Chicken livers make a great dip. The recipe doesn't cost much to make. In saucepan melt small amount of butter. To it, add livers and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until livers are no longer pink. Chop livers in blender. Blend with remaining ingredients. Pour mixture in 2 1/2 cup mold. Chill several hours. Carefully unmold. Garnish with hard-boiled egg slices, if desired.

My father completed eight grades back in the day when that was all that was offered or needed. He was a farm boy. Dad could have thrived on much less. I wonder what the requirements were for a soldier when he enlisted in the Marines in 1917? Much different than today, I am sure.

Dad figured what was good enough for him was good enough for his children. My two brothers, Rodney and Russell ended their schooling at the eighth grade. Anyway, that was all that was offered in Pulaski Township in Jackson County in the 1940's. Rodney enlisted in the Navy and Russell did, too, a short time later. It was war time again.

I was the only one in our family that liked school. My grades were always at the top of my class. I wanted desperately to go to college, but that was not to be. Dad said unkind things about high school girls. I was encouraged to drop out of school and get a job. Women were only good for keeping house and having babies, he said. I fought to stay in school.

When you're out of potatoes, rice is the next best to go to. There are so many ways to flavor a bowl of rice. Here is another one.
In skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and brown the onions, celery, chopped chicken livers, oregano and salt. Add the rice and brown a few minutes more. Add the hot chicken broth. Transfer to baking buttered casserole. Cover and bake at 350 F. for about 40 minutes. Stir at least twice during cooking.

Attitude is where it's at. This baby chick has the right idea. There is a brother or sister residing in that egg. Family comes first.

But what about protecting "our" house? Insurance is expensive nowadays. Those people in Florida suffered from Hurricane Ian in October of 2022. Yes, flood insurance is costly. No matter for us, some would say. We are high and dry here on our ridge in Union County, Tennessee. Nothing like a ridge side to channel water down to Norris Lake.

Combine soup and milk in bowl. Stir in 1 cup of cheese. In large bowl combine chicken, broccoli and rice. Stir to combine. Add soup mixture. lightly lift and stir to combine. Pour into 9 by 13 inch buttered casserole dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake in preheated 350 F. oven until bubbly and heated through, 35 to 40 minutes. Serves 6.

About fifty years ago we were out of dogs. Our precious Kater was gone, as were several others after her. She was a full sized short­ haired dachshund. A friend at work had a small long-haired dachshund with a new litter of puppies. Kater had short black hair. These puppies had long wavy red hair. The mother was beautiful but mean. My friend distracted her long enough for me to grab the runt of the litter. It has been said they make the best pets but that's not always true. Certainly not in this case.

Pound to flatten chicken breast halves between 2 sheets plastic wrap with mallet to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Dredge chicken in beaten egg mixture and then in crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Fry chicken until golden and no longer, pink in center, turning once for 12 to 15 minutes, Top each cutlet with 2 tablespoons pasta sauce and 1 slice mozzarella cheese.

Have you ever heard of aluminum wiring in a house? No? There was a time just after World War II when copper became so expensive that home builders cut costs by using aluminum wiring. It was single strand #12 and #16 aluminum.

We bought a house in a Jackson, Michigan subdivision called Birdland. That was because most of the streets were named after birds, such as Cardinal Crest and Oriole. The houses were contractor built in the early 1960's. To cut cost, they used the cheaper aluminum wiring. Some of the houses had aluminum studding as well. We didn't know about the aluminum wiring when we bought the house on McConnell Street in Birdland. We soon found out.

Mix chicken broth with enough water to equal 2 1/2 cups. Reserve.

In large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium high heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add mushrooms,1/4 teaspoons each of salt and pepper. Cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add garlic during last 30 seconds of cooking time. Transfer 1/3 cup of the mixture to small bowl. Reserve.

As the Detroit auto plants instated "just-in-time" parts delivery, parts manufacturers were hit hard. Imports from Japan hurt the local parts makers, too. In 1980, unemployment in Michigan hit double digits and kept going higher.

The laid-off workers soon exhausted their unemployment benefits. Most had little savings to tide them over to another job. Unless one had a special skill, jobs were hard to find.