Cooking in the West

Our community is mourning the loss of Judy Vidack, who moved to Big Timber to teach at BTGS in 1969, touching the lives of hundreds of students plus parents and community members in her forty year tenure teaching elementary school. She lost a short, valiant battle with cancer on February 25, 2024. Judy, who was raised in Bozeman, Montana had a huge family with seven aunts and uncles on her mother’s side. Her second cousin is Shelly Goggins, so many readers might have known her.

Judy became my friend the minute that I walked into BTGS to teach in the fall of 1981. She met me by the door as though she had been watching for me. She said, “I am Judy Vidack. I know Remi’s family, and his Grandma Maude asked me to take care of ‘our Susie’.” We have been friends since, so my tribute to her is this poem chronicling 43 years of fun times, which is how she would want to be remembered.

Fly High, Jude

Judy Vidack was a dear sweet lady with a heart of solid gold.

She left everyone with memories of the stories that she told.

She looked on the bright side, and she was quick to smile.

She cared deeply about everything, so her visits took a while.

Judy would want us to remember her with laughter not tears.

We shared hundreds of laughs and jokes over our 43 years.

My tribute to her is a chronicle of the good times we had,

Because she hated it whenever she or anyone was sad.

She was there for us through births, deaths, fires, and floods.

Forty-two seasons of morel mushrooms and daffodil buds.

Memories of shenanigans and laughs will sustain us forevermore,

But she left us so quickly that I have unanswered questions galore. . .

Now with whom am I going to argue evolution and politics?

Who else would use twist ties and pencils their toilet to fix?

Who is going to answer, “What is that white stuff in bird poops?”

Does God really help Christian schools win games of hoops?

Who else would let me knock on her door at 6:30 A.M. in 1983

Asking to stay overnight that turned into six months rent free?

Who else would act as a human bungee on a bouncy flatbed

When from the Black Butte fire in 1994 we panicked and fled?

Who else would give up sky diving every year for lent?

Who else would run into a cousin EVERYWHERE we went?

Who else hated “Lassie,” because it was just ridiculous?

Who cheated on Pictionary and Trivial Pursuit besides us?

Who had “allergies” every year when she read “A Taste of Blackberries” aloud?

Who would discover a pack rat in her car and gather a crowd last fall on McLeod?

Who had a little too much Wild Turkey and never did live it down

As she claimed to be scouting football with coaches from C-town?

Who pulled wet clothes out of the laundromat to get Les to her surprise party?

Who else would go to a Meat Processors’ convention just to click slides for me?

Who locked herself out of her house and found herself in the garage in her underwear?

(Fortunately for the neighbors there were some boxes of thrift store clothes in there.)

Did she like the nickname Wonder Woman when wondering where her car keys were?

Did she like it when we were constantly on the lookout for the “perfect” date for her?

Who dressed up as a Cocktail Waitress Trixie to aid and abet Cousin Bud to pull a prank?

Who took driving lessons from me at age 38 so that Chappell’s Body Shop has me to thank?

Do you think anyone noticed we pasted the wallpaper border upside down?

Evidently not, because that house sold quickly, and she moved across town.

Did she forgive us that night of Julebukking when we cut a SMALL slit in her screen door?

We promised to fix it the next day, but it is still sliced fifteen years later or maybe more.

There are so many Judy stories to be told.

So many memories we have left to hold.

Our friendship will not end…

Fly high, Jude, my friend!

I would like to share some of Judy’s favorite salad recipes that she shared in this column over the years.

Judy’s Spinach Salad

l lb. fresh spinach

1 can water chestnuts, drained

1 can bean sprouts, drained

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

8 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:

1/4 C. vinegar

1/4 C. ketchup

1/4 C. vegetable oil or olive oil

1/4 C. sugar

1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. salt

1/2 small onion, diced

Toss salad ingredients. Put dressing ingredients in a quart jar and shake. Dress just before serving. (I like to add strawberries and slivered almonds to the salad and poppy seeds to the dressing.

Judy’s Broccoli Salad

1 bunch broccoli

1 C. raisins

1 pkg. sunflower nuts

1/4 C. red onion, chopped

4 strips bacon, fried and crumbled

2/3 C mayonnaise

4 T. sugar

1 T. vinegar

Chop broccoli in pretty small pieces, stalk and all. Add raisins, nuts, onions, and bacon. Mix mayonnaise with sugar and vinegar to dress the salad.

Judy’s Grape Salad

2 lbs. green seedless grapes

2 lbs. red seedless grapes

8 oz. sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 C. granulated sugar

1 t. vanilla

Topping:

1 C. brown sugar, packed

1 C. crushed pecans

Wash grapes. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Stir into grapes in a large bowl. Combine brown sugar and pecans and sprinkle over bowl of grape salad. Chill overnight before serving.