Temporarily Out Of Commission

Hauled the spousal unit's gluteus maximus to the Mennonite hospital in Cornfedton this morning.  He got his right knee replaced. Only about three years after it should have been.  And guess how he spent Sunday?  Cutting down trees.  The surgeon was not amused.

Posting may be sporadic for a few days.

Update:  they have a German chaplain so I got to spreche the Deutsch for a bit.

Update, part deux:  they also have a great thrift shop just across the street.  I got four silk scarves, some doily pattern booklets, and a 1950 copy of the Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book.  

Vintage Images - Redoute Flowers

Copyright-free, from Dover.

Because Who Wants Impure Blood?

"CRAYFISH-BROTH FOR PURIFYING THE BLOOD.  Take two pounds of the lean part of very white veal, chop it very fine; add to it three dozen crayfish and a handful of green chervil; pound them together to thoroughly bruise the crayfish; then put the whole into a stewpan and pour upon it three pints of cold spring water;  add a little salt, and place the stewpan on the stove to boil.  After half an hour, set it back on the stove, and let it simmer very gently for an hour, then strain.  It should be taken fasting to insure its best effect."

La Cuisine Creole, 1885, by Lafcadio Hearn (of all people).  Available as a free download from the MSU site, Feeding America.

Caturday!

The Webbed Feet Should Have Been A Dead Give-away

At one of the conference presentations, the speaker asks for a member of the audience to come up and help demonstrate a technique.  He calls a burly, crew-cut nurse out of the crowd.

Speaker:  So, Jerry*, are you right or left-handed?

RN:  I'm amphibious.

Firemen Should Be Seen And Not Heard

We are enjoying dinner at a restaurant during the conference.  Present at the table are me,  six RN’s, two EMTs, a Fire Chief, an animal control officer, a pre-med student and the Health Department Public Information Officer.

Fire Chief:  The entire hospital campus is covered by closed-circuit TV, right?  So what does this idiot do but go out to a snow-covered parking lot at 2 o’clock in the morning and start cutting dildoes with an ambulance. (shrieks of laughter from the rest of the table)  What did I say?

RN:  Mike*, I think you meant “donuts,” not “dildoes.”  (to me)  Aren’t you and Mike giving a presentation together tomorrow?

Me:  (with my head buried in my hands)  Yes.

PIO:  Don’t let him ad-lib.

Thrills, Chills and Excitement

I'm headed to Lombard (a suburb of Chicago for those of you not familiar with the great Midwest) for a conference.  Why am I going to this conference?  Well, back in December when the conference organizers sent out a call for abstracts, my lovely lady boss directed me to submit three presentation proposals.  I foresaw a complication.

Me:  What if they accept all three?

She:  Oh, they never do that.

Which is why I will be a member of three panels this week, speaking on "Alternate Treatment Sites; A Guide for Development," "Investigating The Role of Local Health Departments After A Radiological Event," and "Closed POD Partnerships; A Community Resource for Mass Prophylaxis."  Woo-hoo.

For The Invalid and Convalescent's Tray

From Dainty Desserts for Dainty People, published by the Knox Gelatine company back in the days when artists and not photographers illustrated cookbooks.  Left-click to enlarge.

Caturday!

It Was The Only Possible Answer, Really

He:  What else is on the shopping list?

Me:  A new toilet seat.

He:  Is the old one broken?

Me:  No, I just like buying toilet seats.

Vintage Magazines - Collier's

I've been reading and downloading vintage magazines like this one from Google Books all weekend, which is to say I haven't gotten a damn thing done.

Chillin'

From my copy of 250 Delectable Desserts, part of the Chicago Culinary Arts Institute’s output in the early ‘50’s.

Heavenly Hash

¼ pound (16) marshmallows
1 cup milk
1 cup almonds, blanched and chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup maraschino or candied cherries
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Dissolve marshmallows in milk over hot water.  Cool.  Add nuts and cherries.  Fold in whipped crem.  Freeze to a mush in refrigerator tray.  Beat well and freeze until firm.  Serves 8.

Frozen Strawberry Cake

1 ½ cups crushed strawberries
½ cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Combine ingredients in order listed and blend well.  Line a freezing tray with oiled paper, fill with the mixture and freeze until firm.  Cut into squares, top with whipped cream and a few pecan meats if desired.  Serves 6
.

Roquefort Mousse

5 ounces Roquefort cheese
½ cup milk
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Grate cheese and add to milk in top o double boiler.  Stir until melted, then cool.  Whip cream, fold into cheese mixture and freeze in refrigerator tray until firm.  Slice and serve with crackers for dessert.  Makes 1 pint mousse.

From copious reading in 19th and 20th century English cookbooks, I am familiar with the habit our cousins across the pond have of finishing off a meal with a savory (I beg your pardon.  Savoury).  At least they did according to Mrs. Beeton and Mrs. David. Still, I can’t see this last recipe catching on over here.

(The icebox ad is from Collier's magazine, 1915.  It's on Google Books).

Things I Wouldn't Know If I Didn't Have a Feed Reader

Someone in Milton Keynes arrived on my blog by Googling for mass pee women.

Caturday!

Quote of the Day

Love, friendship, respect, do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something. ~ Anton Chekhov

June 6th

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Laurence Binyon

Tatting -- Doily Trim from 1953

Butterfly trim for a doily, from Workbasket magazine, January 1953.  Pattern on my Flickr account.

More Household Hints

(copyright-free advertising image from Dover).

"How to Clean Corsets.  Take out the steels at front and sides, then scrub thoroughly with tepid or cold lather of white castile soap, using a very small scrubbing brush.  Do not lay them in water.  When quite clean let cold water run on them freely from the spigot to rinse out the soap thoroughly.  Dry without ironing (after pulling lengthwise until they are straight and shapely), in a cool place."

What Shall I Eat?  The Housewife's Manual, published by the Home Life Publishing Company in 1892.

Eye Candy

There's a lady who has crocheted one of the vintage edgings posted here, and put a photo up on Flickr.

Her other work is gorgeous.  I wish I could crochet but right now I don't have the time to learn.

And Many More

A salute to the only current head of state who is also a WWII veteran.