Why I love Vintage Cookbooks!!

I confess, I'm obsessed with vintage cookbooks!  Especially the ones with great photos!  I have amassed quite a collection of all kinds and ages.  Its fun to follow the history of cooking...people used what they had on hand, cooking for large families or groups, traditions amongst ethnic groups, etc.
Above is an example of one of my favorite cookbooks!  Why, you say?  It was passed down from my mom, and I have fond memories of her using some of the recipes!  The book dates back to 1974, a time in my parent's life that they loved to entertain and experiment with new flavors.  A time when Julia Child's french cuisine was popular!

A few nights ago, I thought I'd make one of my favorites!  10 Minute Sukiyaki!  As you can see from the recipe...its been made a lot!!  I checked the ingredient list, and to my dismay...the pantry was missing mushrooms...oh well...grab a glass of wine and improvise!!

I added a few more fresh vegetables in substitution, and didn't even notice the lack of mushrooms!
Recipe also instructs to use an electric...once again I took liberties and used a stove top wok!

Served with brown rice, the final product was amazing!!

So don't pass up those vintage cookbooks...they not only hold recipes that stand today, but also rekindle happy memories and give us glimpses into the past!! 

Stop and Look at Sunflowers!

For those of you that follow my Facebook page , you may have noticed my latest obsession with sunflowers!  Maybe because summer is coming to an end, or just their inherent beauty, or possibly because that a rummage sale flower pot turned into a surprise crop of sunflowers, I have fell in love with sunflowers!  And each day, as I check on my driveway crop, to see how many have opened or how many are going to seed, I started contemplating many things.

How can something so pretty, grow from just a small seed? Why are sunflowers yellow?  How is it determined how many petals are on the flower?   These questions that come to mind, don't require great thought, just a small amount of my time to think about them, to enjoy them.  It made me realize, that sunflowers grow whether we see them or not.  Everyday, nature puts on a show with or without an audience.  It surely doesn't take much time to notice or enjoy it and it surely makes the start to the day all that more enjoyable. 

So my thought for you today...take the time to find your sunflower, or gift of nature that calls to you, and enjoy it...life is too short to just go through the motions and not appreciate the small things that provide us, free of charge with simple pleasure!  Its worth it!!