Every September I buy a 20 pound box of Carolina sweet potatoes. A truck would be parked in front of Janet's Beauty Shop in Maynardville. Since I am the only sweet potato aficionado at this address, the supply lasts most of the year. I keep the box in the hallway just off our Great Room. I am telling you this because long red sprouts are rising from the box. It is past time to finish up my supply of sweet potatoes.

Who says you can't have chili in the summertime? Hot dishes come from the south of the border tropical climes. Chili is good anytime and any place. This is a real summertime recipe. It features the plentiful zucchini fresh from the garden or Food City. It makes a big batch so plan to freeze some for another day.

When I think of meatloaf I think of ground beef. Turkey makes a good meatloaf, too. It has only been in recent times that ground turkey has been available. Turkey was like chicken. You bought the whole bird. Worse yet, turkey was only available at Thanksgiving time. A butcher would think you were crazy if you asked for a pound of ground turkey at the meat counter.

I have always liked red table grapes, but have previously looked in vain for a way to cook them. A few years ago our church group took a trip up to Cumberland Falls in Kentucky. While there, we had lunch at their tearoom. Grape Salad was on the menu. It was delicious and new to all of us. We asked for the recipe. The one they gave us didn't turn out at all like the tasty salad we had there. Don't you hate that? When someone gives you a recipe and its not quite like their dish.

I have been hungry for cookies lately. Today I broke down and made some. They were from an old cookbook I found somewhere or other. What a disappointment, I have many tried and true recipes that turn out just fine every time. Why, oh why, do I continue looking for new ones. Anne reminds me of that fact every time I have a cooking disaster.

Mother never made candy. During the Great Depression, we appreciated the occasional sugar or molasses cookies Mother did make. She always bought chocolate-covered fondant from Woolworth's Five and Dime, the only candy we had, except hard Christmas candy and one Hersey Bar. (That is another story.)

Mother worked in a candy factory as a teenager. She dipped chocolate-covered fondant drops. That remained mother's favorite candy throughout her life. I am not so prejudiced. I like lots of different candies. I think my favorite is Peanut Butter Fudge.

Now there is something you don't see on a salad bar anymore. I am talking about stuffed celery or celery roses. I remember when I first saw stuffed celery at a potluck. They certainly didn't look like much. But after trying one, I was hooked. I looked for them at every potluck after that. It took a while to learn how to make them. They seemed so simple. There must be a catch to making the filling. What a surprise. There wasn't. I soon learned to make several cheese fillings. See what you think of these. This is how I make stuffed celery.

I have noticed that boneless, skinless chicken breasts have been on sale lately. I won't buy them with the skin still attached and bones on the underside. That is all waste, as I see it. Yes, they are cheaper per pound that way, but when you subtract the skin and bones, they are not.

There are a jillion bean and pasta salads out there. They are all a little different and good, too. This one is a bit different from the rest. The celery is partially cooked. The onion is marinated in white vinegar. All of that does make a difference. Try it and see what you think. You can use any combination of canned beans, even add green beans, if you like. Mix it up.

Years ago, we received a five-pound block of American cheese when we picked up what we called “welfare food.” It was so good. There is nothing to compare with it nowadays. I miss that cheese.

I have a recipe for those of you who receive food commodities. Sometimes you really have to reach to find a good tasting recipe for those items that you are not familiar with. We grow up eating certain dishes. Our mothers made them as did our grandmas. It can be hard to learn to like something new, but give it a try.