As a distracted pre-teen in Language Arts class, my teacher tossed me a copy of "A Confederacy of Dunces" to basically shut me up. I've read it probably a dozen times.

The "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" though, is one of those books that absorbed my brain as a child. The cookbook was my mom's and she gave it to my aunt who, in turn, gave it to me about 10 years ago. Of all of my siblings and cousins and grandkids in the family, I'm the only one who took any interest in cooking, and this book was and is a real comfort zone for me.

Especially during the holidays, I pull out this cookbook to look at the old recipes to get ideas of things to try, revisit and/or improve upon.

I'm guessing a lot of our readers had this book somewhere in their house growing up. Like forks and spoons, it was a staple in a lot of kitchens. You're probably familiar with the red and white checkered tablecloth-looking cover of this book. Your parents and grandparents probably had a copy somewhere in a cabinet or drawer.

The main reason I like to go back to this cookbook is to study the language and ingredients. There are so many recipes in there with "shredded sharp process American cheese," or a "can of shrimp" and don't forget that "½ teaspoon of monosodium glutamate" to put into the "Hamburger-Corn Casserole" dish.

Outdated? Yes. Still worth having? Double yes – give me some MSG!

In the cookbook introduction, there's a welcoming address from the Better Homes and Gardens Director, Foods and Equipment Department, Myrna Johnston. "Now we are happy to present dozens of color photographs to give you ideas for arranging meals attractively, for styling your food service with the season."

Cute? Yes. Outdated? A little bit.

If you take a look in the Index, you'll find no listing for "Hot Dogs" because back then they were listed under "Frankfurters" or "Wieners."

Outdated? Yeah. Funny? A little.

And then there's the cringeworthy phrase used to explain how simple some of these recipes are: "Of course, you're a busy lady."

Of the time? Yes. Outdated? Absolutely.

Fortunately, the cookbook is in its 17th edition and gone are the phrases from decades ago.

At CU Times, we pay very close attention to the details happening inside and around the NCUA. That means as part of my job, I peruse the agency's manuals and guides online.

It's wonderful reading, especially if you like the feeling of taking an Ambien, but without the fogginess of Ambien-induced Amazon shopping. Whoops, there's a 65-inch TV and a pack of nine-volt batteries that were just delivered.

As you know, there's a lot of crucial and vital information inside the NCUA's manuals and guides section – as there should be.

On a recent expedition inside the NCUA's manuals and guides, I ran across the "Disaster Contingency Plan Best Practices" and a letter that was sent out to credit unions … in December of 2001. The document's primary focus seemed to be spawned, as it says, "After the tragic events of September 11th …" If you read it as a historical piece, it's interesting. If you read it as some practical steps to help a credit union before, during and after a major crisis event, it could use some updating.

Keep in mind, the iPhone didn't come out for another eight-ish years after this was put together. The bones of the document are there. But, like the cookbook, the language and needs have shifted.

The "Electronic Payment Systems" section is in a better spot and was last updated, according to the NCUA's site, on Sept. 25, 2017. Inside it reads, as it pertains to third-party risks, "Credit unions that use a third party (for example, a corporate credit union or CUSO) to process electronic payments are subject to third-party risk." The third-party risk examples given include Western Union, MoneyGram and PayPal.

Maybe it's time to update this area with more of the risks credit unions are facing with third-party partnerships such as the big and small fintech firms. Twenty-seven months after updating guidelines doesn't seem like a long time; but two years in tech-time might as well be a decade.

Even external agency documents the NCUA sends to you should be reconsidered. For instance, the "FinCEN Suspicious Activity Report Electronic Filing Requirements" document by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network was last updated in March 2015. I know, criminals move faster than governing bodies. It's a crazy battle, but that's the industry we are in.

I'm not slamming the NCUA for slacking off. I don't think they are slacking off at all. My main point here is that providing the best and most up-to-date information is a nearly impossible task for any organization, much less a regulatory organization. I don't envy those responsible for trying to keep these very important items updated. All the best wishes go out to those people updating guides, manuals and even cookbooks.

And to you, our readers, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and if you stop by to say hello, may I interest you in some 1962-inspired dishes of Grapefruit-Crab Cocktail with a Tomato Refresher? Or how about some Swedish Pickled Shrimp with some Snappy Liver Dip?

Michael Ogden

Michael Ogden is editor-in-chief for CU Times. He can be reached at [email protected].