Single Ladies Of Sedalia: How To Preserve A Husband This Valentine’s Day

So a while back, I got a gift of some old books. You know how it is - if you like to read, sometimes people just give you books in the hopes you haven't read them yet.  Well.  As I looked at the bottom of the box, I saw this.  It's a cookbook, which is why, I think, it was given to me. I'm a sucker for a fun recipe.

It looks like it was put together by the Business And Professional Women's Club. There's not an obvious date to it, so I'm just gonna assume that it was printed sometime in the 50's or 60's.

It was obviously well loved and used, since the binding is completely gone and there are notes and recipes written in. You can definitely tell times have changed! There are a ton of recipes that were submitted by the BPWC not just in Sedalia, but throughout Missouri.  I looked through the different pages and saw tons of advertisements for places I've never seen.

If you can't make it out (I'm not the best photographer), the businesses are Lorts Super Market, Norma's Dress Shop, Ken McDaniel with AFI, The Flower Pot, Welch's Market, Dora's Fashion Shop, and Hobson and Son Carpet Center.

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The recipes differ, some are very complex, but some are very easy.  For example, a recipe for pancake syrup is literally a cup of water boiled with a pound of brown sugar. ONLY A POUND.

There are several helpful tips, like this one:

Try waxing your ashtrays.  Ashes won't cling, odors won't linger and then can be wiped clean with a paper towel or disposable tissue. This saves daily washing.

Can you imagine? Nobody smokes indoors these days. I can't imagine my grandmother back then cleaning ashtrays ever, much less every day. I mean, she must have.  But I cannot imagine the woman that routinely told us kids not to "touch her with my grubby hands" would ever clean something so foul as an ashtray.

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An inexperienced carver will appreciate a hostess who keeps the guests' attention diverted from his carving.

Wow, isn't that an...interesting party tip.  What are you supposed to do, start shouting "LOOK OVER HERE! Here, I'll do a little dance to distract you so you don't see how badly he's cutting that turkey!" Ah, how far the delicate male ego has come.

But this has Got to be my favorite part of the book.

How to Preserve A Husband

So it was old, even back then. Here's how it goes:

Be careful in your selection.

Do not choose too young.

When once selected, give your entire thoughts to preparation for domestic use.

Some insist on keeping them in a pickle, others are constantly getting them into hot water.

This makes them sour, hard to get along with and sometimes bitter.

Even poor varieties may be made sweet, tender and good by garnishing them with patience, well sweetened with kisses.

Wrap them in a mantle of charity.

Keep warm with a steady fire of domestic devotion and serve with peaches and cream.

Thus prepared, they will  keep for years.

Isn't that just a scream? I know it was meant a little tongue in cheek, but my goodness, that's just.... wow.  I may have to show this to NJ, just to let him know, you know, I ain't bringing him no peaches and cream.

Domestically yours,

Behka