Is That a Cookbook--or What!!!

OK, so I'm going to embarrass myself a little here, but I'm so excited, I really don't even care if you find out   how big of a nerd I am! Haha! My "new" cookbook came today!  It feels like Christmas around here right now! (No; really--I was so excited, I actually called my poor husband at work to tell him that it came!....I know, I know...)


Is that a cookbook--or what!!! =)

I have been searching for some old cookbooks on eBay, and finally came across some that I really wanted. This is the first of the lot, and needless to say, the mother of them all! It is actually a binder with 20 of Good Housekeeping's Cookbooks contained within.  They are each about a specific type of food (i.e. "Good Housekeeping's Book of Cookies," etc.), and are from 1958. So you know what I'll be doing in my spare time for the next few days/weeks/months... =)

If anyone knows of any really good, vintage cookbooks, please let me know as I would love to add to my collection! (PS: I am expecting Betty Crocker's Party Book and Betty Crocker's Entertaining Guide any day now...)  =)

My Favorite Cookbook

This cookbook is my absolute-favorite cookbook--period!  This is actually an exact reprint of Betty Crocker's first comprehensive cookbook which was first published in 1950. It is not only a wealth of culinary information, but is an interesting read for those of us who are rather nostalgic and would love to play June Cleaver for a day. It is also nice enough to give someone as a gift for a holiday or special occasion.

My grandmother, Hattie, gave this to me for Christmas a year before she passed away.  It now permanently graces the cookbook stand on my kitchen counter. (It's also the prettiest cookbook I own!) Anyone who knew Granny knows that she LOVED to cook and took great pride in making people happy through her food...and she was REALLY good at it!  I think of her every time I try to get my husband to go back for a third or fourth serving of something; after all, one serving means it's edible, two servings means it's really good, but three servings means if I were going to be executed, I would want this to be my last meal.  Anyone who takes her cooking seriously will tell you (whether she wants to admit it or not) that this is the exact effect she desires to achieve every time she concocts something. There's a good chance, actually, that Granny and myself would even take it personally if no one went for seconds.  Now, this isn't because we think we are hot stuff (ha ha!), but because we love it so much.  Cooking isn't just something we do, it's a part of who we are. Not liking our cooking is the same as not liking us.  I guess there is something about food that ties us to our most basic instincts. It's that primitive idea of food = love.  If we cook for you, we love you; if we don't like you, we probably won't cook for you.  Regardless of how we feel about people, our love for cooking is constant. And it is this shared passion, along with shared recipes, that keep me close to Granny and help to remind me that part of her is always here.