The other day I was looking through the massive Chicago Culinary Institute cookbook I inherited from my mom. I think the cookbook’s about 50 years old. Even if a lot of the recipes are dated (um, meats gelled in aspic? Peanut butter/mayo/pickle sandwich, anyone?)it’s fun to look through.
This spun sugar doesn’t look messy at all, does it? “It’s lots of fun, and the results are a joy forever.”
Yeah, they are. Because that sugar’s going to stick to your FLOOR forever!
I also discovered that we don’t need to go to the grocery store anymore. Not only are there several recipes for rabbit and squirrel, there’s also some for opossum. It calls opossoum, “peculiarly flavored,” so I’m still unsure what it tastes like. I imagine in some parts it’s widely eaten.
The book also includes instructions for building various things that we have more modern appliances for.
With all my spare time, I can build a dehydrator. This is one of several plans.
Did housewives actually used to go around building dehydrators?
I don’t know, but when society finally crumbles apart, I’m saving this cookbook.
MARGARET DILLOWAY 
Men and women build dehydrators these days out of recycled stuff, and most of what I see are solar dehydrators. They really don’t look tough to build, and I’m not as handy as you are.