From Mama's Kitchen
| presents: |
|
 |
...for those who savor the look and flavors of yesterday's kitchen... |
|
December 2006
|
|
|
|
|
 Having problems viewing this newsletter? Perhaps you see little red 'x's instead of pictures? If so, click here to read the newsletter online!
Automatic unsubscribe link at bottom of page. Just click on it to be removed from this mailing list. If you can't get the unsub link to work, type "remove" in the subject line and send this entire newsletter back to us. Read all of our newsletters on the Web at or we can send you a copy via RSS. See: http://www.tias.com/other/aboutRss.html. |
|
|
|
Mama's Kitchen is a free newsletter about kitchen collectibles. This newsletter is designed to be entertaining and educational, but also a dialogue among those who have a fondness for kitchen items of all kinds. I hope you'll join us for a few memories, giggles, laughs and some useful information about kitchen collectibles. I am not an expert in any field, but I have been buying and selling kitchen items for over 9 years and loving them for a lifetime. Remember collecting anything should be fun. This is especially true when you can use your collection on a daily basis. Please let me know if there is a particular item you would like featured in upcoming issues. |
|
|
I know you were expecting Kitchen but I decided it might be fun to gather some trivia about Christmas around the world both old and new. So here are a few Christmas trivia tidbits for you to mull over or share with family & friends.
- The celebration of Christmas was banned in Boston from 1659 to 1681. Anyone showing Christmas Spirit was fined 5 schillings. this was due to the pilgrims belief that it was a decadent celebration.
- Stargazy Pie is a fish pie of Cornish Origin. It is made with the fish's heads sticking out of the crust all around the rim and presumably takes its name from the appearance of gazing skywards. It is made in memory of fisherman who saved a town from hunger one stormy Christmas.
- Hiding an almond inside of rice pudding is a Christmas custom in Sweden. Whoever gets it has good luck for the year.
- In Oxaca, Mexico Christmas Eve is also the Night of the Radishes, when large radishes are cut into animal shapes.
- Tortellini is a specialty of the Bolognese Christmas dinner (filled with turkey, ham, & sausage forcemeat.)
- The Dutch eat chicken stuffed with sauerkraut at Christmas to mark the end of the year and celebrate the beginning of the New Year. The reason for chicken is because the animal scratches the ground. It symbolizes scratching the earth over the old year.
- Christmas season in the Canadian Prairies traditionally begins with a shipment of Japanese oranges.
- In Sweden, the "Tomte" is a Christmas gnome.
- "Revillon" is a meal eaten after Midnight Mass in France and Canada.
- December 26th, also known as Boxing Day is the holy day of St. Stephen.
- St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children, scholars, merchants, sailors and women without dowries.
- German settlers in Pennsylvania in the 1800s were the first to decorate their homes with fir trees at Christmas.
- Most of the Christmas carols sung today were composed in the 1700s and 1800s.
- The Mexican tradition of "La Posada" is a recreation of Mary riding a donkey and Joseph looking for a place to spend the night.
- Traditionally, German children are not allowed to see the Christmas tree until Christmas Eve.
|
|
Recipe for:
|
CHRISTMAS PUDDING |
|
|
| Soak ½ pound stale bread crumbs in 1 cup scalded milk, let stand until cool; add ¼ pound sugar, 4 beaten egg yolks, ½ pound floured raisins which have been seeded and cut into pieces, ¼ pound currants, ¼ pound finely chopped figs, and 2 ounces finely chopped citron. Chop ½ pound suet and cream by using the hand. Combine mixtures, then add ¼ cup wine and brandy, ½ grated nutmeg, ¾ tsp. cinnamon, 1/3 tsp. clove, 1/3 tsp. mace and whites of eggs beaten stiff. Turn into buttered mold, cover and steam six hours. |
Fannie Merritt Farmer, Boston Cooking School Cookbook, 1896..
|
|
|
Santa Coasters This is a set of six glass jackets . they are made of terrycloth and used much like the old Hi-Jacs glass jackets from the 1950s. You put them around the bottom of your glass and pulled them up. They absorbed the moisture to some degree until they became wet. It was a cute idea and nifty gadget that hung around for quite some time. These are usually priced from $8.00-$12.00 depending on condition, market and time of year. |
Paula is asking for help to locate this product. If anyone out there knows of this griddle, please drop me an e-mail and I'll pass it along.
I was married in the 50's and my pancake griddle was a Happy Day Griddle. I had that griddle for 40 years, and then the handle broke. If anybody out there can tell me where to find one I would be eternally grateful--I have had three griddles since, and none is as good as the Happy Day. Thanks, Paula
Do you have an odd piece of kitchenalia that you'd care to share or ask others to help you identify? Just e-mail a picture and your thoughts to mamas@tias.com and we'll post it and any responses here. |
|
Dinner is served - Christmas Table Accessories I love Christmas and I especially love Vintage Christmas Decorations that remind me of the wonderful times I had with my family. The table got decked out once a year when my mama would put out her special items and I wanted to share them with you. The first is a poinsettia tablecloth from the 1970s. Vintage tablecloths are very collectible and in good condition and depending on how fancy they are can be quite pricey. This one was mass produced so would have a value of about $10.00-$15.00. The second item is a Hazel Atlas Poinsettia glass. These were also mass produced but are very sought after especially around the holidays. It sells for about $5.00-$7.00.
|
|
|
The thing I remember most about Christmas is the smell. The house always smelled so special during that time of year. The smell of cedar from the tree would mix with cider, cookies and pies baking. The turkey was just the icing on the cake. Fresh oranges in our stockings were a delight. I remember taking mine to bed to smell every night as I went to sleep. I remember Mama in the kitchen always cooking or fussing with something even as we tore open gifts. I remember the fuss she always made over our homemade gifts, usually constructed of tinfoil pans, construction paper, and popsickle sticks. I remember her patience as she would take needle and thread and string popcorn for garlands for the tree. I remember the reverence I saw in her face as she would carefully set up the nativity stable. Most of all I remember my hand in hers as we would go to view the town Nativity scene that had real animals. For many years I really believed that Bethlehem was another name for DeSoto, Missouri. I remember it all as if it were yesterday. Mama made Christmas so special every year with whatever money was available and often it wasn't much. She would always make the table special even though nothing matched. I remember one of the brightest moments in her life was when she got a complete set of plain white Ironstone dishes from Sears. No one ever treasured a set of fine china more than she did those dishes. They were only used on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The food was basic holiday fare but I suppose it seemed like more because she put so much love into making it. I hope you all have memories of wonderful holidays too. Do you have a kitchen memory to share. Please send it to Mama at mamas@tias.com |
|
|
|
Want your home to smell great for the holidays? Forget the fancy candles and potpourri, just put a pan of cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves on your back burner and simmer. It will fill your whole house with the smell of Christmas. Have you got a great kitchen tip or question, please send it along to mamas@tias.com |
|
|
The owner of Mama's Treasures has opened a second store on Tias.Com. It can be found on Earthling.com just by hitting the link at the top of the main page. In response to many requests for items of a newer nature, she has decided to focus this store on newer gift items as well as collectibles. She also will be including vintage items that can be used in crafts and creating unique gifts. Many items such as vintage postcards are now sought after for crafts such as scrapbooking or decoupage. The same can be said for old buttons and even kitchen items. There will also be Vintage Collectibles for your home, a line of handmade Soaps and Lotions, crafted Christmas Ornaments, Tools, China, Pottery, Magazine Ads, Cookbooks, Signs & Plaques, Kitchen Items, Jewelry, Candles, Fountains, Wind Chimes and much more to come over the next few weeks. Inventory in this store is still being added and this will continue for quite some time. Right now there is a 20% Off sale on every order no matter how small and this will continue through December 31st. Her goal is to keep prices as low as possible and have frequent sales so the savings can be passed on to the consumer. Mama's Bargain Shack is located at www.tias.com/stores/bargainshack She invites you to drop by and browse, shop if you care to, and remember she loves to get offers. So come on by and see the new place, Mama's Bargain Shack, the shop where Bargain means Bargain! Joining my mailing list at Mama's Treasures also makes you eligible for promotional coupons and advance notice of sales. New items added include New Kitchen Gadgets, a West Bend Range Set NIB, an Anchor Hocking Water Jar, Aluminum & Stainless Refrigerator Boxes, Pyrex Stripe Bowls, Hazel Atlas Red Stripe Bowls, Pyrex Pink Butterprint Casserole, Vintage Figural Salt & Pepper Shakers, New Costume Jewelry, Vintage Half and Bib Aprons, Crocheted Doilies, 50s &60s Magazine Ads, Kromex Spice Sets, Pyrex Flameware Coffeepots and Double Boilers, a Speed- E-Whipper, Shawnee Flower & Fern Ball Jug, Kodak Cameras, Glass Refrigerator Dishes, 50s Cosmetic and Medical Jars, Cookie Cutters, Holiday Postcards, Federal Red Gingham Checked Bowls, Unopened Duz & Vel Detergent Boxes, Hazel Atlas Strawberry Bowls, a Fire King Red Dot Grease Jar, Pyrex Aqua Mixing Bowls, Tipp City Range and Spice Sets, Vintage Christmas Ornaments and Nativity items, Aluminum Glasses, Vintage Cookbooks, Enamel Dustpan and Bowls, Red Utensil Box, Pyrex Primary Green Mixing Bowls, Juice Decanters, Pyrex Pink Bowls, Anchor Red & Black Stripe Barrel Salt & Pepper Set, Vintage Sewing & Hankies, Primitives, Christmas, Cookbooks, Potholders and much more. Drop by and visit me at http://www.tias.com/stores/mamas.Drop by and visit me at http://www.tias.com/stores/mamas |
|
|
|
- What's it worth? Try Kovels' free online price guide to over 300,000 antiques and collectibles. It can be found online at http://www.kovels.com
- Looking for prices for antiques and collectibles?
PriceMiner.com has millions of them. Most items listed include color photos as well. Sign up today at: http://tinyurl.com/c6oqc (Not affiliated with Kovels.com) - Get an online appraisal for just $9.95 from "What's It Worth To You?" http://whatsitworthtoyou.com/tias.htm (Not affiliated with Kovels.com)
- The Latest News regarding Antiques & Collectibles Take a look at http://www.news-antique.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you for reading! Thanks for reading! Feel free to forward this to a friend. |
|
| | | | | | | |
|
|
