1961 Donna Cornelius Favorite Recipe

Donna Cornelius' favorite recipe was featured in the "Her Favorite Recipe" feature of the Wilmington News-Journal in about 1961.  Other favorite recipes previously posted in the NV History Blog include:  Dorothy Daye (1963), Betty Gano (1961) and Melba Fawley (1970).  Transcription of clipping follows.

c1961 Donna Cornelius Favorite Recipe
Clipping courtesy of Betty Kinzer Gano

Photo captioned:  CHEESECAKE – It always looks good, light and melt-in-the mouth kind of food and of course Mrs. Cornelius' is extra good.  Those are daughters Cathy at left and Sharon she is serving at their home, Walnut St. [in Wilmington.]

This one is a 24-hour cheesecake.  Mrs. Ralph [Donna] Cornelius likes it for clubs and it has the advantage of being made ahead of time. 

She likes to cook – better than any part of housework, and her husband is a good cook too.

"It's nothing at all for him to cook a meal," she said, "and they ate well while I was in the hospital."  That was with Deborah Ann, who was two weeks old last Saturday.

"He also makes candies and made himself popular at the hospital when he took it there."

The children are Sharon, 12, Kathy 10, and Deborah Ann.

The family likes swimming and enjoys going together to the swim club.

Mrs. Cornelius' principal outside interest is music.  She sang in her church choir for a long time though not recently and likes much semi-classical music as well as religious music.  They belong to the Methodist Church where she takes part in activities and is a member of Eleanor Circle of the WSCS.

She is a member of the Progressive Mothers Club and keeps affiliation with the New Vienna Woman's Club.  The family lived there 10 years before coming to Wilmington.

24-HOUR CHEESECAKE

30 Graham crackers

¼ lb. butter or oleo

1 tbsp. powdered sugar

1 large pkge. Philadelphia cream cheese

2 t vanilla

1 c sugar

1 can carnation milk

1 pkg. lemon jello

1 c boiling water

Melt butter over low heat, add cracker crumbs and powdered sugar.  Mix and line bottom of pan with one half the crumbs, reserving the remainder.

Dissolve jello in boiling water and let cool.  Cream the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.

Put the can of milk in the freezing compartment for an hour or two before starting the cheesecake.  Take it out and beat till stiff.  Mix the cool jello, cream cheese mixture and whipped milk.  Pour over lined pan and top with the remainder of the crumbs.  Keep refrigerated.