I could kick myself for this one. Not the cookbooks I got…but the fact that I had photos of me standing in line for this estate sale and I deleted them.
This estate sale was so long ago, but I held on to the photos on my phone. And, of course, now that my phone is “ancient,” it’s starting to have battery issues. It would suggest that I lighten the load, so to speak, and delete unused apps and dump photos.
And as I started looking at photos, I thought to myself, I don’t even know where the cookbooks from this sale are, so maybe I need to just let these images go. Now, with a recent purchase of another cabinet, I’m doing some cookbook shuffling and guess what I found….the small haul of cookbooks! Figures. LOL
Anyways, there’s this very old house near where I live. It’s one of those old, fancy two-story homes with columns in the front. Don’t think antebellum, more like early 20th century.
Word was that the family was selling the home and it was going to be plowed. They even brought in an estate sale company to help with the pricing and sales for the entire house and toolshed in the backyard.
I showed up early but not early enough. My number was 13 to get inside. The line moved quickly and I went straight through to the kitchen and then into a side pantry. I was hoping to see a ton of old cookbooks, but, instead, only found a few.
Looking around, I saw a shockingly few number of cookbooks. Maybe the family took them already? That’s fine but I’m seeing thick files of recipe clippings instead of cookbooks.
Here’s what I did find and snag:
What’s Cooking at Pleasant Grove (Pleasant Grove UMC, Charlotte, NC) and What’s Been Cooking at Pleasant Grove for the Past 100 Years (Pleasant Grove UMC, Charlotte, NC). The green one of the left is actually the older cookbook!
I love, love, love that I was able to get both of these cookbooks from Pleasant Grove UMC. I think it’s great to see how a church congregation’s cookbooks and recipes change over the years. The really awesome church cookbooks are before the low-cal days!
Suncoast Seasons (Dunedin Youth Guild, Inc., FL) and Eudora’s Cookbook (Eudora Garrison)—it’s really a pamphlet but when The Charlotte Observer is footing the printing bill—call it whatever you like! Eudora was the Homemaking Editor which probably covered a lot of territory back then to include sewing, crafts as well as food. What a heavy lift she had! I adore Eudora!
And, of course, I felt the need to look through the newspaper clipping files. I came across one that just seemed to be calling my name….
Cakes & Frosting!! The file folder itself is packed with not only newspaper clippings but pages from a recipe notebook, recipe cards and recipes written on notebook paper.
Imagine my surprise when I came across this handwritten gem:
Moravian Sugar Cake is a thrill to find. Keep in mind, I’ve never attempted to bake one from scratch. I buy mine straight from Dewey’s in Winston-Salem. I did buy an while enamel square baking pan many years ago to try baking a Moravian Sugar Cake, but never got around to it.
I don’t know…never say never.
Anyways, a few years have gone by and that fancy old house was never plowed for a new home or business. It’s still sitting there, now empty, without even it’s fancy glass door knobs while the grass just keeps growing up higher and higher.