We all have memories of unusual things. Well, I remember when you could buy gas cheap, really cheap . That was back in 1940, a long time ago. Don’t believe me? I have the picture to prove it. Mother took a picture of goats pulling some sort of contraption. The gas station sign happened to be in the picture, too. There it is – anti-knock for fourteen cents per gallon and ethyl for fifteen cents per gallon. For a penny more, you got their better grade. Do you remember when the engine would knock if you used too low a grade of gasoline? I do.

I have subscribed to the magazine Farm Show off and on for many years. It is full of inventive ideas farmers do to solve their everyday problems. It shows how creative farmers can be. Of course, you learn to “make do” with homemade things when money is tight. For a farmer, that is almost always. He probably had to borrow from the bank for seed in the spring, hoping to pay it back when he harvested in the fall. A farmer is always looking for ways to save money. Isn’t that the definition of invention, looking for a cheaper or easier ways to do something?

Anne was tidying up our barn the other day. She brought a strange looking contraption in for me to identify. It was a line level, of course.
You must be of a certain age and farm bred to recognize it. I answer “yes” to both conditions.

Make this a day ahead. You will have enough to do the day of the party. Place eggs in large saucepan with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover. Remove from heat and let stand until cool. Drain cooking water and cover eggs with cold water. Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Transfer cooked egg yolks to mixing bowl. Set eggs whites aside on large platter ...

Have you ever tasted a Spice Spritz cookie? Try this one, it has an autumn flavor. In large bowl with mixer at low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. Increase speed to high and beat until light and creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Next, at low speed, beat in egg and vanilla until blended. Gradually beat in flour and pumpkin pie spice just until blended.

This salad tastes best when the fruits are fresh, so make it September to December. There are so many good fruit salads. Add this one to your recipe box. Wash and core apples and pears. Do not peel. Cut into 1 inch chunks. Slice banana in 1/2 inch pieces. Wash grapes and cut in half. Combine fruit in salad bowl. Mix yogurt with spices and cider. Pour over fruit and stir to coat evenly. Chill before serving.

A can of tuna is the beginning of a number of tasty recipes. You should have all the ingredients for this tasty entree in your pantry.
Add a some spinach and tomatoes and you have a new and tasty dish. Melt margarine in saucepan, Cook onions until tender over medium heat. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings. Simmer uncovered over low heat for about 20 minutes. Crumble tuna and add to mixture with the cooked noodles.

This French way of preparing chicken can be a challenge, but this recipe makes quick work of making this delicious French entree. In shallow dish, combine flour, dried thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Coat the chicken thighs in mixture, shaking off excess. In Dutch oven, heat chopped bacon over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Add coated chicken thighs ans cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken and keep warm.

I name this recipe a star when I was cooking at the Hickory Star Restaurant on Norris Lake. I hope you like it. The sour cream gives it an especially rich flavor. There aren't many ingredients. I hope you like it. Combine garlic, sour cream, lemon juice, salt and paprika for a marinade. Place chicken in large bowl. Pour marinade over chicken. Cover bowl.

Chicken Alfredo is great, but so is this dish with the shrimp. Don't buy raw shrimp you have to fuss with. Instead use a bag of frozen cooked salad shrimp. the only prep needed is cutting off their tails. Over medium heat, heat olive oil and garlic in skillet until starting to be bubbly. Add thawed shrimp (tails removed), cooked until heated through. Add mushrooms, tossing to combine. add chicken broth and the softened cream cheese. Simmer and stir until a smooth sauce emerges. Add grated Parmesan cheese and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.