2003

SUE WILGUS' MOTHER'S SLUSH

Ray and Barbara Turner have been enjoying their grandson, Kopeland, (progeny of Heather and Kirsch Turner) for a couple years now. I love stories of funny things grand kids do and say and this grandson is especially delightful and entertaining. When Kopeland began to talk, he would refer to himself in third person. His daddy mentioned to Barbara one day that the two of them were going to go to the barbershop. Kopeland immediately replied with, "Kopeland doesn't want a haircut!' When he realized that that would not do it, he walked over to a telephone, picked up the receiver, and talked into it like he was actually talking to someone and said in a MOST emphatic voice, "Kopeland does NOT need a haircut!" and then hung up. He got a haircut anyway. In February, Kopeland was apprised of the fact that there was to be a new branch added to the Turner family tree. Uncle Royce and Aunt Jenny were expecting a girl. One day this little lad and his Mimi (what he calls Barbara) and his mommy were sitting at a table when he came forth with, "I am going to have a baby cousin. A girl." There was a pause there for a moment and then he said, "I will share my toys with the baby." The adults present were complimenting him with this generosity of his. Then he added, "I will also share my toys at Mimi's house and my room there BUT I will NOT share Mimi!" Sue Wilgus of Columbus, Indiana, wrote me that she had finally found her mother's recipe for Slush. She has her mother's recipe card files and you can imagine how interesting it has been for her to go through them. Sue says there is no order as to how they were placed in the boxes so finding a particular recipe was a real challenge for her. Some of the recipes date back to 1929. Her mother did put dates and who the recipes were from on many of the cards which makes for even more interest. This particular recipe was from Jill and Louise Gardner of Morenci.

FRANK HOFF'S GUACAMOLE

A couple months ago Nathaniel, our grandson, saw a school bus which elicited the following from him to his mommy: "I'm gonna ride a school bus and it's gonna stop in front of my house and I'm gonna put my backpack on my shoulders and back and I'm gonna get on the bus and ride to school BY MYSELF and we're gonna pick up other boys and girls and when we get to school we'll get off, even me, because I'm SCHOOL BOY! ( I hope you took a deep breath before starting this.) We think Nate thinks School Boy and Superman are in the same category! Remember the Topsy Turvy Strawberry cake recipe shared with you last December? Well, the same folks who sent M.E. that recipe, Frank and Ruby Hoff, of California shares this delicious concoction. Frank gave M.E. some interesting information regarding avocados. The dark skinned ones are the Haas variety. Franks says that either the Haas or the Fuertes work fine. I am still pretty ignorant when it comes to avocados except that I think they are wonderfully delicious. They are full of good vitamins and their fat is the GOOD kind. I think their nutty flavor is outstanding. However, some folks do not care for the consistency of avocados but when they are all mashed up together in this mixture, one just HAS to like them! Frank sent me this recipe last January so folks could serve it at Super Bowl time but I am just now getting around in trying it and sharing with you. Sorry about that. Guess you can serve it at Super Bowl time in 2004! That sounds so far away, doesn't it? DO NOT wait until then to mix up a batch!

GRANDMA'S RICE PUDDING

Thanks to good friends Ellen Sauer and Sue Wilgus, I have been sharing with you some recipes with values that come not only from the recipe itself but from the history of the thing or the sentimental value. Such is the case with this one. I have told you about the kids (I use that word since my husband and I were grade school and high school teachers to one of them) who live down the road from us and have the Boggstown Honey Farm. The female part of this pair hails from Dayton and her Greek grandmother was a wonderful lady. Dorothy shares this recipe of her grandmothers with a delightful story to go with it. I am going to just let the granddaughter do the sharing this time. Enjoy the read and DO try the recipe.

CHRIS DIFFENDERFER'S LEMON DROP

My sister, Anne, who lives east of Louisville, has wonderful neighbors. Well, to have wonderful neighbors, one has to be wonderful as well and she is certainly a good neighbor, too. Anyway, Anne has been served the following drink by Kris Diffenderfer that is not only very delicious but most refreshing. The only problem is to NOT mistake it for an innocuous lemonade and overdo on the drinking! While we are still having warm days, try this one or save it for using next summer. Chris and her husband, Don, were very supportive to Anne when her son, Jim, died suddenly in July. It is a most grievous loss to lose a child.

SUSAN MCEOWEN'S FRUIT PIZZA

Our daughter, Mattie, does medical transcribing for some doctors. For one doctor she has to pick up and deliver five days a week. One day, as she was putting the boys back into the van, five year old Nathaniel informed his mommy that his throat REALLY hurt. Mattie commiserated with him and said she was sorry his throat was bothering him. Thinking fast, the tyke said, 'I know just what WOULD make my throat feel better, Mommy!' Of course, she had to ask and was told with GREAT feeling, 'DOUGHNUTS!' Strange, but this seemed to do the trick! Here is yet another 'pizza' recipe. Susan McEowen of California made this dessert for a party and found it to be a huge success. Susan sent M.E. the recipe via e-mail and even attached a picture! It looked good enough to eat! This is a fun dish to put together and prepping all your fruit first makes it all go together easily. You can use all canned or all fresh fruit.....the sky's the limit! And.....even more fun, you can be a regular Picasso and create an eatable work of art!

JEANNE HARNED'S MEDITERRANEAN LENTIL SALAD

Every time Jeanne Harned brings something to a meeting of the Columbus Herb Society, we all know that we will be clambering for the recipe. See what you think of this yummy one.

DEBBIE OSTRANDER'S ASIAN SALAD

I LOVE it when people share recipes that are favorites of theirs. Such was the case with my brother Rupert Hutchinson of Columbus, Ohio. His daughter, Beth Elaine Clark, teaches at the Madison Christian School and the administrator of said school, Debbie Ostrander, shared this recipe with Beth who in turn gave it to her parents. Rupert and his wife, Alice, have had this salad several times and feel it seems to get better even the next day or two. There are several combinations similar to this and every one I have tried has been really good. As they would say in musical circles, this is a variation on a theme! I think you will add this to your "TO KEEP" list!

SUSAN'S BRUSCHETTA GORGONZOLA AND APPLES

A bit before Easter our son-in-law was singing Here Comes Peter Cottontail to the boys. Nate asked his daddy who Peter was and was told it was the Easter Bunny's name. "No it's not!" Nate answered back. The daddy then inquired what WAS the name for the Easter bunny and was emphatically told it was.......are you ready for this?........GEORGE! Now, where he got THAT from is beyond our ken. Anyway, Nate was really looking forward to Easter's arrival and while coming down the stairs that morning, spied a plastic egg and yelled, "Oh, boy! George came! The Easter Bunny has been here!" He and Isaac had great fun finding their baskets and hunting for the candy filled plastic eggs hidden about the house. Then the boys wanted to eat the candy, of course, and was told that they could not have any until after lunch. Well, being the fast thinker he is, Nate then informed his mommy that he would like HIS lunch RIGHT THEN! Mattie told the tyke that he was NOT having his lunch at 8:30 in the morning! Isaac and Nate weren't happy campers but it made no difference. No Easter candy was ingested until after they had had their noon meal which was after they had attended church. The following recipe is a very good one that comes to M.E. from former student and Howe Grad Susan Montgomery McEowen. She lives out in California and comes up with some really unusual and delicious recipes. I am so grateful she is willing to share. You will be, too, I am sure.

RAE'S MACAROON COOKIE BARS

I have told you in a previous column about Gladys Fields and Adra Kearney having been good friends for many years. Adra lives in Massachusetts and Gladys in the Nutmeg State. When little, Adra lived next door to Gladys husband. Down the road from Gladys is Adras sister, Rae, so whenever Adra visits her sister, she and Gladys get together, too. Gladys e-mailed me that one night when she attended a Scrapping Party at Raes house, these delicious morsels were served. Gladys stated that they were different and very good plus EASY TO MAKE. She was being a true Connecticut Yankee when she wrote those words! By the way, I had to write back and inquire as to just what was a Scrapping Party. She answered that it is the new home party thing around there where a demonstration is given of putting together a photo page with a theme. Sounds like fun and a new concept to M.E. Anyway, Gladys got this recipe from Rae so I could share it with you IMAGE readers.

JOE'S DELICIOUS SHRIMP

Our five year old Nate was helping his daddy with some bookshelves the parental unit was building just outside their basement sliding door. All of a sudden Nate decided that since he was outside in the sun, he should go inside and get his sunglasses. Of course, he proceeded to leave the sliding screen door open as he went through! Nate failed to tell his dad what he was doing, that he would be right back and so Stephen closed the screen door. Nate ran upstairs, got his sunglasses, put them on, ran back downstairs and right into the closed screen door---kaboom! The screen was knocked out. Stephen said that Nate just stood there, stunned, for a moment and then said, Im all right! Im all right! Nathaniel has experienced another of Lifes lessons! I think it was in June when my brother Rupert and his wife Alice visited in Hilton Head with our brother Joe and his wife Doris. Still with M.E.? Anyway, as was the case when we visited with Joe and Dorie, they served a MOST delicious dish one evening. Joe was nice enough to share his recipe with Rupert and Alice and they, in turn, shared with M.E. so I could share with YOU!!! If you are a hankerin for some VERY delicious shrimp, then try this way to fix them!

NORMA CARSON'S VANILLA COOKIES

My husband wanted me to bake a batch of some "plain" cookies. I looked through my recipes and ran across this one for a plain sugar cookie that was given to me by Norma Carson of Grammar, Indiana, back in the last century---way back in December of 1999! There is NOTHING like messing with some kind of dough to take one back to childhood days and playing in that favorite of all places---the sandbox! Oh, the "cakes" I made and the "cookies" I "baked" and the tea we would "drink" while we pretended to eat those wonderful sand made items! Such was the case with this recipe as one has to roll out teaspoon sized pieces of dough between one's palms into items looking like large marbles. Every child should have a sandbox close to hand and every child should have a patient mother or grandmother who will let them help with the rolling out of sugar cookie dough for some cookies! These are keepers and if you're having to pack lunch bags, a few of these would be MUCH appreciated. The dough is VERY stiff, but the food processor our kids gave M.E. last year for Christmas, whizzed the dough up in double quick time.

BIRD FOOD

End of September my computer became ill and good friend, Kevin Friedly, took it to the Apple computer hospital for me. However, due to my being away a week to go to Tennessee with my sister and three other gals (now THAT was quite an interesting and fun experience!) and our driving out east to see the kids in Connecticut, I have been having to go through withdrawal for not having been online for way over a month. Am I ever glad to be back. Sorry about no recipes for the month of November. During the winter we must remember our feathered friends who give us so much pleasure year round. Libby Shipley has a neighbor who has more than 50 bird houses and feeders in his yard. This recipe is one he uses and he shared it with Libby. Give your own birdies a special treat by making up some of this. Actually, it LOOKED pretty yummy to this human as well!

SUSAN McEOWEN'S 6 LAYER MEDITERRANEAN DIP

Our daughter, Mattie, had herself all braced for THE DAY when young Nathaniel would leave the nest on the school bus to kindergarten. Nate had told his mommy that if she cried, she would NOT get any Christmas presents so she kept a stuff upper lip and did not cry.......much! (My husband wondered where he came up with that notion but I figured that not receiving any presents on December 25th would be the absolute worst thing that a five year old could conjure up!) He was really ready to go to school because he had received a letter from his classrooms two Guinea pigs telling him about his teacher and other stuff necessary for THE DAY. Little Isaac tried to get aboard right behind big brother so the mommy had to grab him kicking and screaming all the way, much to the amusement of the bus driver. Nate boarded the bus, sat on the OTHER side away from his family and faced straight ahead! He did say, Goodbye! when he boarded, however, so Mattie had to be content with that. The entertaining season is upon us and if you would like something a little different and most delicious, I recommend you make and take or serve this dish. Susan McEowen of California e-mailed M.E. this yummy recipe. As she aptly stated, this is easy party-fare for all those parties youll be invited to this year!

PUMPKIN PIE CRUNCH

Recently our two grandsons went through an interesting period with Isaac, the two year old, acting strangely and Nathaniel, the five year old, having an astounding imagination. I guess Isaac got it in his head that if he got on his knees, put his head down and his rump into the air, no one could see him. He must have an ostrich gene in him. He would get in that position, having run away from everyone, and then would giggle as they all tried to "find" him. Nate would run about "flapping" his "wings" (read "hands" here) and want to be "fed" a snack from Mattie's hand. One day he spent a whole evening being a bird. His daddy came home from work wondering what had got into him. Nate perched on his chair during dinner. He "fed" his babies in the "nest". After being put to bed for the night, he came downstairs a little later and his quick thinking mother asked him how the baby birds were keeping warm since he had left the nest. He thought about that a second and then went right back up to bed with no fuss. Columbus Herb Society member, Anita Pope, sent all the members this recipe of hers that makes a truly delicious punkin dessert. I am so sorry I was unable to share this with you in time for Turkey Day.

CORNED BEEF AND SAUERKRAUT BALLS

Betty Jean Kerrigan was in my sister's high school graduating class. They were three years behind me. One of their classmates, Sue Donieker, now of California (where they do a bit of shaking every once in awhile and are awaiting the BIG ONE) was to be back to good ol' Indiana for Christmas so B. J. planned a mini class reunion. She invited all who were within a reasonable drive away. I was going to hitch a ride with my sister and just tag along (shades of things being turned around as it was SHE who did the tagging along when we were little!) with her to the party. I planned to just sit back in a corner and quietly (now THAT would be the miracle of the century!) and listen in to what the girls all had to say. It was not to be. My sister was unable to attend as her son was going to be home from St. Louis. However, Betty Jean kindly insisted that John and I come along anyway. I was a bit nervous doing this but I should have known that this group of people my sister was in high school with would not mind two outcasts!. This Class of 1955 was always close knit and had great times together and such was the case that evening a few days after Christmas. It was a treat just to get to see Betty and Ron's lovely Christmacy home north of Maxwell. There was one special item (Ron's Christmas gift to Betty) that was a real eye popper and sure made a lasting impression on M.E. It was a HUGE and very beautifully quilted Amish quilt. Betty Jean informed us all that there would be plenty of food and she wasn't just whistlin' Dixie. There were all sorts of delicious appetizers in her kitchen that we thirteen folks dug into with gusto. Then, a little later on she announced it was time to go to the dining room. We all looked at her with these "Duh!" kind of looks on our faces for we thought the appetizers were enough. She, however, had other ideas and had another big spread of all kinds of goodies for us to eat. These kraut balls were so unusual. I had never tasted them before and Betty Jean kindly shares her recipe. She got it from Colonel Woolridge's wife, Kip, when Betty managed the Fort Benjamin Harrison Beauty Salon back in 1971. As Betty sagely put it, the military gals travel around so much that they always seem to have unusual and delicious recipes to share.

KATIE'S HAMBURGER COOKIES

When my great niece, Katie Beckstedt, was ten years old and in the fourth grade, she shared this "recipe" with M.E. I would make these to take to a classroom where I was substitute teaching for several days or weeks and the kids ALWAYS loved them. They really are quite good and children can make these on their own. When she gave M.E. the recipe, Katie wrote on the recipe card, "These cookies really get attention!" She was not whistling Dixie here. This young gourmand is now attending the University of Cincinnati! Let your kids or grandkids have some fun by letting them help you make these.

SHAKER CRANBERRY-APPLE-NUT SALAD

This article is in honor of Rose Wilfong, daughter of the HUNY PEOPLE in Boggstown, Indiana. Her birthday is this month. This is really a fall recipe but I wanted to put it in now cause it was Rose's mommy who gave it to M.E. Just hold onto it until the really good apples come in and the way the days rush by, that will be happening in no time! Oh, yes......Dorothy says that this is a very simple salad to make and people seem to like it. The only problem to her is that it has a strange color that makes people look twice. Is that bad?

SWEET BRINE CORN

Can you believe that I have now been writing this column for twenty-five years? I know, it is hard to believe, especially for M.E.! The old Indy East had a recipe column with the nifty title of Jo's Recipe Box. It ran for a few months and then disappeared and then reappeared for a short while (I think this was the way it was anyway) and then it disappeared again. I had taught for fifteen years before having our daughter, Mattie. I was MORE than willing to stay home with her, for she was SUCH fun and a REAL joy. However, I wanted an outlet and so gathered up my courage and found myself at the paper's office talking with the young woman who was the editor at that time. I was given the go-ahead to write the column and was told to bring in two or three. I inquired why the other column had quit and was told the lady had run out of recipes! So, I sat myself down and wrote out some columns and then hit a brick wall. What to name the thing? I am NEVER very good at that. It was my sister, Margaret, who lived in West Lafayette who came to my rescue. You see, she and I would trade paperbacks and when either one of us would read one, we would put our initials in it. She saw my initials of M.E. and COOKING WITH M.E. popped into her mind. That was all it took. My first recipe I shared came from a Mrs. Becker whose son, Noel, was starting his business of raising farm produce that summer. I had always HATED freezing corn . I hated the having to put the ears into boiling water and then into ice water and then cutting it off and so forth. It was a real pain to do. This method, however, is absolutely WONDERFUL and SO easy and when you eat it way in the winter, you will SWEAR you had just picked and fixed the kernels. This is one of my most favorite recipes over the years. If you have never tried this method, do so and you, too, will thank Mrs. Becker.

JO ELLEN'S OIL PIE DOUGH

When our daughter, Mattie, was bringing her special beaux (and later to be husband) to our house for the first time from Purdue University, I had her find out what kind of pie was his favorite. It turned out to be two: coconut cream and chocolate cream. So, I got really good recipes for each from good friends (I have never been a filled pie maker) and made one of each. You can imagine my consternation when I dropped the coconut cream one just as I was in the process of placing it in the old fridge out in the garage! I had an awful mess......coconut cream filling dripping in the front of each shelf plus on the floor!!! I did pick some up to taste and it was WONDERFUL! Stephen proceeded to pretend to "cry" when I informed him of the mishap and the fact that there would be no coconut cream pie to eat that day. OF COURSE, this was his very favorite kind! We enjoyed the chocolate and I have since made up for that mishap by serving him his favorite kind at a later date. I have always been one of those people who would eat the filling in a piece of pie and leave the pie dough. I could NEVER find a pie dough that I really did like. That was the case until one time, several years ago, when we were at Jo Ellen and Phil Brown's home to dinner and she served a wonderful chocolate silk pie that was yummy but it was the pie dough that really rang my bells. I found myself picking the extra crumbs in the pie plate. This was a really NO NO thing to do and Miss Manners would have been MOST annoyed with M.E. for doing so but I just could not help myself! You can imagine my surprise when Jo Ellen told me that the pie dough was made with OIL!!!!! Of course, I HAD to have the recipe and have been making my pie dough this-a-way ever since. Our daughter Mattie was having all kinds of problems with making this pie dough and could not figure out why. Her pies would taste good but would really look AWFUL! It turned out that her ditzy mother had failed to tell her to roll the dough between sheets of waxed paper! That made ALL the difference! I recently have had several requests for this recipe and figured it was time I put it in the column again as it has been several years since I have done so. Use this and enjoy.

sandyspearsalad

I was absolutely thrilled when Kaye Knipp of Pershing, Indiana, (formally Germantown which was changed after W.W. I but the locals still refer to it as Germantown even yet and I am one of those guilty of doing so) asked me to give a program for the Zion Lutheran Church's Mother-Daughter Banquet this past May. I had given a talk several years ago at Betty Manning's Herb Farm. Betty had told me she wanted a talk on colonial cooking and so I began my research. It was one of the most fun things I have ever done but I had given the talk only once and was "hungry" to give it again. The talk consisted of giving information about early cookbooks (there were so few!) and about the various foods the different ethnic groups (German, Dutch, French, English, Creole, Indian, slaves) cooked. Anyway, this lovely group of women at Zion Lutheran held a salad buffet and the various types of salads you would not believe. Each dish was a taste delight but there was this one that was REALLY different from anything I have ever had and SO delicioius. Thank goodness the lady who brought said dish, Sandy Weir, had copied her recipe and gave it to M.E. She got this recipe at a Bible Study Fellowship. Sandy loves to garden and sew. When her children were little she was active in Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. Now she is busy helping out in her parish and community. She has lost two husbands and is now again alone but keeps busy helping others. This lady just stood out in the audience and she seemed to hang onto every word I said. I felt a great empathy with this nice woman. Try this salad and see if you do not like it, too.

BARBARA'S LEMON-LIME ANGEL CAKE ROLL

I wish for everyone special friends like we have. They go by the name of Butch and Barbara King. They are such special people and have helped us out in so many, many ways. When my husband had his left hip replacement in April, they were right there with us. (And, by the way, John received WONDERFUL care at Community East Hospital with an EXCELLENT surgeon, Dr. Eric Leaming, and his terrific right hand gal, Marlita!) Barbara drove me over to Pershing, Indiana, where I gave the talk I wrote about last week. They are just two very special kids. One day Barbara called and said she had just made a dessert new to her and could she bring some out to us? Well, whenever she brings us something, it is ALWAYS delicious and special. When I learned it was a lemon-flavored dish, I was REALLY all for it. It was so VERY pretty and she kindly shared the recipe with M.E. so I could pass it along to you. This is a WONDERFUL dessert, especially in hot weather time. However, Barbara brought it when we were having that cold spell last spring and it tasted good then, too. Try this one. You will be glad you did, especially if you are a lemon flavor freak like I am.

SARA'S BANANAS FOSTER TART

The Columbus Herb Society had a wonderful day for our Garden Tour on Saturday, June 8th. Debbie Monts and I were at the garden that used mirrors (yes, you read right) in the garden. I must admit that I had my doubts about the use of mirrors in a garden but now I am a BELIEVER! The effect was astounding! The May meeting of this eclectic group of women was held at the brand new home of Sara and Carl Epler. What a view they have! The house is so open and light and just plain wonderful. I was not feeling up to much and did not fix a dish to take so just ended up taking a big bag of potato chips and they were really enjoyed by all! Who would have thought? Sara brought this most delicious and interesting dessert at one meeting some time ago and I want to share it with you. I wish you could all meet and know Sara. She is one super special person. She was once a third grade teacher. That must be part of the reason she is so special. Anyway, do enjoy making and serving and eating this yummy dessert.

KICKIN' JAMBALAYA

My brother, Rupert, and his wife, Alice, have two children. Their son, Alan, is the Treasurer for the Lakota School District at West Chester, Ohio, in Butler County. Their daughter, Beth, teaches at the Madison Christian School in Groveport, Ohio. Alice has helped for several years with the grading of papers and any other help when needed by Beth. What a joy that must be for her to help out like that. Rupert retired from the Pennsylvania Railroad and just to keep himself busy, he drives cars for Avis Rent-A-Car in Columbus, Ohio, for two days a week and more if needed. Besides his own children, Beth's two children are my brother's pride and joy. Rachel graduated from Ohio State University in August with a double major in German AND English. Nathan is attending Columbus State University and majoring in aviation, which he likes very much. Rupert and Alice sent M. E. this recipe that is not only easy to fix but quick. Just the kind of dish one should have at one's fingertips for when time is short . Try this one very soon for it really satisfies and makes your tummy say, "Howdy!"

MIDGE'S HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

It is SO nice to be adopted. That is the way my husband. John. and I feel anyway. Good friend Butch King has such delightful parents and we have been included at their house for Easter and Thanksgiving and Fathers' Day for some time now. Midge and Tony King are the parents. Midge does beautiful quilting and other crafts as well. Their minuscule backyard is WONDERFUL and was especially so this past Fathers Day. The sun was shining, there was a cooling breeze.....well, you remember. Midge has more plants growing either in between cracks or in planters and in beds around the edge than you can shake a stick at. There is a fishpond as well. And....she uses MIRRORS that gives one a sense of the area actually being bigger than it really is. The mirrors give a really terrific sensation. Midge has also had a hole cut in the fence so she can talk to her backyard neighbor! Now, THAT is what I call friendly! At Easter, Midge served this humegous cake. I swear one could get a hernia just from lifting the thing. And good??????? Of COURSE it was! The name for it is Hummingbird Cake. Now, I have already given you readers two (count em!) two other cakes with this VERY SAME name! One came from Betty Manning's Herb Farm down in Comminsky, Indiana, and the other from Norma Carson from near Grammer, Indiana. Each cake is different from the other. Each cake is delicious. Each cake is worth the making and the serving and the eating. See if you don't agree this is all so true about this fantastic cake of Midge's as well.

JEANNE'S LEMON RICE SALAD

Last year the Columbus Herb Society tried something new. We had a symposium and it was a HUGE hit. First of all, each member of this terrific group of women had a great time preparing for the event. We had ladies from all over who enjoyed four speakers and a wonderful catered herbal lunch. There were many door prizes. I helped with the drawing of names and the giving out of the various items. I felt like Santa! We were able to make enough money to continue with our scholarship and our grants to various schools in several counties and since it was so much fun for us as well, we have decided to have another symposium again this year. It will be held Saturday, September 7, 2002, in the New Hope Christian Church hall just north of Columbus, Indiana, on Route 31. It will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be door prizes and a raffle. An herbal luncheon is included in the $25.00 fee. We will have four speakers again this year speaking on such diverse subjects as Botanical Printing, Garden Design, Yoga for Gardeners and the always ever popular Food Demonstration which this year will be given by our own Jeanne Harned....a demonstration you will not want to miss! There is only a certain number of tickets that can be sold so first come, first served. If you are interested, you can contact M.E. at 835-4348 or Carolyn Behrman in Columbus at 812-375-1677. At our May meeting, our president, Jeanne Harned, brought this deliciously refreshing salad. I could not keep from going back for seconds and thirds and...... This is a great salad, especially for warm weather days. Do try this one soon. (Please forgive my run of rice salads but I just can't help myself!)

SUE'S ORANGE DROP COOKIES

Nate attended a two day a week preschool from January through June. Sometimes he would be hungry as a Mama Bear when he got home and other times the snack they would have had would keep him full for awhile. That was the case one day when Mattie asked him if he wanted his lunch and he informed her that he was not hungry. She started on a project of some kind and later on Nate approached her saying, "Mommy, I'm hungry now. I want my sandwich." He was asked what should he say when he makes a request and he answered with his delightful "Pweeze!" Well, the mommy was busy and did not drop what she was doing right away and so a bit later, Number One Son came up to her and demanded, "You make my sandwich NOW!" and the mommy figure reacted with what did he mean with THAT and he replied with, "So, you'll do what I tell you to!" (This was repeating what the parental units say to him!) Well, THAT young man got a REALLY good talking to with a serious look on the mommy's face. It was later when Mattie had to get clear away from the little twerp and let go with a big belly laugh! While Mattie was church secretary, she would take the boys with her and a retired gentleman parishioner named Jerry would come for visits, much to the delight of both boys. One Sunday this man made the mistake of sitting in front of them and when Isaac awoke from his nap on his mommy's lap, he began to pound on Jerry until he would turn around. Ike then put up his little arms for Jerry to pick him up. Jerry did so and Ike got held for awhile by someone else, much to Jerry's AND Ike's delight. Jerry talked about this for days afterwards. Here is a cookie recipe that has been a favorite of ours for many years. I got this fabulous recipe from Sue Ness, the mother of Mattie's good friend, Sarah Ness, in grades K through second at Moorehead Elementary. I must admit that it is a little bit of trouble but oh! so well worth the effort, believe M.E. These freeze well, too, which is a BIG strike in their favor.

MATTIE'S BROWN SUGAR MERINGUE BARS

Mattie was working with Nate last spring from a book on how to write the letters of the alphabet. He wanted to write his name, so Mattie asked him what the first letter in his name was and he replied with, "N!" and she said, "Yes, that's right. Good! Now, what comes next?" "A!" and he makes an A. "Good!" encourages his mommy. "What comes next?" "T!" and that, too, is drawn. "O.K. What is the last letter in your name?" "G!" "No....it's not a G! What IS it?" "L!" replies the kid. "Nate, now you KNOW that is NOT right! What is the LAST letter in your name?" "D!" the ornery one answers. "No, it is NOT a D. You can't even MAKE a letter D!" declares the mother figure. "Yes, I can!" and the little imp proceeds to make a perfect letter D! THE MAIN IDEA TO THIS STORY: It is SO much fun teasing mommy cause it is SO easy to do! (Grammy is grateful Mommy is not making him spell ALL his name---Nathaniel!) This easy-to-fool-but-still-oh-so-loveable mommy shared this most unusual cookie recipe with M.E.. It is not as hard to make as it reads at first glance.

SUSAN'S CRUNCHY VEGETABLE WRAPS

A person just CANNOT get too many easy-to-make recipes in his/her repertoire. This recipe is such an animal......easy to make (and even lets you use your own imagination and expertise!) and very yummy as well. Susan Montgomery McEowen (Howe High School graduate) sent M.E. this recipe of hers. She lives out there in that other world called California where they like to shake, rattle and roll. (I personally consider that state a place to visit but NEVER to live but what with all the folks who enjoy living there, I guess I am out numbered, right?) Anyway, since wraps are THE "in" thing right now and one can make them so easily at home and make them more tasty, why buy them out, say I? So, try this recipe and use whatever you happen to have on hand.....carrots, cucumber, green or yellow or red sweet pepper, etc. The key here, according to Susan, is in the cheeses which hold the wrap together and makes for a very interesting and tasty flavor.

DONNA'S BUTTER PECAN BUNDT CAKE

My heart aches for neighbor Donna Yarber. Here I have envied her for being pretty close to her daughter and grandson, Trey, for they were living up just across the border into Michigan. To M.E. that's just a drop in the bucket, travel wise, when we have to take two days to get to Connecticut! Anyway, Donna's bright son-in-law, John Corbett, got transferred with his job out to San Diego to that other world from here. Thank goodness for e-mail, snail mail and the telephone for keeping in touch with loved ones! I am not going to gripe about our kids being so far away anymore. Our daughter, who is good friends with Donna's daughter, Tammy, is hoping that this move will be temporary and that they will eventually end up in the Boston area which would be about an hour's drive for them to get together. That sure would be nice for ALL concerned! Donna sent us some pieces of this cake that quite literally melted in our mouths. It has a WONDERFUL flavor and is VERY easy to make. Donna kindly shared her wonderful recipe with M.E. so I could pass it on to you IMAGE readers.

COOKY'S BLEU CHEESE CRISPS

To our grandsons, my sister Anne is "Grannie Annie." I just love her name. The week the kids were moving I tried to not call as I knew they were busier than twenty people ought to be but Anne did make a call mid week and I called her to find out what she found out. There were two incidents that I thought quite funny enough to share. The kids ate out a lot that week when they were moving from one house to another. One evening, the waitress asked Nate if he would like to take his left over French fries home with him. Nate thought for a moment, looked down at his fries and then said to them, "Do you want to go home with me? You do?" He then looked up at the waitress and said, "Yes, please!" Mattie and the boys were at a Burger King that had a play area one day for lunch. Nate was playing with another boy about his age of four when that boy began to go up the part of the slide where one's bottom is supposed to go and invited Nate to do the same. Matte was watching and wondered what he would do as he had been told most firmly not to do that. Nate thought for a moment and then replied with, "No, I won't do that. My mommy does not want me to!" This little appetizer was served to Anne and friends by friend Cooky Thomas last spring. Anne really raved about how good they were and I am sure you will know why when you make these delectable goodies.

CHRIS' PUMPKIN PIE CAKE

When this time of year rolls around, I begin to get hungry for anything with punkin' in it. This recipe was served to the members of the Edinburgh Antique Club when lovely Chris Kirchman of Columbus, Indiana, entertained the group. Right away my husband insisted I get this unusual and delicious recipe and this kind lady complied with it. Chris is such a nice person and fun to be around. She does not look old enough to have TWO girls in college! Chris hails from south of Chicago but has lived in Indiana for 16 years. Chris stated that if 7 years makes you a common law wife, she must truly be a Hoosier by now! Chris is certified as a medical assistant with a specialty in administration and does medical transcriptioning. She plays the piano, plays Mass at Holy Trinity in Edinburgh, has a passion for cooking and tending her flower garden as well as liking to read and work cross stitch. In other words, she is an all-around gal!!! Now that fall is here, try this delicious concoction of Chris'.

AUDREY'S ORIENTAL SALAD

Audrey Williams is one of the nicest people you would ever want to know. She is a member of the Columbus Herb Society and I have loved it when I would be on a committee with her and we would meet in her lovely home. Audrey does pocelain painting and the items she does are breathtakingly beautiful----REAL works of art. Audrey brought this dish to our outdoor meeting a few months ago and it was so very tasty. This recipe has been around for a long while and is one that we tend to forget about until someone like Audrey reminds us how very delicious it is. Treat yourself and make this dish soon.

RICE al FRESCO

This is the story to tell on this, my mother's birthday. When I was in grade school, I would coerce my younger sister, Anne, into working out a Christmas program for the two of us to give for our parents and good friends, Jimmy and Dorothy Bozarth who always came to our house on that auspicious evening. I would make little programs to hand out and we would rehearse and then when it came time to do the performance, poor Annie would have to do it all by herself because I would get a TERRIBLE case of the shys and would be around the corner out of sight listening! Well, this action came back to me through our grandson, Nathaniel. He had learned the two songs that the children were going to sing during church service on Childrens'' Day this past June. He knew the songs by heart, along with the motions. Our daughter has begun the job of being the church secretary and so she and Nate and Ike were at the church the Friday before he was to sing. So, Mattie had Nate stand up in the sanctuary to "perform", which he did flawlessly. Then came that fateful Sunday morning and the rehearsal before church. Seeing all those other kids or the few people in the audience must have spooked Nate for all he would do is stand there and stick a finger in his mouth! His mother was MOST disgusted with him and after a VERY strong talking to from her and a conversation with his daddy, Nate decided that maybe he WOULD like to have fun and sing with the other kids after all! That was when our daughter became SUPER MOM, for there she was, holding the video camera, holding almost year old Isaac (no mean feat there since he is not called Super Baby for nothing!) and doing the motions to the song ALL at the same time! Nate did the first song perfectly. When they began the second one, he forgot the motions until about halfway through but at least he was singing most lustfully. So, all went well. He did better than his Grammy Ervin and I am MOST pleased with him. Here is a salad that is a favorite with Mattie, Stephen, Nathaniel and Isaac and with us as well. Bet you will like it, too. I have no idea why the title for this salad has "al Fresco" in it which means to eat outside. You do not have to be out-of-doors to eat this yummy salad although that IS what we all did at the June Herb Society meting where I took this dish and we DID eat outside!

RUBY'S TOPSY TURVY STRAWBERRY CAKE

Boy, do I ever LOVE e-mails! Thanks to Frank Tout for forwarding me all kinds of things, I have become electronically acquainted with a Frank Hoff. I have found out that Frank Hoff's wife, Ruby Lou Lillard, was the first girls' physical education teacher when Howe high School opened its doors for the FIRST time back in 1939. When marrying Frank, she went with him while he was in the service during World War II. When they returned to Indianapolis, she taught in Warren Township. Frank and Ruby moved a few years ago out to San Diego to be closer to their son, Frank Jr. Anyway, a recipe for this cake had been sent to Frank Tout by Frank Hoff (try and keep the Franks straight here!) and Mr. Tout forwarded it on to M.E. knowing what a nut I am about recipes. I then wrote to Frank Hoff (still with M.E.?) asking him to let me know when Ruby made the cake and what they thought of it. Being a man of his word, Frank Hoff sent me a first hand report on the recipe stating that as an accomplished taster, he did his duty. He says it was very good, a little on the sweet side, but if you like strawberries, you will like this. He is SO right on both counts. Being the color it is, this holiday time might be a good time to try out this recipe.

ALICE'S SWEDISH NUT CAKE

There is this very special gal who swims when I do at the "Y" and when I am there and she does not show up, the day just does not seem "right." Alice is now living by herself and doing a bang up job of it, I must say. She still drives and goes to church and bowls and just keeps herself busy, busy, busy. One day, Alice brought me two pieces (she knew better to not send a piece for my husband!) of this VERY delicious cake. As Alice puts it, "It is so very easy to make." That is what we all like, especially at this time of year, right? Keep this recipe at your fingertips to serve for a special occasion.....oh, throw all caution to the winds and just make and serve it NOW!!!

PRETZEL SALAD

Vicki Atwood, a member of the Columbus Herb Society, requested this recipe awhile back. My sister, Anne, is always asked to bring this scrumptious salad/dessert when she goes to a pitch-in. In fact, I have a feeling her friends would not let her in the door unless she had a dish of this ambrosia in her hands! This is good any time of the year but especially at Christmas, Valentine's Day or Fourth of July, due to its color. Try this one soon.

NONDUS' TUNA SALAD

I get my recipes from all sorts of places. In fact, my husband says that I am the only person he knows who can go through a checkout line in a grocery store and come out not only with my groceries but someone's recipe! And......he is right......I HAVE done that VERY thing......more than once, even! BUT when I get a call or a note or a recipe from an IMAGE reader, well, THAT just HAS to be extra special! And, such was the case a couple months ago when Greenfield resident, Nondus Chandler, dropped off this recipe at the IMAGE office and the folks there kindly mailed it on to M.E. Thank goodness Nondus put her phone number on her recipe so I could have a chat with this most delightful sounding lady who brags she is the same age as that vivacious Vivian Pierson Ramsey whose column you readers are always eager to read. Nondus also goes to the same church as Jerry Waldon who writes the nifty and most enjoyable poetry column in the IMAGE. And, besides all that, this recipe sharer has 12 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren which are, in her words, "Strung all over the country!" I guess some folks think spring or summer is the right time for serving tuna salad but I am one who likes this stuff year round. This is an interesting version that Nondus came up with , as James Whitcomb Riley would put it, "Her ownself." I don't know if you are like M.E., but I kinda get in a rut when it comes to tuna salad so I am always glad for a new way to fix this perennial favorite of many.

JERI'S CHRISTMAS MORNING COFFEE CAKE

When my lovely niece, Jeri Beckstedt, came to visit a couple months ago, she brought with her a food gift which is always welcome in our house. Jeri said it would freeze well and since we already had sweet stuff to eat up, I did just that. The coffee cake Jeri brought was taken from the freezer a few days later and we enjoyed it for a couple of days as breakfast "dessert" and with a cuppa tea in the afternoon. Of course, I asked for the recipe! Jeri said that she has had this since junior high home economics class. She thinks they used this recipe because it has all the basics of baking in it. And......it makes TWO cakes, which is even better! Jeri gave these cakes this name as she gives it to friends at Christmas for them to have on Christmas morning. She has never given this recipe to any of her friends because of this, but she wrote M.E. she would give it to M.E. since I am special! (There's nothing like giving auntie an ego boost!) She starts making these a few weeks before Christmas (like in a couple weeks?) and then stashes them in the freezer. Jeri says it can also be called, "Christmas Morning/Really Anytime Coffeecake" and I agree.

GRANDMA ASHWORTH'S SWEET POTATO CUSTARD PIE

We became friends with Pacer trainer David Craig through our mutual interest in antiques. Through David, we got to know Jay and Ellen Carter who have a great log cabin home near Nashville, Indiana, and also own and run The Artists Colony Inn and Restaurant in Nashville. We had lunch there last summer. It had been awhile since we had been to the Artists Colony Inn Restaurant and there was something new to M.E. on the menu. It was called "Sun Potatoes" and stated that it was deep fried sweet potatoes. I had to try them, of course. I figured they would be cut in round slices but they were cut just like French fries and OH! so MUCH better tasting. If you ever try these, you will hanker for this type of potato instead of the Idaho variety. Everything we ate that day was extra specially good. Ellen and I got to talking about recipes and she said that she wanted a sweet potato pie recipe. So........I got to asking around for recipes and trying them out, much to my husband's delight. We had three pies in two weeks. Our next door neighbors even got into the act and put in their vote for which kind was their favorite. The first sweet potato pie recipe I got from dear friend Jeff Ashworth down in Atlanta, Georgia. His grandmother, Evie Lee Lowe Ashworth (1887-1984) made this wonderful pie. It is an old, old family recipe. My husband liked the fluffiness of the filling. Ellen has informed M.E. the Artists Colony Inn Restaurant has made Jeff's pie with rave reviews. I have yet to hear if they have tried the second one. This one is more like what blacks make. Good friend Joan Cooper sent me a recipe but it was much like the Atlanta one, so I experiemented. We originally got hooked on the sweet potato pie that was not fuffy from P.J.'s BBQ rib place. His mother-in-law made the pies he sold. They were wonderful and this one tastes like I remember them. Our neighbors, Bill and Roselyn Nichols, liked this one better. They could not believe that it was not made with pumpkin. Anyway, here are both recipes. Be daring and try them both. I would LOVE to hear from you if you try either one and also what you thought of them.

SANDY'S HOT CHICKEN SALAD

Mattie called me one early morning last September still upset over what had happened. They were still an hour ahead of us but thank goodness, I was awake; just had not had the energy to drag this fat, old, arthritic body out of that compfy bed yet. Our daughter is a medical transcriptionist for three doctors. She had delivered some work to one located fifteen minutes up from where they now live and was on her way home. The car in front of our daughter almost hit the dog but left Mattie with no way to avoid hitting it. She swerved (thank goodness there was no one coming in the other direction!) to no avail. Of course, it had to be a huge huskie she ended up killing. Two other cars stopped and the owner came plus a policeman and the animal control gal. Someone in the area had reported the two dogs running loose. The policeman was most kind to Mattie who was shaking and most upset. Come to find out, the dogs had run loose before. They had an electronic fence but there was a "hole" in it according to the owner. No one blamed Mattie, thank goodness. She had called Stephen who was able to come, for he was concerned on the effect this all might have on Nathaniel. Isaac was upset because he was having to sit with big brother and his mommy was not holding him! Mattie told Nate that this was the reason they did not want him running out into the road and did he see why? The youngster replied with, "Yes, I could get hurt like the dog!" Unfortunately, hitting an animal happens in many drivers' driving career. I am just sorry it had to happen to our daughter. Her Aunt Anne has purchased for Mattie a set of those things one puts on one's fenders that keeps all animals away. Anne has problems with deer where she lives and the silent (to humans) whistle these gizmos emit really do keep the deer and other critters from running in front of you. After getting hit by a deer once, Anne purchased some. This recipe I got from Sandy Weir when I gave my Colonial Cooking talk to the ladies at the Lutheran Church in Pershing, Indiana. It has become a favorite of ours. Easy to make and so very, very good.

BASIL ORANGE BISCOTTI

I am sure that you all are like M.E. and wanting to get outside and work in the yard and begin a garden. This is also the right time of year to go to something very special for yourself......an herbal symposium! The Central Indiana Herb Society will hold its herb symposium with the delightful name of "Basil, Butterflies and Biscotti" at the Carmel United Methodist Church on April 12th from 9 - 3 p.m. Reservations for this very special event will close April 7th so call (317) 816-0667 or 575-8005 or 848-5036 for yours RIGHT AWAY! The cost is $25.00 per person. This lovely group of women will serve you tea and herbal treats when you first arrive. There will be a silent auction, plant sale and three outstanding speakers as well as a catered herbal lunch. The theme is based on basil as it is the Herb of The Year for 2003. I cannot imagine life without this wonderful herb. Charlene Rupp, symposium chairman, sent M.E. this delightful sounding recipe to share with you all. Biscotti is not hard to make and that you get in stores always seems to lack something to M.E. (unless you get the ones at Hart Bakery!) Try this one right after you have called in your reservation! I hope to see you there!

JACQUE'S GREEN TOMATO PIZZA

At the October meeting last year of the Columbus Herb Society, Jacque Chambers brought this pizza. I was unable to attend and did not get to try some but EVERYONE raved about how wonderful it was and Jacque shared the recipe. It is her husband who has become the expert pizza maker in her house. This one has become one of their most favorite pizzas ever. She says it is a wonderful combination of flavors which blend perfectly together. I am looking forward to trying this recipe as soon as I have some green tomatoes. How about you?

BETH'S PIZZA IN A BOWL

Pam Dugle and her husband, Dave, went back home to Florida from California for a visit. Pam's four year old granddaughter, Emily, climbed up on her lap and said, "Mommom, don't you think we ought to get THOSE PEOPLE something to eat?" Now, THOSE PEOPLE were her parents, her sister, her Aunt Dawn, her great great aunt and her grandparents. Of course, having just flown in, there wasn't a lick of food in the house. Pam said, "Well, Emily, I guess we should. What would you suggest we feed THOSE PEOPLE?" Of course, McDonald's was her poison of choice. Not having an affinity for that eatery, Pam asked Emily if she had another choice. "Ryans is good, because they have good rolls." From that point on Pam said Emily became the little hostess telling THOSE PEOPLE where to sit and which car to ride in, etc. She was going to make SURE everyone was cared for. Pam goes on to say that now she knows why for so long when she walked into her in-laws' house SHE went unnoticed for 30 minutes while they spent that time devoted to her children. She is grateful they did for her children have wonderful memories of their grandparents. What a joy grandchildren are! The following recipe was brought to last July's meeting of the herb group by delightful Beth Winn. I was most happy to turn over to this sweet lady the job of secretary that I had been doing. This is an easy recipe to make and very tasty. See if you don't agree.

MATTIE'S BARLEY CASSEROLE

There's a saying that some place or somebody is busier than a three-ring circus. Well, there's a household in Portland, Connecticut, that is akin to attending the Ringling Brothers Barnham and Bailey Circus! John and I were unable, health wise, to drive to Connecticut for Nate's fifth birthday so we flew. Only to see the kids will I get on a plane anymore! We had to change planes Detroit. Thanks to a very nice young man and the two wheelchairs he propelled us in, we made the connection.....just in time. That place is HUGE and very confusing for two old folks like us. They even have a train running back and forth up above! Coming home, we had more time, thank goodness, and were able to do our favorite thing...people watching. HOWEVER, we felt so VERY uncool for we had no phone plastered to one ear! I have NEVER seen so many people in contact with someone via their cell phones! Next time we fly (which I hope is never) we will just HAVE to take along our cell phone and at least pretend to be using it! Our visit was so enjoyable and just watching a five year old and almost two year old kept us laughing constantly. I got to attend an Italian function with Mattie and John took some antique quilts to show to Mattie's quilt group. We also helped our son-in-law celebrate his birthday. Stephen, bless his heart, took both boys in his car the last Saturday we were there to T-ball and soccer games Nate was involved with so Mattie could drive us up to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, where we hit an antique mall and had yummy fish and chips and bought some wonderfully delicious pastries from a French bakery there. It was really neat to have our little girl all to ourselves for a few hours. Mattie has to drive every day to pick up and deliver medical transcriptions to various doctors' offices. I rode along each day so that she did not have to haul Isaac in with her every time. Nate has become quite the little backseat driver, however. He tells his mommy when she is approaching a red light or if he thinks she is driving too fast. (It will be interesting when the tables will turn on this deal when Nate reaches the driving age!) If you ask him, Nate will tell you that the red light on the traffic signal means, "STOP!" The green light, he says, means, "GO!" And what does the yellow light represent, you ask? "GO FAST!" is the reply. Mattie served this dish one night and I was instantly hooked. The first thing I purchased after getting home was some pearl barley. I am going to give you the REAL recipe and then the shortcut version Mattie did. Either is great. This is one dish you can fool around with and change for different but delicious results. Try this soon.

SKYLINE CHILI

Anyone who attends the University of Cincinnati, as Howe High School grad Susan Montgomery McEowen has done, will get addicted to the chill and dogs served at Skyline Chili. Now, this is well and good IF one continues to live in close approximation to a Skyline Chili eatery. But....what does a gal do who finds herself way out in California and hankers for a mess of this ambrosia? Well, a person does what Susan did. One uses the recipe that was published in The Cincinnati Enquirer. What blows the mind with this recipe is the fact that the meat is BOILED. No frying out and browning! The addition of cinnamon, vinegar and allspice, along with the boiling, is what gives this chili its most unique flavor. I got hooked on their dogs years ago but only recently ventured on to the chili and am now hooked on that. John likes all that cheese but I have them cut down on it for M.E. Don't bother to make this yourself unless you are snowed in and cannot get out and have all the ingredients and are REALLY hankering for some Skyline Chili! It is some trouble and if you can go and eat it at the local Skyline Chili eatery, do that, but for those of you who have friends who cannot get this delicacy, send this recipe to them. They will be FOREVER grateful to you and Susan for sharing it.

NANCY'S WELSH RABBIT

Nancy Jordan lived next door to my sister and her family when they were living in England for a year. My brother-in-law took a sabbatical from Purdue University and they had a wonderful time there. The two younger boys attended a British school. When our daughter was ready for sixth grade, we three spent a few weeks motoring around Merry Olde and stayed some with Nancy in Hertford Heath across the road from some royal woods where fox hunts would occasionally be held. Nancy taught me this recipe. She pronounced the rarebit bit as rabbit so that is the way I have spelled it. Then, a couple months ago I wanted to fix something with celery for my husband. I looked through various cookbooks and did not find any one recipe that would do the trick so I just made up my own. I will share that recipe with you also. I had some of it left over and it was just as good reheated the next day. That really surprised me. In fact, we feel we like it even better than the Welsh variety. You be your own judge. In my estimation, you cannot lose with either one !

SARA'S 7-UP LEMON VERBENA CAKE

That southern delicacy, Krispie Kreme doughnuts, is s-l-o-w-l-y wending its way northeast up into New England. Our kids had heard that the very first Krispie Kreme joint to open in the WHOLE state of Connecticut, was to open the first part of October. When Stephen asked Mattie what she wanted for her birthday (it was October 13th), she told him all she wanted was a Krispie Kreme doughnut. It mattered not what variety, I guess. Word about the Krispie Kreme place to open up in Newington, Connecticut, by the Berlin Turnpike was in all the local papers and on the local news in the Hartford and Middletown and Portland areas. The local food guru decided to see what all the hub bub was about and so traveled to the nearest Krispie Kreme to try them out. He had to go to Long Island, New York, to do so! Then, he tried the Dunkin' Doughnuts in Connecticut plus a couple of local makers of doughnuts and his gastronomic opinion was that the Krispie Kremes won his taste test hands down! The Chamber of Commerce of the celebrated town of Newington that was to get this establishment received so many phone calls from anxious people, that they ended putting up a sign out in front TWO MONTHS before the opening stating how many days until the BIG EVENT. (Those folks must have been VERY hungry for something to be interested in! Pun intended here folks!) Anyway, Stephen got up at 4:00 in the morning in order to be at the Krispie Kreme place at 5:00 when it opened. Now, this was over a week after the official grand opening of the establishment. Even so, there he was in a line that had ALREADY formed! It was not a long line mind you, but albeit a line none the less. He brought the dainty morsels home and served them to Mattie in bed! WOW! She is the envy of her friends! Oh.......Mattie foolishly left two jelly filled doughnuts on the floor by her bed that morning. When she came out from taking her shower, she found little Isaac the Glutton sitting there looking up at her with a beatific smile on his face and a doughnut in each hand! He was coated with jelly from head to toe! What a mess! She thought she had him all cleaned of jelly only to find out later that Nate wanted to kiss Ike's "boo boo" on his ear. (He thought the red on Ike's ear was a sore.) It ended up being a VERY sweet kiss! Here is a great recipe that Sara Epler brought to the September meeting of the Columbus Herb Society. It is easy. It is tasty. What more can you ask? And.....it tastes especially refreshing, I think, in winter time. See if you don't agree.

BETTY JEAN'S PIZZA DIP

Image reader and Greenfield resident, Betty Jean Brunner Kerrigan, sent M.E. this delicious and easy-to-make dip in time for M.E. to take the ingredients and/or the dip itself with M.E. for that crazy week I always have with my dear sister and her friend, Frances, at Anne's time share condo at the Fairfield Glade in Crossville, Tennessee. Betty Jean graduated with my sister from Lincoln High School (Rah! Rah! Wampus Cats! "What's a Wampus Cat?" you are probably asking. I haven't a clue except they looked like black panthers!) Betty Jean and her sister Dotty used to come to our house and play. Being the oldest in the group and being the bossy type anyway, they always had to play school with MY being the teacher, of course! I also liked to tell scary stories. Betty Jean remembers this. She has grown up to be the nicest, most friendly and sweetest gal you would want to know and anyone out there in Image land who has become acquainted with her and her husband, Ron, is indeed blessed. I got to thinking that this would be the perfect time to share this recipe with you folks, what with New Year's Eve coming up and all. Of course this can be served any ol time of the year....this one or the next one coming up sooner than we may want!

STEPHEN'S NANNER GRAHAM FLUFFS

Our grandson Nathaniel goes to a preschool three days a week. Our daughter takes him and picks him up. They go into the building to get him and one day Nate ran out of the classroom and up to his little brother Isaac and said, "Oh, Isaac I missed you SO much!" Then Ike gave Nate a big hug and the two boys held hands as they walked out to the van to go on home. How sweet! BUT.....the flip side is when both boys want to play with the same toy. Or Nate is eating something and Ike is MOST displeased that HE is not feeding his OWN face. Anymore, Ike seems to want what Nate has. Mattie feels she should purchase some black and white striped shirts and wear a BIG whistle around her neck for it oftentimes seems that all she gets done is refereeing! A few months ago at church they were studying about Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. They were guided, if you remember your Bible story, by a pillar of cloud by day and one of fire at night. To sorta continue with the theme, they had graham crackers to eat that were covered with a little "pillar" of cloud on them made of Cool Whip. Doing the pillar of fire thing was too tricky and who wants to eat fire anyway? Well, Stephen, our son-in-law, took this idea several steps further. At home, he sliced banana on a graham cracker and put a dollop of whipped cream on that with a drizzle of chocolate sauce on that. Voila! A new taste sensation comes to us all the way from Connecticut! They are a tad messy to eat, but so are S'mores! I wound up with a "Got milk?" mustache but it licked off deliciously. Just for fun, try these soon. I like using that whipped stuff out of a can. It is SO much handier to use! And the oatmeal grahams are so wonderfully crunchy and tasty.

ADELE'S MAPLE GLAZED CARROTS WITH ROSEMARY

I just LOVE e-mails! It is such fun to hear from people near and far and especially nice when one needs a quick answer. Now, don't get me wrong here. There is still NOTHING to take the place of a hand written note and I like sending cards. Every day I go through the Indianapolis Star and its Indiana Living section and I end up cutting various articles (and some comics too!) to send to Mattie. I wonder what her postman thinks of the long envelopes that are stuffed and decorated with the seasonal stickers I put all over them? Anyway, I got a couple of really funny things from a good friend from "down home" (my husband's home area of Grammer, Indiana,) about her grandkids. Norma Carson sent M.E. this funny on her little Caleb who belongs to their son Dan. Caleb put his arms around Norma recently and said in amazement, "You are getting skinny!" Normal smiled, of course, and said a really big, "THANKS!" Never did she tell him that his little arms were growing! Then there is the story she told us about Sam, her five year old granddaughter from the big city of Lafayette. Sam's mother was involved in homecoming at Purdue and needed a sitter from Wednesday to Sunday. Norma and Jim met Sam and her mommy half way and got her at the Southport Cracker Barrel. On Saturday they took her to a Kentucky Fried Chicken place because Sam wanted popcorn chicken. (Isn't it amazing how we will eat at all these junk food places when our grandkids want to go there?) Jim ordered chicken livers. Well, Sam got up early every day while visiting her grandparents. She would put on her boots and help with the farming. She helped with the pigs, cows and chickens plus pulling the dog around with a rope. At the KFC place, she got up in the seat, took a really good look at her grandpa's chicken livers, pulled one up out of the container and then said, "THAT LOOKS LIKE PIG POO!" Norma said that she personally does like chicken livers but she, too, looked at them really close and found that Sam was right! The ladies next to their booth laughed. Jim ate the chicken poo all by himself. Here is a good recipe that has NOTHING to do with livers of any type! (Aren't you glad?) Former member of the Columbus Herb Society, Adele Klingberg, sent me this all the way from Texas, thanks to wonderful e-mails! It is a delicious recipe and is now our favorite way to cook carrots.

CHOCOLATE SATIN

It is now that time of the year when little cute Cupid shoots his arrows thither and yon and goodness only knows what might happen, eh? (Golly! I sound terribly Canadian here!) Anyway, I have saved this recipe to share with you Image readers and you will soon see why. Jeanne Harned brought these to a Columbus Herb Society meeting and it was a hit with everyone there. All the gals clambered for the recipe and very unselfish Jeanne graciously told us how she made these little yummies. (Don't you just hate it when someone will not share a recipe? Or, even worse in my book, will give a recipe and leave out something on purpose so you can't make it the same way?) Anyway, here is Jeanne's recipe in time for you to make it for YOUR special valentine!

RHONDA'S WINTER FRUIT PIE

Grandson Nate was chosen to take something to his preschool for "Show and Tell." You probably would never guess what a little New Englander would take: his tractor, his planter and his combine! (His teacher had NO idea what a combine was. They farm differently out there.) He told the kids that the farmer drives the tractor back and forth, back and forth, back and forth to get the ground ready. Then he fills the planter with seeds which puts them in the ground. The rain comes and the corn grows and makes ears. Then the combine comes along and picks the corn. It also picks the wheat that is made into flour and we use that to make bread. Nate's and his parents' Midwest background serves him well. Just writing this makes me yearn for the time when things are growing again. Does it you? It was a year ago when clever Rhonda Bolner brought this delicious pie to a meeting of the Columbus Herb Society. By the time I got around to making it, it was not winter time anymore so I tucked the recipe away to share during the right season. I know that is silly but so be it. Anyway, wanted to share it with you all while it is still officially winter! By the way, Rhonda entered this in a Marsh cookout last December and won a very timely gift certificate and first place on one of the days the contest was held. We herbies are glad to have such a famous person in our midst!

MIDGE'S DREAMCICLE CAKE

For some reason grandson, Nate, got it in his head last January that he REALLY, REALLY wanted a fish. So, the family made a visit to a local pet store. While Nate and his daddy were picking out a fish bowl for the critter and some colored rocks (purple, of course) and a coral colored thingy for the fish to swim through, Isaac, the other grandson, was pointing at the pet store's own pet parrot (not for sale) and saying in a very loud manner, "Uk! Uk!" (translated as "Look! Look!") to his mommy. Ike was mesmerized by the parrot's saying "Hi!" and "Bye!" to folks. The thing could talk better than HE could! Ike also wanted to play with the puppies that were there but no one was allowed to do that since they had not yet seen a vet. Nate was disappointed that he could not bring the fish home with him until a couple days later after which the bowl, rocks and coral thingy had been washed and water had set in the bowl. He knew exactly which type fish he wanted (goldfish) and EXACTLY which one for the man to catch in his net. The fellow was told, "No! No! Not THAT one. The other one over THERE!" The new pet resided on Nate's dresser and was named "Natefish". How original can one get? However,there is a very sad ending to this saga. Mattie noticed that the goldfish was not eating but figured it would after getting over the trauma of being transported. Two days after they got Natefish, he died. Nate noticed that "The fish was stuck!" Mattie explained to Nate that his pet must not have been very well and he then inquired, "He's dead?" and cried a bit. They all gathered around the toilet and told the fish goodbye as they flushed him down the drain and Nate again cried a little. Another of Life's lessons learned! Nate then began to look forward to getting another pet fish that would hopefully be of a more durable variety. This time, he wanted a white fish so they got a beta which was more healthy than the golden variety for a bit and then IT passed away! They have given up on having a fish for a pet.....for the time being anyway!. This cake was served to us by Midge King of Indianapolis. When my husband took his first bite, he thought he had suddenly died and gone to Heaven! It is easy to make and is really very, very good. Treat yourself with this dessert soon.

GLENNA'S PEPPERED PECANS

Glenna Talkington Whittington grew up down the road in eastern Bartholomew County from my husband. She is a tad older and also an only child so she and John sorta adopted each other in order to have a "sibling." He has always thought of her as a sister. John played Santa for Glenna's kids when they were little. He did, that is, until the year when Janie, the oldest, remarked that Santa had on shoes "just like John R. wears!" Over the years, the whole family has gathered at Red and Glenna's Columbus, Indiana, home for their reunion and visit with Santa on Christmas Eve. We have been fortunate enough to be included and it is SO much fun to be with this jolly group of people. Santa still visits even though the grandchildren are grown. Now a new generation of wee ones is beginning and the fun is even greater. We were so VERY disappointed to not be able to be with them last year. The weather was getting too bad and we were fearful of being out on the roads in it. Something very special is missing in our lives for not having been with them. Hopefully next year the weather will be more cooperative. Glenna sent me this recipe and I made it right away. Pecans are my favorite nut. I changed the recipe a bit the second time I made these as I wanted them to have more kick. I wanted them hot and spicey like the Fourth of July!

NADINE'S BAKED CRANBERRIES

Our grandson, Nate, had been told last December by the parental units that if he pulled the same stunt at their Church's children's Christmas party that he did the year before at Macy's in New York City (he refused to sit on Santa's lap) that Santa would not bring him ANYTHING! He was also told that he could ask for anything he wanted from the old man but that Santa would bring to Nate whatever he thought best for the kid. Nate asked for only one thing (although he had been mentioning several things the past week....shades of the movie A Christmas Story...maybe just getting up on that lap scared all but the one thing from his mind) and that was a Lego Harry Potter train set, whatever THAT is. Well, Nate got the other thing he wanted, a bike, but Santa had to tell him in his note to him that Santa had run out of the train sets and had to replace it with another item. He was fine with that because the parents promised to get a train set as soon as they could. Our kids are doing Christmas like was done here for Mattie and at Stephen's home. Santa's gifts are not wrapped but under the tree to see first thing on Christmas morning. (Who wants to wrap a bike anyway?) By the way, Issac sat on Santa's lap and would have stayed there all evening if he could have got away with it. He LOVES being held. Just ask his Grandpa! At another event, Mattie and Stephen were talking about going somewhere nice to eat since they were dressed up in their Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes and an older gentleman from their church asked Nate (with a mischievous gleam in his eye) if he was going to go to MacDonald's for dinner, to which the tyke responded with a VERY happy "Yes!" When they got in the car to leave, Nate asked the parents if they were on their way to eat at "M" (his name for that place) and was told that they were not going to this time, because they were going to a MUCH better and nicer place to eat that had better food to which he resounded with a VERY, VERY happy, "Oh, boy! We're going to Burger King?" (I will have to agree with him that he would get a better tasting burger at BK than he would at the golden arches!) He's developing into quite the gourmet, wouldn't you say? Here is a recipe I got from a high school classmate, Nadine Reisert of Cambridge City, Indiana. While you have your frozen cranberries in storage, you can enjoy this now instead of waiting for this year's crop to come upon the scene in the fall.

NANCY'S CARROT SOUFFLE

Our grandson's preschool walked to a place where there are dinosaur footprints on display. This made quite an impression on almost five year old Nathaniel. He told his mommy all about it by saying, "Dinosaurs stepped in the mud and got stinked and died!" This last word was really drawn out. Last December we were invited to the lovely Christmacy home of Nancy Niemann. Nancy is the excellent organist and music director of the First Presbyterian Church in Shelbyville, Indiana. Every time we have a meal Nancy has fixed, I always luck out with a great new recipe to share with you Image readers. Such was the case this time. Nancy had fixed a melt-in-your-mouth delicious prime beef roast. She also had baked potatoes and very cleverly had the fixin's on the table for her eight guests to add what they liked best. There was grated cheese, sour cream, chives, etc. BUT we were all fooled by what LOOKED like a sweet potato casserole. You can imagine our surprise (and after you have fixed and tasted this you will know first hand our delight) to find that there was nary a sweet potato in this dish. Who would have thunk to fix carrots this way? As a kid I HATED cooked carrots but over the years I have had them fixed with honey and butter (delicious) and with rosemary and maple syrup (terrific) but THIS dish is absolutely the VERY BEST way to eat cooked carrots, in my humble opinion. See if you don't agree. An added bonus, by the way, is that it is so VERY easy to make. And it is so VERY pretty. And I would lay odds that you will not have any left over! An added bonus for M.E. was that I fooled all but one of the herb gals at our March meeting!

WASHING DAY

I usually try and share something silly or funny around April Fool's Day. It is that time already and so I am sharing something with you all that came to M.E. a few months ago all the way from Connecticut. The nifty lady who originally shared this is Gladys Fields who attends the same church our kids do, the First Baptist Church in Middletown, Connecticut. It is an American Baptist church. Anyway, Gladys sends me the funniest, the most thought provoking, the most heart wrenching stuff on e-mail that you can imagine. A case in point is this funny item she sent. I love the terms of "bilin" for boiling, "far" for fire, "rinch" for rinse, and "pert" in relation to a brisk wind. I have found myself saying, "It's pert nigh time" to do something or other so that word felt right at home with M.E. Just sit back, do no fussing in your kitchen for a bit and have a BIG belly laugh, thanks to Gladys Fields.

STRAWBERRY STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

"ENJOY, ESCAPE, EXPERIENCE," says the item that one can see if one gets on the internet and types in this address: innkeeper@bridgefordhouse.com. Our good friends from Columbus, Indiana, John and Debbie Monts, wanted to get away from it all several months ago and so motored down to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, which is a quiet town with hills in the background. The Monts stayed in a most delightful bed and breakfast. The house is located on both horse drawn and trolley car routes. It is a short walk to shops of all kinds, including antique ones. A special place Debbie really liked was the Wilson & Wilson Folk Art Co.. It is located in the historic Flatiron Building that is unusual and frequently photographed. The building serves as Blakley Wilson's studio where she paints seven days a week. This is a shop in which to spend many hours. There were several dishes served to our friends during their stay. The host and hostess (more about them in the next column) were kind enough to share their recipes. This particular one was Debbie's favorite and next time I will share John's favorite breakfast treat!

BLUEBERRY BAKED UPSIDE-DOWN PANCAKE

The host and hostess of the Queen Anne style bed and breakfast in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, are Jeff and Nadara "Sam" Feldman. Sam states that her real name is hard for people to pronounce and remember so she goes by Sam. (I have not met Sam but I would think that it would be worth a stay at this delightful sounding place just to meet HER!) The Feldmans had been years working towards getting out of the rat race they were in in Dallas, Texas, but were waiting for their kids to be gone (two are now married and the other two in school, all back in Texas) and the moment to be right and so they purchased this already going concern, the 1884 Bridgeford House. They are so very happy to be away from the skyscrapers and concrete and lots and lots of cars. Both Sam and Jeff do the cooking in their kitchen in the morning and without killing each other and do a very fine job of it, too. They enjoy the change from their big city jobs. Thanks to Jeff and Sam, we can all enjoy at home John Monts' favorite dish while he and wife Debbie stayed there. This is so easy that I bet you will find yourself fixing it often.

SUE WILGUS' CARAMEL APPLES

Last fall our kids had a playtime with Nate's school friend and his little sister who was two months older than our Isaac. The girl was already walking and so after watching her a bit, Ike decided he had better get on the stick and so he began to walk more. Ike loved sitting in a little car and "driving" it by moving the wheel. The little sister was placed in beside him and it was then that Mattie wished for a camera. It looked like the couple were out on a "date". There was Ike with his pacifier in his mouth and she with her thumb in hers "driving" off into the sunset! I guess I am a bit of an oddball (you have probably come to that conclusion many moons ago if you have read many of these cooking columns of mine!) in that every once in awhile I like to make a dish during a time of the year when one would least expect making it. Such is the case here. Last fall I received a request from the gals at the Image office wanting a good recipe for caramel apples. Well, I was SURE I had one. I had made them several years ago when our daughter was little, but do you think I could find the thing? Of COURSE not! So I sent out an S.O.S. to the gals of the Columbus Herb Society and got two recipes. The first one is the one I am sure I used for it just reads right. Sue Wilgus sent me this one that was in her mother's, Nellie Nearing's, cookbook. Adele Klingberg, now living in Texas, sent the second one which makes for a harder covering. It is delicious, too, but in a different way. Be daring and try one or both of these just for the fun of it. One can still get fairly decent apples yet at this time of year but I do realize that the time is running out. Or.....file this away to use this fall.

HELEN'S BOSTON BROWN BREAD

It's funny how things turn out sometimes, how certain people's paths cross in mysterious ways. Lee Bahyn taught in Noblesville, Indiana, many years ago. He and his wife, Helen, moved to a cabin waaaaaaaay back in the woods waaaaaaay up north near Ely, Minnesota, when he retired from teaching. They loved living on this dead end road on Little Long Lake with only a Boy Scout camp sorta nearby. Helen cooked on a wood cookstove even though she had an electric one right beside it! She and Lee fed the wild animals. They fed one old bear with a missing leg (aren't traps wonderful?) for years and also an old buck paid them visits and was rewarded with leaving with a full tummy. The Bahyns were in their 90's when they passed away. Their cabin was sold back to the family that had originally built it in the 1800's. Now, another couple from the Noblesville area, Jean and Don Bowen, were friends to Helen and Lee Bahyn. This couple would summer up in the Ely area and our friend, Ellen Sauer, got acquainted with them. When the Bahyns died, Jean cleared out their cabin and came across Helen's recipe box and old cookbook. She had the foresight to give both to Ellen (who is a native born Hoosier herself) who LOVES digging through old recipes whether they are in a box or a book or both. Ellen said that there are notes in the cookbook on how many turns of wood it takes for a slow oven o