This column encourages reader’s recipe contributions and requests, helpful hunts and timely trivia. Simply phone them to (269) 683-7266 or mail them to 527 Philip Rd., Niles, MI 49120.

I find it quite interesting to note that, according to history, a century ago Americans customarily lived to approximately age 44, whereas our life expectancy today is 76 years.
Another interesting fact (perhaps only coincidental) that came along around that time was that although wine and whiskey were available during our prohibition years, it was only available providing a doctor-signed prescription. To what can we attribute our more lengthy lifetimes unless it be that we now have highly educated nutritionists who have gone to great lengths to pursue the actual nutritional needs that are necessary to not only keep our bodies alive, but to keep them functioning in a healthy manner? There is a difference between maintaining a healthy life and experiencing a mere existence and this is the reason we should consume a variety of foods from each and every food group.
We here in Niles are truly blessed to have not only a fine public library, but also an in depth accumulation of books dealing with every aspect of food. There are books on meat, fish and fowl cookery. There is an impressive collection of books dealing with vegetables and fruits as well as cakes, cookies, pies, breads, etc. Also available within this sunny atmosphere are nooks of comfortable seating where you can enjoy in-depth reading as well as tables and chairs designed to support those individuals copying information. Were Niles residents of former years alive to visit our present library, surely there would be a “thumbs up” approval of our present quarters, for it is indeed an asset to our city.
Today’s column is going to lead off with a vegetable that is customarily associated with our Southern cuisine and although it is available year-round, it is actually more plentiful through the months of June through October. It is an edible green seedpod often used as a gumbo thickener. Canned and frozen, small, whole pods and pods cut into rings are actually sold year round. Sometimes you find it available in a salt brine.
Still guessing? One last clue — its name consists of just four letters: okra. It is a versatile little dickens if I ever saw one, for it can be boiled, fixed in a Dutch oven, fried, baked, sauteed, scalloped or whatever. When you are looking to purchase, choose the tender, bright green little specimens that are only about 2 to 4 inches long. Tips should bend just slightly if you apply pressure to them. Avoid the dry, dull, shriveled, hard or discolored pods, as those will be quite flavorless when they are cooked. A pound of okra nicely serves just two people. If you store okra, wash it thoroughly before storing it in a covered container. Do not refrigerate for longer than four days. If it is canned, unopened cans can be stored in your pantry for no more than two months. Fresh, frozen and commercially frozen it will keep one month in a refrigerator as opposed to one year in a home freezer.

Creamy Okra Soup
Ingredients:
6 okra pods
3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp. butter
Dash red pepper
Dash black pepper
1 good-sized onion, shredded
Salt to taste
3 c. half-and-half

Directions:
Simply slice your okra pods crosswise. Combine the okra with the onions, tomatoes, butter and seasonings, plus two cups of water in a kettle. Cook this mixture until all vegetables test tender. Stir in the half-and-half and heat just to the boiling point. Note: It is advisable to serve this immediately.
Should you be in the mood for a casserole, simply pair it up with these next five ingredients.

Okra/Cheese Casserole
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. okra
1 onion, minced
Salt and pepper
4 fresh tomatoes
1 lb. American cheese, cubed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut tips and ends from thoroughly-washed okra and slice crosswise. Arrange tomatoes, onions, okra and cheese into layers in a buttered casserole. Do not fail to add seasonings to each of these layers. Bake covered for 40 minutes.

Homemaker’s Hint: We pay strict attention to ingredients as we prepare our recipes, for our ultimate goal is to achieve something worthwhile for our loved ones that will prove as a benefit for them and bring some happiness into their lives. We can also bring some happiness into their lives by paying close attention to our personal health so as to ensure a longer lifetime with them. Give your loved one peace of mind by verbally assuring them that should you ever personally experience any of the feelings of fullness, uncomfortable pressure, squeezing or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few moments or goes away and returns, pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck or arms, chest discomfort with a sensation of feeling lightheaded, fainting, nausea, sweating or shortness of breath you will seek medical attention immediately for these can be warning signs of an impending heart attack.

Food for Thought: Occasionally it can be pleasant to indulge in a bit of reminiscing, such as the memory of fresh homemade pies cooling on an open window sill, the exquisite odor of freshly laundered clothing on a clothes line or even the tantalizing aroma that escaped from a fruit and vegetable peddler as he made his rounds down a city street.

A Touch of Levity: The next time you happen to visit a fish market, linger just long enough to take a look at the crab barrel. They never have to put a lid on those, for if one crab begins to crawl out, the others will grab onto him and pull him back down. That’s a perfect example of what peer pressure does.

Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
8 fresh peppers
1 onion, chopped
Approx. 4 med. size tomatoes, chopped
1 ½ c. fresh corn
1 lb. ground chuck
2 tbsp. fat
Dash pepper
Dash salt

Directions:
Remove top and seeds from peppers and in water parboil for approximately 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Brown onions with meat (adding a bit of cooking oil only if necessary). Use ground chuck with onions mixture to stuff peppers, then stand them upright in a baking dish and bake at approximately 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Food Facts: Four-lobed bell peppers are the most common of the sweet varieties in our good old United States. Depending on the degree of ripeness, bell peppers ranger in color from green to yellow to red to a rather purplish black; and they grow sweeter as they open.

Homemaker’s Hint: I find it imperative not to experiment with wild foods. Wild mushrooms and other wild plants and berries are best to be left strictly alone if we are uncertain whether or not they might be poisonous.

Timely Trivia: Did you know that throughout history, the common pea has been a plant of significance? Not only is it mentioned in the Bible, but history tells us that evidence of dried peas have been found in Egyptian tombs. If you purchase peas (and are uncertain as to their freshness), then it is wiser to choose frozen peas over the canned variety.

Caution: To all pet owners, please refrain from keeping your pets chained up outdoors. Avoid even walking them when temperatures are fluctuating in the low, medium and high-80s or greater. They cannot speak for themselves, but must rely on you not to expose them to dangerous conditions. Please show them compassion.

Sweet, Sour Cabbage
Ingredients:
5 cups shredded cabbage
2 to 3 tbsp. brown sugar
1/3 c. vinegar
1 onion, sliced
4 slices bacon, diced
Dash salt and pepper
½ c. water
2 tbsp. flour

Directions:
Begin by cooking cabbage in boiling, salted water. Cook for a good 7 minutes. Drain well and keep warm. Fry diced bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and add sugar and flour to bacon drippings and blend together. Add water, vinegar and seasonings and cook until it thickens. Add sliced onions, diced bacon and cabbage and continue over burner until mixture is heated completely.

Food Facts: There are some individuals who can tolerate caffeine and other individuals who tend to overdo their intake, thus causing tremors, palpitations and anxiety. If you surmise that caffeine is having an adverse effect on your well-being, be strong enough to give up caffeine and substitute another beverage in its place.

Homemaker’s Hint: Did you know that ordinary plants can not only brighten up your home, but can also help to buoy your spirits? Some plants can and do act as natural air purifiers, thus keeping your home free of indoor airborne irritants.

• Did you know that the simple act of caring for a pet could not only deepen your connection with nature, but also significantly improve the mental and emotional well-being of the humans who care for them? It is up to each and every one of us to do what is best for our minds, bodies and spirits. Take a good, close look at plants and animals. They show no worry lines for they use the strengths and talents which nature provided them with. Perhaps this is what we (as humans) must learn, to be grateful and content with what we already have and not be continually envious and bitter for that which we do not have.

• “A smile costs absolutely nothing to give, yet can be one of the nicest gifts that we can share with one another.”