2002

THE PEA SALAD WITH MANY NAMES

I am always amazed at how recipes get their names. Even more so, I am always curious how the same recipe can have more than one name or that the same name can be given to more than one recipe. Case in point is the name of a cake: Hummingbird Cake. At Betty Manning's Sprigs and Twigs Tea Room, this name is given to a heavy cake redundant with fruit. A friend gave me the same named cake recipe that is a light and fruity cake that makes me think of palm trees!!! I have given you readers a wonderful pea salad that was given to me by a delightful gentleman by the name of Homer Jump. Well, when Mr. Jump passed away, I made a special effort to go to the funeral home so I could meet his children. I also reprinted his recipe again. He called his recipe Frozen Pea Salad I, in turn, called it Homer Jump's Pea Salad. A couple weeks ago, we had to take one of our cats in to Dr. Painter, their very special doctor in Wannamaker who is so wonderful with our animals. It was while checking Bruin over that Dr. Painter asked me if his wife had told me about the pea salad recipe. She had not so he proceeded to tell me that Homer Jumps' daughter attends the same church they do, the Old Bethel Methodist Church at 21st and Franklin Road and she had lost her father's recipe. Mrs. Painter was happy to share it with her. Well, I understand that Mrs. Painter is asked to bring in food when there is to be a funeral and she has begun to bring in Homer's salad. It has even come to the point that when she gets a call to bring something, she is told to bring the salad and also told to make enough so that the people working can have some, too!!! So, due to this, the name of this salad that has gone from Frozen Pea Salad to Homer Jump's Pea Salad is now referred to in the Painter household as the Funeral Salad !!!!! Since my recipe column is now in yet another paper, I thought it time to share this terrific recipe with you all and add the latest chapter to the saga of the ever-changing, in name at least, pea salad! I have never found anyone who did not rave over this dish!

JOE'S CHICKEN CURRY

I did NOT want a computer. I had advanced from my trusty portable typewriter I had used at Indiana University to an electric one and I felt that was advancement enough for M.E. I would write each recipe column in longhand and then type a copy and then type another after making corrections and revisions. I was known to type four copies before there was one presentable enough to send in to the paper. Well, our kids knew that once I had used the word processor part of the computer that I would be hooked and were they ever right! I also like the e-mail portion as well for I have several lists of people I e-mail my columns to as well...people who are not lucky enough to be able to get a copy of the Image. As for the internet....well, haven't had the time to mess with that part much. HOWEVER.......five days before we left for our early spring jaunt to North and South Carolina, my husband began to look at a site of people wanting information on his mother's family name, Retherford. He ended up getting in touch with a distant cousin, Anne Muffley, from Asheville, North Carolina, and we ended up spending our first night there at a motel near to her and Gary's lovely home and spent many hours that evening exchanging genealogical "stuff". More fun. Of course, we could not be in that neck of the woods without a visit with with my brother, Joe, and his wife, Doris, who retired to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We had a great time with them. We stayed longer than we thought for I would not leave until Joe had fixed his famous chicken curry dish he had promised to serve us. He and Dorie lived several years in India and they became addicted to that cuisine. Dorie would make this particular dish and Joe would complain about its not being hot or spicy enough until one day she informed him HE could make it from then on. Atta girl, Dorie! This dish reads like a lot of trouble but actually is not and it is so MUCH better than those Japanese curry cubes I had been using for curry dishes. As you probably can tell, I have written this recipe out just the way older brother Joe told me as I watched him fix this delicious dish in their kitchen. I have recently found out about another place to get everything one would need for this type of cooking. A relatively new restaurant has opened up on the south side just north of County Line Road off U.S. 31 in a strip mall behind the Krispy Kreme. It is called Shahi Dawat. Right next door is a very clean grocery store that has everything and their prices are better too. Now I do not have to travel way up in the northwest part of Marion County or to Jungle Jim's near Cincinnati! The people at both places are very friendly and accommodating and the food in the restaurant is the best we have ever had in an Indian establishment. The decor is also very nice. First try their lunch buffet where you can try a variety of dishes.

MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH BLUEBERRY CAKE

Houses were selling like hot cakes last May in the Middletown, Connecticut, area so our kids got curious. They contacted a realtor to see what their house they had purchased just three years ago would bring. They knew that a move was in the works soon anyway as the present house had so little yard for two little boys to play in. They were absolutely amazed at the jump in the price and putting the cart before the horse, let the realtor put it on the market. They did not even have time to place a sign in front! It sold and they had to scurry around to find a place to move to! They found one house in Middletown but their offer was not accepted. Mattie was distraught, as you can well imagine, but I just knew that a better house was "out there" for them; it just had not made itself known yet. And.....I was right! They found a home with a little over an acre of land (almost unheard of out there) and two years newer than the other house and not in Middletown but in Portland. just a few minutes north of where they were. I was NOT a happy Grammy with their staying with the large Middletown school system knowing that Nate, at five years of age, would be getting on the school bus at eight in the morning and not seeing his parental units until four in the afternoon. Full day kindergarten is NOT what is best for the kids, in my humble estimation, but what is best for the working parents. The Portland system has an excellent reputation and THEY have half day kindergarten! On moving day, Nate was supervising what the movers did, of course, and all of a sudden came in to his mommy with HUGE tears. He was MOST upset because they were taking his bicycle (read tricycle here) and so Mattie asked him if he wouldn't like for his bike to take a ride in the big truck to the new house? No! It rode there in their van. I was of some help with their move, however. Mattie called the night before the furniture was to be delivered (it was loaded one day and delivered the next....don't ask me why) to see if I would call her at five in the morning, my time, since they could not find their alarm clock! I was delighted to do so. It is nice to be needed! This is a cake recipe Mattie has given to M.E. and the cake is unbelievably delicious. I hope blueberries are still available....the fresh ones that is. Frozen would work, too, however. I just personally prefer fresh.

LEMON FLUFF SALAD

The C.C.C. group of First Presbyterian Church in Shelbyville , Indiana, tries to have an outing of some kind every month. From the name of the group, "Coffee, Conversation and Cooking", one might assume, and correctly so, that where to eat is very high up on the agenda for each outing. In July, thanks to arrangements made by Jack and Beth Bremer, we met at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Shelbyville where their organist gave us a tour of this most beautiful church built in the Roman Renaissance style. The first spadeful of soil was dug in September of 1902, the cornerstone laid in May of 1904 and the final dedication of the church proper in August of 1908. There have been very few changes done to it, thank goodness. It has not been modernized in looks and was repainted only a few years ago. I cannot imagine a prettier church anywhere in all of Italy to equal this one. Just being inside it, one feels awe and majesty and a Presence. The ladies of their St. Anne's Guild served us a lovely meal and did not charge us. When we arrived for the meal and I saw the ladies there, one of them just stood out.....I could say like a sore thumb, but that does not sound like a compliment....you know what I mean. Our meal of a chicken casserole and green bean casserole (Mike Redmond of the Indianaplis Star would have been pleased with this dish,) two salads, rolls and desserts was a sumptuous repast to say the least. One salad in particular took my fancy, for it looked like it might be lemon flavored and I LOVE anything lemony. I was right. As soon as I had had several bites (I wanted to make sure that it really WAS as good as it first seemed, of course!) I began in my usual manner to inquire who had brought this bit of ambrosia. It was the kind of salad/dessert that is especially delicious on a hot day as that one was but is good anytime. My husband thought I might wait until next summer to share this with you Image readers but I just cannot wait. Anyway, the lovely lady who had caught my fancy in the beginning was the one who had brought this dish! Her name turned out to be Betty Jones who had just retired from being a hospice nurse. You know what VERY special people hospice nurses are. She and her husband met in North Dakota and located in Indianapolis while he worked for Channel 4 and attended IUPUI. Then they lived on the campus in Bloomington while he got his Masters in Physics. His job after graduation took them to Syracuse, New York, where Michael worked for G.E. Then they relocated to Shelbyville in 1975 when he took a job with RCA. They chose Shelbyville because Mike's parents lived there. They have two boys and one girl and 6 grandchildren. Betty does not look old enough to have grown children, let alone grandchildren! Grandmothers seem to be getting younger looking every day don't they? Anyway, here is the recipe Betty kindly shared with M.E. so I could with all of you.

JOAN'S RUSSIAN POTATOES

Our lives have been enriched with special people whom we have been lucky enough to get to know along life's way. One such person was on the English staff at Howe High School with my husband. Joan Cooper got acquainted with many people in the I.P.S. school system as she was at Shortridge for five years, Howe for four, and at elementary schools numbers 82, 67, 68, 81 and 11. She also taught English at an alternative school, then to Washington High School and ended up her career at Tech. She is still at it, however. Like that Eveready bunny, she just keeps on going and going, for she is now teaching at the airport in the Vincennes University Aviation Tech Center where people learn about airplane maintenance. She has had both Saudi and American students there. Joan has had three children and has 8 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren!!! Wow! Isn't this one impressive lady or what? Anyway, Joan sent me this recipe that I had for quite awhile before finally getting around to trying it. (I am very very bad sometimes about this) and what a wonderfully delicious dish it makes. You may never want to fix potatoes any other way after trying this and I can't say that I could blame you . I like the fact that one puts it all together the night before. This reads like a cold weather dish but we had it in July when friends from North Carolina were visiting and my husband embarrassed M.E. by taking FIVE (count em!) five helpings, albeit the last two WERE rather small!

CARYN'S GERMAN CHOCOLATE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

What a great group of cooks we have in the Columbus Herb Society! Most meetings end with a pitch in and although we are not told what to bring, we have the proper amount of salads, desserts, etc. One time, however, we did not and our lovely hostess, Jeanne Harned, very quickly cooked up some dishes to supplement the menu. Jeanne is certainly capable of doing so as she has cooking classes in her Westport, Indiana, home and also does catering as well. Anyway, Caryn Wiggins, who also does catering in Columbus, Indiana, sent M.E. this cake recipe that is fun to do and easy and delicious, all in one fell swoop! Try it. You will be glad you did.

JEANNE'S CRANBERRY JEZEBEL SAUCE

WOW! This week you guys are getting double the pleasure with this column! I have two sorta similiar but yet different in taste recipes for you to try. You can really double your pleasure and make both of them at the same time but I would advise trying first one and then the other and see which one gets your vote. I have my own personal preference although I must admit that the one I do not favor as much comes in at a very, very close second! The first appetizer is one that was brought to the Columbus Herb Society's Christmas meeting held in the very lovely Victorian home of Jane and Dennis Edwards in Edinburgh, Indiana. The recipe was shared by Jeannie Harned of Westport, Indiana. I always want to know what it is Jeanne brings to our pitch-ins, for whatever she does bring is always very special not only to the taste buds but to the eyes as well. Of course, one can say this about all the gals in this wonderful group! The second recipe is one I have had for awhile and have no idea whose writing it is on the card. I always hate it when people do not put their names on a recipe card and am even more aggravated with myself for not thinking to take care of the deletion right away while it is still fresh on my mind. It seems that the older I get, the shorter the time a thought stays with me. Oh my! Well, try one or the other of these recipes. You will not be sorry you did. For convenience, I think the second one is best, for opening a can is so much easier. I also like to use two small cubes of cream cheese and put out a fresh appetizer when the first one begins to look a bit unappetizing. I have even been known to take the tag ends of two such servings and mix the cream cheese with the remaining sauce and using it for a spread on crackers for the next day or so. Works just fine.

SOME USES FOR HUNY

I think all of us have a bit of Winnie the Pooh in our heart of hearts. I just cannot think of huny (or honey for you purists) without thinking of that wonderful book and, yes, the Disney movies as well. Never would I have thought, when I had Stephen Wilfong in my sixth grade classroom at School #88, that he would end up living just down the pike from me and that I would be purchasing huny (sorry, I just can't help it) from him. Steve married his sister's roommate from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. Dorothy hails from Dayton Ohio, and had a really nifty maternal grandmother who taught her how to make several Greek dishes, but that is another story. A few hives were put up in 1997 shortly after Steve and Dorothy bought their home on the north edge of Boggstown, Indiana, where the village is still seceded from the Union, but that is another story. The Wilfongs have been so successful with their huny (get used to it) business that they have a name for it, BOGGSTOWN HONEY FARM. (I reckon they are purists.) They have entered their golden ambrosia in the Indiana State Fair for four years and in 2001, won the Grand Champion award. If you would taste their huny, you would know why I wax (nothing to do with bees' wax but I just could not pass up a pun) on and on about their particular product. Steve and Dorothy also got Grand Champion in another way during the year of 2001. They spent from March 28th to April 17th in Kazakhstan, a former part of the Soviet Union, where they went through various details in order to bring home with them two absolutely delightful young 'uns named Rose and Ben. Ben is the older by about six months. So, 2001 was quite a year for this delightful couple. Take a drive out east on I-74, turn right at the London Road exit and go south through London and on down a scenic and winding road along the river to Boggstown (home of the Boggstown Inn and Cabaret) and see if the Wilfong's have their huny sign up (they toe the line and spell it honey) and see if they are home so you can purchase some. You will be glad you did and if you are VERY lucky, you might even get a glimpse of Ben and Rose and their border collies. Following are some hunylicious ways Dorothy shares with us Image readers on how to use this prize winning golden-hued ambrosia of theirs.

JEANNE'S QUICK HERBAL APPETIZERS

Jeanne Harned is one fantastic cook. Besides being our terrific president of the Columbus Herb Society, she has her own cooking school in her lovely old home in Westport, Indiana. Jeanne was the program for a meeting one month and she demonstrated and fixed these delectable eats for us in under an hour. Every dish was absolutely delicious. Treat your family and friends with some or all of these little bites of ambrosia.

BONNIE'S CRUNCHY WHEAT AND HONEY BREAD

The president this year for the Edinburgh Antique Club is Harold Mailand who hails from Adams County in Indiana. For our July meeting, Harold organized a terrific little jaunt up to this lovely county for a couple of days. The weather cooperated and we all had a great three days and two nights up there. I highly recommend going to this lovely part of the Hoosier state. We enjoyed seeing the home of Gene Stratton Porter, author of Girl of the Limberlost, Freckles,etc. fame and I was able to purchase three more of her books I had not read. I had never read any of Porter's novels before so read three of them in preparation for the trip and am now hooked. Her style is turn of the century and a little stilted but she puts many things into her books: humor, mystery, romance. What I like best are her descriptions of all things in nature. She studied the swamps of the Limberlost before they were drained. I was a little suspect about going to Amishville, U.S.A. but was most pleasantly surprised. We had an excellent guide through the Amish homestead and learned a lot. The food there was good as well. The Amish south of Berne consider our Amish friends south of Rushville as "lazy Amish" as our friends put (gasp!) rubber tires in their buggy wheels and roofs and side coverings on them as well!!!!!! It took John and me about 2 1/2 hours to motor up to Decatur where we stayed at a motel. We took I-70 to Richmond and then north on State Road 27. Lovely, lovely drive. If you do not stay overnight, be sure to try and get an early dinner reservation at a restaurant located in downtown Decatur called My Father's Place before you head back home. John got the best steak he says he has ever eaten. Really flavorful and tender as your eye. I had their duck which was unusually good and the four cheese arborio rice side dish was to die for. Anyway, a fellow member of the club, Bonnie Wilcoxon and her husband, Phil, were on the "tour" and this reminded M.E. that I have not shared her wonderful bread recipe with you all. This lovelylady brought this bread at our December pitch-in meeting last year. Now that we are getting into cooler weather, I get a hankering to bake bread again. This bread is especially delicious and when you bake it, be SURE to make the mixture to serve with it. Yum! Yum!

RITA'S PEANUT BUTTER PIE

A couple of years ago Mattie made a batch of one of her Stephen's favorite cookie, Snicker Doodles. He took some in to work and NO ONE there had ever heard of said delicacy, let alone eaten one! (That's hard for M.E. to believe!) Needless to say, they were a big hit and Stephen was asked by his co-workers at Pratt Whitney to bring those cookies again this past Christmas season. Mattie had a bowl of the cinnamon/sugar mixture left over and setting way back on the counter. Two year old Isaac got said bowl (Mattie couldn't figure out how he managed that one) and carried it to the family room without spilling any of the mixture (I consider THAT a major miracle!) and proceeded to sit on the floor and eat the stuff by dipping two saliva licked fingers and coating the tongue! Mattie said he exuded the odor of a cinnamon stick all afternoon. He also got on a sugar high so she had to forget about his getting a nap in that day! Rita Bray of Columbus, Indiana, is the terrific treasurer of the Columbus Herb Society. Several months ago she sent me this recipe for a pie that I am sure is a favorite with most people, especially with those who like peanut butter. Try this one soon. You will be glad you did because it is SO easy to make and SO delicious.

JACKIE'S RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

The Columbus Herb Society was fortunate in having a lovely lakeside garden on their 2001 Garden Tour last June. The lovely lady who tends to above mentioned garden, Jackie Jurrema, came to our April meeting and she became a member in July! We know how to pick good members! We are most fortunate to have her in our group. This delightful lady brought a fantastic dessert, (the recipe for which is forthcoming,) to our December Victorian bash at the lovely old home of Jane Edwards in Edinburgh, Indiana. We all brought a dish to go with Jane's husband's entree which I shared with you all last week. When my husband tasted this bit of ambrosia, he insisted I get the recipe. Jackie graciously consented to share with M.E. so I could with all of you.

DENNIS' CRAB-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

The Columbus Herb Society did not have a meeting, per se, last December. Instead, we met in the lovely old Victorian home of Jane Edwards in Edinburgh, Indiana. Jane is the quintessence of the Victorian Era. She even dresses the part and gives several types of talks about what folks did way back then. The ambiance at this Christmas get together was utterly Victorian. of course, with a melodious soprano who sang to the group while accompanied by a harpist. It was truly a very special time to be had by all of us. Very special, too, was the entree which Jane's husband, Dennis, fixed for us ladies and he shares his very special recipe so we can all make it when we want to impress and serve something special for friends and/or loved ones. Do try this one soon.

PATTY'S BEER CAN CHICKEN

Sometimes I am able to come up with a silly and/or funny something or other to put in my column on or near April Fools' Day. This recipe one can actually try, as you will see. It is so outlandish, however, that I felt the time to put it in is now. Many years ago we had an outdoor grill that used charcoal. We never cared for the thing. It was too much trouble so when we built our saltbox style house I insisted on a Jenn Aire stove so I could grill indoors and have been most pleased with it. However, this recipe I did to try on it. I cut up the chicken and grilled the pieces which, I am sure, made for a bit drier chicken than this method would have done. Anyway, since it is close to time to bring out the grill, I thought I should share this recipe. Of course, for you folks who keep yours out year round, you will not have to wait! Patty Hazelrode and her husband, Ron, belong to the Edinburgh Antiques Club and we were delighted to become members last December. Patty is another one of those gals who, besides being a most delightful person to converse with (as is her husband,) is also a gal who is a good cook and loves cooking and recipes. She shared this with M.E. and it is a real hoot. I understand that it makes for VERY moist chicken meat as well as full of flavor right down to the bone. Patty has done it and it really works.

MARGARET'S GOOEY AND DELICIOUS SALADDESSERT

Margaret Shaw from Boggstown, Indiana, (and living just down the pike from the huny folks I told you about in March,) brought this wonderfully delicious dessert/salad dish to the January meeting of the Columbus Herb Society. I could not help it......Margaret's dish was placed with the salads but I did not even bother to try any of the desserts brought that day. I just had more of this scrumptiously delicious concoction for my dessert! Margaret says that if you like gooey sweet this is it. It sure is for M.E.! I like the fact that it can be made the day before and it serves a lot. Anyway, try this one out. It is so pink and pretty.....good for Christmas, Valentines Day, Flag Day or Fourth of July....oh, just any old time, really.

SUSAN'S ARMENIAN LENTIL SOUP

Being on the staff of I.P.S. School #88 was a highlight in my fifteen year teaching career. I am afraid to say that in order for M. E. to teach, I had to have fun and so I tried to make it fun for the students. Oh, we did all that other stuff that was the main reason for their being in the classroom, but I enjoyed most the frosting on the cake, so to speak. (Yeah, I know....leave it to M.E. to make descriptions in food terms!) One year I had some students who would come to school EARLY so we could learn to knit. We did simple things as that was all I was capable of doing as I had just learned how to knit from my mother who had learned this skill when bouncing back from a stroke that hampered her use of her hands and knitting helped her gain the use of them again. One girl wanted to make golf covers for her daddy and I had NO IDEA how to do this complicated kind of thing but could not disappoint her so I told her to bring in the book and we would do it. I am very proud of that accomplishment. There was a loooooong lull after spring break and the end of school so that is when I would give each student a piece of knotted string. We would learn string figures, starting with the very simple cup and saucer. Early man (and I do mean early...we are talking cave people here) started working figures from pieces of gut after Man had learned to make a knot. The old men, who were unable to hunt, would pass on the verbal stories of the clan or tribe using this method. I found it very amusing and satisfying that the students who were the best in book larnin' all year were not the quickest in catching on with the figures. This became a time for others to excel and when a student had learned a figure on his own, he could become a teacher. I would make it very clear to them that the strings WERE NOT to be taken out and worked with while subject matter was in the forefront. There would always be one kid who would sneak out his string when he should be doing math problems or whatever and I would have to crack down and there would be no more string playing for the rest of the morning or afternoon. Just a small punishment there. After a a few days the first strings would go home and next day each child would receive a new one to use in the classroom. I also would read various books to the kids during the year. I would always start off with Charlotte's Web and each year would promise to myself that I simply WOULD NOT cry when Charlotte died and then would end up making an absolute fool of myself by crying. I made no mention of it, of course, but I would look over the sea of eleven and twelve year old faces and would note a surreptitious wipe of an eye or two or more. In one particular class were Susan Montgomery and Mary Yeager. These girls made any class extra special. Both girls ended up having my husband in English classes at Howe High School. We attended Susan's lovely outdoors wedding and would exchange Christmas cards each year but are more in touch now, thanks to e-mail. Susan sent M.E. this great recipe to share with you. It is most delicious. With her usual wit, she wrote that, "I spent more time typing this recipe than it took to prepare it." Lentils are a good source for all kinds of things and if you or your family have not cared for them in the past, I would place any kind of a bet (and I'm not a betting woman!) they will like them fixed this way. Try it.

ANITA'S HOT CHEESE BALL

The Columbus Herb Society has held a garden tour for several years. These gals have also had festivals and dinners but the garden tours seem to be the most educational, fun to do, and the most satisfying, as a couple of members are at each site and can answer questions about the different flowers. I am not as good as the others but I have fun anyway. The gardens this year are varied. There are four in Columbus, Indiana, and two in Edinburgh, Indiana. THE REFLECTION GARDEN has a charming potting shed, koi pond with fountain and a unique use of mirrors. THE INSPIRATIONAL COTTAGE GARDEN accents the 1928 Sears & Roebuck home that was ordered from a catalog and shipped by train. THE URBAN WILDLIFE HABITAT GARDEN has a variety of gardens: water, shade, perennial, herb, hot pepper gardens and an unmowed natural area with grasses that provides sanctuary for wildlife. THE BED AND BREAKFAST GARDEN has a one of a kind....a weeping persimmon tree. This is a garden in progress but what a progression! THE VICTORIAN GARDEN in Edinburgh has all the charm and beauty of yesteryear that you would want, including a wonderful gazebo. THE COUNTRY GARDEN in Edinburgh is an adventure. From shade gardens to herb beds and vegetable gardens, you will also see ornamental grasses and lots of lilies. This garden will take you back to gentler times. The tour will be held, rain or shine, (does rain stop gardeners? ABSOLUTELY NOT!) on Saturday, June 8, 2002, from 9:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased via mail by sending a SASE to: Jeanne Harned at 314 E.Mulberry St., Westport, IN 47283. The tickets are $8.00 each. The money is used for a yearly scholarship plus herbal grants to various schools in several Indiana counties. If you have any questions, please feel free to call M.E. (Martha Ervin) at (317) 835-4348. Anita Pope did such a wonderful job heading the tour committee last year that she found herself doing it again! This most talented lady brought this appetizer to our Christmas party. It was a big hit, so serve it soon. Memorial Day weekend is looming on the horizon!

SARA'S BEEFEATERS SALAD

Sara Epler is the lady who is the chairman of the tea comittee for the Columbus Herb Society's Garden Tour coming up June 8th. We serve an herbal tea at some of the garden spots so people can be refreshed and hopefully introduced to a new taste treat. Sara brought this wonderfully tasting salad to a meeting of the herb club recently and it was such a hit that everyone requested the recipe so we could all make it for own own family and loved ones. Be sure to add this culinary delight to your repertoire. It could very easily be the main dish for a luncheon.

CRANBERRY STUFFING BALLS

The 2002 Herb Symposium the Columbus Herb Society held in September was a huge success due in great part to two of our members. Sue Wilgus gave a MOST interesting demonstration of yoga exercises for the gardener---movements even fat old M.E. could do! She helped us to realize that the premise of Yoga is an inner feeling of peacefulness. Jeanne Harned gave the last presentation that was one of her WONDERFUL cooking demonstrations. She not only showed and prepared nine items, she also passed out recipe sheets for each person to take home and we got to taste EVRYTHING! She is one organized gal! I am going to make a New Years' resolution of attending one of her cooking sessions in her Westport, Indiana, home this coming year. Speaking of New Years'.......here is one of Jeanne's recipes that was a big hit. It would be an ideal appetizer for you to serve on New Years' Eve or take to any party you have to bring something to. My sister, who attended the symposium this year, was not going to try one of these lucioius little bits but I had eaten mine first and knew how good it was and encouraged her to try it. Anne does not care for cranberries in things and that was what was making her think she would not like it. Well, she tried and she liked! This is the main reason I held "Tasting Parties" when I used to teach full time. I used these little events with social studies in third, fifth and sixth grades. If nothing else, kids learned that they should at least take a taste to see if they might like a certain food. Use this recipe soon. I think you will like it and find yourself filing it away to use again and again in the future.

JANIE'S SPINACH LEEK TART

I think you may remember my telling you a couple years ago about our first grandson, Nathaniel, who loved the kids' vacuum sweeper and when the one large upright broke, they could not throw it away because Nate would sit and watch his favorite story on VCR with an arm around the thing. I mentioned that that the kid needed a little brother/playmate BADLY. Well, Mattie said that Isaac has begun doing the same thing....having the vacuum as his most favorite toy. The mommy also stated MOST emphatically that she is NOT having another child for HIM to play with. He will just have to get over the vacuum sweeper thing and happily play with his most willing older brother! One evening a couple of months ago, Isaac was already in bed so since his playing buddy was not around, Nate began to play with Quincy the Cat. He would drop a string over the back of the sofa that sets out in the room and Quincy would grab for it. The parental units were not watching what was going on very closely as they were busy reading. All of a sudden, there was a VERY loud THUD which certainly got their attention ! Next, from the back of the sofa came a little voice saying, "I'm all right! I'm all right!" Janie Adcock and I became acquainted years ago. She was a wonderful helper the last classroom I had before quitting full time teaching to stay home with our daughter. This lovely lady sent M.E. this terrific recipe. Tarts are so easy to make and I have yet to find one I did not like. Good tomatoes should be on the scene now or soon will be. Or, drain a can of Red Gold diced tomatoes really well and use those. They work fine as well. Try this one immediately, if not sooner!