Everyday Drumsticks

This is also from the Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book, 1963.There are various dinner suggestions in here and this is one. The caption on that photo is "Everyone likes mock drumsticks." Hmmm. Likely these are tasty, but I can't imagine eating them without it crumbling all over yourself, and I also don't think these look too appetizing. What do you think? 

You'll need:  1 pound ground beef, 1 tsp. salt, 1 egg, 12 soda crackers, 6 wooden skewers, 3 slices bacon (I'm not sure what the bacon adds to this taste wise or in appearance, but lots of people like it...)

Take out:  mixing bowl, wooden spoon, paper or plastic bag, rolling pin, waxed paper, baking pan, kitchen scissors, potholders, turner

1. First step is set oven at 450F.  This recipe will serve six.

2. Put ground beef, salt, egg in bowl.  Stir gently, thoroughly.  Divide into six parts.

3. Put crackers in bag and roll with a rolling pin.  Place crumbs on waxed paper. 

4. Shape meat mix around skewers.  Roll in crumbs.  Put in a greased baking pan.

5. Bake 15 minutes.  Add bacon slices.  Bake 15 minutes. 

Why is there a scissors in the photo with the bacon? So you can make that odd X on your faux drumstick?

I had a blast at the Rolling Meadows PL last night with a recipe scrapbooking show. That group really got into it and left with lovely albums.

Handwritten Recipe Wednesday: Honey Pecan Loaf

Tonight I am going to the Rolling Meadows PL to do a recipe scrapbooking show:  Preserving Family Recipes. I talk a lot at that one about handwritten recipes, so today is a good day for it, seeing as I not put those types of recipes up on this blog on Wednesdays. I like the little note in the upper corner of this one:  $5 prizes, possibly? Anyone else have a guess?

 I've found any number of personal notations and additions to recipes in my collection, which makes it fun. This recipe looks delicious, too - enjoy!

Honey Pecan Loaf
1 C milk
1 C honey
1/4 C butter (I said delicious, not healthy.)
2 yolks slightly beaten
2 1/4 C sifted all purp. flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 C chopped pecans
In heavy pan combine milk honey sugar & butter.  Stir on heat till blended.  Cool. Stir in yolks.  Sift dry ing. Add to honey mix. Stir till well blended.  Stir in nuts.  Turn into greased wax paper lined & greased again 9-5-3 loaf pan.  Bake at 350F 1 hr, 5 min or till done. 
Cool in pan 10 min. Turn out on cake rack.  Delectable desert.
(Might be delectable in the desert too, but I think this person meant dessert.)

Honey-coconut Bars

I am still having fun with the Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book, 1963. This time the recipe is for these bars, pictured. The recipe takes pound cake slices, slathers them in honey, then rolls them in coconut. I actually see this quite a bit in the vintage cook books, often as a solution for stale cake or bread. I'm sure they are pretty tasty, but pound cake is pretty delicious and calorie laden on its own - what would this do?

You'll need: Pound Cake (love the pictures), Coconut, Honey, Soft Butter or Margarine
Take out:  bread knife, breadboard, table knife, cooky sheet, shallow pan, potholders, turner (Is that like a spatula?)
1. Set oven to 375F.  Take out cooky sheet and then grease it lightly, using bit of butter or margarine on a small piece of waxed paper.  Set aside.
2. Cut the cake into 1-inch slices; cut each slice into three bars.  Add butter, honey, on tops and sides of bars.
3. Put some coconut in shallow pan.  Roll bars in the coconut until they're thoroughly covered on tops, sides.
4. Arrange bars on the cooky sheet; bake 5 to 10 minutes and remove them.  Let cool.
The caption for the photo is "Toasted coconut makes crisp 'frosting.'  Everyone likes the good taste of honey combined with coconut.

My family and I enjoyed going to the Wisconsin Dells for the past few days. It is fun to see the little guy now exploring and swimming on his own while the older one tries everything. The boys' spring break is this week and we have play dates aplenty lined up. No doubt we will try some new recipes this week, too!

Applesauce with Red Hots

Here's another fabulous recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book (1963):  Applesauce with Red Hots. Seriously? Yes. Just wait until you see the substitution too!

You'll need:  1/4 cup water (notice the faucet graphic)
4 tart apples
Bottle of red hots (oh boy)

Take out:  paring knife, covered saucepan, spoon, measuring cup, potholder

1. Wash apples.  Cut them in quarters.  Peel and core each.  Slice into two or three pieces and place in saucepan.


2. Add water.  Cover the pan.  Cook apples slowly until tender.  To test the tenderness, prick apple slice with a fork.

3. Remove from heat. Add red hots (apparently the entire 'bottle').  They dissolve as you beat applesauce smooth with spoon (How long would it take to 'beat sliced apples smooth'?). Serve hot or cold.

Then:  To make natural-colored applesauce, you should leave out the red-hot candies and add 1/4 cup of sugar to the recipe.

Gross. Just dye this stuff red if you want that scary color. Forget the added sugar. And they are recommending this for kids!

Retro Crafting Friday: Twinkle Podge

This 1972 gem features a form of decoupage, which is a craft that comes in and out of vogue in various forms throughout the past decades. Twinkle Podge takes napkins, cards, paper, etc. and uses a product like the modern equivalent Mod Podge to adhere in overlapping pieces to foam or another surface. The Twinkle part is from a 70's product known as Diamond Dust. I am sure there is some form of glitter or shiny coating you could use now. Though of course I don't know why you'd want to do this in these forms, especially with napkins.

 Harold Mangelsen & Sons, Inc. published this book. I was interested to find out they are still in business in Omaha. While today they have a crafts store, cafe and even antiques section, their site has some great history:

• Harold & Berenice Mangelsen, along with their sons, Bill, Tom, David and Harold Jr., founded beginnings of our company when they opened the doors at 3457 S. 84th Street in Omaha, Nebraska on May 4, 1961. Living in the back of the store for two years, they worked as a family producing a variety store housing 11,000 square feet. 
• Along with housewares, pet supplies, fabrics, toys and ladies clothing, the store featured a 25 seat luncheonette and a new innovation- a self- service drive in window. Drivers used the window to purchase 15 cent hamburgers, 10 cent French fries, and 5 cent coffee. 

Who knows how much of their success has to do with Twinkle Podge?

I was interested in the Kleenex box birdhouse below. that takes a 3/4" sheet of foam and cuts it into blocks to form the roof and front/back triangles. There is an entire genre of Kleenex box and toliet paper covering crafts. I have never understood that - the stuff has to go in the bathroom, and everyone knows what it is. But - either I have been looking at too many vintage books or that birdhouse is actually not too bad. Certainly it's more 'normal' than the daisy holding vintage doll.

I got this in a lot of craft books from eBay but there are copies of this one out there by itself too if you are interested.

Cherry Fill-ups

 Here is another recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book, c1963. I had to include this scan of the biscuits with maple syrup. The caption says:

Flaky golden biscuits deserve to be whisked straight from the oven to table.  They're delicious as bread, or drench them with syrup, butter.

Wow.That picture does look like the biscuits are drenched in syrup. How would you eat these without getting completely sticky - and why would you want to?

Then there's the Cherry fill-ups. I can't decide if these would be good or just weird. Anyone tried these before?

Caption:  Cherry-filled biscuits are early-bird fare.  You can delight the family by fixing a treat for breakfast.  Let Mother give you some help with other breakfast foods that go with these.

Two things about that: 1. Why not Father? 2. What on earth goes with these?

You'll need:  cherry preserves, 1 package refrigerated biscuits, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons milk
Take out:  9-inch round pan, egg beater, measuring spoons, teaspoon, pastry brush, potholder, bowl, turner (turner?)
1. Set the oven at 425F.  Ask Mother (here we go again) to open the biscuits for you. Arrange biscuits in a round pan so they nearly touch.
2. Press tiny hollow in the center of each biscuit with your fingers.  Fill hollow with a teaspoon of the preserves.
3. Break egg into a bowl and beat smooth with egg beater.  (I love the hand cranked one pictured.) Beat in sugar, milk.  This glaze puts a shine on biscuits. (Why is that desired?)
4. Brush on egg mixture with a pastry brush and then bake about 10 minutes.  Remove them from pan.  Serve at once.

Handwritten Recipe Wednesday: Pralines and Coated Peanuts

This is a charming card from one of my collections. It is Pralines from the kitchen of...Judy Laughlin, plus I found coated nuts on the back. I really want these now!

 1 1/2 C sugar

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C can milk

3 T karo

2 T oleo

4 large marshmallows (amount _ small:  possibly amount 6 small?)

2 C pecans

dash salt

Mix sugar, milk, karo & salt

boil to 236 degrees (soft ball)

Remove from heat. Add marshmallows & oleo.  

Stir till dissolves.  add vanilla & pecans

Beat till creamy.  Drop quickly on wax paper

If not too soon add 1 T boiling water stir to dry

And then the Coated Peanuts

2 C peanuts

1 C sugar

1/2 C water

Cook med heat in black skillet till mixture is absorbed.  Put on cookie sheet & place in 250 degree oven till done. (25 minutes)

Egg-salad Sandwich Boats

Here is another recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book:  "for the Hostess & Host of Tomorrow." Oh boy. I have a few questions about this one:
1.  What do you do with a friend named Elizabeth or something equally long?

2. Is eating this more or less messy than eating a burrito?

3. Why on earth is a boat sandwich appealing?

But that's just curiosity. I do like egg salad, unhealthy though it is. While meticulous directions are given to tools needed and ingredients, limited information is given on how to cook the eggs. That could be a little scary - would make you feel worse than seasick!

It says 'You'll need':

4 hard-cooked eggs

2 tablespoons chopped celery

1 tablespoon chopped green onion

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1/4 tsp. salt

4 unsliced coney buns (I think - we'd likely say Sub Sandwich buns here now.)

Soft butter or margarine

Leaf lettuce

Take out:  covered saucepan, paring knife, cutting board, measuring spoons, bowls, spoon, table knife, wooden skewers, potholder

To cook eggs:  Place eggs in pan.  Cover with cold water.  Heat slowly to boiling.  Lower the heat.  Cook over very low heat for 20 minutes.  (Clearly not the way eggs are cooked today - no one says low heat. I get them to boiling for a while then let them cool.)

1. Cool cooked eggs in cold water - tap lightly to make crack.  Then peel.   After the shells are removed,  chill.
2. Chop chilled eggs in bowl.  Add celery, green onion, mustard, mayonnaise, and the salt.  Mix all ingredients.
3. Hollow out tops of buns.  Line hollows with leaf lettuce.  Spoon in egg filling.  Add paper-stick sails.

Does everyone have paper-stick sails? How do you make those? (and why would you?)
Interesting.

Sandwich Loaf Recipe for Junior Chefs

The Junior Cook Books are among the most popular vintage cookbooks to collect. I think many people have fond memories of making things from them. Also, they are charming. Mostly the recipes are simple and refer to delightful parties or events young people might participate in. I have a few versions of cook books for young chefs, and I do also have fun memories of making some of the things with my sister. However, I was a bit surprised to see a Sandwich Loaf recipe for kids in this 1963 version of the Better Homes Junior Cook Book.

The directions for Party-surprise Sandwiches say 'You'll need:'  2 3 oz. packages cream cheese, 1/4 cup milk, 1 5-oz. can boned chicken, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 5-oz. jar pimiento-cheese spread (oh boy), 12 stuffed olives, chopped, 18 slices bread crusts removed, Soft butter or margarine

Then, 'Take out:'  bowls, measuring cups and spoons, can opener, paring knife, bread knife, breadboard, table knife, small plates, salad forks

You can see the drawings for each step in the photo. Here are the words:

1. Soften cream cheese.  Stir in milk gradually.  Beat after adding milk. (By hand this is not so easy...)

2. Cut the chicken into small pieces.  Put pieces into another bowl and add mayonnaise. (Get out the defibrillator.)

3. Put the cheese spread in a third bowl and stir in the olives with care. (as opposed to?) 

4. Butter bread.  Spread with chicken; add bread.  Spread on olive-cheese; top with bread. (I am not sure how the 19 slices are being used - there has to be 6 on a row!)

5. "Frost" with the softened cream cheese.  Trim tops with olive "flowers." Chill. (How -and why - would you make "olive flowers?")

It certainly would be a surprise to come to a party and be served this. I wonder what age would think this is a treat.

Retro Crafting Friday: Yarn Crafter Pom Chicks

This is from the Yarn Crafter Treasure Chest, Original Designs by Lillian Rather. Making Pom Poms is one of the favorite crafts at my Retro Crafting workshops, and I thought the chicks in the upper left corner of the cover reminded me of spring. Usually in my workshops we do one pom pom at a time, and tie them together. But take a look at this block and wooden dowel system. The drawing is to make a doll, but you'd do two sections I believe to make the chicks. I'd probably use the cardboard doughnuts and make the pom poms separately. If you need further instructions on that send me an email - I could scan in the ones I made for my shows by tracing various cans in my cupboard. Don't buy plastic pom pom makers from the craft store! (amyalessio@sbcglobal.net)

I could see myself tangling up the yarn or not being able to get it off properly from this system...

At the bottom here is the pattern for the extra pieces for the chicks. I don't know why the little chicks have the head things, and you could definitely simplify these.

St. Patrick's Day

The Big Green Day is here. This has always been a big holiday in my family, as my Mother's parents both came from Ireland. Our favorite treats are  a bit Americanized, just like th holiday itself. My Mom's favorite St. P's Day food is the green Hostess Snoball. Currently I have 4 of those left in my cabinet for my boys (ok, and for me). My Grandma Curtin did love the traditional Irish Soda Bread and Corned Beef/Cabbage, but she also liked to take us all out to Bennigan's for 2 for 1 Brandy Alexanders. (She drank those of course, not me when I was little.)  She was not a huge drinker, but that was part of her celebration.

I have put many posts on this blog about St. Pat's Day and foods, and you can find those in March posts for the last 4 years on the archives too. But I wanted to get at least something up to mark the big day today too.

This charming card is from my Southern Heritage Southern Living series, the Celebrations volume. This is part of a 'St. Paddy's Day in Savannah.' It indicates that it has been a big holiday in Savannah since 1812. Interesting. Enjoy the Soda Bread recipe and your day in Green.

Irish Soda Bread
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 2/3 cups buttermilk
Sift together all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Stir in whole wheat flour, mixing well.  Add buttermilk, stirring until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead about 5 minutes.  Shape dough into a round loaf; place on a greased baking sheet.  Using a sharp knife, cut a cross 1/4 inch deep on top of loaf; lightly sprinkle cross with flour.
Bake at 400F for 40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. (Ummm?)  Remove from baking sheet, and cool completely on wire rack.

And yes, I'm up at 4:30 a.m. blogging. Steroid Girl is feeling a bit better here if shaky and ramped up.

Handwritten Recipe Wednesday: Peppermint Dessert

I had so much fun at the Green Hills PL last night for Vintage Cookies and Candy! Beautiful library, great librarian host Diana, really fun crowd. One even brought me her favorite candy - a Maple Bun Bar! Mmmmm...

I was trying to find a handwritten recipe for St. Pat's Day and this is about as close as I can get. Apparently in my collection of 18 boxes few folks if any were Irish, or cooked for the high holiday tomorrow. But this could easily be dyed green and have mint chips.

Peppermint Dessert
1 lb. Vanilla Wafers (wow)
1 1/2 Pts. cream (Whipped)
1 1/2 Cup Diced Marschmellows (misspelled on card)
1 cup chopped nuts
5 penny sticks of peppermint candy
Put wafers through grinder (I hope that's not the meat grinder. Use the food processor!). Pack 1/2 of wafers in pan 8 x 12.  Mix together the cream, marshmellows, nuts and crushed peppermint and put it on top of the wafers.  Sprinkle rest of wafers on top of this mix.  Leave in ice box at least 24 hours.

Where on earth would you find penny candy now? Try dollar candy...

Beware the Pies of March: Lime Meringue

Now as readers know, I do like me some food dye, just like many vintage recipes request. But this - even on St. Pat's Week - is pretty neon and unappealing. But - yesterday was National Pi Day. I did not find that out from math sites or blogs - but rather from the several friends who sent me notes about it, asking why I was not discussing pie. I also got a nice email from the Pillsbury company about Pies for Pi Day. Everything has a food tie in, it seems.  If you like Pie, though, more is coming - there is a week in April planned where Pie Party is planned to celebrate the new book from a beloved friend, Anne Ylvisaker.

I did not have time to blog yesterday as I'm wrestling with another asthma situation. Get ready for the return of the wee morning hours blogging as I start taking steroids again. I need them, though, as I have lots of shows and fun teen events at work this week! Tonight I'm going to the Green Hills PL to discuss Vintage Cookies and Candies. But back to Pi(e) as it was listed.

This is from Betty Crocker's Pie and Pastry Book, 1968. To make Lime Meringue, a recipe for Lemon Meringue has been altered slightly.

Lime Meringue Pie

9-inch baked pie shell

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups water

2 teaspoons grated lime peel

1/4 cup lime juice

1 or 2 drops green food coloring (I think they used more, though...)

Meringue for 9 inch pie

Bake pie shell. Heat oven to 400.  In saucepan blend sugar and cornstarch.  Combine egg yolks and water; stir gradually into sugar mixture.  Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Remove from heat; stir in lime peel and juice and food coloring.  Immediately pour into baked pie shell. Heap meringue on hot pie filling; spread over filling, carefully sealing the meringue onto edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping (from you or the pie).  Bake about 10 minutes or until delicately browned.  Cool pie away from draft (or in my house, away from the young boys running around causing drafts).

Pie Meringue

3 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

6 tablespoons sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy.  Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy.  Do not underbeat. Beat in vanilla.

Lime Ribbon Delight Cake Returns for the Big Green Day

Here are the treats I brought to my brother's house for our annual family St. Patrick's Day party today. Yes - it's a new variation on the family Mushy Cookie Pudding, or Icebox cake. My brother likes the vanilla/chocolate stripes, and all enjoyed the colored mini vanilla wafers I bought. This is refrigerated over night. My Mom keeps wanting me to frost the top like her Mom did with another layer of pudding, but that is a little too Sandwich Loaf for me. Joanne Fluke did a wedding cake version of this in one of her Hannah Swensen mysteries. It is very rich.

The other photo is this year's rendition of Lime Ribbon Delight. Last year's version made it into my 'Foods Gone Wrong' section of my Preserving Family Recpes Shows. If you really want to see it - go check out last year's St. Pat's posts. Also check out the year before, where it was a little better.
Here's the recipe once again:

Lime Ribbon Delight

1 package Betty Crocker White cake mix (or any white cake mix)
1 package lime-flavored gelatin
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup fruit juice or water
1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple
1/4 cup chipped nuts
Few drops lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream & 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar (or one can whipped white frosting)
Bake cake in two round layer pans, as directed on package. Cool.
Dissolve gelatin in hot water. Add fruit juice and chill until almost firm. Add pineapple, nuts and lemon juice.
Place two strips of aluminum foil across the bottom of each layer pan, letting strips extend over edge. Replace cake layers, placing one layer back in pan upside down and the other right side up. This will make a better looking cake. Spoon the fruit gelatin over the two layers. Chill until firm.
Whip cream with confectioners' sugar. Lift cake layers out of pans, using extended edges of foil. Stack layers gelatin side up. Frost sides with whipped cream. Refrigerate until serving time. Decorate with miniature white clay pipes for St. Patrick's Day.

While my family does have a Shillelagh from Ireland, we don't have 'miniature white clay pipes.' This is a vintage recipe, but for this one - which tasters felt was the best yet, here's what I did.
1. Bake yellow cake mix in 9x13. Of course dye it green!
2. Make Lime Jello - let it firm up overnight.
3. Whip Jello in mixer on fast until 'fluffy.'
4. Drain 1 cup crushed pineapple and add it to the whipped Jello.
5. Spread that on the cake like frosting.
6. Chill.
7. Eat.

More on the Sandwich Loaf

My stats for this blog show me that posts even two years on the Sandwich Loaf still get lots of hits. What is the deal with that? I am guessing this is usually associated with happy events like wedding or baby showers, or retirements, so perhaps folks are reliving the memory rather than the actual food?

I've put lots of version of this up on the blog, as there are many many recipes and photos in my collection of sandwich loaves every color of the rainbow. This one is from the gift book I got at Fremont PLD Wednesday night from a lovely audience member. From the 1954 Culinary Arts 500 Tasty Sandwich Recipes, here's yet more tips on making the Sandwich Loaf. Does any reader here still make or eat these?  Perhaps you can make a green one for St. Pat's Day...

 The caption is:
Here is the frosted Sandwich Loaf in all its glory ready to meet all comers.

Oy.

That frosting is whipped cream cheese, cream and salt. Here are some possible fillings. And as always - I don't make this stuff up. I simply don't have to - there's too much in here that's crazy!

Anchovy Butter:  1 cup butter, 1/2 cup minced anchovies, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 4 drops onion juice, 4 hard-cooked egg yolks.

Chili Butter

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons chili sauce, drained

(YUM)

File Butter

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon file (What is File?)

1 tsp. paprika

Then there's garlic butter strong and garlic butter, milk. One uses Mined Fried Garlic. There are of course good one in here like Pickle, egg salad, carrot.

Retro Crafting Friday: Enchanting Feathers

This fabulous 1974 volume teaches folks to wrap feathers together to make floral arrangements. Really?

Love the shag carpeting in this photo - is that color rust or orange? My folks' house had the wrought iron railing, as did the house I live in now - except we replaced it with a wall. One of these flowers is called Viking Plumage. Those are the blue and yellow ones.  In case you want to make yourself a duster - I mean a flower, try this:

1 - 16 gauge covered stem wire

Royal Blue Short Floral Feathers

Yellow Stitched Hackie Feathers (What on earth are those?)

Moss Green Short Floral Feathers

Green Floral Tape

You are supposed to remove the stitching from some of these and wrap the others around the wire, taping it all up. I'm serious.

Kyle said he's never seen feather art. Now I remember making barrettes with ribbons, beads and feathers. I thought those were fabulous and made them in every color. Hmmmm... maybe that's next week's craft!

One Egg Cake from Great Gift Cookbook

Last night I had a blast talking about Jello at the Fremont Public Library Dist. in Mundelein. It was my fourth time at that library, and a lovely woman who has been to a couple of my shows gave me this treasure. It has all the Culinary Arts pamphlet cookbooks. Many I have never been able to find so I was thrilled with this! I just wanted to sit and look at it, but of course I did my show - for over 40 people! I heard many funny and delicious Jello combinations and tips from the audience. That always makes a show more interesting for everyone.

From the first pamphlet - 500 Delicious Dishes from Leftovers, from 1953:  One-Egg Cake

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg, unbeaten

2 cups sifted cake flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream shortening, add sugar gradually and cream until fluffy.  Add egg and beat thoroughly.  Sift dry ingredients together 3 times and add alternately with milk and vanilla.  Pour into greased pans.  Bake in a moderate oven (350F) 25 minutes.  Makes 2 (9-inch) layers.

Handwritten Recipe Wednesday: Pecan Bread

I hope you all enjoyed Mardi Gras yesterday. I served a delicious King Cake along with other treats last night at a Vintage Spring Holidays Show. I also had part of an apricot filled doughnut Monday. That was fabulous. Did you eat something special? This recipe reminded me of New Orleans with the Pecans.  It's from one of the boxes of handwritten recipes I've purchased from an antiques mall.

Pecan Bread (Tribune) (Could be old recipe Chicago Tribune)
Sift 2 c. sifted flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Stir in 1/2 c. brown sugar
Beat 1 egg well and add 1 cup milk
Add dry ingred. to milk
mix only till just moist
Add 1/4 C melted butter
1 C. chopped pecans  350F 1 hour
grease & lightly flour 9-5-3 loaf pan

Love the pan measurements. This does sound fabulous, though.

Tonight I'm packing up the Jello and Jello pudding for a show at the Fremont Public Library District in Mundelein. I've been there a few times, and always enjoy the crowd. They have a large registration - lots of people love Jello, apparently! Do you?

Cinnamon and Spies with Molly MacRae

It's the first Monday of March, and that means Molly MacRae is guest blogging. Molly is busy writing for her new series from Penguin and working as a children's librarian but she still has time to join us once a month with food and fun. This is a great post on handwritten recipes. Enjoy!-AA

I love Amy’s Handwritten Recipe Wednesdays. As corny as it sounds, some of my most treasured possessions are handwritten recipes. One of the best wedding presents we received was a recipe file box from my sister Jenny with some of her favorite recipes written out on pretty cards. Her English Toffee and Fläskpannkaka have become our favorites, too. I have a recipe for antipasto from Great Aunt Ruth that calls for sweet gherkins, canned tuna, and ketchup, a salmon loaf from Aunt Anne, and Florentines from my friend Nancy. MMmmm, I love them all and treasure them for the good wishes they symbolize and the charm with which they’re written – sometimes illegibly.


So, I started thinking about recipes and modern communication, about blogs and search engines, and I wondered if the mystery of indecipherable handwritten recipes will go the way of cod liver oil. And if that happens, what will take their place? Then it occurred to me that I have a couple of examples of the modern version of handwritten recipes – recipes recorded with voice recognition software. The two I have from my friend Norma are mostly clear, until you get to the places where the software didn’t really recognize what it was hearing. Here, for instance, is a pureed sweet potato dish that’s delicious and not tough to make, as long as you don’t believe everything the software tells you – like how many it serves, or even its name. Purity? I love that. It sounds so innocent. I’ve copied the recipe exactly the way it was sent to me, including Norma’s final notes.

Sweet potato purity with bananas and buttered pecans

Six pounds sweet potatoes
2 ripe bananas, unpeeled
½ stick unsalted butter, softened
½ cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pies spies
½ teaspoon salt
One pound pecans
½ cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake until tender, about one hour. Roast bananas, in their skins, for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. When cool enough to handle, peeled potatoes and bananas, transfer to food processor. Plans until potatoes are chunky. Add butter and maple syrup, puree until smooth. Add the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spies and salt, puree to combine. Transfer to a shallow baking pan and smooth out the service with a spatula.

In a skillet, cook the pecans in butter over low heat and sprinkle with salt. Sauté until well coded, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes. Transfer the pecans to paper towels to drain. Arrange pecans on top of puree and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through, about 20 minutes. Yields 628 servings.

Pudding on a Cloud

Isn't this really like two puddings? This 70's popular dessert is on the left of this fabulous photo from the Jello Pudding Sampler.

Pudding on a Cloud

1 package (4 serving size) Jell-O Vanilla or Chocolate Pudding and Pie Filling

2 cups milk

1 container (4 1/2 oz.) Birds Eye Cool Whip non-dairy whipped topping, thawed

Prepare pudding mix with milk as directed on package for pudding; chill.  Spoon 1/3 cup of the whipped topping into each dessert glass.  Using the back of a spoon, make a depression in the center and spread topping up the sides of each glass.  Spoon pudding into glasses.  Chill Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.  Makes about 3 1/2 cups or 6 servings.

Retro Crafting Friday: Amy's Husband Remembers Film Fun

In the five years I've been doing this blog, my wonderful husband Kyle has put up comments and lots of great suggestions for topics. He is at least as big a collector as I am only with different things. Today is his first guest post. When I was talking about retro crafting, he remembered his sisters did Fantasy Film. I'll let him describe it, but I had this book in my collection, and it even has a St. Patrick's Day craft! Enjoy Kyle's post.-AA

I remember a craft kit that my sister(s) had received for a Christmas gift.  It was Milton Bradley's Dip-A-Flower kit.  I cannot recall if it was a joint gift for both sisters or just for one, but I do remember them doing the craft and that I was not allowed.  It was probably 1974, my sisters would have been 12 and 16.  The kit contained wires and jars of stinky colored liquid.  The idea was to create a circle or closed shape with the wire, then dip it into the fluid, remove the wire and the film created would dry. The dried film looked like clear plastic.  When you grouped them together you would create flowers & leaves.  If the film was not too thin the flowers actually lasted quite a while (meaning if I could not poke my finger through them, my sisters got to keep the flowers).  As I recall they had success with smaller flat flowers, but failed miserably with longer complex leaf shapes.  As I was only 6 or 7, and it was not GI Joes, Cowboys, space vehicles or Hot Wheels I passed on the whole flower making scene. 

Under the Sea Jello Salad

This seems to be a favorite of many people. I have photos of it from many molds in different Jello books but this is my favorite. The pears on top are an interesting touch...

Under the Sea Salad

1 package (3 oz.) Jell-O Lime Gelatin

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup boiling water

1 can (1 lb. pear halves)

2 packages (3 oz.) each cream cheese

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/8 tsp. ginger (My Mom wrote NO next to this...)

Dissolve Jell-O Gelatin and salt in boiling water.  Drain pears, measuring 3/4 cup syrup; add water, if necessary.  Dice pears and set aside.  Add pear syrup and lemon juice to gelatin.  Measure 1 1/4 cups into a 1-quart mold.  Chill until set, but not firm. 

Meanwhile, soften cheese until creamy.  Gradually add remaining gelatin, blending until smooth.  Add ginger.  Chill until very thick.  Fold in pears.  Spoon into mold.  Chill until firm.  Unmold on crisp lettuce.  Makes about 4 cups, or 8 side salads.

Who has this one at holiday functions?  I'll put up variations over the weekend, but of course I have an interesting Retro Craft for us all to - I won't say enjoy, exactly...

Handwritten Recipe Wednesday: Congo Squares

Often during my shows I see folks have an Ah Ha! moment where some food or recipe I mention triggers a memory from their life. I thought I had combed all my memories, but this morning I had my own moment. I got up early to blog and exercise and found this recipe in one of my collections. My Mom made something for years that my brother called Congo Bars. She used chocolate chips, and they were a favorite dessert. Anyone know where the name came from? This is someone else's version, but still looks great. I did my best deciphering the recipe...

Congo Squares

2 3/4 sift flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder?

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 c. shortening or marg. (I don't know what it says under marg.)

2 1/4 brown sugar

3 eggs

1 c. walnuts chopped

1 pkg. semi sweet nestle morsels (6 oz.)

Mix and sift dry ing. Melt short and add brown sugar. Stir until mixed.  Allow cool slightly.  Add eggs singly and beat after each.  Add dry ing. then nuts. Pour in greased pan 10 1/2 by 15 by 3/4. (I think that's a jelly roll pan.)

350 25 to 30 min.

48 squares