.for those who savor the look and flavors of yesterday's kitchen.
April 2008
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1. Welcome! 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.
Over the years the Washburn Company put the Androck name on additional kitchen items such as onion and nut choppers and all sorts of gadgets. The most popular of these was the flour sifter. Their sifters were continuously improved and expanded. Not only were they among the best functioning, but their colorful designs made them an attractive addition to the kitchen. These designs included a series of three screen “pantry patterns” which included a mom and kids in the kitchen. This sifter has become one of the most sought after by collectors today.
The Washburn Company was acquired by the Roblin Steel Corporation of Buffalo, New York in 1967. The Rockford plant was closed in 1973 and production was consolidated in Worcester, Massachusetts. This plant closed in 1975. However, various tooling and equipment went to several companies and the Androck name continued to appear on products after this date. If you’d like to know more about Androck products, I recommend the following books, “Spiffy Kitchen Collectibles” by Brian Alexander and “Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles” by C. Dianne Zweig.
Previously boiled potatoes and chopped up cabbage, pepper, salt and a little butter. Set it aside to keep hot. Lightly fry some slices of cold boiled beef. Put them in a hot dish with alternate layers of vegetables, piling high in the middle.
"Scammel’s Treasure House, 1891."..
If you have a favorite recipe to share, please send it to mamas@tias.com and we'll pass it along.
4. What is it? Ekco / Ovenex Heart Baking Pan
This little aluminum hamburger press is probably one of the most sought after pieces that Androck ever produced. I’m not exactly sure why, but I have people asking for them at least once a month. The book value is $12.00-$15.00. I have no trouble selling them for $12.00. You can find them cheaper in malls and shops if you know what they look like. The best thing about them is that they last forever.
A. Pense has a question. There’s not much information but here goes:
I have an old cutter that looks a bit different in that it has a square bottom and has the instructions for use engraved on the face of it, along with the price of 50 cents. Could you tell me how old it might be?
If anyone can help answer these questions, just e-mail me at mamas@tias.com.
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.
Androck Products
The first is a syrup jar with a plastic pink top. They werevery popular in the 1950s and 60s. Book value is $8.00-$12.00. Depending on the market, certain colors can bring as much as $15.00. The second is a wood handle pastry cutter. Androck produced a lot of utensils with wood handles before changing to bakelite and later plastic. The book value on this cutter is $8.00-$10.00 but again can bring more if the handle is mint and the right color.
The third is a bakelite green handle eggbeater. This is from their Bullet or Teardrop line. These utensils are among the most collectible. The green is harder to find but the red is more popular. The book value is $18.00-$25.00 and that’s pretty close to market value too. The last is one of their many flour sifters. No company made a flour sifter better than Androck. The book value is $22.00-$25.00. The market value can vary depending on the condition.
6. Mama's Kitchen Stories
This time of year I remember my mama spring cleaning everything. At our house everything got cleaned thoroughly every fall and spring. She would start in the bedrooms and work her way to the kitchen. Everything was washed, inside and out, if it could be washed. If it couldn’t, then it got dusted, vacuumed or changed out. Some things were replaced but not many because that cost money which wasn’t in plentiful supply.
After about two weeks of cleaning, I remember seeing my mama start emptying the cabinets, changing shelf paper and returning everything to its place. Next she’d clean the refrigerator and oven. Both jobs were ones she hated and as soon as I became old enough, they became my jobs. It would take a whole day when she would get out the ammonia, strip the wax off the linoleum and apply new wax to the floor. One of my most vivid memories is of her on her knees with a scrub brush getting the wax off the floor. It’s not a fun job.
I did it when I first got married in our little rental house. I remember my husband asking me why was I wasting my time when we were only renting. I just looked at him in wonder and said, “It’s spring and that means you do spring cleaning.”
To this day I clean every fall and spring. Mama always said that cleaning was like praying. You spent some time on your knees, it gave you time to think about things and it brought you closer to God.
Do you have a kitchen memory to share. Please send it to Mama at mamas@tias.com
7. Kitchen Tips
Jay from Alaska wrote:
To remove gum from garments, freeze the garment and then peel off the gum.
Mary from New Jersey wrote:
If milk boils over, quickly sprinkle a little cold water over it and the overflow will subside.
Evelyn has a question:
I have Ovenex and Ekco bake ware....they were my Mom's....and as far as I can judge they have to be nearly 80 or 90 yrs old. I got them when she passed away in the 50's and they were well used by then...and they are very well used now. I have tried to clean them with Brillo and anything else I thought might do it...either I am not strong enough to get them bright and shiny...or are not using the right method. Is there a magic way to clean them back to their original state? I would love to pass them on to my daughters and would like to clean them...of course they use today’s non stick pans and are used to them...but I know they love old things especially from their grandma. I find that they are non stick also....even though they don't look like it. Hope some one can help me with this problem.
I’ve already suggested trying Dawn Dissolver or Oven Cleaner. If anyone else has a suggestion, please let me know.
Have you got a great kitchen tip or question, please send it along to mamas@tias.com
8. What's New at Mama's Treasures
Mama’s Bargain Shack is a clearance market for New Wholesale Items and for some of the older merchandise from Mama’s Treasures. Yes, you can still make offers even though the prices are reduced. We always have some kind of sale in progress. Mama’s Bargain Shack can be found on Earthling.com just by hitting the link at the top of the main page. New items coming to the Bargain shack include: Medicine Bottles, Kitchen Magnets, Birdhouses, Wood Three Arm Towel Racks, Bedspring Flower Vases, Cottage Garden Flower and Herb Metal Signs, Route 66 Metal and Wood Signs, Planters, Cookbooks, Home Accessories, Crochet Patterns, China and Dinnerware, Glassware, Pillows, American Flag Throws, Key Keeper Racks, Christmas Ornaments, Country Garlands and Table Centerpieces, and Costume Jewelry. I've added vintage collectibles from my sister store Mama's Treasures, and I'll be adding more every month. Mama’s Bargain Shack is located at www.tias.com/stores/bargainshack I invite you to drop by and browse, shop if you care to, and remember I love to get offers. So come on by for a visit at Mama’s Bargain Shack, the Shop Where Everything is on Sale!
Joining my mailing list at Mama’s Treasures or Mama’s Bargain Shack also makes you eligible for promotional coupons and advance notice of sales. Over 1000 items have recently been reduced 15%-40%. New items coming to Mama’s Treasures include: Calumet Cake Pans, Aluminum Dippers, Springerle Dough Board, Punch n Covers, Swanky Swigs, Japan Mica Houses, Plastic Nativity Figures, Vintage Cookbooks, Aluminum Egg Alarm, Milk Bottles, Needle Books, Aluminum Molds, Bisquick Recipe Box, Red and Green Knob Cutters, Lustroware Salt and Pepper NIP, Swanky Swigs, Primitive Wood Spoons, Pyrex Flameware Teapots, Vintage Cameras, White Glass Holder, Green Shield Range Shakers, Refurbished Rooster Spice Set, Feemster Vegetable Slicer and Peeler, Wearever Spring Form Pan in Box, Mirro Melon Mold NIB, Texasware Confetti Bowls, Old Advertising Pie Pans, Swans Down Cake Pans, Calumet Cake Pans, Fire King Pastel Striped Grease Jar, Muffin Pans, Old Bottles, Wood Clothespins, and so much more!!!!! Drop by and visit me at www.tias.com/stores/mamas
I love to chat, answer questions and I always consider reasonable offers.
Drop by and visit me at www.tias.com/stores/mamas I love to chat, answer questions and I always consider reasonable offers.
9. Helpful Resources
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