Whiteley Creek Homestead

In an ideal world, I would clean one day a week, but that is not the nature of a bed and breakfast business. Since everyday involves general cleaning of cabins and inn rooms to prepare for new arrivals, I decided that on this day (Friday), designated as Cleaning Day according to my days-of-the-week dishtowels, I would take an old… very old computer to our landfill. Electronic equipment brought to the landfill is transported to St. Paul where it is dismantled and components are reused. Next, I decided to choose a fun area to clean. I like to "play"" in my 1890 railroad passenger car tea room where I serve guests breakfast, so I reorganized some "tablescapes". That's what Sandra Lee, on her Food Network Semi-Homemade show, has dubbed table decorations.

I turned an old drawer on end to provide shelves for displaying an old Red Owl spice can and other old boxes with the spices still inside. An old star cookie cutter, a measuring cup, and measuring spoons filled in a few more gaps.  I was starting to head off to find some additional items to place on the shelves when I sat down to flip through the old recipe box that I had discovered at a yard sale.

I found some Brainerd Daily Dispatch recipe clippings tucked into the rear of the box. They were dated 1947. I thought about the person who had handwritten all of their recipe favorites and the family and friends they had prepared them for. I wonder who this person is. I more than likely will never know, but I am blessed to be the caretaker of this box of recipes that once held a special place in someone's kitchen.