Today I am giddy because I have found Doris Kirschner’s Home Economics 40: Food Preparationnotebook from her time as a University of Minnesota Student. The notebook does not have a year written in it, but my best guess based on the years Mrs. Kirschner was a student and some of the dates written in the back, is that it is from Spring, 1955. The front of the notebook contains a set of typewritten recipes issued to the class, while the back contains paper with Doris’s notes. I’ve been having a great time reading the notes and trying to match them up with their corresponding recipes.

There are also notes scribbled next to the recipes themselves … and lots of food stains! It’s a great window into the U of MN’s Home Economics department (test and quiz grading breakdowns for the class are scribbled on the backs of pages) , and the culture at the time. The recipes are for standard foods (e.g. rice, eggs, various meats) and showcase what were considered the best home preparation methods in the 1950s, as well as what foods were considered staples in U.S. kitchens (tomato aspic, anyone?).