Home Deconomics

Collage

2012-01-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

Looky!

What’s New and Up and Coming too

2010-08-09T14:12:00.001-07:00

Hey Gang! I’ve been a busy, busy bee this summer. Spring and summer shows, two farmers markets each weekend as well as creating and producing new items.

Here’s a peek at what’s new!

Cloth Napkins! Oodles of fun fabrics with more being added all the time.

For all those going back to school, or if you are just in need of something to liven up your desk – Mouse pads! You’ll find the usual fun and playful fabrics as well as some newer florals and sophisticated designs.

And last but definitely not least, my most favorite new item;

Oil cloth place mats! So retro and sweet I want to keep them all to myself! And do I spot some really swell cloth napkins in that photo? Gee, I wonder where I can get some of those too…

There is so much more to show you! Chalk-cloth place mats, oil cloth table cloths, up-cycled paper envelopes and paper-wrapped pencils, more greeting cards, and sweet pin cushions.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Also in the works – my new website and newsletter! Finally. For reals this time. Due this fall (fingers crossed).

Ta ta for now, I have more goodies to photograph!

Technorati Tags: etsy shop,oilcloth,place mats,cloth napkins,mouse pads,home deconomics

Craft Show and Tulip Festival

2010-03-29T14:34:00.001-07:00

It’s tulip time again and if you’ve never been, now’s the time! The weather may be grey but the tulips and daffodils are popping open like mad and the fields are aglow with color. This weekend is also our “Something Different” craft show at the Rexville Grocery pavilion.

It’s Easter weekend so pack up the family and take a drive through the Skagit Valley and see the gorgeous tulips and daffs then swing by the grocery for a snack or a sandwich and come browse the crafts. See Bev’s blog, Blue Collar Dog Treats for the whole scoop and lots of pictures! She has done an excellent job and you can even find pictures and bios of the crafters.

Alert Tulip Visitors! Tulips are early this year! The next two weeks will be prime viewing. Daffodils are left to wither on the stem so there but tulips are topped just after full bloom. Then there is no color left at all (this is done so all the plant’s energy is sent to the bulb. While there are plenty of cut tulips to be found, the tulips in the valley are grown for the bulb). So don’t put off your visit, come soon!

Technorati Tags: rexville grocery,skagit tulip festival,craft shows,Something Different,skagit county,tulips,daffodils

I’ve Sprouted!

2010-03-03T14:15:00.001-08:00

I’m so excited! My lovely little basil and tomato seeds are well on their way to deliciousness! Ever since I made my own mozzarella I’ve been dreaming about making insalata caprese. What could be tastier than fresher than fresh, home-grown ingredients?

Soon these little beauties will plump, sweet tomatoes…

And these will be fragrant, yummy basil…

Combine it with the nutty, delicate mozzarella, a dash of sea salt and fresh ground pepper and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar. We put ours on a baguette slice to mop up the juices. Yummmm.

Hurry up summer!

Technorati Tags: fresh mozzarella,tomatoes,caprese,seed sprouts,spring,basil

Home-made Mozzarella

2010-02-05T09:06:00.001-08:00

In Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle they talk about making mozzarella cheese in less than 30 minutes. I love fresh mozzarella and decided this was something I had to try. Yesterday, I did.

For the full directions go here.

This was so easy it’s criminal. The only possible hitch might be finding the proper ingredients.

You will need one gallon pasteurized milk. NOT ULTRA-PASTEURIZED. Sometimes this can be more of a challenge than you’d think. I used organic vat-pasteurized whole milk. ( I have no idea what vat-pasteurized means but it worked). One gallon of milk will yield 2 fist sized cheeses.

Also 1 1/2 tsp citric acid. I found it in my local health food store bulk aisle. I bought a few tablespoons worth for .49.

Rennet. No one in my town had this, which surprised me. My local super-healthy grocery store never even had a request for this before. I found it in a food co-op in the next town. It was in a refrigerated section but sometimes you will find it in the dessert aisle with the Jell-O. It looks like this:

The directions recommend a stainless-steel pot and glass or ceramic measuring cups but I believe you may use other materials as long as they are VERY CLEAN. You do not want any foreign bacteria on your utensils! And we used a candy thermometer instead of an instant-read.

For full instructions remember to go here!

First you slowly heat the milk on the stove. As it reaches room temp you add the diluted citric-acid. As it warms more it will begin to curdle. You then add the diluted rennet. It began to develop curds immediately. In just a few minutes the remaining whey should be a pretty clear yellow and the curds ready to remove.

Place curds in a large microwavable bowl (Large enough so you can knead it right in the dish) and press out as much liquid as possible. It feels and looks a bit like firm bread dough at this point.

Nuke it for one minute and press and knead out more moisture. It can get HOT so use caution. Heat for 30 more seconds and repeat. When hot you can pull and stretch it like taffy. Pretty neat. Add some salt and nuke-and-knead again. It now feels like silly putty. Very HOT silly putty.

I divided it into 2 palm-sized pieces and shaped them into balls.

Done! The flavor turned out deep and nutty, probably because I used whole milk. One issue I noticed and that was it was a little firmer than I expected and I suspect that’s from over-handling it. I was a little rough on it during the kneading process.

I can’t wait to try this again! It was so easy (and fairly mess-free too) you could do this before dinner and eat it fresh! The deep flavor will be absolutely delicious with fresh home-grown tomatoes and basil on a home-made baguette with a dash of balsamic vinegar. YUM! Can’t wait for summer!

Technorati Tags: home-made cheese,fresh mozzarella,cheese making,Kingsolver recipe

Inspiration and galvanization

2010-01-23T09:06:00.001-08:00

First off, I want to say I’m not one of “those” people. I’m not one of those uber-eco folks whose blood runs green and who lectures others when they eat meat or throw something away that could be recycled. I’m just a regular gal who wants to be a little more involved in my little town and to eat fresh, yummy food that’s safe and unmodified. I’m finally ready to get off my ass and do something.

Scare yourself in to action! (ie, educate yourself)

I like to make educated, informed decisions. I read a lot. I watch movies and documentaries. I love research and enjoy exploring certain subjects. The following books inspired me, and the film scared me into action. There are many, many more out there but I think these 3 are great primers and introductions to examining food, and how it is grown or manufactured (when I get a third column added to this blog I will create a list of many more).

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

I enjoy most of Pollan’s books. I was dubious about this one because the premise doesn’t really sound like a whole books worth of writing. It is. He is a very accessible writer and lovely to read. Here he addresses, among other things, the problem with adding nutrients to manufactured, processed food, and the ramifications of eating such. It all makes such perfect sense!

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Kingsolver’s family moves to a farm and elects to feed themselves solely on what they grow or can trade from other farms. Written in monthly chapters it’s not only a beautiful read but quite helpful as a primer for doing it yourself. For example what will you do with surpluses of food in the summer? How will you get through the lean winter months?

Food, Inc

This film is a great, gentle introduction into how our food has been changed and manipulated. There are many others out there that go in to more detail or try to terrify you but this one is just an all around great eye-opener. Personally I think it should be shown in classrooms. Most people have no idea how little food is in our “food”. If this doesn’t make you think more about growing your own non-gmo food or shopping at your local farmers market, I don’t know what will.

There is a new small film out called Fresh that I have yet to see (limited release). This film focuses on action – what you can do about the very things Food, Inc brings up. I’d love to hear from anyone who’s seen it.

There you have it. My new direction and basis for what I feel should be the new Home Ec. Not just the care and feeding of your family but knowing what you are feeding them.

Technorati Tags: food culture,healthy food,gmo,home economics,gardening,locavore

Lynden Craft and Antique Show

2010-01-22T06:31:00.000-08:00

Another 6 months has passed and I’m gearing up for the spring show!

If you are in the north Puget Sound area, come visit me and many, many others this March 18-21.

Technorati Tags: craft shows,lynden WA,Home deconomics

Happy New Year!

2010-01-21T09:24:00.001-08:00

Yes, I know it’s almost the end of the month already but in my usual procrastinator’s manner, I’m way behind.

I’ve been thinking long and hard about this blog and I think I will be making a few changes in direction. I’ve always wanted to write about what I think modern Home Economics is, but was unsure how to focus my efforts. Simply put, Home Economics is the care and management of your home and family.

I had originally wanted to share tips and information, from past and present, on the topic of running a household. More recently an interest of mine has turned into a compulsion. This year I am going to try to be a locavore. A slow-food eater. A sustainable gardener. An active member in my community. This could be a rather large undertaking but it is very important to me so I hope it will “stick”. By this I mean I hope it’s not another one of my big ideas that I’m passionate about for 6-12 months then move on. I want this to become part of our lives. Perhaps by sharing my goals with you it will add some accountability.

This means that running my household will now be a lot more hands-on. I will try growing more food (I am a procrastinator and a lazy gardener. Not a good combo for this) and eating what’s in season (that means no more imported winter tomatoes from Mexico! gulp). Exploring more regional foods (seafood!). It means paying more attention to what’s in packaged foods and educating myself on how foods are manufactured and processed.

I’m going to take baby steps. Not everything will be possible but we will make small changes where we can (buying Washington wines instead of our usual Yellow Tail). I plan on spending the whole year easing into this, not jumping in head first right away. Perhaps some of you will join me. I hope many of you already have and can share your experiences.

At the risk of boring you before I even get started, here are the basic tenets I’m going to try and follow (from the Locavores website):

If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic. This is one of the most readily available alternatives in the market and making this choice protects the environment and your body from harsh chemicals and hormones.

If not ORGANIC, then Family farm. When faced with Kraft or Cabot cheeses, Cabot, a dairy co-op in Vermont, is the better choice. Supporting family farms helps to keep food processing decisions out of the hands of corporate conglomeration.

If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business. Basics like coffee and bread make buying local difficult. Try a local coffee shop or bakery to keep your food dollar close to home.

If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Terroir, which means 'taste of the Earth'. Purchase foods famous for the region they are grown in and support the agriculture that produces your favorite non-local foods such as Brie cheese from Brie, France or parmesan cheese from Parma, Italy.

Hit the farmers' market before the supermarket. Plan your meal around local ingredients you find at the market.

Branch out. Maybe your usual food repertoire could use some fresh ideas. The farmers' market provides a perfect chance to try a new ingredient when it's in season, and lets you talk to its grower to find out the best way to prepare your new food. Flirt with your food producer!

Feed the freezer. Can't cook every night? Worried about your fresh produce going bad? It's easy. Make lasagna with local tomatoes or a soup packed with fresh veggies and freeze it! You can also make personal size meals for a brown bag lunch.

Go out! Many area restaurants emphasize local foods in their dishes. Ask around, you might be surprised how many options you find that serve up local flavor.

Technorati Tags: locavore,100-mile diet,sustainable gardening,organic food

Upcoming Shows

2009-09-24T11:00:00.001-07:00

I’ve got a lot in the works this coming holiday season and I can’t wait to share it all with you. Whether you are a local or might just happen to be passing through, be sure to stop in and say hello!

Gal-apalooza, Oct 24

This is the first show I have scheduled and is in downtown Everett, WA. This will be my third year. It’s more than a craft show, it’s an event! In the upstairs mezzanine, overlooking the main floor, are all the pampering services. Get a massage, facial, manicure etc. On the main floor are all the booths, food, wine (yes, wine!) as well as the entertainment; cake walks, raffles, belly dancers, hula hoop artists and more! I have so much fun I’d do it even if I didn’t make any money.

Anacortes Farmers Market Holiday Show, Nov 21

For you locals, this should be another fun market event! Come stock up on holiday goodies and gifts from your favorite vendors! It will be held inside the Depot building. More details to come.

I’m still waiting to hear back from another show so keep your fingers crossed for me ( I really want it)!

Hope to see you at a show this season!

Technorati Tags: craft shows,art festivals,everett,galapalooza,anacortes farmers market,holiday shows,home deconomics,hbic,upcoming events

Grand Re-Opening!

2009-09-23T09:19:00.001-07:00

At last! I feel like I’ve completed the move. The shop is open under the new business name (Home Deconomics) and is quickly filling with goodies.

Something I didn’t take into account was how long it takes to get a shop up and rolling. Even though I’ve been selling on Etsy for years and have just changed names, I have essentially started all over again. I have no feedback yet and very few hearts. I may lose a lot of my regular customers with this move. But it was a risk I was willing to take for the sake of my business in the long run. Please don’t forget to heart the new shop so you can find me again!

I am, however, very excited to be listing some brand new items! I gave you a sneak peek at the greeting cards last time and there are now a few listed. More of those to come as well.

Something else I’ve been working hard on is my new heavy duty craft/utility aprons! I wanted to make a durable apron to wear at shows and markets yet be cute and go with my booth decor. Then all the other vendors wanted one too. I will have plain, unadorned ones coming soon as well.

Also new to the shop: Tortilla warmers/potato bakers. Pretty handy little guys!

And more items to come! I still need to photograph the oilcloth table runners I hinted about a few posts back and some new retro shaped placemats.

I have some fun shows and opportunities coming up this fall and winter and I’ll share those once I have more details and dates.

Technorati Tags: new product,craft/utility apron,tortilla warmer,potato baker,greeting card,thank you card,home deconomics,hbic

Oh Joy!

2009-08-28T08:59:00.001-07:00

I’ve got a scanner again!

I have so many wonderful books to share and now I can begin scanning them. Unfortunately, my joy is short lived because I’m getting a new computer next week (yay!) and the scanner will not be compatible with it (boo Vista). I can’t wait to get my new super-duper rig ( “rig”, ha! Do I sound like a gaming nerd or what) but I know it will render all my peripherals obsolete. Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled program…

(I really am excited! I will even have a better computer than my husband!)

The business name change is complete and the new shop is up (but currently empty). I should be filling it up this week with some brand new items!

One of which is greeting cards! I wanted to share my love of ugly vintage food photography with world. Ugly food is just misunderstood and needed a champion, and I, 1950s kitsch lover, am just the woman for the job.

Behold!

Happy Anniversary!

Thinking of You

Thank You

Now you too will be able to share the joy! Show someone you love just how much you care.

Cards will be in the shop soon, I hope, now that I have a scanner! They will be retailing for about $2.75. Each image is an original straight out of a vintage cookbook (other books coming soon as well) so once it’s gone, it’s gone. Unless I find another copy of the book. Some books are just so ugly I have to adopt every copy I find.

And with my new computer I will be able to save as many memory hogging images as I want!

(Did I mention it’s red? With a back-lit keyboard in blue?)

I’m thinking I may need to start doing a weekly or monthly ugly food pic. What do you think? I have oodles of gelled foods that are begging to be seen!

Technorati Tags: greeting cards,thinking of you,happy anniversary,Thank you,hbic,home deconomics

I’ve been featured!

2009-08-13T13:46:00.001-07:00

One of my wonderful fellow vendors at our local farmers market did a lovely post about me. Aw shucks, I feel swell!

Take a look-see at Bev’s Blue Collar Dog Treats and I should be back on my blogging schedule asap!

Change is a-coming

2009-07-30T08:04:00.001-07:00

What a busy bee I’ve been! In my efforts to grow my business I’ve been doing a lot of administrative duties, taking me away from the fun things for a bit. My new business name is applied for (Home Deconomics) and website is finally going to be built. As my husband always says, go big or go home!

I’ve been taking a lot of photos. Photos for a wholesale catalog as well as booth and product pics for juried shows. I spent a lot of time creating some items at a lower price point, now I’m developing some for the other end of the spectrum, more art show worthy.

I’m going to create some really nice new business cards (with pictures) and post cards (listing shows and markets I’ll be attending that season).

Hopefully I can get my ducks in a row and have my website and catalog ready by fall in hopes of adding wholesale business when the farmers market season has ended.

Hopefully I’ll get all my new goodies listed on Etsy soon (cotton napkins, book covers, tortilla warmers, craft aprons and table runners) . And that’s another thing…essentially starting over with my Etsy shop (and the new name).

In the meantime, here’s a peek at my newest product, oilcloth table runners. I sold all my prototypes already at the last market!

And if anyone knows of someone who does fun and unusual web design, drop me a link or send me an email please! I’m looking for retro-1950’s flair.

hb@headbitchincharge.com

Technorati Tags: wholesale,catalog,webdesign,oilcloth,hbic

Tangy Mustard Coleslaw

2009-07-15T08:38:00.001-07:00

I was never a coleslaw fan. It always tasted so bland and watery. Even our favorite pub has crappy fresh-made slaw.

Then I tasted real home made slaw. I’m in love. Nothing says summer to me like cool, crisp, flavorful coleslaw. Where you can actually taste and identify the vegetables and the dressing merely compliments them, not hide them.

This recipe if from the aforementioned Cooking Light magazine. Hubby and I love mustard and this recipe is a hit!

Tangy Mustard Coleslaw

7 cups finely shredded cabbage (I like to throw in a bit of red cabbage if I have it)

1 cup thin sliced red onion

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 Tbs sugar (use caution here, you can always add more later)

2 Tbs whole grain mustard (oh the choices!)

2-3 Tbs mayonnaise (someday I’ll make my own)

1/8 tsp salt & pepper

pinch of ground red pepper

*Combine cabbage, onion and carrot in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and stir well (It might not look like enough dressing but it’s the perfect amount). Pour over cabbage mixture and toss well to coat. Chill before serving.*

It was a hot day yesterday and I had a spontaneous urge to make this slaw for lunch. De-licious!

And just because I felt like it, I made a malted milkshake too!

Technorati Tags: coleslaw recipe,tangy mustard coleslaw,cooking light magazine,hbic

Spry – It’s Triple Creamed! or, Aunt Jenny Wants to Kill You!

2009-07-13T11:29:00.001-07:00

My scanner is broken but I managed to dig up some previous scans of vintage cook booklets. These are a couple from Spry, a vegetable shortening, like Crisco.

Here are the front and back covers of the earlier one, I’m guessing the mid 1940’s. All the graphics inside are illustrated like the covers. I wish I had a scan of the inside to show you what “Aunt Jenny’ looks like.

Now here is the later version, perhaps late 40’s very early 50’s.

The copy on these cracks me up. “So digestible even a child can eat them!” Thank goodness for that! Below is a good shot of Aunt Jenny before she went off her meds.

The inside is where things get weird for me. Aunt Jenny is no longer illustrated. She’s a “real” person. My mother was the first one to notice something about sweet Aunt Jenny was…off. Like they tried to make her look older and more grandmotherly than she is.

An’ they go a bit o’erboard on the country speak, don’t you know. But it’s so down home you know good things are comin’ outta this kitchen!

“Land sakes Ebeneezer…!”

Here she is serving up one of her “magic meat pies”. Looks awful suspect to me. And where is Mr. Aunt Jenny? Does he approve of his wife serving meals to single men? I think they’re hinting that ole Aunt Jenny is a bit spry herself *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

There is just something about Aunt Jenny that gives me the creeps. The fake “grandma-ness”, the overly beaming smile and the over the top country slang is too contrived. I hadn’t noticed her creepiness until after I scanned the booklet or I could give you some great examples of her crazed grin. Like she just served up her niece in the magic meat pie.

Here is the back cover and a glimpse at the original Aunt Jenny. She is in the very upper right. Now that is a sweet grandma figure! I believe that Aunt Jenny. Sweet and kindly with rosy cheeks, not a smile frozen in rigor.

I do not like the creepy Aunt Jenny. She reminds me of smiling, overly happy people that are hiding something. Like a knife behind their back.

You know..if I squint just right I can make the copy above read “Aunt Jenny stars as Bride of Chucky”. Come ‘ere you! Aunt Jenny wants to bake you in, er, bake you a meat pie! You’ll DIE for it!

Technorati Tags: spry,vintage cookbooklet,vintage advertising,vegetable shortening,Aunt Jenny,Bride of Chucky,hbic,vintage cook book

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-08T09:16:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: wordless wednesday,tomatoes,tomato plants,hbic

Favorite Cookbooks and Magazines

2009-07-02T04:27:00.000-07:00

I learned to cook rather late in life. My mother never really learned to cook from her mother (“children don’t belong in the kitchen!”), and I never really learned from mine.

All through college I waited tables and got free or cheap meals. It wasn’t until I started working in bookstores that I learned the joy of reading cookbooks and took an interest in cooking for myself.

Being a bibliophile for most of my life, I bought many cookbooks that were gorgeously photographed, specialty cuisines, ethnic or regional. But I didn’t know how to actually cook out of them. I lacked even the most basic cooking common sense. So I covertly and slyly bought Cooking for Dummies. The recipes weren’t that great( i never cooked out of it) but it explained a few technical things.

After asking around I finally bought How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

I still use it to this day (there is now a new, revised version).

I’ve never been a dieter and normally eschew low-fat foods, opting for the bigger, fuller flavors of “regular” food. As I learned more about cooking I started getting more interested in healthier, lighter food. It was only because I was on vacation with little else to do but browse a huge stack of donated Cooking Light magazines, that I fell in love with them.

It is not diet food! It is about using fresh, quality ingredients and using herbs and spices to get great flavor while eliminating fat and salt. I have learned a lot from this magazine.

Now I have two bookshelves of the magazines and a recipe box over-flowing with Cooking Light recipes. I was ready for something new.

Enter the book, America’s Test Kitchen,

Since I had grown up lacking the basic fundamentals of cooking, I’ve always been fascinated with the “whys” of cooking, with the chemistry and science of it all. While I have a few books that discuss this down to the molecular level, America’s Test Kitchen makes it easy by doing all the hit and miss for you, and then explaining why it does or doesn’t work.

It also provides product recommendations. Truly tested ones, NOT sponsored ones. So not only do they tell you which canned corn tastes better, but why, and why it works better than fresh corn in the recipe.

The publishers of America’s Test Kitchen also put out a few magazines, none of which really appealed to me before. Cook’s Illustrated was always a little too fancy and upscale for my tastes. But now that my skills have improved and I feel a little more confident, I now really enjoy the magazine.

There is no advertising in the magazine and a good number of the illustrations are detailed drawings. This is a very “how-to” magazine. It totally appeals to my inquiring mind about how and why certain things work. Like the book, it has product reviews and recommendations.

And now my latest fave, also from the same publisher, Cook’s Country.

First I had to admit I’m a little bit country. Maybe because I’m getting older or maybe because my style has evolved, but there is a bit of country in me. I think part of it is a lot of my retro-1950’s style goes so well with, and often doubles as the country aesthetic. Cherries, roosters, apple pie and rick rack. Country and retro! The magazine has a distinct country-retro feel that I like.

One of Cook’s Country regular features is Lost Recipes. Cooks looking for or sharing recipes from the past. The issue pictured above had recipes for 7-UP Pound Cake and Stained Glass Cake! I’m so in love. It doesn’t get more retro than that!

I still own, and use all of these books and magazines. I have long since weeded out the fancy books that I’ll never cook out of. Now I stick to a handful of proven favorites. As my tastes continue to evolve (jello? ok, maybe devolve!) I may use some less and find new favorites, but for now these continue to serve me well.

I don’t have children and I worked in restaurants all through my 20s and 30s so my cooking is very restaurant influenced. A piece of meat with a sauce, a sautéed or steamed veggie and an often garnished plate.

What’s your style? What are your favorite cookbooks/magazines and why? If you didn’t learn to cook from a family member how did you teach yourself to cook? What types of food does your family like best?

Technorati Tags: cookbooks,cooking,cooking magazines,learning to cook,hbic

Vintage Motel and Restaurant Signage

2009-06-30T09:35:00.001-07:00

Alas, my scanner has died. I have stacks of vintage books sitting patiently, waiting to have their spines cracked in order to be shared with the world. Their spines will just have to remain intact for now and let photos do the talking.

I have a serious crush on vintage signs and typography. On my various travels around the west I’ve taken snapshots of some signs that are just totally lost in time. Unfortunately, most of them were taken from a moving vehicle, not the best method of getting a good photo. Lucky for me, I’m after the general shape and style of the sign than a beautiful shot.

This “checkmark and post” style is everywhere. I don’t know if it started out as a trademark for a single company or if it was just popular. Was Motor Lodge a company too, or just another word for motel? Dunno. The two signs above were within 2 blocks of each other.

Same style, different state. When I see these dynamic shapes I always wonder how I could incorporate them into my work.

I love the free-form blobby shape surrounding the trapezoid! I may have to design my business card like it.

I could see this shape as a business card or hang tag. I could even punch holes to simulate the lights.

We’ve seen this shape before! A little less flashy but just as dynamic. Hey, I wonder if I could make a booth banner that shape! Both eye-catching and directional.

Too bad this one is such a poor shot. Great font style and I love the stacked shapes.

This is a great example of efficient design. Two shapes, two colors, two fonts. Simple, bold and conveys frugality to the budget conscious traveler.

I love this sign and I wish I had a better shot. I adore the swirly “motel” shape and simple font. It wants to be a pillow, or an appliqué on something fun.

But why should motels have all the fun?

I suspect that this one is a reproduction, not truly vintage but I like it anyway.

I have many more but they are scattered across two hard drives and it’s getting more and more difficult to manage them!

I can’t wait to take another road trip and capture more lost-in-time signage!

Technorati Tags: vintage signs,vintage motel signs,vintage design,hbic

Be careful what you wish for

2009-06-24T07:34:00.001-07:00

I wanted business to pick up. Now I barely have time to blog. I wish the money were coming in as fast (are you listening, universe?) but that too, will come in time.

I’ve gone on and on about how much I’m enjoying the Farmer’s Market so I won’t say it again today but here is one of the reasons why. Big special orders! This is what I was working on all last week. Three 6 foot table coverings, in oilcloth, with removable sides and back access.

These babies were a bear! I thought it would be simple. It looks like they should be simple, right? I’d never made them before so I was lucky I had a table the same size to fit them to. Trying to sew 9+ feet of rather stiff material was more of a challenge than I expected but after ripping out only a couple seams and mitering the corners I arrived at a good fit.

And just look how adorable they turned out!

The perfect backdrop for Auntie M’s Cupcakes! She knew exactly what she wanted and that helped a great deal. We were booth neighbors on the first day of market, the first time at market for both of us, and we hit it off ever since. Just look at these delicious little gems!

Displaying them under glass cloches is genius and truly sets her booth apart from the other bakers.

Even though working on special orders takes me away from my regular work it’s actually a good thing. It’s a guaranteed sale. That’s a good thing too because market that day was terribly slow but my sales were outstanding due to special orders! (I also made up some sand bags for the market managers booth.)

And now Auntie M has asked me for sand bags too (notice the kitty litter buckets? Ew, not with cupcakes!). And more coverings for 2 end tables. And a cover for the water cooler. And eventually, 3 more covers for 8 ft tables! Now that the hard part is over (engineering them) they will be much quicker. Then the second part of my wish will come true too!

Cha-ching!

Technorati Tags: farmers market,special orders,custom orders,table coverings,oil cloth,Auntie M's Cupcakery,Anacortes WA,hbic

Summertime

2009-06-19T11:56:00.001-07:00

Ah, summer! I am truly a solar powered gal. When the sun is out and shining I am up and at ‘em, full of energy and motivation. When it’s cloudy and grey I’m dragging my feet and procrastinate. Needless to say I love the long summer days!

Here in the northwest we get a lot of those grey days but when summer rolls around the long 16 hour days make it worth the wait! Alas, things just start getting warmed up when solstice arrives (this sunday) and the days get shorter again.

I am greatly looking forward to this summer. This year I am doing the Farmer’s Market, which I adore. I get to travel with my sweetie and see the country. I live on the water (surrounded by it, in fact) and get to admire it’s beauty every day. Summer means more parties and gatherings, sandals and skirts, eating outside, whether on out own deck or the local pub’s. Swimming, hiking, gardening, walks on the beach. Cheese burgers, cold beer and lemonade. Arts and Crafts festivals, flower festivals, boat festivals and farmers markets.

Summer is a grand celebration and we’re all invited!

Technorati Tags: blog carnival,etsybloggers street team,summer,hbic

Featured Blogger – Lazy T Crochet

2009-06-17T08:02:00.001-07:00

Oh where has the time gone? I can’t believe another month is whizzing by so fast! But before it whizzes right into July I want to introduce another EtsyBloggers team member, Lazy T Crochet. Lazy T’s blog is a delightful read, full of this and that, with some crochet of course! Her tag line is Yarn, Etsy, Food, Friends. A perfect descriptor! LazyT has been a part of the EtsyBloggers team for a long time and has been a treasured member.

And where would EtsyBloggers be without Etsy? Don’t forget to take a peek at Lazy T Crochet’s Etsy shop for oodles of knit and crochet creations like these;

I adore the color of this Coral Wrap!

A knit bangle! How clever is that?!

And look at the delicious color of this Green Apple Cloche

Have a blog and an Etsy shop? Come join the EtsyBloggers street team!

Technorati Tags: EtsyBloggers street team,lazy T crochet,knit,crochet,Etsy shop,hbic

What’s in a name

2009-06-07T09:27:00.001-07:00

I stuck to my guns as long as possible. But I think the time has come for the Head Bitch in Charge to take a back seat and let a name with broader appeal come forward.

While HBIC has had the desired effect and fan base I intended, my product line has evolved and diversified. It’s not as “bitchy” as it used to be. I intend to keep HBIC as a line within the product family, so it’s not going anywhere, I’m just moving the soap box to the side a bit.

Luckily I still have my list of potential business names from the first time around. I need your help and input! I’ll throw them all out there because some of the ones I didn’t like my family loved, so I need opinions on them all.

Keeping in mind that I make colorful and cheerful retro-1950’s kitchen and home decor, the candidates are:

Home Deconomics

Ginger Snap

Black Cherry

Red Licorice

Come and Get It!

Rhubarb Pie

Vote for your favorite and tell me why. What name do you not like and why? Give me any opinions and feedback you like. Suggestions too, if you have any!

Technorati Tags: business name,name change,Head Bitch in Charge,hbic

A Good Day’s Work

2009-06-04T17:57:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful day! I love it when I can set up shop outside on our deck under my canopy. I have a hard time working indoors when the weather is nice so I sew al fresco instead!

I even used the supports as a clothes line and dried some yardage. It’s pure heaven to work with fabric that has been sun-dried! The smell! Wonderful. I worked on a few new items that should be in my shop soon.

Here’s a sneak peek at the tortilla warmers/potato bakers (above). I was only making a few because of a customer request at the Farmers Market but I love the way they turned out.

And here is a sampling of the cotton napkins. I’ve been toying with the idea of making smaller cotton napkins for everyday use but hemming that kind of volume seemed daunting and I haven’t mastered my machine’s hemming foot yet. But I’m much faster than I thought and managed to cut, press and sew 65 napkins in 2 days, along with several of the potato bakers. Not bad!

In the heat of mid-day I took a lunch break and wandered into the garden for lunch. I’m telling you, I can’t get enough of these tasty greens! And radishes of course :)

Then it was back to work. I noticed that my companion doesn’t like to move much. Now, I hate to be one of those people who posts cutesy pictures of their pets, but she just exemplified the mood of the day.

At 11am

1 pm

3 pm

Then she finally migrated off the astro-turf because I stepped on her. But not too far!

I think she’s forgiven me after my bright idea yesterday of hosing her down to cool her off. Well, the dog likes it anyway.

Now the sun is still beating down the west side of the house so I’m hiding from the heat for a bit, then I’ll go back to my sewing table, and the cat to her turf. Then back to the garden for dinner.

I could get used to this. Oh, yes I could.

Technorati Tags: sewing outdoors,tortilla warmer,potato baker,cloth napkins,hbic

First Harvest

2009-06-01T09:13:00.001-07:00

May here in Washington was the wettest on record for 30-something years. My garden doesn’t get a whole lot of sun so everything in the garden was off to a very slow start. But these last few weeks of sunshine have done wonders!

Everything is still pretty small and I can barely get enough salad greens for two but, look! These spicy little gems seem to have plumped up over night! I’m so glad to finally harvest something. The expanse of dirt is finally more green than brown as everything leafs out.

Home grown greens are so flavorful I find that my salads have gone very spartan in order to appreciate all the flavors. I usually make huge chef’s salads with up to 10 ingredients. Now they only have 2 or 3 and they are ever so much more delicious!

I look forward to tonight’s salad with great anticipation! Fresh arugula, spinach, romaine, red and green leaf lettuces and my radishes! I’ll top it all off with my homemade garlic-parmesan croutons, mmmmm. Care to join me?

Technorati Tags: harvest,garden,salad,home-grown,radishes,lettuce,hbic

PVC Tent-Weight Tutorial

2009-05-29T08:47:00.001-07:00

Tis the season for arts and crafts festivals! Having proper tent weights is mandatory for most shows and some may even refuse to let you vend if you don’t have them. Be sure you are aware of the requirements!

I have seen dozens of methods and styles of tent weights, with sand bags and water jugs being the most prevalent. I don’t like the bulkiness of these, not to mention the hassle of filling and lugging enough water for the proper weight. So I decided to make the pvc variety. They are tall and narrow so it minimizes the tripping hazard and they are white, a bit of camouflage. If you have never used concrete before, don’t worry, it’s easy!

**This tutorial makes four 30lb weights. ** (most of the photos are from the smaller 2” weights I made, you will be using 4” pipe)

All directions are approximate. Supplies and results may be slightly different for you.

You will need:

Two 60lb bags of concrete mix

Four 2.5' pieces of pvc pipe, 4” in diameter. Or one 10’ length, cut into 4 sections. It comes in two thicknesses, get the thicker one to minimize cracking should the weight fall over.

Four end caps. I recommend the flat bottom caps so the finished weights will stand freely. The above photo shows rounded caps. These must be hung. You may also want to get four more for the tops for a cleaner look.

Glue/Epoxy. Anything that will affix plastic. Super Glue is fine.

Four hooks or eye bolts. Make sure they are long enough to ensure the concrete will hold them.

Construction:

Sand off any rough edges on the ends of the pipe and wipe clean. Glue on end caps and let dry. (If you are going to use caps for the top, drill or cut holes in them to allow for the hooks or bolts.)

Mix your concrete. I suggest mixing and using small amounts at a time as wet concrete is heavy! Only mix up what you can comfortably stir. This keeps the mess down too.

Begin filling pipe. I used a garden trowel (2” pipe shown below) and stopped periodically to tap the pipe on the ground, to assure that the concrete settled properly. One bag of concrete will fill 2 pipes. Fill them both and make sure they are filled equally (or use a bathroom scale if you are going for a specific weight). Repeat for other 2 pipes.

Insert screws. You can do this now or let the concrete set a bit. There may be several inches of unfilled pipe. You can leave it as is , to hide the screws, or cut it off. (If you are using caps on top you will need to cut the pipe flush with the concrete, cap it, then insert your hooks. Also be aware that the extra pipe will gather water if it rains. A small drain hole may be a good idea if you don’t cap the top.)

Be sure to clean the pipes well, removing any unwanted concrete. It can be sharp when dry! Also, it helps to have a plan to use or dispose of any leftover concrete should you have any.

Let cure for a few days.

Ta-daa! Done! Here are the 4” and 2” pipes, tops and bottoms shown.

NOTE: the 2” pipe yielded weights that were less than 10lbs each. They are not half the weight as the 4”. I use them for the back yard only.

Now your challenge will be the best way to attach them to your tent. I do not recommend suspending them directly from your tent! The little button that telescopes the leg on most canopies was not meant to hold 30 extra pounds! Rest them on the ground and use something with a little give like rope, or something adjustable, like strapping for a car. I have also seen heavy duty bungees.

I have quick-release ratcheting ropes we got for our kayaks that work like a dream. I simply hook the weight (resting on the ground), hook the canopy and pull the slack tight. I push the ratchet release to loosen it. (I’ll add a photo of them to this post when I get one)

You may also add some sort of carrying handles during construction for easier transport.

NEVER underestimate a good gust of wind! You need the proper weights! The last thing you want is to spend your day holding on to your canopy every time a gust of wind crops up. BE SAFE.

If you have any other tips on pvc weights I’d love to hear them!

Technorati Tags: tent weights,canopy weights,tent weight tutorial,pvc tutorial,pvc tent weights,concrete weights tutorial,craft fair weights,hbic,tute

Happiness is a hot grill

2009-05-25T10:22:00.001-07:00

Here are some images from BH&G’s Meat Cook Book, 1957.

Hope you’re having a great Memorial Day!

Technorati Tags: memorial Day,cookout,bbq,grilling,meat cookbook,BH&G cook book,vintage cookbooks,1950's food,hbic

Edgings

2009-05-21T07:21:00.001-07:00

I found these vintage booklets and thought they were an appropriate follow up to the embroidery.

I just can’t fathom the amount of time and patience it would take to do these!

This one is more lace than hanky! Amazing.

These are a little more my speed but I still doubt I will ever take the time.

These kinds of details are virtually a lost are these days. Time is too valuable and no one can afford to do it any more.

Technorati Tags: vintage crochet,vintage tatting,handkerchief edging,vintage craft booklet,lace,edgings,hbic

Notes on the Farmer’s Market

2009-05-18T08:32:00.001-07:00

As many of you know (because I wouldn’t shut up about it) I had my first market this Saturday. It marked not only my first farmer’s market but also my first outdoor venue! It was a great success and great fun.

I thought I’d share some general notes, ideas, and experiences for others who may also be market virgins or have never done an outdoor show. I’m a bit of an over-preparer and spent a lot of time going over every aspect I could think of. Perhaps you may find it useful

I kept my display as simple as possible for ease of set-up and take down but kept it colorful. My bunting made my booth easy to spot from a distance (that part didn’t occur to me, i just thought it was cute!) and may just become my booth signature.

My first piece of advice is practice! Firstly, it’ll make you more efficient but secondly, you must work out the bumps of being outside! So very different than an indoor set up.

My first instinct is to protect my items from the elements. This means never leaving them outside where dirt, dust, mud, pollen, water, sticky fingers and spills can occur. The week prior to the show was drizzly and breezy, perfect practice weather. I dressed warmly (it’s cold that early in the morning!) and set up my canopy and display outside,

I discovered some leaks. Good thing to know. Marked them until I can re-seal the seams
If you think the weather may change during the day, hang your walls then bungee them up out of the way. That way you won’t have to scramble to put them up later.
Get used to your babies being outside! I had to really desensitize myself. This way I didn’t spend opening day fretting over the earlier mentioned elements.
Don't underestimate a light breeze. Make sure everything is attached or your signage, business cards, or gawd forbid, your product, will be floating down the street.
Be flexible with your set up. Have several booth configurations. For sunny weather I will to the “outy” configuration. If it’s rainy I’ll do the “inny” (keep your product and your customers dry). Also, be aware that you may have 1 to 4 sides open. Be prepared!
I tend to get a little nervous the morning of a show and everything I practiced goes out of my head. Make a list, including the order of set up if you need to, or take pictures. Referring to a picture really helps me. Especially since I frequently change my display(I forgot my pics this weekend and spent 5 minutes trying to remember what tablecloth went with what products).
Be prepared for uneven ground. this was something I didn’t even think about until I was shown my space on a slanting surface. I have a floor cover as well. If something drops to the ground it will be on the rug, not on the dirt, pavement, grass etc.
Be ready for custom order requests. Since your customers will be back weekly this makes custom orders much more simple to deal with.

Something else I have always found helpful is keeping a show journal. This is especially useful when you do the same show annually or weekly. I note the date, weather, location of my booth and who my neighbors are, items I forgot and any other special events that are also happening in town that day, etc. Make notes all day long – I already have ideas for 5 new products, all recommended by regular market goers.

As for my own experience, I had great fun. I saw friends and neighbors and folks I hadn’t seen in ages. Market goers are a friendly bunch and all the feedback I got was positive. My neighbors, the cupcake folks you can see in the pic above, not only gave me samples all day but drew a large crowd down to our end of the market. They even packaged their goods beautifully so I don’t have to worry once about sticky fingers making their way into my booth. We would happily be neighbors again.

Now I am eager to replenish my inventory and get to work on some of these new ideas!

Technorati Tags: farmers market,outdoor show,booth set up,booth display,craft show tips,hbic

Vintage embroidery

2009-05-16T02:06:00.000-07:00

I meant to include some of this with National Apron Day but didn’t get the pictures done in time.

Like my apron collection, I have inadvertently ended up with a large stash of textiles. Ok, I confess lately I have been looking for them when I hit yard sales and thrift shops but I don’t consider myself a collector.

For Mother’s Day I took my mother yard sale-ing and while there weren’t many, the ones we hit were good. At one small sale there was one small basket of embroidered linens. It was $8 for what looked like 8-10 pieces but I didn’t really look closely. A bargain at any rate. Here are just a few examples;

What a find! Not just because of the embroidery, which is lovely and well done but because of the edging.

I have just learned how to crochet so I can appreciate the amount of time, energy and care that went into this but I think everyone can see that just one napkin would take ages, let alone a whole set!

It makes my head and fingers ache just looking at it!

Also in this bunch was this adorable apron;

I have never seen such fine needlework. Look how tiny and neat those stitches are! I’m so in love!

But this find also makes me a little sad. Someone worked that hard only to end up in a half-rate yard sale for less than a buck. It breaks my heart actually. So i thought they deserved another life. To be shared and enjoyed by others who can admire all that hard work and TLC!

I have many more pictures of many more linens on Flickr. Please enjoy them. Use them as reference or inspiration for your own needlework projects. Or just wonder in amazement why anyone would put so much work into that little thing.

Some of the more well worn and torn items I hope to someday turn into something lovely like Primrose Designs does here. But in the meantime, until a worthy project arises, I’m having a wonderful time rescuing and sharing my finds!

Technorati Tags: vintage linens,vintage embroidery,vintage textiles,vintage needlework,hbic

Shelves and Jars

2009-05-15T02:11:00.000-07:00

I’ve mentioned before that I’m learning about preserving, canning, drying, freezing and stockpiling. Nothing too deep mind you, mostly just to learn these skills, and while I’m at it, be more frugal and have tastier, healthier food! But where to put this bounty…

We are very storage poor in this house. It is a large house with no garage and only ONE closet. We have done some remodeling in the past to amend this but still, we don’t have much space for storage. There was a strange nook in the kitchen that was never finished. A space next to the fridge that had a large pipe behind it. Ugly and flimsy shelves that collapsed under too many bottles of wine (onto a white tile floor. It looked like a murder scene)

I decided this tall narrow space needed to be my pantry! With help from my handy step-father and my reluctant-to-paint-but-I’ll-do-it-because-you’re-my-daughter mother, we got it done in no time.

This cute set up will change as I begin to replace the bowls and dishes with with jars and cans of canned, preserved and dried goods. Some home-preserved, some bought in bulk and moved in to jars for ease of use (and because it looks nice!)

Since we had the paint out I also painted my kitchen book shelf to match.

Now my kitchen is finally “finished”. Everything has been fixed, painted or replaced. Some time ago I had cleaned all my cabinets and reorganized them as well. If I could keep the darn place clean for more than 5 minutes I would take a picture.

Moving on…

I have become obsessed with saving jars. I will keep saving them until I run out of space and uses for them. As I said above, I’ve been buying in bulk, like this;

Then dispense into smaller, more attractive jars and bottles as needed like this;

My favorite is the tall blue bottle. It was a vodka bottle I think. Now with a pour spout it’s my vegetable oil bottle. With new clean corks, lids (got mine at our local wine & beer making shop) and pourers (super market or liquor store), these bottles are ready for many uses! The others are full of vinegars, the balsamic one was just refilled when the original contents were used up.

More ingredients I buy in bulk and parcel in to jars. Yeast, nuts and coconut. Use a grease pencil/china marker to write the date on them. Lucky for me I have a bar fridge in the basement that holds the remainder of them.

Just a few uses for common jars in the kitchen-

Baby food and spice jars;

Perfect for condiments (I love to make up fancy mustards and mayos) and leftover sauces.

Refill with bulk spices (so much cheaper than a new jar!)

Fill with your own dried herbs! (another post when they are ready to harvest).

Fill with toothpicks. You can even punch a hole in the lid (from the inside out so the pick doesn’t get caught on any edges) so you can shake out a pick without touching the others. Handy when stuffing that chicken breast and you need to seal it closed.

Baby food jars are perfect for wet ingredients – use them if you are traveling somewhere where you will prepare a dish away from home. I travel often to a poorly stocked kitchen. I make my herb blends, marinades and any less common ingredients (sesame oil), at home and bring them with me.

A tip I have heard but not yet tried- punch holes in the lid of a smaller, jelly/jam jar and fill with flour (or corn meal etc) and use it when you need to evenly sprinkle flour on a surface or food.

Taller bottles are great with a pour spout for oils and vinegars. I leave mine right next to the stove where I can grab them.

Consider moving dry goods like crackers or cereals into large jars or plastic containers after they’ve been opened. It will keep them fresher a lot longer than the plastic no one(ahem, men) remembers to close up.

If you have any clever uses for bottles and jars please share!

Soon I hope to have an additional freezer as well, opening up even more storage options! More on that when it happens.

Technorati Tags: pantry,kitchen storage,uses for jars and bottles,reusing jars and bottles,buying in bulk,pantry storage,hbic

Good things come in dry, shriveled packages

2009-05-13T08:38:00.001-07:00

I have borrowed a dehydrator and am having great fun! My primary goal was to just make some beef jerky since it is a favorite snack of ours while on the road. Our favorite local spot to buy it is no longer there and our search for a replacement has been in vain.

Finding a good jerky recipe, as it turns out, is merely a question of preference. I like the teriyaki style, my husband likes it peppery. Above all it must be moist! None of that pressed cardboard crap they call jerky. Not fit for consumption.

My mother’s attempts to make jerky have been varied. All have been wonderfully tender and moist but so salty it was almost inedible. I was very nervous of making the same mistake and was a little over-cautious. It could use a dash more (curing) salt. I used a bbq recipe and added soy sauce until I liked the flavor. I sliced a flank steak (a very versatile cut of meat) thin and marinated the slices over night. I drained off the excess marinade and placed in the dehydrator. It’s good to check periodically during the process and remove the thinner pieces, as they become dry the quickest. Remember, no cardboard allowed! Delicious! We ate most of it before I could take a picture of our dried bounty.

I also wanted to try drying some fruit to see which ones we liked. Apples and pears are a shoo in, they have a great flavor and texture.

I wanted to try pineapple! I’ve always been fond of it (and it’s a common ingredient in many 50’s foods!) and pineapple is in season now. I bought two whole pineapples. Cutting and slicing is a bit tricky and very juicy but fun. I completely filled 3 trays and a few bits on the 4th.

Drying took almost 12 hours and the results fit into just one jar! It is so sweet and the intense flavor is fantastic! Nothing like those dried, candied nuggets you sometimes find in trail mix. This has been a favorite of everyone whose tried it so far.

I spotted the cantaloupe I had bought for breakfast and decided I had to try it too. The book said melons come out very candy-like. I was not a fan. My husband loved it. Cantaloupe has a distinct flavor that is intensified during drying (as all foods are) so I would recommend trying a small batch first like I did.

Pictured above are pears and raisins (store bought, and I’ve tasted better home-dried pears) and the pineapple and jerky. The first of many jars of dried goods that will go onto my new mini pantry shelves. I’ll share more of that another time.

I’m going to continue to experiment with small batches and see what we like. No sense in buying pounds of fruit to dry if no one likes the flavor! I hear strawberries wonderful.

Now i stare at my own pear tree whose pears are no larger than my thumb, and the neighbor’s apple tree, and see visions of sweet, succulent, shriveled gems of flavor! I can’t wait!

I have also planted a good number of herbs that I also plan to dry later in the season.

Here are some websites that discuss dehydrating in depth:

http://www.pickyourown.org//allaboutcanning.htm#drying (about 3/4 of the way down the page)

http://www.drystore.citymax.com/page/page/1346972.htm explains the basics very well. Q&A style

http://farmgal.tripod.com/Dehydrate.html includes specific drying times and several jerky recipes!

There are many wonderful(and mostly older) books on preserving and drying foods but I have discovered that while most of the recipes and techniques are valid, the technology is old. Dehydrating is one area that suffers a bit in that way. Unless you plan to build your own dryer or learn about solar drying I suggest researching online first as it is so up to date. Electric dehydrators are pretty common now and so easy to use!

Once you start drying foods you’ll begin to see everything as a potential dry, shriveled bit of joy!

Technorati Tags: drying food,dehydrating food,dried pinapple,beef jerky,home drying,deyhdrating fruit,hbic

National Apron Day

2009-05-11T01:53:00.000-07:00

In celebration of National Apron Day I thought I’d share a bit of my collection. I have been making my own aprons for a while now but never intended to collect vintage ones. That happened by accident. People give them to me! I have never gone out of my way to purchase a vintage apron. I have bought lots (as in a batch sale) of textiles that have included an apron or two. Here are a few favorites.

You can’t see it very well but it’s a kitten (on the pocket) playing with a ball of string.

The red apron is made of a quartered handkerchief and sheer organdy. So sweet!

Another apron of sheer organdy. I love how the pocket is faced with the same fruit fabric and folded over. Nice detail.

This orange apron is one of a batch a friend gave me. All are gingham of different sizes embellished with cross stitching and pulled thread. They are some of my favorites.

I still can’t figure out how the pockets were put together on this one. They are very cleverly pieced.

I adore apron patterns but many are collectible priced quite high. I’ve paid as much a $12 for one I couldn’t live without (I’ve seen some for $35! Eek!). The one on the far left I got this weekend for five cents.

I adore the pattern on the far left! It may be the $12 one. The points are sweet little pockets. In fact, I have made a few of them to sell!

I hope to soon add aprony links so if you collect, make, blog or Flickr aprons share them and/or leave a link!

Technorati Tags: national apron day,vintage aprons,vintage apron patterns,handmade aprons,apron collecting,hbic

Featured blogger for May

2009-05-05T08:49:00.001-07:00

This month’s featured EtsyBlogger is CREATEaTHOUGHT. Visit her colorful and cheerful blog (I love the banner!) or visit her Etsy shop where “You look so much hotter with something on your finger”.

But it’s much more than that! Cards, magnets, journals and more!

If you have an Etsy shop and you blog, or would like to start a blog, come join us! We are an active, supportive group who love to share, help, craft, write, and, well, blog! EtsyBloggers Street Team.

Technorati Tags: featured Blogger,Creatathought,EtsyBloggers,blog meme,Etsyshop,hbic,street team

More Retro Salads

2009-05-02T10:22:00.001-07:00

We haven’t seen much of the sun yet in the pacific northwest this spring. My little seedlings have barely poked through the surface of the soil. I will have to wait a bit longer for garden fresh salad greens.

But who says you need lettuce for a spectacular salad!

This BH&G book from 1958 is bursting with colorful fruit and vegetable salads. Most of them even look edible!

But we know that lovely, edible salads are not my fascination. I’m here for the elaborate spreads and all things suspended in gelatin!

Quite a spread, no? And do I spy something jellied on that tray?

Here are some more splendid gelatin examples;

There are so many wonderful photos in this book and I have yet to scan it all in.

Hopefully the sun will come and my salad greens will flourish. While I intend to eat them all fresh, don’t be surprised if you see a few leaves or veggies show up in some re-creations! Maybe I’ll try to even leave out the gelatin and recreate something like this instead.

Nah!

(what is that I spy in the lower right…some jellied coleslaw perhaps?)

Technorati Tags: jell-o,jello,gelatin,gel cookery,1950s food,gelatin salads,fruit salads,vegetable salads,BH&G,hbic

No-Knead Bread

2009-04-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

I've been brushing up on my bread making skills lately. While I dearly love the taste of fresh made bread, it's not the simplest food to make. I don't have a decent place in my kitchen for any type of bread or dough work. All the surfaces are the wrong height for comfortable kneading and none of them are suitable because dough sticks badly to the surface.

Then I read about no-knead doughs. Sounded too good to be true!
I ordered this book, Artisan Breads in 5 Minutes a Day. Yum! Essentially the trick is to leave a wet dough in the refrigerator long enough for it to simulate the same process that kneading fulfills.

You throw your ingredients in a bowl, stick in in the fridge for 3 days to 2 weeks. Whenever you want a loaf you pull off a hunk, let it rise for a bit and bake. So simple and no mess! It makes a small round loaf about the size of a grapefruit. Perfect size for us. The crust is awesome and the flavor is great.

I'd been having some issues with the loaf baking all the way through but realized that it was due to my oven taking much, much longer to pre-heat than I expected. Now that I figured it out I've had better success. I was going to take pictures of yesterday's loaf but my salivary glands got the better of me and we ate it all up!

I haven't had the chance to try any of the other recipes yet (baguettes, enriched breads etc) but I'm excited get baking!

Have any of you tried this method? Like it? Hate? Problems with an under-cooked loaf? (mine still tend to come out a wee bit under-done).

I believe there is no scent more delicious than that of freshly bakes bread. Heaven!

Mazola cook book 1939

2009-04-23T08:10:00.001-07:00

I can’t believe I’ve gone so long without sharing a vintage cook book or disgusting vintage food photo.

This is a darling cook booklet from Mazola oil circa 1939.

The best thing about this booklet is the shape. It’s rounded on the bottom in the shape of the bowl, not squared like the photo looks. The recipes are, for the most part, refreshing and delicious. Some of the dressed salads are a bit heavy on the oil – 3/4 cup for a salad for 3! but otherwise quite tempting.

Every dish is pictured on a lovely plate or bowl that forms the bottom edge of the book. The recipe above doesn’t look half bad. A light tuna salad served in tomato cups with asparagus and devilled eggs. I’d eat it!

No vintage salad book is complete without an aspic! Isn’t it beautiful?

I know I shared this photo earlier this month but I love it so much I had to include it again. This is just about the cutest thing I’ve seen. This is Cranberry Heart Salad. Served with mayonnaise? (Hmm.)

Anyway, I might just serve this year’s Thanksgiving cranberry sauce this way. I don’t have heart molds but mini jell-o molds will suffice quite nicely.

All in all, this book impresses me. The ingredients are adventurous (ie curly endive), the salads are fresh, light and tempting. I would cook out of this and not have to alter much. How did the we go from this to iceberg lettuce and heavy, sauced, jellied foods of the 50’s?

Like this -

These are open-faced sandwiches glazed with gelatin. *shudder* No thank you! I think I’ll have the salad please.

Technorati Tags: mazola oil,vintage cookbooks,mid century cooking,vintage cook booklet,gelatin,aspic,gel cookery,1930s food,hbic

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning

2009-04-21T07:38:00.001-07:00

Oh what a beautiful day! I can’t believe the sun finally came out! Yesterday was a delicious 70 degrees and a clear blue sky. I think everyone in the northwest was outside yesterday soaking it up.

I don’t have a lot to share but I am one of those people who’s moods are very dependent on the weather. Now that the sun is out I am energetic and buoyant and am just feeling chatty!

I set up my canopy for the first time this year. When the weather is this nice it turns into my outdoor office. I even move my sewing machine out there.

Unfortunately, the large tree in the backyard was being trimmed at the same time so I listened to chainsaw and chippers for 5 hours. But now it’s done and I have even more sun!

I actually came on to post about the news I got this morning – I got accepted in to our Farmer’s Market. The market is my solution to budgeting my show costs. I had high hopes for entering more shows than ever this year but with the economy down I was nervous about putting out the kind of cash it takes for those shows.

Thinking about the market lit a fire under me to diversify more quickly. I’m adding more products at a lower price point and have several up-cycled projects planned as well. I’m hoping to also use the market as a place to try out those new items and get feedback.

I have some time still, our market doesn’t begin until mid May, and I’m glad because I realized something else – this will be my first time vending outside! Up until now I’ve always done indoor shows. Selling outside all summer will present some new challenges but since the market is an informal setting I’m not too nervous about it. It’s be a great way to test drive my booth (note to self…need to make heavier tent weights)!

I know a few of you are doing your local markets too. How are they going so far? Is this your first time or are you a veteran? Please share!

Technorati Tags: farmers market,outdoor shows,working outside,hbic

Afternoon at Pike Place

2009-04-18T09:29:00.001-07:00

For my birthday we decided to head to Seattle for the day. I have been wanting a pair of Fluevogs for years and my husband finally got tired of hearing me pine away for them. The store is only a few blocks from Pike Place Market, Seattle’s farmers market. I haven’t walked the market in a few years so we decided to play tourist.

It was a gorgeous day finally, after such a wet spring. Everything seemed extra vibrant to me.

Below is handmade pasta. They were handing out samples of chocolate fettuccini!

I wish I has the forethought to bring a cooler on the trip. Every time we come down I want to take home flowers, veggies and sea food but alas the ride home is 1 1/2 hours. I little too long to leave anything unrefrigerated.

We really wanted one of those enormous lobster tails. One could have easily fed us both.

After strolling around and thoroughly enjoying the sunshine and the market we had a bite to eat, looking out over the market and street below. I don’t go to the city much and a really enjoy watching people in the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Since playing tourist wouldn’t be complete without a picture of the most famous edifice in our skyline…

Oh yes…how could I forget. I got my shoes…

A fantastic birthday!

Technorati Tags: birthday,Seattle,Pike Place Market,Space Needle,Fluevogs

You say it’s your Birthday

2009-04-16T04:01:00.000-07:00

It’s my birthday too!

Here is my fantasy birthday wish list.

Electra Cruiser. Badly coveted.

Mini with matching fridge? Who wouldn’t!

I have one piece so far. Love, love love it.

I have adored Fluevogs for years. Might actually get a pair!

The coolest, cutest, girliest studio ever. I want.

And because I’m a geek in training, a sleek new Alienware might be nice.

Technorati Tags: birthday,wish list,fantasy list,hbic

So-so Jell-o

2009-04-14T07:34:00.001-07:00

I have learned that I make the best looking creations when they are not to be eaten. First, because it allows me to take risks with ingredients and flavor combinations and second, it allows you to take more pictures before the hungry people demand you quit playing with the food.

As I mentioned here, I had a request for some jello at a bbq. The problem was I returned from a trip late the previous night and had no time to buy ingredients. So I had to use what I had. Not even a limp celery stick or radish for a salad mold. SO sad.

I had to resort to regular, boring desserts, sigh. And I didn’t have time to play with and garnish them. They did taste pretty darn good I’ll admit, and a couple were even sugar-free.

The first, Orange-Mallow Ring (pg 23, Joys of Jell-O)

I never liked this shape mold so I was pleased with how nice it looked. Begs for more decoration! This is orange Jell-O with oranges and marshmallows. The marshmallows all floated to the top and refused to remain in jell-O stasis.

Next is the Cream-Topped Peaches (joys of Jell-O, page 45). NOT pretty.

The first mistake I made here was letting the second layer chill too long before pouring it over the cream cheese layer. It didn’t bond properly (poor jello) so when I turned it out the bottom came out but the cheese stayed in. Second mistake, not greasing the mold enough. In order to get the top layer out I had to warm the mold. Only for a few moments, but you can see what happens. Jell-O gets runny fast! I don’t recommend it.

If done properly this would look great doubled and poured into a giant mold! OooOOoo.

The third creation was my mother’s. Since she thought I was going to make one of the uglier, salad varieties she made a dessert one too. It’s a classic Bavarian and truthfully this was the tastiest one. But maybe that’s because I love lime!

It’s too bad this is a poor photo. I love that she chose a fish mold! Cold, slimy, glistening Jell-O fish! I looked around the kitchen for something to use as roe, like sprinkles or red-hots but alas, none were to be found.

This is another one that begs for more garnish. Done with plain Lime (not Bavarian-style) this would be perfect for that lime-shrimp salad! Fruits of the sea! Now we’re talking….

Yesterday I did finally get to go shopping and look what was waiting for me in the Jell-O aisle!

New flavors! Blue Berry, Grape, Blackberry Fusion and Peach. And on sale after easter! One of my complaints is that many of the flavors in the Jell-O book are no longer available, mainly the blends, like orange-pineapple (sounds yummy!). The variety in my area is pretty boring, just the basics. I could have used the peach in my recipe!

I can’t wait to make something with the blue! I could do a red, white and blue concoction but that is too safe. I want something hideous after the rather disappointing results of this last batch.

But I get carried away. That is for another day. I promise to make one of the uglies soon because i didn’t quite get my fix yet.

Until then, keep jellin’.

Technorati Tags: jell-o,jello,gelatin,1950's food,midcentury cooking,gel cookery,Joys of Jell-O,hbic

Micro Monday

2009-04-13T07:51:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: micro monday,blog features,blog meme,baking,cooking,hbic

Flummery

2009-04-10T08:59:00.001-07:00

I’m on the road and am short on time this morning but I had to post this excerpt I read last night. I’ve been reading James Trager’s FoodBook , a wonderful history of food and came across this delightful description of Flummery, an early American “treat”. I thought it was apropos to yesterday’s post.

“A flummery was a molded dessert made of gelatin, milk, wine or fruit, juice and sugar. The gelatin could be isinglass, made from the air bladders of certain fish, or it could be a jelly made from boiling calves’ feet, straining the liquid, allowing it to set, skimming off the fat the next day, letting the rest liquefy, sweetening and flavoring it, and then letting it set again in molds.”

Anyone hungry for flummery?

Technorati Tags: gelatin,flummery,mid-century cooking,james trager,foodbook,gel cookery,jello,hbic

The Gift of Jell-O

2009-04-09T04:44:00.000-07:00

I have actually had a request to make one of my 1950s jello experiments for a barbeque this weekend. For real. To eat. It just so happens that I have some acquaintances who love Jell-O desserts and some of the more bizarre gelatins (like lime jello with shrimp).

Oh Joy! What to choose?

Here is one version of the Lime/Shrimp salad (top salad)

I’m dying to make one of these Chef Salad molds because they are easy and have a good Wow factor.

These bit-sized little gems are adorable but might be too labor intensive. Aren’t they cute?

Another one with a nice presentation.

I do know I will NOT be making one of these;

The green, gelatin glazed glob is a ham. *shudder*

The formerly blogged about Pork “paper weights”

Don’t know…don’t want to know.

Technorati Tags: jello,jell-o,gelatin,jello desserts,1950s food,mid-century cooking,jello salads,hbic

Featured Etsy Blogger

2009-04-08T08:51:00.001-07:00

Hey Kids!

It’s time to feature another member of our EtsyBloggers team (it makes me giggle every time I misspell it Bloogers)!

Every month one of our team members is selected to be featured. That means everyone on the team gives their blog and Etsy shop some love.

This month’s featured member is Two Zany Zebras – Specializing in all things zany!

Two Zany Zebra’s shop is full of sweet, goofy, and yes, zany items for your little one. Blankies, clothes, burp cloths, totes, bags, cuddly toys and more.

For more zaniness visit the Two Zany Zebras blog!

“I am a SAHM of two silly zany kids. They keep me busy and on the brink of insanity. I am trying to find a balance between kids, husband, self, housework, scrapbooking, sewing, and selling things on etsy. I love being with family, having fun, the outdoors, and being creative.”

So stop on by and get your fill of zaniness! If you’d like to join EtsyBloggers see the team link to the right.

Technorati Tags: team etsybloggers,two zany zebras,hbic,featured blogger,etsy

Journey

2009-04-04T11:32:00.001-07:00

I’m not sure where I’ll end up but I plan on having a good time getting there. Like many, I am learning to be more frugal, thrifty, want to eat healthier, and make more of the foods I eat and products I normally buy.

Due to the economy and other circumstances I have begun to explore getting back to basics. A bit of sustainability, some stock piling, organic gardening, and a lot of home cooking.

I’m lucky that my mother, who lives nearby, did a lot of crafty/homestead type things in the 70s and already has a good knowledge base of such things like soap making, gardening, canning, preserving, wine making and more. it’s her renewed interest that really got me going.

I’ve started with buying in bulk. I have a small stock pile of canned goods, both ready to eat soups and other foods, and vegetables like corn,beans and tomatoes, that I use a lot of. Also flour, oats and other dry goods. I bought a lot of new storage containers and re-organized all my cupboards.

Then I started learning to make things we buy a lot of; bread, yogurt, granola etc, and learning to waste less like making croutons and bread crumbs with all that bread I can’t finish, freezing the old carrots, celery, onion bits and fading parsley for chicken stock.

Next came an amazing opportunity that I can’t believe. My neighbor is going to garden my garden. She is going to use me as a guinea pig for a gardening service she is planning, and plant and tend a food garden in my own yard. For free!! (marcia, I hope I can at least barter and supply you with croutons for life!)

That means canning and preserving! I’ve got tons of jars. I’ve saved, scavenged, and yard-saled. Big jars for veggies, small jars for preserves, tiny jars for dried herbs, bottle for seasoned vinegars and oils. Found a deal on a canner last week. My mother has a dehydrator. That means beef jerky, fruit leather, dried herbs and the usual dried fruit.

This all sounds so wonderful but part of me questions my own motives. Why am I really doing all this? Will it turn out to just be a hobby? How important to me is organic food, sustainable living, and being frugal. While these are things we think about, they are not (yet?) a passion.

I want it to be more than a hobby. I don’t want this to be a fad for my household. I love doing these things and find it very satisfying but is that enough? What if I can’t get my husband’s support? (He is a techno-geek and is not yet convinced that handmade=better.)

I’d love to wrap up this post with this answers to those questions but I think it will take more time than that. I need to further evaluate why I’m doing this, why I enjoy it, what I expect to get out of it. I’m going to ask the same questions of my husband. If I can’t get him to come on board can I at least get him to understand and respect my motives?

In the meantime I’m collecting recipes, planning for a better pantry and trying to find a spot to put a chest freezer. I’d love to hear others’ experiences, failures and successes as well.

Technorati Tags: back to basics,organic food,sustainability,gardening,stockpiling,canning,preserving,dehydrating,freezing,home cooking,buying in bulk,hbic

Networking and Social Media

2009-04-02T08:53:00.001-07:00

And the winners (and losers) are…!

I decided at the beginning of the year to try out as many social and blog networking sites as I could handle, try them for a few months, weed out the losers, and try some more.

I’m not saying I know much about these sites or programs, just that they didn’t work for me. If I say something bad about one you like, convince me why I should like it! Perhaps I’ll give it another shot.

I should also mention that my goal was to bring more readers to my blog and sales to my Etsy shop and to bring the two together in a cohesive manner (without turning this blog into an on-running ad for myself)

The “Go fly a kite” award goes to Entrecard. I really liked the idea but I found it labor intensive and I really dislike the Entrecard site, finding it clumsy to navigate. I also have to say that I really don’t like the ads most people create! Why would i want them on my blog?

I’m also trying BlogCatalog. A simple blog directory. Haven’t seen much action but I like the site and being able to connect with a wide variety of bloggers, not just other crafters or Etsians. I think I will try LinkedIn next.

Facebook. It’s taking me a while to adjust to Facebook. I started a personal page so I could get the hang of it and then found out you cannot add a separate business page. It is against Facebook’s TOU to have 2 accounts. I did find out recently that you may add as many pages as you want to your personal page, making them business related if you choose. I started, but have not yet published, my business page and now I’ve lost it! The jury is still out on Facebook. Any tips would be appreciated.

GoogleBase. I’m still a little new to this one and can’t really say one way or another if it’s working. But it’s free and you don’t need to update too frequently. Since this can result in direct sales from a very large audience I will stick with it and see what the long term results are.

The “If I could only choose one networking site to have on a desert island” award goes to Twitter. I am in love with Twitter. Once you get the hang of it it’s fun and simple and addictive. I’ve had at least one direct sale because of it. Just treat it like you would your blog. Keep the content varied and don’t spam your shop nonstop and you’ll have followers in no time! Another plus to Twitter – you can be sporadic and you won’t lose followers like your blog would. There are also many Twitter related directories, search engines etc to play with.

So there you have it. A brief survey of my random networking experiences. Time to move on to some new ones, try them for a few months and do this again! For promoting your blog and/or Etsy shop which one site can you not live without? Which one disappointed you most?

Technorati Tags: social networking,promoting,advertising,marketing,blogging,hbic

Micro Monday

2009-03-30T02:39:00.000-07:00

On my work table.

Thrift store lace. All cleaned up and looking like new.

My first handmade quilt binding.

A stack of fabric fortune cookies waiting for their snaps.

Throwing my head back in to work will be a good distraction. Sewing can be good therapy :

Technorati Tags: Micro Monday,close-up photography,hbic

I'll be back

2009-03-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

The death of a dear old friend had me shaken badly but I hope to be back on track Monday.

Never take your friends and loved ones for granted and always tell them how much they mean to you.

Micro Monday

2009-03-23T06:47:00.001-07:00

A grey and rainy morning. I found a bit of cheer in my studio with these envelopes that i make for my mouse pads.

Technorati Tags: micro monday,close-up photography,micro zoom,memes,monday blog feature,hbic

Coming Soon

2009-03-22T10:33:00.001-07:00

I’ve been having so much fun playing with new ideas!

Samples and beta models of new items! Possible products are recipe card box, shopping list/note pad, coupon/receipt wallet, napkin rings and tin can vases/pencil cups.

And now available,

Dishtowels in their new “bread pans”! Each pan is cardstock printed with a vintage cookbook page and then tied up with baker’s twine. More of these coming soon too!

Technorati Tags: new products,gift packaging,paper bread pans,dish towels,upcycled pencil cup,note pads,recipe box,hbic,etsy shop

Dough Pucks, or, English Muffins

2009-03-20T08:56:00.001-07:00

Total failure.

They were supposed to be sourdough English Muffins. While they are in a cute muffin shape, they were dense, doughy and tasteless.

Since there were multiple steps to the recipe I could have gone wrong on several fronts but I suspect my starter was bad. I had a starter going for a few weeks but it was a new recipe, and was in and out of the fridge. I was never quite sure about it.

Then the starter goes into a batter, which sits over night. Could have gone wrong there too. Then the batter went into a dough (which didn’t rise at all). Then cooked on the stovetop. My stove is quite hot and though I thought I compensated, they were still doughy in the centers.

So I did some research and found several excellent sourdough resources and will start again. This time I’m going to try a wild starter (no yeast added, just natural airborne yeasts) and see what happens!

Meanwhile, these ones were great fun to throw!

Technorati Tags: sourdough,sourdough english muffins,failed recipe,hbic

Micro Monday

2009-03-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

A few snap shots of one of my favorite cookbooks. It probably sat untouched for years on a shelf or in a box. In the short time I have had it and begun flipping through it, it’s pages it have begun to crumble and tear.

It’s a treasure trove of ephemera – magazine clippings, can label recipes, hastily written notes on scraps of paper – it’s very hard not to flip through and admire it.

So I found a “new” binder. It’s fairly common, the blue and white My Betty Crocker Notebook (no pictures yet, sorry). I’ve made pockets for it and I’ll begin my own little trove of clippings and internet recipes.

Maybe someday it will be found, having sat on my self or in a box for years, and will become a treasure too.

Technorati Tags: vintage cookbooks,micro monday,recipes,hbic

Adventures in Gelatin – Pineapple Cheese Dessert

2009-03-15T09:12:00.001-07:00

More Jell-O! This time I wanted to make one we’d actually eat, so I didn’t go over the top. Here is the inspiration photo from the 1950’s classic, Joys of Jello.

Look closely, it’s the tiny wedge of yellow in the middle. I made this one partly because I wanted to try the no-bake graham cracker crust. Yum! And so easy too! A simple mixture of graham crackers, sugar and butter. Press into pie plate and chill until firm. Here’s the rest.

*Pineapple Cheese Dessert*

Crumb Crust

1 can (8 3/4oz) crushed pineapple

1 package (3 oz) Jell-O, orange-pineapple or lemon (you won’t find the orange pineapple)

1 1/4 c boiling water

1 package (3 oz) softened cream cheese

1/4 tsp grated orange or lemon rind

3 T sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream

Buy or prepare 9” crumb crust. Drain pineapple, reserving syrup. Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add syrup; cool slightly. Meanwhile. blend cream cheese, rind, sugar and vanilla.

Combine 1/2 cup gelatin and the pineapple and set aside. Gradually blend remaining gelatin into cheese mixture until smooth. Fold in sour cream. Pour into Crumb Crust. Chill until set but not firm (1-2 hours).

Carefully spoon on pineapple. Chill until firm. -

It was yummy! One of my favorites so far. Although I’ve realized that making desserts to eat really inhibits my garnishing and photo taking. No one wants to wait while I mess with the food!

I want to make something awe-inspiring so the next one will be grotesque I promise!

Technorati Tags: 1950's food,mid-century cooking,gel-cookery,jello,jell-o,joys of Jello,pineapple cheese dessert,gelatin,lemon pineapple dessert,vintage recipe,hbic

Photoshop + Vintage cookbooks = too much fun!

2009-03-12T14:11:00.001-07:00

Oh Boy. Look out. I’m new to Photoshop (Elements, not the full version) but today I finally learned to isolate objects in a photo, something I’ve been struggling with for a while (for such a large and complex program it’s incredible how little information is provided to learn the damn thing!).

One small step for Photoshop…

One giant step for all the unfortunate projects that will now get prime examples of bad food photography slapped all over them.

I’m starting off simple of course. I need to practice my “magnetic lasso” skills!

I’m working on a grocery list pad as we speak, the note-pad glue just begging to be used.

Of course I won’t neglect all the pretty food, not everyone is fond of terrible food photos like I am! But if you are one of those people, here is a Flickr photo set on awful food. More than one of them is mine :O

Now stand back while I sharpen my digital Exacto!

Technorati Tags: photoshop elements,vintage food photography,vintage cookbooks

Grandma’s Mad

2009-03-11T03:04:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of my grandmother for so many reasons.

One is because I don’t remember her very well. She died when I was fairly young and we didn’t have many opportunities to visit. I have barely a handful of memories.

I also love to see the kitchen she was so fond of but never let anyone into. She felt the kitchen was no place for children (or grandchildren). This explains why my own mother never learned to cook. Grandma wouldn’t let her watch or help.

And of course because this silver-haired lady is laughing over Mad magazine. Not because it was funny, but because she didn’t get it. She laughed because she didn’t get the humor at all. Grandma was a German Lutheran minister’s wife (I’m sure the magazine was contraband) and there wasn’t much laughter or humor in that house. She didn’t get it even after the kids tried to explain the jokes to her.

In February 1964 Grandma laughed. I love this picture.

Technorati Tags: grandma,grandmother,laughter,mad magazine,1964,family

Micro Monday

2009-03-09T08:35:00.001-07:00

I love taking close-ups. It forces you to find a new way of looking at things. When you get so close, you lose sight of the whole object and a shift happens. Look at a pretty object. Now get in close, really close. The beautiful object disappears and a new beauty appears. Textures, cracks, shadows, contrasts, dust suddenly stand out.

I love using this as a creative exercise using any object, the more ordinary, the better. I miss being an art student so these are my own refresher lessons. By merely changing an angle or focusing on the shadow a lovely image can appear. I doubt I will ever take product photos this close up but it certainly gives me ideas for creative shots and helps me improve my photography skills.

In any event, let Micro Monday begin!

Technorati Tags: micro monday,close-up photography,oil cloth,micro zoom,hbic,memes

Happy things

2009-03-08T10:11:00.001-07:00

I was tagged a while back by A Keepers Jackpot. This was an easy one for me but I was waiting for inspiration to strike. I was struck this morning! There are many, many things that make me happy but these ones came to mind first.

5 things that make me happy:

Slow-Cooking- By this I mean things that take all day or longer to make. Stew, chili, Bolognese sauce, chicken stock, sourdough starter & bread, corned beef, yogurt, reduction sauces, roast chicken etc. Even if little work is involved except stirring occasionally I really enjoy it. Especially the good smells that fill the whole house!

Beach Combing- My mother and I are Agate obsessed. When we visit the Oregon coast we brave all weather to go Agate hunting. Even on our local beaches where the agates aren’t as pretty or as plentiful, we just love looking at stones, beach glass, seaweed and shells. Being outdoors on our beautiful beaches (we are on islands after all) and soaking up the salty air does wonders for the soul!

Details- it bit ambiguous I know but I am detail oriented. I love the details of things. The crumbly edges to vintage magazines, a button on a coat, a brushstroke on a painting, rainspouts on buildings. In fact I think I’m going to start a Macro Monday feature. It’s also and unfortunate reflection of my organizational style. I often can’t see the forest through the trees.

Early Morning Departures- This goes back to travelling with my dad as a kid. Before my sister was old enough to come along and before I things soured between my father and I. He loved to climb and backpack or just go on road trips. He would wake me up just before dawn and we’d set out before anyone was awake. I still love to this day, travelling in those wee hours before anyone else is awake. The chilly morning air, birds beginning to chirp, quiet towns where there is no one at the stop light but you. I used to like to wonder about where the other cars where going at that hour when we saw one. Were they going on an adventure too? Did they just get up or had they been driving all night? I still love to watch the world come awake and wonder where the day will take us.

Dahlias- My favorite flower. Big pompons of color. They are not a very serious flower and it’s hard not to smile at a vase full of them. Sadly, all my dahlia pictures died along with my laptop.

Technorati Tags: favorite things,tag,memes,keepers jackpot,5 happy things,hbic,etsybloggers

More Adventures in Gelatin – Sunset Salad

2009-03-06T08:31:00.001-08:00

I’ve been long over due for another Jell-O creation so I made one yesterday. We planned on actually eating this one so I didn’t want to go too over the top like some in my original plan. So Sunset Salad it is!

The Original:

Sunset Salad from Joys of Jello:

1 package (3oz) Lemon or Orange-Pineapple Jell-O (I used Orange)

1/2 tsp salt (easy on this)

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 can (8 3/4 oz) crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 cup coarsely grated carrots

1/3 cup chopped pecans (I used walnuts)

Dissolve Jell-O Gelatin and salt in boiling water. Add undrained pineapple and lemon juice. Chill until very thick. Then fold in carrot and pecans. Pour into individual molds or a 1 quart mold. Chill until firm.

Mine:

I used individual molds, very cute! I only had enough time to snap a few pics before the crowd demanded their dessert so I didn’t get a chance for a better presentation or garnish.

(doesn’t it look like a sea-creature?)

It wasn’t too bad! The initial flavor was bland to us but after a few bites you could taste the flavors and the textures were nice. I really like the bit of crunch that the nuts provided and you barely noticed the carrot. A dollop of CoolWhip would have gone well with it (not homemade…the airy sweet stuff!).

I had planned on making a lime flavored Jell-O for green week but it just didn’t pan out. We wanted a bit of sunshine!

For my next adventure I’m getting into television!

Technorati Tags: jello,Jell-O,gelatin,mid-century cooking,vintage recipe,Knox gelatin,Sunset Salad,gel-cookery,orange pineapple dessert,jello dessert,hbic

Mean, clean, sewing machine

2009-03-05T16:21:00.001-08:00

I haven’t sewn anything new since December. I was on voluntary hold until I completed my taxes and now I’m free!

Back in November I was quite frustrated with my skillet mitt production. They are one of my best sellers but a real bear to make. I was always breaking needles and having thread issues. During my self-imposed banishment from the sewing room I decided to have my machine tuned and cleaned.

It was so bad he actually sent pictures. Got lint?

Wow. He said it was one of those machines who’s compartments virtually pop off because they are so packed with fuzz. I’m a baad girl.

To fix the needle problem I researched a bit and decided to try some heavy duty needles. It’s difficult to penetrate the very dense binding but they don’t even bend!

A few hours later…

Hooray! Back in the skillet mitt business! All of these little lovelies should be in the shop within a few hours.

Technorati Tags: etsy,skillet mitts,pot holder mitts,pot mitts,1950's retro,dirty sewing machine,sewing machine lint,hbic

Green – day 3

2009-03-04T07:49:00.001-08:00

I had way too much fun with my macro today. My new camera has a super macro and I adore it. Adore it I tell you! Just point and shoot. No blurriness, no holding my breath. I just want to run around the house taking close ups of everything. Maybe I need to start doing Macro Monday. Nothing but pictures taken 3 inches or closer.

I have a bunch of vintage aprons hanging in my sewing room (Me thinks I may need to add a few of them to this post?). The really cute gingham ones with all the cross stitching and pulled work on them. I wanted to do something similar on napkins or hand towels so I did a little swatch to see how quickly I could whip it off.

Quick, but quick enough? Anything with embroidery is always pushing the limits of labor efficiency but I do love it so! Something to work on in front of the tv, or long road trips…we’ll see where it ends up. Hopefully on something wonderful in the Etsy shop!

Technorati Tags: gingham,cross stitch,apple green,Etsy,macro,hbic

Green- day 2

2009-03-03T08:00:00.001-08:00

Day 2 of sharing green with others over at Shining Egg.

This is from my walk yesterday through our favorite park. It’s on the tip of the island so you see water on most of the 2 miles of winding road.

It’s closed to motor traffic until 10am so it’s a very popular walking/jogging spot. The views are spectacular. I wish I had time-lapse on my camera so I could video the whole drive.

Technorati Tags: green,Washington Park,Anacortes WA,moss,forest green

Blog Features and the Color Green

2009-03-01T21:04:00.001-08:00

It doesn’t officially begin until tomorrow but I felt the need to begin today on the 1st. The Shining Egg does color week, where all the participants post photos each day featuring the selected color. Last week was yellow, when I first learned if it, this week is green.

It’s sort of a cheat because it’s an older pic I took but who cares!

I’d like to do more regular blog features like this and I know there are many; Shadow Shot day, Self-Portrait day, Wordless Wednesday, Show and Tell Fridays etc.

Which ones do you participate in? Which are your favorites to read? Do you (as a blogger or a reader) prefer the picture based ones or some text to chew on? Group based shared activities or solo projects?

Tell me about any fun features you’ve seen, hosted, read or heard about. Give me links! Short once weeklies or year long, I want to hear about them!

Technorati Tags: memes,blog projects,blog tag,blog features

Featured Blogger- Donna Pool

2009-02-27T23:09:00.000-08:00

I’ve been a little bored with the usual format of doing these posts so I thought I’d try something a little different. I wanted to do a little more than just introduce Donna and show off some of her wares, I wanted to dig deeper.

So I read a lot. Both blogs. I took snippets of posts here and there, ones that touched me, made me laugh, one almost made me cry and anything else I felt really revealed who Donna is as a Mom, a blogger and an artist.

These are out of order and out of context and not complete posts (I provided the link to the entire post). I hope my selections reflect upon Donna accurately and I hope she sets the record straight if anything does not.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Grandma

100 years. She told me once how she used to pick cotton as a child of 6 or 7, with the hot Oklahoma dirt burning the soles of her bare feet as she dragged that long sack of cotton behind her. And yesterday, I was ordering flowers for her over the internet and now I'm sharing the story with all of you. 100 years...amazing....

Sharing the joys of old cameras

Somebody had posted a couple of blurry pictures of an old camera, and asked if anybody knew what it was. The fun thing was ...I knew! I recognized it as an old Russian rangefinder. I grabbed my old camera price guide off the shelf and looked it up. Sure enough, it was Russian Zorki 4, made from 1956-1973. I can't tell from those pictures, but if it has a lever wind instead of just a knob to wind the film with, then it's a Zorki 4K.

I don't know if anybody else with an interest in old, obscure cameras will read this...but I got a kick out of it!

Incredibly nimble fingers

Meeting MLK Jr.

I remember once we were introduced to a very nice black man. I guess it stuck in my mind (I think I was 3 years old) because we didn't encounter many black people in my white neighborhood in Dallas, Texas. But I remember how my father spoke with such respect as he introduced us. Clearly, this man was somebody special and I was told I would remember meeting him. And I did.
I was much older before all the blanks in my child-like memory were filled in and I realized that that man was Martin Luther King, Jr. He was on his way to a meeting of the Atlanta Pastor's Conference, and my parents told him about my grandfather who would also be there. We later heard that my grandfather did meet him there and when Dr. King heard his name he said, "Oh, I just met your three beautiful grandchildren in Dallas!"
I remembered Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and he remembered me.

Childhood memories

My dad used to tell me that he hoped I didn't grow up and write a book someday. He often noticed me quietly observing the crazy show that was our family and shuddered to think of what I might remember and what stories I might tell!
It's true that I remember a lot of details about my childhood. I can tell you which friends lived in which houses on every block I walked between my house and my school. I can tell you where each of my homeroom classes were in that school and all of my teachers names.
I told my sister once that I could close my eyes and tell her exactly what we kept on each cubbyhole in the closet of the bedroom we shared when we were kids, and I closed my eyes and began to list them for her. She dropped her jaw and said "How can you remember all that?!" That's when my brother-in-law interrupted and said "WHY do you remember all that?!"
I don't know why my head clung to so many little details back then and yet now I go into the next room and forget why I'm there. Funny how our minds work once we turn 50.... But it seems many of my most enduring memories are about Christmas holidays.

Work Ethic

I love doing custom orders. It reminds me of when I worked in bookstores and customers would be looking for that perfect gift for a special someone but they didn't really know what they wanted. I was pretty good at asking just the right questions and making just the right suggestions, and I loved it when their eyes would light up and they'd say, "That's it! That's perfect!"
When doing a custom order for an Etsy buyer, I can't see their eyes light up, but I do enjoy working out the details with them. Taking their vision they've described to me or adapting the shop's banner and fine-tuning the design till I get their buttons just right and they convo me with "That's perfect!"

Success Story (this is the one that made me tear up)

"She's waking up sir. We haven't told her anything yet."
Those were the first words I heard as I was waking up after an emergency C-section. When my husband said "She's doing better" I knew two things. First, that the baby was a girl, and second, that all was not well, just yet. She spent her first eleven days in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit...the NICU...and has continued to grow and thrive ever since.
Today, we dropped her off at the airport for a two-week trip to Japan, part of an exchange program sponsored by her high school. She's become a very accomplished anime artist, fascinated with all things Japanese for years now. To say she's been excited about this trip is the ultimate understatement.
I turned 50 a few weeks ago. I have an Etsy shop and I'm always making something new to list there (and hopefully sell). I guess you could call me an artist. But my most creative effort, by far is my two beautiful, artistic, daughters who know how to love and laugh.
That's my success story.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And because I had so much fun with yesterday’s post I made a Wordle of Donna’s blog profile, which is at the top of this post.

Technorati Tags: Donna Pool,Etsy Bloggers,Featured Blogger,Etsy Shop,wordle

Joys of Wordle

2009-02-27T10:53:00.001-08:00

Many thanks and curses (addicting) to RikRak Studio for sharing this fun little application.

Enter your own text (my ode to The Joys of Jello), paste in a link etc, randomize or customize. FUN!

Warning: you can save your Wordles to their gallery but there is no search function! Save the link immediately or do a screen capture (which I just learned for the first time today) so you can find it again.

Technorati Tags: wordle,word fun,word mosaic,word cloud,jello,jell-o,word collage

German Home Cooking

2009-02-26T17:34:00.001-08:00

Sorry to disappoint all those waiting for the second installment of crepe paper that never came. For some reason I decided that completing my taxes (I was behind by a couple years) was more important lol. But I have finished! Yay! And I owe a lot. Boo.

Making fun of food always perks me up so I thought I’d share more from the lovely book that brought you Pork Paperweights.

The delightful German Home Cooking by Dr. Oetker (1963). And for you, my special readers, the Special Issue for English Speaking Countries! The photographs in this book are actually very nicely done, it’s just some of the food isn’t that appealing (that pork again).

Is this a feat in food engineering or what? Every olive and carrot in place. But how do you serve the thing? Surely that towering mass isn’t for one?

I love the slightly drunk-looking Sputnik display up there. I’ve never seen baby corn as a speared hors d’oeuvres before. Oh you clever Dr. Oetker! The cake in the foreground is a savory concoction of ham and onions topped with rye bread and cream cheese. Too bad, it looked so much more appetizing when I thought it was cheese cake.

I adore this! Look at the adorable platter! How sweetly garnished! Look at the little egg and tomato toadstools at the bottom! Complete with little spots. Great photo and the food actually looks delicious! Thumbs up Dr. Oetker.

This looks pleasing as well. Except the glasses are filled with a sort of gelatin drink. But the Orange Cream looks wonderfully refreshing and notice how carefully the orange slice was peeled and nestled into the whipped cream. Mmmm. But wait, here’s an even better dessert…

Well that wasn’t so bad! I don’t know if I’m disappointed or relieved but nevertheless, I always have plenty of regrettable food photos up my sleeve for another day.

Ta ta!

Technorati Tags: german cooking,Dr. Oetker,food photography,mid-century cooking,1960's food,appetizers,hors d'oeuvres,vintage cookbook

Gay Decorations

2009-02-24T08:22:00.001-08:00

I thought I’d give you all a break from the food pics for a while and mix it up a bit.

This is Gay Decorations with Dennison Crepe Paper, 1956.

Back when crepe paper was still cool and not so flimsy you could do all sorts of things with it. This booklet gives you suggestions and directions for every type of crepe they sell.

By far, the coolest are the streamers. Forget today’s birthday parties with a few strands of droopy crepe tacked to the walls or thrown over light fixtures. This is the serious stuff.

Whole gymnasiums were decked out with crepe. The booklet even gives you precise diagrams for different sized halls. Pictured above are the different crepe products they offer. See that large roll on the bottom. That’s 600 feet. So you can do this…

Think of all the hours (and ladders) it takes to do this. I’m impressed. Hopefully it wasn’t just wadded up after the dance and thrown out!

I have another Dennison craft booklet for the younger set I’ll share tomorrow. Unless I can’t resist the compulsion to share more ugly food for Mardi Gras :)

Technorati Tags: 1950's,party decorations,1950's party,crepe paper,Dennison Crepe paper,kitschy,vintage crafts,vintage craft booklet,Gay Decorations

Pork Paperweights?

2009-02-21T11:46:00.001-08:00

I was originally going to do a sort of Wordless Wednesday post with this photo but that wasn’t quite right. Rather it leaves you…speechless. So perhaps I need to do Speechless Saturdays where the image is so revolting or utterly ridiculous that no words can describe it.

Here is my Speechless Saturday photo;

But see the problem is I have to comment on this. Look at it! These are not paperweights but cubed pork and a pork loin encased in perfectly clarified gelatin. Awe-inspiring isn’t it?

I’ll say no more other than I’ll share more of this book later.

Bon Appétit!

Technorati Tags: gelatin,gel cookery,mid-century cooking,pork,molded food,1950's food,regrettable food,german cooking,hbic,aspic

Retro and Vintage Clip Art

2009-02-18T17:38:00.000-08:00

I love clip art and am always delighted when I find good retro images. A few years ago I found this wonderful stack of vintage clip art at a favorite bookstore. I had never seen these before and bought the whole pile.

They are from a monthly clip art publication called Clipper Creative Art Service. Mine are from 1966-67. There are too many styles and types of images to include here (plus it involves actually cutting them out) and the pages are too large to scan in entirety (12x18).

Each page will have several images, each in about 4 different sizes – you have to remember this was before the Xerox was common!

On a facing page they have wonderful mock ads showing the many ways a business could use the image.

Also included are fonts, textures, seasonal etc. You can see some more here.

I also rediscovered some retro vectors that I thought I had lost when my old laptop died.

These are from Mister Retro and I highly recommend any of their wares.

I am sooo happy to have these back! They also have a site dedicated to retro fonts, Font Diner, most of which I bought as well. Some very talented and easy to work with guys.

I can’t wait to put them to use!

Technorati Tags: clip art,retro clip art,vintage clip art,1960s clip art,clipper creative art services,Font Diner,Mister Retro,retro art,hbic

Creative Living with Reynolds Wrap

2009-02-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite possessions. It is the oddest, most redundant book ever. A full 128 page book on uses for aluminum foil. I mean really, can’t that be summed up in, say, a 8 page booklet? A few succinct sentences?

Apparently not.

Thank goodness for this book because I never would have thought of lining a tray with foil. These guys are seriously on the bleeding edge here.

OooOOo, a foil placemat! How….utterly inventive! And what in the hell is on those peas?? The book is not only divided into sections of the house but also months of the year.

It truly boggles the mind why someone thought that the single topic of this book – wrap EVERYTHING in aluminum foil - needed 128 pages and full color illustrations.

This (above) is the crap we get for January and February. February’s decorations include the “Lincoln Log” on the far right (wft??), Presidential Portraits, Valentine Punchbowl (by lining any pot or pan with foil), the Cupid Mobile and, for Washington’s birthday, a “cherry tree”. Riiiiight.

I would really like to see someone wear a foil Easter bonnet.

“Spring is here, and aluminum foil is ready and waiting to help you make it memorable”. I can’t tell you how humorous I find that statement.

By the tone of this book you’d think aluminum foil was the duct tape of 1968. If you can’t foil it, f@ck it!

Hey, if you ever need ideas for what you get your parents for their Silver anniversary email me. I’ll look it up.

Technorati Tags: aluminum foil,reynolds wrap,foil uses,aluminum foil decorations,aluminum foil ideas,1960s decoration,hbic

A little more Jell-O

2009-02-15T06:49:00.000-08:00

More images from Joys of Jello. I’m trying to decide which ones to make next. What do you think?

Rainbow Cake

Pineapple Cheese Dessert

Ring-Around-the Fruit

Grasshopper Pie

Fruit Pie Unlimited

Frosty Pie

Or how about

Avocado Strawberry Ring

Citrus Surprise

or Ribbon Salad?

Or perhaps the impressive

Under-the-Sea Salad

The Sunset Salad could be nice too.

Sweet Jelly Dreams!

Technorati Tags: Jello-O,jello dessert,Joys of Jello,mid-century cooking,retro dessert,1950's food,molded dessert,gelatin,kitschy,hbic

Hooray for Crochet

2009-02-13T09:33:00.001-08:00

I found a pile of craft booklets at a Goodwill for only a few bucks, mostly knit and crochet. Ranging from the mid 50’s to the 80’s there are some real gems in here. So I decided it was time to learn to Crochet. My mother has crocheted for years so I had her give me a lesson last week. What do you think?

I am so ready for the big time. Don’t even try and stop me. Just because I gave up on knitting after 4 scarves doesn’t mean I don’t have stick-to-it-ivness. Yesterday, potholder. Tomorrow….

(Shhhh! I know that one’s a knit but don’t destroy a dream, ok?)

What really inspired me was some beautiful lace, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself or anything. So perhaps the guest bath could use a little fixing up with this ensemble…

Hey! I’ll wear my new sweater in there! Matchy-matchy!

But in all seriousness *cough* I love this bedspread. I mean where else would you be able to pile up those pillows! Sometimes I wish my house was a little more girly. I have no place to pile up ridiculous and unnecessary pillows. Poor me.

But if I did make that bed set I’d have to make this to match.

Suddenly I’m craving Rainbow Sherbet…

But for reals I do plan on learning crochet. My mother, my aunt and I are planning a week at the beach (the rainy, cold Pacific NW type beach, not the fun in the sun type beach) and I’m demanding another lesson. Perhaps I’ll even come home with that Swan toilet tissue cozie!

Technorati Tags: crochet,vintage crochet,1960's crochet,crochet bathroom set,crochet sweater dress,vintage crafts,1960's crafts,kitschy,hbic,crochet bed set

Jello – part 3 – Inconclusive

2009-02-11T10:37:00.001-08:00

This is the 3rd of the 3 gelatin desserts I chose for this week. Today’s recipe was the Crown Jewel mold, also called Stained Glass, or Broken Window Glass. It is another basic Bavarian dessert from the Joys of Jello cook book.

**Crown Jewel Dessert** (directions are for the dessert on lower left)

1 package (3 oz) each Orange, Cherry and Lime Jell-O
3 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water
1 cup pineapple juice (NOT fresh!!)
1/4 cup sugar
1 package (3 oz) Lemon Jell-O
2 cups whipping cream

Prepare the three flavors of gelatin separately, using one cup boiling water and 1/2 cup cold water for each (I omitted the lime for a more Valentine look). Pour each flavor into an 8-inch pan and chill until firm, or overnight.

(appropriatley enough, my only pans are heart-shaped!)

Then mix pineapple juice and sugar. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Dissolve lemon gelatin in the hot juice; then add 1/2 cold water. Chill until slightly thickened.

Cut firm gelatins into 1/2 inch cubes (this can be done the day before).

Prepare whipped cream; blend with thickened lemon gelatin. Fold in gelatin cubes. Pour into 3 quart mold and chill at least 5 hours or overnight. ***

This is where it got interesting. Perhaps it didn’t set long enough or maybe Jello isn’t as firm as it used to be, but there were indicators that this one might also collapse under it’s own weight. I completed it at my mother’s house and we were ready to quickly snap a picture in case it did. Not altogether attractive but it held together. Barely. I’m not joking. This thing seemed to be at the uttermost limits of the liquid/solid line.

Watch this quick 12 second video. (still figuring out the whole posting a video thing)

Then we started having fun with it. It looked like a Jello autopsy.

This last photo looked to me like a cheese pizza fell out of it’s box into a pile. This got us (ok, me) started on designing a Jello pizza – a graham cracker “crust”, cherry Jello, chilled in a round cake pan for the “sauce”, lemon Bavarian for the “cheese” and another red Jello chilled in a small can (a la cranberry sauce) and sliced to make the “pepperoni”. Hmmmm.

Anyway, back to the mangle corpse of the Crown Jewel. This was a huge mold and the three of us only had a few bites. What to do with it? We scooped half of it into a couple dessert glasses (saved again!) and brought them over to the neighbors who, get this, were just talking about wishing they had Jello for dessert. They were beyond happy. The rest went into a Tupperware and sent home with another neighbor who stopped by and also happened to like Jello. Who knew! I now have some test subjects. All I have to do is cook over at my mother’s house when I get that Jello urge.

Technorati Tags: jello,gelatin,Jello dessert,Bavarian,vintage recipe,vintage dessert,1950's food,Window pane dessert,Crown jewel dessert,jello video,hbic

Jell-o part 2 – Success!

2009-02-10T08:16:00.001-08:00

After yesterday’s rather entertaining disappointment, this one was a delightful success. Here is my inspiration photo. The mold I had that matched best was too large (my collection is still modest) so I chose one that was the proper volume.

This is a basic Bavarian – Jello to which dairy is added (usually whipped cream and sometimes cream cheese).

Here is the recipe from Joys of Jello:

*Basic Bavarian*

1 package (3 oz) Jell-O Gelatin, any flavor
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cold water or fruit juice
1 cup whipping cream

Dissolve Jell-O and sugar in boiling water. Add cold water. Chill until slightly thickened. Prepare the whipped cream; stir 1 1/2 cups into gelatin until well blended. Pour into a 1 quart mold (about 4 cups) or serving dishes. Chill until firm, about 4 hours. Garnish with remaining whipped cream. ***

Easy! This can also be poured into a pie crust. I was very happy with this one and I dressed it up a bit for some Valentine’s Day flair.

I don’t add the extra fruit juice and I minimally sweeten the whipped cream. These desserts are so sweet already and adults are more likely to eat some if doesn’t taste so candy-like.

I was very excited to bring this over to my step-father as he loves Jello desserts but…how do you transport something like this??

So now my gelid pride and joy sits in the fridge, drying out with no one to eat it (I still have yesterday’s experiment to consume don’t forget).

I guess I’ll consider it a little present to myself every time I open the fridge. For me?? What a surprise! Or maybe I’ll see if it’ll hold up until my husband returns at the end of the week.

Since I couldn’t transport this one I’m going to make another for my step father – a tall Crown Jewel Dessert! I’m bringing my camera!

Technorati Tags: Jello dessert,gelatin,Valentine dessert,vintage recipe,mid-century cooking,hbic,Jello bavarian

Blog Carnival – Jello part 1 - Failure

2009-02-09T16:49:00.001-08:00

Technorati Tags: jello,gelatin,mid-century cooking,blog carnival,jello dessert,Etsy Bloggers,vintage recipe

I flunked my own first lesson. This was going to be be just a basic jello with fruit, jelled to perfection in a tall mold so you could see the sweet cherries suspended inside. You can see how that turned out. But I did manage to salvage it.

As it turns out, jello desserts are actually pretty easy to mess up. But if you actually just pay attention they are very simple to make.

Here is the recipe, copied straight out of the Jello Cookbook.

*Cherry Medley (variation of Cherry-Mallow Mold)*

1 can pitted dark sweet cherries
1 package (3 oz) Jell-O Black Cherry or Cherry Gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp almond extract

Drain cherries, reserving syrup. Mix cherries and 1/2 cup reserved syrup. Set aside. Dissolve Jello Gelatin in boiling water. Add almond extract and remaining cherry syrup. Chill until very thick. Fold in cherry mixture. Pour into 2 quart mold (5 cups). Chill until firm.

Simple right? Well part of my problem is I don’t remember if I followed the directions on the package or the recipe. The recipe accounts for the additional liquid provided by the cherry juice. I might not have.

Then I lost track of time and let it firm to long at the point where you fold in the cherries and juice. The jello should be very thick and syrupy but not so thick that it seperates when you stir it, like mine here. You can see that it will not be a clear, solid gelatin when it firms up. Except we already know mine didn’t firm. Too much liquid.

It tried to be a brave little soldier but it’s knees gave out, turning into the goo you see in the first photo in less than a minute (I could tell is was too soft before turning it out and had my camera ready!).

But…

I salvaged it!

Tomorrow – Part 2 – Success!

I'm Twitterpated

2009-02-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

I think it was Thumper who said that, meaning being in love. Being February it's only appropriate that I got Twitterpated! My beautiful gelatins are setting up in the reefer so I've been doing a little networking while I wait.

Come visit and Tweet!

Tomorrow I'll share me first round of Jello tests!

The Joys of Jello

2009-02-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

I have a fascination with gelatin. Especially the monumental creations of the 1950's, the towering, jiggling confections that inspire more awe than hunger. I have a modest collection of molds, several cookbooks from the gelatin experts (Jell-O and Knox) and due to strange circumstances, a very large amount of unflavored gelatin.

I think it's time to stop lookin' and start cookin', don't you? I had originally planned to post a handful of photos depicting some of the more awesome "structures" and let you decide which one I should recreate. But then I remembered that these actually require a little skill. It's far beyond the basic boil and let set variety.

Oh no, you must first be a master of the jello. You must be aware of how different ingredients will affect or dilute the gelatin. Did you know that raw pineapple contains an enzyme that inhibits the jelling process? You must account for the sheer size of your masterpiece so it will not collapse under it's own weight.

So I will begin as a humble jello novice and start at the beginning. I shall document my progress - successes and failures- so that others who may follow in my gelatinous path may learn from them. I shall begin with basic desserts and Bavarians and simple salads. Then I'll work my way into the savory realm of aspics, perhaps conquering my fear of warm salmon mousse (pictured in the previous post) and tuna ring. And maybe, just maybe I'll be confident enough to take requests and accepts challenges.

Oh yes, I have high hopes. Very high hopes. And a lot of gelatin.

I'd rather eat this...

2009-02-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

Than do my taxes.

This is Mr. TB Germ

2009-02-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

A strange topic, I know, and even more strangely, fascinating. This vintage health pamphlet from the American Lung Association is from the 1940's. I found it with some other boyhood ephemera such as a boyscout manual. Strange that a brochure on tuberculosis merited saving by a young boy. Perhaps it was the artwork, which is heavily embellished, presumably by the same boyscout. (the pages below are non sequential and out of order)

It also seemed rather strange to find such a modern reference to TB, as I always thought of it as more of a Bohemian disease, long gone by the 40's. So I did a wee bit of research and discovered that tuberculosis was indeed almost eradicated in the US by 1950. As evident by the simple wording and illustrations, it was largely a disease of the very poor and uneducated.

If we go waaay back to the 18th century, TB sufferers were often thought to be vampires. Pale and sickly, whole families would often succumb, leading people to believe there was a vampire in their midst.

After the industrial Revolution TB is demystified and eventually romanticized. "Moulin Rouge" does a fairly accurate portrayal of a Bohemian suffering for her art. Some even believed that TB sufferers were endowed with supernatural creativity and talent, with death being the pinnacle.

Shortly after however, reality sets in and most of the world sets about stamping of TB. In the US the reason spittoons were banned was to help prevent spreading the germ.

Now I just wonder about the original owner of the pamphlet. Was he or someone in the family ill? Was it just a hand-out from health class? Why on earth did it get saved? Why do I keep it? Not my usual ephemera category but I felt strangely compelled to share.

For the full text of the pamphlet see here

What's Cooking? Granola!

2009-01-31T12:42:00.000-08:00

Granola has long been a breakfast favorite of mine. I would make it from scratch on occasion but I always eat it up so quickly no one else gets a chance. Now that we're trying to be more frugal and cereal, especially granola, is so expensive, I decided it was time begin making in on a regular basis. To make it more economical I now buy most of the ingredients in bulk at Costco. Oats, nuts, honey etc, and share the excess with my mother, who taught me the joys of homemade granola at a young age.

Just about the easiest breakfast food ever, granola is so easy to tailor to your preferences. You can't really mess it up unless you burn it, turning it bitter. The key to all the wonderful flavors is toasting the ingredients before baking.

This is a very basic recipe and you can add or subtract to preferences.

About 8 cups.

One container of Quaker rolled oats (about 6 cups) Not instant or 1-minute oats

2 cups mixed nuts and seeds - walnuts, almonds, sunflower, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews etc. Chop larger nuts.

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

pinch of salt and any spice you like (cinnamon, nutmeg etc)

About 3/4 cup honey (I put in almost a full cup for a little more sweetness)

1 cup raisins

1) Preheat oven to 300

2) Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add the oats and toast them until fragrant and turn color slightly, about 5 minutes or so, depending how deep your pan is. Stir frequently. Pour oats into large bowl. Next add the nuts and toast several minutes, add coconut and toast for several minutes.

Next add salt, spices if any, and stir to mix. Add nuts to bowl with oats. Stir in the honey, mixing well.

3) Spread onto 2 cookie sheets and bake for 20-30 minutes, occasionally stirring and rotating pans. Do not let it over-brown.

4) Remove from oven and stir in raisins. Let cool completely before storing.

If you make a half batch you can do step 2 all in the pan, just cook the oats a minute or two less before adding nuts. No need to transfer to a bowl.

I dare you not to have a bowl before it cools completely!

(Apologies for no line breaks. Sometimes blogger likes to have it's own way.)

Two day, two towns, a lot of thrifting

2009-01-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

I spent the last couple days at my mother's and we had some fun!

I have finally discovered the joys of thrifting. Used bookstores, thrift shops, yard and rummage sales, oh joy! It's been a two-fold process actually. First I just shopped around for cookbooks and jello molds. Second, it's been about getting interested with my mother in preserving and stockpiling our pantries.

Along with my goofy finds like the ones pictured here, we are collecting books on canning/preserving, drying, vegetable gardens and any other book on preparedness and self-sufficiency, making as much home-made as possible. Also tins, jars and Tupperware for pantry storage (I'll get more into this in another post). Vintage or newer, as long as it's in good, food-safe condition.

Along with my sharing my retro finds I also hope to share some valuable information from these other books. Knowing how to make a good gelatin mold may not be a valuable skill but knowing how to make your own cleansers is. Getting back to basics is a good thing. Gelatin, not so much.

The Mighty Meat Loaf

2009-01-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

It's been mighty chilly in my neck of the woods and comfort food sounds awfully good. And what's more comforting than meat loaf? While going through more vintage cookbooks I came across the Better Homes & Gardens Meat Cook Book (1967).

I love the BH&G cookbooks. They are always lavishly illustrated with graphics and photos. I can't wait to add more to my collection! But let's get back to the meat of the post. shall we?

There is a whole chapter on ground meat amd meat loaves. And not just beef. They also desecrate ham, veal and lamb! This photo has so much going on it's hard to focus. Oh where to start? The colorful and tangy chili-sauce topped Twin Meat Loaves? Or perhaps the traditional Favorite Beef Loaf with herbed tomatoes? No, I think the Glazed Ham-loaf Ring takes the cake. Er, loaf.

I won't list the entire recipe for each loaf but I must share some of the highlights. The "chili-sauce topper" on the Twin Loaves is complicated- roll loaves in bread crumbs and dump hot sauce on it. What technique!

The Favorite Beef-Loaf is a traditional recipe with one secret ingredient no longer found in modern kitchens. Good old monosodium glutamate. Mmmm, MSG.

The show-stopping Glazed Ham-loaf Ring is first glazed in a sweet and sour sauce, then drizzled with a zippy mustard sauce (vinegar, egg and mayo)!

Now get out there and make a mighty meat loaf! Your family will hate you for it!

Odd Product Photography

2009-01-24T09:43:00.001-08:00

As I said yesterday, I've been scanning my collection of vintage books and ephemera and uploading them to Flickr. It's a blast to look through all these and to laugh at the unappetizing food and out of date fashions. It's also interesting to note the changes in product photography as time goes on.

But some just defy all tradition. Take these photos from a Kerr Home Canning booklet, 1958. It's just bizarre. Ok, I get the scripture/bounty reference but what's with the ferns and cherries? And how about this one below. Mauve walls, well ok, that's just the era, but what's with the "framed" fake roses? And the way the shot is set up the flowers almost steal the focal point of the photo.

This is by far my favorite. Porcelain deer figurine, pine boughs, strawberry shortcake and a frosty jar of preserves!

If any of you have ever taken basic drawing classes you know that you always get stuck doing still-life arrangements for a while. They are usually a random collection of objects - a bottle, shell, pillow, steer skull and bicycle wheel. These photos remind me of those objects. Totally random and thrown in for visual interest.

I'm just not sure how on earth it's supposed to encourage you to can your own goods!

Vintage Magazines and Questionable Foods

2009-01-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

One of my goals on the road trip was to find more vintage goodies. I hit the jackpot! I picked up oodles of vintage magazines such as this Calling All Girls magazine I had never heard of before. I also picked up a bunch of Cosmo's, Mademoiselle, and Good Housekeeping, all from the late 1940's. For a $1 each!

I also found more of these little cooking booklets. Usually, but not always product-sponsored, they are always packed with unusual (and regrettable) recipes and great photos.

And of course, the cook books. I have quite a few now and it's apparent that it's become a habit. I have found dozens of Flickr groups sharing all manner of these items and I'm afraid I'm going to destroy these gems in the process of scanning them all!

And an ever popular item, vintage ads.

Mmmmm, breaded, deep-fried bananas!

I'll be sharing many, many more in the future but feel free to check out my Flickr and my Flickr groups to see the wealth of vintage fun out there!

...Wait, weren't you already married?

2009-01-21T08:48:00.000-08:00

No, but we are now!

My sweetie and I have been together for 9 years but never married. I suppose I'm just about the only woman who never dreamed of a big wedding and doodled my future married name on every surface when younger.

My sweetie travels a great deal for work and once in a while I like to go with him to see some of the country and just because I otherwise wouldn't see a whole lot of him! This trip took us through WA, OR, CA and NV. About 8 hours outside of Las Vegas I decided I was ready to tie the knot and Sweetie was game too!

We called up a friend who lives in Vegas and recruited him as witness and driver (he found us the adorable Little Chapel of the West) and bang! Married!

So I had to laugh when I got home and saw the pile of vintage books near my computer, waiting to be scanned. On the top of the pile....

Appropriate, no?

Circa 1946 this book is old-fashioned to say the least. My favorite part is the extensive 8 page compatibility survey in the back. Each answer rates you points, the more points the more likely the compatibility. It was too long and out of date to be fun to fill out for myself but some of the more interesting questions include:

*Age at which you stopped going to Sunday school
*Number of "steady" relationships before meeting your spouse
*Number of social organizations you belong to
*Are parents of superior or reputable status in community
*Under 'marital status of parents' you receive the highest score if your mother is dead!
*Big points for growing up in the country but now living in the suburbs

We celebrated our 2 week anniversary yesterday :D

I'm back! Again.

2009-01-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

I went on the road with my sweetie for two weeks fully prepared to be digitally mobile when my laptop dies the night before departure. Figures. Anyway, I'm back, with a new camera, a load of great new vintage cookbooks and some other big news to share.

Come back tomorrow to find out what it is!