My Favorite Recipes by Linda Marler

Peggy Barney was raised on a potato and wheat farm in Shelley, Idaho, and she became very familiar with siphon tubes as a kid. For the dryland farmers or city folk, siphon tubes are three to four foot long tubes of aluminum, curved to fit over the side of a ditch, preferably concrete-lined, which siphons water from the ditch to small furrows to flow through the field.

Her father was also a plant breeder, and he had research fields in which the children could work. After spending some time as a professor in Minnesota, he returned home to Shelley to take over the family farm. Idaho Falls is the nearest larger town.

Growing up in Shelley was fun, and Peggy graduated from Shelley High School, home of the King Russet potato mascot. Other teams’ fans would shout, “Fry ‘em, mash em’, put ‘em in a stew!” Cheerleader outfits were made of burlap, to honor the potato sack, lined for comfort, and the dancing potato mascot wore a crown on its head.

After high school, Peggy attended BYU-Idaho and started working on an education degree. After meeting Rex in a chemistry class, she got to know him better as a chemistry lab partner. They were married in 1991 and continued at Idaho State University. Peggy received her bachelor’s in education with minors in math and science.

Rex received his bachelor’s degree and they moved to Houston, Texas, where he finished his doctorate in chiropractic. For a real change of culture, Peg taught kindergarten in a barrio. She spoke only a little Spanish and most of the kids were illegal immigrants or first generation Americans who spoke little English. Poverty and gangs were prevalent in this barrio. For security reasons, Peg never drove home the same way twice.

For four years she taught all-day kindergarten with no recesses, whether for safety or for more teaching time, the principal did not say. A lot of singing and dancing and physical activities were needed in the classroom. One day when she dismissed students, there was police security tape all over. A murder victim had been found in the school dumpster.

One year, in her class of 22 students, only two children were from two-parent homes. Interpreters were needed for parent-teacher conferences and the parents were very young. Twelve-year old girls having babies was not unusual.

Rex worked in a chiropractic group for a while, but they decided on a small town and a solo practice, moving to Colfax in December of 1998. Rex and Peggy had three children in three years and three months. Kirbee was three and Mitch was two when Nate was born in Colfax. Rex bought Harvey Kragt’s practice, later moving to a new location. Peggy worked part-time for Rex and was able to take the children to the office.

In 2004, Rex was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a serious auto-immune illness. It required a whole year for him to make a full recovery. At that point, Peggy took the Praxis test, got a Washington state teaching certificate, and began substitute teaching. She taught kindergarten in 2008-2009, and when the position was eliminated returned to substitute teaching again.

At that point, it seemed like the right time for a new challenge and a new direction, so Peggy returned to college. It took a little while for Rex to get behind the idea, but he did. She felt inspired and motivated to go to nursing school.

Peggy enrolled in the Walla Walla Community College nursing program in Clarkston, driving back and forth from Colfax daily. She took 25 credits in spring and summer quarters one year. They wanted no student loan debt, as the Barney’s saw their children fast approaching college age.

Working at Whitman Hospital and Medical Center’s Emergency Department as a certified nursing assistant was a huge help to Peggy. She learned so much, and the staff was so helpful. In addition, Peggy had scholarships and did paperwork in Rex’s office. The kids got to see their mom work really hard and study, be tired and succeed.

At nursing school, Peggy’s math and science background were very useful. She was elected president of her class, earned a 4.0 grade average and was chosen to give a speech at graduation. After passing her state boards as a registered nurse, she received her license and was hired by Whitman Hospital and Medical Center to work in the medical-surgical unit.

“Nursing and teaching are both all about service. I’m honored to take care of people who are ill and at their most vulnerable, and to take care of their families and make them feel safe,” she said.

The Barney kids are keeping life busy, too. Kirbee, 18, is a senior at Colfax High School and works part-time at Tick Klock Drugs. She is a leader in her church youth group, plays ukulele, and is looking at becoming a nurse. First, though, will be her LDS mission for 18 months, beginning next January. The age requirement has changed, so it is easier now to do a mission before college.

Mitch is 16 and a sophomore at CHS, and he wrestles. Rex took a group of Boy Scouts to Camp Merriwether which is right on the ocean near Tillamook, Ore. This year Mitch will spend the whole summer there as a Boy Scout camp staffer. They will teach canoeing and lifesaving. Once a week the counselors put on a big show, and they direct a fireside another night.

Nathan, an eighth grader, also wrestles, and is busy with church youth group. He has a green thumb and takes care of gardening. Rex bikes a lot, and the family hikes and bikes and enjoys short trips.

She grew up fly fishing on the North Fork of the Snake River in eastern Idaho and the family goes fly fishing together.

After several years of little but work and study, Peggy is enjoying more time for family and fun.

Recipes:

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 package Zesty Italian Seasoning

1 8-ounce package cream cheese—softened

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

Mix ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hours. If sauce is too thick, add milk. Serve over cooked pasta of your choice.

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

1 can of refrigerated biscuits

1/2 stick butter

3 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put the cold 1/2 stick of butter in a Bundt pan and let it melt in the preheating oven. While the butter melts, cut the biscuits into quarters. In a bowl, toss the biscuit pieces, garlic, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese together. Once the butter is melted, add the biscuit mixture, sprinkling with any leftover garlic and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over on a plate; enjoy!

Best Soft Ginger Cookies EVER!

2 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together ingredients. Roll into balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Let stand on cookie sheet for two minutes, and transfer them to a rack to cool.

Rex’s Best Freezer Jam on the Planet

4 cups diced rhubarb (approximately 8 stalks)

2 cups crushed strawberries

1 cup lemon juice

1 package freezer jam pectin

4 cups sugar

Combine rhubarb and crushed strawberries in a large cooking pot. Add lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil approximately 10 minutes. All rhubarb should be very soft. Add sugar; bring back to a boil. Boil for another 10 minutes; all foam should be gone. Let the mixture cool down for about 30 minutes. Stir in pectin and ladle jam into containers. Freeze. Makes 35-40 ounces. Great on bread, French toast, pancakes, waffles, and ice cream!