Kids waving sparklers in the air,
Fireworks in the nighttime sky.
Exploding rockets and dancing stars
Remind us it's the Fourth of July!
We proudly say,
“It's Independence Day.”

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.

Dad has it figured out
How the country should be run
He tells us every day
The right way to be done.

That's okay in politics
He has his own opinion
But please call someone else if
That's gas you hear a-fizzing.

Fixing things around the house
Is not his cup of tea.
He made the lights go out again
TIme to call KUB.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

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.

if you need a sugar-free snack, this is for you. Unflavored gelatin takes the place of fruit pectin. Give it a try.

Have you ever made hamburger stew? It's easy and cheap to make. Use ground chuck. The last thing you want is having to deal with the beef fat that is tallow. Use whatever vegetables you have, if you don't have the frozen mixed vegetables. That is what I do. The other veggies you always have on hand. Serve it over rice to extend the number of servings you get. It's called creative cooking 101.

A 1936 Ford. This would be the only new car my Dad ever bought. Back in the day, you paid cash for almost everything, and that included a new automobile.
You could buy furniture on a revolving credit plan, but I am not sure about buying a car. Anyway, Dad bought a 1936 Ford, two-door, with six cylinders and painted a nice shiny black. That is what I remember about it. The picture shows Dad sitting on a front fender, a classic pose of days gone by.

No, this is not a soup. It is a delicious baked mess of beans. Yes, sour and cream does get along well with baked beans.

This is not just another filled baked potato. Creamy mashed potatoes are on top, but underneath there is a surprise waiting for your fork. Your family will wonder when you had the time to go to cooking school.

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.