My Mom's Old Time Life Cookbooks

When I was a kid, my mom belonged to the Time-Life Foods of the World Cookbook Club. It was so cool...

To set the stage a bit, this was pre-internet and there was no cable TV or VCRs, and as far as video games go, well 'Pong' had not yet been invented. I know, I know, it sounds like a long time ago. But, it really was just like it is now - imagine that your cell phone has been stolen and your cable and WiFi are turned off. It was just like that!

So, imagine how excited I was every month when these great books showed up! Every month there was a book about a different country or region with lots of pictures and information and recipes!

This post was written as part of Weekend Cooking, a weekly meme hosted by Beth at Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to head over to Beth Fish Reads, grab the button, and link up anytime over the weekend.  (The button is on your right...)

When the "Russia" book showed up I remember I spent a long time drooling over the cover picture of Pysanky eggs. Here is how Wiki describes them, including a pic from the article: "Pysanky –from pysaty (писати), "to write"– are raw eggs created with the wax-resist method (batik). The designs are "written" in hot wax with a stylus or a pin-head. Wooden eggs and beaded eggs are often referred to as "pysanky" because they mimic the decorative style of pysanky in a different medium." I was DYING to make them.

When the Provincial France book showed up, I actually DID make a souffle!

When the Vienna issue came, I studied all the different types of cakes and pastries, right out of Alice's tea party. I was particularly interested - and still am to this day, as a matter of fact - in old wooden molds that they showed that are/were used to make cakes and cookies with raised pictures on them. I have since found out that these are called 'springerle' molds. I found a fellow blogger that did a posting on them, along with lots of VERY COOL pictures...pls check it out! http://bakeryboyblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/springerle-cookie-molds/

Below are some pics of some random used books from the collection that are for sale on Amazon. I believe those are Japan, France, and the Middle East. Next to it is a button to buy one of the three entire sets that they have. To be honest with you, I am enjoying trying to put a set together little by little by finding the books here and there at thrift stores, etc.  

Does anyone else remember these from 'back in the day?'