Tuesday, March 4, 2008

A New Project....

After seven plus years on a shelf in my office, today I decided to take on a project that my sister and I have talked about a dozen or more times. I'm going to do a cookbook from all of my Mom's recipe books!!
As you can see they have been well-used, have old scotch tape on them which has marred the pages, and what you cannot see is the love with which she prepared these recipes for the hundreds of people who dined at her table over the years.

There are two more books, which look the same. I found a recipe from the Baptist Ladies Society in Baker, Oregon in 1936. One of her books begins in 1950, another in 1972. She always wrote the source of her recipes and most were from other wonderful cooks in her family and circle of friends.

I will use her handwritten pages for backgrounds and type the recipes to make them more readable. I will be doing it on Blurb website.

It will be big project, but now that I've decided to do it, I'm excited to get started!

Here she is presiding over a Christmas Eve buffet at age 93 in her home.
"The most important things in your home are the people." (unknown)

We learned that lesson early on from a "master" who lived the "open heart, open home" principles all her life.

This cookbook will be a tribute to her
--our Mom, our friend, our sweetie, our childrens' grandmother, and our grandchildrens' "GG" (great-grandmother). What a heritage she left us!!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! You're really going to start it?! What fun that will be! CJG

Anonymous said...

if you come across your Mom's recipe for Prune or Plum Conserve, please flag it. It was so good when she'd make it once a year. I'd love to have that recipe. It has nuts in it and is so good on toast, as I remember it. Was always a treat to receive a jar from her. Can't remember that Bernie was so fond of it, or maybe he didn't get much chance to eat his share, as I LOVED it! :)

You've got a BIG job ahead of you girl. - I don't care how many people try, NO one will be able to make her yeast rolls the way she did, and with such ease. As many times as she told me how to do it, and I even watched her several times, mine never turned out like hers. They were definitely one of her specialities. - There was never a new comer to the Chapel who your Dad didn't invite home for dinner, and your Mom never grumbled and always made whatever she had planned for the rest of us stretch to include how ever many strangers sat at the table. - I was telling Liz about this last weekend when she and Beau spent Friday evening with me.

Thanking you in advance for a copy of those recipes. Melinda will love it too. She loves recipes from her Grandmas, especially ones in their handwriting. I've given her a few of my recipe cards written by my Mom.

Talk to you later and thanks in advance for all the work you'll be doing.

Gerry

Anonymous said...

WOW!!! My comment covers not only your great Cookbook Idea--but refers to your BLOG in total....Amazing!! What you have done here--not only with the text, but with the graphics and photos as well. Love the picture of your Mom hosting at the "Touch of Grace" table at age 93. That needs to be on the FRONT of your Cookbook. Go for it, Gal....you're obviously a PRO....

ELS

a portland granny said...

to anonymous in the first comment--I'm planning on a lot of help from you!!!!!

Love ya,
Joan

Anonymous said...

I am happy to help you!!! CJG

Margie said...

Hi Joan, Sounds like a wonderful project!! Have fun doing it! What wonderful memories for you!

Margie

Anonymous said...

Your recipe project looks like great fun! I have many recipes from my great-grandmother all written out in her hand that I would love to put in a book sometime. These recipes are such treasures!

Thank you for stopping by my blog, A Cup of Joy. How fun to "meet" a cousin of Jim Elliot. Pleased to meet you!

This post will tell you more about me:
http://acupofjoy.wordpress.com/2008/03/01/missions-month-march-2008/

I would love to learn more about Bert and Colleen Elliot. Wow! Serving in Peru for over 60 years!!! Now, that's a story that needs to be told. Please e-mail me their story and I will post on my blog for Missions Month.

dbstout@juno.com

I look forward to hearing from you. Oh, and if you have a picture to go with the story that would be great! :)

For His Name's Sake,
Deborah @ A Cup of Joy

I John 4:19

The Canfield Family said...

Joan, thanks for the interesting update on Elizabeth! Our parents used to listen to her on the radio each day, then a few years ago, she was no longer on the air.

All 3 of us girls work on the blog. The reason that you might be having a hard time telling who is who, is because Evangeline and I are twins!

Thanks for your kindness.
Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful blog. Joan you have an amazing gift for writing and the pictures and quotes are perfect! I feel like I know your family just by reading about them and I wish you would write a book for I love the stories.

Christa said...

What a beautiful post! As far as YouTube goes....if you go directly to the video you want there is a code on the right side under the word embeded. You can use it in any forum that allows HTML (like Blogger), if you use it in email you may only be able to send the direct link. Hope that helps a little! :)

Anonymous said...

JOAN--
Well, I'm in happy tears this morning looking at the gift you've given not only Bill and Carol, but all their kids....wonderful pictures--and he looks just like a perfectly proud Grandpa should look. Of course I'm remembering when their 3 little boys were babies themselves!!
Then I followed up with the piece in tribute to your Mom's Birthday. Uncle Ray's car with the rumbleseat containing Bernie and Grace is hard to top! Imagine a 300mile trip in that--with Uncle Ray NOT sparing the horses, either!
Having been in and around your family for 55+ years, I am grateful for the opportunity to revist much of our shared past. Your talent has found a wonderful outlet. THANK YOU!!
ELS
PS--I am NOT going to try the Ritz pie.....but good for you!!!