For those of you who aren't familiar: a church cook book is a compilation of recipes from the ladies of whatever church printed spiral bound and sold to everyone within reach to raise money for good works.. and more church cook books.
Regardless of what church they come from: Lutheran (any synod). Methodist. Catholic. Church of Christ; they all have a few things in common:
Each recipe is attributed to one of the ladies (sorry guys. I have never seen a recipe in a church cook contributed by a man.. just isn't done). And said lady unless (and even then only rarely) she is a widow she is identified by her husband. Mrs. Bob DylanMrs. Jerry GarciaMrs. Timothy LearyNever ever ever: Janis Joplin.
I haven't a clue.. either single women didn't exist; weren't allowed in church; or weren't allowed to cook.
The other thing that stands out is the type of recipe contributed. The breakdown is usually like this:
Norwegian foods: 10 pages Fatigmand. Jule-Kage. Romme Grot. Rosettes. Sandbakkels etc. Miscellaneous (punch dips household advice): 10 pages 7-Up Ice Cream Punch. Bologna Salad. Preserved Children. Keeping your man happy etc. Canning (bottling) preserving jams and jellies: 20 pages Watermelon pickles. Bread and Butter Pickles. Strawberry Rhubarb Jam etc. Salads and salad dressings: 15 pages Pineapple Jello salad. Canned Vegetable Salad. Wilted Lettuce Salad. Tomorrow Salad etcMain Course: 20 pages Creamed Salmon and Peas. Tator Tot Hot Dish. Grandma's Meat Loaf. Best Fried Chicken etc
Now you should note that the above is less than half of the cook book - any cook book. Here is the rest. Does this tell you anything?!?
Breads and Rolls: 25 pages No actual yeast bread because everyone knows how to make that... In this section we have coffee cakes sweet rolls muffins quick breads and tea cakes. Desserts: 25 pages Peach Upside Down Cake. Rhubarb Dream. Round Robin. Plum Pudding. Apple Rumm Dumm etcCakes and Frostings: 25 pages Bible Cake. Scripture Cake. Chocolate Salad Dressing Cake. Crazy Cake. Never Fail Frosting etcPies: 20 pages Always Perfect Pie Crust. Pumpkin Chiffon Pie. Sour Cream Raisin Pie. Strawberry Pie etc. Bars and Cookies: 40 pages Stain Glass Bars. Wedding Bars. Brown Sugar Cookies. Molasses Overnight Cookies etc.
If any of you are looking for that lost recipe of Steamed Suet Pudding or Clouds at Sunrise let me know.
After my fabulous coup of cranberries the other day I was able for the first time in 11 years to make Cranberry bread.
1 cup white sugar 1 tbs shortening (I use butter) rounded1 egg3/4 cup orange juice2 cups flour1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt1 tsp vanilla1 cup cranberries cut in half1 cup nuts chopped (I use walnuts)
Cream sugar shortening and egg together. Stir in juice. Add flour soda baking powder stir well. Add vanilla cranberries and nuts stir. Bake 350F in 9 X 5 loaf pan for 60 minutes.
There's nothing more festive than cranberries at this time of year! There are three cranberry bogs in Rhode Island and many more in nearby Massachusetts. All grow for Ocean Spray the large cooperative that packages cranberries and cranberry juice and sends it all around the world. Just before harvest the bogs are flooded to bring the cranberries to the surface where they are skimmed off -- so that when you drive past you see huge red "lakes" of floating cranberries.
Katie that green cookbook in the center of the photo looks very familiar. I love church cookbooks - especially the old ones that are mimeographed from the 1950s and 60s - the recipes show absolutely no concern for calories carbs fat salt! Ah those were the days!
Women's club cookbooks are very similar and those from junior leagues often feature recipes that are a bit more chi chi.
OMG Katie. I have loads of these books on my shelves. In fact. I was even the editor typist recipe collector etc for one of these books I did for my son's marching band. We sold them to raise money for new uniforms! Wow that brings back memories! I am thrilled that you are enjoying your cranberry find!
Lydia for years Christmas just didn't seem right without the cranberries.... People are going to get really tired of my raving about cranberries! I'd love to see the bogs!
Mimi. I think the only concern was hot to get the most calories into the smallest bite! They really are fun to look through and I get such a kick out of the names of the dishes!
Grade school. Peter? I come from a very Norwegian area thus the Norwegian section. Lefse lutefisk ya sure!
Deb wow editor! That must have been fun! I remember my mother working on the PTA book. I myself never participated... I have a great ability to be busy elsewhere!
Lynn. I have been thoroughly enjoying my cranberry bread - and I really liked the pumpkin bread with ginger... I'll do that again!
Tanna cans and freezer boxes! They really weren't much interested in main courses.. but the Sweets not that's another story!
I think that Church cookbooks are real gems. All these tried and tested recipes that usually have been around for many years. Thanks for sharing the recipes. I would like to try the cranberry cake with dried cranberries (if I can find them).
As for the breakdown recipes contributed it seems as though there are more sweets there or maybe that's just me who noticed that ;-)
These breads are wonderful contributions to a festive fair. I can just imagine the aroma from your kitchen when you baked these...
Mimi. I know! Some of the baking recipes start with '1 cup lard'. Can you imagine? Although my mother always kept a paper/cardboard container of lard in the pantry.
SwissMiss. I'am so easy to please these days.. it's all about the food - no single women allowed,,,hahaha
Bellini Valli. I love it - reverse traditions! My sister introduced cranberry bread to my family.
Nora. I think the ration of sweet to savory recipes is about 25 to 1! One of the cook boobs only had 15 pages of casseroles - all the rest sweets!
I have a few church cookbooks - one from the church I went to as a child. It's fun to look through it and see the names of the women whose children I grew up with attributed to a recipe that I fondly remember some more than others. Any cranberry bread is at the top of my list for this holiday season. We get ours shipped fresh from the Oregon cranberry bogs.
Christine when I was flipping through them before this post it was like the proverbial walk down memory lane! I didn't know Oregon had bogs!
Meredith except the tots.. and the Cream of Mushroom soup.. and the French's Onion Rings.. but yeah they all tasted pretty darn good!
this looks sooooooo good!!!!Do you by chance know of any quality online food services? I am starting to order all my food online because of various reasons. (Health being one of them) So far I have found 2 services. Fresh Dining (an LA company) and Celebrity Foods but you have to call them so they can talk to you about your need. I would really like any suggestions that you may have so I can widen my list of quality places online where I can order healthy food from. Thank you and have a great night or day…depending on when you read this. LOL!!!!
The strangest place I've ever encountered a church cookbook was actually in an Amish meat market and I still have it. Your chapters list is right on target. 7 UP cake and weird ways to clean the silver.
Where I live now church (and hose company) bake sales are VERY popular. Every day you can find event notices for them in the smaller local papers and there's even a listing after the "top stories" on the morning news show. You'll find everything from pierogi and Welsh cookies to takeaway chicken dinners.
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