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Women in the Archives Research Guide

Food and Cookbooks

Many Western homes were run primarily by women. These women soldiered on through deadly weather events, crop famines, and a variety of other disasters to create sturdy, loving homesteads. They also kept records of Western and early American cooking, which is invaluable to any studies about food. While there are only two items in the Food category, they both provide an important look into American food. The MacDonald Cookbook addresses 1910s-1930s food and recipes. It also includes processes for preparing and storing food that give more evidence into experiences of homemaking in the early American West. The Online Cookbook gives information about students' recipes and women's food in the early twenty-first century.

McDonald Family Cookbook, circa 1913-38

The McDonald Family Cookbook contains a variety of recipes either written or collected by Belle McDonald. These recipes include instructions for bread, cakes, salads, and soups. Also included in the collection is a 1938 Retailer's Edition of Modern Homemaker, which gives instructions and recipes for canning food.

History of Food in America Online Cookbook

This collection houses the efforts of the students in MSU's upper division history course, The History of Food in America (HSTR 409), in Spring 2012. It contains recipes and family stories from these students, both male and female. This provides an insight into early 20th century cooking.