minutes.
Pushing chicken to the edges, melt butter in the middle of the pan and whisk the flour in. Add the chicken broth and bring it to a simmer.
Add steamed potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, wine, black pepper and nutmeg, simmering for about 5 minutes more.
Turn off the heat, stir in cream, lemon juice and frozen peas into the chicken filling.
Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Making the Biscuits:
Chilled ingredients are the key to flakey biscuits!
Grate frozen butter keeping cold while you mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and rosemary in a large bowl. Add butter and chilled buttermilk. Mix together just enough to form a cohesive dough.
Let dough rest for a few minutes.
Scoop 10 biscuits onto the top of the filling.
Bake in a preheated oven – 425F for 10 minutes then turn the oven down to 375F for 20 minutes. ASK AN ADULT FOR HELP AND STAY SAFE
You can also bake this in a large baking dish.
Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead Bread):
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons anise seeds (We used poppy seeds and it was yummy!)
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh (uncooked) cranberries (optional)
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons white sugar (for glaze)
Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and the butter until the butter melts completely. Remove from heat and add warm water.
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, yeast, salt, anise (or poppy) seeds, and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat in the warm milk mixture. Add eggs and orange zest and beat until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of flour and continue adding more flour until the dough is soft. Add cranberries and stir completely.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and stretchy when pulled.
Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size (about 1 to 2 hours).
Punch the dough down and pinch off a small portion. Shape the remaining dough into a large round loaf. With the dough you pinched off, make a round knob and place it on top of the loaf. Place dough onto a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it has almost doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake bread for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven let cool slightly.
(Optional) FOR GLAZE: In a small saucepan combine 1/4 cup sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Over medium heat, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Brush over top of bread while still warm. Sprinkle glazed bread with white sugar.
Double Baked Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
- ▢½ cup brown sugar packed
- ▢⅓ cup butter softened
- ▢½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢¾ cup pecans chopped, divided
- ▢¼ teaspoon cinnamon or to taste
- ▢salt and pepper to taste
- ▢2 cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
Place sweet potatoes in a pot of boiling water. Simmer for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain.
In a large bowl (or in the pot the potatoes were cooked in), mash the sweet potatoes with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla and salt & pepper.
Fold in half of the pecans and spread into prepared pan.
Sprinkle with the marshmallows and the remaining pecans.
Bake for 25 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown and potatoes are heated through.
Day of the Dead
Written by: Maddox McCready
Veterans Day Pie In The Face Fundraiser
Mr. Tudor preparing for his pie!
Mr. Tudor
Teachers with the students who threw the pie
Veterans Day
Veterans are very important to our country. They keep our country safe and make the ultimate sacrifice. Today we fly the flag to show our gratitude for our veterans.
Movies in Theater
Black Adam
Rated: PG13
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Rated: PG13
A Savannah Haunting
Rated: PG13
A Good Thanksgiving Movies
Free Birds
Rated: PG
Garfield's Thanksgiving
Rated: PG
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Rated: PG