- Today Online
Vintage cookbook kindles memories of women’s club
• Plus: Safety tips to prevent cooking fires •
By Katherine Napier — Special to Today Magazine
There are moments when something ordinary yet pleasantly surprising occurs and we find things we thought we’d lost: a misplaced $10 bill, a forgotten chapstick or maybe even a left-foot sock.
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And then there are times when we discover something a little more special. One of these special moments occurred in the home of a former Simsbury resident, who found an old cookbook from when she and her family lived in town from 1960-67.
The resident posted a photo of the cookbook on Facebook. On its cover is a picture of a rooster with the heading “Something to Crow About.” The undated cookbook was published by the Simsbury Junior Women’s Club (SJWC).
The SJWC was founded in 1957 and is an affiliate of the Connecticut Junior Women Inc., which was established in 1938.
A number of women commented on the Facebook post, saying their mothers were members of the SJWC.
One commenter asked: “Is this Club still in existence? I think my Mom may have been among the founding [members].”
A member of the SJWC replied “yes!” and linked the club’s website.
The commenter responded: “Lovely! Continuing to do good works for the community, I assume.”
The SJWC member replied: “yes absolutely we do lots of events in town — lots of information about what we do on our site.”
Another user said her mother was also a member, commenting that she “would love to see some of these recipes and the names of the contributors!”
Amber Abbuhl, co-president of the Simsbury Junior Woman’s Club, commented that the club “would love to make a copy of this cookbook for our archives.”
As eager as one may be to try out new recipes when discovering a new (or old) cookbook, it is easy to forget that cooking is the leading cause of home fires. It is always best to be alert and attentive when trying new dishes.
Here are some safety tips from the Simsbury Fire District to prevent cooking fires:
• Never leave cooking food unattended. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling. Turn off the stove if you have to leave, even for a short time.
• If you are simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food, check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
• Be alert when cooking. Avoid cooking if you are sleepy, have taken medicine or drugs, or have consumed alcohol that makes you drowsy.
• Always keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame. Turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.
• If you have a cooking fire and are in doubt, get out of the house and call the fire department.