It was the winter of 1941-1942 and the war was just beginning. Dad found a job in Akron, Ohio, at a tire making plant. They would be making butyl rubber. The Japanese controlled all the real rubber coming out of the East Indies in the Orient. A substitute had to be found. Dad brought us a sample of the synthetic rubber when he came home for a weekend. It looked like rubber. It felt like rubber. It would be the only kind available until the war was over.

Back in the day, a country housewife had a supply of buttermilk. After all, she churned her own butter. Now, we pick up a carton at Food City, not realizing how it used to be. Buttermilk Pie was good then and it still is. Use a refrigerated pie crust you have on hand or make your own. If you don't have buttermilk in the fridge, shame on you!

The problem with the French names for some very good dishes is that they sound so fancy and difficult that you are afraid to try them. Don't let the name scare you. A quiche is nothing more than an egg and onion pie. This one is fancied up with chicken livers. Try it.

Have you ever done the Dragon? You haven't? Well, you are in for a treat, or a treatment; whatever. Let me tell you the story of my daughter Anne's sister-in-law, Jackie. She came down to visit last summer. She has a brother over on the North Carolina side of the Smokies. Jackie has never been near the Smokies before. She needed directions on how to get to her brother.

Have you noticed those tiny frankfurters in the case near the hot dogs? How do you fix them? Why prepare them at all? That's easy. They are used as an appetizer, but need a sauce to spice up their flavor. This is a good one to try.

This was one my dad's favorites. He liked it with a glass of beer. The bar he frequented always had a gallon jar on the counter behind the bar. I never made them for Dad. I didn't have the recipe. These are different than eggs brined in beet juice.

Button mushroom caps make excellent appetizers. Pull out the stem, giving you a nice cavity to fill with whatever you desire. The secret to working with fresh whole mushrooms when you plan to stuff them is to saute a few minutes to reduce the water content and tenderize them. There are a number of possible fillings. This is an easy one. It doesn't need to be baked. Can be served warmed or chilled.

I watch a lot of television these days. With my knees bothering me so much, it is most comfortable to lie back in my recliner and watch mysteries on TV. I have noticed only two Easter-related commercials. One is the ever popular Cadbury Bunny tryouts and other is the Swiss chocolate commercial. Where are the Easter baskets? Where are the colored hard-boiled eggs?

The Easter Bunny came this year.
I wondered if he would.
Gloved and masked,
Going about his task,
His traditional job, with fear.

With handshakes no more;
I waved and I cheered,
”You Sweet Springtime Honey
Mr. Cotton Tailed Bunny.
I'll see you again next year.”

Here we go again with another leftover ham casserole. Only this time I am pairing it with rice. Rice combines well with a lot of things, either savory or sweet. I think of Spanish Rice and Rice Pudding. This recipe is a bit different than most rice recipes. The uncooked rice is sauteed in butter until golden, rather than cooked before it is combined with the other ingredients. Don't worry, the rice won't get gummy. If you have never cooked rice this way before, you will be surprised how nicely it turns out.

Everybody loves Banana Pudding. This recipe is a variation of that favorite. I made it when I was doing the Wednesday night suppers at church. It is a good potluck dish, doesn't cost much to make and goes together quickly. If you like a butterscotch flavor, this is for you.

My husband found a job on the other side of the county. The long drive was too expensive and time consuming to continue. We found a piece of land near where he worked. With money in short supply, we built our new home on the buy-and-build-as-you-go plan. We first lived in a borrowed house trailer, then in the bare studded house, as we worked on various projects. With no credit history, we didn't even try to secure a mortgage.

Everybody knows about banana pudding. It is a favorite go to when you want to make a good impression. Have you ever thought about using strawberries instead? You don't need fresh strawberries. Frozen ones are in this recipe. Keep some vanilla wafers on hand. Everything else you probably have in your pantry.

This recipe is so easy it seems a shame to even write it down. Refrigerator biscuits are what make it easy. Turned out in front of your family on a large plate will make you the star baker at your house. Have plenty of hot coffee ready to pour and this sugary breakfast treat will be a hit.

This was a common refrain during the Great Depression. Yes, we did get three meals a day, but a child craves more. I have always had a sweet tooth. Sugary treats were seldom included on Mother's shopping list.

When I see a reasonable price on fresh salmon fillets, I snap them up. Fresh salmon enjoys companionship with several fruits. Pineapple is a favorite of mine. You can find pineapple juice in small 6 ounce cans on the grocery shelf. Try this recipe. You might use it when you have a special guest. It is fancy and good.

GLAZED SALMON
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each

I first sampled this treat at a party long ago. Mozzarella cheese doesn't have a whole lot of flavor unless you gussy it up. This recipe does. Add it to your hors d'oeurves tray for your next get-together. Even if you don't use sun-dried tomatoes very often, they will keep in your fridge for quite a while. They are great in pasta or potato salads.

In years past, buying refrigerated shredded potatoes would have been an unacceptable luxury for this cash-strapped housewife. I don't even think they were available back in the day. Heck, refrigerators were still in the “gosh, what a luxury” category. Frozen french fries were unheard of and who would consider buying individual baking potatoes? My, how times have changed. You might already have a favorite hashbrown recipe, but if you don't, here is mine.

My father kept postcards from his childhood. I found them after he passed away. I never knew they existed until then. He was born in 1899 in Sandstone
Township of Jackson County, Michigan It was a different time. Dad would have been horrified to see how this old world is turning nowadays. It was a gentler time. Boys on the farm didn't have the distractions that abound now.

I like beets just about any way you can fix them. Fresh ones, topped and cooking in boiling salted water taste the best. Then peel them, slice them and top with butter and some of the warmed water they were cooked in. Everyone I know likes them fancied up. This is a fancied up recipe. Good, too. Please forgive me for using canned beets. Fresh ones aren't always available.