I am dismayed at some of the families who spend vast amounts of money on food supplements rather than spend some of those hard-earned dollars on sensible eating habits.

It some cases, interest seem to actually take precedence over the nutritional needs of our families. Not intentionally, mind you, but simply unintentional thoughtlessness. Having a social life is very admirable, but if it is robbing you of sharing meals together as a family, having to relay solely on takeout foods and not taking the time or energy to plan and eat wholesome, well-balanced meals, then somewhere down the line you might regret it.

Sooner than you think, the youngsters will be grown and flown from the nest, and you can never recapture those lost moments. Involve your children in conversations regarding their nutritional needs because this will likely perpetuate as they become parents in the future.

Our bodies are recipients of every morsel we ingest, so let’s be wise in the selection of these morsels. Acquaint yourself with a variety of nourishing selections, be it grains, vegetables or fruits. Your bodies will be eternally grateful for the consideration.

• Josie, it took a bit of searching, but I think this might be the recipe you are looking for. If not, just phone me back and I will do my best to find the one you are looking for.

Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. onions, grated

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash pepper

4 lg. potatoes, cooked

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Vegetable oil

Directions:

Pare and cook your potatoes, then grate them thoroughly and drain well. They should measure about three cups. Place them in a large bowl and combine them with the onions, flour, egg, salt and pepper and mix gently. Place approximately and eighth of an inch of oil into a heavy skillet. Heat and gently turn a cube or bread into a golden brown. For each pancake, drop approximately two tablespoons of the potato mixture into the hot oil. Immediately flatten it to make the pancake about four inches in diameter. Fry for two minutes per side until golden brown, then drain thoroughly on paper towels. Serve hot.

Homemaker’s Hint: When you are preparing to saute or fry food with butter, add a dash of oil (not olive) so the frying butter will not burn.

Food Facts: In reply to the reader who is having great difficulty achieving success in making meringues, it sounds as though a bit of the yolk might have accidentally slipped in with the egg white.

• Responding to the note I found tucked in my mailbox … yes, I definitely recall a suggestion that I made long ago that many Americans do not get enough fiber in their diets, and the American Diabetic Association recommends daily consumption of 20 to 35 grams of it daily. I that mentioned as a suggestion that removing the pits of prunes and stuffing the cavity with peanut butter might make the prunes more palatable, and I am happy to learn even at this late date that it helped minimize the problems you were having. Thank you so much for keeping in touch.

Though it might seem rather a form of bribery, you might even wish to introduce this next recipe to your family before actually labeling it with a name:

Prune Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 c. prune pulp

1 c. cream, whipped

1 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. milk

Juice of 1 lemon

1/8 tsp. salt

Juice of 1 orange

Directions:

Press cooked prunes through a sieve to obtain all their pulp, then add remaining ingredients with the cream last. Mix thoroughly and immediately freeze.

Homemaker’s Hint: Prunes, prune juice and herbal teas are very effective natural laxatives.

Though I generally pride myself on having heard an avalanche of recipes in my lifetime, I do have to admit that this next recipe never crossed my desk before. However, once you actually take the time and energy to focus on the ingredients, who’s to say that you cannot make something tasty, for not a single one of the ingredients is out of the ordinary.

Hot Prune Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 c. cooked prunes, pitted and chopped fine

1 c. milk

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. Crisco

2 eggs

8 sliced day-old bread

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 c. maple syrup

Directions:

Beat eggs together slightly, then add milk, cinnamon and salt and beat until well-blended, but not frothy. Mix prunes together with lemon juice, then spread mixture onto four slices of bread. Lay remaining slices on other four slices to form sandwich. Cut each in half, then dip each half in the egg and milk mixture and brown them in Crisco over low heat. Serve with maple syrup mixed with lemon juice.

Yields 4 sandwiches.

A Touch of Levity: Teach to colleagues in the faculty lounge: “It worked! I told them that the multiplication table was none of their business, and then learned it in a week.”

I was introduced to this dish quite some years ago, when a lovely couple, Peter and Doris, from Bristol, England spend a month with us in our home.

Bubble and Squeak

Ingredients:

4-6 slices cooked roast beef (1 lb.)

4 c. cabbage, coarsely shredded

1/4 c. Oleo or Crisco

6 large onions

1 qt. boiling water

1 tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients:

Dip onions in hot water and remove skins. Drop shredded cabbage in boiling water, add salt and boil gently and uncovered for approximately five minutes until almost tender. Remove from heat and drain well. Heat Oleo or Crisco in skillet with cover. Brown meat lightly on both sides, then remove to a hot container with a cover to keep it hot. Brown thick-sliced onions delicately in remaining Oleo or Crisco, add cabbage and cook for five more minutes or until onions are delicately browned on underside and cabbage is barely tender. Add addition salt if needed and sprinkle of pepper. Arrange veggies around roast beef and garnish with parsley.

Note: Our British guests had quite a sense of humor and when they first told me about this dish, I truly thought they were just teasing. Years later, I learned that it was actually authentic and there was such a recipe. Peter good-naturedly endured a tremendous amount of ribbing while in our country, as he bore an uncanny resemblance to one of our well-known comedy characters: Benny Hill.

Carrot/Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:

1 c. carrots, grated

1/2 green pepper, diced very fine

1 1/3 tbsp. sweet pickle relish

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. crisp cabbage, shredded

1/4 c. onions, grated

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. sugar

Directions:

Grate carrot coarsely on a very sharp grater and always grate in one direction only. Slice cabbage fine with a very sharp, think-bladed knife, then combine with carrots and pepper. Thoroughly combine mayo with relish, onions, salt and sugar, then pour over veggies and toss lightly. Serve immediately on well-chilled salad plates.

• In reply to the relatively new bride who has invited some rather elderly new acquaintances to dinner and is not in a bit of a quandary as to what her dinner menu should be, first of all, allow me to congratulate you on the spunk you are displaying on issuing such an invitation. The best way to make new friends is to approach them with friendliness, and you have obviously already accomplished that since they accepted your invitation. I would strongly advise you to prepare a simple meal and preferably something that you are familiar with preparing. Some preparations respond to keeping warm in the oven, and I urge you to choose one of these , for this can simplify matters from the beginning. This prepares you for any delays or problems that might arise at the very last moment. If you strive to appear at ease it automatically rubs off on your guests. I certainly admire your tenacious courage in this undertaking and wish you the best of luck. You have my blessing.