Snow cooking

This blog is supposed to be about cooking and home as well as decorating and design. The sad truth is that this foodie has been rather uninspired in the kitchen. My latest coup being Meatball Hoagies. They were far more delicious than any pizza shop's but really, I don't think Martha Stewart was whipping up a batch recently or ever.

We just got 20 inches of snow the other day and it is very cold here. The only good thing about snow, in my opinion, is that it makes me want to bake.
I was reading The peak of chic post on 1980's cookbooks and it got me thinking about my 1965 Betty Crocker' New Boys and Girls Cookbook. It cracks me up.

I think I got it for my birthday when I was 6 or 7. It's a far cry from Larousse Gastronomique, my Christmas present this year.

I just love the kitchsy pictures.

There are throwback drawings of smiling children wearing aprons and frosting cakes. It's mostly very cute and if you grew up in the 60's or 70's, it brings back memories.

The salad section is just silly. 

Most things in it have a face. It includes vegetable people with radish heads, bunnies made from pears and raisins. The raisins are for the eyes, stop laughing. There is also a rocket salad that is so blatantly rude looking that I can't imagine anyone serving it.

I always wanted the castle cake when I was little.

The cookies and cakes section is nice.

I think I'll make plain old sugar cookies with Broiled Coconut Icing.

Mix in small bowl

3 T soft butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 T cream or milk

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/4 cup chopped nuts

Place under a broiler untill mixture bubbles and browns (3 to 5 ) minutes. Watch the icing closely as it broils, so it won't burn.

Perhaps I'll be more creative for the dinner party next Saturday.

Ok I just had to edit this post with the results. I assume that my readers are nice people and would do most anything to save them from this.

I did make lovely, mostly perfect, chewy sugar cookies.

I made the coconut icing for broiling, but...

I decided to use the blowtorch instead of broiling. I was still using the oven to bake.

Even with the help of my oldest daughter I caught one on fire while trying to take a picture.

It did not taste very good either.

I did broil one and it was edible but not remarkable.

After all of this, I remembered that amusing it may be, but the Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cookbook does not have such good recipies.

The only thing I remember making from it as a child was paintbrush cookies. They are sugar cookies with egg yolk mixed with food coloring as paint. They were so gross I can still taste them when I think about it.