Columbia Heights, 1959: The mothers in one neighborhood work at home all day, sewing draperies, raising geraniums, washing clothes, cooking chicken. In the newspaper, they are known by their husbands’ names: Mrs. Sheldon Nordeen, Mrs. Philip E. Savstrom, Mrs. Joseph Celusnaks. Their full addresses are given – but not their ages.

As Christmas approaches, they gather in each others’ kitchens to bake a hundred dozen Christmas cookies. Mary Hart, the Tribune’s “Home Economist,” drops in for a look (and most likely a taste).

Cookie Cooks Co-operate in Columbia Heights

By MARY HART
Minneapolis Tribune Home Economist

Christmas cooking and baking on one corner in Columbia Heights has been a joy and a social gathering the past two seasons.

The neighbors gather at one home and bake 10 to 12 kinds of cookies. The hostess of the day decides on the recipes that will be used, buys all the ingredients and furnishes lunch for the bakers and their children. All the cookies made that day are hers. Several days elapse and the crew moves on to another house.

“Everyone brings her own mixing bowl and measuring cup, and we pool all the best cookie sheets,” said Mrs. Philip E. Savstrom, 4157 NE. Tyler St.

THE GROUP MET at her home Friday for the baking bee and turned out at least 100 dozen treats.

“We all baked cookies and decided it would be just more fun if we did it together,” said Mrs. Sheldon Nordeen, 1626 NE. 42nd Av.

Although each home has only one oven, they dovetail the operations so the lone range is enough.

Some of the cookie doughs have to be chilled. Some of them are more complicated to decorate. The easy ones go in first and the other cookies follow.

“ALTHOUGH we bake 100 dozen cookies in one day, they go fast,” said Mrs. Savstrom, mother of Linda, 12, Elaine, 10; Marsha, 8; Curtis, 5, and Russell, 3.

The women get together often for coffee but feel they aren’t wasting any time, because, Mrs. Savstrom has been teaching them all to knit.

Their mending baskets or crocheting often accompany the homemakers to the coffee klatches.

One of the recipes which Mrs. Savstrom likes best is this chocolate spritz:

CHOCOLATE SPRITZ
¾ c. butter (½ shortening)
½ c. sugar
1 egg
¼ tsp. salt
5 heaping tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. sifted flour

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Sift dry ingredients together and gradually add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla. Force through cookie press or drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees five to eight minutes.

MRS. JAMES ERICKSON, 4147 NE. Tyler St., said the women used up about 10 pounds of flour when baking at her home.

She is well acquainted with the neighborhood, having lived in the same block since she was 12 years old. Her son Allen is 12 now, and his brother, Jerry, is 7.

The difference in the boys’ ages means they attend different schools and both on split shifts. Allen leaves at 12:30 p.m. and doesn’t get out until 6 p.m. Jerry leaves at 7:45 a.m. and is through at noon.

Her favorite recipe which the cookie crew baked is this one:

JUBILEE JUMBOS
½ c. soft shortening
1 c. brown sugar
½ c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 c. undiluted evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2¾ c. sifted flour
½ tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. cut-up walnuts
1 c. finely cut-up dates

Mix thoroughly the shortening, sugars and eggs. Stir in milk and vanilla. Sift together flour, soda and salt and mix into shortening mixture.

Blend in nuts and dates. Chill one hour. Drop by rounded teaspoons two inches apart on greased baking sheet. Bake in 375-degree oven until delicately browned, about 10 minutes.

While still warm, top with frosting and garnish with walnut halves. Makes about four dozen cookies.

To make frosting, heat 2 tablespoons of butter until golden brown. Beat in 2 cups sifted powdered sugar and ¼ cup undiluted evaporated milk, mixing until smooth.

MRS. HENRY LACH, 4160 NE. Tyler St., mother of Michael, 10; Andrea, 8, and Terry, 6, said she didn’t think she would get any cookie baking done if it weren’t for the neighborhood project.

The women will gather at her home this week, and she has been acquiring the groceries needed.

“Shortening and sugar are the big items,” she said.

MRS. E.A. SMITH, 4226 NE. Tyler St., was writing letters when I stopped in at her home. She has three sisters.

“And they all write long letters,” said Mrs. Smith.

4140 NE. Tyler St. in December 2007.

While writing, she was keeping an eye on the chicken cooking in her pressure saucepan. She planned to serve this the next day, which was a cookie-baking one, on baking powder biscuits.

A broken water main in the block had forced her to wash half the day. There was no water the day before.

“Our soup pot is on all day long,” said Mrs. Smith, whose children, Adele, 17, and Vernon, 13, also are on different shifts at school.

This homemaker likes to sew and has made all the draperies in the house, except in one room.

The Joseph Celusnaks, 4140 NE. Tyler St., built their own home. It is of stone, and a long matching planter on one side balances the breezeway that is on the other.

Mrs. Celusnaks likes gardening and even has geraniums blooming in her kitchen windows. She always brings in these plants in the fall and keeps them until spring when they go back outdoors again.

“I split them up, because they get like trees when you bring them in,” she explained.

	A marvelously detailed photo of the five Columbia Heights neighbors at work in the Savstrom kitchen accompanied the story. Alas, it did not turn up in a thorough search of the Star Tribune’s photo archive. Best I can do is this 1954 glamor shot of five slim, well-dressed women who may or may not have been actual mothers. (Minneapolis Tribune)

	NE. 42nd Avenue, Columbia Heights, in 1963. (mnhs.org photo)

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