Monday, January 9, 2012

Cookbook Collections

google images
Recently I've done a little reorganizing of my cookbooks
and came across this one I had forgotten.


It was my grandmother's and copyrighted in 1933.
A real "vintage" cookbook...


...with "vintage" ideas.
Can you image this spread as a morning's baking???
I have to admit I never reach for this book when I'm
searching for a recipe.
When I moved into Buttermilk Cottage
I did a MAJOR downsizing.
One of the things to go was a
huge cookbook collection.
I was recently divorced, Kate had gone off to college,
I was starting a new life in a smaller home
and decided the cookbooks could go.
However, Grandma's book stayed with me.


Here are a couple I have used a lot over the years,
which were also spared the cut.


You can tell by the torn cover,
this is a very well used one.
My high school home economics class
sold these as a fund raiser.


The recipe book I most often reach for today is this one.
It's a red, loose leaf notebook that holds all my "keepers."


Rather than a bookcase full of reference cookbooks,
I now seem to get new recipes from friends, blogs,
cooking shows, magazines, and the newspaper.
Once tried, if I think I'd ever make the dish again,
the recipe gets typed up and added to my red notebook.
It's a "keeper"!
I know this looks nice and tidy,
but I have to admit the number of recipes that inspire me
come along much faster than I can get them cooked or baked.


Tucked in under my notebook is a file folder with all those,
"I want to try that...someday" recipes.
So many recipes, so little time.
Do you have a favorite cookbook
for which you most often reach?

This week I'm linking to a vintage cottage cooking party at

18 comments:

Unknown said...

My mom had a yellow plaid cookbook just like that one! I recently found one on Etsy and snapped it up for a song - lucky me!

Debbi said...

my loose leaf notebook has some recipes that go back to my cooking class in high school~except mine is not as neat and tidy as yours...
This party is going to be a lot of fun this year!

joanne said...

I used to have a great collection of cookbooks but we moved and it downsized to a few keepers such as my mothers first cookbook. Most of the time I hit the internet for a recipe and bookmark it if it's a keeper. BTW one of my favourites is an artisan bread that you posted about a year ago. Still love it!

Unknown said...

I love vintage cookbooks, especially the ones of the 30's-60's. I read em like novels...what can I say..little things make me happy..oh well.
I'm so glad you brought your collection over for the Cottage Kitchen Party 8o)

pve design said...

I find great recipes on line, smitten kitchen, hungry ghost and google things.....I just baked fresh bread. I make the dough monday and bake tuesday. The smell is heavenly! I just baked ciabatta!
pve

Tanna said...

My favorite are some OLD fundraiser ones. I too use the internet and blogs for many of my recipes now. You are so organized, Susan. Mine are all in a box I have to riffle through everytime. LOL! blessings ~ Tanna

The Single Nester said...

You may know from reading my blog that I am a cookbook collector and I just love reading about your collection.

John'aLee said...

Oh girlfriend...I could have written this post. You have a lot of the same cookbooks as I and I do the exact same with true and tried recipes. Thanks for the great post!

John'aLee said...

Oh girlfriend...I could have written this post. You have a lot of the same cookbooks as I and I do the exact same with true and tried recipes. Thanks for the great post!

John'aLee said...

Oh girlfriend...I could have written this post. You have a lot of the same cookbooks as I and I do the exact same with true and tried recipes. Thanks for the great post!

Judy said...

My favorite cookbook to reach for is "Joy of Cooking"! Mine is spotted, stained and well loved! Thanks for sharing some of your fabulous collection with us!

Anonymous said...

I love your Grandmother's cookbook, what a treasure! I usually reach for my box of recipe cards, but just this week have been thinking I'd rather have a book like yours - the box doesn't fit when I print recipes off of blogs :) Thanks for sharing your awesome vintage kitchen items. Hugs ~ Mary

Stitchfork said...

I have one of those notebooks stuffed with recipes too! I love the cookbooks from the Depression era as they have more eggless baking recipes I try for one of my sons who has an egg allergy.
xo Cathy

Shirley said...

I have a box of cook books that was my mother-in-law's, but I haven't found where I put the box yet. It may be stored at my daughter's house. I love reading them. Have a great day. Your Missouri friend.

Emily said...

Your "to-do" recipes are at least in a file folder. I put mine in a freezer bag in my junk drawer. ;) My Mom is starting to put together her own red binder like yours.

❁Velma ~Down Our Country Road❁ said...

I have to laugh...your cookbook collection, well worn cookbooks, binder with typed recipes and loose leaf recipes are so much like what I have!! I have several binders with recipes from my stash of Taste of Home magazines (I pulled out all the recipes and threw away the magazines). Most of the recipes I have never tried but, the ones I do, I make a notation of what I thought of it and cross out the ones that aren't worth trying again. Works for me anyway.

Privet and Holly said...

I LOVE that cook book of
your grandma's! Wouldn't
it be fun to step back in time
into that kitchen. A simpler,
homemade time : ) I have a
large cookbook collection, too,
despite some culling over the
years. These days when I want
to make something, I generally
"google it." That said, there is
nothing like old family faves. My
blue note book ~ like your red
one ~ is crammed with wanna-try
recipes and probably needs a
good clean out.

Hugs,
xx Suzanne

Vicki Boster said...

Susan- what a beautiful cookbook collection. The pictures are fabulous! Love the vintage cookbook-- totally wonderful!
Vicki

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