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Great Recipes From the Past

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Perfumed Rose Petals

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The Cross Country Cookery cookbook has all sorts of delicious recipes. It also has a handful of old-time homesteading ‘recipes’ like this one for perfumed rose petals.

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Perfumed Rose Petals

Ingredients

  • 2 gallon rose petals loosely packed
  • 1/2 oz oil of geranium
  • 1/2 oz oil of cloves
  • 1/2 oz oil of lavender
  • 1/2 oz oil of spike

Instructions

  1. Measure rose petals when fresh. Gather 1/2 gallon at a time just before they shatter from the stems. Spread the gathered petals loosely on newspaper in coolroom. Mark date of petals gathered on each paper. The petals must be stirred each day so they will dry properly. It takes 4-6 weeks for petals to dry.
  2. After petals are dried, put them in aluminum pan (aluminum will not absorb the "precious oils"). The oils are mixed together, and then poured over the petals which are stirred well. Mix dried petals from your geraniums, larkspur, statice, lavender, blue salvia for color. Before placing in container, rub the inside of the container with glycerine. This will prevent loss of oils.
  3. Put some in a ginger jar - or net, tied with velvet ribbon and small velvet flours for a nice gift!

Recipe Notes

This recipe came from Hawaii.

Helen Bemis Black’s Granola

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Here is a recipe for granola from 1976’s Cross Country Cookery by Helen Bemis Black.

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Helen Bemis Black's Granola

Servings 8 cups

Ingredients

  • 3 cup uncooked quick oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 cup wheat germ
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1 cup coconut flaked
  • 1/4 cup safflower oil
  • 3/4 cup raisins
  • 1 2 1/2 oz jar whole sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds shelled
  • 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate thawed

Instructions

  1. Mix all except raisins. Mix well to coat. Spread evenly in jelly roll pan. Bake at 250 for 1 hour. Stir often. Add dried fruit. Cool. Store airtight. Makes 8 cups. *May use raisins, dates, apricots, or apples.

Cookie Bush and Doughnut Tree

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Oh weary Mother, rolling dough,
Don’t you wish that food would grow?
How happy all the world would be
With a Cookie bush, and a doughnut tree.

–

This recipe is from Cross Country Cookery which was published privately by Mrs.N.C. (Helen Bemis) Black, 2214 South Goebbert, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005. Bicentennial Edition, 1976.

Christmas Cheer Recipe

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Take bushel of tinsel, sprinkle well throughout the house.

Add two dozen stars and one Xmas tree.

Take a generous spray of mistletoe, an armload of holly, and a full measure of snow laid in curved hills along the window sills.

Toss in a Christmas carol and season well with good will and friendly laughter.

Light the candles, “one” for adoration, two for celebration.” Let the first burn brightly, and may those you love be near.

The yield: One Happy Christmas.

–

This recipe is from Cross Country Cookery which was published privately by Mrs.N.C. (Helen Bemis) Black, 2214 South Goebbert, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005. Bicentennial Edition, 1976.