June 30 Update: Far Guy was admitted to the hospital in Grand Forks ND on Tuesday afternoon, he has a lung infection…perhaps by the time you read this he will be much improved and out of the hospital.
July 1 st 9 pm update Well he is improved but not ready to be discharged yet he is very tired, I spent most of the day with him. His breathing is better, he is still getting IV antibiotics.
April 30,2008
An Old Recipe Box
I have an old recipe box. I paid a whopping 84 cents for it at KaMeapART a long time ago. The price sticker is still on the inside cover. It was manufactured by Ohio Art of Bryan Ohio. Imagine that something that wasn't manufactured in China....it may be collectible. It has seen better days...kinda like me. This recipe box is tin, it is a funny goldy/yellow color and has daisies on the top and a pot of daisies on the front. I have lots of other recipe boxes some tin, some wood and some a heavy cardboard. I just keep tucking recipes into this old one.
What is on the inside is what is important. A very disorganized bunch of recipes, the favorites are toward the front. When I am in a pinch for an idea nine times out of ten...this is where the recipe will come from. Over the years I have collected recipes from friends and noted on the recipe who it was from. Some are on recipe cards and some are on scraps and bits of paper. Some are handed down from one person to another...tried and true.
Arvilla's Pie Crust (Arvilla got this recipe from Emma Lyons who used to cook at Doc's.)
5 Cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 Cups lard
1 Cup cold water
Mix with your hands and a fork...makes 12 shells
On the scrap of paper there appears a quote "Savor Every Moment, Take Joy In Every Day" I recall that day over coffee when I asked Arvilla for her famous melt in your mouth pie crust recipe. She said "You can do it kid" well I saved the recipe for too long without trying it...because if I have a question there is no one to call. It's funny how a little slip of paper can bring you to tears. Arvilla died last Saturday:(
**********
Arvilla was a wonderful neighbor and friend, I still miss her friendship.
Last week at the Fly In a relative shared with me that at the Father's Day Fireman's Picnic someone made the best apple pie with the flakiest crust...so flaky they must have used lard. Made me smile and think of Arvilla. Possibly it was her recipe.
The scrap of paper remains in my recipe box. I wrote at Arvilla's a long time ago.
I'll keep Far Guy in my prayers for a full recovery.
ReplyDeleteI have several metal recipe boxes. One I inherited from my mom and two that I inherited, one from each grandmother. My eldest daughter is moving into her first apartment in a few weeks and was interested in collecting recipes to take with her and she looked for a metal recipe box online but was unsuccessful. So I gifted her one of my grandmother's box and she has been filling it up with her favorite recipes the last couple days.
Oh my - nothing quite as flaky as a pie crust made with lard. Yum!! The old box and the recipes inside are treasures, especially when you know the person who shared the recipe. I have a couple of old favorites like that - shared by someone from my childhood usually. I hope that FG keeps improving and will be able to go home soon.
ReplyDeleteI am glad Far Guy's lung infection is heading in the right direction. Scary!
ReplyDeleteMy old wooden recipe box contains similar treasured memories. Brad's parents gifted me the box before we were married. It is falling apart, but I am keeping it forever. Even in this digital age. It also contains hand written recipes from many that have passed on. They are on cards, notebook/pad and scraps of paper. Whatever was on hand. I never re-wrote them and kept the originals. There is something very special about cooking from them.
I have a few 'hand written' recipes kept safe for over the years. First off they were very tasty and second they are wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteKeeping Far Guy in my prayers for a full and swift recovery.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope far guy is doing better!
ReplyDeleteSo sad that a longtime friend is gone too! You will always remember her and the wonderful tried and true recipes ! I have lots of those too especially from my mom that we constantly make and will be passed down to more friends and family!
I hope at this writing FG is even better.
ReplyDeleteMomma used lard. Helen made pie crust with it. They were good. Momma could make a good meal with nothing. I didn’t inherit that talent.
I might have to try Arvilla's recipe. I have a similar recipe which measures a sack of flour, a can of crisco . . . . but crisco has made their cans smaller. I have lots of those memory recipe cards, they are very special.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear it progressed to hospital, but glad he is where he needs to be and getting the best of the best antibiotics. I hope he is home by the weekend and you both can rest.
I am pleased that Far Guy is doing ok having to go to hospital isn't good
ReplyDeletescraps of paper with assorted recipes hastily scribbled. My writing is bad enough when I try but when I hurry I often wonder what I wrote.
ReplyDeleteI hope Far Guy keeps improving.
LD My mom always used lard and kept it hidden because some people didn't want to eat lard. We knew she used it in all of her pie crusts and fried most things in it to. Just like her mom did, she did the same thing. My grandmother cooked on one setting, high, and my mom did the same, she never turned down the heat ever. We had a lot of dark brown food, Especially the pancakes were really dark brown
ReplyDeleteMy old recipe box was a bridal shower gift from the organizers of a bridal shower for me put on by my family church in rural Oregon. I also contains memories.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad FG is getting the care he needs.
Your ‘Hark! Back! ‘ brings back similar memories. We all should have a friend like Arvilla! I hope Far Guy is improving … take care and have a nice weekend. Thanks for the memories, Virginia
ReplyDeleteAll the best to Far Guy and his recovery.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that Far Guy is home and recovering now.
ReplyDeleteI have an old recipe box of my mom's, it is plastic and filled with various recipes. Many are from friends like Vi's Pappazetti (something I've not heard of since). The recipe as mom wrote started with 10 medium onions though I think so she meant one. The problem is she rarely added instructions - these were merely lists of ingredients with an oven temp is one is lucky. :)
Ahhh Grandma Arvilla! Love this tid bit of a story... maybe I will try the pie crust some day for my strawberry rhubarb pie. Oh no, sorry to hear that Far Guy got worse and hope by now he is feeling somewhat better.
ReplyDelete