Ready for cold weather in the kitchen

Hello my friends. I spent this beautiful November morning at a local library sale. I don't find a lot of books at this sale usually (which is a good thing I guess, since I have so many already) but this morning I came away with an Elizabeth Goudge book for teens (which looks good for a day when I want light reading), a Gladys Tabor book, a collection of essays by Elisabeth Elliot printed in the 1970s, and a Betty Crocker cookbook from the same time period which has four of their specialty cookbooks in one volume.

I also purchased an absolutely wonderful cookbook called The General Foods Cookbook from the 1950s. I've never seen it before but it is a rather large book which is divided into sections like Family Meals, Daytime Entertaining, It's a Party, Company For Dinner and How to Feed a Crowd (to name a few). The various editors of the book wrote their comments and ideas throughout so it is also a very entertaining book to read. I have left it out to look through this week. I skimmed it briefly when I arrived home. I have given away more cookbooks than I own now but I've begun collecting these older books as a reminder of a time homemaking was still considered a real "profession" (not to mention the great "from scratch" recipes).

You can tell it is now cooler weather outside for that is when I get back in the cooking mood. Even when I worked full time, I enjoyed spending weekend afternoons cooking. Yesterday was my "stock up" day where I shop once a month for the pantry and freezer. I had visions of soups, stews, and casseroles as I strolled down aisles. I also have been purchasing items a little at a time for my big Holiday baking sessions next month. I give baked goods for Christmas presents to most of the people I know, except my immediate family. I have found for years that people love to receive homemade baked goods and candy. I'm hoping to add a lot of recipes to my long neglected recipe blog, too. There are already some great recipes on it which are easily "looked up" by category.

Speaking of cookbooks again, Rodale books now has a brand new facsimile edition of the Betty Crocker 1950 Picture Cookbook (even the original introduction where cooking is called a "ministry"). I had ordered it as a Christmas present to myself (do you do that, too?). When it arrived, I was very happy with it. The only original copies I had seen were falling apart and had antique store prices.

Yesterday I gave into temptation and purchased two more magazines, one being Southern Lady's November/December issue and the other Taste of Home's special magazine called Taste of Home Mom's Best Meals (it was pricey but that is my favorite section of the magazine). Last night I was exhausted from "bringing my food from afar" so I went to bed early with both of them as my reading material. I was so happy with them, finding lots of good ideas. The Mom's Best Meals magazine is going on the shelf with my cookbooks. I think I've spent my magazine budget for the next few months.

I'll be spending a lot of time in the kitchen between now and Spring! :) I'll also be on the lookout for Southern Living's November issue, which I always purchase. It has the best food articles in it each year. And... there on the news stand was the new Victoria! What a beautiful sight to see. I have so enjoyed it already. Great job editors!

My husband is feeling a little better. Right now he's watching the University's football team play a big rival since it is being televised on national TV. It looked like a football Saturday as I drove home this morning, Celtic music providing the background (from the NPR channel) to delicious surroundings of golden trees, the cornfields in their last days of harvest, horses grazing, and the general surroundings of late Autumn. I tried to drink it all in since the season is so brief. Very soon the leaves will all be fallen and snow is already in the long range forecast.

One of the songs played on the NPR channel is an original Celtic number which inspired the background music to The Last of the Mochicans. I love that CD and I used to play it quite often. I'll brush the dust off of it today and play it (after the game!).

The part to our computer has not arrived, yet. So I won't have computer access for a few days. I still feel like I'm writing from a foreign land as the "look" from the laptop is so different. At least I am no longer accidentally clicking on places where I don't want to go. I miss my mouse. :)

Hopefully, I'll have my familiar monitor back sometime soon (although, as I said, I could get used to this) and be able to chat more often.