No Pattern Required

I haven’t been posting as many of my great vintage finds as I should be, so I thought I would remedy that with this post.

I have been addicted to vintage boardgames lately, and not just the classic ones.  The ones I really like are the ones that aren’t around anymore.

Here is one that Tom and I picked up at an estate sale.  Probe is a word game kind of like hangman, except it looks a little easier.  We haven’t tried this out yet, but I am looking forward to it.

I got lucky the other day and came across a whole bunch of games at Goodwill the other day when I was out looking for records.

I have never played Go To The Head of the Class and I know it is still available new, but I couldn’t say no to the cute 1950’s game pieces. The Skittle Bowl game is really fun, we set it up and played it the other night.  Haven’t tried out the other two yet, but I am excited.  And they were all a good deal, between $2 and $3 each!

So, I was digging through all of pamphlets and instructional manuals the former owner of our house had left behind for us and looking for the directions on how to operate the record player in the basement.  Seriously. I remember using a record player when I was little, but the model that is hooked up in the basement goes far beyond a simple record player. 

In any case, not only did I find the instructions for the record player, but a ton of other interesting instruction manuals as well. Including the original installation instructions that came with our blue Geneva kitchen cabinets.  I need to do a bunch of scanning before I upload the others, but here is the cabinet instructions. Enjoy!

Welcome to another week of the Mid-Century Menu!  Honestly, I am surprised this feature has gone one as long as it has.  I thought for sure that it would become too disgusting for us to continue, but Tom and I have persevered through all the stinky, nasty dishes and even found a few good ones.  One of these days I need to make a Best and Worst list of the Mid-Century Menu.  Sigh.  So many things to do.

In any case, this week’s menu comes out of Betty Crocker’s Bisquick Cook Book, published in 1956.  I love this cookbook, not just because of some of the crazy recipes, but for all the great pictures as well.  I think this is one of the better photographed cookbooks, just for the fact that they take a lot of pictures of the finished dishes.  With most of these older cookbooks you just have to use your imagination when it comes to picturing the end result of the recipe.  And that has put me off more than a few recipes, let me tell you.  I can imagine some pretty horrible stuff.

Of course, the pictures also have drawbacks.

What in God’s name is oozing out of that waffle sandwich on the right?  What?!?!?  It looks like someone on the photo shoot was so nauseated that they threw up on a waffle.

“Awww, someone bring me another waffle, Bill just yaked on this one.”

“Should we clean-up the plate and reset everything?”

“Nah, the cream on the shortcake will run. Just throw it on top of the other one and we’ll pretend its filling.”

 Gah.

Another thing, has anyone else noticed that the picture of Betty Crocker has yellow eyes?  Yellow eyes, I swear to God, yellow eyes!  Just like Scut Farkas.

Anyway, all kidding aside, here is the dish I picked for this week.

Really?  Really?!?!?  On what planet is a hot dog, cheese and ketchup considered pizza???  Even if you used chili sauce, it would be closer to chili than pizza.  Not even the dumbest 1950’s kid would be fooled by this. 

Pizza. Bah.

In any case, I was off!

I got chicken hot dogs because they were less fat.  I didn’t think it would make that much of an impact in whether or not the boats actually tasted like pizza.

Milk, melted butter and Bisquick.

The dough, all stirred together.

Here it is on the floured board after it kneading it 8 times.

Here it is after being rolled out and divided.  I didn’t bother trimming the dough to make it even!

The hot dog halves, all in place. 

And no, it isn’t pizza yet.

Putting the cheese strips in place.  I thought they would be safer under the hot dog than on top of it.

Nope, not pizza yet!

Ketchup on top of the hot dogs.

Still not pizza!

Here they are, all boated up and ready for the oven.  You know, at first I thought this was going to be an easy recipe, but from the last picture until this picture took…me…forever!  They were so fussy!  Oh well, I suppose I shouldn’t complain.  At least they look semi-appetizing, which is a good thing after all that work.

And no, Sara, they aren’t pizza yet.

Here they are, straight from the oven.  They don’t look like pizza, but you never know. I didn’t put pudding or even milk into the dessert and it came out with pudding on the bottom.  I was really confused, and I wondered if Bisquick was some kind of miracle ingredient.

The first bite. 

“So, is it pizza?”

“Nope,”  Tom said, “It’s not pizza, but these things are really good.”

I took a bite.  They were really good. Sickeningly good, actually.

But they didn’t taste like pizza. Nuts. I guess Bisquick isn’t magic after all.

The Verdict:

Pizza Boats:  Good, but not a bit like pizza. The biscuit is very rich and is a little sickening after the second one, but is still pretty tasty.  Would be a good party snack if cut into smaller pieces.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake:  Really good.  How the mystery layer of pudding came about I have no idea, but it was really good. Tom ate himself sick on it, and didn’t care about the mystery.

Once again, thank you to Jan for a hilarious, inventive and amazing post!  This is the greatest!

 It’s 1959 and I’m taking the girls, Sara, Ruth and Alex on a road trip to California and yes, I know I’m insane, but I did promise them a visit to Disneyland.   Afterward, I’ll need a visit to the Funny Farm.

Anyway, the tank is full, I’ve got the atlas and my nerve pills, so, get into the car, hooligans, sit down and buckle up as we travel down the MCM Menu Highway!

First stop is Walgreen’s Drug Store in Chicago, Illinois.  It’s too late for breakfast, but a sandwich and drink (did I say drink) sound good.

Our next destination is San Diego, California, so you better use the powder room before we leave because I’m NOT stopping again until we get there!

Two hours later, at the speed of sound, we arrive at Aunt Emma’s Pancakes where their menu is shaped like, what else?  A pancake!   Ruthie!  Stop crying!  I can’t help it if they don’t have any Spam!

After downing some of pancakes and paying for damages that occurred when the girls started  a food fight, I’ve pointed (yes, pointed) the car north to Los Angeles.  I hope I can survive the 100 plus miles as Alex has that mischievous look in her eyes, like maybe she’ll insist that we play Peek-A-Boo as she covers my eyes while I’m driving.  Sigh, no wonder I don’t take them anywhere!

At Disneyland, I attempted to bribe the girls to mind by buying them some ice cream at the Carnation Ice Cream shop.

We’ve been asked never to return to Disneyland as the girls thought it would be great fun to stick a vanilla ice cream cone on Mickey’s nose.  Why, why me Lord?

I’m at the end of my rope.   My nerves are frayed, my voice is hoarse from hollering and I think I’m deaf in my right ear from Sara constantly yelling into it, “Mom!  Ruthie’s hitting me!  Mom! Alex just pulled the head off of my doll!  Mom!  Mom!”    Boy, do  I need a drink, but first a stop at the zoo.  I’m certain I can rent an empty cage  for my wild animals.  Ha!  Take that,  devil children!

Aaah!  The Luau in Beverly Hills!  Yeah, I could easily languish under a palm tree and sip several rum infused tropical concoctions until I pass out cold.  Waiter!  One of everything on the menu!

(Hiccup)  Now, where did I put those kids?

Here are some super cute atomic offerings right now on Etsy!  I adore that razor!

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade nopatternrequired.etsy.com

I think I found it!  Tom and I have been looking for exactly the right pendant light to go in the kitchen.  I have been dying to replace the awful 80’s pink chandelier over the kitchen table.

So, what do you think? It is the Union, part of the Streamline collection at Schoolhouse Electric. That collection and the Modern Collection are really awesome.  They have a ton of great period pendant and ceiling lights and the most amazing glass shades.  Check out the modern color hand-painted shades (I LOVE aqua!) and the artist series.  I think the artist series would be a perfect addition to a 70’s house.

Here are just a few of the great lighting fixtures that I loved from them.  And don’t forget to check out the Deco Collection.  It is very pretty as well.

So, I am just getting started on my Christmas projects for my friends.  Finally.  I am planning to embroider a bunch of stuff with some awesome vintage embroidery patterns I found in the Flickr Group Hoop Love.  If you haven’t ever visited Hoop Love and you love to embroider, you are really missing out on something.  The super-generous members of Hoop Love upload vintage embroidery patterns that have expired patents or unknown manufacturers to share with poor unfortunates like me who don’t have access to a closet of vintage patterns. *Sniff*  Ah, poor me. Anyway, because of their generosity, I am going to be able to make Christmas Presents this year, which I am really excited about.  I just hope the people who receive the gifts are as excited to get them as I am to make them.   Although I will never be as good as my hero, Jenny Hart, I am hoping to put a modern spin on some of the vintage patterns so they end up looking at least moderately cool.

Anyway, here are some of the great patterns from Hoop Love that I am planning on using this year. 

If I use your pattern and you want me to take it down, let me know.  All these patterns are not mine, and cannot be sold or used for personal gain.  They are free and are supposed to be shared with one and all in crafty love.

There are some absolutely gorgeous mid-century homes for sale in Midland, MI.  I had to share them so you all could enjoy the eye candy as well.  Had to!

The first is an awesome house designed by Alden B. Dow.  Tom and I always go past this house on our runs, and we always are whipping our heads around and hoping they leave the blinds up.  It is spectacular.  It is on the high side for Midland at $650,000, but it is by a well-known designer, it is on 1.83 acres in the city and it is over 6,000 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 3 full baths and 2 half baths. And I thought I had a lot of toilets to clean.  But I suppose if you bought this place you wouldn’t clean your own toilets anyway.

A pretty house, but they really could have cleaned up before they took the pics, don’t you think? Ah well, it still looks great.

More great houses coming soon!

Purchased by John Maloof, a Chicago real estate agent, at an antique auction, the work of a previously unknown amatuer photographer Vivian Maier is finding it’s way into the blogosphere. Taken mostly during the 1950’s, the pictures are candid shots of downtown Chicago and it’s citizens, and it is great stuff.

John is slowly posting Vivian’s pictures on his blog, Vivian Maier – Her Discovered Work. Stop by and take a quick spin through the photographs he is posting.  Although they aren’t of interiors, like Maynard Parker’s collection, they are very real and very stunning. The best part: John is learning from Vivian’s photographic instruction and using her techniques to take pictures of his own.  Too sweet.

An article with the whole story is here.  Enjoy!

Welcome to this week’s Mid-Century Menu!  This week Tom and I picked a great recipe out of Favorite Recipes of Michigan Meats, although I am not sure if any meats, especially Michigan meats, actually do have favorite recipes or not.  Hey, I don’t make them up here, I just cook ‘em and write about ‘em. 

Har har.

Anyway, this book was published in 1965 by the Favorite Recipe Press, which collected recipes from Michigan Women’s Clubs all over the state and put them together in this cute little book.  It appears the books were then sold for fundraising purposes.  This one is particular was sold by the Saginaw Jr. Women’s Club to a nice lady named Lucille who had amazingly neat handwriting.  I am always fascinated and envious of good handwriting, probably because mine is so crappy.

But I digress.

One of the interesting things about this book is that there doesn’t look like there was any recipe testing or editing really involved in this book.  It is basically just a jumped-up version of a church cookbook, with up to 10 versions of the same dish all squeezed together with no illustrations.  The good news is that it’s typewritten.  The bad news is that now you can actually read all of the ingredients.

There are a TON of recipes to choose from in this book, and there was a point going through them where each one we read was more horrible than the last.  Finally, this is the recipe we chose.

Ha ha!  No, I am kidding. Just kidding. But man, if you could have seen the look on your face…

Here is what we really chose.

That’s a little better, huh?  No baking soda soak for a boiled ham. Yeesh.

The strange thing about this recipe is how formless everything is.  Except for the pineapple, and even that is rubbery from being canned.  This is almost like sculpting.  But with food. So odd.

First, the hamette portion of the dinner.  I forgot to take a picture of this after it was mixed together, but it pretty much looked exactly the same. Trust me.

Laying down the foundation of pineapple rings to help with stability.  But I have to admit, it looks pretty cute.

The little ham patties look strangely like chewed bubblegum, don’t they?  How odd.

Mashing the sweet potatoes.  I tried to melt the butter, since the potatoes were cold, but it didn’t quite take.  It cooled off very quickly and made little butter lumps in the potatoes.

See?  Lumps of butter.

Here are the potatoes, all piled on.  With the bubblegum ham patties covered up, it is beginning to look cute again.  And very, very mid-century.  What was their deal with stacking food?

And here is another mid-century must-have ingredient. Cloves. Ground cloves sprinkled on the potatoes.  I admit that it is a classic spice to use with ham, but couldn’t I have at least stirred it in?

The finished hamettes, straight from the oven.  I must admit they look pretty fetching with their browned marshmellow caps.

The first bite….and…

Not much of a reaction.  He didn’t say anything for a long time.

“What do you think?”  I asked as he chewed. “Good?”

“My mouth can’t decided what it’s eating. There is way too much stuff going on here.”

I took a bite.  He was right, it was crazy.  Even though you think all this stuff should go together, it just didn’t taste good all in the same bite.  And the ham patties had way too much pepper in them.  I have to remember that fresh and pre-ground pepper are not the same thing.

“Ugh! What is this on here? Ground cloves?”

I nodded my head, too preoccupied tasting my bite.

“What is it with them and their cloves?  Is it because they taste like cigarrettes and everyone smoked?”  He stirred his food around on the plate. “They couldn’t get enough smoking, so they ate things that reminded them of smoking.”

I burst out laughing.

The Verdict:  Not the greatest together, but the mashed sweet potatoes and ham pattie with pineapple were good if you ate them seperately.  Definitely a disappointment.