Living an involuntary hermit's life. Working towards living a healthier, gluten-free, hopefully cancer free life with my 2 dogs, 3 chickens and loving family.



Living with intention

When stumbling through life isn't good enough anymore..... decide to be yourself and enjoy life, and pay attention to Gods gifts all around.

Friday, May 28, 2010

One Woman's Trash, Is Another Woman's Treasure

Have a bit of housekeeping to take care of first. I know you all have been on pins and needles to find out how I am doing today. (O.k. I will try to stop the sarcasm). I am taking it a little easier today, because lack of sleep, but I am trying to keep moving with breaks often. I will not give you another day in my life post today, but I have got the a few things done like ride bike to store for fondue ingredients, (shhhh, it is a secret. It's Baileys favorite and I'm surprising her with fondue for dinner). I'm living dangerously again with a load on the line, and besides general picking up of the house, the only other work I intend on doing is take care of chickens and make my juice for the weekend.

I did go back to bed around 4:20 this morning (read previous post). I was woken up at 5:30 with the worst news known to man. No not that the climate change is irreversible, no not that the house is on fire, (been through that one). I woke up to LL saying the most dreaded sentence in the English language. "WE ARE OUT OF COFFEE". Well my primal scream of agony must of scared him. Because about 45 minutes later he comes in and says, "coffees made Princess" You know, not the Goddess Princess, the You Are So Spoiled Princess. Bless his heart, he ran to the store.

Mothers Milk
This morning the mail man rang the doorbell. Oh the excitement. Could it be my BENTO? or could it be the two books I ordered from Borders with the 40% off coupon. Oh my heart pitter pattered to see what he brought me. Darn it all!! My daughters tassel for graduation. I know! I am that self absorbed.
Now what I really want to tell you about. I scored big time yesterday. Get your mind out of the gutter. A week ago, when my mom was visiting, we were talking about my very low residue diet. I need to cook more of the old fashion foods I grew up on. Not the yummy whole foods I have come to love. She said she should give me her old cookbook that has everything from scratch. My tail started wagging because I knew the one she was talking about. Years ago, she covered it with contact paper. My mom doesn't often cook with recipes. She measures nothing when making the best pies. But when I was growing up, when she did use a recipe, it was from this book.
1959 edition of Farm Journal's Country Cookbook.



Here is my Aunt Rita's Stuffing recipe. Very special because my Aunt died a fairly young woman. You can see that years ago, my mom circled it and wrote Rita's dressing on it.
You never have to look in the index for certain recipes, because they are the worn and dirty pages. When I told Bailey I have grandmas cookbook with her popcorn ball recipe, Bailey looked panicked. "isn't grandma going to make it anymore" I told her after 50 years of making it, I think she knows the recipe by heart.
And I have the fondest memories of coming home after school with a cookie jar full of Cornflake Cookies. Oh My Goodness they are good. I can't eat them anymore, but will make them for my family.
If you have the opportunity to get a copy of this cookbook. Do it. I am not sure if the newer editions have the same recipes.
Now if some one donated this book to Goodwill, they would throw it out because of its condition. To some it is trash. To me it is a treasure.
P.S. I wonder how my sisters feel about me having this cookbook. I better hide it.

2 comments:

dreamer said...

My secret passion is cook books, I have amassed quite a few over the years but I love the old ones the best.There is something lovely about getting hold of a cookbook and it falling open at well worn pages complete with splatters and handwritten notes.It is like a little bit of social history being passed down.I have found some real gems of recipes in older well used books and pamphlets.Treasure indeed :)

Konnie said...

Dreamer, Yes! exactly. I can't wait to try some of the ones I had a lot of growing up.