This column encourages readers’ recipe contributions and requests, helpful hints and timely trivia. Phone them in to 683-7266 or mail them to 527 Philip Rd., Niles, MI 49120. Thank you!

From the parents I have spoken with recently, there seems to be a unanimous consensus that one of the gifts Santa placed under the Christmas tree might gather a bit of dust before our area’s children will have the opportunity to use it.

I have no idea what theory caused them to arrive at this conclusion, unless it would be the fact that the public does not appear to be beating down the door to purchase sleds. True, we may not be the recipient of frequent winter storms in this area, but that is not to say it isn’t possible, and I believe that those individuals who witnessed the storm that blew through here in the mid-1960s can bear witness to that fact. That storm pretty much took all of us by surprise, for it was so unusual and severe. Not only were we blessed with an abundance of snow that year, but adding to the mass confusion were pretty hectic winds that caused the snow to drift like you would not believe.

Children loved it, but it certainly won no brownie points from parents. Traffic in many areas came to a virtual halt because many roads became impassable with snow. Since no one anticipated the severity of what we were in for nor the depth of snow that headed our way, our schools were operating as usual. Some parents who were employed outside of Niles were stranded out of town and unable to make it home to their children. Fortunately, when a school bus became stranded in front of my home, we were fortunate enough to be able to take in the children and notify their parents, and I am certain this procedure was repeated in many other areas of town.

Due to the severity of the storm, both our furnace and fireplace were working overtime, and neighbors whom we had not even met waded almost waist-high in snow to come to our home and offered their services of food, shelter and help, should we face the necessity. Prior to this, I had heard and even read of communities that pitched in and helped one another in times of need.

Believe me when I tell you that a gesture such as this can reduce an individual to tears, and even to this day it still does.

Pineapple and Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. soft butter or Oleo

1/2 c. firmly-packed brown sugar

(1) 9 oz. can (or 1 cup) crushed pineapple

1 c. all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 tsp. salt

Dash ground nutmeg

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 c. rolled oats

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Directions:

Cream butter, then add sugars and beat until light. Add egg and beat well, then add pineapple, oats, sifted dry ingredients and nuts and again mix well. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Yields about 48 cookies.

Food Facts: Have you ever noticed how oats seem to be almost the forerunner in popularity when it comes to cereals and cookies? Were I to wager an educated guess, I would say they are without a shadow of a doubt one of the most nutritious. As for “dipping in milk,” desirability, I consider them to be neck in neck in desirability with the old-fashioned chocolate-covered grahams. And speaking of graham crackers, both my readers and myself agree that something must have changed in the formula of today’s graham crackers, for their consistency is such that it is almost all but impossible to get the crust to hold together and be the consistency to shape a crust. Have any of our other readers experienced this problem? If so, contact me at 683-6557. Many thanks for your cooperation.

Date Chews

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. pitted dates

(1) 3.5 oz. can moist coconut

1 c. walnuts or pecans

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

Directions:

Put dates and nuts through food chopper using a course blade. Mix nuts, coconut, brown sugar and egg with dates. Shape dough into 2-inch finger-shaped portions, then roll into remaining coconut. Place onto greased baking sheet and bake to 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Black Walnut Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. Crisco

4 eggs

2 tsp. cinnamon

6 c. flour, sifted

2 tsp. baking soda

4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. Oleo

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. walnuts

Directions:

Cream Crisco with Oleo and sugar, then add eggs and salt. Set aside. Sift cinnamon, soda, flour and nutmeg, then add to Crisco mixture. Thoroughly blend in nuts, then drop onto greased cookie sheet. To form cookies, press down bottom or drinking glass that has been dipped into granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until done.

Buttermilk Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 1/2 c. ordinary lard

3 c. buttermilk

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

8 1/2 c. flour

2 1/2 c. brown sugar

5 eggs, beaten

5 tsp. baking powder

2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees until done.

Crinkles

Ingredients:

1 c. Hershey’s cocoa

4 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 c. granulated sugar

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine sugar, cocoa and oil and mix. Blend in eggs one at a time, then add flour, baking powder, extract and salt. Place dough into refrigerator to chill overnight, then drop dough by spoonfuls, or make balls and roll in confectioner’s sugar and then granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees very slowly. Note: Do not set oven at higher temperature than indicated because cookies will burn on the bottom.

Drop Cookies

Ingredients:

2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. coffee

1 tsp. baking soda

4 c. flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 c. Crisco

1/2 c. water

2 eggs

1 c. seedless raisins

Vanilla extract as needed

Directions:

Thoroughly combine all ingredients, then drop by spoonfuls on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 8 to 10 minutes.

Puff Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. Crisco, rounded

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

Dash salt

2 1/4 c. flour

Directions:

Mix Crisco, sugar and eggs thoroughly. Mix dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. Form balls and roll into mixture of two tablespoons sugar and two teaspoons cinnamon. Press balls with hand. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Note: Cookies will puff, then settle down and look crinkly.

Spicy Cookies

Ingredients:

2 c. brown sugar

1 c. plus 4 tbsp. milk

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract[

1 c. Crisco

3 eggs, beaten

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. cloves

4 c. flour

1 c. chopped nuts

Directions:

Mix ingredients, then bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Frost while still warm with following frosting:

Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. milk

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Boil ingredients for 2 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then add cinnamon and stir until smooth.

Brown Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

4 c. flour

2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. Crisco

1 tsp. baking powder

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Thoroughly combine ingredients and roll mixture into balls and flatten. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Unbaked Cocoa Drop Cookies

Ingredients:

2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. cocoa

1/2 c. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Boil ingredients for 5 minutes, then mix with three cups quick oats and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper to cool.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1 c. Crisco

2 eggs

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Directions:

Mix Crisco, sugar and eggs. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Place dough in fridge to chill. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, then roll balls into mixture of cinnamon and sugars. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.