Two day, two towns, a lot of thrifting

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

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

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

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!