My friend was saying the night before we were going to meet that he was craving pecan pie. Well, you don't say that around me. What did I do at 9:30pm? Baked him one! He was so surprised and happy. There's nothing I love more than making people happy with some home cooked love! :-)
I stopped by one of my favorite antique shops over the weekend. (More like they buy stuff from estate sales, paint it then resell and they have fun and funky stuff I pick up here and there) They had this Christmas decoration that I thought was so cute but $30 and I wasn't up for that price and wondered if I could make it myself. I'm gonna try. Of course I'll bring a tutorial once that one pops up on my list. I also got a wintry bird painting for the bedroom and now if Pottery Barn would put my damn duvet cover on sale, I could get to it and change our bedroom over to winter time Squeeville. One of the components I needed for my project required a good old school mason jar so we went to an antique mall. Then I spied this and burst into tears.
I asked my mom if we still had this and she said she didn't think so. I have been looking for a copy everywhere and I always find something earlier or later but never the one we had when I was a kid. This was the cookbook that inspired me. This is what I would flip through and imagine the wonderful things I would cook when I was married or the fabulous dinner parties I'd throw as an adult. As I flipped through it, my eyes filled with tears to see that even though the outside was near new, the inside was perfect. This was obviously stored in a cabinet somewhere by someone who never used it because there isn't a single spill or crease anywhere. For $7, there was no way I was leaving it there! One of my old ones will have to be relegated to the basement in a bin but it'll be worth it to have the spine of that book staring at me especially as I go into this Christmas baking season.
The Mr gets big ol' kudos for traipsing all over town with me this weekend getting crap to bake and shop for projects and stuff. Most men would've sent their women out in the trenches alone but nope, he goes where I go and even will pull the "I'm a poor, clueless guy who needs help" with the staff of places so they'll look for stuff I need. HA!
I suppose I should get a move on. Hope everyone is ready for the week!
What item from your childhood helped shape who you are or holds a special place in your heart?
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I guess I really don't have a childhood thing like that - at least not one I can think of offhand. I'm sure something will pop into my head in about an hour when I'm at work and can't get on to post here.
ReplyDeleteSeeing that cookbook though reminds me of my cookbook project that I have got to get going. I have my most used recipes scattered loose between like 3 different folders. That's not to mention my "want to try" pile. My goal is to retype all of the ones I use (I'd hand-write, but my writing it terrible - like does that say a teaspoon or a buffalo terrible) then condense them to one neat binder so I can flip through and find what I want quickly. I'd also like to be able to make a copy for my son when he grows up.
I know lots of people feel the same about getting their recipes together. The winter time is the perfect time to do it too! Make sure you hand write at least 2-3 of your sons FAVORITES. Bad handwriting or not, he'll really cherish it EONS from now when you're gone.
DeleteI have a set of smiley face flower magnets that belonged to my grandmother. I think of her and playing in her kitchen everythime I see them.
ReplyDeleteAww, that's sweet! Love it!
DeleteThat copy of Better Homes cookbook looks a lot better than my well-used one, which was a wedding present the first time around. 43+ years later, I still use several of those recipes. I also have a few things from my grandparent's home, where I spent the happiest times of my unnaturally happy childhood.
ReplyDeleteNow for the important part--what do I have to do to get a pecan pie? My absolute FAVE!
I think a lot of us grew up on the various incarnations of this cookbook and it holds a special place in so many people's hearts!
DeleteLOL...if I could send one out overnight without it costing an arm and a leg, I would!
OMG, I habe that very cookbook. It was the cookbook I got when I got married back in 1970, I think it was a shower gift from someone. I wish I remembered who gave it to me. I don't use it a whole lot, although I have the homemade noodle recipe page memorized: 126. Now correct me if I'm wrong! Cause I'm at work and the cookbook is at home, so I can't check it myself. What year is that cookbook you bought? Mine is definitely not pristine--inside or out--but I love it too!!
ReplyDeleteIn mine, page 126 is the middle of canning/freezing section but I have no doubt in one of the versions it was the homemade noodles! This is the 1981 version.
DeleteMy mom bought me my very first cookbook and wrote on the first page about having to accept failures in order to enjoy success. I don't use it much any more but it has a place of honor on my cookbook shelf and once in a while I get it out just to read my mom's wisdom.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful thing to give you. Even if you don't use the cookbook much anymore, it's still a lovely thing to have!
DeleteMine is the Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls. It was a lot smaller, but I remember working with my grandma when I was really little, trying to make cake from scratch out of that cookbook. I used to have it but now I don't remember where it might be. Hope I wasn't stupid and got rid of it somehow because it does tug on the heartstrings when you connect to things like that. Glad you found one!
ReplyDeleteAww, what wonderful memories! Sometimes all it takes is looking it up in an image search to bring back those warm fuzzies!
DeleteI have a much older version of that cookbook that was my Grandma's. It is falling apart but I still use it and I love it. I also have my grandma's old cake carrier--the metal one with the black pull out handles to keep the lid on. Love that thing!!
ReplyDeleteI've seen those cake carriers and if mine ever breaks, I'm going old school!
DeleteI have that cookbook...not sure which version I have, but the cover looks just like that and I got it...ohhh...24 years ago! YIKES! Mine seriously does not look anything near new! It has been used and used and used again. I got it as a wedding gift and I remember sitting and thumbing through it a gazillion times planning out all the meals I would make! I still use it for my tried and true lasagna and chili - no modifications because it's perfect already!
ReplyDeleteI know, right!? That's why I wanted it because I have the gingerbread and cut outs memorized but there's something about seeing it in print and the way it takes you back.
DeleteI remember that cookbook! My grandma and mother both had one. I have the newer version, but I keep meaning to get my hands on my grandmother's. It's stored in my parents' basement right now, and it has all of her little notes and modifications in the margins. I spent many happy weekends helping my grandma bake stuff from that cookbook.
ReplyDelete"Winter time Squeeville" = awesome.
Aww, how sweet would it be to have that come out of storage. There's just something about seeing notes, splatters, dog earred pages and stuff that warms my heart.
DeleteGlad you liked my turn of phrase! :)
I love that cookbook! I've got a couple of versions of it somewhere around here.
ReplyDeleteMy mom had that cookbook too! I wonder if she still does? So is it as good as you remembered? It's funny, I look through some of my mom's cookbooks now, and it's surprising how dated they seem! And then there are others that contain classics that never get old.
ReplyDeleteBwahahahaaaahaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!! Wintry Squeeville!!!! Haaaa! Loves it and can't wait to see pictures!
ReplyDelete