Published: October 20, 2009 09:40 pm         

One's trash may be another's greatest treasure

Is it trash or treasure? Think about it.

We asked ourselves that when we went through Daddy’s things after his death. What a job it was, but what a joy to remember. Everything had a story, memory or historical value. Some of it was trash, but to us it was treasures.

We went through all those boxes, shelves and closets with a fine-tooth comb because every nook and cranny held another surprise. We found wonderful sayings scribbled on papers used for book marks. We found Sunday school lessons, hand written on table napkins to hold the place in his Bible where he studied lessons for his class. It took much longer than we anticipated because we did not want to overlook any treasures.

We found pictures we had never seen before. Many of them had no names, so we just had to guess who it was. We found Grandma’s diaries and journals from the days of settling Oklahoma. She de-scribed some of the hardships and joys of coming to this country.

We found newspaper clippings of early Oklahoma, funerals, births, weddings and interesting events. We decided to read them and pass them around before we donated them to a museum, where they eventually ended up.

More and more, I realize keeping everything comes naturally to me because of my heritage. The apple didn’t fall far from that tree. Daddy was a “saver,” too. Some of the things he probably thought were special to him, we could go out and buy. The things that were priceless to us kids were the little thoughts and remarks he jotted down.

Daddy was well organized with deeds, abstracts and oil records. His cattle books were works of art. He had such an or-ganization to those business things, but the other things were less or-ganized and much more interesting.

The material things that are pri-zed possessions probably will not mean as much as the little insignificant things that give insight to what a person really feels ... and is.

It is fun to go antiquing. Have you ever noticed what they are selling in those antique stores are things some of us use every day? Things like colanders, egg baskets, pancake turners, potato mashers and such. Nothing works like the old ones. I can mash potatoes in half the time with an old potato masher than I can using an electric mixer and then wash the beaters, dry them and put them back together. And somehow food just tastes better when we use special equipment that evokes wonderful memories. I still use an old wooden-handled fork to press the design in peanut butter cookies. They just would not taste the same if I used anything be-sides Grandma’s fork When I make cornbread, it has to be baked in Mother’s black cornbread pan.

Some people might laugh at the recipes I keep that were Mothers and Grandmas. At one time I tried to enter them in my computer for easy reference, but gave up. What I want, and enjoy, are recipes handwritten, that are sticky or have smears on them from being used and having little hands “help.” To others they may seem like trash, but to me they are treasures. They tell a story. Most of them have no directions, only a list of ingredients. If a person cooked, they just knew what to do and how long to cook it.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. What is of no value to one person might be just what we are looking for. I guess that is why garage sales are so popular. I love to go to good garage sales and antique stores, if not to buy, just to reminisce. Occasionally I find something I cannot live without, especially white ironstone, old wooden bowls, butter paddles, glassware or unusual serving pieces. The list goes on, but I never know until I see it. My friend, Terri, told me one time to not buy something to fill a spot. Buy something you love and you will find a spot for it. She is absolutely right. Our house is full of stuff that has a story and things we love.

I have old bread loaf pans I love to use every fall to make this bread. It is so good with a cup of tea in front of a cozy fire in the autumn when it’s cold and damp outside.



Apple Bread

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups peeled, diced apples



Combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in flour and salt. Dissolve soda in buttermilk and add to batter, mixing well. Stir in apples. Pour into a greased and floured (or parchment lined) 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with topping (see below). Bake at 325 degrees for about one hour and 10 minutes until bread tests done.



Topping for Apple Bread

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon



Combine all ingredients and mix with pastry blender until consistency of coarse crumbs.



Send your comments to: Peggy Goodrich, Food For Thought, P.O. Box 1192, Enid, OK 73702