Winter Housekeeping

"There are various ways of keeping eggs; all of those given below are good.

Greased Eggs.  -- Warm some fat of almost any kind, put the eggs in; cover them quite, take them out and lay them in an old tin or earthen vessel; paste them up, or better, cement with the tin, as named elsewhere, and they will be found good all winter.

Eggs in Lime. -- Pour 2 gallons hot water of 1 pint lime, and 1/2 pint salt; when cold put some eggs in a jar, and pour it over them; be sure there are no cracked ones. - R.H.

Keeping Eggs. -- Having tried many ways of preserving eggs, I have found the following to be th easiest, cheapest, surest, and best.  Take your crock, keg, or barrel, according to the quantity you have, cover the bottom with half an inch salt, and set your eggs close together on the small end; be very particular to put the small end down; for it put in any other position, they will not keep as well, and the yelk will adhere to the shell; sprinkle them over with salt, so as to fill the interstices, and then put in another layer of eggs, and cover with salt, and so on, till your vessel is filled.  Cover it tight, and put it where it will not freeze, and the eggs will keep perfectly fresh and good any desirable length of time."

What I know; or, Hints on the daily duties of a housekeeper, comprising nearly five hundred receipts, for cooking, preserving, pickling, washing, ironing, gardening, plain and fancy needlework, putting up of winter stores, and numerous other receipts, useful and needful in every well-regulated household, by Elizabeth Nicholson, 1856.  Three hints on coping with the refusal of hens to lay eggs in winter in the days before electric lights.

Caturday!

December 25th

 

And this was the moment

When a few farm workers and three

Members of an obscure Persian sect

Walked haphazard by starlight straight

Into the Kingdom of Heaven.

(U.A. Fanthorpe, BC:AD)

Vintage Magazines - "Western Story," 1941

I can't help but hope that the gift-wrapped package is a train for the boy, and the little girl is getting the pony.

Caturday!

Quote Of The Day

You say to your soldier, 'Do this' and he does it.  But I am obliged to say to the American, 'This is why you ought to do this' and then he does it. ~ Baron von Steuben

Purrsday!

Yeah, I know Caturday's not for two days, but still...

Knitting - A Vintage Cardigan in Larger Sizes

I think I copied this from one of my late 40's/early 50's yarn company Coats and Clarks pattern books.  Obviously, it was before I learned to insert a footer to track the provenance of the things I was copying.

It's a Word document, no less, and I can't get the columns to line up. If the description tempts you, email me and I'll send you a copy.  

"An elegant cardigan with patterned panels and a V-neck especially designed to flatter a fuller figure."

COATS & CLARK'S "RED HEART" KNITTING WORSTED, 4 Ply, Art E 230-B (2 oz "Tangle-Proof" Pull-Out Skeins):

Sizes 18  20 42 44 46
Skeins No 789 Bittersweet 10 11 11 12 12
Knitting needles No 5 
6 buttons
GAUGE: 
Double Seed st — 5 sts = 1 inch; 15 rows = 2 inches
Stockinette st — 10½ sts = 2 inches; 15 rows = 2 inches
BLOCKING MEASUREMENTS:
Sizes 18 20 42 44 46
Body Bust Size (In Inches) 38 40 42 44 46

"It Was Supposed To Be Dead" And Other Fairy Fables

You know, normal women worry about their husbands coming home covered with perfume.

An Often-Overlooked Advantage To Being A Grown-up

Image from Free Digital Stamps

I can have cinnamon toast for breakfast whenever I want.

Caturday!

Quote Of The Day

There is nothing that gives a greater sense of comfort than the purring of a cat.  It is the most flattering music in nature.  One feels, as one listens, like a humble lover in a bad novel who says, “You do, then, like me a little – after all?”  The fact that a cat is not utterly miserable in our presence always comes with the freshness and delight of a surprise. ~ Robert Lynd

Knitting - a Scottie Toy from 1950

If you're a fast knitter you could probably whip up two or three of these before Christmas!  From the Australian Home Journal.

Vintage Ephemera - Edwardian Christmas Images

Copyright-free, from Dover.

Staff of Life

MONTE CARLO BREAD

1 cup shortening
½ cup lukewarm water
9 cups sifted flour, about
2 cups milk, scalded
6 eggs, beaten
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups currants
1 cup sugar

Soften yeast in lukewarm water.  Add milk to salt, sugar and shortening.  When lukewarm add yeast.  Add half the flour 2 cakes yeast and beat well.  Let rise until very light.  Add eggs, currants and remaining flour.  Knead lightly, let rise and when light place in greased bread pans.  Let rise and when light bake as for white bread.*  When bread is 2 days old,  cut into thick slices and toast.  Makes 3 loaves.

(*Bake in hot oven - 400°F - 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 375°F and bake 35 to 40 minutes longer)

CORN BREAD

½ cake yeast
1 ½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup lukewarm water
2 T sugar
½ c. corn meal
1 T. shortening
1 ¾ c. boiling water
2 ¾ to 3 c. sifted flour

Soften yeast in lukewarm water.  Cook corn meal in water 10 minutes; add salt, sugar and shortening.  Coll until lukewarm, stirring occasionally to prevent a film. When cool add softened yeast and beat well.  Add flour and mix well.  Knead, using as little flour on board as possible.  Put into a greased bowl and let rise until almost doubled in bulk.  Knead down and let rise again.  Shape into loaves, place in pan and let rise until it has almost doubled.  Bake as for standard white bread.  Makes 2 loaves.

POTATO BREAD

1 cake yeast

½ cup lukewarm water

½ c. boiling water

1 ½ t. salt

1 T. sugar
1 T. shortening
2 c. mashed potatoes
4 c. sifted flour (enough to make medium dough)

Combine in order given, following general directions for straight dough method.  Makes two loaves.

The American Woman's Cook Book, ed. by Ruth Berolzheimer, 1950.

Caturday!

Quote Of The Day

It's so beautifully arranged on the plate -- you know someone's fingers have been all over it. ~ Julia Child