Soft Raisin Cookies

When I was cleaning out a storage cabinet in my laundry room last week, I found an old (think '50's red and white metal) recipe file that I bought at an auction years ago when I was first married. The recipes in the tin box were ancient back then...that's why I bought it. This week I'm dusting it off and sharing recipes with you. Grab an iced tea and pull up a chair at the kitchen table. Here's our first old recipe from the box.

Soft Raisin Cookies

3 1/4 C flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 C sugar
1 C butter
1 C milk
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C dark seedless raisins
1/2 C chopped walnuts

Early in the day or up to 2 weeks before serving:
Into large bowl, measure all ingredients, except raisins and nuts. Beat with electric mixer on low until just mixed; increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Stir in raisins and walnuts until well-blended.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop by heaping TBSPfuls about 2 inches apart, on greased cookie sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes until lightly browned around edges. With pancake turner, remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Store cookies in tightly-covered container. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

***If you're in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, check out the Lone Star Antiques Mall in Keller. It's one of my favorite places to look for treasures. Hubby took me there on Sunday afternoon as a treat! (and...yes, I found 2 more old cookbooks!... Alright?!)***

I will be at these swaps today:
-Fudgeripple
-Gypsyscorner
-BeautyandBedlam
-Allthesmallstuff
WhoisDrLaura.com
33shadesofgreen

Best Banana Bread Ever!

I confess that I bought yet another box of cookbooks and recipes at an estate auction this past weekend (we won't dwell on this fact). While digging through the miscellaneous bits of this and that, I found that this particular home-cook had saved several issues of a cooking insert that used to be published by the local newspaper here. The insert was called "The Cook Book" by the Lawton Constitution Press. From looking at these booklets I can tell that they were done around a theme, for instance, one might be all dessert recipes, submitted by readers, another all bread recipes.

When we first moved to the area, The Constitution printed one such booklet for the holidays, and some of my recipes were included. These older publications, however, were done on a regular basis, because they are from various months of the year. I wish they still continued this practice; I enjoyed looking through these as much as the hard-bound cookbooks in the box!

I found, in the bread-themed Cook Book, a recipe for Quick Banana Bread submitted by Erma Cross. I happened to have 3 ripe bananas, and so, decided to venture away from my regular recipe. Well, we have a new favorite!! It has a moist, delicious flavor, and is dense with a coffee cake texture. I baked it yesterday morning and it has served as a warm, after-school snack, breakfast and as a to-go breakfast; it's almost gone! Thank you, Erma for your wonderful and easy recipe.


Quick Banana Bread
Erma Cross Lawton Constitution-Press Cook Book Aug. 2, 1984 (Page 15)

1/3 C vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 1/2 C mashed bananas (about 3 large ones)
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
2 1/3 C buttermilk baking mix (I used Bisquick)
1 C sugar
1/2 C chopped nuts, optional
(I sprinkled a liberal amount of cinnamon across the top)

Heat oven to 350 degrees; grease bottom of loaf pan. Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix with a fork for 1 minute. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes. Cool 1 minute and remove from pan.




I will be at these swaps today:

BlessedwithGrace
Gypsy'sCorner
BeautyandBedlam.com
Raising4Godlymen
Allthesmallstuff

Estate Tag Sale Scores a WWII Cooking Pamphlet and Army Cookbooks

I stopped by an estate tag sale on Saturday morning and what luck! Amid the stacks of books on different subjects I found some real gems. There, in almost mint condition, was a Betty Crocker pamphlet in red, white, and blue called, "Your Share" from wartime. It gives tips to the homemaker on ways to deal with rationing, and then all kinds of recipes that use very little meat, sugar, shortening, butter and eggs. There is one section that covers cooking at odd hours for people who work shift work, and nutritious snacks to send to work with them. There are tips in the book on making the most of the produce from their Victory Gardens.

My excitement of discovery didn't stop there; I found an Army Manual for K.P. Duty that is full of instructions on how to prepare each recipe (each serves 100 men). Units of measure include: Mess kit spoons; No. 56 dippers; pounds, gallons and mess kit cups. This book does not have its front cover anymore, but I assume it was even taken "in the field" so it's had rough treatment and been well-used. It's dated 1942.

My final purchase of the day was an Army Canned Food Manual from 1942. It is hard-backed and in mint condition, also. There are lots of charts in the book breaking down the cost per serving and amounts of cans of food needed per 100 men. The book goes into detail on the canning process and how best to store and rotate canned foods. I would imagine that Army cooks were tested on the information in this manual. The front of the manual has the Army seal and says, "To Be Used As a Training Aid-Not An Official Publication."

Since I'm interested in old cookbooks and history, I really enjoyed reading these items of American military history. I don't know that I'll ever have the chance to cook for 100 men...but if so, I'm prepared!