Things Mother Used to Make: A Collection of Old Time Recipes, Some Nearly One Hundred Years Old and Never Published Before
Things Mother Used to Make: A Collection of Old Time Recipes, Some Nearly One Hundred Years Old and Never Published Before
There's something heartbreaking and necessary about preserving what mothers knew by heart. This collection, assembled in the early 20th century but drawing on recipes nearly a century older, captures domestic knowledge that risked vanishing forever. Lydia Maria Gurney gathered these recipes from oral traditions, testing each one in her own kitchen before committing them to print - not for professional chefs, but for young housekeepers stepping into their own kitchens for the first time. The book moves through breads, cakes, soups, and preserves with the quiet confidence of a grandmother teaching by example. Instructions assume nothing and explain everything, yet there's no condescension - only the belief that good cooking requires good judgment and quality ingredients. For modern readers, it's both a practical artifact and a time capsule of resourcefulness, showing how women fed their families with simplicity and care.
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“but be sure not to have it boil. Remove from the fire, and add a piece of butter the size of an egg. This is sufficient for eight people. =Potato Soup= 4 Potatoes 3 Pints of Milk Piece of Butter size of an Egg Small piece of Onion Take four large potatoes, boil until done and mash smooth, adding butter and salt to taste. Heat the milk in a double boiler, cook the onion in it a few minutes and then””
— Lydia Maria Gurney
“=Doughnuts= 1 Egg 1 Cupful of Milk 1 and 1/3 Cupfuls of Sugar 2 Teaspoonfuls of Cream of Tartar 1 Teaspoonful of Soda Piece of Butter the Size of a Walnut 1/4 Teaspoonful of Cinnamon or Nutmeg Salt, and Flour enough to””
— Lydia Maria Gurney
“=Filled Cookies= 1 Cupful of Sugar 1/2 Cupful of Butter or Lard 1 Cupful of Milk 3 1/2 Cupfuls of Flour 2 Teaspoonfuls of Cream of Tartar 1 Teaspoonful of Soda 1 Tablespoonful of Vanilla Roll thin and cut with a cooky-cutter.””
— Lydia Maria Gurney
“=To Save Confusion in the Home= "Plan your work, then work your plan.””
— Lydia Maria Gurney
“Pick over and wash and flour well””
— Lydia Maria Gurney
“boiling water, sugar and salt. If old yeast cannot be obtained, use one and one-half cakes of””
— Lydia Maria Gurney
“4 Good-Sized Potatoes 1 Quart of Boiling Water 2/3 Cupful of Sugar 1/3 Cupful of Salt 1 1/2 Cupfuls of Old Yeast””
— Lydia Maria Gurney
“=A La Mode Beef=””
— Lydia Maria Gurney
“very simple, not expensive, and if followed closely, will ensure””
— Lydia Maria Gurney
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Gurney, Lydia Maria. Things Mother Used to Make: A Collection of Old Time Recipes, Some Nearly One Hundred Years Old and Never Published Before. Lex, lex-books.com/book/things-mother-used-to-make-a-collection-of-old-time-recipes-some-nearly-one-hund-612f9313-14af-494b-be96-65791e15c86e.Gurney, L. M. (n.d.). Things Mother Used to Make: A Collection of Old Time Recipes, Some Nearly One Hundred Years Old and Never Published Before. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/things-mother-used-to-make-a-collection-of-old-time-recipes-some-nearly-one-hund-612f9313-14af-494b-be96-65791e15c86eGurney, Lydia Maria. Things Mother Used to Make: A Collection of Old Time Recipes, Some Nearly One Hundred Years Old and Never Published Before. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/things-mother-used-to-make-a-collection-of-old-time-recipes-some-nearly-one-hund-612f9313-14af-494b-be96-65791e15c86e.
