CHURCH LADY COOKBOOKS

Another thing I love about living in the country is easy access to Church Lady Cookbooks.  For the unenlightened, the official name for these would be fundraising cookbooks, and they don’t even necessarily have to come from church ladies.  However, with that being said – most of the recipes DO seem to come from, well…. Ladies who attend church.  If you have ever lived in a rural area, I don’t have to explain this phenomenon.  For those who haven’t, allow me to enlighten.

A group wants to raise some money, so self publishes a cookbook made up of recipes from it’s members.  Here are some “rules” that identify a church lady cookbook:

·         They are held together by plastic spiral binding.

·         There is a “queen bee” who everyone knows is the best cook around and tries her recipes first. 

·         At least 30% of the recipes must contain some sort of cream-of-something soup.

·         Potato chips are not a snack – they are a topping.

·         Even though a number of the church ladies submitting recipes are also farmers’ wives, very few fresh ingredients are used.

·         This is what is meant when someone refers to “stick to your ribs” food

·         It seems a majority of the recipes must contain name brand ingredients, i.e. “CAMPBELL’S Cream of Mushroom Soup”

·         This is no place for low calorie recipes

·         The recipes range from the sublime (Crème Brulee Cheesecake Bars) to the ridiculous (Velveeta Cheese Fudge).

Hopefully I haven’t given the impression I’m making fun of these gems – I am NOT!!!  I own approximately 20 of them.  The most prized belonged to my mother, and grandmother before me.  The best are covered with stains from a young girl first beginning her love affair with cooking.

My favorite recipe from one of these books is for Cherry Pudding  Cake.  My mother made it for special occasions.  I hope you enjoy it.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) water-packed pitted tart red cherries, well drained
• 2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• Whipped cream or ice cream, optional

Directions

• In a bowl, combine flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, milk and oil; pour into a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish. In a bowl, combine cherries, food coloring if desired, extract and remaining sugar; spoon over batter.
• Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream if desired. Yield: 10-12 servings.

In my hometown of Winchester, Suzy Copas is the “queen bee” whose recipes are the most coveted.  The house in the upper left hand corner of the blog belongs to her.  If you want to see if Suzy’s kitchen is the magic ingredient you need to turn you into the village’s best cook, just let me know.  It’s now on the market.

Another thing I love about living in the country is easy access to Church Lady Cookbooks.  For the unenlightened, the official name for these would be fundraising cookbooks, and they don’t even necessarily have to come from church ladies.  However, with that being said – most of the recipes DO seem to come from, well…. Ladies who attend church.  If you have ever lived in a rural area, I don’t have to explain this phenomenon.  For those who haven’t, allow me to enlighten.

A group wants to raise some money, so self publishes a cookbook made up of recipes from it’s members.  Here are some “rules” that identify a church lady cookbook:

·         They are held together by plastic spiral binding.

·         There is a “queen bee” who everyone knows is the best cook around and tries her recipes first. 

·         At least 30% of the recipes must contain some sort of cream-of-something soup.

·         Potato chips are not a snack – they are a topping.

·         Even though a number of the church ladies submitting recipes are also farmers’ wives, very few fresh ingredients are used.

·         This is what is meant when someone refers to “stick to your ribs” food

·         It seems a majority of the recipes must contain name brand ingredients, i.e. “CAMPBELL’S Cream of Mushroom Soup”

·         This is no place for low calorie recipes

·         The recipes range from the sublime (Crème Brulee Cheesecake Bars) to the ridiculous (Velveeta Cheese Fudge).

Hopefully I haven’t given the impression I’m making fun of these gems – I am NOT!!!  I own approximately 20 of them.  The most prized belonged to my mother, and grandmother before me.  The best are covered with stains from a young girl first beginning her love affair with cooking.

My favorite recipe from one of these books is for Cherry Pudding  Cake.  My mother made it for special occasions.  I hope you enjoy it.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) water-packed pitted tart red cherries, well drained
• 2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• Whipped cream or ice cream, optional

Directions

• In a bowl, combine flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, milk and oil; pour into a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish. In a bowl, combine cherries, food coloring if desired, extract and remaining sugar; spoon over batter.
• Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream if desired. Yield: 10-12 servings.

In my hometown of Winchester, Suzy Copas is the “queen bee” whose recipes are the most coveted.  The house in the upper left hand corner of the blog belongs to her.  If you want to see if Suzy’s kitchen is the magic ingredient you need to turn you into the village’s best cook, just let me know.  It’s now on the market.