My First Cookbook

By Julie

My mom has been doing some cleaning out of things, and as such, started gifting me with things she think I ought to have. One of those things was the very first cookbook I ever had, Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Cookbook, copyright 1975.

Oh my, this thing is just delightful. It’s chock full of incredibly simple recipes for things like hardboiled eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches, Disney-fied up for the wee ones. On the one hand, I get the point that this is a book for kids to learn the very basics of the kitchen and cooking, and it goes to great lengths to teach skills we could all now do in our sleep. But, oh, I cannot stop laughing. I think my favorite recipe is for Sleeping Beauty’s Spinning Wheels, which is an elaborate dessert consisting of a donut topped with ice cream and sprinkles. Or maybe it’s Alice’s Apple Fluff, which combines applesauce and Jello. But then again, perhaps it’s Dewey’s Cheese Waffles:

Why yes, that is a sandwich made from toaster waffles and cheese. Awesome.

I think I understand now that while I remember spending hours pouring over this book, I never actually made anything from it. But I will treasure it always.

Do you remember any cookbooks from your childhood?

(Photos from: amazon.com, vintagecookbook.com)

Comments

[Sharon]

Very cute!

I actually still have my very first cookbook (http://amzn.to/JShu6W). It came with its own measuring spoons, which I still have and use over 20 years later. ;)

I don't use any of the recipes any more, but I remember baking the chocolate chip cookies recipe all the time - they were some of the best cookies I've ever had.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. :)

[lisa]

OH! MY! LORD!!! i had this one too!! until i saw your post on it, i completely had forgotten about it! now i am DEFINITELY going to have to dig a copy of this up to pass on to my son!! =)

[Colleen]

I had Once Upon a Recipe (http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Recipe-Karen-Green/dp/0399517847), which has healthy/possibly vegan/definitely carob instead of chocolate recipes that are loosely tied in with children's stories. I think my mom had high hopes of using it with me, but I don't think we ver did. I did hang onto it, though, and have similar hopes to use it to cook with my kiddo once she's old enough. And we will roll our eyes about carob as a chocolate substitute together.