Cooking Hints from Our Grandmother's Time

Now, you realize this is from my grandmother's time.  When she passed away I was able to find many, books which came with various cooking utensils she had through the years. I'm rather lucky she didn't throw much away, yet her house never, ever was messy or cluttered. She had to have been a fantastic organizer and, now, I know I didn't appreciate that quality in her. I only let it bother me because her four children and my two brothers and I (her only grandchildren for 22 years) were always told to leave things alone. You see, my grandma didn't want to have to re-do something because the children had messed something up.  We weren't allowed to do anything except sit at the kitchen table and maybe color in coloring books or watch TV. We also were allowed to participate in various word and card games. Just as long as there wasn't a mess involved.


Anyway on to my reason for this article.  I've been looking through these books of yesteryear and find them endlessly fascinating. 

This Kenmore book is from 1937. I have discovered that cooking, baking and eating advice is virtually the same now as it was then.  In this book we are told that "Your Kenmore passed many cooking, baking tests."

You're in for a lot of good times and good cooking with your new Kenmore electric range. We know this because in Sears Home Economics Laboratory we made many cooking and baking tests with it.

For example, we noted the time coffee takes to "perk" on the surface units (no electric coffee makers then!). And we found that your Kenmore does a fast cooking job. In the oven we baked things like cookies and cakes to make sure they brown evenly. The Kenmore electric range passed all our tests like an honor student.

You'll find electric cookery easy even if it's new to you. This booklet with its tested recipes will send you off to a good start. You can make any of your favorite dishes, too. You're in for a real treat--many years of easy, tempting meals for your ever-hungry family."

Maybe tomorrow, I'll get on with the rest of the story....