Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Loving Vintage Kitchens

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I have a true love for vintage kitchens. I dream of some day having a true vintage/retro kitchen of my own. I browse through the internet a lot and love to sit there for hours and just look at pictures of 1950's kitchens. Those are my favorite ones. With that said, I would like to share some of my pictures that I have collected, most of these you can find on my Vintage Life Network site. But here are a few that I'd like to share on my blog with you all. ENJOY!

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These are just a few from my collection, but if you'd like to see more check them out directly from my 1950's Vintage Kitchen album at Vintage Life Network.


Tuesday, March 16, 2010

How to be a 1950's Housewife

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Do you dream of a time in the 1950's when rock and roll was just coming on the scene and every girls dream was of her wedding? Well here are a few tips if you want to relive that period of time as the fantasy housewife.

Things You'll Need:

  • Lot's of energy.
  • No opinion.
  • Talent in every area.
1) As a housewife of the 1950's you won't be required to hold a job outside the home. In fact you really won't be allowed to because it would be an insult to the male of the family for not being able to provide for his wife and family! So relax and buy a box of bonbon' s.

2) Always wake at least two hours before your husband so you can shower, do your hair, put on make up and a really nice dress and high heels. You must always look your best when he see' s you first thing in the morning and never, ever have morning breath or look sleepy.

3) Next cook a nourishing breakfast for the whole family. Stuff them with eggs, bacon, biscuits made from scratch, gravy, milk, orange juice and don't forget the perfect jams and jellies you canned all by yourself during the dog days of summer. Stuff them until they can't move and are sure to gain enough weight to be a battle ship in dry dock.

4) Be sure when they are getting ready for work and their school day you have clean clothes out for everyone. Do not make them choose their own outfit. Silly woman, that's your job! Always make sure they are wearing the latest up to date styles so everyone will think they are keen.

5) Be sure you pack a good lunch for them. For the kid's pack a good sandwich, chips, carrot sticks, cupcakes, fruit, a thermos of milk and a thermos of hot soup! Don't forget the note with words of love and support.

6) Now it's time for you! First refresh your makeup and hair. Then start with cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom. Don't worry if the floors look clean enough because it's still best to clean them again so your family can make you eat off of them and not worry about your health.

7) Now for all the laundry you must gather from each room in the house and start washing. Never dry them in a dryer. That is a waste of money when you can spend time hanging them on an outside line for the fresh air scent. When they are finished drying you will bring them in, sprinkle them with a little water and roll them in a tight ball so you can iron it all the next day. Make sure to keep it all in the laundry room out of sight of the husband and kid's. They deserve a relaxed life.

8) Next pick up the living room, bedroom, and all other rooms in the house. Dust everything within an inch of it's life and vacuum all floors. Now clean the bathroom and scrub every surface for the fresh clean smell. You would never want your family to see anything disgusting in your bathroom and you really don't want the neighbors to inspect your work when they come to visit.

9) Well, it's time for a break. Make yourself a light lunch of salad, no dressing and an apple. Don't want to lose the figure you had the day you got married. You know, when you were 18 years old, 2 less kids, one less husband and 20 less years! While you are eating you can watch your favorite soap opera while darning the socks of the whole family or creating lovely clothes by hand or polishing all the stainless steel you own. Never let the grass grow under your pretty high heels! Be productive while relaxing.

10) The kids will be home from school soon so you must make sure you have made a batch of home made cookies with plenty of butter and sugar. A big glass of chocolate milk and their favorite TV shows while they do their homework.
You will be making dessert for tonight, putting the dinner to cook of ham, fresh peeled and mashed potatoes, fresh green beans with bacon, more biscuits and lots of butter!

11) Now all you have to do before hubby gets home from work is set the table, clean the rooms again, make the kids clean up and look cute as pie, refresh yourself with a new dress and different shoes. Evening hair do, nice makeup, a happy smile and NO complaints about anything.

12) As he walks in the door you hand him the paper, his favorite drink, ask how his day went and then leave him alone for 30 minutes while you finish dinner, get it on the table and quietly announce it's time to eat.
After he and the kids finish dinner you clear the table, wash all the dishes by hand, dry them and put them away, clean the kitchen again and look perky!

13) The family watches TV together or plays a game, eats more dessert and then wanders off to bed.
Now it's time for you to go to the bedroom, turn down the covers, fluff the pillows, take a quick shower and put on a pretty nightie, put on fresh makeup, do your hair again down this time and call for hubby to come to bed. You read while he relaxes and when he is ready for a little fun you will be just as ready and excited he is giving you his time. Oh,oh...he is tired now and finished. He rolls over, goes to sleep and you slip away to the bathroom to put on fresh makeup in case he wakes in the middle of the night and sees your face. You must always look your very best!

14) Ahhh... peace at last. Now for the well deserved 4 hours of sleep before you do it all over again.
Tomorrow is ironing day, baking bread day, going to the store day for anything the family wants and you will do it all as the lovely, skinny bride you were 20 years ago and with a smile on your pretty little face. After all you don't have to hold a job and support the family.
Where are those bonbon' s?



Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Doris Day

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The 50's cannot get cheesier than Doris Day and I LOVE her! I am totally addicted to her films, especially the ones she has made with Rock Hudson. Her movies bring you a sense of a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. So if you're ever in a down and mopey mood, be sure to pick up a Doris Day film and it's guaranteed to cheer you right back up :) 

Here is a great box set that I totally recommend...

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My favorite is "Pillow Talk" but I can watch her movies all day long.

Bacardi Rum Cake

I love to bake, I believe that a true vintage housewife and domestic goddess should definitely love baking. My passion for baking started a few years ago when I became a huge fan of all things retro & vintage. And I love sharing recipes with my girlfriends. Here is a simple and delicious recipe for bacardi rum cake.

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Bacardi Rum Cake

Cake Mix:
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 x 18 1/2 oz. pkg. yellow cake mix
1 x 3 1/2 oz. pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup BACARDI Gold Rum
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cold water
Glaze:
1/2 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup BACARDI Gold rum
Cake: Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour 12-cup BUNDT pan or a 10-cup tube pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, BACARDI rum, oil and water. Using an electric mixer beat at low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed 2 minutes. Pour batter over nuts. Bake 1 hour until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Cool 15 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.
Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in sugar, water and BACARDI rum. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Prick top of cake with a fork. Spoon and brush glaze evenly over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb the glaze. Repeat until glaze is used up. If you like, decorate the border with whipped cream before serving.

My collection of vintage housewife pics

Here is a few pics I have collected from the internet of vintage housewives. I am simply amazed by the vintage housewife and I believe they deserve more respect because they work just as hard as any other woman or man working in the streets for a living. Here is my tribute to all the domestic goddesses :)

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Diaries Of A Domestic Goddess

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CLEVER IDEAS WORTH KNOWING
Image and video hosting by TinyPicTake your bananas apart when you get home from the store. 
If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster. 

  
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Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. 
It will stay fresh much longer and not mold! 

  
Image and video hosting by TinyPicPeppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. 
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking. 

  
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. 
It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. 
Image and video hosting by TinyPicTo really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of 
spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up. 
Image and video hosting by TinyPicFor a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt   Andes  mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting. 
Image and video hosting by TinyPicAdd garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste 
of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.   
Image and video hosting by TinyPicLeftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!!  Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm! 
                                                    Image and video hosting by TinyPicReheat Pizza 
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. 
This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works. 

  
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Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. 
Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. 
Just throw bag away when done easy clean up. 

  
Image and video hosting by TinyPicExpanding Frosting 
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. 
You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving. 
                                            Reheating refrigerated bread Image and video hosting by TinyPic
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in 
a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food 
moist and help it reheat faster. 

  
Image and video hosting by TinyPicNewspaper weeds away 
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, 
put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and for- 
get about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not 
get through wet newspapers. 

  
Broken Glass Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily. 
                            Image and video hosting by TinyPic No More Mosquitoes 
      Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away. 

      Squirrel Away! Image and video hosting by TinyPic

To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.


              Image and video hosting by TinyPic Flexible vacuum 
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings. 


                                                    Reducing Static Cling 
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... ta da! ... static is gone. 

  
Image and video hosting by TinyPicMeasuring Cups 
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. 
Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such 
as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out. 

  
Foggy Windshield? Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth! 
                                    Image and video hosting by TinyPic Re open ing envelopes 
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily. 

  
Conditioner Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair. 

  
Image and video hosting by TinyPicGoodbye Fruit Flies 
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever! 

  
Get Rid of Ants cid:B36AC03001C24E5CAA89A1B1A07503D0@RayHP2007
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed! 


                    Image and video hosting by TinyPic INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS 
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material .. I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us  that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the drye r sheets to make your clothes soft and static free ... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very longtime (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?!  Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share!