More than 70 Years of Recipes Inspired by Mountain Living
From humble beginnings in 1910, when a local sawmill owner, Mr. Eubanks, closed his mill on Sundays so workmen and their families could gather at his cabin to study the Bible and sing hymns; Idyllwild Community Church began and continues to be a place where families can worship God and serve the community. The Idyllwild Community Church welcomes everyone into its doors.
The Women's Guild was formed to help others in Idyllwild grow in their faith. In addition, they looked for ways to support missionaries around the world. Because food is at the heart of every gathering where family, friends, neighbors, and the community come together to celebrate, grieve, fellowship, love, cry, laugh, and heal, the Guild decided to raise funds by publishing a cookbook. In 1950, they published their first cookbook which they named "The Mountain Range."
The Women's Guild published a second cookbook in the 70s and a third in the 80s. "Stirring Up Memories" is their fourth cookbook. This one combines historical recipes from the Community Church with updated contributions from our current congregation. It combines local history and flavor to inspire wonderful new memories.
In that spirit, "Stirring Up Memories" organizes nearly 100 recipes around typical gatherings such as Sunday brunch, BBQs, family meals, potlucks, and holidays with special sections on historical and preservation recipes. You can buy a copy of our cookbook at the Community Church Bargain Barn.
We pray that your gatherings will be filled with love, great food, and compassion.
The Original "Mountain Range" cookbook.
The 1950s "Mountain Range" was a loose-leaf 80-page collection of recipes that provided an intimate look at mountain life in Idyllwild and the surrounding communities.
It was illustrated by Ernie Maxwell and sold for $1.50. If you click on the image on the right, you can see the recipes, along with the names of church members who prepared them.
You will find recipes from that period for sour milk hot cakes, icebox rolls, venison hamburger, cowboy beans, Hungarian rabbit, Mexican goulash, and roast pigeon. There are also classic recipes to fit today's tastes.