Bah, Humbug

The world is too much with me right now, so if no one minds I'm suspending blogging until the New Year.

What's In A Name?

A “salad” recipe from my 1936 Detroit Times cookbook (as I have pointed out before—and been resoundingly contradicted but I stand by my statement—in the American South and Midwest, gelatin was and is technically a vegetable). It’s part of a Sunday dinner that includes squash soup, cheese rolls, corn custard, and roast beef with browned potatoes. The sort of light after-church repast that leaves everyone snoozing until suppertime. Note the seeded grapes. Does anyone, even Martha Stewart, bother to seed grapes anymore?

Ginger Ale Salad

¾ cup diced canned pineapple
¾ cup chopped grape-fruit pulp
1/3 cup blanched shredded almonds
¼ cup seeded Malaga grapes
1 cup ginger ale
2 tablespoons granulated gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
Few grains salt
Few grains paprika
Mayonnaise
Lettuce

“Soak the gelatin in the cold water for five minutes, then dissolve it over hot water. Add one-fourth cup of the ginger ale. Combine the diced pineapple, grape-fruit pulp, Malaga grapes, shredded almods, salt and pepper and then add the remaining three-fourths cup of ginger ale. Add the gelatin mixture, stir thoroughly and pour into individual molds which have been dipped in and out of cold water. Chill thoroughly, unmold and serve on lettuce leaves, garnished with mayonnaise. Serves six.”

Of course, if you combine the fruits with the gelatin before that mixture has congealed to the texture of egg whites, it’s all going to sink to the bottom of the mold. Oh well, perhaps that was the intended effect.

Caturday!

Quote of the Day

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:32-33).

Look Ma, No Hands

So after beating the knuckles on my right hand all sore last weekend, what did I do tonight? As I was putting some wood into the stove I managed to slip and place my left hand, thumb downwards, onto a live coal. And because of the way I fell, they stayed in contact for several seconds (while I yipped like a coyote).

For someone who makes a living pounding a keyboard, I’m awful careless with my equipment.

The Online Bookshelf - Rick and Ruddy

A nostalgic read for the Christmas weekend. Definitely for the youngsters, from Project Gutenberg.

Patterns of the Past - McCall's Cutwork

McCall's 4940 and yes, I own this one (not that I'll ever use it; the thought of all that satin stitch makes my fingers hurt).

Virtue Never Goes Unpunished

I nominated one of my team for Big Flat County Health Department Employee of the Year, and wrote an absolutely magnificent (if I do say so myself) citation for her.

I just found out that I was nominated for Employee of the Year, too. I lost. To my team member.

There’s a lesson here somewhere, if I can just figure out what it is.

Knitting - 2 Needle Mittens from Purple Kitty

And you may even have time to make a pair or two before Christmas.

Oh, The Weather Outside Is Frightful

Appearance of tomorrow's post is going to hinge on how much more sleet we get, I'm afraid. I can't believe we haven't lost power yet.

More Christmas Clipart

From Dover Publications.

Beans, Beans, The Wonderful Fruit

Another promotional cookbook from a manufacturer of new and improved pots and pans. By using Guardian products and methods, the homemaker was guaranteed to save time, effort and money while still producing delicious meals. The illustrations place it in the late 1940’s, which would be about the time American industry had re-tooled from defense products and was going after the domestic market again. Guardian pots and pans could be used either in or on top of the stove.

This recipe for baked beans is intended for the stovetop. I’ve seen the trick of placing the whole onion in the center of the beans, in other recipes. They don’t say so here, but I assume that the onion would be peeled, first.

The utensil used would be the Casserole Tureen, a sort of double boiler with an inner and outer unit.

Baked Beans

Time: 4-6 hours (serves 8 to 10)

1 qt Navy Beans
¾ lb. salt pork, sliced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 whole onion

Wash and pick over beans, cover with cold water, soak over night. Pour into unit, add more water to cover, if necessary. Cover unit, simmer over low heat about 30 minutes or until skins crack when beans are lifted from water.

Scald pork, scrape it well, cut thru rind in several places. Cover bottom of Inner Unit with pork slices, then alternate layers of beans and pork.

Add seasonings, molasses and brown sugar to cooking water (about 3 cups) and add to beans. Put whole onion in center, if desired.

Combine unites, bake 10 minutes over high heat, then reduce heat to low. If beans are more moist than desired remove cover during last 20 minutes of baking period. Add 1 cup tomato ketchup, if you like a tomato flavor. Then use ¾ cup less bean liquid.

Maybe I Should Stop Watching Laramie Just Before Bedtime

The knuckles on my right hand are bruised and swollen this morning. The question is, what/who was I punching?

Caturday!

There’s A Lot To Be Said For Monogamy

I caught a ride to a training session today with two nurses from the STD clinic. I now know more than I ever really wanted to about syphilis.

The Online Bookshelf - Caldecott's Picture Book No. 2

By Randolph Caldecott and published by Frederick Warne & Co. May be downloaded from Project Gutenberg.

My Mamma Didn't Raise No Dummies

Me: You're looking at the new Secretary of the Big Flat County Disaster Council.

He: Congratulations--I guess. Why are you the new Secretary?

Me: Because I did not want to be Vice President.

Knitting - A Cozy 1948 BedJacket

A raglan bedjacket from Modern Knitting, 1948, with the yoke knitted in what appears to be a variation of blackberry stitch. Full instructions can be downloaded from my Flickr account.

More Christmas Images

From Dover Publications.

It's Always Been A Favorite

Quite possibly the most swashbuckling version I've ever heard.