Simpler Living Blog

COOKING, RECIPES

An Ode to the Cookbook (and Some Summer Garden Recipes)

Lehman's
0 Comments

It’s been said that a great cookbook is much more than just a book – it’s a lifetime investment. As cheesy as that may sound, isn’t it true?

Think about your favorite cookbook. Maybe you even got it from your mother or grandmother. The pages start to curl at the edges, you get fingerprints on the cover, you spill all kinds of stuff – vanilla, Worcestershire sauce, various cake batters – on it as you lovingly cook for your family.

If you’re like me, you make extremely vital notes all over the pages. (In fact, my cookbooks are getting to be more like family history books, as my scribbles tell me that I made this dish for Christmas morning brunch in 2000, tried this new recipe in May and hubby liked it, and experimented with adding extra ingredients to this or that recipe).

And many times, those well-used cookbooks get handed down to the next young cook.

I am lucky enough to have my great-grandmother’s recipe binder, filled with her handwritten recipes (and even one in her mother’s handwriting – my great-great-grandmother) plus those she clipped out of publications over the years. Even though it basically contains dessert recipes (she had a real sweet tooth) and about 128 different variations of meatloaf (which my great-grandfather apparently loved), I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Another “cookbook” of sorts that I guard with my life is the handmade wooden recipe box filled with handwritten recipes that my maternal grandparents gave me when I got married (grandpa made the box, and grandma, of course, wrote out all her favorite recipes). It is a treasure trove and contains several precious family recipes that must never be lost.

An Ode to the Cookbook (and Some Summer Garden Recipes)

It’s been said that a great cookbook is much more than just a book – it’s a lifetime investment. As cheesy as that may sound, isn’t it true?Think about your favorite cookbook. Maybe you even got it from your mother or grandmother. The pages start ...

Author: Lehman's

Ingredients

1/2 c. margarine
1/2 c. oil
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sour milk
1 c. milk
2 c. grated zucchini
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 T. cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
2 T. parsley flakes
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
1 c. ham, chopped into small pieces
2 cans chicken broth (14 1/2 oz each)
1 qt. water
1 pt. whole tomatoes
1/2 c. diced celery
1 c. diced raw potato
1/2 c. cooked navy beans
3/4 c. elbow macaroni, uncooked
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 head cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
1 head broccoli, chopped into small pieces
2 c. mozzarella or cheddar cheese, shredded
1 onion, minced
1 pkg. bacon, fried and chopped
1 c. sour cream
1 c. Miracle Whip
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Cream margarine, oil and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and milk. Beat well. Add zucchini and mix. Add dry ingredients.
Pour into a greased and floured 9×13 pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.
Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. This cake needs no frosting! Keep refrigerated. Delicious when warmed up in the microwave.
Put all ingredients except macaroni and cheese in a slow cooker.
Cover and cook 10-12 hours on low.
A half hour before serving, add macaroni and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Replace lid. Turn on high the last half hour.
Combine cauliflower, broccoli, cheese, onion and bacon.
Mix sauce and pour over.
Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.