While I was away late January/first 2 weeks of February, I got a message from my co-host Donna asking if I had a copy of that old classic: The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, that she could borrow. I knew I had bought a copy once upon a time (as part of my longstanding yearning for creating a Hippy Dream Fantasy Life (HDFL)* but I couldn’t remember if it had made the cut when I was packing to move to Vancouver Island or not. Well, when I got back home I went straight to the living room book case and yep, there it was! (Of course it had made the cut, being integral – in my mind – to the HDFL! 😁)
By this time, Donna was able to source the cookbook from another friend so it was no longer needed but I decided to flip through it anyways, just for old time’s sake. I couldn’t for the life of me remember a single recipe I had actually cooked out of this book and I couldn’t find any of my scribblings on any of the recipe pages either. Huh? This must be corrected!
I found a recipe that sounded good and – after asking Donna if it was OK that I cooked out of the same cookbook as she had done (it was) and checking that I had all most of the ingredients – I set to work!
I decided to check on the loaf at the 1 hour mark, because 90 minutes seemed like an awfully long time at 350 degrees. I was very glad I did. Sorry Molly, but I think something must have been wrong with your oven when you made this.
Changes I made to this recipe: I used gluten-free flour, so my daughter could enjoy it as well. I only had slivered almonds in-house, and not enough, so I improvised by completing the almond quotient with some almond meal. As noted, I cut the baking time down to 1 hour.
So, what’s on your plate this month? Have you ever revisited an old cookbook and wondered why you haven’t actually cooked out of it, or cooked MORE out of it? Please join myself and Donna in this month’s challenge and let us know in the Comments or the Link Party, below.
Rock on,
The WB
*Hippy Dream Fantasy Life: a term I coined to express my longing for a life that is slower, richer, more artistic and meaningful than the one I was currently living. It is not historically accurate as it encompasses a lot of things I found meaningful not just in the actual hippy time (mid to late 60s) but also the 70s. So don’t come for me, historians. I was just a tad too young to be a hippy in the 60s (to my parents’ everlasting relief) but NOW I am working on making that dream a reality. Fantasy life no more? I think so!
That sounds fabulous!
Thank you, Rivergirl 💕. It was!
First and foremost, Hippy Dream Fantasy Life is something I aspire to as well! It’s wonderful to find others who share my feelings.
Second, I enjoy sweet but not overly sweet foods. I used to enjoy all the sweets, but as I get older, I notice that this is changing. So this recipe seems to be perfect. I’m sure your kitchen smelled wonderful.
That bread sounds like something I would love!
I’m glad I made it. I much prefer something like this to something like cake. Goes well with coffee – just sayin’ 😉. Thanks, Kate 💕
It sounds so yummy!
It was! Next time I would check on it at 45-50 minutes. It was in the oven a squidge (technical term 😉) too long, for my taste. Thanks, Deborah 💕
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That bread looks amazing!
I really enjoyed it and will make it again. (Well, Donna kinda told me I had to give her a piece 🤣, so there’s that.) Thanks, Jean 💕
I saw this comment — and it’s totally true. I know that Richard will want a piece too. It sounds like a cake that we would both really enjoy.
Oh, and I cannot wait to hear more about your Hippy Dream Fantasy Life. There’s so much to catch up on – and this dastardly snow has been totally interfering!
We’ll have lots of chances to discuss the HDFL (which I feel I am already living, BTW) tomorrow or the next day! Woohoo!!!! Thanks, Donna 💕
Before I got to the second last line in your description of the HDFL, I was thinking, “That’s what I aspire to in my retirement.” I love cooking & I love eating; I’m not sure which comes first. I culled my cookbooks a few years ago & vowed not to bring any new ones into the house. I get menu inspiration from magazines & tv cooking shows. I recently pulled out the local hospital auxiliary compilation cookbook from 2007. For the most part, these are basic tried & true recipes. I made the casserole cabbage rolls using up the cabbage languishing in the produce drawer. Someone’s recipe for banana bread suggested – the trick is to add banana last. The result was a “cakier” texture vs the dense version I’ve been making. Wouldn’t mind a bite of your apricot loaf.
Add bananas last? Genius! Cabbage roll casserole is a tried and true that I make at least once per year…so yummy! Thank you 💕
That bread looks amazing! Very fruity as well!
Hmmm I might need a list of things for you to bring (and yes, I mean make/bake 😂 ) next time you visit 😉 that includes more than just Bowser! 🐾 💕
I would love to bring this bread and whatever else you’d like for my next visit! Thanks, Sis 💕
That cookbook (and its handwritten recipes) looks so familiar. I once owned all the Hippy Dippy books of the era so I wouldn’t be surprised. Your bread looks wonderful and that colorful picture of you is marvelous. Btw, is that an electric stovetop or an induction (we are thinking about getting an induction)?
It is an electric stovetop, Janis. I had an induction stove back in Ontario and I just loved it. My friends told me it died a few months after the warranty was up so I was scared to get another. Not that it means this one won’t suddenly die either…all these stoves are so tech-y now that the motherboard could go at any time I guess. Thank you very much 💕
Oh dear I just answered your question about an old cookbook on Donna’s post. That being said, I like what you made. Apricots are one of my favorite fruits, in anything.
I’ll head over there and check it out! Thanks, Ally 💕 I love apricots too, in anything!
That bread looks great to me! We have TONS of cookbooks, plus old Gourmet and Cook’s Illustrated magazines. I periodically find one and look to see what I missed, but I need to be more disciplined. We tend to stick with tried and true.
Same, girl. Same! I need to set myself a challenge to cook more out of my existing cookbooks. Tried and true is easy and tasty. Thanks, Donna 💕
Hi Deb, I had never heard of this cookbook until Donna mentioned it. I’ve since taken a look and there are a few recipes I would like to try. Your Apricot Almond Bread sounds delicious and I will definitely be making this one. Love your hair colour which would fit nicely with your Hippy Dream Fantasy Life. Thanks for hosting #WOYP and have a beautiful week. xx
The hair colour is temporary – shampoos out after a couple of weeks. I like it as it fades. Thank you very much, Sue 💕 I hope the bread turns out well for you.
I have the same HDFL, but mine is based on River Cottage. My daughter reckons it would last until the wine ran out and it was raining too hard to go up the dirt track to buy more. Having said that, I’m also a book scribbler & that loaf looks good.
The HDFL is eternal – tell your daughter that 😉. Who knows, in your HDFL you could be making your own wine from your own grapes and never run out. Thanks, Jo 💕
This sounds like a real winner Deb! Thanks for the smiles as I read through your post and for amending the cooking time required – you would have been very cross if it had been overcooked.
Yes, I would have been! I figure either the oven temp or the time was written down wrong because I have never heard of a loaf that took 1.5 hrs at 350F to finish. Thanks, Debbie 💕
I love that you are making the Fantasy life, reality life! Go you!!
This sounds right up my alley too as I don’t like anything too sweet, but I love almonds. (actually, all nuts!)
I have lots of old cookbooks, but I’ve not cracked one open in a long time. I blame the internet!
Yeah, I blame the internet too. It’s too easy to call up a recipe on the iPad and head into the kitchen. 🤷♀️ Thanks, Suz 💕
I make a spice bread with apricots but only at Christmas. Now, why is that?? Oh, it’s too good and I eat too much of it.
As to cook books. I write on all recipes I make, plus I have 2 binders (one is tried and true, and one is new ones to try). I love my Whitewater Cooks series and Feast. Both are Canadian. I also refer to Jamie Oliver’s 5 ingredients one often as they are good for when the pantry is low! I Bake with Anna Olson sees lots of use as well.
Great suggestions of cookbooks to look at/for! Thanks, Bernie 💕 I keep telling myself I am going to make a binder of my tried and true recipes but it hasn’t happened yet.
I did that year one of retirement. First winter. It had been a mess for eons. I need to look at the to try ones again.
That’s not a cookbook I’ve heard of over on this side of the pond, but I love the name! I wonder if the recipe was designed before the advent of fan ovens, as I find I’ve had to dramatically shorten the length of recipes in older cookbooks if I use one. The other option was to ask if gluten-free flour requires a shorter cooking time? Either way, it looks absolutely yummy 🙂
In my experience GF flour is handled exactly like regular flour, including baking times. You could be right about convection ovens. Thanks, Debs 💕
Ugh, it seems to have eaten my comment (bet it wasn’t as tasty as your baking!).
Take two…I have copied the recipe because I reckon if I swap out the butter for apple sauce it can be both gluten and dairy free (for my son).
More importantly, I’m going to be in Vancouver this year (family holiday)! No idea if you are keen to meet in person or if timing and logistics would allow, but thought I would throw it out there. Was going to email you but seem to have misplaced your email addy. Oh my gosh, we are so excited!!! 🙂
That IS exciting, AJ! Let me know the timing please…theWB@widowbadass.com . Thanks 💕
Looks absolutely delicious!!!
I’ve read that when baking in a glass container, the temp can be increased by as much as 25 degrees because glass conducts heat so much better than metal. 😉 But 1.5 hrs. seems outrageous!
I’m tempted to give this recipe a try. Let’s see if I like it as much as I do “your” oatmeal muffins I keep making!
What did you use for your hair? I’ve lost the info you’d sent me, and wanted to check available colours… thanks in advance! 💕
I buy my hair colours from an online company called Overtone. I think you will like this recipe if you love the apricot oatmeal muffin recipe, Del. Thanks 💕
Thank you! I’ve checked it out but am debating colour… Dried apricots are on my grocery list this week!
Excellent! 😁
Hi Deb – the apricot and almond loaf looks delicious – very appropriate for this time of year and lots of butter! Sadly – my mother’s recipes got chucked out by the purchaser of her Care Home without asking me. I am and was very irritated by his selfishness. This Moose cookbook sounds fascinating … cheers Hilary
Oh no! Who would do such a thing?!?!? Someone who doesn’t cook, obviously. So sorry this happened to you, Hilary 💕
Thanks a bit complicated … but c’est la vie … the owner and the cook – who is a very salt of the earth woman – the owner is the wrong ‘un – sad but too bad now – cheers and thanks for your comment – I can’t like you (as you know) this … xo
Ooo I love apricot and almond combos so I will be trying this one out. I also like the idea of nurturing some hippy lifestyle habits, especially as I’m sure that would really embarrass the kids 😂
Yes, by all means let’s embarrass the kids!!! 🤣 Thanks, Janine 💕