HNR US 40 Yard Sale Cookbook Creation

My name is Patricia McDaniel. I own an antique shop on the Historic National Road in Dublin , Indiana which is situated in Western Wayne County. Country store items, primitives, & advertising. Pharmaceuticals are a speciality in my shop.

I've supplied props for period movies including Munich, The Good Shepherd, Avalon, A League Of Their Own plus approximately 35 other movies. My specialization in pharmaceutical items resulted in my authoring and the release of "Drugstore Collectibles" published by Wallace-Homestead Chilton.

The Historic National Road aka US 40 was the first Interstate in the United States. I knew that the bicentennial of the Historic National Road would be in 2006. I considered what I could do to celebrate the event. So...I started the Historic National Road Yard sale. My goal was to develop an event which would be affordable for everyone. No tickets or fancy automobiles required!!

In 2004, the HNR Yard Sale extended in Indiana from Richmond to Knightstown. In 2005, the HNR Yard Sale traversed all 157 miles of Indiana from Richmond to Terre Haute.


By 2006, the Historic National Road Yard Sale had grown and extended from Baltimore MD to ST Louis MO for a total of 824 miles. That was the year I decided to take a month-long Promotional Tour with Mr. Eli, my airedale/wolfhound, as my traveling companion. BOTH of use shared some wonderful experiences! (Please refer to my website:www.oldstorefrontantiques.com).

It didn't take long to realized that the cuisine along the route differed from state to state and region to region within each state. I literally ate my way through 1700 miles!!

In 2008, I had just finished reading the book "Eat, Pray", Love by Elizabeth. Gilbert. She took a year-long sabbitacal and spent time in Italy, Indiana, and Indonesia. So...I opted to replicate her feat for sixty days. (I turned 60 in January 2008>). All of my gasoline, food, lodging, were donated in exchange for a listing on my website as well as an inclusion in my Travel Journal. Double the time on the road. Double the amount of time I could eat regional food. On both Promotional Tours, I did not eat at fast food restaurants, use a cell phone, or have a radio on in my car.

An idea had been in the back of my mind for about six months. Then...in mid-June...I decided to begin to compile recipes for the Historic National Road Yard Sale Cookbook. Individuals, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and food-related industries were contacted. The only criteria was that the recipes submitted should reflect the particular region of a specific state. Thus, zucchini bread from Illinois was "in". Crab salad was "out" Breaded tenderloin from Indiana was "in" while banana bread was :"out". To my knowledge, I've never seen a banana tree growing anywhere in Wayne County!!

Two and a half months later, 317 recipes which comprise the Historic National Road Yard Sale Cookbook were sent to the publisher!! There are NO five recipe variations for steak soup!! In fact, there are no duplicate recipes!!The cookbook will definitely reflect the editor's wry sense of humor as well as a salute to her own hometown. (The latter will also have a nifty way in which food pundits and folklorists will be able to identify with their own special section of US 40.)

The editor also elected to have two covers printed. The first appeals to residents in Wayne County, Indiana. The second features two photos of the Old National Road in Indiana. The editor felt that this cover would be one in which everyone along the Historic Road Could identify.

The Historic National Road Yard Sale Cookbook is available for $16.95 plus $8 for S & H. Two copies mailed to the same address are available for $41.90. There is a discount for orders of five or more.