Behind every good firefighter is a member of the department’s ladies’ auxiliary. The Wheeler Fire Department provides a great example. The all-volunteer department covers 1,500 homes west of Fayetteville and responded to 138 calls in 2012.

The auxiliary is 13 women strong, and members just published a second cookbook, “Second Alarm.”

“We thought it was a fun group activity, and we wanted it to get out in the community,” said auxiliary member Kim Oxford. “People of the community submitted recipes, and the ladies’ auxiliary helped put the cookbook together.”

Fundraisers organized by the auxiliary helped the fi re department buy extraction equipment and apparatus to fight brush fires — the most common type of fire to which the department responds. Auxiliary funds also have been used to install a flag pole and to paint the inside of the fire station. Other fundraisers include pancake breakfasts and brisket dinners and a rummage sale.

The auxiliary also goes into action at a fire scene, bringing water and food to the men, watching each others’ children and “just to fill in as needed,” said member Elizabeth Hulse.

“They are a very dedicated group,” said Kate Oxford, a sister-in-law of Kim’s. Kate’s husband, Peter, volunteers as a firefighter.

“They’re the best in the county,” added Hulse, whose family members have served the department for three generations.

“They are always on call. They have to leave church dinners or family events,” Kim Oxford added. Her connections to the department include her husband, Jeremy, and her father-in-law, who is the assistant chief.

The cookbook includes 450 recipes. “We used everything we got,” Kim Oxford said. “These are things real people eat, not Bobby Flay.”

“Some are super simple, and some are more advanced,” Hulse said.

Entries include dishes tailored for diners with diabetes, as well as recipes for potpourri and play dough. Categories include appetizers, beverages, soup and salad, side dishes, main dishes, bread, dessert, cookies and candy, and “This and That.” Hulse listed the names of some recipes: “Land Your Man” baked beans, “Fat Flush Water,” “Punch for a Bunch” and “Iced Tea in an Ice Chest.” Kim Oxford submitted “Addyson’s Garlic Noodles,” which her 3-year-old daughter Addyson loves. “I saw it on Pinterest,” she said. “I’m almost sick of it, we’ve had it so much.” Kate Oxford brought her “Firecrackers” to department potluck meals, where they were a success, the ladies said. “I haven’t made my mother’s meatloaf, but it’s the only meatloaf I will eat,” Hulse said of her entry, “Marietta’s Meatloaf.”

MARIETTA’S MEATLOAF

Submitted by Elizabeth Hulse

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs and milk, stir in crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, sage and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Add beef; mix well. Put into a ring mold or loaf pan, bake for 1 1/4 hours. Combine ketchup, sugar and mustard. Spread over meat. Return to oven for 10 minutes.

ADDYSON’S GARLIC NOODLES

Submitted by Addyson and Kim Oxford

2 teaspoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tablespoons butter 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 pound angel hair pasta

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium low heat. Add the garlic, and stir, allowing it to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high, and let it come to a boil. Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta, and cook for as long as the box directions indicate — do not drain. Reduce the stove to medium heat, and mix in the parmesan until completely melted — it might clump, but just keep stirring. Turn off the heat, and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve.

FIRECRACKERS

Submitted by Kate Oxford

1 box saltine crackers

1 1/3 cups canola oil

2 Tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes

1 package dry ranch dressing mix

Empty the crackers into a zip-lock bag. Mix oil, pepper and ranch mix in a measuring cup. Pour mixture over crackers. Turn bag every few minutes until mixture is absorbed by crackers.