I got a call from Aaron Russell the other day. He was checking to see how I was doing. He hadn't talked with me in a while. During the conversation, he mentions that he likes to bake bread. Not just any bread, but salt-rising bread. He described the process as well as how good the bread tastes. That got me thinking.

Fresh pie cherries aren't available in February. That's okay. Food City does my canning for me these days. They have one pound cans of red tart cherries on the shelf every day. I call them sour cherries.

Do you really think George cut down a cherry tree? Do you really think he fested up to the deed? Naw. George was known as a ladies man. I wouldn't be surprised if he did tell a lie now and then.

Here is a fudge recipe I made a long time ago, that is, if you call 1981 a long time ago. Fudge recipes have evolved over the years. They are easier to make now. Just cook up some sugar and evaporated milk. Add chocolate and marshmallow cream and you have fudge. But it is not the same as the old fashioned variety. Oldsters will agree with me. (I will share one of those recipes at a later date.).

I have had a beautiful beer stein since World War II. My brother, Rodney, sent it back from Germany. He was part of a Navy goodwill tour that started at England then went on to Germany. He sent back two beer steins and a Black Forest coo coo clock from there.

When he returned home, Rod took back the coo coo clock and one beer stein. That left me with one beer stein. I have placed that beautiful beer stein in a prominent place in my home as I moved around the country. It is time to give it a permanent home while I am still here to do so.

Twas the night before V. Day,
When all through the kitchen,
Daddy Mouse smelled odors of my candy fixin'.

He saw in the paper
The next day was V. Day
Mama Mouse's expecting again, he did say.

This offering is about oatmeal muffins. But let me stop and say a few words about blueberry muffins. My youngest daughter's first job in Tennessee was at Krystal's on Broadway. We had never heard of Krystal or even White Castle, for that matter. They both set their reputation on dinner roll sized hamburgers. In 1987, you could buy an entire meal for a dollar. I fell in love with them and ate until I couldn't stand to see another one.

Who doesn't like banana pudding? It is the signature dessert of the South. Here is a variation of that yummy classic. I like strawberries almost as much as I like bananas.

I first made this variation in June of 2013 as a dessert for the Wednesday Night Bible Study Supper at Revival Vision Church of God. I delighted in introducing a dish the group wasn't familiar with. This is a tasty example.

Golly, I hope not. That fat furry Feb two feller will soon be in the news. It is the only day he gets to shine. Atlanta's Col. Beauregard Lee is our weather forecaster around here. There is a feller up in Pennsylvania, but what does he know about the South? I will stick with our local boy.

Have you ever eaten Perfection Salad? It is one of my favorites. Back in the day, you would see at least one at every potluck on the end of the table among the several macaroni salads. It is one of those dishes they say we are tired of. Not so. If I should be fortunate enough to spy one at a potluck, I wIll plop a good-sized spoonful on my plate and probably go back for more.

Grandma made the best cookies, didn't she? She didn't work outside the home. Those were the days when she washed, starched and ironed her ruffled curtains and had time to crochet frilly doilies for the end tables next to the sofa. Ruffled curtains are things of the past as are crocheted doilies. She didn't have to get the kids properly dressed for school and then get herself to her job on time. She did have time to polish up on her cookie recipes.

I saw an article online the other day. It listed recipes that are outdated and thankful to be gone. I don't agree. Everyone of them are on my “favorites” list. I think the reason they are outdated is that they were over-used back in the day. I remember when I first discovered canned tuna fish. We had a Tuna Noodle Casserole about every other week. I have a good recipe for that, too.

I have had this recipe for years. I love doughnuts, either cake or yeast. I don't eat them much any more. They quickly add pounds to this old frame. With no exercise and a healthy appetite, Anne limits my diet as best she can. However, sometimes we do splurge.

Krispy Creme is on my “do not even look that way” list as we drive by. I do sneak sweets at Revival Vision Church of God's Sunday morning coffee hour before Sunday School. Pat Hunt makes some tasty goodies.

New Years 2019 is here ready to start us on another year long adventure. Black eyed peas are supposed to bring good luck. Maybe so, but they taste good anyway. Here is an easy recipe to make. You probably already have the ingredients in your pantry. No need to trudge out to Food City. Let's get marinating!

Do you remember your first job? I do. It was a long time ago, but is still fresh in my memory. It was 1944 when I moved in with the telephone operator in our “the wide spot in the road” community. I was in the tenth grade. My folks were in the midst of the in-fighting leading up to their divorce. I looked for a way out of the tensions at home. When the job became available, I jumped at it.

Cold weather is here again. The wind whips around the house stirring up piles of fallen leaves. As soon as it warms up a bit this morning, Anne will be out there with the leaf blower corralling leaves, blowing them across the road into the woods. It is weather like this that calls for a hearty breakfast.

How can something be an “almost log cabin”? Easy, when you have a big enough supply of 3” by 6” lumber. Of course we could have used it for studding, but Dad would hear none of that. Let me tell you about it. A little background first.

I like cabbage just about any way you fix it. Stuffed cabbage is my favorite, with cole slaw a close second. That said, there was often more cabbage in the garden than I could use. Those heads were wrapped in newspaper and hid away until December or so. That is when Scalloped Cabbage entered the picture.

This is a Christmas card my father received near the beginning of the last century. It was addressed to Master Owen Stimer. That was the way a young boy was addressed back then. It was a more formal time. Postal cards were sent rather than the folded cards we receive now. I have an album full of such cards. This card cost 1 cent for domestic delivery and 2 cents for foreign delivery.

Are you having ham for Christmas dinner? In our house, that feast is too close to Thanksgiving Day to have turkey again. We only like so much. A couple days of second-day turkey dishes and we are over it.

Anyway, turkey is a lot of work to prepare. There are a lot of ham recipes that don't take much time. With so many things to do on Christmas Day, roasting a turkey is not on my agenda. Opening presents is number one on my mind for Christmas morning.

Not really. This is the time of the year when we attend Christmas parties at church, at work and among family and friends. It's party time! After New Years Eve we are all partied out. That's when the bills start rolling in. So while we can, let's look at some recipes to enjoy. I like cheese balls and such. They can be made ahead of time, stored in the fridge and brought out a half hour or so before the first guests arrive.