Cookbook Time

 Wow, was I shocked to be greeted with sweatshirt weather while dragging my beast out for her first emptying of the day.  Monday, September 13...sweatshirt weather!  Too early.  But, it did get me thinking about my yearly look-though of a hot chocolate recipe book I bought years ago and have yet to try any of the concoctions. Don't know why. Really,  doesn't a hot chocolate a day this winter sounds like a plan?  Perhaps I will start with "Hellfire" hot chocolate, and if I survive that I will move on to an African inspired beverage that was a favorite of Marie Antoinette.  There's lavender-pistachio, bay infused, and a whole chapter called "For Adults Only". You can figure out what the added ingredients are there for sure.

All that looking and lusting made me realize it is time for my sort of annual look at funny cookbooks, and believe me, this Amish selection is a hum-dinger.

First off, we have the battling relatives, Millie and Susan (no last name in case you might know these warring culinary cousins). This is one of those cookbooks where people submit their favorite recipes and when enough have been collected, viola...a book appears.  Well, if on page 27 you find Millie's recipe for Angel Crisp Cookies, you will find Susan's recipe three pages after.  Millie bakes Glorious Cookies and Mock Ham Loaf, and so does Susan.  Only problem is, Susan never tells us how long to bake or at what temperature.  Not one in 52 recipes does Susan give us  cooking information.  There are other members of the same family who make contributions, but Millie and Susan take the cake.

These folks use an awful lot of Crisco and Spam. A cook wishing to remain anonymous gives us her Favorite Meal which includes 1 cup frozen hamburger.  Apparently we are to eat the hamburger on the side since there are no instruction on adding it to the mélange of onions, potatoes, cabbage, milk, Velveeta, and Crisco.  

Page after page you will find gems just like that side by side with some tasty sounding recipes, but oh, all that Crisco!

Every section begins with a rather random poem. The chapter called Main Dishes, Soups & Meats begins with an ode to Maid Marion.

She was ironing her dolly's new gown

Maid Marion fours years old.

With here eyes puckered down

and a pain-stricken frown

Under her tresses of gold.

Eventually, little Marion, who feels she has failed at ironing, gets a message from the Lord telling her that the iron wasn't hot.  

Bits of Amish wisdom fill empty space at page bottoms:  never throw dirt, you only lose ground...nothing in the world is friendlier than a wet dog...

And never forget - if you have your father's nose it must mean that before you were born he had two.

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay happy.