1930s quilt project

I recently finished my second quilting effort. When I learned from my grandmother a few years ago, I chose a standard nine patch for my starter quilt. For this one, I chose a 1930s pattern from the Kansas City Star series called 'Weathervane.' I used 1930s feedsack reproduction fabrics in various shades of pink. I'm so glad to get it finished and really like how it turned out:

Depression era quilts are particularly interesting to me because the women who created them had so little to work with. An excellent video on 1930s quilts can be found here. It's filled with pictures and stories- including information on the scandalous 1933 Chicago World's Fair quilt competition!

fels naptha ad - 1938

Source: The American Home, September 1938

Homesewn 1920s Gift Ideas

The Winter 1927 issue of McCall's Quarterly suggests sewing these beautiful underthings for your holiday gift giving. There are a variety of items to choose from, including pajamas, chemises, slips, and kimonos. I am a novice seamstress at best, but I can see that several of these would be simple to sew. The most time consuming part would be the intricate embroidery detail that most of them have. So pretty! Can you imagine receiving that peacock kimono for Christmas?

Source: McCall Quarterly, Winter 1927/1928

Holiday Dresses - 1933

I came across this ad for Christmas dress patterns in a 1933 craft magazine. The 30s has always been my favorite decade in terms of style. I love the long, bias cut dresses. Of these, I think I like the black and white one the best. It would be gorgeous in black velvet with white satin at the top.  So Myrna Loy!

Source: The Home Arts Magazine, December 1933

fruitcake love

I like fruitcake. I really do. Fruitcake gets a bad rap, mostly, I think,  because a lot of people don't make it correctly. Last Christmas my cousin gave me a binder filled with copies of old handwritten recipes that were our grandma's and her mother's (my aunt).  They were both wonderful cooks. I was so excited to find a fruitcake recipe in there and couldn't wait for the holidays to come so I could try it out. It did not disappoint and I was really pleased with how it turned out:

I made a few alterations to the recipe. The original called for 1 pound of butter (!) and I just couldn't bring myself to use that much. So, I cut the amount in half and substituted with applesauce. Here is the recipe:

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cup applesauce

6 eggs (separated)

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup oil

4 cups flour

1 cup orange juice

1/2 lb. orange peel

1 cup candied cherries

1 lb. pecans

1 lb. white raisins

1/2 cup coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream sugar, butter, applesauce, egg yolks, orange juice, and vanilla. Then add fruit, nuts, and coconut. Next add flour, soda, and nutmeg. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold in. Bake at 250 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

This is a huge cake. I used my angel food cake pan and still had batter enough to fill 12 muffin cups.

happy thanksgiving

Here is some footage from a Macy's parade in the 1930s. Such interesting balloons-I wish I could see them in color. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

1930s beauty tips

These tips are from a 1939 booklet I have from Linit laundry starch. It has several pages of other uses for the starch besides laundry. The manufacturers suggest using it in facial masks as well as bathing in it. In this booklet, they offer other helpful beauty advice, such as slapping yourself to avoid a double chin:

Many of these are actually good tips, such as drinking plenty of water and using lemon juice as a bleaching agent. I'm not sure how effective those ankle exercises would be though. :)

new shop, new look

 Hello all- I've been a busy bee working on a new Etsy shop which I started last week. I've been changing the look of  things around here as well. I'll still be posting vintage recipes and ads, as well as shop updates and other vintage finds. In the meantime, here is a random ad I found in a 1933 magazine for Crayola Crayons. Notice it's marketed to women for use in craft projects like lamp shades and curtains!

 

Anyone ever tried any of these craft projects? :)

Listerine Ad - 1933

Source: Needlecraft The Home Arts Magazine, September 1933

Peach Puffs - 1926

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 can sliced peaches

Drain syrup from peaches and reserve. Place a layer of peaches in the bottom of well buttered individual baking dishes or muffin tins. Mix remaining ingredients to make a batter. Cover peaches with batter and bake in a moderate (350) oven for about 25 minutes. Turn out the puddings so that the peaches are on top. Serve with Hot Peach Sauce and hard sauce.

Peach Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
few grains of salt
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup water
syrup from drained peaches
2 teaspoons butter
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
few grains of nutmeg

Mix sugar, salt, cornstarch, water and peach juice in a saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and clear. Remove from fire and add 2 teaspoons butter, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and a few grains of nutmeg.

Source: The Del Monte Fruit Book, copyright 1926, California Packing Corporation

LUX Soap Ad - 1933

Source: Needlecraft: The Home Arts Magazine, February 1933

Fruit Tea Punch - 1926

Drain 2 cups Del Monte Fruits for Salad (fruit cocktail) and cut fruit in small pieces. Pour 1 quart boiling water over 3 tablespoons Ceylon tea and steep 5 minutes. Strain and cool, adding 3 tablespoons sugar, 3 slices lemon, 6 cloves and syrup drained from fruit. When thoroughly chilled pour over fruit in glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint. This amount serves about 15 persons.

Source: The Del Monte Fruit Book, copyright 1926, California Packing Corporation, San Francisco, CA

Grand Operas - 1936

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
4 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup broken pecans
4 squares Baker's chocolate

Combine sugar, cream, milk, corn syrup, and salt, and heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture boils, stirring constantly. Continue cooking, stirring constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until a small amount of syrup forms a soft ball in cold water (234 degrees F). Cook to lukewarm (110 degrees F) and add vanilla. Beat until mixture begins to thicken; then add nuts and continue beating only until mixture loses its gloss. Turn at once into greased pan, 8x8 inches. Cool. Heat chocolate over boiling water until partly melted; then remove from boiling water and stir it rapidly until entirely melted. Pour over candy. Cool until firm. Cut in squares. Makes 64 pieces.

Source: Chocolate Candies You Can Make, copyright 1936, General Foods Corporation

Lifebuoy Health Soap Ad - 1937

Source: Woman's World Magazine, April 1937

Ham With Orange - 1937

6 servings fried ham (1 1/2 lbs.)
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups orange juice
Parsley
2 to 3 oranges for slices

Fry ham. Add flour to 2 tablespoons of fat from frying ham and cook until lightly browned. Add orange juice, stirring well to avoid lumps. Cook 5 minutes or until sauce is thick. Pour sauce around ham on serving dish. Garnish with parsley and orange slices. Serves 6.

Source: Sunkist Recipes for Everyday, copyright 1937, California Fruit Growers Exchange, Los Angeles, CA

Children's Rusks - 1916

1 cake yeast
2 cups milk, scalded and cooled
1 Tablespoon sugar
6 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup currants
1/2 teaspoon salt

Dissolve the yeast and one tablespoon sugar in lukewarm milk, and add to it three cups of flour to make an ordinary sponge. Beat well. Cover and set aside in a warm place to rise, for about an hour.

When light, add to it the butter and sugar creamed, egg well beaten, the currants, which have previously been floured, and the remainder of the flour, or sufficient to make a moderately soft dough, and salt with the last of the flour.

Knead lightly, place in greased bowl, cover and set aside in a warm place, free from draft, to rise for about two to two and one-half hours. When well-risen, turn out on a kneading board and mould into rolls. Place in well-greased pans, cover and let rise again for about one hour, or until double in bulk.

Brush with egg diluted with milk. Bake in a hot oven (400) for about fifteen or twenty minutes. Upon removing from oven sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Source: Excellent Recipes for Baking Raised Breads, copyright 1916, The Fleishmann Company

Date and Cheese Bread - 1930s

4 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup grated cheese
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup dates
1 1/2 cups milk

Sift the flour with the baking powder, soda, and salt 3 times; rub in the cheese and the shortening, stir in the chopped dates, pour in the milk combined with the molasses. Mix thoroughly. Turn into well buttered bread pan and smooth out with the back of a spoon dipped in cold water. Bake about 1 hour in a moderate oven (350). Rub the top with butter, let cool in pan placed on a cake rack so that the air circulates under it.

Source: Grandma's Old Fashioned Molasses Recipes, copyright 1930s, Boston Molasses Company,                    Boston, MA

Dutch Cherry Cake - 1937

1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 cups canned red cherries
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 teaspoons baking powder

Drain cherries, saving juice. Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup of sugar and sift together three times. Beat egg yolks and combine with milk, vanilla and melted margarine. Add liquids to flour all at once and beat until smooth. Fold in cherries and egg whites which have been beaten until stiff, but not dry, with remaining sugar. Bake in well buttered pan 7 x 11 x 1 1/2 inches in moderate oven (350) 50 minutes or until done. Serve either hot or cold with hot Cherry Sauce on top of cake. Serves 10 to 12.

Cherry Sauce

1 Tablespoon margarine
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup juice from cherries
1 cup cherries

Bring cherry juice to a boil. combine cornstarch, sugar, and cold water and add to hot juice. Stir constantly until sauce boils. Remove from heat and add margarine, almond extract, and cherries. Serve over cake.

Source: Cakes and Cookies With Personality, copyright 1937, by The Best Foods, Inc., New York, NY

How to Remove Spots and Stains - 1930s

Source: Homekeeper's Helper, Keokuk Medicine Company, 1930s

Prince of Wales Cake - 1930

1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs (keep whites of 2 for frosting)
1 cup sour cream
2/3 pound of raisins
1 tsp soda
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 cup oil

Wash the raisins well in warm water, first dividing them and keeping one-third apart from the rest. Dry them with a cloth and spread out for a few minutes. Then put them through a food chopper, the two portions separately, putting aside the one-third for the frosting.

Mix together the brown sugar, yolks of 3 eggs and white of 1 egg. Add the sour cream and the larger portion of raisins. Stir in the dry ingredients which have been sifted together and add the oil. Bake in a moderate oven (350) in a loaf pan for 50 minutes, or in a shallow one for 35 minutes. Cover with a boiled frosting to which 1/3 pound of chopped raisins has been added.

Source: Everyday Recipes, copyright 1930, The Wesson Oil People, New Orleans, LA

Fine Points of Menu Making - 1935

Source: Rice: 200 Delightful ways to serve it, copyright 1935, Southern Rice Industry, New Orleans, LA

Italienne Sandwich - 1936

1 small green pepper
1 small onion
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup canned tomatoes
salt, pepper
toast
fried eggs
Swiss cheese, grated

Chop the green pepper and onion fine; cook slowly in butter. Add tomatoes and cook until reduced one-half. Season. Spread the sauce 1/4 inch thick on fresh toast. On each slice of toast place a fried egg. Partially cover the top of each egg with grated Swiss cheese. Place under low broiler heat until cheese is slightly melted. Serve piping hot.

Source: Favorite Recipes from Marye Dahnke's File, copyright 1936, Kraft-Phenix Cheese Corp. 

Lemon Meringue Pie - 1930s

1/2 cup water

7 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 lemon (grated rind and juice)

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Baked Pie Shell

Mix 1/2 cup water and cornstarch to thin paste. Combine 1 1/2 cups water and sugar in top of double boiler and bring to boil over direct heat. Add cornstarch paste and cook until mixture begins to thicken; return to double boiler and continue cooking until thick and smooth (15 minutes). Pour over slightly beaten egg yolks, return to double boiler, and cook 1 minute longer. Add lemon rind and juice and butter and blend well. Cool and pour into pie shell. Top with meringue. (see below)

Meringue:

2 egg whites

6 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Add sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add vanilla or lemon juice. Pile lightly on filling in baked pie shell. Bake in slow oven (325) for 15 minutes or until firm and delicately browned.

Source: What Shall I Cook Today?, Spry Shortening, 1930s, Lever Brothers Co.

Sea Dream Salad - 1930s

1 package Lime Jell-O

1 cup warm water

1 cup grated cucumber

1 Tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon onion juice

Dash of cayenne

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dissolve Jell-O in warm water. Add cucumber, vinegar, onion juice, cayenne, and salt. Force through sieve. Turn into mold. Chill until firm. Cut in squares and serve on crisp lettuce. Garnish with mayonnaise. Serves 6.

Source: 48 New Jell-O Recipes, copyright 1932, General Foods Corp.

Vegetable Croquettes - 1930s

2 tsp. butter

2 T. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

Few grains pepper

1/3 cup evaporated milk diluted with 3 T. water

1 tsp. grated onion

1 cup left-over vegetables, chopped and drained

Melt butter in double boiler. Add gradually the flour, salt and pepper that have been mixed with diluted milk to form a smooth, thin paste. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly to prevent lumping. Add vegetables. cool and shape into croquettes. Roll in cracker meal or fine bread crumbs, then in undiluted evaporated milk and again in crumbs. Fry in deep fat (380 degrees) until brown. Makes 6 croquettes.

Recipe taken from Sego Recipes, 1930s, Sego Milk Products Company

French Fried Onions - 1935

2 large Spanish onions
1/2 pint of milk
1/2 cup of flour, or little more
1/3 teaspoon salt

Peel onions and sift flour and salt into a bowl. Cut onions into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Separate the rings and soak in milk; then lift and drop into flour and salt. When floured, drop into deep fat, heated to temperature of 380 degrees. If you do not have a thermometer, test heat of fat with a cube of bread. When it browns in 60 seconds, the fat is the right temperature. When the onions are cooked to a golden brown, remove and drain on unglazed paper to absorb fat; then serve. Serves 4.

Source: Be An Artist At the Gas Range: Successful Recipes By the Mystery Chef, copyright 1935 by Longmans, Green & Co.

Hints and Helps for Laundry Day - 1939

Source: The Linit Book, coypright 1939, Corn Products Refining Co.

Ideas in Home Entertainment - 1937

Source: The Housewife's Year Book of Health and Homemaking, copyright 1937, Kellogg Co.

Date Whip - 1930

1 cup stoned and chopped dates
3 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cook dates in boiling water until tender. Press through a sieve. Beat egg whites until stiff. Add sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Carefully fold in the date pulp. Pile lightly on a buttered dish and bake 30 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve with soft custard or whipped cream.

Source: Come Into the Kitchen, Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Company, 1930

Orange Cup Salad - 1925

1 grapefruit
3 oranges
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup pineapple, cut in small pieces
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Peel grapefruit. Remove pulp separately from each section, discarding all the membrane. Cut in pieces. Cut oranges in halves and remove pulp, being careful to keep in as large pieces as possible. Save the skins for salad cups. Mix the fruit, add sugar and lemon juice. Chill. Serve in the orange skins with Fruit Salad Dressing and garnish with Maraschino cherries.

Fruit Salad Dressing:

1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 egg yolk
2 Tablespoons vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup whipped cream

Mix the mustard, salt, pepper and paprika. Add egg yolk and mix well. Add one tablespoon vinegar. Add the oil gradually, beating constantly with an egg beater or silver fork. As mixture thickens, add remainder of vinegar. Fold whipped cream in lightly.

Source: Heinz Book of Salads, copyright 1925, H.J. Heinz Co.

Rice Muffins - 1940

1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup cooked rice
3 Tablespoons melted shortening
1 1/2 cups flour
5 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar

Beat egg, add milk, rice and melted shortening; mix thoroughly. Add flour sifted with baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix together quickly. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake in moderately hot oven at 425 about 30 minutes. Makes 12.

Source: A Guide to Royal Success in Baking, copyright 1940, Standard Brands Inc.

How To Bake Cakes - 1937

Source: Cakes and Cookies With Personality, copyright 1937, The Best Foods Inc.

Cherry and Pineapple Marmalade - 1930s

Wash, drain, seed the cherries and run them through a meat grinder. Peel and grind or shred the pineapple. Mix pineapple with cherries using 1/4 as much pineapple as cherries. To the mixture add 2/3 as much sugar as there is fruit and juice. Cook this mixture until it is clear and thick, stirring to prevent burning. Pour hot marmalade into clean, hot Ball Jars. Seal immediately.

Source: The Ball Blue Book, 1930s

Peanut Butter Bread - 1934

2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Clabber Girl Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter

Sift dry ingredients together. Beat milk, eggs, and peanut butter together with egg beater, then add gradually to dry ingredients while beating with a spoon. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan, size about 8 1/2 inches by 4 1/2 inches by 2 1/2 inches. Bake one hour in a moderate oven (350).

Source: Clabber Girl Baking Book, copyright 1934

Strawberry Shortcake - 1935

3 cups sifted flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup Spry (shortening)
1 cup milk (about)
2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in quarters

Sift dry ingredients together and cut in Spry. Add milk, mixing to a soft dough. Knead lightly 20 seconds. Divide dough in half. Pat one piece into 9-inch layer pan greased with Spry. Spread with Spry and cover with other half, patting to fit pan. Bake in hot oven (425) 30 minutes. Separate layers. Spread with butter; cover with 1/2 of berries. Place upper layer on top. Cover with remaining berries. Serves 8.

Source: Aunt Jenny's Favorite Recipes, Lever Brothers Company, 1935

Lime Sparkler - 1935

1 package Royal Gelatin Dessert (lime flavor)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups dry ginger ale

Dissolve Royal Quick Setting Gelatin in boiling water. Cool until it begins to thicken, then add ginger ale slowly. Chill immediately until it becomes very thick again. Place in parfait glasses. Chill until firm. Garnish with mint. Serves 6.

Recipe taken from: Royal Desserts and Salads, copyright 1935, Standard Brands Inc.

Rinso Ad - 1933

Source: Needlecraft The Home Arts Magazine, September 1933

Soda for Cleaning - 1920s

Taken from: Sweets, Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co., 1920s booklet

Honey Drops - 1920s

2 cups white sugar, 1/2 cup boiling water, 1 large spoonful strained honey, butter size of an egg. Boil until it threads, take from fire and add 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring, then pour gradually, beating at the same time, over the beaten white of a fresh egg; beat until firm enough to drop on oiled paper without running.

Taken from: Sweets, Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co.

Modern Table Etiquette - 1939

Taken from: Cupid's Book, 1939

Cheese Stars - 1936

1 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Arm & Hammer or Cow Brand Baking Soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup grated cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk
Soft butter
Grated cheese

Sift flour once, measure, add baking soda and salt and sift again. Cut in shortening. Add grated cheese. Add buttermilk, stirring quickly to form a soft dough. Turn onto floured board. Knead slightly. Roll 1/4 inch thick. Spread lightly with soft butter. Cut into 2 inch squares. Cut each square in half, making triangles. Cover one half with grated cheese, place other half on top of first, butter side down, center points in opposite position. Bake in hot oven (475) 15 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 24 stars.

Recipe taken from: Good Things to Eat by Martha Lee Anderson, copyright 1936 Church & Dwight Co., Inc.