Here's a summer favorite of ours. You have to like cilantro, though; it makes the dish. I use much more pasta and a little more turkey. Serve in deep plates with lots of chopped cilantro on top. Rigatoni with Southwestern-Style Ground-Turkey Sauce 1/2 cup minced red onion [I use a regular onion] 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch dice 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin [ridiculous -- use more] l/8 teaspoon cayenne 3/4 pound ground turkey [I use a pound] a 14-ounce can plum tomatoes [I use a big can] including the juice a pinch of dried hot red pepper flakes 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander plus coriander sprigs for garnish if desired 1/4 pound rigatoni [I use about a half-pound] coarsely grated Monterey lack for sprinkling the pasta In a large skillet cook the onion in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occa- sionally, until it is softened, add the garlic, the bell pepper, the chili powder, the cum- in, and the cayenne, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the turkey and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the turkey is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes with the juice, breaking them up, the red pepper flakes, the chopped corian- der, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 10 min- utes, or until it is thickened. While the sauce is simmering, in a kettle of boiling salted water cook the rigatoni un- til it is al dente, drain it well, and divide it between 2 bowls. Divide the sauce between the bowls, sprinkle it with the Monterey Jack, and garnish each serving with a cori- ander sprig.

I haven't tried either of these. They were in our newspaper today and looked interesting. MINTED WILD RICE PILAF WITH TURKEY, FETA, AND OLIVES Prep and cook time: About 1-1/2 hours Makes: 2 servings 1 tbsp. salted sweet cream butter 1/2 cup brown rice 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained 1-1/2 cups vegetable broth 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary 1 cup bite-size pieces cooked turkey 3 oz. feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/4 cup pitted, chopped kalamata or other Greek olives 3 tbsp. chopped fresh mint Mint sprigs Melt butter in a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium-high heat. Add brown rice and onion. Cook, stirring often, until rice is lightly toasted and opaque, about 6 minutes. Add wild rice, broth, parsley, and rosemary. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until wild rice is tender to bite and liquid is mostly absorbed, 45 to 55 minutes. Uncover pan and stir in turkey, feta, and olives. Stir often until meat is heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped mint then transfer pilaf to a serving dish or individual plates. Garnish with mint sprigs. Per serving: 658 calories, 38 percent (252 cal.) from fat; 35 g protein; 28 g fat (13.5 g sat.); 66 g carbohydrates (5.2 g fiber); 1082 mg sodium; 115 mg cholesterol TURKEY-COUSCOUS SALAD WITH GINGER-PEACH DRESSING Prep and cook time: 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes cooling time Notes: While you wait for the water to boil, slice the vegetables. To save more time, use jarred pureed or chopped garlic instead of peeling and chopping fresh garlic. The dressing can be made and kept refrigerated up to one week in advance. Just before serving, combine salad, dressing, and turkey. Makes: 6 to 8 side servings Salad 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 box (10 oz.) plain couscous 3/4 lb. diced cooked turkey 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1/2 cup half-moon sliced cucumber 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion 1/2 cup shredded carrots 1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, well drained Peach Dressing 1 tbsp. lemon or lime juice 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1/4 tsp. grated fresh ginger 1/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh garlic or garlic puree 1 can (8.5 oz.) sliced peaches, drained Salt and hot sauce Pour 2 cups boiling water into a 4- to 5-quart casserole, bowl, or other non-plastic container with a lid. Stir in oil and couscous. Cover tightly for 5 minutes. When grains are hydrated, fluff them with a fork, re-cover, and place in the refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes. When cooled, fluff and separate couscous grains again with a fork. (If making ahead, refrigerate, covered, for up to two days). Meanwhile, make dressing. In a blender or food processor, puree lemon juice, vinegar, oil, ginger, garlic, and peaches. Add salt and hot sauce to taste. Gently mix turkey, red bell pepper, cucumber, celery, green onion, carrot, and pineapple into cooled couscous. Add peach dressing. Stir mixture gently but thoroughly to ensure dressing is evenly distributed. Serve immediately. Per serving: 308 calories, 16 percent (145 cal.) from fat; 16 g protein; 5.4 g fat (0.8 g sat.); 49 g carbohydrates (2.5 g fiber); 264 mg sodium; 95 mg cholesterol

Good for you Sherry. No, have not been to any yet this season but we are looking forward to it. Is yours the big electric roaster? I have a couple of them, one is a Nesco can't remember the other one and I have inserts for them to keep things warm while serving 3 different things. Have used them in the past for big outside family get togethers. Of course have used them for turkeys and whatever you want to bake. I don't really care for them for pies though, too much dampness I guess. I am working today on our meal here after we get home from church tomorrow. I plan on fixing ham, Great Northern soup beans with flat dumplings, cornbread, coleslaw, and probably some apple dumplings since I have the stuff to make them. Will fix some other things too if I feel up to it and have the time. My back is feeling some better so maybe I can get some more done. It is raining a little here today, but so far not a lot. It is 54 out right now. Izzi and I will go out on the big rig in awhile and get the mail and cruise out back and look at our garden. Hope everyone is enjoying their day. Sue in Central Indiana

We never had noodles over potatoes, we had either noodles or potatoes. Grandma often made chicken and noodles the same way she made chicken and dumplings, with an old stewing hen and a long cooking time, using the meat from the chicken and the resulting broth to cook the noodles or dumplings. Our dumplings were always fluffy biscuit type dumplings dropped into the hot liquid, and noodles were thick homemade egg noodles, dropped into the hot liquid. Elery's family in Tennessee makes what they call dumplings, but we would have called those noodles, they are a flat egg noodle dough, cut into squares and cooked in the chicken broth. Now I've seen the combination at local restaurants, chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes. I've also seen the square noodles that Elery's family calls dumplings, sold in Amish stores as "pot pie" noodles, so there's another name altogether. Annie