The last time I was at my dad’s house, I cleaned out Mom’s cookbook drawer. I was so happy to find her old recipe box, filled with recipes cards written in her hand. Since Dad has no plans of making any of the recipes, he told me to take it home, and any other cookbooks I wanted. I brought home Mom’s big Betty Crocker cookbook that she got in the early 1980s. But the one cookbook I really wanted was nowhere to be found.
When I was just learning how to cook, Mom taught me from the 1965 Betty Crocker’s New Boys and Girls Cookbook. The back cover was missing and the pages were well used. I think the cookbook had been something one of my cousins passed down to my sister, but I loved that cookbook. I hadn’t given it much thought after I went off to college and moved on to more “grown up” cookbooks. Even so, I often thought of that cookbook as my very first, the one that got me so interested in recipes and baking.
I couldn’t have been more than seven or eight when Mom started teaching me how to cook and we often turned to that worn cookbook for ideas. I loved looking through it. The pages were spiral-bound, which made it easy to lay open flat on the counter, or prop upright when we were mixing so it wouldn’t get splattered.
One thing that was fun about the cookbook was at the front, it introduced a group of youngsters who were “test helpers”. It was neat to see their comments and the drawings of their likenesses throughout the book. There was a section about “What Every Junior Cook Should Know” that offered cooking terms, kitchen safety, equipment information, how to measure properly, and even a guideline to good manners.
There were sections for beverages, breads and sandwiches, salads and vegetables, meats and main dishes, cookies and desserts, candies and snacks, special occasions, and summer fun.
When I couldn’t find the cookbook among Mom’s things, it only added to my sense of loss. It wasn’t so much the cookbook, but the fact that it had been included in so many good memories I had of my mom, working side by side with her in the kitchen.
A few days after I came home, I decided to see if I could somehow locate a used copy of the cookbook. After doing a little searching and digging, I finally found one on eBay. It was in like-new condition. Other than a name written inside the cover, it could have been brand-new.
And when it arrived, I cried. It was like I was twelve all over again, sitting with Mom at the kitchen counter, looking through the colorful pages and deciding what I wanted to make next.
Inside the cookbook, I found Mom’s peanut butter cookie recipe that I had tried and failed to recreate many times. There was the drop biscuit recipe we made many times. And the brownie recipe I tried to make and my brother assured me they tasted like liver. With each page I turned, waves of nostalgia washed over me.
I can’t tell you how many summer days I drooled over these frosty treats.
We made these cute little bunnies several times.
I remember Mom letting me make the sandwiches like this. The guys weren’t impressed, but I had fun cutting out the shapes.
Once we had company coming for dinner, so Mom made the radish roses while I made carrot curls. She also made celery fans. We put everything in a bowl of ice water until it was time to serve.
And this spread of ice cream treats was one I always thought was amazing. You have to remember this was back in the days before Pinterest and full-color images of everything were at our fingertips. I just thought it was so neat (and my thing for ice cream probably helped make it a favorite page to study).
Anyway, I can’t begin to tell you how much this cookbook means to me and how many sweet, wonderful memories I have of time spent with my mom as she taught me about cooking and life in our kitchen.
I’d love for one of you to share a similar experience with your child or grandchild. Although I can’t provide this exact cookbook, I did find one similar to it!
For a chance to win this brand-new Betty Crocker’s Cook Book for Boys and Girls (a reproduction of the 1957 cookbook) just post your answer to this question:
What was your favorite childhood treat?
One winner will be randomly selected and notified by August 16.
89 Responses
wow root beer floats were a favorite of mine and hubs still makes them for his supper at least once a week!!
I liked lemon meringue pie.
ice cream sundaes
I have a grandson age 7 say a he is going to be on Chef Ramsey at 8. I have two grand daughters who I bake with. Oldest does cooking at her house. My husband and I taught our grandson to cook. He is now married with a new baby.
My mother made a special treat called “alligators”. She made her own dough, cut & fried it in triangle shapes. After cooling, she slit them open and filled with marshmallow cream! So 😋 yummy! Even my nephews remember those treats!! Our favorite!! Miss my mom!!!
Frosted sugar cookies
I’m so happy for you that you found a copy of the cookbook! I so understand the memories attached to certain things. ♥️
My favorite childhood treat was chocolate chip cookies.
We always loved making home made chocolate chip cookies.
I love chocolate chip cookies.
Boston Coolers – Vanilla Ice cream blended with Vernors Ginger Ale
Fudge!
Ice cream sundaes
A Black Midnight Chocolate Cake from one of my grandma’s cookbooks was always my favorite.
I love what we called fry breads dipped in honey as a child.
Apple pie was my favorite and I always asked for one instead of a birthday cake.
I recently mentioned to my sons,that of all the cookbooks I owned through the years (and there’s been many), Betty Crocker is my favorite book by far. I remember needing it for our Home Ec. Cooking class in high school. To this day I treasure recipes I copied from that book.
My favorite childhood dessert was the Betty Crocker bread pudding recipe my mom made. She’d add raisins and diced apples and pour cream or whipped cream over it while still warm. OH…so good! My memories of this dessert warm my heart and brings many fond childhood memories and my mom to mind.
Rice crispy bars, rhubarb crisp or apple crisp.
I don’t have any little people in my life really( except for 3 great nieces and a great nephew) right now, but my favorite cook book is still the 1962 loose leaf Betty Crocker that my mom got for a wedding shower present. She found me a copy at a flea market and I still use it!
Chocolate Chip Cookies. I had this cookbook when I was little and now my oldest daughter has it and she will pass it on to her daughter. I would love to win this and give it to my youngest granddaughter, who is only 6 (my grandkids ages range from 28 down to 6, lol and I have one great grandson, that’s how old the book is). Sophia would love it since she just became a mother, yes at age 6, lol. She was trying to sell some of her paintings to get enough money to buy a certain babydoll so a friend of our second daughter sent her the doll and now she says she is a mom now! So, I think she needs this cookbook for when ‘her daughter’ is old enough to actually eat, lol.
wfnren at aol dot com
Moms homemade dough gutties. Fried dough. I remember that cook book. I think I have a copy.
Strawberry pie with graham cracker crust and rootbeer float.
Custard was my favorite. This book would be perfect for grandchildren!
My favorite treat as a child (& still as an adult) was aebelskivers. These are a Danish pancake made in a special Cast iron pan. My grandmother taught me how to turn them with a knitting needle to make sure the were perfectly round. I taught my daughters and now my granddaughter.
We had this cookbook when I was growing up, too. My favorite treat was Cowboy Cookies (similar to chocolate chip, but better).
Mine was when my 2nd foster mom made carrot cake. In our foster home we got no treats except raisins although when she made a carrot cake with a recipe she brought from Australia it was just so so good. She passed so soon from Lou Gehrigs disease in the mid 60’s and I so wish she would of written it down. I have tried so many recipes for carrot cake and every one of them is missing something maybe a secret something she put in. She was the best foster mom in every way even though the family got steak etc we got no meat . When she passed I had to cook for 13 foster kids and wow good thing I knew a good home ec teacher as even though I was young she gave me easy recipes with meat and the kids loved it as the foster home fell apart i had to cook for less people and when he remarried her best friend only 3 mo later she wanted me to cook so I felt that she liked my food although i had a hard time telling when the chicken was done!
What a wonderful cookbook which is a real treasure. My 4 grandchildren who enjoy baking would love this greatly and use it every time they want to whip up a treat. My favorite treat was rugalech. My grandmother was an expert baker who could easily make the most delectable and tempting desserts.
Ice cold Dr. Pepper with a bag of salty peanuts!
My favorite childhood treat was called “Margaruites.” (My mom may have made up that fancy name…)
Top a saltine cracker square with a half-marshmallow and toast in the oven until the marshmallow roasts.
Top with with another buttered saltine cracker and toast just until the cracker turns light brown. Watch carefully!!!!! Eat warm.
This was decades before s’mores became popular. We all loved this inexpensive sweet-salty treat.
I learned to cook with the original Kids cookbook! I made carrot curls in ice water for my family and so many of these recipes. Your sharing these comments was a lovely trip down memory lane. Thank you!
On very special occasions my Daddy used to make home made doughnuts. Even living with a Momma who taught me everything about cooking, baking, canning and any possible kitchen talent those were the most special to me!
I don’t know what happened to it but remember using this cookbook too!
My mom’s apple pie is still the best I’ve ever had! It is still such a treat when she makes it.
My mom used to give us her extra pie dough to roll up into little cinnamon rolls 🙂
I remember my grandma and I making popcorn balls a lot, usually around the holiday’s more. I haven’t had them in forever or even seen them.
My mom’s apple pie and Fudge!
I still have my 1957 copy (received at age 11), held together in a resealable bag. I leaned a lot from it, and still use it occasionally. I would love to have copy to give my granddaughter. My favorite childhood treat was strawberry milkshake.
My favorite was Gramma’s chocolate chip cookies! I learned to cooked from that yellow striped cook book years ago!
I’m having a hard time thinking back that far! LOL I’ve always loved the Swiss bread from our family recipe. It’s soooo good, especially warm from the oven.
Loved Rice Krispy Treats!!!!
Homemade ice cream
No baked cookies.
Lemon ice box pie
My favorite childhood treat was homemade Toll House Cookies my sister used to make when she got home from school. I used to get so excited on days I knew this would happen and couldn’t wait to her to return.
Oh, I had one of these cookbooks too. My favorite and still my favorite is just a plain old peanut butter and jelly sandwich with my Mom’s homemade strawberry preserves! Never tired of it! Several of my grandkids are cooking now, but the littlest ones, 3 and 1 have to be on their little stool in the kitchen with Mommy. Helping (licking the spatula mostly) with everything. They would love this cookbook. Will have to find one for them! Such memories! Putting together a recipe box of my recipes for the oldest granddaughter for when she graduates from college.
My favorite childhood treat was cookies. My Mom would make chocolate chip or butterscotch scotties.
My Dad’s fruit cobbler. He baked in a cast iron dutch over, buried in the ground with charcoal on top.
Chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate chip cookies and brownies, i lost both my parents at a young age, so i taught my children to cook and have my last grand daughter who lives in Texas who is starting to learn at almost 5 years old! Would love to find a book for her.
My mom made fudge using the recipe on the Hershey’s Cocoa can, it was the best fudge ever!!
rice krispie squares!
Mom used to make homemade cinnamon rolls every Sunday. By far they were the best!
After spending a sunny day in a Strawberry Field picking fresh Strawberries (24) quarts to be exact with My Parents and Aunt & Uncle. A Strawberry Shortcake was the order of the day and several days after that. The rest of the Strawberries were turned into to fresh Jam. Oh, there was room for a couple of Strawberry/Rhubarb Pies too.
My mom made something we called “stickies” from left over pie dough. She rolled out the dough, added cinnamon, butter, and sugar, then rolled it into a roll and sliced it. She then baked them, they were so good!
I had the 1950’s edition when I was a kid. I wish I still had it. My favorite treat was my mom’s homemade donuts. We used to placr the donuts in a paper bag with powdered sugar and shake to cover. Yummy!
Homemade, stirred by hand chocolate malts – they were SO good!!!
My mom would get us some frozen cream pies and they were the best, we would have them for dessert after our hotdogs and hamburger dinner on Saturdays while we watched the Saturday Night at the movies , movie on TV. Thank you for the chance.
Ice cold Coke Cola in a glass bottle with peanuts!
We didn’t have many treats, but my children will tell you Grandma’s homemade rice krispie treats – she made them with every type of cereal she had in the pantry….hardly ever any rice krispies! My children still talk about them today.
Brownies
My first “real” food I remember making were individual meatloaves in muffin tins. I thought I was so grown up. And snickerdoodle cookies.
chocolate pudding, the kind you cook on a stove.
Strawberry shortcake was always a favorite dessert when I was young.
Remember the cakes that turned into pudding cakes? I LOVED those!! I’d ask for one of those for my birthday cake. Boy were they good!
My favorite childhood treat was made by my father; chocolate shapes on sticks like a lollipop but with chocolate and his peanut brittle which he did not write down so I can’t recreate it
Pumpkin pie with lots of whip cream !!!!
My favorite was peanut butter cookies! My Mom taught me to cook. This cookbook would be awesome for my granddaughters and myself for kitchen fun time.
Chocolate Malts made at home.
Chocolate chip cookies, still is!
I didn’t realize how much of a treat it was until my mom passed away and we used the last of her homemade apple sauce. Every year it seamed like she would can a bunch of apple sauce and vegetable soup. That was a real treat that I wish my daughter could experience.
Funny story, The year she passed she did a lot of canning in February/March first she’d can apple sauce then vegetable soup. Well all went well with apple sause and vegetable soup. Or so we thought. She was sitting at home and had heard this cracking noise then a loud pop and then something stinky. Then it happened again and again and again until she figured out where it was coming from. The vegetable soup was exploding! I don’t remember why my dad was home but he quickly ran outside and grabbed a trash can to bring in and throw all the vegetable soup out. My mom told me after I got home from school that one had exploded as he was putting it in the trash and it splattered all over him. And he about threw up. We still laughed about it even though its been nearly 13 years since it happened.
My favorite treat was my mom’s apple pie. It’s a family recipe and as a child she taught me how to make it. I am looking forward to the day I get to teach my nieces and great nieces how to make it. (I can’t have any of my own children)
Chocolate pudding I made with my granny.
My favorite childhood treat was chocolate chip cookies! I can just taste the soft cookie with the melt in your mouth chips!
I remember peanut butter cookies. My mom didnt bake much. I also remember lots of smores because we went camping a lot . My 12 year likes making things in the kitchen. So she would love that cookbook. I love baking with my kids and grandkids. In fact we are going to go and make banana bread right now using your recipe.
My favorite treat was lefse! If I had to pick a second I’d say my moms no bake cookies!
My mom’s homemade strawberry shortcake.
When my daughter was in 1st grade I bought her a Kindergarten Cookbook for Christmas. She would have absolutely nothing to do with it because she was a 1st grader, not a Kindergartner. Finally when I explained that it meant it was a cookbook for a beginning cook, she loved it.
I’ve always loved sweet treats of all kinds. Thinking of my favorite just now, the first thing I settled on was cherry pie. I love cherries in any form but pie is my favorite. 2nd fave would be peaches.
Wow! There were several depending on where we were or when. During the summer, after church in the evening, Daddy would take us to a drugstore that had a soda fountain and would get us lemon ice cream cones. If we went to visit our great aunt, we would have ice cream and cold RC Cola. Mom always baked from scratch. I couldn’t just pick one thing.
As a kid, I loved No-bake cookies (sans peanut butter)
When my daughter was in first grade she made lasagna for dinner one night. She did everything except pouring the hot water out of the noodle pot. The next day she took cold lasagna for lunch. We’re Catholic so she had a nun as her teacher. When the nun saw her lunch she told my daughter that it looked delicious. My daughter thanked her and proudly told her that she made it. Sister asked my daughter the next time she made it could she make her some. So when we went food shopping the next week I had to get the ingredients for it so that she could make it for teacher. Sister ate her lunch with all of the other teachers so as she began eating it sister raved how tasty it was the other teachers asked for any leftovers. My daughter was only 6 years old. I also taught my sons how to cook.
My favorite childhood treat was when my mother made bread pudding she would serve it hot with hot cornstarch vanilla pudding. Us kids always asked for more pudding.
I had that same cookbook! I had forgotten about it until you posted this. My favorite childhood treat was a custard type dessert my grandma would make. I don’t even know what it was called, it was just Grandma’s Dessert.
Rice Krispie treats
I learned from something similar. Mine was a 4 Piece book set that fit in a sleeve. I think it was Betty Crocker for kids. This would be great for my 11 year old granddaughter that I’m raising.
My favorite was chocolate chip cookies or no bake cookies.
I remember this book, too. It began my love for baking (although, alas, I never did come to like cooking, very much).
My favourite summer treat–rhubarb crisp.
I learned to cook using that cookbook also! My favorite treat was my mom’s fresh fruit salad with real whip cream. A close second was rice crispy treats.
My favourite childhood treat was always chocolate frogs. Easy enough to make and kills that sweets craving in a few bites ❤️
My mom’s fried apple pies were so good.
Pizza bagels!
I loved walnut fugde as a kid. Still do!
My all time favorite is apple pie! Would love to win this for my grandson’s!!!!