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Writer's pictureEllen Skea Marshall

Sharing recipes

yogurt and fruit with granola

Daily breakfast right now


What are you cooking up today? I made some yogurt and granola this morning. I really love doing that because then I know exactly what is in it. The yogurt “maker”  keeps it at a constant temperature for several hours but I keep it in there a bit longer than the recommended time for that rich taste it produces. Straining it later on for greek yogurt is what really finishes it off. The granola recipe gets tweaked each time its made depending on what I have available in my pantry. Today featured sunflower seeds, walnuts, chia seeds and flax seed- none of which are in the recipe- but it always turns out great no matter what. It is my current go to breakfast with added fruit. Yum!

Sharing a recipe by hand

Cupcake recipe


recipe file

File drawer


Sharing of recipes was once commonplace. I have inherited my mother and grandmothers recipe file. It is arranged in an oak filing long drawer with various dividers. I would imagine that it came from my grandfathers shop, but I can’t know for sure. The most interesting part is that there are recipes in this file that are handwritten from decades ago. Some have the owners name, but most do not. I know my own mothers hand writing, but not the others so I can only guess whose recipe it might be. Some are worn, food stained and ink blotched. These are the ones that were the most loved, the most used. Obviously there was lots of sharing recipes taking place then.

Sharing an old recipe

My mother’s college roommates recipe


My mothers college roommate, Agnes, lived in Portland and we would visit her from time to time when I was little. There is a date bread recipe of hers in this file- well worn too. I used to hear about Mrs. Ford  but I certainly don’t remember her- maybe I never even met her to be truthful- she may have been gone long before I arrived on the scene. There are some of her recipes in the file. Mrs. Ford’s name was spoken often- she must have been a wonderful cook in her day.

Maine kitchen cookbooks

Some of my many cookbooks


My cookbook collection is a bit out of control – surprise, surprise. You just “never know” when you might want one from that certain book. I love to just read cookbooks actually and write notes in the margins with special thoughts . Finding used cookbooks at yardsales or book sales with former owners notes is like a gift!

I subscribe to a ridiculous amount of magazines- all because I am a magazine junky and know that I would be picking them up in the grocery store while standing in line so I subscribe to “save money” in the long run.  Eating Well is one fo my favorites. Most are cooking magazines. I will tear out recipes that I love and put them in binders with sleeves to keep them dry and protect them from splashes and spills. I am a messy cook…

My binders are overflowing with recipes and I usually hand write tips, changes, additions or what I liked about them on the margins. I wonder what my kids will think of them when it is time to clean out our home. I hope they have a look to see some of the “keepers”, some of my notes and remember some of them being served at our table. I have a few absolute favorites from my mother and grandmothers files. Baked beans for one. Vegetarian at that! everyone loves them and each time it brings back childhood memories of Saturday night at my home. Probably my family would be more impressed if my collection was hand written, but sadly, it’s not. They won’t have that same feeling when searching through them that I have when I run across one in my own mothers hand. It is too late to change this method now! Different times now- everything is done quickly.

Sharing Recipes from long ago

Loads of old recipes


What are you cooking lately? care to share? I love trying new things. I don’t eat red meat so if you have anything that is a delicious vegetarian recipe please share it here. I do eat organic chicken at times although I could honestly do without that too. I promise to give your recipe a try.

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