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Bunny cake

  • March 25, 2026VintageDishandDell

    The Dish: A vintage coconut bunny cake with fluffy frosting and a pretty pastel swirl surprise inside. The Tell: While gathering stories for my cookbook…

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Meet Erna Luna, my Cabbage Patch doll “born” in th Meet Erna Luna, my Cabbage Patch doll “born” in the early 80s. 💕
 
I saw a social media post recently sharing some vintage news coverage of the craze around these dolls when people were standing in lines and getting in fights just to get their hands on one! I was reminded of how excited I was to unwrap my very own Cabbage Patch doll. I no longer have her paperwork but I am happy she is in such good shape today—despite her shoes which need a little clean-up! But aren’t those little toes precious?! 
 
It was such a special Christmas gift that year…I think I must have been around 10 or so…I still can’t believe my grandma somehow was able to get a Cabbage Patch doll in all the madness—up in Duluth no less where I think there must have only one store (Target?!) carrying them at the time!
 
Do you have a memory of getting a Cabbage Patch doll? Do you still have one? I would love to hear about or see a pic of her/him!
Check out my latest Substack newsletter (link in b Check out my latest Substack newsletter (link in bio) to read about what I brought home from my recent book tour up north.🤗

Spoiler alert: sadly it was not this drop-dead gorgeous fridge! 😭 However, I did collect a number of new recipes, made many new friends and have a new-found appreciation for libraries and the special role they play in their communities!💕
Lefse season is upon us! Which means many of us ar Lefse season is upon us! Which means many of us are walking around with some very sore arms from all the potato ricing going on. 💪🏻 A few years ago, I started using a food grinder attachment for my KitchenAid mixer to rice potatoes and I will never go back!! Happy lefse season!!
Someplace, somewhere, I read that Election Cakes u Someplace, somewhere, I read that Election Cakes used to be a thing! Dating back to the late 1700s, these were typically a spice cake of sorts made and shared to celebrate Election Day. 
 
I came across this recipe in one of my vintage recipe boxes. Not exactly the Election Day cake I read about, but this one, according to food lore, has some political undertones of its own! 
 
This card is a little hard to read, but here’s what I’ve managed to decipher. Might be worth a try if you’re looking to sweeten up your Election day/evening festivities.🥳
 
Watergate Cake:
1 package white cake mix
1 package instant pistachio pudding
¾ cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup 7-Up
½ cup chopped nuts
½ cup coconut
 
Combine the ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake at 325°F for 45 minutes.
 
“Cover Up” Frosting:
2 envelopes Dream Whip*
1½ cups cold milk*
1 package pistachio pudding
½ cup chopped nuts
½ cup coconut
 
Combine the Dream Whip and cold milk. Beat until stiff. Add the package of pistachio pudding and mix. Fold in the nuts and coconut.
 
*I’d skip the Dream Whip and milk and just use Cool Whip!
One week ago today, I attended the funeral of a de One week ago today, I attended the funeral of a dear family friend, Annette, who was known for spreading her love through her “World Famous” Sugar Cookies. She shared them far and wide with just about everyone she knew and for nearly every occasion, personalizing each one with one of the many cookie stamps in her collection. 

The memorial service was such a beautiful tribute to Annette, and it was especially touching to hear how often her love of baking and these cookies came up that day. Her family even had her mixer and recipe box on display along with copies of her cookie recipe in her handwriting for attendees to take home! It got me thinking about how certain recipes just become synonymous with the people who make them. You can’t think of the recipe without thinking of that person and all the memories that come with it.💕

I visited Annette in her adorable, citrus-themed kitchen back in 2019 to make sugar cookies alongside her for what would become my very first “Dish & Tell.” Little did I know then how special that afternoon would become or how much meaning this recipe would hold for me years later.

I’m sharing a photo of Annette’s original handwritten recipe card, which she sent me this past February following my book launch, along with a favorite photo of her and her cookies. I’m so fortunate to have captured a little piece of her story.

I revisited that original Dish & Tell in my Substack newsletter yesterday, including the story behind her famous cookies and, of course, the recipe! You can find it through the link in my bio. I hope you’ll give them a try and share a little homemade love of your own. 😘
Did you know it’s National Buy a Cookbook Day toda Did you know it’s National Buy a Cookbook Day today?
 
It may be only fitting that my husband informed me today, of all days, I have more than 70 cookbooks. I had to laugh, as he only counted the ones he could see in our kitchen and around the main living area of our house. I have a whole other “collection” of 70 or more vintage and church/community cookbooks squirreled away in my office!
 
I love and cherish each and every one of my cookbooks. The ones I collected when Jaye and I were just starting to cook like grown-ups after college (Potluck from Marshall Fields!), my collection of Ina Garten cookbooks that are my go-tos and seem to stand the test of time, the other frequently used ones that sit on my counter for easy access, my mom’s  Pillsbury cookbook that she received at a bridal shower in 1967, and all of my vintage finds that never cease to entertain and inspire me!
 
I’m also thankful to be part of the cookbook family at the Minnesota Historical Society Press, alongside so many other cookbooks that celebrate Minnesota cuisine and culture and help ensure our food traditions and cherished recipes are passed along to future generations.
 
The point is, you can never have too many cookbooks! I hope this new national holiday inspires you to buy that cookbook you’ve had your eye on or gift one to someone you love!
Boo!👻 Boo!👻
Just me channeling my inner grandma on Halloween a Just me channeling my inner grandma on Halloween all the way back in 1980!👵🏻

We didn’t have alot of costume options growing up, but I did think we did pretty well with what we had on hand! 

Here are two of my favorites: I loved dressing up as an old lady! I had some fancy vintage clothes and apparently used flour (or baby powder?) to gray my hair!! 

In 1981, I was a hunter, wearing my dad’s hunting jacket, carrying an empty shotgun cast😬😳and using vaseline and coffee grounds to make whiskers!!

Can’t wait to see all the kiddos tonight!! 👻
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