Bear Paw Meanderings

I am still trying to comfort myself from the winter blues. Now, I know that as far as real Montana winters go, we have not really had a winter yet at all. And yet, not getting outside to garden and walk along a Bear Paw Creek has been putting me sort of in a funk to say the least.

I decided one way I could cure the blues was to cook some old, old recipes that I had maybe never cooked before.

For Super Bowl I cooked Francis and Laened Black’s Party Beans and they were wonderful. I got off funk while cooking and eating them both. That day I also cooked a large sandwich that is sliced the long way and the entire outside covered in cream cheese. I remember when I was around 8 going to a birthday party in the Clack Apartments and that sandwich was served along with birthday cake. Don’t ask me why I remember that sandwich except that it was very good. It was just as good when I made it recently. Even better because few have ever heard of those sandwiches which used to be so popular!

I found a chicken recipe that called for noodles and nectarines that was awesome even though I learned there are no nectarines in this part of the world this time of the year. I used frozen sliced peaches and they were wonderful!

I remember my mother used to make a wonderful batch of cookies she called Gram Thompson’s cookies. I found the recipe in an old recipe book, made them and they were as good as ever!

You get the message. We eat differently now days and it is fun to go back to some of those old recipes and try them once again. No wonder my mother loved Gram Thompson’s cookies. They are at the top of the heap any generation. Those other recipes are as well.

When it comes to recipe time in the next few months, I will include those old recipes in this column. You might just try them for yourself.

Meantime get out your oldest cook book and get started in chasing those mid winter blues up and out the kitchen stovepipe chimney!