I married in 1977 and have this cookbook as well as two other Better Homes and Gardens for two and a Betty Crocker for two. As newlyweds we had favorite recipes from each. I am cooking from them again now that we are empty nesters.
Hi Anna and Cooking the book people, child of the 70's here, I am the big 50 this Tue and I live in Ireland, I can tell u we never had any of these dishes in my house growing up, my Dad would have freaked if my mum served baked zucchini he could not cope with lettuce on our mammy summer salad, u so have to do an Irish mammy salad on a programme Anna😊
Nice! I just made stuffed zucchini last night. I'm swimming in them from the garden. I stuffed them with Italian sausage, rice, peppers, onions and mozzarella.
None of my zucchini came up this year I used to always do the plants the last couple years I've been doing the seeds I've never had an issue till this year none of them came up
@@Katy32344 you can but I haven't done it yet because I also have cucumbers coming in. I have been trying to use them as they come in before the dreaded vine borer finds me. I don't have enough space to succession sow in a different place.
Hi Anna! I have a theory about the zucchini recipe. Zucchini is in season during the summer. When that book was printed, it was less common to have air conditioning in homes. They may have designed the recipe to be cooked on the stove so that the house wouldn't get hot by using the oven, which is actually clever. The coffee cake looks delicious! I made an almost identical recipe last weekend. I decided to try something different, and I added in a couple of handfuls of fresh blueberries to the batter. I scattered them on top of the batter and sort of poked them below the top line of the batter, then scattered the streusel on top. It was amazing! Sending prayers and best wishes for your recovery!
Welcome to the life changing discovery of baking things in tiny Corning Ware casserole dishes using a countertop oven! I do it all the time!! It’s perfect for one or two people.
A lot of people are saying that they love the small-batch recipes. I do too since I live alone. Through the years I've collected America's Test Kitchen's cookbooks that cater to small households. Some of their best cookbooks are actually the children's cookbooks. They have recipes for only a dozen cookies and cakes that bake in 8-inch pans, including coffee cakes and chocolate cakes. They also published a huge cookbook called "Cooking for Two" which is great. I use these cookbooks all the time.
I live in a single person household and I agree that it’s better to buy ingredients in the quantity you need for a recipe rather than buying in bulk and wasting food.
Oh, THANK YOU FOR THE LINK TO THE LITTLE SHEET PANS! I've been wanting those since the first time I saw you use them! I have this cookbook in my vintage collection (I'm 69 and started cooking for my family at 12) and consult it often. I have a better one. Betty Crocker's New Dinner for Two Cookbook. Copyright 1964. The photos and tablescapes they use are worth the price of the book! Oh, and about obscure/discontinued ingredients. I frequently run across recipes that call for onion juice. I remember Mom using that. I just finely grate some onion with a microplane. Works just as well.
Seventies was the start of gas shortages and revisiting public awareness of energy conservation for the first time since the war. That’s my answer for using the stovetop instead of heating the entire oven for one 2-serving entree.
My husband just passed away & ome of the hardest things is actually adjusting to cooking for one, 1st of all having the motivation to & 2nd not making so much that I have left overs for days, so I appreciate these, I also watched your small batch cooking, im hoping to try these and get my new routine established
I'm so sorry you lost your husband. I admire the way you're moving forward. When I was single I found that eating at good local diners was at least as cost-effective as cooking for one; I seemed to waste _a lot_ of food.
I love stuffed zucchini! But it is important to salt the zucchini, and really the best time to salt it is after you scoop out the insides. Salt the hollowed halves and let them drain over a towel. It really improves the texture of the zucchini in the finished product. Salt it, let it rest while you make the filling, then fill it and bake it.
My mother gave me this book when I got my first apartment in 1983, and I still have it! I made a bunch of stuff from that little book. There's a good simple recipe, by the way, on page 74 for Honey Whole Wheat Bread that I used to make nearly every week. One loaf. Can definitely recommend. In fact, that recipe is why I kept the book for the past 40 years! Now, if only my tiny local grocery would carry whole wheat flour, I'd make it again right away!
I have found myself finally learning that buying in bulk isn't always best for my household. Worchestershire sauce might be half the price per ounce at Sam's Club but that doesn't matter if you end up throwing away a 1.5 bottles of it when it expires.
My parents had an appliance store back in the 70's. When microwaves came out we held demos at the fair to show people how to cook entire meals in them. People lined up for long distances to watch a microwave operate. It was high tech stuff! One of the earliest microwaves was the Litton brand and the company had their own home economists that would travel to hold microwave cooking classes in appliance stores. Microwaves were very expensive, the cheapest one in the beginning was close to $400 and they were flying off the shelves. Plus, whenever you bought one if you needed extra help operating it those Litton ladies would come to YOUR HOUSE and give you one on one help lol. The old days! Our Litton lady was the sister of Dallas Cowboy Robert Newhouse.
That’s actually really cool, thank you for sharing this story!! I’m gonna have to google this now! (also for some reason it reminded me of the film “The fuller brush girl” which definitely needs a re-watch!)
I enjoy these recipes and will check my cookbook shelf to see if I have this one. I usually go online to find easy recipes, but I am a "Touch the book person." Wishing you a speedy recovery and look forward to more videos.
Can't even remember the last time I used my full size oven, my toaster oven is my everything! I live in a small household as well. I've broiled burgers, baked turkey tenderloins, baked lasagna, roasted veggies, baked brownies, toasted English muffins, etc. It's the best and most efficient appliance in my home.
I love that your zucchini was less than esthetically perfect, it’s so real! We all sometimes have to deal with what the grocery store has 😅 You are not a “pro” cooking show with everything all impossibly beautiful and it’s so much more engaging. Best wishes for a good recovery!
When I left home in the early 70s, I had a waffle maker with reversible plates, a 12" cast iron skillet and a couple of pots. I had no cookbooks, so I bought this book as my first one. Then I added a few of those little cookbooks that were located at the checkout and taufgt myself how to cook. In 2024, I still have those books plus over 100 more.` Thank you, Anna, for your channel!
I have a huge Cuisinart toaster oven that I use every day for everything. I can put a 13x9 pan it. It doesn't heat the house up like the big gas oven does. I love it
I am so glad I came across this channel. I love going through my mom's old cookbooks and trying out some of the recipes. Since watching your channel I have collected several Better Homes and Gardens books. Mom was more of a Betty Crocker girl. I just keep adding to my collection with the books you use.
We made the zucchini with stuffed pepper type filling top with parm and mozz. I also learned to make zucchini stew.chop zukes, onions, peppers tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning.the magic is pepperoni, yes pepperoni. Simmer until tender and top with cheeses.
My mother used to make the stuff zucchini but she would bake it. She’d also prep it before going to work. Then one of my siblings or I would pop it in the oven before my parents got home from work.
My mom made a recipe called “zucchini florentine” and it was baked. It had stove top stuffing mix as one of the ingredients, and ohhh, was it crispy when it came out of the oven. It was (as you said) prepped in the morning and put into the fridge for later. She did steam the zucchini briefly in the microwave if I recall, and mixed up the stuffing mix and zucchini pulp together to add to the zucchini boats. It took maybe 20 minutes. We could take them out of the fridge, add shredded cheese, and put them in the oven so they’d be ready for dinner. TBH, I think I firmly believed that absolutely everything cooked at 350°F when I was younger, so I never knew why there was a dial to change the oven temp until high school. 🤷🏻♀️
It's nice to divide coffee cake dough and strusel topping, so there's a ribbon inside and a topping. My Mom did her coffee cakes that way for the ladies in coffee claych.
Hi Anna! Thank you so much for featuring recipes for two. I love cooking, but sometimes, having so many leftovers makes me cray cray!🙃 Take it easy! We the Cooking the Books Nation wish you a speedy recovery! ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Never saw zucchini done that way... chop pulp, dice 1 roma tomato, 6 or 7 blackolives, 1/2 onion, mince 1 clove garlic, 1/4 c each parm and breadcrumbs, 1/2 c italian dressing, mix, stuff zucchini... top with mozz, bake 30 minutes at 350. Coffee cake looks awesome! I love my small corning ware and toaster oven! I'm thinking a dollop or two of apple pie filling on that bad boy! 🙂
I also love coffee cakes, and have that same casserole dish! Done deal, i have to make now:) I hope your feeling well Anna and make an awesome recovery!
To glue a page back into a book: Cover both adjoining pages with wax paper (might weigh or clip down). Using a toothpick add small amounts of Elmer type glue down the seam. Put page back in and close the book. Allow to dry.
I think I would have taken half of the streusel topping and swirled it into the batter, and then place the remaining half on top of the batter. Great recipes, as usual. 😊
Anna, I love your videos. ❤ I wish you were my neighbor, and I covet your lighted mixer every time you use it. The meatball recipe made me chuckle; I am a newlywed of the 70s and there was a hilarious popular commercial out then about a housewife making a GIANT meatball - I think the commercial was for an antacid or PeptoBismol. Anyway, my favorite cookbooks were the Better Homes and Gardens books. I loved them and their recipes were very reliable. Thanks for all your work.
I was lucky to find a never used electric skillet from the 1970s and it makes the best cakes - everything from coffee cake to pineapple upside down cake to cheesecake. Even the brownies turned out great. It's so nice to make a baked dessert without having to use a full sized oven, especially on hot days. Can't wait to try the streusel coffee cake recipe in it!
Everything looks yummy. I also am cooking for two. So I started getting two pound packages of ground beef or steak and repackaging them into 4 or 5 smaller ones. I flatten them out so they thaw a lot quicker. I am getting enthused for trying new recipes. Like I made potato soup for the first time.
Such a trip to my childhood! That zucchini recipe looks so good, and yes, baked sounds good 🙂 Omg, those meatballs! I can practically taste them! Super cool coffee cake! I live alone and I almost exclusively use my toaster oven for all baked / roasted / broiled things. It’s big enough to accommodate a frozen pizza and easily fits all my 9x13 pans too. Plus my house doesn’t get so hot in the summer! Toaster ovens rule! Everything here so made me think of the late 70s, being in elementary school, mid-September in the evening. I felt like I could smell everything you made and the feeling of a bit too warm house from an upper-midwest September back then, with open windows bringing a cooler air in, so many memories from this! Thank you, Anna and I hope you’re well and being kind to yourself! 😌✨
I’m 68 and live alone so I know exactly what you’re talking about when it comes to recipes being way too much. I will definitely try that coffee cake!😃
Coincidentally I made stuffed zucchini for two last night. I used a ground turkey filling and baked it in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes. It was really good though the zucchini was a little too hard. I think these two techniques should be combined as you said in the video. Next time I will steam the empty zucchini boats on the stove, then fill them and bake them in the oven, maybe at 350 instead of 400. I like all of your videos and this one was timed just right!
Love your vid!! 💞💞💞 We had a cardinal across the street, so I had my man bring up the song they sing on his phone, it came over to our side of the street!! I never seen one except in a pic so it was so neat to see it in real life. It wasn't plump like on Christmas cards. But it was so cool.
I've made zucchini boats for a luncheon with friends/ retirees. I served soup, then zucchini boats, chicken thighs & salad as main course. Recipe I used had taco meat type filling and parmesan cheese & crumb topping made in the oven.
Hip surgery tales 2 weeks to feel normal. I had total hip replacement 10 months ago. Arthritis destroyed my hip. Diet has ot to do with hip pain. I am still recovering. Physical therapy is a must for the first 6 months. Hope you re over quickly
Anna, I love your channel, I somehow accidentally discovered it but you're style speaks to my heart. Have a good recovery and do whatever physical therapy you're assigned from seeing several friends have hip and knee surgeries I learned that the ones that recover best are the ones that do all of their physical therapy
I'm glad you're happy with the toaster oven results. I'm solo and often make smaller batches, so I use my toaster over way more than my giant oven. My go-to dish 6×8 was in use today so I just used my 4×8 loaf pan for my shepherds pie.... worked amazingly.
Yes!!! I’m in a small household as well! (Just me my boyfriend and my now my brother) and I’m still finding I’m playing the left over game once or twice a week! It’s so hard to just make enough for 1 to 3 people 😂
I have learned several ways to make coffee cake, my favorite is making the cake part first and then putting it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning I will make the topping using melted butter and oats with the brown sugar. This will actually sink into the cake while baking it. That zuccini recipe looks delicious, I have always loved zuccini cooked, baked, or boiled. Have a great day
I love stuffed zucchini and squash, thankfully my husband does too. I've found tat a small ice cream scoop is perfect for removing the pulp. Thank you for the recipes.
@cooking_the_books Hi Anna 😊 Great video! We love homemade coffee cakes and there are just two of us usually. I have a great toaster oven which will bake that size cake so this is definitely one I want to try. The zucchini recipe sounds delicious! I think I was about 10 years old when my mom found some Campbell's soups with wine. It doesn't seem they were in the stores for very long. I wish Campbell's would bring back the beefsteak tomato soup. Did you ever hear about Heinz Kidney Soup? I cant even imagine eating that! 😝 Awesome news that you're starting to feel better!
We’re empty nesters, so I love that you’re doing small recipes. I collect Cornflower Blue Corning Ware, so will make that coffee cake in it. It’s so hot this Summer, so I set up a little baking station in our garage with my toaster oven. It’s wonderful!
I always cook enough food for at least two meals - thankfully my husband does not mind leftovers and that means I don’t have to cook the next night - that’s the way we meal plan. Have made zucchini boats for years, using the pulp, butter, grated parm and dried breadcrumbs as filling, stuffing the zucchini and shredding more parm on the top. Always baked it in the oven. The olives sound great though - I do love olives! A variation that I do now is to cut the zucchini into 1/4” slices, place on parchment paper on a baking sheet, mix dried Italian breadcrumbs with grated parm and melted butter and spoon that on the zucchini, drizzle with olive oil, shred more parm on the top and bake. It’s easier than making boats and it looks really fancy, lol. Hope you are recovering nicely.
Moment of truth…I do all my baking in my toaster oven. Mine is a bit larger convention one that can fit a 9x13 pan or a 12” pizza. I’ve made everything in there, even bread in a Dutch oven. I would never want go back to the big oven again.
I love that you show us the recipe pages and I might take a screenshot of those so that I can see if there’s other recipes I want to try. Can I just say thank you for NOT trying the sweet and sour liver skewers or sautéed liver And vegetables!!! Though that scotch egg meatloaf recipe,on the next page shows promise.
I was gifted a Betty Crocker cooking for 2 cookbook for my hope chest +50 years ago. Wore it out! Replaced it from ebay. So many tasty recipes that I used and multiplied to fit the family grew. Back to just us and still some of our favorites!
Thank you thank you so much for doing recipes for one or two people. I am single and struggle with making meals for one person. And perfect timing for the zucchini recipe I have it coming out my ears.😂😂
Hi Anna! I just love your videos. I enjoy your sense of humor AND your sense of adventure. Our boys are out of the nest away at college, so cooking for two is my norm and I use our toaster oven almost exclusively for all my baking. It works great! It also doesn’t heat up the whole kitchen. Looking forward to next weeks’ video!❤
Hmm I do like green olives and I like zucchini but...not sure I'd like them together. However, zucchini are so versatile with their mild flavor there are practically endless options of combinations of ingredients to stuff them with! My mom used to stuff zucchini kind of like a green pepper, with ground beef, diced tomatoes, rice and topped with cheese. One summer she planted zucchini in the garden and we had mutant sized zucchini! They were HUGE! We ate a LOT of zucchini that summer. LOL
Hi Anna, Thank you so much for your channel. I often see cookbooks and recipes from my youth on your channel. I have often seen some in my own cupboard. I really enjoyed the two person dishes video you did today. I often am cutting recipes in half or I’m eating it all week. You have sold me on getting a toaster oven. Thanks, I think. Hehe. Thanks again for all you do. I anxiously await your weekly video.
Aaaaa this reminds me of something I used to make back when I was healthier (physically and mentally 😭) I’d hollow out zucchini, chop up mushrooms and black olives, put it in the zucchini shells, add marinara and top with chunks of goat cheese ❤ it was rad, I should make again sometime to remember better days lol
I love that your mixer has a light!!!! These all look yummy! I love cooking in my toaster oven! I live in Texas and mid summer it really helps keep the kitchen cooler! These look so good!
It's the Breville Handy Mix: amzn.to/4ci4MSp Honestly it's the best mixer I've ever owned! In addition to the light it also has a built in timer, so if a recipe says "mix on medium speed for 4 minutes", I don't have to set a kitchen timer or just guess. So cool. I am using my toaster oven more and more!
Anna--microwave cookery had a moment in the seventies slash eighties. I think it would be so fun if you did a microwave cookery episode. Hope your hip is better. I had a hip replacement two weeks ago and I’m rocking it!
YES!! THIS! Actually, I think she may have done this? One year(circa 1983) my Aunt cooked her entire turkey in the microwave for Thanksgiving dinner. Our ancient microwave came with a special tray to cook bacon on. We ate microwaved bacon for years! At that time, our microwave was about the same size as an average tube TV! 😂
I need this cookbook! I live alone. Love this, and hope you’re doing well. Edited-this is the second cookbook you’ve featured that I bought online before the end of the video. Mend well!
@@cooking_the_booksI did! Good ideas even if I tweak them a little bit. Thank you for taking the time and effort to make weekly videos!! (And don’t pay any attention to negative comments. Some people were dropped on their heads when they were babies)
Hi Anna, Just wanted to give you a fun tip in case you didn't already know, coffee cake (and other cakes) freeze very well. Just cut the cake into individual pieces, freeze and pull one out to defrost 20 minutes before you want to enjoy.
Hi Anna. Today is my 73rd birthday 🎂 The little coffee cake will make a cute little birthday cake 🎂
Happy Birthday! ❤
@@jenniferhansen3622 Thank you!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday!!
I married in 1977 and have this cookbook as well as two other Better Homes and Gardens for two and a Betty Crocker for two. As newlyweds we had favorite recipes from each.
I am cooking from them again now that we are empty nesters.
That is great you are getting double use out of them!
Hi Anna and Cooking the book people, child of the 70's here, I am the big 50 this Tue and I live in Ireland, I can tell u we never had any of these dishes in my house growing up, my Dad would have freaked if my mum served baked zucchini he could not cope with lettuce on our mammy summer salad, u so have to do an Irish mammy salad on a programme Anna😊
Happy (early) birthday!!!!!
Hope you have a happy Birthday!! 🌈
@renegadetwinkie3832 thanks, cannot believe I'm 50 still feel and act 21😀
@redrooster1908 thanks for the birthday wishes 😊
I hope you'll have a lovely birthday!
Many happy returns!💐
Oh, and eat lots of cake. It's good for you. 😉🎂
Hope you are on your way to recovering from surgery. I am a new empty nester and cooking for two has been a challenge. This is just what I needed.
My husband passed away in 1997. I still have trouble cooking for one.
I hope that your life continues to be full of wonderful things!!!
Nice! I just made stuffed zucchini last night. I'm swimming in them from the garden. I stuffed them with Italian sausage, rice, peppers, onions and mozzarella.
That sounds good! Can you make pickles out of zucchini?
I wish we were neighbors. Id trade you cookies for zuchini
None of my zucchini came up this year I used to always do the plants the last couple years I've been doing the seeds I've never had an issue till this year none of them came up
@@debbimeyersbrant5752 I'm sorry. I know how disappointing that is.
@@Katy32344 you can but I haven't done it yet because I also have cucumbers coming in. I have been trying to use them as they come in before the dreaded vine borer finds me. I don't have enough space to succession sow in a different place.
Hi Anna! I have a theory about the zucchini recipe. Zucchini is in season during the summer. When that book was printed, it was less common to have air conditioning in homes. They may have designed the recipe to be cooked on the stove so that the house wouldn't get hot by using the oven, which is actually clever. The coffee cake looks delicious! I made an almost identical recipe last weekend. I decided to try something different, and I added in a couple of handfuls of fresh blueberries to the batter. I scattered them on top of the batter and sort of poked them below the top line of the batter, then scattered the streusel on top. It was amazing! Sending prayers and best wishes for your recovery!
Welcome to the life changing discovery of baking things in tiny Corning Ware casserole dishes using a countertop oven! I do it all the time!! It’s perfect for one or two people.
A lot of people are saying that they love the small-batch recipes. I do too since I live alone. Through the years I've collected America's Test Kitchen's cookbooks that cater to small households. Some of their best cookbooks are actually the children's cookbooks. They have recipes for only a dozen cookies and cakes that bake in 8-inch pans, including coffee cakes and chocolate cakes. They also published a huge cookbook called "Cooking for Two" which is great. I use these cookbooks all the time.
I live in a single person household and I agree that it’s better to buy ingredients in the quantity you need for a recipe rather than buying in bulk and wasting food.
Oh, THANK YOU FOR THE LINK TO THE LITTLE SHEET PANS! I've been wanting those since the first time I saw you use them! I have this cookbook in my vintage collection (I'm 69 and started cooking for my family at 12) and consult it often. I have a better one. Betty Crocker's New Dinner for Two Cookbook. Copyright 1964. The photos and tablescapes they use are worth the price of the book! Oh, and about obscure/discontinued ingredients. I frequently run across recipes that call for onion juice. I remember Mom using that. I just finely grate some onion with a microplane. Works just as well.
Seventies was the start of gas shortages and revisiting public awareness of energy conservation for the first time since the war. That’s my answer for using the stovetop instead of heating the entire oven for one 2-serving entree.
My husband just passed away & ome of the hardest things is actually adjusting to cooking for one, 1st of all having the motivation to & 2nd not making so much that I have left overs for days, so I appreciate these, I also watched your small batch cooking, im hoping to try these and get my new routine established
I'm so sorry you lost your husband. I admire the way you're moving forward.
When I was single I found that eating at good local diners was at least as cost-effective as cooking for one; I seemed to waste _a lot_ of food.
I love stuffed zucchini! But it is important to salt the zucchini, and really the best time to salt it is after you scoop out the insides. Salt the hollowed halves and let them drain over a towel. It really improves the texture of the zucchini in the finished product. Salt it, let it rest while you make the filling, then fill it and bake it.
The coffee cake looks heavenly, actually! I think I'll make it soon
My mother gave me this book when I got my first apartment in 1983, and I still have it! I made a bunch of stuff from that little book. There's a good simple recipe, by the way, on page 74 for Honey Whole Wheat Bread that I used to make nearly every week. One loaf. Can definitely recommend. In fact, that recipe is why I kept the book for the past 40 years! Now, if only my tiny local grocery would carry whole wheat flour, I'd make it again right away!
I bet if you ask them, they’ll put it on their order list for you!!
I have found myself finally learning that buying in bulk isn't always best for my household. Worchestershire sauce might be half the price per ounce at Sam's Club but that doesn't matter if you end up throwing away a 1.5 bottles of it when it expires.
I have been in this exact situation with Worcestershire sauce in bulk! 😂
The bluebird moment made my day.😊
Coffee cake for two!!! Thanks for featuring that recipe. Perfect for the occasional treat.
My parents had an appliance store back in the 70's. When microwaves came out we held demos at the fair to show people how to cook entire meals in them. People lined up for long distances to watch a microwave operate. It was high tech stuff! One of the earliest microwaves was the Litton brand and the company had their own home economists that would travel to hold microwave cooking classes in appliance stores. Microwaves were very expensive, the cheapest one in the beginning was close to $400 and they were flying off the shelves. Plus, whenever you bought one if you needed extra help operating it those Litton ladies would come to YOUR HOUSE and give you one on one help lol. The old days! Our Litton lady was the sister of Dallas Cowboy Robert Newhouse.
That’s actually really cool, thank you for sharing this story!! I’m gonna have to google this now! (also for some reason it reminded me of the film “The fuller brush girl” which definitely needs a re-watch!)
I love the two person meals books! Although sometimes I still question the sizes!
I enjoy these recipes and will check my cookbook shelf to see if I have this one. I usually go online to find easy recipes, but I am a "Touch the book person." Wishing you a speedy recovery and look forward to more videos.
Can't even remember the last time I used my full size oven, my toaster oven is my everything! I live in a small household as well. I've broiled burgers, baked turkey tenderloins, baked lasagna, roasted veggies, baked brownies, toasted English muffins, etc. It's the best and most efficient appliance in my home.
Back in the day my mom always just cooked her meatballs in the spaghetti sauce. But I like a bit firmer meatball, so I like to brown them.
I love that your zucchini was less than esthetically perfect, it’s so real! We all sometimes have to deal with what the grocery store has 😅 You are not a “pro” cooking show with everything all impossibly beautiful and it’s so much more engaging.
Best wishes for a good recovery!
That font was very popular in the 80’s…in general, there was a “nouveau” art deco moment in design during the decade :))
When I left home in the early 70s, I had a waffle maker with reversible plates, a 12" cast iron skillet and a couple of pots. I had no cookbooks, so I bought this book as my first one. Then I added a few of those little cookbooks that were located at the checkout and taufgt myself how to cook. In 2024, I still have those books plus over 100 more.` Thank you, Anna, for your channel!
Who knew a grapefruit spoon was a multitasker? Hope you're recuperating well!
Thank you! It's my favorite spoon for digging out pumpkin innards, scooping out the centers of baked potatoes for potato skins, etc. So helpful!
I have a huge Cuisinart toaster oven that I use every day for everything. I can put a 13x9 pan it. It doesn't heat the house up like the big gas oven does. I love it
I became a mother in 1978 I had my son on the first day of Spring 🌼
There is just me and I will try them I am sending them to a friend. We are old a live along.
I am so glad I came across this channel. I love going through my mom's old cookbooks and trying out some of the recipes. Since watching your channel I have collected several Better Homes and Gardens books. Mom was more of a Betty Crocker girl. I just keep adding to my collection with the books you use.
We made the zucchini with stuffed pepper type filling top with parm and mozz. I also learned to make zucchini stew.chop zukes, onions, peppers tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning.the magic is pepperoni, yes pepperoni. Simmer until tender and top with cheeses.
That sounds really good!
My mother used to make the stuff zucchini but she would bake it. She’d also prep it before going to work. Then one of my siblings or I would pop it in the oven before my parents got home from work.
Us latch-key/GenX kids were little chefs. 😁😉
My mom made a recipe called “zucchini florentine” and it was baked. It had stove top stuffing mix as one of the ingredients, and ohhh, was it crispy when it came out of the oven. It was (as you said) prepped in the morning and put into the fridge for later. She did steam the zucchini briefly in the microwave if I recall, and mixed up the stuffing mix and zucchini pulp together to add to the zucchini boats. It took maybe 20 minutes. We could take them out of the fridge, add shredded cheese, and put them in the oven so they’d be ready for dinner. TBH, I think I firmly believed that absolutely everything cooked at 350°F when I was younger, so I never knew why there was a dial to change the oven temp until high school. 🤷🏻♀️
Thanks!
This is so kind, thank you! I appreciate your support. ❤
It's nice to divide coffee cake dough and strusel topping, so there's a ribbon inside and a topping. My Mom did her coffee cakes that way for the ladies in coffee claych.
You could have toasted/broiled the zucchini in the toaster oven.
Hi Anna! Thank you so much for featuring recipes for two. I love cooking, but sometimes, having so many leftovers makes me cray cray!🙃
Take it easy! We the Cooking the Books Nation wish you a speedy recovery! ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Never saw zucchini done that way... chop pulp, dice 1 roma tomato, 6 or 7 blackolives, 1/2 onion, mince 1 clove garlic, 1/4 c each parm and breadcrumbs, 1/2 c italian dressing, mix, stuff zucchini... top with mozz, bake 30 minutes at 350. Coffee cake looks awesome! I love my small corning ware and toaster oven! I'm thinking a dollop or two of apple pie filling on that bad boy! 🙂
I vote for black olives over the sour green stuffed ones any day of the week.
Perfect timing! Im cooking zucchini tonight! Will try this recipe on the grill!
Hope you enjoy!
I also love coffee cakes, and have that same casserole dish!
Done deal, i have to make now:)
I hope your feeling well Anna and make an awesome recovery!
I’m inspired to pull out my Betty Crocker dinner for two book that I’ve not used yet !
To glue a page back into a book: Cover both adjoining pages with wax paper (might weigh or clip down). Using a toothpick add small amounts of Elmer type glue down the seam. Put page back in and close the book. Allow to dry.
we love food and we love the good ol' days. this channel gives us both of those things.
I think I would have taken half of the streusel topping and swirled it into the batter, and then place the remaining half on top of the batter.
Great recipes, as usual. 😊
Anna, I love your videos. ❤ I wish you were my neighbor, and I covet your lighted mixer every time you use it. The meatball recipe made me chuckle; I am a newlywed of the 70s and there was a hilarious popular commercial out then about a housewife making a GIANT meatball - I think the commercial was for an antacid or PeptoBismol. Anyway, my favorite cookbooks were the Better Homes and Gardens books. I loved them and their recipes were very reliable. Thanks for all your work.
I loved this. And such a refreshing presentation on The Tube! I can't wait to see more of your videos. Thanks.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I had those exact same fat mouse bookplates from the mid-80s! Love your channel, and hope your surgery went well!
I was lucky to find a never used electric skillet from the 1970s and it makes the best cakes - everything from coffee cake to pineapple upside down cake to cheesecake. Even the brownies turned out great. It's so nice to make a baked dessert without having to use a full sized oven, especially on hot days. Can't wait to try the streusel coffee cake recipe in it!
Everything looks yummy. I also am cooking for two. So I started getting two pound packages of ground beef or steak and repackaging them into 4 or 5 smaller ones. I flatten them out so they thaw a lot quicker. I am getting enthused for trying new recipes. Like I made potato soup for the first time.
Thank you Anna. I live alone and sometimes want something sweet . Wrote that coffee cake recipe down right away🎉
Such a trip to my childhood! That zucchini recipe looks so good, and yes, baked sounds good 🙂
Omg, those meatballs! I can practically taste them!
Super cool coffee cake! I live alone and I almost exclusively use my toaster oven for all baked / roasted / broiled things. It’s big enough to accommodate a frozen pizza and easily fits all my 9x13 pans too. Plus my house doesn’t get so hot in the summer! Toaster ovens rule!
Everything here so made me think of the late 70s, being in elementary school, mid-September in the evening. I felt like I could smell everything you made and the feeling of a bit too warm house from an upper-midwest September back then, with open windows bringing a cooler air in, so many memories from this!
Thank you, Anna and I hope you’re well and being kind to yourself! 😌✨
I’m 68 and live alone so I know exactly what you’re talking about when it comes to recipes being way too much. I will definitely try that coffee cake!😃
So glad you are able to post this video and answer comments. Take care of yourself.
Would love to see more from this book or others like it. ❤
Coincidentally I made stuffed zucchini for two last night. I used a ground turkey filling and baked it in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes. It was really good though the zucchini was a little too hard. I think these two techniques should be combined as you said in the video. Next time I will steam the empty zucchini boats on the stove, then fill them and bake them in the oven, maybe at 350 instead of 400. I like all of your videos and this one was timed just right!
The 'cake' you made would be super good with some strawberries on top, or other fruit pieces. All 3 recipes sound super good.
Love your vid!! 💞💞💞 We had a cardinal across the street, so I had my man bring up the song they sing on his phone, it came over to our side of the street!! I never seen one except in a pic so it was so neat to see it in real life. It wasn't plump like on Christmas cards. But it was so cool.
I've made zucchini boats for a luncheon with friends/ retirees. I served soup, then zucchini boats, chicken thighs & salad as main course. Recipe I used had taco meat type filling and parmesan cheese & crumb topping made in the oven.
The cake looks really good! I like a good, simple coffee cake ☕
the streusel turned out beautifully.
I was so pleased! 😊
Hip surgery tales 2 weeks to feel normal. I had total hip replacement 10 months ago. Arthritis destroyed my hip. Diet has ot to do with hip pain. I am still recovering. Physical therapy is a must for the first 6 months. Hope you re over quickly
Anna, I love your channel, I somehow accidentally discovered it but you're style speaks to my heart. Have a good recovery and do whatever physical therapy you're assigned from seeing several friends have hip and knee surgeries I learned that the ones that recover best are the ones that do all of their physical therapy
I'm glad you're happy with the toaster oven results. I'm solo and often make smaller batches, so I use my toaster over way more than my giant oven. My go-to dish 6×8 was in use today so I just used my 4×8 loaf pan for my shepherds pie.... worked amazingly.
Yes!!! I’m in a small household as well! (Just me my boyfriend and my now my brother) and I’m still finding I’m playing the left over game once or twice a week! It’s so hard to just make enough for 1 to 3 people 😂
As always, I enjoyed your production. Wishing you a speedy recovery and every happiness.
I have learned several ways to make coffee cake, my favorite is making the cake part first and then putting it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning I will make the topping using melted butter and oats with the brown sugar. This will actually sink into the cake while baking it. That zuccini recipe looks delicious, I have always loved zuccini cooked, baked, or boiled. Have a great day
I love stuffed zucchini and squash, thankfully my husband does too. I've found tat a small ice cream scoop is perfect for removing the pulp. Thank you for the recipes.
@cooking_the_books Hi Anna 😊 Great video! We love homemade coffee cakes and there are just two of us usually. I have a great toaster oven which will bake that size cake so this is definitely one I want to try. The zucchini recipe sounds delicious! I think I was about 10 years old when my mom found some Campbell's soups with wine. It doesn't seem they were in the stores for very long. I wish Campbell's would bring back the beefsteak tomato soup. Did you ever hear about Heinz Kidney Soup? I cant even imagine eating that! 😝
Awesome news that you're starting to feel better!
I made the coffee cake this morning, and it was amazing! It was hard to stop at one little piece.😅 Hope your recovery is going well. ❤
Oh I love that you tried it! I can't wait to make another one once I can start cooking again.
We’re empty nesters, so I love that you’re doing small recipes. I collect Cornflower Blue Corning Ware, so will make that coffee cake in it. It’s so hot this Summer, so I set up a little baking station in our garage with my toaster oven. It’s wonderful!
I always cook enough food for at least two meals - thankfully my husband does not mind leftovers and that means I don’t have to cook the next night - that’s the way we meal plan. Have made zucchini boats for years, using the pulp, butter, grated parm and dried breadcrumbs as filling, stuffing the zucchini and shredding more parm on the top. Always baked it in the oven. The olives sound great though - I do love olives! A variation that I do now is to cut the zucchini into 1/4” slices, place on parchment paper on a baking sheet, mix dried Italian breadcrumbs with grated parm and melted butter and spoon that on the zucchini, drizzle with olive oil, shred more parm on the top and bake. It’s easier than making boats and it looks really fancy, lol. Hope you are recovering nicely.
Im with you on breadcrumbs needing to be toasty!
Wouldn't it be cool to open a vintage restaurant with cheffs trained to cook some of these vintage recipes? Omg!
Moment of truth…I do all my baking in my toaster oven. Mine is a bit larger convention one that can fit a 9x13 pan or a 12” pizza. I’ve made everything in there, even bread in a Dutch oven. I would never want go back to the big oven again.
I love that you show us the recipe pages and I might take a screenshot of those so that I can see if there’s other recipes I want to try. Can I just say thank you for NOT trying the sweet and sour liver skewers or sautéed liver And vegetables!!! Though that scotch egg meatloaf recipe,on the next page shows promise.
Major props to u for doing all this in the first week after surgery I wouldn't be doing all that
Oh I didn't do this the first week after surgery. This video was filmed weeks ago. No way could I pull this off right now!
@@cooking_the_books well props to you anyways and a speedy, healthy recovery to you as well.
Remembering now that u said u were filming extra before
What a great idea for using old ketchup packets!
I was gifted a Betty Crocker cooking for 2 cookbook for my hope chest +50 years ago. Wore it out! Replaced it from ebay. So many tasty recipes that I used and multiplied to fit the family grew. Back to just us and still some of our favorites!
Thank you thank you so much for doing recipes for one or two people. I am single and struggle with making meals for one person. And perfect timing for the zucchini recipe I have it coming out my ears.😂😂
Thank you for always including the recipes.
Once again you reminded me of my childhood… I grew up with that casserole dish you used for the coffee cake! Thanks for another great video. ❤
So jealous of your weather!
I love the dish you baked the cake in! I have a small set of those. I also LOVE using my toaster oven! Great Video!
OMG Anna! That looks just like a Hostess Crumb Cake from the 70's! My favorite!
Just 2 people here- I’m growing zucchini and was happy to see something different- I will definitely broil it
Love the recipes for one or two!!!! It’s hard to downsize from cooking for a crowd!!!
Hi Anna! I just love your videos. I enjoy your sense of humor AND your sense of adventure. Our boys are out of the nest away at college, so cooking for two is my norm and I use our toaster oven almost exclusively for all my baking. It works great! It also doesn’t heat up the whole kitchen. Looking forward to next weeks’ video!❤
Hmm I do like green olives and I like zucchini but...not sure I'd like them together. However, zucchini are so versatile with their mild flavor there are practically endless options of combinations of ingredients to stuff them with! My mom used to stuff zucchini kind of like a green pepper, with ground beef, diced tomatoes, rice and topped with cheese. One summer she planted zucchini in the garden and we had mutant sized zucchini! They were HUGE! We ate a LOT of zucchini that summer. LOL
Hi Anna, Thank you so much for your channel. I often see cookbooks and recipes from my youth on your channel. I have often seen some in my own cupboard. I really enjoyed the two person dishes video you did today. I often am cutting recipes in half or I’m eating it all week. You have sold me on getting a toaster oven. Thanks, I think. Hehe. Thanks again for all you do. I anxiously await your weekly video.
Astonishing to hear you say you get take-out food. I always imagine you cooking elaborate meals at home.
Aaaaa this reminds me of something I used to make back when I was healthier (physically and mentally 😭)
I’d hollow out zucchini, chop up mushrooms and black olives, put it in the zucchini shells, add marinara and top with chunks of goat cheese ❤ it was rad, I should make again sometime to remember better days lol
I got this cookbook when I first got married. Loved the recipes in it. Hope your recovery is going well.
I love that your mixer has a light!!!! These all look yummy!
I love cooking in my toaster oven! I live in Texas and mid summer it really helps keep the kitchen cooler! These look so good!
It's the Breville Handy Mix: amzn.to/4ci4MSp
Honestly it's the best mixer I've ever owned! In addition to the light it also has a built in timer, so if a recipe says "mix on medium speed for 4 minutes", I don't have to set a kitchen timer or just guess. So cool.
I am using my toaster oven more and more!
Anna--microwave cookery had a moment in the seventies slash eighties. I think it would be so fun if you did a microwave cookery episode. Hope your hip is better. I had a hip replacement two weeks ago and I’m rocking it!
YES!! THIS! Actually, I think she may have done this? One year(circa 1983) my Aunt cooked her entire turkey in the microwave for Thanksgiving dinner. Our ancient microwave came with a special tray to cook bacon on. We ate microwaved bacon for years! At that time, our microwave was about the same size as an average tube TV! 😂
The zucchini looks delicious but my mind can’t stop thinking it’s a cucumber 😂
Definitely going to make it though!
Ty for your videos. ❤. Hope you’re feeling good. 👍
I have this exact book but don't recall ever using any of the recipes.
I need this cookbook! I live alone. Love this, and hope you’re doing well. Edited-this is the second cookbook you’ve featured that I bought online before the end of the video. Mend well!
I'm really glad I found your channel love vintage and cooking !
Yay! There’s an Anna video!! I live in a household with two people also! This will be great!! 👍🏼
I hope you find it helpful! ❤
@@cooking_the_booksI did! Good ideas even if I tweak them a little bit. Thank you for taking the time and effort to make weekly videos!! (And don’t pay any attention to negative comments. Some people were dropped on their heads when they were babies)
Hi Anna,
Just wanted to give you a fun tip in case you didn't already know, coffee cake (and other cakes) freeze very well.
Just cut the cake into individual pieces, freeze and pull one out to defrost 20 minutes before you want to enjoy.