Each year on the Second Sunday in August we salute the Spirit of 45 – the true spirit of the greatest generation ever to come along. These were people born in the early 1900s through the late 1920s.
They were born in a time that was filled with comfort and material things. The Roaring 20s was a time when it seemed the party would never end. Oh but it did. For the entire world, the bill came due and there was no way to cover it. Those of the Greatest Generation barely got to taste the good life when the rug was pulled out from under them. It was time to stand tall, pull together and survive. This instilled in the Greatest Generation a deep commitment to family, to community and to one another. There were no handouts beyond what your neighbors could spare. Duty wasn’t a four-letter word, it was a part of their very fiber.
The further we are from this generation, the more diluted society’s sense of honor, duty and civic pride seems to be. From a Biblical perspective, think of it as the length of a lifetime beginning with Adam until now. Adam lived to be 930. Today we are lucky to see 100. While I’m not sure I’d want to live to be 900 years old, I sure would like to see society return to the values that were once commonplace. No more whining about free hand-outs. We have an obligation to care for those who cannot care for themselves – the sick, the weak, the elderly or disabled, but not so much the able-body. What’s that saying – give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you will feed him for a lifetime.
Here’s a though – free college for all who cannot afford it. No loans in the monetary sense. Instead, if you become a doctor, you spend so many years in a community hospital to “pay back” your education. Same with teachers and so on. Trade school? Same thing. Provide a service in poorer neighborhoods to pay “society” back for your training. What the Greatest Generation knew that we have gotten away from today is a sense of pride in a job well done, a sense of belonging to something greater than our selves, and an obligation to others.
To the Greatest Generation – kids today owe you so much. I guess you would say the youth of today get to behave like spoiled brats because of the sacrifices you made in protecting those rights. The least they could do is say Thank you.
Sheet Pan Hash Brown Breakfast
Sheet Pan Hash Brown Potatoes
4 Russet Potatoes
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
3 tablespoons Butter, divided
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
Peel potatoes, rinse well. Grate potatoes into a large bowl using the large grate. Cover grated potatoes with water and let soak for about 20 minutes to remove most of the starchiness.
While the hash brown potatoes soak, heat oven to 400-degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray and set aside.
Strain potatoes using a mesh strainer; pressing down to force out as much water as possible. With paper towels, pat potatoes dry. Sprinkle potatoes evenly with seasonings; toss to mix.
Distribute potatoes evenly on the prepared baking sheet; do not pack down. Melt butter, mix with oil. Drizzle the mixture over the potatoes. Place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until just beginning to brown and crisp up.
Sheet Pan Ham and Eggs
1 Ham Steaks
6 large Eggs
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Cut steak into quarters. Once the potatoes are nearly cooked through, remove sheet pan from oven and arrange steaks on top of the potatoes around the outer edge.
With the back of a spoon create 6 indentations down the center of the potatoes. Crack one egg at a time into a small bowl or cup, pour into the indentation. Season eggs with salt and pepper.
Return sheet pan to the oven. Bake for about 5 or 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are nearly set. Turn oven to broil, continue to cook to desired doneness, about a minute or 2 longer.
If desired, serve this sheet pan breakfast with buttery toast and jams. Enjoy.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
Welcome to Rosemarie's Kitchen 