Betty’s recipe box is filled with memories of my mother, family recipes and pieces of history. The note cards and scraps of paper where she wrote her recipes are valuable folklore as well as directions for baking cookies. I loved her cinnamon snaps and buckeyes. We spent many hours together cooking “Sunday” dinner. I still spend most of Sunday cooking but the recipes have changed.
I suspect her recipes may be the reason I’m vegan. I loved cooking with my mother but not necessarily the food she cooked. It is also interesting how ingredients have changed. A few unique ingredients her recipes called for include: a square of wax, cream of tartar or pineapple jam.
My mother isn’t cooking these days but when I walk past my bookshelf, where her cookbooks now live, warm, happy memories float through my mind.
Betty’s Cookbooks
Many of her recipe cards are in her handwriting. She had very distinctive cursive handwriting. Another reminder of a different time.
I rarely write in cursive anymore. My handwriting is a combination of print and cursive and is definitely not as pretty.
I had to laugh when I found 4 or 5 recipes labeled “Cookies”. That is it, just the word cookies. It makes me wonder if this is it what she called them, “Cookies”.
There are recipe cards that are just a list of ingredients. No mixing instructions, no cooking temperature or time. Cook’s choice perhaps?
Ann Arbor Therapy Oxygen Co. Cookies
My brother-in-law, Greg, worked at Ann Arbor Therapy Oxygen Co as a salesman. I’d almost forgotten about that piece of history. Thank you Betty for the reminder.
Another Copy of the “Cookies” Recipe
She must have really liked this recipe because she had multiple copies of the same recipe. This one included the baking time and temperature. I’m assuming these were bar cookies but it isn’t clear.
Pinapple Drop Cookies
Now I know where I got my spelling gene from!
The Buckeye Recipe
I had to smile when I found this recipe. Brown Jig Grinding was her brother’s company in Novi. This is definitely not a vegan recipe but it is my son Avery’s favorite cookie recipe.
Cinnamon Snaps
These were actually pretty good. It is the only time I can remember using cream of tartar. What is cream of tartar?
I remember the Ann Arbor Therapy Oxygen Co. and Brown Jig Grinding Co. slips of paper everywhere at Grandma’s house and our house growing up. I miss Grandma’s goulash… I know that it wasn’t a special recipe but I can never quite make it taste like hers. I also miss the candy drawer and ‘finding’ pieces of candy in Grandpa’s shirt pocket.
I’d forgotten about her goulash! Thanks for reminding me of it Beth. It is Avery’s favorite. I’m pretty sure it is the Catsup and lots of salt and pepper that make that recipe come together. I’d also forgotten about the candy drawer. Always lots of tootsie rolls and snickers to be found. I’ve already eaten my quota of gum drops this year. I do miss Betty.