My favorite recipe - Dec. 24, 2009

Linda Marler | Dec 24, 20090

In 1998, Linda Marler and her husband, Martin, were invited to a meeting for the Whitman Hospital Foundation. The foundation was looking for people interested in helping reach its goal of securing a rainy day fund for the hospital. Linda, during her life, had already seen the hospital turn around from a struggling entity to a successful establishment.

“If we wanted to keep that going, we needed people to get involved,” she said.

Now the president of the Hospital Foundation, Linda is looking forward to the 20th anniversary foundation dinner and auction next month. The dinner and auction is the foundation’s main fundraising event of the year.

Linda grew up in the Caldwell, Idaho, area. She went to high school at Vallivue which is ironic because now she lives on Valleyview road in Colfax. She attended the University of Idaho where she earned a degree in home economic education. After graduation, she took a job at LaCrosse were she taught home economics for nine years. She cut back to substitute teaching for seven years while she raised her daughter. Then she went back to full time teaching for one year in St. John before going to All Saints in Spokane where she stayed for another nine years. While at St. John she switched from home economics to junior high which is what she taught at All Saints.

Linda and her daughter spent summers in Endicott and the school year in Spokane. Linda said it was the best of both worlds and they enjoyed it. She met a lot of people with Whitman County ties in Spokane.

Thirteen years ago Linda married Martin and moved to Colfax. She worked at the Colfax school as a long-term substitute and filled another position for one year. For the last three years she has worked as an aide for the reading program.

The Hospital Foundation spends all year preparing for the annual dinner and auction. After the last auction, a committee looks at what items went well. A list is generated for items to secure for the next auction which is refined over time. Letters are sent out requesting donations for the auction. Some businesses send cash to buy auction items, Linda noted.

Planning for the meal starts in November. This year the prime rib dinner is being catered at Hill Ray. Invitations are sent out at the beginning of the year. The foundation can fit 130 seats at the event.

The auction includes 20 live action items and 20 silent auction items. Butch Booker will return to the podium as the auctioneer.

The foundation started in 1989 with $9,300 and now has more than $2.2 million in the bank. Linda pointed out that public hospitals can only have so much money in reserve. The foundation can hold a larger amount which she hopes can provide the hospital with a rainy day fund.

“We don’t want to loose our hospital because of some tweak in the payment formula,” Linda said.

She added the foundation was pretty excited when they passed the $1 million mark, but that is only enough to meet payroll at the hospital for one year. With $2 million secure, the foundation gave its first really big contribution to the hospital last year: $200,000 to help move the physical therapy center into the new hospital.

Linda pointed out the old facility had lower ceilings that prevented some exercises and staff had to keep running back and forth between buildings.

“This is why we were founded,” she said. In the past, donations from the foundation have also helped with the therapy pool and smaller needs.

Linda said the foundation would like to be to the point it can supply a “nice amount” of money to the hospital each year. A rule of thumb is you can donate four percent without taking a hit on your funds, she said. The dream is to have $10 million and give the hospital four percent annually.

“Can you image what they could do with $400,000?” Linda asked, her face lighting up.

The Hospital Foundation dinner and auction is Jan. 30. Tickets are still available through Linda or Flowers & More…

Recipes:

Chocolate-Kahlua cheesecake

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup and 2 Tbsp. sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1/4 cup strong coffee

1/4 cup Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sour cream

6 to 8 chocolate curls

*strong coffee and Kahlua can be substituted with 1/2 cup espresso

Combine cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and butter and mix well. Firmly press mixture onto the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 5 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, mixing well. Beat in remaining cocoa. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in coffee, Kahlua and 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Filling will be soft but will firm up as cake stands.

Combine sour cream, remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar and remaining vanilla. Spread over hot cheesecake. Bake at 425 for 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Chill 8 hours or overnight. Remove sides of springform pan.

To garnish, place 3 chocolate curls in center of cheesecake. Gently break remaining chocolate curls and sprinkle over cheesecake if desired.

Salmon Chowder

1 can salmon

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cups cauliflower florets

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

2 Tbsp. margarine

2 Tbsp. flour

2 1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. dried dill weed, crushed

Cook cauliflower. Drain salmon, reserving liquid. Break it into large chunks with a fork. Sauté celery and onion in margarine until tender; blend in flour. Gradually stir in salmon liquid and milk. Heat to boiling. Stir in cauliflower, salmon, salt and dill weed. Heat thoroughly; stir in cheeses until melted. Garnish with parsley.

Jennie Marler’s Firecracker Potato Salad

4 cups diced cooked potatoes

1 cup sliced celery

3 hard-boiled eggs

1 cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. prepared mustard

1/4 tsp. savory

5 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup minced onion

1 1/2 tsp. salt

dash of pepper