My mom gave me a very special birthday present last year—a hand written recipe book.  Magazine clippings and pieces of written correspondence tucked between the pages show that Mrs. Williams of Calumet, Michigan, took note of her favorite recipes from the 1920s to the 1940s.  

This tiny time capsule gives a glimpse into an era when processed foods and ready-to-use ingredients weren’t so common.  Instead of buying a can of condensed tomato soup, you bought a quart of tomatoes and made your own. 

This volume contains a wealth of recipes I’ve never heard of before such as:

• Eggs a la Calcutta
• War cake
• Dolly Madison cake
• Bismarcks
• Hickory nut cake
• Washington pie

Today’s processed foods are laden with sugar, sodium, fat, and unnecessary additives to make them shelf stable.  We’ve sacrificed high quality and flavor for convenience.

​Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing classic recipes from Mrs. Williams with you and ways to adapt them for the modern kitchen.  I’m especially excited about all the recipes for jam, pies, custards, and breads—making these foods is a bit of a lost art.  Whether you live in East Egg or West Egg, you, too, can get cooking and eat like Jay Gatsby!  

Here's a glimpse into kitchens of the Jazz Age:

If your garden went into overdrive or you bought every cute little squash, pumpkin, and gourd in sight at the farmers’ market, you have a fall produce surplus!  Put it to good use with this recipe.  Butternut squash and Wisconsin cheddar cheese are the stars in this comforting crockpot soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Brown sugar
• 4 or 5 Yukon gold potatoes
• 1.5 tablespoons of onion powder
• 1.5 tablespoons of garlic powder
• 2 cups of 1% milk
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 2 cups of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (from Wisconsin!)
• 2 tablespoons of butter

 

1. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Drizzle olive oil on the squash and lightly sprinkle it with brown sugar, salt, and pepper.  Roast it on a baking sheet for 1 hour at 400 °F.
2. Remove the skin from the squash.  Mash the squash and put it in the crockpot. 
3. Dice up the potatoes.  Add them and the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot.  You can add any other canned or fresh vegetables you would like use at this point.  I added corn, carrots, and snow peas to my soup.
   
4. Cook the soup for 6 to 8 hours on the low heat setting.
5. Enjoy!

If you plan on having a handmade holiday this year, now is the perfect time to start!  DIY gifts and decorations are unique, heartfelt, and personalized.

Embrace the Slow Movement this winter.  In a flurry of festivities and activities, it’s healthy to make time to be still and restful.  Creativity improves a person’s overall well-being and can be a meditative practice.  Making something beautiful and high quality can give you a moment of inner peace.

​Below are photos of my first upcycled project for the 2018 holiday season.  A greeting card in its previous life, this paper was too pretty to be recycled.  With a little Modge Podge glue and a handful of vintage Austrian crystal beads, I transformed it into a decoupage ornament.  I can’t wait to set up my Christmas tree and put it on display!

May your days be merry, bright, and creative!