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

These bright, sunny, warm days can be so conducive in urging us to be out and amongst our flowers, shrubs and everything nature has to offer during this spring awakening of the year. The odor that prevails during this season is unmatched by any of the other three seasons, for it has a fresh, earthy scent all its own. Many are the times I have lamented the fact that even modern science, with its unique ability to perform miracles, has never been able to capture the fragrance and place it into a bottle in liquid form where it could be used and enjoyed as perfume. Our scientists perform near miracles every day of their lives, yet even they are incapable of matching this gift given to us at no charge by our creator.

Since there is such a tremendous amount of yard work to be done in the spring of each year, I tend to rely on good nourishing soups that can be left simmering on the stove and fending on their own while I am out gardening.

Root Soup

Ingredients:

2 parsnips

4 small white turnips

1/2 c. barley                                                                            2 dashes Tabasco or cayenne

Scant 2 or 3 tbsp. snipped fresh dill

1 tbsp. dried basil

2 carrots

Several onions

Dash pepper

Salt to taste

1/2 c. chopped parsley

1/8 tsp. curry powder

4 c. chicken broth

Directions:

Grate together parsnips, carrots, turnips and onions, then place into large saucepan, then add barley, parsley, basil and bring this soup to a boil. As soon as this happens, reduce the heat, place lid on pan and simmer for one to two hours. Don’t fail to check the soup periodically, and add a bit of water if you find it necessary. Stir in the Tabasco, curry, cayenne, salt and pepper, then sprinkle in dill immediately before serving.

Food Facts: Veggies are definitely necessary for a good diet because they can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and even some cancers in addition to helping contribute to a health weight.

Timely Trivia: Throughout the years, many homemakers have admired and questioned the identity of the baby whose photo graced the wrapper of the Gerber baby food jars. In the year 1976 the model was finally revealed to be Ann Turner Cook of Tampa, Fla., a high school teacher who retired in 1990.

Vanilla Dream Floats

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pints cookie dough ice cream

(2) 12 oz. cans or bottles cream soda

Directions:

Place two large scoops of ice cream into the bottom of each of four 8-ounce glasses, then promptly fill each glass with cream soda.

Timely Trivia: In reply to the question of who actually founded Weight Watchers, it was founded by a woman with an uncontrollable desire for chocolate cookies. After confessing her obsession for cookies, the empathy and understanding she received from her friends was said to have given her the strength to drop 70 pounds. After that first meeting proved to be so successful, the women formed a weekly support group to lose weight. What made this program so very unique was that is was more than just a diet; it was actually a change in eating habits, aided by the support and encouragement from people who cared.

• In previous columns, I have reiterated how margarine was one of those foods that was created out of necessity as a butter substitute. During World War II, all butter went to the war effort. As a result, the general American population was forced to use margarine. Unlike butter, margarine is an unsaturated cooking fat of vegetable oils processed (sometimes with milk or whey) to the consistency of butter. In years past, during the Depression days, I became acquainted with it and tolerated it, but never quite managed to “strike up a friendship.” Of course I must also admit that in those days it came in its naked form, which was not a pleasing sight to behold! Accompanying this vile, pure white product was a small package containing bright red powder. Being the youngest in the family, I unfortunately fell heir to the position of “official mixer.” It was not even as if I applied for the job, it was simply “thrust” upon me! Even at that tender age, they could not impress me by flattering remarks regarding my capabilities being so far superior to those of my sister who, standing behind them and well out of view, was listening to the conversation and grinning from ear to ear. If I had a dime for every pound of margarine I mixed in those days, I would be an heiress!

Pickled Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 lb. small mushrooms

To prepare the spiced vinegar, you combine these eight ingredients:

2 1/2 cups vinegar

(1) 2 in. portion of cinnamon bark

1 tsp. allspice berries

1/2 tsp. peppercorns

1 onion

(1) 2 in. portion of ginger root, bruised

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg or mace

1 clove garlic, crushed

Directions:

Choose small mushroom caps for pickling. Combine all ingredients for the spiced vinegar, bring to a boil, cover and then allow to steep for one to two hours. Meanwhile, peel the mushrooms and remove stems. When ready, heat mushrooms very gently in spiced vinegar until they wilt. Pack into small jars, cover with strained hot vinegar and seal the jars immediately. Keep for three to four weeks BEFORE using as an d’oeuvre or a garnish. A variation to this is that you may use other vegetables to be pickled such as: cauliflower sprigs, sliced green beans, pickling onions or shallots, diced cucumber (omit the seeds), green tomatoes, green sweet peppers or a combination of these veggies. Sprinkle prepared veggies with salt or soak overnight in a brine solution of 1/3  cup of salt to five cups of water. Drain well, pack into jars, cover with cold spiced vinegar and seal. Keep for several weeks before using.

• The benefits you can gain from mushrooms are that they are very low in calories and fat free. They are noticeably rich in minerals and their high glutamic acid content may boost immune function. Their tremendous drawback however is that if you are not knowledgeable about them you may not be able to distinguish the difference between the poisonous and non-poisonous. Our local library is well equipped with reading material on this subject and the librarians are extremely helpful and courteous.

• Thanks to the thoughtful reader who mailed me this first recipe:

Stuffed Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage

(1) 4 or 5 lb. breast

2/3 c. snipped dried figs                                                         2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 1/2  tsp. fennel seeds

12 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2  tsp. salt

1/4 salt

1/4 tsp. ground black peppercorn

Directions:

Remove bone from turkey. Place turkey, skin side down, between two pieces of plastic wrap. Working from the center to the edges, pound lightly with flat side of meat mallet to an even thickness. Remove plastic wrap. Sprinkle turkey with 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper. For the stuffing, remove casings from sausage, if it is present. In medium bowl, combine sausage, green onions, figs and fennel seeds. Spoon stuffing over just half of turkey, fold other half of turkey over stuffing. Tie in several places with metal skewers. Rub skin with oil and sprinkle with the 1/4 tsp. of salt and pepper. Cover and grill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until no longer pink and stuffing registers 165 degrees.

Homemaker’s Hint: Many thanks to the homemaker who shared this thoughtful suggestion with us. Mindful of the fact that hair, either human or animal, can be responsible for clogging household drains; she places a steel wool pad such as Brillo or S.O.S. in the drain to catch any loose hair.

• One of our readers is appealed to the trivia portion of this column and she, somewhat like myself, is not always content with just “knowing” the name of a food product. For whatever the reason, I seem to have been born with an unbridled passion to know more about what is “behind” a particular name or phrase. Why, for instance, would they saddle such a delicious dessert concoction as a dark cake with the name Devil’s Food? Perhaps it is because of the ingredients therein and how they react with one another? Combine baking soda (which is an alkaline) with the buttermilk (which is an acid) and you will notice that it imparts a reddish color to the chocolate; and since red is a color frequently associated with the “Devil,” it doesn’t take too much of a stretch of the imagination to learn why they labeled the cake with such a moniker. Continuing to think in this same vein, when we visualize an angel food cake we think of pure white, the same manner in which we visualize angels. Each time I have the opportunity to visit the fruit and vegetable market that sets up quarters adjacent to the Riverfront Park property, I am grateful for its presence. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someday the time would come when Niles could become the home of a fresh fruit and vegetable market similar to the farmers’ market of South Bend? We certainly have the space, so all we lack is an entrepreneur willing to take on such a project. Not only would this be a boon to Niles residents, but bring outside trade into our fair city.

• Thanks to the ingenuity of new owners of the Paris Candy Shoppe, it was both tremendously refreshing and rewarding to partake of its ice cream sodas. It was incredible how closely they mimicked the taste of those made by the previous owners, Ted and Harriet Patterson. Kudos! To the new owners, you are certainly a credit to our midst and we applaud you! You have revived some pleasant memories for the senior customers and introduced some heavenly memories to the youngsters who have never before partaken of them.

• To any and all of our Niles residents who have instigated and/or taken part in the planting and the maintenance of the floral greenery that appears on our Main Street thoroughfare, we certainly applaud you and are grateful to have such caring individuals in our midst!

• Each time we view the town clock, a gift to the community from Mr. Marazita, or the lovely Christmas display on the river, a gift from Mr. Roy Peters, we are reminded of the affection they had for their hometown. And last, but certainly not least, we remain ever proud of the veterans memorial monument, which stands quietly overlooking the St. Joseph River as it winds its way through the city of Niles. Funded entirely by public donations, it was made possible by a generous and giving public desirous of building a monument to honor those living and deceased who served in any branch of our armed services.