December 20, 2007

My gal pal Val

We didn’t have much money when I was growing up. My mom was very frugal with whatever money was available, but the important things got taken care of. My folks believed everyone should have a good mattress and good shoes, so they never went low-budget on those things. With four kids, all in glasses and three with braces on their teeth, though, there just wasn’t much “extra” to go around. Still, I don’t remember knowing we were “poor” when we were quite young, probably because we always had fun stuff to do and didn’t know we were missing anything. I was thinking about that when I browsed through Fun, Crafts and Recipes to put together a review for my friend Val. I remember making our own paste with flour and water, and I remember we always had a good supply of “Play Dough,” long before Hasboro or whoever it was started selling the stuff. Bubbles were probably a nickel a bottle back then, but Mom wasn’t going to spend that nickel (times four) when the ingredients were close to hand. Looking through the Val’s craft ideas turned into a nostalgia trip for me, because she’s got instructions for many of the things Mom made, and that you can still make with your kids (it’s so much more fun when you do it together!)

Where Val really shines, though, is with her cooking recipes. I copied her slow-cooked California Tamale Pie recipe and have it on my kitchen bulletin board so I’ll remember to get the ingredients. I can’t imagine why someone would spoil such a fine recipe with black olives (I guess that’s the “California part of the dish) but I’ll adapt it to my tastes because it sounds heavenly! Many of Val’s recipes are the comfort foods you’ve known since childhood, like onion soup and pound cake, but some have been updated to reflect the ingredients in our modern pantry and the appliances we rely on these days (like slow-cookers.) I guarantee you’ll find something there that will send you on a stroll down memory lane!

I can’t talk about Fun, Crafts and Recipes without mentioning two special features. Val’s first-ever contest is going on right now. I’ve entered (several times, in fact) and you’re going to want to do the same. The prize is a copy of Dad’s Own Cookbook, which is marketed as being for beginners. Don’t believe it! Yes, it looks like a great primer for new cooks, but it’s also chock-full of basic recipes you might not have handy through other sources. If I don’t win I’ll be buying a copy of my own.

Val’s other special feature is Four Foods on Friday. You’ve probably seen that on my blog. Each week Val poses four questions. Her readers answer in a post on their own blog, then Val synopsizes the entries on Fridays. It’s a fun meme for everyone who eats - that’s you, right? Go play, then browse around Fun, Crafts and Recipes. You’ll find some good stuff there - you have my solemn promise!

Technorati Tags: blogs, contests, crafts, recipes