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When my Grandma died, Dad had me go through all of her old books and pick out what I wanted.

My favorite is “The Settlement Cookbook; The Way to a Man’s Heart.” 1938...and this was the twenty-second printing! It was printed in Milwaukee, WI (where I was born) authored by Mrs. Simon Kander.

There are a ton of pressed flowers in that book. :)

I especially love Chapter 1: Household Rules, on how to run a kitchen, wash dishes, care for your silver, how to clear a table properly, etc.

And then there’s ‘Coffee for 40 People’ and ‘Mock Turtle Soup.’ :)

After reading your reply, I thought back to the past of my own family. One thing that stands out, is when the daughter and I were in the garden digging dirt for the fall veggies. She wasn't much of a veggie eater back then, but is now.

We dug and dug, put down some compost, piled the dirt onto a bed and turned it all upside down. Then, we put leaf lettuce seed into the dirt and raked the bed. After the plants grew up and we had fresh veggies, she went “YUCK. all that work for this?”

Now, she actually eats a lot of salads, and loves coming home to fresh lettuce from the garden. Fresh out of the garden tomatoes are an endangered species at my house. They do NOT go bad.

My husband inherited that book, as well, and still consults it to set the table for a dinner party.

I believe it was written to educate the immigrants from Europe who came here in the early part of the 20th century.

However, I tend to look up more modern versions of the recipes on the Internet. Most of them are available with measurements, temperatures/times, techniques and ingredients with which we are more familiar.

I like your potpourri technique and will try it this year. Do peonies retain their odor when dried?

Last year I made Elder Flower cordial. I adore the odor of Elder Flower and maybe I will see if they retain their odor, too. The cordial was a big hit with everyone who tried it and I gave away nearly a gallon (I made two gallons). You can google a variety of recipes, but be advised they call for way too much sugar and I cut the sugar in half. I use it mainly to make a drink with LaCroix Lime Flavored carbonated water and a squeeze of lime. Great with Prosecco or 1/2 and 1/2 with a cheap Asti. A friend used it in some bundt cakes. It is great in a cup of tea, adding a summery taste/smell. I used it instead of simple syrup in some marmalade I made with my Calamondin oranges and then mixed some of the result 1/2 and 1/2 with honey. That was also great in tea. I think it would also make a good icing.

Does anyone gather and use Sumac flowers? I dried some and have it in the freezer, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. I need to get a dedicated spice grinder, first.