Our attention as we drive out of town these days is on the tractors busy in the fields getting the crop in the ground. Along with that are the long hours that farmers spend getting the ground ready and planting the crops. The least that we can do as a family member is to take a warm meal out to them in the field.

I remember doing this when I was a young girl and my dad was out working in the fields. My husband remembers his mom making warm egg sandwiches for the men in the field. We knew how much they appreciated a break and to have something good to eat. My mom loved to bake, so there was always homemade pie or cookies in the house. Maybe that is why I have a sweet tooth today.

Bar-B-Que Hamburger

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 large chopped onion (I use half.)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon cloves

2 tablespoons mustard seed

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup ketchup

Instructions

Brown meat and crumble it while cooking it. Drain all fat from meat. Add all the rest of the ingredients. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Serve on a toasted bun.

Hot Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

*3/4 to 1 cup chopped cooked chicken

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped almonds (optional)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Mix ingredients together. Fill hamburger buns. Wrap in foil. Heat in a 250-degree oven for 20 minutes, or 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.

*Can use canned chicken or chicken you have prepared and shredded.

Macaroni Vegetable Salad

It is a good idea to find recipes whenever possible that are a bit healthier. Some of the recipes I see on Facebook are definitely not healthy even when they claim to be a Weight Watcher recipe. Those cheesy gooey dishes have to hold a lot of calories. This pasta salad has a lot of vegetables in it, which are definitely good for you.

Summer will be here before you know it and along with that comes grilling your favorite meat, salads and a light dessert. Pasta salad is always a salad that you should have the ingredients on hnad to serve. There’s no need to buy the boxed version. If your salad is a little dry as you take it out of the refrigerator after stirring, add sour cream and stir it until it is the consistency you like.

Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) packages macaroni

3 to 4 grated carrots

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup diced onion

1 can Eagle Brand milk

1 cup vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 cup mayonnaise

Instructions

Cook macaroni, drain and rinse in cold water. Add carrots, pepper, celery and onion to macaroni. In a separate bowl, combine milk, vinegar, sugar, and mayonnaise together. Pour over the macaroni-vegetable mixture. Put it in the refrigerator to chill.

Melt-in-your-Mouth Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup softened butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate chips, if desired

Instructions

Mix butter and sugars, add eggs and beat, then add peanut butter, water and vanilla; mix well. Next add flour, soda and salt, then chocolate chips, if desired. Mix well. Grease cookie sheets lightly, drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto sheet and press lightly with a fork. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

Loretta’s Cooking Tips

• Boil eggs in salt water. It will make them peel easier.

• Plastic wrap will cling better if you moisten the rim of the bowl or pan you are covering.

• To keep fish from sticking to a pan, bake fish on a bed of chopped onion, celery and parsley. This also adds a nice flavor to the fish.

Loretta Krahling is a columnist with over 35 years of newspaper experience. Have any favorite light or regular recipes you would like to share? Email them to me at krahling93@gmail.com.