Sunday, January 11, 2015

"The Cowgirl's Cookbook" by Jill Charlotte Stanford

My best friend gave me this last fall, and I have finally finished reading it!  Yes, I read cookbooks.  Ones like this, anyway :-)  It's full of fun photographs of real cowgirls from days gone by as well as today, and every recipe has a little anecdote about its origin and uses.  There are also quotes from real-life cowgirls, including famous ones like Dale Evans and Calamity Jane.

Many of the recipes are hearty and what I think of as old-fashioned, with simple ingredients and uncomplicated prep.  I've earmarked these ones to try:

Annie Oatley Bread
Chuckwagon Doughnuts
Saddlebag Crackers
Cackleberries on Toast
Rio Brazos Salad
Leather Cookies (supposedly they look like leather, not taste like it)
Mustang Chocolate Cake
Rose Petal Jelly
Kathy's Orange-Cranberry Cake

That gives you an idea of the wide range of recipes in this collection :-)  Some explain how to make them while camping, and there are even instructions for making a cardboard oven for using in the great outdoors!  Something I'm tempted to try just for fun this summer, hee.

I kind of collect cookbooks that involve something I'm into, so this book goes on the shelf beside True Grits (all recipes inspired by the titles of John Wayne movies) and my All-American Cowboy Cookbook (all recipes donated by the stars of western movies and TV shows).

11 comments:

  1. You must let me know how any of the recipes turn out, particularly the saddlebag crackers. I would love to make homemade crackers!

    Glad you enjoyed it!

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  2. I have this, too! My mom got it for me at a gift shop, I think...maybe while we were at the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge? Anyway, it's so much fun! Nice to hear of someone else who has a copy--no one else seems to have heard of it.

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    1. Cool! Have you tried any of the recipes in it?

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    2. I have, but it's been a really long time, and I honestly don't remember which ones. I probably have some notes in there because I write in my cookbooks...I'll track it down. Oh, and by the way, I just noticed that you made a button link to my blog in your sidebar! That's so sweet! I'm horrible with the technical side of blogging, and I really appreciate that.

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    3. You're welcome! If there's a blog I like that doesn't have a button, I try to just screencap their header and create one from that :-)

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    4. Well, that's cool. One of my goals for the year is to jazz up my blog a bit and make it more visually appealing and functional, so you've got a reserved spot on my sidebar when I get it figured out! ;)

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  3. I must have that True Grits cookbook. Just because, that's all. :-)

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    1. It's very amusing :-D This is it, if you're severely curious. I picked it up at a library book sale long ago.

      And this is the other one I mentioned, which has actual recipes that John Wayne himself enjoyed! Not to mention a zillion other wonderful cowboy actors. It's where I got my favorite no-bake pie recipe ever, Gene Autry's Peanut Butter Pie :-9

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  4. Howdy! I just read your review and I thank you! Did you know I wrote a SECOND cookbook at the behest of the publishers? This one is called "Keep Cookin' Cowgirl" - and it is completely different than the first. Has game recipes,drink recipes (featuring Pendleton Whiskey, of course!) and more stories and photos. Just wanted to let you know and I thank you for your kind words!
    Jill Charlotte Stanford

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    1. Howdy! Thanks for stopping by my blog! I had no idea you'd written another cookbook -- so very cool. I put it on my Amazon wish list :-)

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