Last week I obtained a new cookbook for my collection. B. Dylan Hollis’s cookbook features recipes from every decade between 1900 and 1980. If you haven’t heard of Dylan, he became TikTok-famous in 2020 when he started making recipes from the antique cookbooks in his collection. When I heard he was coming out with a cookbook that featured many of the recipes he made online, I knew I had to order it.
Continue reading “Better Than Sex Cake”Earlier this week my reserved copy of Dylan Hollis’ cookbook, Baking Yesteryear arrived at my doorstep. Have you heard of Dylan? No! I’m surprised, especially if you are someone who spends a significant amount of time on social media.
During quarantine, Dylan started making TikTok shorts of him baking recipes from his vintage cookbook collection. The recipes ranged in dates from the 1900s to the 1980s. Thanks to his personality and delivery of his content, he went viral. In fact, I came across his stuff on Instagram then used YouTube to watch more. Since he became popular, he started posting a few, longer-form videos on YouTube that have a very different vibe than his TikToks. If you haven’t seen him yet, go and check him out. He’s quite entertaining.
Similar to most people who become popular online, he ended up releasing a cookbook featuring some of the best recipes from each decade that he cooked from. (Gotta diversify that income stream, I suppose.)
I am quite intrigued with his content and his cookbook, so this weekend I plan to bake one of the recipes from it. I haven’t decided which one yet, or even which decade. Though the cookies that are called
“Rocks” is really calling to me for some reason. What is interesting about these recipes is that they are quite different from the ones I’ve been using lately.
The recipes from the Depression don’t usually have ingredients such as butter because it was a lot harder to come by during those harsh economic times (though, one could argue that paying close to $5 a pound is similar). These recipes were also designed to use up with people had on hand, another requirement for large families trying to survive the period.
Much like fashion and hair styles have changed with each decade, so did America’s taste buds. There are some ingredients in his content that I would never dream of using such as Cool Whip or margarine. That’s why I want to do this. I want to expand my horizons and accept the fact that I don’t need the top quality ingredients every time I want to make something.
I can’t wait to share with you all what I baked!
Hi Readers!!
Things have been really busy for me lately, which is why I haven’t been posting too much. But I had a little bit of time today and I finally finished Part One of Atlanticus, which is one of my current crochet projects. Here’s what it looks like after doing 14 rounds.
I really enjoy the colors I chose for this project and I think it works with the ocean/mermaid theme splendidly. While this section is not perfect (you can see that it is slightly asymmetrical), I think its beautiful and I cannot wait to see how this one works up. Eventually it will turn square shape. Since I am slightly over-gauge, my blanket will be a bit larger than the original finished design, but that’s okay with me. I’m just worried I may need more yarn.
I hope to get back to baking soon, but until then, stitch on!
Every now and then, I take a break from baking.
This can be for a number of reasons. Sometimes it’s because my “baking bug” has gone away, and I have trouble finding it. Other times, I feel like baking, but I just have nothing to bake. Sometimes I just don’t feel like baking, or wish to spend my time another way. It is a lot of dishes, usually. And I hate doing dishes. Other times, I’m just too busy.
Continue reading “New Crochet Start”
After taking several weeks off from the Magnolia Bakery Handbook, I decided that I was in the mood to make a cake. Frankly, I used the need to do a practice run with a new recipe before making a cake for an engagement party later in June. But, if you’ve been reading this blog for long enough, you’ll know that I never need an excuse for cake!
Continue reading “An Easy Way to Turn Any Cake Into a Celebration Cake – MB Recipe 41”
While many of you come here for the recipe reviews and occasional anecdotes about other aspects of my life, sometimes I like to switch things up. One of the things I’ve only touched upon slightly is my affinity for the printed word. I’m lucky enough to work in a local public library where I get to be surrounded by books, this is especially true since I work in the cataloging department. It’s my job to get the books ready for the shelf and the public. So you may be confused by the title of this post. “If he works in a library, why does he want his own library of cookbook?” Well, honestly there are a few reasons. But the main one is simple: I enjoy having them.
Continue reading “Why I Love Collecting Cookbooks”
If you’re a baker and also a reader (like me!) then you may have come across a magazine at Barnes & Noble or your local Walmart called Bake From Scratch. The colorful, bright, and salivating-inducing photography on the covers of the magazines would pique the interest of everyone, not just bakers. After a solid year of trying not to purchase a copy of the magazine, I finally told myself that the time had come.
Continue reading “Cookbook Review: Bake From Scratch”
Every once in a while, things don’t work out the way you planned. Instead of getting to your friend’s party on time, you hit unexpected traffic and arrive too late to be even “fashionably late.” When it comes to baking or cooking, sometimes a well intended idea just doesn’t get off the ground. Or, in my case, bake up the way you thought it would.
Continue reading “Reminding Myself, “It’s Just Cake!””
Sometime in the early spring of 2022, I purchased a sewing machine. It was something that I wanted to do for a while since I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of quilting. I’ve touched on this topic before in earlier blog posts. However, as luck would have it, less than a week after making the quasi-impulse purchase, I was asked to stage manage a production at a theater that I had been dying to get involved with.
Continue reading “The Loyal Union Sampler Quilt – AKA Another Project That’s Too Big For My Britches”
Hello, readers! It’s been quite a while since I posted a recipe-related post, hasn’t it? Well, I’m back this week with an Ina Garten dessert recipe that is sure to knock your socks off! I couldn’t believe how tasty and flavorful these brownies were. The Barefoot Contessa is known for combining simple ingredients and flavors to make something even stellar and this recipe is no exception.
Continue reading “Sometimes, You Just NEED to Have a Brownie – Barefoot Contessa Recipe 60”
