Introducing ‘Vintage Eats’!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here.

My life has had some challenges this summer – my husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 Prostate Cancer. He’s taking oral chemo and doing well. We’d appreciate your prayers.

With all of this upheaval, I’m finding my thoughts heading back often to the past when life seemed simpler – childhood, especially when I was surrounded with loving parents, grandparents, good churches, and a happy home.

Mom was a great cook. Food has always been important to her. I think it was because her extended family gathered so often around a table laden with food made by them, rather than eating in a restaurant.

As a young mother, I learned to bake. When my kids were growing up, I baked casseroles, cookies, cakes. They thought it was a treat to get store-bought cookies like Oreos. Ha!

I still bake today and often share the items with friends and even our local hospital and law enforcement agencies. Baking makes me happy and relaxes me.

I made some sugar cookies recently and they were so comforting (above).

I know cookies are not considered healthy snacks. But there is such a thing as peace and contentment that results from biting into a cookie that helps one get through a difficult day. At least it does in this household.

And yes, I usually go out for a walk afterward to walk off the calories.

This summer I began researching long-forgotten recipes to be found in old cookbooks. Thrift shops, garage sales, libraries, friends, antique stores, and even online auctions have resulted in a handful that I now peruse during free moments.

My goal is to keep my thoughts positive by re-discovering that simpler life — even though I suspect cooking and baking were not as simple then as they are now!

With that in mind, this blog will change its focus from stories about vets to recipes from the 1930s-1970s.

I will always respect for our nation’s vets in other ways and participate in honoring them in parades and events.

I realize this may be a shift some of you will choose not to follow. If you unsubscribe from this blog, I understand. Thanks for your support.

For the rest of you who choose to journey with me in this new direction, you will find recipes here which I’ve found in old cookbooks, along with photos of the finished products. I will also include the history and photos of kitchen gadgets used during this time frame.

I’m searching for vintage kitchen items in thrift stores (I got a breadbox recently!). These items bring me delight at a small price and that is worth a lot right now. They will play a part in this blog as well so keep a look out for cookie cutters, aprons, Pyrex dishes and more!

You can help with this column by sending recipes your family has treasured from the 1930s-1970s and the stories behind them:

Who made the recipe?

How did it get its name?

For what occasions was it made?

Who enjoyed it the most?

Who cooked it?

If you have photos of the food item prepared with or without your family in the photo, please scan and send it as well.

In fact, I’m tying my interests of military and cooking by requesting this: If you have a recipe from your loved one who was a vet from this time period, please send it to possibly be featured at this blog.

If you only have the name of a dish that the vet enjoyed, send it and the story behind it and I’ll find a recipe.

Send it to :

Kayleen Reusser at gmail dot com (all one word)

I look forward to hearing from you on my new topic which I’m calling ‘Vintage Eats.’ It should be a lot of fun!

Here is a recipe of Sugar Jumbles cookies I made recently from my newly-acquired ‘Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book’ (1950). I found it in a thrift shop this summer and you can see from the spine how much it has been used over the years. I have marked several recipes which I plan to try soon!

The cookies were wafer-thin which we liked as they melted in our mouths.

Enjoy!

**

Sugar Jumbles

Preheat oven 375 degree (quick mod. oven)

Mix together : 1/2 c. soft shortening

½ c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

Stir in: 1 c. flour

1/4 t. soda

½ t. salt

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2” apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until delicately browned … cookies should still be soft.

Cook slightly… then remove from baking sheet.  

Time: 8-10 minutes

Amount: About 3 dozen. 2” cookies

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