Back in the day, when we lived on the farm, if I wanted to prepare a Sunday chicken dinner, there was a lot of prep work to do. We only did this if we had company coming. We couldn’t go to Food City and select a package of chicken parts from the meat counter. Nope! Na! Na! No way! In fact, in those days the only chicken I might find at the meat market was a sorry looking whole chicken. Separately packaged breasts or drumsticks were far in the future. I prepped my own.

What can you do with the masa harina flour you see on the grocery shelf? I know mass farina flour is used to make tortillas, so that is what I do. It's different. Try it next time you need flour tortillas

By now you have no doubt heard the obligatory Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer song ten times on the radio or department store sound systems. The assumption is that because Rudolf is depicted with antlers that he’s a he, and that may be correct. But if you will allow me some natural history holiday fun, it’s possible that Rudolf is a her.

By Helina Bailey
Christmas is fast approaching. Stockings are hung and the lights are up. Many families have begun to fill up the space beneath their Christmas trees with all the gifts from their children’s lists for Santa...but some children in Union County won’t wake up to gifts on Christmas morning. For many, this has been a tough year. Some families in the community are facing food insecurities this holiday season and lacking the means to put gifts under the tree.

Have you ever had a conversation with somebody and you wondered if you two were speaking another language?
It was December 1982. I was so excited since it was my and Tim’s first Christmas together as a couple. When he picked me up one evening, his friend Steve was with him. Tim had to stop at a store. Running in, he left Steve and myself in the car.
Trying to start a conversation, I said, “Mom and I are going shopping for a tree stand tomorrow.”
“You are?” I heard the surprise in his voice. “Who’s it for?”

I never drink a glass of iced tea that I don’t think of my brother, Russell Stimer. He passed away over twenty years ago. Gone, but not forgotten. Russ died of throat cancer. A doctor had told him not to smoke cigarettes, but that small cigars were ok. Not true.

Cream style corn goes well with mashed potatoes. Of course, the other ingredients in this recipe help. We have potatoes at almost every meal at our house. If your meat entree is a little skimpy or not their favorite, these potato cakes will make up for it.,

By Steve Roark
Volunteer, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Since childhood I have always enjoyed Christmas carols, preferably AFTER Thanksgiving, and especially the old ones. Some go back to the 1600s, and sometimes have some obscure language that may not make sense in our present era. So, I thought it interesting to check a few out. 

Union County Business & Professional Association named Martin Shafer and Donna Riddle as Man and Woman of 2022 at its Annual Banquet on November 12 at Maynardville Fellowship Church Fellowship Hall. The dinner was catered by Pete’s Place with coffee provided by Ridge and Valley Coffee House. Brenda Sweet greeted guests and collected tickets, and Rev. Matt Cooke delivered the invocation.

Archie Reynolds addressed the November meeting of the Union County Historical Society (UCHS). He spoke of the traditions of Native Americans. He explained how warrior societies were formed to carry on the culture and sacred beliefs of indigenous people.