Saga of the Sanpitch Volume 13, 1981 - Sanpete County

26 Merrill D. Beal, p. 78.
27 Noyes Diary, Sept. 22, 1902, p. 405.
28 Ibid., April 16, 1903, p. 436.
29 Merrill D. Beal, pp. 94-95.
30 Noyes Diary, Jan. 23, 1899, p. 132.
THE BUCKEYE COOK BOOK, A BRIDGE TO YESTERDAY
Pamela Jensen
Sterling, Utah 84665
Non-Professional Division, First Honorable Mention Historical Essay
After the death of a loved one, it becomes eventually necessary to sort through the things left behind.
A friend was proceeding with this task one afternoon when she found the Buckeye Cook Book. A thick, white
volume, it became immediately apparent that here was something beyond price.
There was no date in the recipe book, as the title page was gone. It contained, however, recipes in the
handwriting of a grandmother, Maren Hansen, of Manti. Mrs. Hansen was born in Denmark in 1833 and died
in Manti in 1885. During the last years of her life, she wrote with a shaky hand, but her recipes in the Buckeye
Cook Book were firmly written. A reasonable assumption is that when Maren Hansen emigrated to America in
1862, she purchased the volume in the east and brought it west. The book had possibly been in print some
time before this acquisition because the illustrations have a mid-nineteenth century flavour.
Utensils represented include sad irons, milk strainers, fireplace kettles, and "one boiler for clothes,
holding six gallon, with copper bottom of all copper."
Actually, the 1,276 pages in the recipe book contain an unbelievable concentration of information.
There are, of course, recipes, but in addition chapters are offered on the arts of marketing, taking care of the
sick, dressmaking, grooming, menu-planning, party-giving, the cutting and curing of meats (which I am
copying for my personal benefit), care of "the celler and the icehouse," and a wonderful hodge-podge called
"miscellaneous." Here are a few samples from the miscellaneous section:
To prevent hinges from creaking,—Rub with a feather dipped in oil.
To prevent pails from shrinking,—Saturate pails and tubs with glycerin and they will not shrink.
(Assuming they are made from wood.)
Lost Children,—Label children's hats with the name and place of residence so that, if lost, they may be
easily returned.
To Temper Lamp Chimneys,—Lamp chimneys and glass-ware are made less liable to brake by putting in
cold water, bringing slowly to a boiling point, boiling for an hour, and allowing to cool before removing.
A Cheap carpet,—Make a covering for the floor from the cheapest cotton cloth. Tack it down like a
carpet, paper it as you would a wall, using a paper with designs and figures. Let it dry, varnish with two coats
of varnish, and with reasonable usage it will last two years.
Cranberries—Keep under water, in cellar, change water monthly.
Money—Count carefully when you receive change.
Bedbugs—Destroy with quicksilver and white of an egg.
Youth is best preserved by a cheerful temper.
Zinc-lined sinks are better than wooden ones.
Regulate your clock by your husband's watch.
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