Holiday Treats

Time for holiday treats!  I’m not a baker by any means, so when I thought about posting a recipe for cookies or bars I wanted to find something with few ingredients and limited instructions.  Bingo ! Marjorie Standish saves the day again.  Here is her recipe for Quick Party Bars which is featured in her book Cooking Down East.  Enjoy. Quick Party Bars 1 stick margarine ½ cup light brown sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup flour ½ cup oatmeal 1 cup chocolate bits Nuts Cream shortening.  Add light brown sugar.  Add vanilla, egg and beat until light …

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Apple Crisp

Fall is in the air and apple crisp should be in your oven on its way to the table.  Want a simple recipe from the best Maine cook book?  Here is the Marjorie Standish recipe from Cooking Down East. APPLE CRISP Place in buttered baking dish: 4 cups sliced apples Sprinkle with: 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp salt ¼ cup water Combine ¾ cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup butter Use pastry blender for mixing flour, sugar and butter. Turn mixture over apple slices.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Serve warm with cream, ice cream …

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Thanksgiving and Marjorie Standish

Thanksgiving and Marjorie Standish.  While the two are not necessarily tied to each other, I do associate both of them with good comfort food.  So as Thanksgiving approaches, I will share with you Marjorie’s recipe for Baked Acorn Squash.  It’s about as simple and delicious as you can get.  It is also featured in the new book, Cooking Maine Style which is edited by Sandra Oliver and features classic recipes of Marjorie Standish.  You can check it out at the Gardiner Public Library. BAKED ACORN SQUASH Wash the squash, cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds using a spoon.  Wash once …

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Cook Out Time!

One of the many joys of summer is planning and enjoying a meal outside, with or without a BBQ.  One of my favorite dishes is Potato Salad because of the many variations that can be made.  Here is the recipe for Creamy Potato Salad featured in the book “The Great Potluck Cookbook”  from Good Housekeeping.  Come borrow this book or enjoy another one of the many waiting for you at the Gardiner Public Library.   CREAMY POTATO SALAD Makes 10 side-dish servings   4 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled 2 ½ tsp salt 1/3 cup cider vinegar 1 Tbl sugar 1 …

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A 1 Diner

In 2006 a local publisher, Tilbury House, published a book by Sarah Rolph that celebrated a local diner, the A 1 Diner.  The book gives a history of the diner featuring both those who work behind the counter and those in the kitchen.  Many recipes that have become customer favorites are revealed in the book.  Below is one of them.  For more of these wonderful recipes and to enjoy the history of this local institution, visit the library to borrow the book, A 1 Diner: real food, recipes, and recollections by Sarah Rolph. Hazel Newell’s Squash Custard Pie: This pie …

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Picnic Like It’s 1928!

Green grass, blooming buds, and sunny skies all make us want to get outside and savor every minute.  In the Archives, the budding season makes us look at old treasures with new eyes.  This week, a 1928 cookbook compiled by Christ Church Parish Helpers made me wonder what tasty treats might make a perfect step-back-in-time picnic. Here’s a selection of some of the most seasonally appropriate offerings for an outing.  See if anything strikes your fancy and let us know how they turn out (we’d be happy to taste test samples!)   And while we’re on the subject, what are some …

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