I am cleaning all of my old blogs on various topics and creating a single blog!!
Me, BIG fan of books - collecting them, reading them and some day would want to write one...:-)
I am really crazily addicted for collecting books and now on cook-books(from vintage to latest). This weekend, wet weather, no mood to do any useful work - was scanning through craigslist to find if there are any old cookbooks for sale. Found a real estate agent ad on "Estate Sale" of everything. I have never been to one such --
I did not know what books they actually had, just a picture on craigslist showing a small shelf with few books(probably 20 small books)). It was $1 for 3 paper books and $1 for hard cover books.
It was a 90 min drive from home and I was not sure if it was worth driving that far for few cookbooks.
With mixed thoughts to drive or not, headed to county library to drop back borrowed books. Was really shocked to see a whole lot of kids education series on science, biography, wildlife, plant life, history, discoveries were on a cart for free pickup.
Me(to Librarian) - can I pick few of these science ones?
Librarian - Yes please. We would be happy even if you take everything in there (about 200 books)
Me - Really? They are in great condition - why do you have to give them for free?
Librarian - I think they no longer go well on circulation and probably would have to get rid of them to free space for other books.
Me - Can't you sell them in library book sale event to raise funds for the library?
Librarian - No one really reads much books these days. Everything is available online.
She did give me a dumb stare while uttering that...Hmmm...
Gave a simple smile and walked out with few books on kids science series collection.
I made up my mind to drive to the estate sale.
Was driving with all nostalgic thoughts of my childhood days. There was a program at my grand parents place, held by a convent in the area where my mother did her schooling. The program is held during summer vacation and it is some education programs for kids in rural areas. My parents made it a point that we participated on that every year and I have been part of it until most of my school years.We used to get them books and learning materials, meeting kids of almost your age, looking with eagerness and curiosity in their eyes, to see what we have for them in store. We actually get to stay there for 3 days and spend time with them, living their way of life - all day.
I am pretty sure that there are still places on earth where the so called "You get everything and everything online" facilities are not there. Why not stand up a program to donate these to children of such countries or maybe connect to a organization which already does that? It might be a extra effort and time to do it - but worth a lot!! - to be explored (note to self)
Now finally got to the estate sale venue. It was raining slightly and was hoping that not many would have made it for the sale and my cookbooks are all going to be there. Got into the house and found quite a few people picking kitchen items, craft items, furniture, etc. I went to the real estate agent and asked her about cookbooks. She was like - Oh, most of them are gone. There are few left in the corner of the table and you can check out. Was VERY VERY disappointed:-(
No great deal and all that was on the table was some free recipe booklets that come with products. Then I was just strolling inside the house - the person who was living there passed and the real estate agent was running the sale to get rid of things there. There was SO much in the house -> lots of furniture, kitchen stuff and electric and electronic appliances, lots and lots of craft and needle work items, more holiday decoration items and 3 shelves full of various books. Probably the cookbooks were the tiniest collection there. The agent told me they have a room full of boxes from attic that is not sorted.
Oh man - things you just box when you move and put in attic with the hope someday you will get to sort and clean them...which never happens....I could fit myself very well into it.
I found this (I believe, from 1970's) - sticker kind of thing for spice bottles!!
I finally found a small box of about McCall's cooking series collection(10 small books) and Betty Crocker's first edition(1954) book(very much worn out). Frankly I did not know the value of these, but did not want to return empty handed after that long drive.
Again,
A very old lady(probably 85+ years, asking me) - what would you do with these cookbooks?
Me (excited to share my interest) - I love cooking and very much interested in trying new recipes and specially vintage ones.
Old Lady - (again with a dumb stare) - do you have internet at home?
Me - Yeah...
Old Lady - You get all these online.
I was REALLY feeling stupid now...Glad that she did not ask me if I work and what work I do. She would have confirmed my craziness, had she known that I am in IT-Software.
Picked the few cookbooks, with some craft books and needlework kits. The real estate lady was mean on the price though. She just made up some numbers for the free recipe booklets and collected a $20. I was like - heh
Driving back home - now with philosophical thoughts -
All the material things in the world, that we are so attached, residing with us even if we don't use - mostly because, someday "I might need" -> and how world see them after your life!
Especially if no one in your family wants to use it or wants to take any pain to even donate them.
Got home and was browsing about the books I picked from sale. And Voila...the McCall's collection is a good vintage 18 book set and I got 10 of it - specifically got all the baking ones(which is my recent addiction).
The Betty Crocker's first edition(1954) was all also a great one to have in the collection.
I am hoping to scan it, the book is in very bad state, paper breaking into bits.
Though not worth the money I paid for fuel and books and time spent with commute(Both sets are available online for less than $20 and you get all 18 books of McCall's series), it was a good ride with lot of thoughts to go through strongly when you see them in reality and does not happen with any deep thinking you do at home.
Ok - actually reading the book - picked a nice simple recipe to try. Probably it is a known common dish, but for people like us from different nation, it is a new one:-)
It is about "Carrot filling for sandwich" -
The book does not have recipe or notes for the pickle relish and salad dressing. May be back in 1954 there were not that many variations of them - but looks like I will have to experiment a few combinations to come up with a customized recipe!!!
Have also been having various thoughts and still in thoughts of how best to write a cookbook.
I am certainly hooked on to some styles followed by magazines and certain authors, but still debating if,
it should be a blog or stand up a website with nice illustrations and photos?
video channel?
paper books?
e-books?
mobile app?
Well - you find zillions of these online already. Moreover habit of reading an actual paper book is dying - from all things happened this weekend that made me really pen it:-)
I did find some of my ideas on these old books already!!Am I going back in time?!Not sure...
Stay tuned for the customized recipe. If not anything fancy, it will at least be a simple blurb with some photos in this blog.
Me, BIG fan of books - collecting them, reading them and some day would want to write one...:-)
I am really crazily addicted for collecting books and now on cook-books(from vintage to latest). This weekend, wet weather, no mood to do any useful work - was scanning through craigslist to find if there are any old cookbooks for sale. Found a real estate agent ad on "Estate Sale" of everything. I have never been to one such --
I did not know what books they actually had, just a picture on craigslist showing a small shelf with few books(probably 20 small books)). It was $1 for 3 paper books and $1 for hard cover books.
It was a 90 min drive from home and I was not sure if it was worth driving that far for few cookbooks.
With mixed thoughts to drive or not, headed to county library to drop back borrowed books. Was really shocked to see a whole lot of kids education series on science, biography, wildlife, plant life, history, discoveries were on a cart for free pickup.
Me(to Librarian) - can I pick few of these science ones?
Librarian - Yes please. We would be happy even if you take everything in there (about 200 books)
Me - Really? They are in great condition - why do you have to give them for free?
Librarian - I think they no longer go well on circulation and probably would have to get rid of them to free space for other books.
Me - Can't you sell them in library book sale event to raise funds for the library?
Librarian - No one really reads much books these days. Everything is available online.
She did give me a dumb stare while uttering that...Hmmm...
Gave a simple smile and walked out with few books on kids science series collection.
I made up my mind to drive to the estate sale.
Was driving with all nostalgic thoughts of my childhood days. There was a program at my grand parents place, held by a convent in the area where my mother did her schooling. The program is held during summer vacation and it is some education programs for kids in rural areas. My parents made it a point that we participated on that every year and I have been part of it until most of my school years.We used to get them books and learning materials, meeting kids of almost your age, looking with eagerness and curiosity in their eyes, to see what we have for them in store. We actually get to stay there for 3 days and spend time with them, living their way of life - all day.
I am pretty sure that there are still places on earth where the so called "You get everything and everything online" facilities are not there. Why not stand up a program to donate these to children of such countries or maybe connect to a organization which already does that? It might be a extra effort and time to do it - but worth a lot!! - to be explored (note to self)
Now finally got to the estate sale venue. It was raining slightly and was hoping that not many would have made it for the sale and my cookbooks are all going to be there. Got into the house and found quite a few people picking kitchen items, craft items, furniture, etc. I went to the real estate agent and asked her about cookbooks. She was like - Oh, most of them are gone. There are few left in the corner of the table and you can check out. Was VERY VERY disappointed:-(
No great deal and all that was on the table was some free recipe booklets that come with products. Then I was just strolling inside the house - the person who was living there passed and the real estate agent was running the sale to get rid of things there. There was SO much in the house -> lots of furniture, kitchen stuff and electric and electronic appliances, lots and lots of craft and needle work items, more holiday decoration items and 3 shelves full of various books. Probably the cookbooks were the tiniest collection there. The agent told me they have a room full of boxes from attic that is not sorted.
Oh man - things you just box when you move and put in attic with the hope someday you will get to sort and clean them...which never happens....I could fit myself very well into it.
I found this (I believe, from 1970's) - sticker kind of thing for spice bottles!!
I finally found a small box of about McCall's cooking series collection(10 small books) and Betty Crocker's first edition(1954) book(very much worn out). Frankly I did not know the value of these, but did not want to return empty handed after that long drive.
Again,
A very old lady(probably 85+ years, asking me) - what would you do with these cookbooks?
Me (excited to share my interest) - I love cooking and very much interested in trying new recipes and specially vintage ones.
Old Lady - (again with a dumb stare) - do you have internet at home?
Me - Yeah...
Old Lady - You get all these online.
I was REALLY feeling stupid now...Glad that she did not ask me if I work and what work I do. She would have confirmed my craziness, had she known that I am in IT-Software.
Picked the few cookbooks, with some craft books and needlework kits. The real estate lady was mean on the price though. She just made up some numbers for the free recipe booklets and collected a $20. I was like - heh
Driving back home - now with philosophical thoughts -
All the material things in the world, that we are so attached, residing with us even if we don't use - mostly because, someday "I might need" -> and how world see them after your life!
Especially if no one in your family wants to use it or wants to take any pain to even donate them.
Got home and was browsing about the books I picked from sale. And Voila...the McCall's collection is a good vintage 18 book set and I got 10 of it - specifically got all the baking ones(which is my recent addiction).
The Betty Crocker's first edition(1954) was all also a great one to have in the collection.
I am hoping to scan it, the book is in very bad state, paper breaking into bits.
Though not worth the money I paid for fuel and books and time spent with commute(Both sets are available online for less than $20 and you get all 18 books of McCall's series), it was a good ride with lot of thoughts to go through strongly when you see them in reality and does not happen with any deep thinking you do at home.
Ok - actually reading the book - picked a nice simple recipe to try. Probably it is a known common dish, but for people like us from different nation, it is a new one:-)
It is about "Carrot filling for sandwich" -
The book does not have recipe or notes for the pickle relish and salad dressing. May be back in 1954 there were not that many variations of them - but looks like I will have to experiment a few combinations to come up with a customized recipe!!!
Have also been having various thoughts and still in thoughts of how best to write a cookbook.
I am certainly hooked on to some styles followed by magazines and certain authors, but still debating if,
it should be a blog or stand up a website with nice illustrations and photos?
video channel?
paper books?
e-books?
mobile app?
Well - you find zillions of these online already. Moreover habit of reading an actual paper book is dying - from all things happened this weekend that made me really pen it:-)
I did find some of my ideas on these old books already!!Am I going back in time?!Not sure...
Stay tuned for the customized recipe. If not anything fancy, it will at least be a simple blurb with some photos in this blog.
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