Agree, some recipes could be more definitive.
Packages/cans, etc. change sizes over the years.
Re baking pan sizes/types ... a friend would not make a recipe without the exact baking pan/casserole in the recipe. She would wait until she bought the new dish or just not make it at all. I kept reminding her, that if it held the right amount, don't worry if it is square or round or rectangular, two inches deep or four inches etc. Just do the math for the volume so it worked .... but despite her being a numbers whiz and a wonderful cook/baker, she just could not get over that mental block.
Old recipes often called for a warm or hot oven, thermostats were not on a wood fired oven!
You just went with what you had and you knew how to make a good hot fire, etc.
... butter size of an egg,
...... add milk (water, or whatever liquid recipe calls for), and stir until batter is a defined consistency
While today, we often feel we need the precision ... that was the norm in the "olden" days!
It also shows how most recipes are flexible and forgiving.
It all proves that many recipes are guidelines, not hard core rules!
NativeTexan ... as for smidgens, gee, I use that all the time!!!
