two cook books

 But first: proof of life (of cat)

This is the little cat (belongs to across the street neighbors) that I was so worried about a couple weeks back when she was laying absolutely FLAT OUT on their sidewalk and it looked (from the distance of my driveway like she might be dead

(I am still carrying bad memories of another cat - back in the pandemic - that picked my driveway to just die in. I actually scooped her body onto a shovel and took her to the backyard and buried her, because I didn't know what else to do, and I think the fact that I was still half-mad from all the isolation made it worse, and burned it more into my memory). 

But no, I was mistaken this time, and in fact, when I came home for lunch, she came and sat in the shade under my car and then came out when she heard me come out the door. She came for pets

 

Also, a couple etsy purchases came today. Someone had posted somewhere asking about a "1980s era kids cooking book" and someone suggested "try this etsy search" and I thought, well, maybe I could look on there just for fun

And then I saw it. I had forgotten it totally until the moment I saw it, but then had a visceral memory. I've talked before about the Scholastic book orders (we both had the once-a-year fairs, and then either monthly or quarterly - I forget - little newsprint fliers advertising cheap paperback books for kids). I presume they were subsidized somehow because the books were CHEAP (the idea: getting more into kids' hands) and my parents were happy to give me a couple bucks in change every time to order what I wanted every time the fliers came out.

This was one of the books I got. I don't think the copy I owned still exists, or it may have been given to a used-book sale years ago. But I decided I wanted to see it again and it was $7 so it was worth it to me

 I remember the cover better than the recipes. There are a dozen in there, keyed to each month of the year (snickerdoodles for October, for example). I can't remember if I ever actually MADE any of these but now I look at it, I like how they only make about 2 dozen - fewer cookies to use up (that wasn't a problem when I was a kid and had my mom and dad and brother as well as me to eat cookies) but also less time spent dropping them onto cookie sheets. 

Here's an example. You can make either raisin (boo!) or chocolate chip (yay!)

(That's partly a joke; I don't DISLIKE raisins in cookies, it's just, they're better in an oatmeal cookie than in a plain cookie, and dried cranberries are even better than raisins)

 The other book was bought for a larf, because of the frankly-bizarre cover drawing, which looks like giants cooking up children in an Earth-shaped melting pot:

 ("It's titled 'TO SERVE CHILDREN'!")

It's recipes from around the world, put together by an ecumenical outreach group aimed at fostering "understanding" between cultures (And other goals that some might deride as "woke" today). There's sort of uneven coverage, I think reflecting who the contributors are- there are several New Zealand recipes, and a bunch from Japan, but comparatively few from central Europe (A lot from Italy; presumably because most people like Italian cuisine).

This is one of the American ones:

 It looks good to me (I never thought of making cobbler with cranberries like you would with other berries before) and I might try it this fall when fresh cranberries are available

There's also a recipe for South African Bobotie (which apparently from the Dutch settlers, rather than any of the tribal groups, and it originated probably in Malaysia or one of the "Dutch East Indies" places)

And then there's this. I guess it's not PURELY a book for children, or not a book for them to be cooking from (probably more cooking FOR, some of the recipes are fairly complex)

 A recipe for a political promise: half a kernel of truth, greased well, and half baked. I guess it always has been so but it's a little painful to laugh at (The book is originally from 1992).