Don't know if your cookbooks look like mine, but if they do ... you've got handwritten recipes on their inside covers. Aside from the faded ink and a few water spots, they're still easy to read. I've also got cards and slips of paper falling out of the pages. I know, I need to organize. I'm kind of starting that process as I work on a book of favorite recipes for my daughter.

Meanwhile, this pair of recipes provides  a trip down memory lane, and a pleasant one at that. The first is Smokehouse Spaghetti: Yes, it's a casserole and it's delicious. My picky-eater daughter often requests it. The other is for Rhubarb Cake. Both recipes came from my growing-up days in rural northern Illinois. Enjoy!

SMOKEHOUSE SPAGHETTI

3/4 pound spaghetti

1/4 pound bacon

1 medium onion

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 t. oregano

1/2 t. garlic salt

1/4 pound Provolone, grated

1/4 pound Cheddar, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms (do not drain)

Saute bacon in skillet. Add onions and ground beef. Brown. Stir in tomato sauce, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic salt and mushrooms with liquid. Simmer 15 minutes. Cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain. Stir into sauce. Place half of mixture in a buttered 2-quart baking dish. Top with half of two cheeses. Repeat layers. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven about 20-25 minutes.

RHUBARB CAKE

4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 to 1 cup sugar (depending on preference to mix with rhubarb)

1/2 cup shortening (butter or your choice)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 t. baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

Mix rhubarb and 1/2 cup sugar (my recommendation). Set aside until batter is mixed. Cream together shortening and 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Add egg. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk and vanilla. Stir in rhubarb. Bake in greased and floured 9x13-inch pan in preheated 350-degree oven on the lower rack.

This is moist and delicious. The rhubarb settles to the bottom, making a kind of layer cake. You can top with whipped cream, though this is sweet enough on its own. Enjoy!