Tuesday, February 8, 2011

I Wonder As I Wander












Today completes my three day bread trilogy. And it's a real wonder. That's because a couple years ago, I found this Wonder bread cookbook as I was wandering around the bargain aisles in a store. I figured you'd have to see it to believe it, so here it is. All these pictures are from the book. It tells the history of Wonder bread and has lots of yummy recipes. Those of you who are excellent cooks are probably shuddering in horror. But I grew up with this stuff and still have fond memories of the package, the smell, the squishiness! I WONDER if any of my dear followers partake of it, if only in secret? Of course the original wonder bread was God's manna from heaven. They say that man cannot live on bread alone, but the Israelites lived on manna forty years! I think it might have looked nothing like bread today as we know it. How did it taste? Like honey on a cracker. Do I wonder about so many things because I eat Wonder bread? I wonder...

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the saviour did come for to die
For poor on'ry people like you and like I
I wonder as I wander out under the sky.
John Jacob Niles

35 comments:

DawnTreader said...

Never heard of Wonderbread here in my corner of the world. But I still wonder a lot...

SquirrelQueen said...

That cookbook was a real find Ginny. Wonder Bread was a staple around our house when I was growing up but I haven't seen it in a long time. The ad for the round Wonder, I don't remember ever seeing that before.

Yasmin said...

Well you learn something new everyday. I wonder who invented wonderbread? Do you know?

I agree with you in the questions of the past creations of bread. I am definately wondering the same things. If you find out - let me know on my blog! :)

Regards,
Yasmin

From the Kitchen said...

Rainbo Bread was what my mother swore by. However, any bread precut and put in plastic was not/is not desirable as far as my husband goes!! He loves good crusty, chewy breads. I have to admit that I agree.

Fun background today!!

Best,
Bonnie

RoeH said...

A Wonderbread cookbook?? Wow. I remember in the 50's when it was advertised highly on Mickey Mouse Club and I just HADTOHAVE Wonder Bread! So my mother would appease me once in a while. She made her own bread and children didn't think that kind of bread even compared closely with Wonderbread. Then the rumor started going around that somebody opened up a Wonderbread package one day and there was a dead mouse in it or something like that. Wonderbread never saw the light of the inside of our house again.

And now I KNOW it doesn't compare closely with homemade bread. But this time the homemade bread wins.

Rich said...

Ha - what a wonder-ful post! (sorry, I couldn't help the pun). But I love those old advertisements - to be honest, I'd love to get some of the wonder round bread, if just for the novelty of it!

MadSnapper said...

i love white bread. there now you made me share my secret. do i eat it all the time? no but i do every now and then. we did not buy wonderbread when i was growing up, claussens bread was local and the cheapest bread there was, at one time it was 5 loaves for a dollar, so we ate whatever was cheapest. i have purchased wonder bread because yankee hubby likes it. it is no wonder to me i am fat since i was raised on non wonder bread. i spend a lot of my life wondering about everything including what happens if i eat white bread. are all the recipes for using bread? or are their other things in it.

pam said...

My husband would LOVE it if I bought Wonder bread. I don't remember the round Wonder bread....must go google that to see when it was around.

Mary Bergfeld said...

I think the cookbook was a real find, Ginny. Wonderbread was a feature of my childhood. There was a time when homemade bread was considered passe and folks really flocked to modern conveniences like Wonderbread or one of its cousins. Funny how food tastes change. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Chatty Crone said...

You know I remember it - I have to look oat the grocery store and see if we have it here!

Not the answer to every health issue though - is it?

Sandie♥

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

Oh I love the way you Wonder :)

Betsy Banks Adams said...

I remember Wonder Bread --but don't remember it being ROUND... How interesting!!!

I grew up with what we called "white bread"... Just think--most of us ate all of the things which they say now is not good for us... Oh Well--I'm still alive and kicking!!!!

Love that song (and I have sung it in past), "I Wonder as I Wander"....

Have a WONDERful day.
Hugs,
Betsy

George said...

I grew up on Wonder bread, but I haven't had any in ages. Santa brought us a bread machine a couple of years ago, so we make our own bread. Yummy!

Anonymous said...

Hi Ginny, Love the hymn, as far as Wonder Bread goes, I guess it is an acquired taste. Fun post and wonderful Scripture. Have an excellent day!

Remington said...

Beth remembers that!

Neal said...

Easy for you to say. :) I wonder why you wonder so much about Wonder bread. :)

Ann said...

WONDERful post :) I can't recall what kind of bread my mom used to buy but I know that after my parents had divorced my dad was a big generic brand buyer so he always got whatever the store brand was except when he used to go to the hostess outlet store

Karin said...

We were raised on rye and whole grain bread, fresh from the bakery, never in a plastic sleeve. When we came to this country and had our first taste of this white fluffy stuff they called bread, we tasted it and we only like it toasted. Hubby said that as a teen his mom bought Wonder Bread and he ate a whole loaf in one sitting, with butter and jam, and he was still hungry!!

Nowadays, we buy sprouted bread and our kids eat gluten free bread - allergies you know.

Bobbie said...

I do love Wonder Bread!! I can remember mom making us tuna sandwiches for our school lunches on Wonder Bread. They tasted soooo good!!

Nikki (Sarah) said...

I loved this..very cool

Fred Alton said...

Yes, Wonderbread, it seems has been a part of my life for years and years. Before that it was Merita bread and Nabisco Wheat, sponsor of The Lone Ranger! Great stuff, this Wonderbread. ☺

Stephanie V said...

We didn't have Wonder bread here but we did see it advertised on TV - once we got one, that is. And that's as close as I've even come to it.
I'm trying to imagine a cookbook. What would one cook from Wonder bread? All I can think of is stuffing and bread pudding. But maybe that's enough - those are two pretty great foods.

Doris Sturm said...

I'm a bread a holic, but was not raised with Wonder bread because we didn't have that in Germany then...I'm sure it's available there now.

But to me there's nothing closer to heaven than the smell of fresh yeast bread baking in my oven - ahhhhhh - Yes! I am THAT shallow LOL

Ruth Hiebert said...

Many a loaf of Wonder Bread has been consumed in my house.With Hubby taking sandwiches to work for 29 years and a son in school,this bread didn't last long at our house.
Ruth

Tracy said...

Ginny,
I had to laugh at the images this conjured up! First off, I use to love Wonder bread and my sister and I would take a slice and tear off the crust and roll the rest into a bread ball...squeezed it tight and take little bites out of it. We'd also dip it in butter; yum!

thanks for the well wishes yesterday. I'm feeling better and certainly glad I have a fill-in as in aka Miss Angel-Kitty! I also hope you are feeling better as well. All the kids and teachers at school just keep recycling the same germs. This afternoon I finally took a half sick day! I just don't like giving my kids a sub since they like the consistency, plus I'm protective truth be told!

LV said...

That is a great bread. The stores carry it here and I try to buy it in wheat.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue ι™ˆζ΄ι›ͺ said...

I don't eat a lot of bread. My tummy is like a pregnant one.

muppy said...

I'm not exactly sure what wonder bread is! We have a supermarket load called wonderwhite.
And to your Q's I am currently on maternity leave from my job as a hospital scientist with a 5 month old bub.
Thanks for visiting my blog!

Deborah said...

Hi Ginny, I can't believe that DawnTreader never heard of Wonderbread!LOL
That was a great post! I love the old fashion pictures.
xxoo
Deborah

gemini said...

Haaahahahha...love it Gin...love the wonder bread, and am wondering how wonderful it would be to bake one!

Regina said...

I figure you probably have a stubborn streak (ha ha)..eewwwww!! Ok, I'll try to be serious. Like Karen, we just happen to be raised on the rye and dark chewy bread too..must be the Swiss in me! I bet you'd love that Candy Cane bread Ginny..I can bend a little! There is the white version and the whole wheat pastry flour version (some of which I made too dense this last Christmas), but I made both..and the white I make with unbleached flour which consoles me a bit?
(imagine eyeballs rolling). It would be funnier trying to imagine myself making a loaf of it! The cookbook sounds neat. Now if I lived in a wonder bread house, I'd be sure to paint my walls brown (ah ha ha)

S. Etole said...

I remember Wonderbread but it's been years since I have seen any.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Hi Ginny, I just caught your questions about Lenten fasting. Today's practices of fast and abstinence have their roots in the Black Fast. Then, and now, the practice was meant to emulate the 40 days Jesus fasted in the wilderness. It is a time of fasting, prayer, and repentance for believers. It has gotten much easier since the Second Vatican Council. Both Bob and I, however, are both old enough to have been raised in families were the full fast was observed.

Now on to the hot fudge sauce. You can make half a recipe but be sure to use a smaller pan as well. I cook mine at what I call a slow boil, and I stir frequently. The slow boil helps to evaporate some of the liquid and slightly thickens the sauce which will get thicker as it chills.

Have a great evening. Blessings...Mary

photowannabe said...

Love WonderBread. its so squishy and soft. I remember rolling it into balls too. Butter and jam is just about perfect.
I think that cookbook is a terrific find. I would love to have one like that myself.

srp said...

Wasn't there a commercial a long time ago about... Wonder builds strong bodies twelve different ways?

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