My First Cookbook

This is absolutely one of my all-time favorite pure American easy, but good cookbook... and it was my first. It is all tattered and falling apart... and if I could find another one like it I would buy it. There are several recipes in there I still use.

The gingerbread recipe is so very good.

When my mother was close to having my youngest brother in 1962 I was almost 15 years old. My mother being the organizer she was had a "meeting" with my younger sister and me and explained how she would rely on us to prepare the meals and keep the house going while she was in the hospital. We had another brother who was already 7 years old. My father would be busy working and making trips to the hospital.. as I had it figured out.

My mother wrote our schedule in the back of the cookbook.

My assignment was to make Saucy Hamburger Crumble, mashed potatoes, cabbage and raisin salad and peas. I was to peel the potatoes to boil at 11:00 A.M. Fix the meat at 11:30 A.M. Fix the salad at 11:45 A.M. Then I was to cook the peas at 11:45 A.M. Lunch was to be served at 12:15 P.M. It all went according to my mother's schedule... and it was a no-fail situation.

SAUCY HAMBURGER CRUMBLE

Melt in frying pan     1 tablespoon fat

Add and brown lightly     1 small onion, chopped

Then add and brown     1 pound ground beef

   1 teaspoon of salt

Break the meat into small pieces.

Stir in     1/4 cup Gold Medal Flour

Then stir in     2 cups water or milk (I always use milk)

Heat until gravy bubbles.

Serve over mashed potatoes

4 servings

My little note in my own handwriting, "Everyone liked this alot."

Now if you choose to make this and your man has done military time, he may snicker and state under his breath that there is another name for this dish.

I always wondered why my dad would always smile in a funny way when we announced we were having Saucy Hamburger Crumble for dinner.

Can you guess what this was called??