Recipes of the past......

I went home for a visit & found myself going through my mom's cookbook collection.  I came across 2 copies of the BetterHomes & Gardens Cookbook.   You know the one we all have when we get married with that familiar red & white checked cover.  Her copies were published in 1953 & 1962.  I thought I would share  a few delightful photos with you.  That thing there, that looks like a pineapple is actually a center piece for an appeitizer tray.  Want the recipe? Come on!  I know you do!

Liver Sausage Pineapple
Mix 1# of liver sausage  with 1 tbl. lemon juice, 1 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce & 1/4 of mayonaise
Shape around a jelly glass.
Soften 2 teaspoons unflavored gealatine in 2 tbl. of cold water, dissolve over hot water & add 1 cup of mayonnaise; chill. Use to frost pineapple.
Score; stud with sliced stuffed olives.
Top with real pineapple top.

Though it sounds inviting, I think I might pass on making this, but I can't help wondering about the person that created this.  Can you imagine all those ladies in the test kitchen at Better Homes.  They were probably "ooooing" & "ahhhing" Betty for such a fabulous presentation piece.  Little did she know this one would not go down in history as one of the most fabulous dishes ever to be made.

Then these was this little number, a Crown Roast Dinner.  The "roast" is actually 12oz. cans of luncheon meat.  You'll need 4 of those if you decide to make this dish, I'll let you figure out the rest.

 The kitchen that was featured in the 1962 book I was a little jealous of, I must say, pretty impressive for the 60's.  Notice the 1950's version of the book where the husband is standing over the wife smelling her delicious soup.  Being the pessimist that I am, I imagine he is saying, "Honey, where is my martini & why isn't dinner on the table yet?"

All jokes aside, I couldn't sleep this morning so I came down to the kitchen.  The books had been on my mind...haunting me....calling to me.   The ripe bananas on my counter were screaming to me!  So I dove in...looking in the index section of both books I found 3 different banana bread recipes, and went with the one that best suited the ingredients in my kitchen.  I started to bake.  Since I still get up with a baby twice a night my older kids rarely see me in the morning before they go to school.  My daughter was shocked to see me in the kitchen, mixer in hand.  So I asked her opinion on the bread, to chocolate chip or not to chocolate chip?  She said, "No chips, you'll ruin the bread."  My thought was....I can't bake anyway so it's final resting place is most likely the garbage can.  But alas, out popped this little number...

Save the compliments, I know you can all see the doughy bottom part.  It was good nonetheless.  I added pecans instead of walnuts, which I like better anyway.  It was not as fluffy as the banana bread I buy at Loafers, I don't know if it was the recipe or me.  I'm gonna go with me, only because at one point it called for 1/2 teaspoon of soda, I think they meant baking soda, not club soda.  So that is what I put in.  I look forward to sharing many more endeavors with my new ancient recipe books....this will be interesting.

Banana-Nut Bread  (Circa 1962)

1/3 cup of shortening
1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

heat oven to 350

Cream together shortening & sugar; add eggs one at a time.  Beat well with mixer.  Sift together dry ingredients' add to creamed mixture alternately with bananas.  Blending well after each addition.  Stir in nuts.  Pour into 9 1/2 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.  Bake in moderate oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until done.  Remove from pan, cool on rack.