There are pears and there are pears. By that I mean some are more desirable than others. There are winter pears, Kieffer is the one that comes to mind. They are small and hard as a rock. They are called winter pears for a reason. You must wait until after New Years to eat them.. only then will they be softened, but they are still small. By the time you peel them, there is not much left. I never could understand why anyone would want to grow winter pears. I guess there was a time in the dead of winter, when fresh fruit would be a luxury.

It's Fair time. I take my appetite to the Fair. There are many exotic foods to sample that aren't available other times of the year. Corn dogs with a squiggly line of mustard are my favorite. I can fix them at home, but Fair time is Corn Dog time in my mind. Elephant ears are good, too. The list goes on and on, but my Corn Dog recipe is where I'm heading today.

Chow Chow is delicious. I wondered where that name came from. Taking a jar in hand, I looked at it straight on. Why is it called Chow Chow? Curiosity got the best of me. I checked it out online. I am now more confused than ever. Consider these possibilities:
1. There are "Northern" and "Southern" varieties. Mine is Southern.
2. Some say it came South with the Acadian expulsion from Nova Scotia.
3. Others cite a connection with the Chinese rail workers in the 1800's.
4. A chutney from India is made from chayote, hence "chow chow".

I have never heard anyone say, "Tea is tea." Green tea, black tea and exotic tea blends line the shelves at Food City. Why am I talking about tea? First of all, it's hot outside and I want a tall glass of iced tea. Then, too, my taste in tea has changed over the years. My favorite now is sweet tea. You can buy it in a gallon jug. Even the fast food places brew their own sweetened iced tea.

There was a time when green tea was king in our house. Mother would buy a one pound bag of green tea siftings. It wouldn't last long. Mother knew how to brew good tea. She would scald the tea pot with hot water, add the right amount of loose tea leaves and fill with scalding hot water. After it steeped a few minutes, Mother poured out a cup for Dad, first of all, and then for my two brothers and me. Finally she poured a cup for herself. That was the order for everything served at our table. I will talk about that another time.

I like greens. especially in the spring. After a winter of potatoes, carrots and such, I am ready for a change. Of course, the first greens to be had are dandelion greens. I remember looking for dandelions in the tall grass along sides of the fields on our farm. They were the best. There was no road salt on them from the winter. They grew tall competing for sunlight with the grass. Armed with a sharp knife and a half bushel basket, I would cut a basket full. Then back to the house to clean and rinse and cook and eat.

I like fresh sweet corn. I remember eating sweet corn in the summertime back when my kids were in grade school. There would be a big kettle of salted water boiling on the stove. The ears would be dumped in and the water brought to a boil again. Taken out and piled on a platter, it was ready to eat. We had fun eating corn. Remember the old manual typewriters? My kids and I would play "typewriter" and chomp our way across a row of kernels. No, we didn't go "ding!" at the end of the row. Now, that was good eating.

My dad was of the old school. His home was his castle and he was in charge! My, how times have changed. Nowadays, mom works, too. The family doesn't gather around the supper table anymore. Every member of the family has his own agenda. When I think about the old days, I'm talking about the thirties and the forties. One thing, especially, comes to mind: "Fried Eggs on Toast." That was my dad's breakfast from as long as I can remember. Oh, there might be pancakes, French toast or whatever, but "Fried Eggs on Toast" was a given.

Howdy! I will be offering some of my favorite recipes for awhile. I am Shirley McMurtrie and I have been in Tennessee about 30 years. East Tennessee is just about the best place to live. The climate is great, the country music is great and, best of all, the people are great. This is home.