When I was growing up in the 1940s, my favorite aunt was my mother’s sister, Mabel.  Her two children, 9 and 6 years younger than I, were my favorite cousins.  They were the babies of the family and I loved watching them grow up.

Carol, Buddy and Mabel

Every year on Washington’s Birthday, February 22, we had a holiday from school and went to Mabel’s house to celebrate her little girl’s birthday which fell on February 23.   Mabel would have a cake purchased at the grocery store and decorated with the little hard sugar flowers and letters to spell out Happy Birthday, Carol Ann.

Carol Ann, Third Grade

Yesterday, for the first time in over 60 years, I enjoyed a birthday lunch with my cousins.  My daughter and I invited them to meet us at the Cracker Barrel where we lingered for a couple of hours reminiscing.  As it turned out, it appeared to be a party for me because of all of the gifts Carol brought.  She has been an antique dealer for years and chose some special items from her personal collection that she thought I would like….

A tiny nesting hen covered dish…

A Jadeite hobnail bowl with handles…

A Snowbabies ornament, a Bakelite Scottie button, and a notebook dated 1939, filled with handwritten recipes.

In addition, she brought a stack of greeting cards that my family had sent to them in the 1940s and 50s ….

All of the things I love the most.

After all these years, they’re still my favorite cousins.  Happy Birthday, Carol.

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a small 4-½ x 6 inch leather bound book engraved “Cooking Recipes”, purchased at an antique mall in Sugar Creek, Ohio.  The pages are edged in gold and there are 10 index tabs for food categories.  

The real gold in this book, though, is the collection of handwritten recipes.  There aren’t a lot of recipes – just 25, 22 of which are desserts.  The book itself could have been from the 1930s, but I believe the recipes are from the 1945-1950 era.  This is based on a lot of recipes calling for shortening, for using the word “oleo” rather than margarine in most recipes and the attention given to oven temperatures.  I believe it’s post-World War II because of all of the sugar-laden desserts.  

The handwriting is clear and ingredients are listed correctly, although most of the recipes give no idea of how the item is to be prepared, what kind of pan to use or how long to bake.  That’s why I’ve decided to make each of the recipes, using the products specified, and adding my own instructions.  I like to think that the woman from the 1940s kitchen (who would have been about my mother’s age) would enjoy having someone fuss around with these recipes again and turn out some delicious food for the family.

I cut this recipe in half and then increased the  flour so the dough would be easier to handle.  This recipe gave me a good opportunity to use my vintage hatchet cookie cutter just in time for Washington’s Birthday.

These cookies are like so many from that era – plain, good, inexpensive and easy to make.

CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES

• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup sour milk*
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3-½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. soda
• Colored sugar for sprinkling on top

*To make sour milk:  Place ½ Tblsp. white vinegar in a one-cup measure.  Add milk to make ½ cup.  Let stand 5 minutes before using.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream shortening, sugar, egg, sour milk and vanilla.  Whisk together salt, flour and soda.  Add gradually to creamed mixture, blending well.

Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured board and cut out with desired cookie cutter.

Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle with colored sugar.

Bake @ 375 degrees F for 7-8 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on the thickness and size of cutter.

I’m displaying the cookies on a handkerchief commemorating Washington’s Birthday in 1932 – the year I was born.

Back on October 3, 2011, I joined a Jacob’s Ladder Quilt-along hosted by

http://imperamagna.blogspot.com/2011/09/ladies-start-your-engines_28.html

I explained in my post how I had started out to make a sofa topper but received a cute mini-quilt rack and decided to make a piece to fit it.  The original blocks were to be 9 inches finished and the mini-quilt blocks were 2-1/4 inches.

I used the original 9 inch block to make a backing.

The blocks were a devil to make and join in such a small size, but I have finished the quilt and in spite of a lot of “iffy” places, I like it.  The finished size is 10-1/2 x 12-1/2 inches.

The quilt-along is continuing with plenty of time to join and make something in the very pretty Jacob’s Ladder pattern.