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Preserving a husband?

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preserving a husband
cookbook emblem
preserving a husband

I have written a couple of posts related to cookbooks and recipes recently. So, when I saw this 1952 Ophelia Ladies’ Aid cookbook from Exira, Iowa at a flea market, I could not resist buying it for $1. My Mom graduated from high school in 1952 and shortly thereafter she married my Dad.

On page 68, I found this unusual recipe for Preserving a Husband.

Be careful in your selection; do not choose too young and take only such varieties as have been reared in good moral atmosphere. When once decided upon and selected, let that part remain forever settled and give your entire thought to preparation for domestic use. Some insist on keeping them in hot water, even poor varieties may be made sweet, tender and good, by garnishing them with patience, well seasoned with smiles and flavored with kisses to taste. Then wrap well in mantle of charity, keep warm with a steady fire of devotion, and serve with peaches and cream. When thus prepared they will keep for years.

I guess I needed this recipe back in 1983 when I married and maybe my husband did too. I failed at “preserving my husband” after 21 years of marriage. Maybe I should have been more “careful in (my) selection.” No regrets though as I have been happily divorced for nearly 19 years now.

You just never know what little nuggets you find in these old cookbooks. What’s in yours?

Acquainted with grief

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He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…

Isaiah 53:3

I heard this verse last month at church and thought, “Wow, that describes my life in 2022.” You may recently become acquainted with grief too. I have an elderly friend whose husband passed away suddenly, a former student who lost a much anticipated pregnancy, a brother whose wife died, a sister and a friend who battled cancer, and I experienced the loss of a close relationship.

Through the grief, how did you cope? I leaned on my faith, books and close friends every day.

acquainted with grief
Journeying Through Grief booklets

Luckily, I was in a Bible study small group of about ten women who met weekly throughout the year. These “sisters” listened patiently and prayed for me. Norma even sent me personal notes and three Journeying Through Grief booklets by pastor and clinical psychologist Dr. Kenneth C. Haugk. Norma is a Stephen Minister volunteer at my church. Her timely personal notes and booklets brought me healing and strength.

The author’s note inside the first book reads, “You’ve received this book because someone cares about you. The person who gave it to you knows you’ve lost someone very dear to you. When you lose someone you love, you lose part of yourself. And that can hurt–deeply. I hope you will allow me to walk alongside you through your grief journey….”

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Vintage Tupperware

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Vintage Tupperware
Part of my personal collection, Photo by slc

How many of you use Tupperware on a weekly or even daily basis?  I certainly do.  When I bake, I get flour and brown sugar from my see through canisters and I use my yellow measuring spoons and cups for measuring baking powder and almond extract.  When I need to save leftovers, I pull out my Tupperware.  If you are like me, you bought most of your Tupperware years ago at a friend’s or your own Tupperware party.  These days I find shelves and shelves of Tupperware at flea markets and antique stores labeled “Vintage Tupperware.” 

According to Wikipedia, “Tupperware was developed in 1946 by Earl Silas Tupper (a chemist) in Leominster, Massachusetts.  He developed plastic containers used in households to contain food and keep them airtight, which featured a then-patented ‘burping seal.’  While Tupper invented the container’s seal, it was Brownie Wise who created the infamous Tupperware Party and the concept of home party businesses.”

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Granny basketball

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Just ‘cause we’re old, don’t mean we can’t com-pete,
And moving keeps us up u-pon our feet.
We still can pass and guard and shoot and we can e-ven score,
But we just don’t look good na-ked a-ny-more.

–Joyce Kitson, from the song We Just Don’t Look Good Naked Anymore
Granny basketball
Photo from Granny Basketball website

According to the official website of the Granny Basketball League, Inc., granny teams began forming in 2005.  Now, there are “more than 450 players on 41 teams in 10 states:  14 teams in Iowa, 9 in Kansas, 5 in Texas, 3 each in Missouri and Oklahoma, 2 each in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and 1 each in Louisiana, Virginia and California. New teams are continuing to form.” My youngest sister plays on a championship Iowa team. I never knew granny basketball existed until she started playing.

A very good player in high school, my sister started playing granny basketball a few years ago in her 50’s. The team she plays on, the Cedar Rapids Sizzlers, won the 2022 National Granny Basketball Tournament.

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Sharing recipes and memories

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After publishing my last post about special cookbooks, I posted a recipe I found in one of my mom’s cookbooks. The recipe was for Pride of Iowa Cookies. I posted it to the I Grew Up in Iowa Facebook page on October 27th. Since then, the post has received 941 likes, 180 comments and 646 shares. A recipe! I did not realize sharing recipes and memories about recipes could be so important.

Sharing recipes
Recipe from Mom’s cookbook, Photo by slc

Some of the many different wonderful comments and memories I received after sharing this old recipe:

  • I made these cookies for the Hardin Co. Fair when I was in 4-H. And I did get a ribbon. Would have been late 40s, early 50.
  • Wow, those are a blast from the past. I made those for a 4-H fair project.
  • My Mom’s best cookie recipe. Of course she added chocolate chips or raisins.
  • My mother used to make these when I was growing up and they were delicious.
  • I also made those cookies as 4-H project. If I remember correctly I won a blue ribbon. Good chewy cookie.
  • Oh, man alive, those are good cookies! My friend’s grandma used to make those for us, & she sent them in a plastic lard bucket, so we always called them “Lard Cookies”, but I know they were “Pride of Iowa.” 
  • This post made this depressed person so happy. Seeing everyone light up with joy remembering these from their past. Really made my heart happy
  • I just found a recipe card with this from my mom 🤗
  • My favorite oatmeal cookie. A 4-H staple 50 years ago.
  • Great recipe! Was given this by my neighbor when we moved to Iowa And we still enjoy it !
  • My mom made these, and the recipe is in her recipe box. Yummy!!
  • Love these cookies, one of our families favorites!
  • I am going to make cookies for Christmas this year. Think I’ll try to remember to make these.
  • You know my grandma made these often.
  • I think this is the recipe my Mom uses that my Grandma used to make. Yum!
  • Thanks for sharing!! These were my favorite cookies growing up. My mom made them often.
  • If nothing else I need to try these just because of the name since I am a born & bred Iowan
  • One of my Grandma’s favorite recipes😊
  • My mother in law made these, they were so good!
  • Thank you for sharing!!! Mom’s always had the best!

Hard to believe one old recipe could bring so many joyful memories to so many. Many of you are probably going through your recipes today or tomorrow in preparation for a Thanksgiving meal. Maybe this holiday season you too can share an old family favorite and the memorable stories behind the recipe.

Thank God for our family and friends from the past and in the present. Happy Thanksgiving!

Family history in a cookbook

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cookbook
“Cook Book of Family Favorites,” Photo by Sue Kimball

Do you have a favorite cookbook? Did you receive it as a gift? The cookbook in the photo above was a wedding present to my oldest sister by our great aunt Frieda. It is a well used and much loved book. I also received cookbooks as wedding gifts. Searchlight from maternal grandmother and Sokol from my friend Dena. I still use them from time to time. Seems we weren’t the only ones who received cookbooks as gifts when we were starting out. They became a sort of family history of recipes prepared and meals eaten together.

cookbooks
Wedding gifts, Photo by slc

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Dirt therapy – does it work?

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We can never have enough of nature.

–Henry David Thoreau

Last fall, I found myself in an unfamiliar and stressful family situation. This situation made me feel extremely anxious and literally scared. I was afraid I might lose my job due to debilitating anxiety. After a couple of weeks of trying to tackle the feelings alone, I called my primary care physician and a therapist. Asking for help is not something I usually do, but I did not like how I was feeling.

I received a prescription for anxiety medication from my doctor and began weekly virtual counseling sessions. Both the medication and the therapy have helped tremendously, but I believe designing and creating xeriscaping in my yard this summer also helped. As a long time gardener and landscaper, I believe dirt therapy may help people who suffer from anxiety or other mental health issues.

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