Thursday, November 13, 2008

Obsolete Information Dep't - Helps for Housekeepers


From Modern Priscilla, January 1923:

“If a member of the family is late for a meal, I put the food to be kept warm into deep enameled cups without handles and set them in a pan containing a little hot water. One cover goes over them all and one low flame does the trick.” Mrs. H.R.K., New York.

“A small wooden potato masher is more convenient than a spoon, knife, or one’s hands for working the coloring into margarine. Place the margarine in a bowl, break the color capsule on top, and mash as one mashes potatoes.” Mrs. M.N.F., Vermont

“The discarded stone of a fireless cooker makes a good warming pad. If heated and wrapped in several thicknesses of newspaper it will stay hot almost all night.” B.O.J., Texas

7 comments:

Not Important said...

Color capsule?

Why didn't Fabio tell me about this when he told me that he couldn't believe that it wasn't butter?

Shay said...

It boggles the modern mind to think that margarine used be sold with the artificial coloring separate, and that the housewife was required to "mix her own."

Not Important said...

I sometimes color my food oddly. When I make pizza dough, I usually include some food coloring to make it purple or green. Sometimes, I'll do the same for scrambled eggs or spaghetti. Some people get really squicked out by that.

I suppose the color is a factor, but having to mix your own?

Shay said...

Honest. If you wanted to feed your family yellow margarine, you had to color it yourself.

T-Mom said...

I remember color packets in margarine. My brother and I actually used to fight over who got to knead the color packet into the margarine. No doubt that was one instance that my mother was grateful for sibling rivalry!

Anonymous said...

oh yes, I remember my Mother working that orange dot into the white margarine
uck
hadn't thought of that in Years

Lady Anne said...

Late to this party, too. Margarine was sold uncolored so housewives wouldn't mistake it for butter. I can remember breaking the little orange bubble and mixing the color during (and immediately after) WWII. (I think it was more a matter of the dairy people getting their noses out of joint, than assuming the poor. dumb woman wouldn't know the difference.)