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Remember Home Ec Class?

Did you have to take home ec classes? We did in middle school, 5th-8th grade. I learned how to sew pillows, boxer shorts, a locker caddie, and most importantly hair scrunchies. (come on people it was the early 90's, scrunchies were a fashion MUST) We also had to learn how to iron a work shirt of our dad's. I'd say this was sexist except for the fact all the boys had to learn too.... so I guess that made it ok right? Either way I still hate ironing. We alternated school quarters between cooking and sewing classes, I have to say I loved both. Recently I found a stack of all the recipes we made in home ec... score. I must say we made some pretty awesome things:

Pigs in a blanket
Pancakes
Pizza
Banana Bread
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Easy Danish
Applesauce
Cornbread
Crumb Muffins
Nut Loaf... him this one made me stop and look again because it wasn't over the top butter and sugar laden like most of the other recipes... maybe it's time to bring the home ec nut loaf back into vogue!


I also have a memory of forgetting to add baking soda into cookies during class... so we ended up with hockey pucks... awesome. Any memories you'd like to share? The more embarrassing the better!


Nut Loaf
recipe given out in South Orange Middle School home ec classes circa early 90's
(my changes in parenthesis)

1 1/4 c flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 c sugar (I used 1/2 splenda 1/2 brown sugar)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 T. +2tsp salad oil (I used canola)
1/2 c milk (I used fat free)
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped nuts
(1/2 cup chocolate chips)
(1 tsp vanilla)

Preheat oven to 400 Grease and flour 2, 4" loaf pans.
Measure and mix together the dry ingredients into a large bowl of the electric mixer. Combine the liquids in the smaller bowl. Pour the liquids into the large bowl and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. STIR in nuts (and chocolate chips). Pour into the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes--watching carefully.

15 chews:

I have great memories from 8th grade home ec class--too bad I wasn't actually into cooking/baking that much back then, or it would have been even more fun. I honestly can't even remember the exact things we made!

Ty'sMommy said...

Ha! Yeah, I wasn't allowed to take home ec. Why? Because I'd been sewing since I was five and outranked the teacher! So I was the stage manager for that year's musical instead.

Anonymous said...

I only remember the failure - muffins. We were warned to not mix them too thoroughly, but I did anyway, and of course they came out with tunnels inside. I have never made them since, except from a Duncan Hines mix! That was about 55 years ago!

Jeanne said...

I totally remember home-ec class. I sewed polka dot boxers! I'm sure they were hideous. We totally made muffins and pizza too.

Natalie said...

such a cute loaf! My school never had home ec class, but I totally would've loved it!

Rachel said...

Wow, we never made cool stuff like that in my home ec class! I remember making pancakes and...that's about it.
You're lucky you got to experiment with hockey pucks, I mean cookies.
The nut loaf does sound really good! I'm sure everything on that list was tasty but maybe not all are quite so healthful.

Home ec recipes.... oh what fond memories. Your nut loaf makeover looks fantastic!

Vanessa said...

Well, this wasn't in home ec but I recall one night in high school when I was awake way past my parents and thought it would be a good idea to make some chocolate cake from scratch... Yeah... I somehow added 1/2 cup of baking soda instead of 1/2 teaspoon. You can only imagine how well that turned out.

Reeni said...

I have my recipes from cooking class too! We made banana cream pies, quiche, omelettes and english muffin pizzas! It was also where I first discovered spaghetti pie - it is still one of my favorites. The nut loaf sounds yummy!

Anonymous said...

So much fun! I didn't get to take a home ec like this with cooking, having not grown up in US. This nut loaf sounds yummy!

Rachel said...

Wow, we never made cool stuff like that in my home ec class! I remember making pancakes and...that's about it.
You're lucky you got to experiment with hockey pucks, I mean cookies.
The nut loaf does sound really good! I'm sure everything on that list was tasty but maybe not all are quite so healthful.

Anonymous said...

I only remember the failure - muffins. We were warned to not mix them too thoroughly, but I did anyway, and of course they came out with tunnels inside. I have never made them since, except from a Duncan Hines mix! That was about 55 years ago!

Ty'sMommy said...

Ha! Yeah, I wasn't allowed to take home ec. Why? Because I'd been sewing since I was five and outranked the teacher! So I was the stage manager for that year's musical instead.

Momfiv said...

Does anyone have the recipe for Spanish Rice made with ground beef. We made it home ec in the late 50's earky 60's

I just went looking through old cooking pamphlets that were my nana's and found two possible ones. One is from 1945 and the other is from 1964. Both are called spanish rice, one uses frankfurters, the other fried lunchon meats :) there are things like onion, peppers, celery and canned tomatoes and catsup or tomato sauce... Does this sound along the lines of what you were thinking? If so i can scan them in for you?
Thanks for stopping by and asking! :)

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