I grew up where black walnuts were the thing, not pecans. I didn't have to buy them. They grew all over the farm, especially down the lane to the pasture. Here, we had several black walnut trees on our 1 2/3 acres.
I remember the first time I gathered 'em, dried 'em and placed the precious nuts in grocery bags. They were placed to cure on a high shelf in our little barn. Later, the following winter, I reached up to retrieve a bag of walnuts to take to the house and crack.

Ground beef is a favorite of mine. There are many ways to flavor an economical ground beef dish for supper. This recipe fancies up the ground beef and makes a delicious gravy. Add some mashed potatoes, fix a green salad and supper is ready.

When you think of cheese with potatoes, you usually think of Velveeta or Cheddar, not cottage cheese. Surprise! This is a good combination. There is no milk in here, just cottage cheese and egg. If you are up for trying new flavors, give this one a go. It is good.

I have written about my fascination with pineapple. Well, coconut runs a close second. I like a layer cake covered with coconut frosting. White cake or yellow cake; no matter. If it has coconut in it or on it, that cake is special to me.

Yes, beans do get along with ground beef. They extend the ground beef in a meat loaf. The flavor is good, too. A drained one pound can of great northern beans can be used in place of just boiling up the necessary beans.

Most blackberry jams I have made leave something to be desired. I guess the texture is wrong. Rhubarb makes a difference. There is no fruit pectin in this recipe. You could use frozen rhubarb if you like.

A few days ago I heard on TV that beans could become the new meat if meat prices continue to climb because of the virus. I hope not. But if you would like to prepare for that sad day here is a meatless recipe for you. You can eat it as an entree or make a wrap out of it with a flour tortilla, some shredded lettuce and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Try it and see what you think.

Here is another old-timey dessert. It is a favorite of mine because it takes cocoa instead of unsweetened chocolate. I always have cocoa on hand. It's an easy one to do in the oven. Be sure to serve it warm. You can fancy it up with Cool Whip or ice cream.

Boy, oh boy! Here is a recipe straight out of the 50's. I suppose some women during the Great Depression had enough money to fancy up their menus. My mother didn't. It seemed that women's magazines only came into their own around the late 40s time. They were only 10 or 15 cents each. I could afford that. I would pick up a woman's magazine when I did my grocery shopping on the weekend. This recipe reminds me of these days. It has survived the test of time, just brought up to date with the Cool Whip.

Is it finally spring? Well...if you can count how much water has been "springing" from the sky, then yes. And with spring comes recipes for greens from the garden. Here's one for collards that my daughter Christa came up with and shared with me. It takes some time, but is soooo worth it!.