Vintage Chicks

Happy Birthday Cake

When I was growing up my Mother was a wonderful cook.  Her simple hearty fare made every Supper time(thats what we called Dinner) a truly memorable event.  I can still taste the salmon patties with red potatoes and creamed peas, homemade chicken and noodles and my favorite meatloaf.  She was thrifty and creative and her food was always extraordinary.  My Father was also a foodie ahead of his time.  He would make pizza before it was even popular and his famous chili was to die for. When he had the chance to taste something unique he would always go for it.  I remember one time he and my Mother had gone out for the evening.  They returned late and I decided to get up for a post bedtime snack.  He handed me a neatly folded napkin and told me he brought me something new to try.  It was a fried frog leg!  It was delicious and even more memorable because I knew he had wanted to share this adventure with me.  My Father is gone now, along with his chili recipe that he carried to his grave.  My Mother is in a nursing home and is unable to cook any longer. But I am determined to carry on the tradition of great food that was always a part of our family life.  I think I have a genetic "wicked appetite" and food is surely a passion of mine.  I wanted to share this very simple recipe that my Mom would make.  It was a favorite of mine and I am going to make it this weekend in honor of my birthday.

Cottage Pudding

I cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon butter.

You combine all these ingredients until it looks like a dense cake batter.  You bake it in a small buttered pan at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (give or take).

It is very simple and is a delicious base for fresh berries or a simple lemon glaze.

I still have the wind up cake plate that we used for all of our birthdays.When you turn the top it plays "Happy Birthday" and revolves around slowly.  I am going to bake this cake and put it on that plate and enjoy a little slice of nostalgia on my happy day. My Mother is  ninty one and I will be fifty three.  I think we look pretty good for a couple of food loving old gals. Have a great weekend.  I know I will.

Turbo Harcourt

This is Turbo Harcourt.  He has been on the lam for the last nine months.  Some of his assumed alias' have been Catzilla and Sugar Plum.  He has now been successfully captured and turned in to his rightful owners.  I am a self proclaimed crazy cat lady.  I admit that against all advice I feed stray cats that wander into my back yard.  Turbo has been living in my yard and the adjacent shed for a long time now.  We knew he had a collar but we just could not get close enough to him to find out any information.  It took us nine months to gain his trust and at last be able to touch him.  His collar had names, multiple phone numbers and addresses.  His owners really wanted him to be found.  We contacted them and they came right away to pick him up.  We were a little sad to see him go but his family was equally happy to have him returned. We found out that he had lived just about a block from us and when the family had to move he had run away and they couldn't find him.  While everyone was frantically looking for him, Turbo had taken a casual stroll down the alley and set up shop in our back yard.  His Mother said that she had taken his picture to a "pet psychic" to try to get some information about him.  The psychic told her that he was alive and living in a shed!  Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.  Live long and prosper Turbo we will miss you.

It's A Small World

A few weeks ago I got a message from one of my readers.  She had seen a cook book I bought a long time ago and featured on one of my old blogs.  It was written by her relatives who ran a successful restaurant in my state.  I had never been there but I always buy local items because I get such a kick out of the history.  She wanted to purchase the book because her copy had gotten destroyed.  I wasn't even sure I still had the book.  I have so much stuff and at times I am not that organized.  I told her I would try to find it.  After a little searching I found the book and was able to mail it to her.  I was just thrilled I could help someone recover a lost treasure.  Another time I had listed an item on e-bay.  One of my customers was interested and bought the item.  After corresponding with her I learned that when she was a little girl she lived in the same town I live in now. We had the chance to talk quite a bit and it was just so bizarre to see how close we had been in proximity and yet had never met.  It really is a small world and I guess it gets even smaller when you factor in all the junk lovers out there.

Bark Cloth Bounty

I am a sucker for bark cloth.  I have always loved it and even before I knew what it was called I was drawn to the rough texture and "Lucille Ball" era prints.  I have quite a few pieces I have collected over the years and it is a guarantee that if I see a piece while I am out thrifting my heart starts to race and I can't wait to get my hands on it.  This Summer has been especially full of bark cloth treasures.  About two weeks ago I found a lovely pillow for seventy-five cents and last week I found a pillow cover for quite a bit more.  The above picture is a giant valance I found at a barn sale.  It has been made into a charming curtain topper with vintage maroon material and is even fully lined.  I have been re-doing my bedroom and this was the perfect top for my bamboo blinds.  It was over ten feet long. I just cut it in half and it was more than enough to fit over both windows.  Now when I go to bed at night all I have to do is look up at my bark cloth curtains and I am hard pressed not to break out into a smile. Life is good here in Bark Cloth Land.

Junk Will Save You

As many of you know, my Mother had an accident about a month ago and is in a nursing home doing therapy for a broken pelvis.  She has been living with me for the past five years and to say we learned to compromise to live together would be an understatement.  Since she will not be able to return here and will be continuing her next phase of life in a lovely room at Bridgeview Estates I have been trying to make my home back into the sanctuary it once was.  She and I had completely different tastes.  She loved everything I hated and visa versa.  Our decorating tussles were a thing to behold.  I tried to accommodate her tastes and still keep my sanity.  Now, I am re-doing some rooms not only for therapy but for comfort as well.  I am a big fan of the Craftsman style.  I have a lot of oak furniture and I am trying to put together a home where all of my stuff can be together again.  I bought this new piece to get me back into the mood. It is a sweet little library table with bookshelves on each side.  It is just the right size to fit in between two comfortable chairs where a person could read a book or have a conversation.  I love, love, love it and it has inspired me to keep going and surround myself with only those things I really love.  I have been de-cluttering and moving things around not only for aesthetic reasons but for cheap therapy.  I have experienced some "empty nest"  ennui since I no longer have to be a full time care giver and once again Junk has been my savior.  I am finally getting into a new routine and will be back on the thrift store trail to find some new treasures.  Thanks for your patience during this long blogless lull.  I think I am back and I will keep you posted as I start this new and exciting adventure.