Fundraising cookbook from St. Anthonys Home among treasures

A box of seemingly useless "stuff" procured for small change at a recent auction actually contained valuable treasures for anyone excited about old cookbooks.
One of the cookbooks was of Moose Jaw origin, Recipes Old and New, published by the former St. Anthony's Home.
The year of publication is uncertain but historical notes refer to a 1983 meeting between the governing board of St. Anthony's and the Providence Hospital and the Council of the Sisters of Providence. The topic: the shortage of Sisters to continue operation of the two facilities.
Recipes for the book were submitted by various community members, most of them associated in some way, as volunteers or staff, or as family members of the residents.
Assistance with the publication came from such advertisements as F.J. Reidy and Associates, The Lighthouse, His and Hers Leather & Suede, Sonic Supplies, Service Drug Store, Heritage Inn, Hesson Travel, Silver Dragon Restaurant, Blackwell's Furniture, Photography by Klaus Bohn, Images & Frames, Canada Packers and Dowie's Stationery.
While the home was in operation, the auxiliary held many fundraising teas and socials, and included in the book are recipes for cooking in quantity: tea sandwiches and dainties for 300 people, salads for 175, and suppers for 100 to 250 guests.
Today's recipes come from pages of Recipes Old and New.
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Ham-Stuffed Mushrooms
24 whole fresh mushrooms
2 tbsps. finely-chopped onion
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup diced, fully-cooked ham
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
Remove stems from mushrooms. Chop stems and cook with onion in 1 tbsp. butter until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in ham and parmesan cheese and set aside.
In small saucepan, melt 1 tbsp. butter. Stir in flour and salt. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in ham mixture.
Fill mushroom caps with mixture and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Place stuffed mushrooms into greased, shallow baking pan. Bake at 425 degrees F for 8-12 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
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Sweet Pickles
20 cucumbers
8 cups white sugar
4 cups vinegar
5 tsps. salt
2 tbsps. mixed pickling spices
1 tbsp. turmeric
Wash cucumbers. Cover whole cucumbers with boiling water for four days. Drain water each day and replace with fresh boiled water. Keep in a cool place during this time.
On the fifth day, drain. Dry each cucumber. Slice.
Combine brine ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over cut up cucumbers. Leave for two days.
On third day, drain syrup into container and bring to a boil. Pack cucumber pieces into clean, sterilized jars. Cover with syrup and seal.
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Lemon Cheddar Salad
3 oz. lemon jelly powder
1 cup boiling water
14 oz. can crushed pineapple and juice
1 cup whipping cream or 1 envelope of topping
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Combine jelly powder and boiling water and stir to dissolve. Stir in pineapple and juice. Chill until of egg white consistency. Whip cream until stiff. Fold into thickened jelly. Fold in grated cheese. Pour into your prettiest bowl. Chill. Garnish with orange slices. For a variation, 1 cup of small marshmallows could be added with whipped cream and cheese.
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Potato Supper
1 can condensed mushroom soup
5-6 medium potatoes
2 small onions
6 slices bacon
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Cut potatoes into small pieces into a greased casserole. Slice onions on top and pour soup over.
Add milk and salt and pepper. Place bacon strips all over top. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degrees F oven.
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Gopher Hill Cake
1 cup dates, cut fine
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 tsp. soda
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup margarine
2 tsps. cocoa
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 pkg. chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts
Soak dates in boiling water and soda. Cool. Mix sugar and margarine. Add cocoa, eggs and flour. Mix well. Add date mixture and mix. Place in a 9x13 inch pan.
Cover with the topping mixture. Bake at 325 degrees F for 50 minutes.
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Pineapple Pie
1 graham wafer crust
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup icing sugar
Filling:
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsps. sugar
Mix butter, egg and icing sugar and spread over crumbs. Chill.
Whip cream. Add sugar, vanilla and pineapple. Spread over base. Chill for several hours.
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Thought for the day: "Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." - Oscar Wilde

Joyce Walter can be reached at 691-1259