A paper treasure that brings back memories

 

 Oh, the memories this brings back!  This is a ripped out page from a Farm Journal magazine, December 1961.  I would have been eleven.  

You may never have heard of this magazine which was subscribed to by farmers and ranches all over the United States — and Canada too, I think.  Near the back of this magazine was a fairly hefty section just for women.  This section was titled The Farmer's Wife.  Loads of wonderful recipes that had been sent in by readers or developed in the Farm Journal test kitchen were featured here.  The recipes for a specific issue of the magazine often had a theme — say, garden produce, gifts from the kitchen, cakes, beef or chicken main dishes, or whatever.  When the Farm Journal arrived in our home and I got my hands on it, the recipes were the first things I turned to.  I imagine a lot of country women and teen girls did the same.  

That was never more true than with a December issue of this magazine.  As you can see, this one featured a cookie barnyard.  You can imagine that some of my younger siblings would have begged to make this scene.  But my mom was busy with other pursuits at Christmas -- making fudge, baking, crafting gifts, and more -- and would have thought this an unnecessary waste of time, I imagine.

Eventually Farm Journal published several issues of Farm Journal's Christmas Book -- compilations of recipes and ideas from The Farmer's Wife -- and I loved to peruse them every year. This cookie barnyard was included in the 1966 Christmas Book:

 Here is the description that just might motivate someone to make a cookie centerpiece:

"Want to do something special for Christmas this year -- something that will delight both children and adults:  Then make a cookie scene ...

"It's best to bake the cookie pieces ahead of time (freeze them if you bake several days ahead).  Then set aside an evening while t he whole family's home, to put them together with Sugar-syrup Glue.  No matter if the roof isn't quite straight -- just cover up the defects with frosting.  And listen to your visitors exclaim how pretty it looks!"

 I was fortunate enough to be given some old issues of the Farm Journal Christmas Book over time, and am so happy to have them.  Oh, the nostalgia!