1938

Lisa...

I refer to her as the pickles of this blog,

is the sister lucky enough to raise a few chickens on her farm.

 (and one very handsome rooster named Sully!)...

I, on the other hand, live in town and only dream

of  chickens and a coop like those you see in magazines.

For now I will be content with sewing chickens on my flour sack towels.

b



Grandma's Kitchen

Didn't all grandma's have one or two of these beauties in their kitchen?

These hot pad holders were just for looking at...

you couldn't possibly use one could you?

This was a lot of crocheting for a touch-me-not.

I learned to crochet in the 1970's...

remember when those little granny square vests were so popular?

Well, that is why I taught myself to crochet.

Then in the 80's doilies were all the rage...again.

Because we can all remember when every surface in grandma's

house was covered with them.

Even the backs of these hot pad holders are pretty...

pure vintage.

b

Klosed Krotch

June, 1913

I don't have a clue what pa is doing here?

And why is he wearing only his union suit to do it?

The ad reads...

Never Binds Cuts nor Chafes.

(But I bet they itched like crazy.)

This ad from 1936 made me laugh.

It seems men have always been helpless.

b

Wash Day

I ran across this ad in an old newspaper the other day

and boy oh boy! it got me to thinking about the days

we used a wringer wash machine when I was a young girl

still living at home.

 

 

(And it was much later than 1938...ha)

 

If you used a wringer washer like this in your younger days

or if you've never seen anything like it

let me tell you about it.

 

You filled this machine with numerous buckets of hot water from the kitchen sink,

then you filled a rinse tub sitting beside this with cold water.

 

Always start out with your cleanest clothes because you will use the same

water for all your washing. Well, that's how my sister and I did it

when Mom wasn't around to monitor and make us change the water.

 Wow! that water was muddy when we were finished.

 

 

When you thought your first load was clean enough, no timers on this...

you ran every item through the wringer at the top of the washer, and into the rinse tub.

Watch those fingers and hands, they don't go through the wringer

without a trip to the doctor.

 

There is no agitator or movement in the rinse tub,

just you with your hands in the icy water.

Once the clothes are fairly soap free, the wringer swings around

and you put the clothes through it again and into your clothes basket.

 

Yes, this is why they used to call it Wash Day...

 It took all day!

 

Now remember...

all this water had to be manually drained from both the washer and rinse tub,

into buckets and hauled out.

 

If the weather was decent the washing mashine could be hauled outdoors for use.

 

All our clothes were hung out on the clothesline,

we didn't have a clothes dryer until many years later.

We hung wash outside in all weather.

Have you ever tried to take frozen clothes off a clothesline?

 

There is nothing that smells or feels better than line-dried wash.

I still like to hang out all our sheets and towels.

 

 

How was your walk down memory lane?

 

Now your clothes are ready for ironing on Tuesday.

 

Household Hint -

Clothes may be sprinkled in the evening

 and left over night if put in the clothes basket

 and covered entirely with a heavy towel or blanket.

 

b



kale

Sister Pickles and I are not doing a very good job of blogging here.

It's all her fault of course.

She has such a great blog "Sall's Country Life"

that it puts the pressure on me to step it up a bit here.

 

 I found a Super Bowl of soup to share with you.

It has kale in it!

 

And Italian sausage and bacon and cream and...

It has to be good with ingredients like these right?

 

 



 

Zuppa Toscana Soup

 

1 lb Italian sausage

2 large potatoes, cubed

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 cup bacon pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups kale

2 (8 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 quart water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

 

Chop or slice uncooked sausage into small pieces. Brown sausage in your soup pot.

 

Add chicken broth and water to a second pot. Add onions, potatoes, and garlic. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.

 

Add sausage and bacon. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

 Add kale and cream. Heat through and serve.

 

So Good!

I served this super bowl of soup for Super Bowl.

 

Okay pickles...you're up next.

love, sis



Christmas lists

What's on your Christmas list this year?

 

Do you see anything from this 1956 ad that you would like?

 

 

Dear Santa:

I would love that hot and heavy iron for 14.95.

You can still buy an iron for that price but it won't be hot and it won't be heavy.

 

Grandma Jessie would like a chenille spread.

She gets one every year because I have every one of them in my basement

 waiting to be sewn into a project, like the back of a baby quilt.

 

My brother Stephen would ask for that freight train...

and he got one from Santa one year.

Years later I remember grandpa taking him on a train ride.

I really wanted to go too.

 

My brother David would take that super dart gun...

and shoot everyone that dared crossed his path.

 

Mom would enjoy that new blanket in a mist green color.

 

Sister Rhonda would probably ask for those roller skates.

Remember owning a pair of those? Talk about fun.

 

And that sled would be perfect for pulling my little sister Lisa around on.

We will be extra careful as we take her to highest hill in town

and let her go!

 

Trying to be good must have counted with Santa

 because us five kids were rarely good all at the same time

 and we always had a great Christmas.

 

Thanks Santa!

 

b

 

 



my soup kitchen

The first thing I must do here is write a disclaimer...

I am in no way knocking Campbell's Soup.

 

 

Believe me...my can opener and I have opened thousands of

Campbell soup cans.

Cream of mushroom, chicken noodle, bean and bacon,

vegetable and tomato!

And when you are sick...Campbell's consomme soup tastes so good.

Blame it on my weakening taste buds,

or maybe it was the price?

Or maybe I simply enjoy a challenge in the kitchen

and making homemade soups.

 

But I decided it was time to go on yet another mission...

find all the tomato soup recipes I can and begin making them

until I find the best one.

 

I did this one summer with baked beans until Mr. b said

STOP!

no more beans!

 

This is my first place winner for homemade tomato soup...

 

Tomato Bisque Soup

1/4 pound butter

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

3/4 cup white flour

1 quart whole milk, warmed

1 46-oz. can tomato juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 28-oz. cans tomatoes

3/4 teaspoons ground Greek oregano

dash of white pepper

1/2 cup sugar (optional)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

 

Saute onions in butter until transparent.

Sift in the flour, stirring vigorously and constantly.

Whisk in warmed milk until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes of until it starts to bubble.

Add the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce and diced tomatoes,

 again stirring constantly just to a boil.

Slowly add the rest of the ingredients and bring back to boil.

(This recipe can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.)

 

This is a large recipe - 1 gallon!

I use one can of diced tomatoes and one crushed.

I use regular black pepper and oregano.

 

This recipe is a close second place winner...

 

Creamy Tomato Soup

4 slices bacon

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes in juice

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

 

Heat a large, deep pot over medium heat: add bacon and cook until barely crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon and reserve: remove and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Add garlic and cook, stirring, over medium heat, 1 minute. Add tomatoes and their juice, breaking up tomato pieces with your hands or a wooden spoon. Add broth, sugar and black pepper: bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes with cover ajar.

Puree soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to pot, stir in cream until incorporated and heat through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar.

Serve garnished with crumbled bacon.

(I use my hand blender to cream my soups, they are inexpensive and easy to use.

 Cleanup is a breeze compared to cleaning a regular blender.)

 

But when you're short on time...

Campbell's soup is always the best route.

 

b