This weekend was spent in a low-key sort of way - The Girl was sick on Saturday morning, poor chum, but everyone was well enough by the evening to have Grandpa over for supper. We tried the chicken-artichoke casserole that I wrote about earlier last week and it was good! But other than that, I didn't do too much cooking over the weekend - we were busy and right on the edge of sick and so I don't have my usual baking adventures to write about.
Veronica Mitchell suggested a while back that I should write about my favorite old cookbooks, which I have mulled over ever since. Most of my favorite old cookbooks are CHILDREN'S cookbooks, and my very favorite children's cookbook in the whole world is this one:
Fun To Cook WITH CARNATION, that is! Yep, a whole book for children on cooking with evaporated condensed milk, complete with fantastic illustrations from some unnamed 50's illustrator. It's little more than a booklet and it was put out by the Carnation company in the 1950s (my mom had it then), and then again in the 1970s, just in time for my childhood. That is Margie Blake on the cover, apparently, and the perspective has gone all wonky in her kitchen but she's still managing to have pupil-less good times making cupcakes.
I dreamed I was in dessert land!
This picture still has not lost its power to enchant - The Girl (who is feeling all better, thanks) caught sight of that picture walking by and immediately demanded to read the cookbook before school. I think the big selling point of "fluffy whipped Carnation" was that it was cheaper than whipped cream at the time. The idea doesn't appeal NOW, but as a kid I used to STARE at that picture, yearning mightily for Chewy Brownies and Tropical Freeze. My mom and I have had big plans to make all four desserts some balmy summer night, even though I have really l have really lost my appetite for pies made out of evaporated condensed milk. I'm still going to do it one of these days, though.
This is Margie's teen-aged sister and her sister's teen-aged boyfriend. I wish teenagers still looked like this - like they're going to a hardware store convention - instead of being all sorts of filthy and skanky. And where are these wholesome and somewhat disturbingly middle-aged teenagers going? Why, they're having dinner with Margie! Dinner made out of Carnation evaporated milk!
I love the illustrations in this book. The unnamed illustrator was a genius and I hope he or she had a very long and profitable career illustrating many booklets. And doesn't running in out of the cold after a brisk excursion in snowman-making to have some cream of tomato soup sound NICE? It does.
I had always thought that little red-haired Margie was real - it had never occured to me otherwise - and pictured her as a solid, middle-aged woman, still fond of cooking and good-humoured and sensible. But a quick google search revealed that a) my little cookbook is "highly collectible" (you'll pry it out of my COLD, DEAD hands, cookbook collectors!) and that b) Margie Blake was just fictional. Well. That's a bit of a pang. The nice thing about being fictional, though, is that she gets to be 10 years old and set in some perfect 1950s childhood forever, always just about to have a cup of the very best hot cocoa I have ever had in my whole life.
Supper Cocoa (from the Fun To Cook Book)
1/4 cup cocoa powder (the plain stuff)
1/4 cup sugar
1 2/3 cups water
1 large can evaporated milk
Put the cocoa and sugar into a medium-sized saucepan. Mix.
In a large measuring cup, measure out 1 2/3 cups of water. Add the can of evaporated milk and stir. Pour 1/2 cup of the milk and water mixture to the cocoa in the saucepan. Stir until smooth and then add the rest of the milk mixture to the saucepan. Mix and heat over low heat for 5-6 minutes.
Put a marshmallow in each cup. Pour cocoa over the marshmallow. Call your kids in from the cold, snowy yard and watch them run, the dog happy at their heels.
What a pefect post! Thanks for sharing the cookbook and the cocoa recipe--is that actual cocoa powder or pre-maid cocoa mix? (Just clarifying) And I too would have poured over that dessert page again and again!
That cocoa looks awesome. I definitely want to try that one, although not today because it's 84 degrees here.
I love those illustrations, too. My kids would demand to be fed Carnation Evaporated milk based solely on the pictures.
I'm fairly certain we had this cookbook as a kid. I have strong memories of dessert land.
Oh, I love this. I love the book. I love the illustrations in the book. I love the picture you paint with your words ... that of a time and place that was simple and free, and full of goodness all around. A time when kids thought the highlight of the day was running with the dog and warming up to hot HOMEMADE FOR GOODNESS SAKES(!)cocoa. And a time when the mama thought HER highlight to be watching it all happen and providing the warmth.
Thanks, Beck. This made me feel all ooey and gooey inside. And craving hot cocoa I might add.
Have a great, warm, delicious, un-sick day.
I HAVE THIS EXACT BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
my daughter and i love it so much and we've made a few things out of it even whipped carnation (which is sort of weird).
i heart beck.
OH my goodness! Look at that book! So cool!
Wow. That looks so cool. The only book I have left over from my childhood is a ratty copy of The Rescuers Down Under. No cookbooks. How lucky you are.
Apart from it being a cook book, the illustrations are adorable. I would love for my children to grow up in *that* world. Please?
Chewy brownies sound yummy, too...
Heidi
the little deli where I buy my oatmeal each morning has recently set up its enchanting hot cocoa machine (large clear vessel with some sort of churning action happening) on the counter next to the register with a clear little canister full of marshmallows next to it. I think the sign said something about "whipped cream dreams" or "piles of whipped cream dreams" maybe. And I so wanted to have that instead of my oatmeal. Also, I think homemade hot cocoa is one of the best thing in the world. I will try this one.
Okay, first? "apparently, and the perspective has gone all wonky in her kitchen but she's still managing to have pupil-less good times making cupcakes"
LMAO. You are SO delightful.
And I love this post. That book is lovely.
And, why yes! Coming in out of the snow to hot tomato soup is awesome! We actually used to do that as kids. So much so that whenever it gets really cold, snow or not, I yearn for tomato soup. Fond memories. Thanks for that! :-)
I love classic things like this. I have an old cookbook that was my grandmas that has many recipes for main course jello. Quite interesting.
Beautiful pictures and the hot chocolate looks really yummy.
What an adorable cookbook! I had a children's cookbook I played with at my Grandma's house. I have no idea what became of it. I'll have to ask Grandma at Thanksgiving.
What an adorable cookbook! I had a children's cookbook I played with at my Grandma's house. I have no idea what became of it. I'll have to ask Grandma at Thanksgiving.
What a great book. I can't believe James Lileks hasn't gotten hold of it yet.
Hot cocoa! Is there anything you can't make out of evaporated milk?!! I will have to try it when the snow comes which, apparently, is going to be tomorrow 'round here.
This made me smile.
Sherri E. - about James Lileks: I love his writing on vintage cookbooks, but I believe he mostly does books that are kind of icky, you know? Some of those vintage photos do NOT age well! This book has lovely illustrations and all the recipes are still pretty appealing - no congrealed tongue in jelly or such.
NO WAY! NO WAY NO WAY NO WAY!!! We had that exact same cookbook growing up! I wonder if my mom still has it? Okay now I have to go actually READ your post, and see what you said, BUT I HAD TO TELL YOU WE HAD THIS ONE and that I loved it best, too. :) Sniffle. Carnation Instant Sisters!
Yum, Beck! When I was reading this, my girls came in from playing in the cold (no snow, just freezing cold!) with our puppies. Wouldn't you know they asked me for hot chocolate on their way to wash up! So since I had evaporated milk on hand, I whipped us up this recipe! Definitely YUM, I love the richness that the evap. milk adds!
Thanks for the treat!
Wow that brought me back - I used to have a children's cookbook with a yellow cover - I think it was Betty Crocker but I'm not sure cause I can't find it by googling - but it had a castle cake my mom made me one time with ice cream cone turrets and a Hershey's candy bar drawbridge. I've got to find that - super recipes.
That book looks so cute! Thanks for the cocoa recipe, I can't wait to try it.
"pupil-less good times" LOLOLOL!!!
What a great post! That's an awesome cookbook. I like that photo of the teenagers going to the hw convention; snazzy blazer, that jacket. Much better than skank! LMAO!
Just reading the recipe I know this must be delicious.
I haven't made anything with condensed milk in years.
Yeah, glad to know you are finally well enough to be "up and cooking"...
Even I love the illustrations...I bet all kids would be glued to the book
I LOVE vintage cookbooks. Luckily my husband will happily hunt for them with me. We found (and bought) a little booklet one years ago with a recipe for "Chocoate Funny Cake-Pie." Is that not a most excellent food name?! I keep threatening to make it for his birthday.
I literally laughed aloud 3 times. I would loooove that cookbook! Ebay here I come!
that's a great cookbook. i love the illustrations. i'm not a cookbook collector, seeing that i rarely cook and even more rarely try new things.
This so reminds me of Candyland - the really old one.
just wanted to reiterate that i love your blog! you write beautifully and the recipes are fab!
This is fantastic! You are fantastic! I don't know what magic you wield, but every time you write about food I just drool and long to try it.
I'm going to add evaporated milk and marshmallows to my grocery list.
What a great cookbook! I sooooo fondly remember getting a cookbook for kids at about 10 or so. The only recipe I can remember is "grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches", which were basically just open-faced cheese sandwiches with a slice of tomato and some dill on top, toasted in the toaster oven. Soooo not to the typical kids' taste, but I have an abiding love for tomatoes and dill, so I guess I loved it because I made it :) Thanks for that stroll down memory lane!
Now all I need is a snowy yard!
I want one. I want one. I want one because it's your favorite cookbook, it's cute and it looks like fun.
I heart Beck too.
You make me laugh out loud!!! It's oh, so good for me.
My mom has lots of old cookbooks, and our favorite one, the one that even my brother used to stare at, was "The Cookie Book," and it was Betty Crocker, I think. I think it was the colors that drew us in - pinks and greens and blues. Heavenly concotions. To this day, it is transporting. My mom got my brother the "new" one for Christmas recently. It looks the same, only no yellowed pages this time.
Oh, by the way, I ordered "A View From the Kitchen Sink" yesterday, by Peg Bracken. I can't wait. It was a vintage copy...
I wanted the "Compleat Cookbook," but it was $54. Maybe some other time when I'm feeling a bit luxurious! In the meantime, I'm going to examine my mom's collection a bit more closely over there!
I wish that I had that cookbook. I would have poured over it as a child too. Again. And again. and again.
...what completely sweet illustrations...I want Tshirts damn it!
I love vintage cookbooks! I used to have some great ones, with recipes full of mayonnaise and bacon lard (in oatmeal cookies! for real!) and with the FUNNIEST commentaries ever. I've never seen this one, but it looks great too. I'm tempted to try that hot cocoa, if only to get the snowy yard and angelic, pupil-less children.
What a sweet book and I think it's so cool you've hung onto it all these years and now you're kids can enjoy it too! I agree, I love those illustrations.
look at that waist on teenaged sister! ouch!
I cannot find the chicken artichoke recipe anywhere. Could you send it to me please - it sounds good!
So if I have no dog, only one child, and an only slightly snowy backyard (for the moment), can I still make this hot chocolate??
So if I have no dog, only one child, and an only slightly snowy backyard (for the moment), can I still make this hot chocolate??
What a cool cookbook. I have an old one from my Grandmother ... ugh it is packed ... Flour it was a flour company ... with the red rooster ... anyway I (heart) it.
The cocoa looks fantastic. What's the calorie count on carnation milk? I have a ragged/tattered Joy of Cooking that was my grandmothers and I still have to pull it out everytime I do a turkey or make stock.
Once when we were in a restaurant on Newfoundland a man at the table next to us asked for milk for his tea so the waitress brought what she called "a Newfie cow". It was a can of Carnation milk. I wonder if the restaurant used that recipe book too?
Oh, that cookbook is amazing! The illustrations are worthy of framing. Can you just imagine a wall in the kitchen decorated with them?
I know that book!!!! It was fun to see it here. Thanks!
Wondering around Blog Land looking for kindred spirits & found you. :D I love vintage cookbooks. My blog is a hodge podge of things, but I blog about vintage recipes about 1x/wk. Pop on over. We'll have fun.
For your daily dose of vintage goodness a bit of silliness, stop by Confessions of an Apron Queen, the home of Vintage Thingies Thursdays.
I know this post is a year old, but I had to comment because I am all giddy from just purchasing a copy of this book on eBay. I remember having it as a kid, and even then, I loved the pictures in it, and I've always wondered what happened to my old copy and desperately wanted to find it again.
Killing a few minutes at work today, I googled it, found this post and decided to look again for a copy on eBay (I've never had luck with auctions for this particular item.) Score! It seems a little silly to spend $14 on what is probably a battered and abused copy of a 50+ year old book, but I had to have it. I'm considering it a birthday present to myself.
And I'm totally blogging about my copy when it comes! :)