Timeline

Cookbooks are like snapshots on a timeline. My cookbook collection gives me the chance to peer into my past and experience my culinary trek through time. Some cookbooks are in pristine condition due to infrequent use and some are falling apart due to the ravages of repeated use and sticky fingers. My cookbooks are not organized in any particular order but if I had to classify them into categories, it would look like this:

1) Standards--My classic Betty Crocker cookbook was my first "real" cookbook (not sure of the copyright date due to lost pages). Someone wisely gave it to me as a bridal shower gift and I can safely say I used it more than any other gift I received. It had everything from dips to cakes to "variety meats" to cooking tips. I loved paging through it for recipe ideas and it was a trusted friend for many years. I have since upgraded my standard cookbooks, but if I ever need to cook tripe or glazed beef tongue, I know where to go.

2) Brand Names--Recipes sell products and there is nothing better than a cookbook devoted to a brand or ingredient to encourage experimental cooking. Case in point, the Jello cookbook. My readers know  I have a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with the jiggly goo. Alas, my Jello cookbook did not stay in my collection nor did my Philadelphia Cream Cheese cookbook. My Pillsbury Bake-Off cookbook, however, has literally been used to death. Most of its 511 pages are pulled away from the binding so I carefully extract the page I need when it is time for Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie or Cinnamon Coffee Cake Loaf. Baked goods always make me smile.

3) Travel--Gift shops are tourist gold mines. I have little use for chotskies and doo-dahs, but I love books. Browsing and perusing is such fun and occasionally, I purchase a place specific cookbook. My Naniboujou Lodge cookbook always takes to me back to beautiful Lake Superior. It is filled with historical information and the stories of those who are still committed to preserving a slice of history.The lodge's dining hall is adorned with stunning art designs and their bread pudding was the impetus for purchasing the cookbook.  A different body of water inspired another cookbook acquisition for me, namely, the Atlantic Ocean. My knowledge of beach life could fit on a thumbtack, but I love seafood. The cookbook, Beach Cuisine, written by a home economics teacher from that area is now one of my favorites. Recipes like St. Helena Shrimp Scampi and Stumpy Point Stuffed Summer Squash remind me of a place far from my landlocked home.


4) Ladies-next-door--These are the day to day workhorse cookbooks produced by church groups and civic organizations with titles such as "Heavenly Dishes" and "Community Favorites." My first such cookbook was published by the supporters of the high school I attended. A rush of fond memories wraps me up like a warm blanket every time I read the names of the ladies who submitted their favorite recipes for the cookbook. Many of the ladies have since gone on to their eternal home but their legacy lives on through their commitment to providing good food and loving homes. This is evident in one of the recipes in the cookbook called Dried Beef and Cream Cheese Wraps: Take pieces of dried beef and spread with softened cream cheese. Then wrap around a green onion. Men love them.

Perhaps cookbooks are falling out of favor due to the overwhelming abundance of recipes available on the internet today. But I am grateful for my stained-up, loose-paged, dog-eared collection of cookbooks. They are my scrapbooks of joy.

Obsessed

With my social media fast still raging on, I find myself preoccupied with other forms of entertainment. My latest obsession involves bird web cams.  Yes, I know, web cams can technically be classified as a type of social media, but I assure you, the birds are not tweeting (excuse the pun) or instagraming the life they want us to see. They are just being birds, ruffled feathers and all. They eat. They poop. They squeak and they squawk. And they lay eggs with the hope of at least one chick surviving. It is gritty life and death drama moving in slow motion.

My favorite bird cam is located in Missoula, Montana. It features a pair of ospreys named Louis and Iris. I have followed this cam off and on for a few years so I feel they are my friends (no request required). Iris already lost one mate, Stanley. Ospreys are monogamous so we know Stanley met his demise one winter during their migration southward. Fortunately, Louis took over and he is an excellent provider, which is a good thing as Iris just laid her third egg.

Louis and Iris bicker like any married pair. Whenever Louis attempts to bring large sticks to their nest Iris becomes very opinionated about their placement in her nest and Louis usually is not the winner. Iris also prefers to be the one to incubate their eggs, but she occasionally gives Louis a chance to hunker down gently on their orbs of parenthood. Compromise is the glue of most relationships.

What Louis does best is fish. An osprey's diet consists mainly of live fish. There is a river near their nest so Louis is often gone fishing for Iris. It is an interesting sight to see Louis fly into the nest with a squirming fish. Iris likes to bite off the head of the fish first, going for the tasty bits right away, I guess. She gobbles up her meal and either takes a short break from egg duty or gets right back to her nesting.

I am getting very attached to my osprey friends. Too attached, perhaps. From my years of growing up on a farm, I know the cruel blows life in the natural world can wield. Last year, all three of Iris and Louis's offspring died of starvation. The river nearby rose to flood levels and made it all but impossible for safe fishing for the bird pair. This year, the river is again rising and the same fate could be ahead. And that is why I find authentic bird cams so fascinating. No one is attempting to paint a pretty picture for the viewers. I am not subjected to perfect lives and exotic vacations. Instead, the camera posts the triumph of a well caught fish as well as the potential for heartbreaking tragedy.

I am rooting my avian friends, no matter how this year's chick raising chapter ends. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy watching them carry out their daily duties. One stick and one fish at a time.

Not a bad motto for life.