Here’s a big shout out to Pat Williams for her chat about Kitchen Klatter and the Driftmier Family from Shenandoah, Iowa! As kids growing up on an Iowa farm in the 50’s, we were also very familiar with Leanna and Lucille and the Kitchen Klatter gang. The magazine arrived every month and each morning at 9:30 am the radio became Mom’s for 30 minutes while she listened to what the family was up to, what flavorings were being offered for sale and what recipe was being recited. We teased Mom about her love of the Kitchen Klatter gals unmercifully – I think it bordered on making fun of her and now I regret it because now I understand it. I dug out Mom’s collection of magazines.
Here is 1948, the year I was born. July, my birth month is missing but I think it’s here somewhere.
The oldest copy I found was from 1942 and several from 1943 up until the 1980’s.
Now here is the ironic piece of the puzzle. Along comes Country Threads and a little newsletter called The Goat Gazette filled with stories, things for sale, pictures of staff and stories of their families, jokes, recipes, book reviews, quilting patterns and of course just like Lucille, Leanna or Julianna, an opening letter to the readers about what’s been happening on the farm and in the quilt shop. Ha ha! I’d say the joke is on me, wouldn’t you say? Maybe in my subconscious I was influenced by Kitchen Klatter as a child. I’ll bet Mom is laughing in Heaven as she reads this. She got the last laugh!
It is so windy in Iowa one can hardly stand to be outside. The wind pulls at my hair until my scalp hurts if I forget to put on a cap. That makes working outside a real chore instead of pleasant like it could be in 70 degree weather. Today I finally quit waiting for a nice calm day and I took the covers off the screened porch. Remember when I put them on last fall? I know it didn’t take me 20 minutes to take them off but the wind almost blew my ladder over.
I think I’ll let that wind blow some of the winter dirt away before I start cleaning it.
I’m thinking about Ben today as I know are, too.
What a treasure to find these!! I am in the process of moving and have WAY too many things that are meaningful, to me anyway!! What to do with them? Nobody in my family likes things like this so what do with them…move them anyway!! LOL!
I like the December 1942 issue…my birth month and year!
You must have a subconscious thought about following up with your magazine!! I love reading your thoughts and pictures.
Thanks for your time and thoughts!
Funny, I just found a copy of the Goat Gazette I had saved because our “grandcat” was in it. She is gone now, but it was fun to look through it!! I am cleaning closets and like Beryl, trying to figure out what to do with “stuff”!! Some is going to the Guild yard sale. Thoughts with Ben and family, too.
So loved your story on Kitchen Klatter, loved that paper n wonderful recipes, thanks for sharing..My Grandmother always had them…….Hope Ben is doing good bless his heart!!!!!
Hi Mary,
Thanks so much for the Kitchen Klatter memories!! Grandma Evelyn Hansen (Clare Hansen’s mom) always listened. The things she made from those recipes were wonderful. My caramel corn recipe is from there among many other favorites. I bought a cook book in the late 70s while stationed up here on Whidbey Island, WA. A co-worker ordered one too because I made great food from that cook book. I now live on Whidbey again and one day I was poking around a thrift/antique/junk store and found a 4 inch stack of magazines and bought them. The gal that worked there had no clue what they were nor did the friend I was with. I cherish them as part of my past and they always bring me good memories of life on Grandma’s farm!
Hey, Ramona! Keep hold of those magazines and cookbooks! I still go back and look at them from time to time. I remember Evelyn fondly.
My Grandma always listened to the Kitchen Klatter gals on the radio. Loved to spend as much time with Grandma as I could as a child and adult. I was lucky to get her Kitchen Klatter Cookbook. I use it all the time. So many of the recipes Grandma used. Thank you for bringing back some special memories.
Ben and his family continues to be in my prayers everyday.
love the Kitchen Klatter story. I remember very well my mom listening to the radio program. I have a apple crisp recipe that I have made for years that my family likes. I enjoy reading some of the old copies of their magazine as well as the Goat Gazette I have kept. Fond memories. Our prayers are with Ben. Keep up the blog, it is fun to read !
Cheryl! Fun to hear from you! Hope you’re well!
Sorry to have missed out on the Kitchen Klatter, I’ll keep my eyes open at antique shops . I wonder if that reached the east coast. I’ve kept all my treasured Goat Gazettes. Only sorry I didn’t know about them earlier. My Iowa mother often mentioned the wind when she was growing up. Many thanks for the time you spend doing the blog. It’s so much fun to read.
1948 – my birth year as well. I was thinking the exact same thing before you said it — that the Kitchen Klatter program was the precursor to blogging! Fun that you still have the magazines. You will have to share with us occasionally the items or recipes or goings on that you found most interesting.
I’m a couple years older than you and grew up on a small Iowa farm. I remember the Kitchen Klatter radio shows and the monthly magazines. I think I have some of the flavorings in my Hoosier cupboard.
My mom listened to the radio show each day while I “rolled my eyes”.
Thanks for the memory.
The Kitchen Klatter! Memories! Awesome!
This is GREAT! I love this post and know for sure your Mom is laughing in heaven! Kitchen Klatter did not make it to Ohio where I was raised. But how I loved The Goat Gazettes! They made it all the way to Texas because the midwest will always be a piece of my heart! Please do post some articles – we all need to know our history!
Praying for Ben and Family!
Big Texas Hugs
Husband took down our plastic today on the porch. Like I have said before, I love and miss the Goat Gazette. I have a stack of those I have kept. I do enjoy reading your blog daily though. Paula in KY
I never heard of a Kitchen Klatter, my birth year is 52. My mom never mentioned it so maybe it’s a Midwest thing! But I will be asking her about it.
God bless that Curley haired little Ben! He looks line a cherub…love his pinchy perfect cheeks!
You brought back good memories. I so miss the Goat Gazette!! I looked forward to reading it. The book reviews, jokes, recipes as well as quilting ideas were a highlight of my day. You are a woman of
many talents – quilter, writer, businesswoman, farmer, etc. Have you retired??
Thanks for the news around the farm. Always loved the “goat gazette!!” Been nasty windy here in Eagan, MN too. If ya’ try to rake up some leaves, they all blow over to the neighbors. . .
Always thought your birthday & wedding day was in June on Flag Day. . . .??
Peggy – wedding is flag day, birthday is almost Independence Day. it’s July 3! So much red, white and blue!
Small world (Ramona) as in my younger days I used to get to Whidbey Island as adult friends had a small market in Clinton years ago; took the ferry from Mukilteo. Mary, I did a double take yesterday as I used a scrap white background with a small red design in Temecula Quilt shop’s sew a long posting on Friday. While pressing it I noticed the selvage had 1991 as the date. I used to save the Goat Gazette, but every now and then Mr. Wonderful says, “we really need to thin out and donate things” …..and they are usually my things. We had a blustery wind this past weekend here in central CA; got to 88 degrees. The fresh strawberries are at the corner field stands now.; some are on my kitchen counter and smell and taste soooooooo good.
I remember listening to Aunt Jenny on the big radio and One Man’s Family at my grandma’s.
Brave Ben and his family are in many prayers.
Where is the LIKE/LOVE button? I love this! Yes, I think Mom knew something that we did not!! But you figured it out, Mary! Better late than never!
Was the Kitchen Klatter more in Iowa than elsewhere? My grandmother had many magazines but never that one. Wonder if it was available in Indiana? I imagine it is fun to go back and look through the issues to see what was the hot topic of the month. As someone suggested it would be fun to see some of the stories and recipes.
Hate to say this but in south central Indiana it was 83 degrees today.
My mother loved the Kitchen Klatter and listened every day and copied down the recipes. And I loved the Goat Gazette and everything in it, too. They were both wonderful publications, oh how I miss the Gazette!
I absolutely love the cat quilt-it just makes me smile. When I first moved to Iowa back in the late 1970s, I’d never heard of Kitchen Klatter, but the Women’s Club I joined had them for speakers at one of their meetings and I became a fan and listened to their radio program every chance I got. I didn’t know about their mag. tho, so was interested to see your collection. And yes, I also got hooked on the Goat Gazette after my first visit to your shop. Thanks for all the memories.
Boy, did the Kitchen Klatter comments bring back memories. I think my mother listened to the radio broadcasts, but I know she took the magazine. After I left home I also subscribed. It was like getting many letters from home. I still have the cookbook.