.for those who savor the look and flavors of yesterday's kitchen.
June 2008
VISIT TIAS.com
·
CONTACT!
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.
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.
In the twenties, pantries became old hat. Kitchens had been streamlined for efficiency. This time also saw the introduction of Hoosier cabinets and it was thought that kitchens had enough storage for the average family. Thus, the popularity of the pantry faded. Today, informal living is the rule, and the kitchen is used for many activities. cooking is just one of them. As a result they tend to be larger and their appearance is becoming most important. People also buy differently. There are more packaged and convenience foods to be stored. More families buy in bulk to save money. This change has led to the question, "Where to store them?"
Pantries had a big rebirth in the 1970s and they've been going strong ever since. If there's not one in the kitchen proper, most families will find a storage space to designate as one whether it be a rarely used closet or room in the basement. Almost all homes today have pantries built into their kitchen designs because the consumer demands it. Good ideas don't die. They may fade for awhile but they almost always resurface at some point. You can find more information about pantries and kitchen housewares in the book, "The Housewares Story", written by Earl Lifshey, National Housewares Manufacturers Association, 1973.
Sift 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Add 2 Tablespoons lard and 1 Tablespoon butter.
Mix with fingers or use a pastry blender. Add 1 egg yolk and about ½ cup milk to get it to the proper consistency to roll. Roll on floured board to Ό inch thickness and cut out with a biscuit cutter.
Place on greased biscuit pan and brush with melted butter. Bake in a hot oven, 450 degrees, for 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are done inside and golden brown outside.
Marion Flexner "Out of Kentucky Kitchens," Bramhall House, 1949..
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? Sandwich Carrier
This metal carrier was very popular in the 1940s and 50s. It was often used for picnics or going to the beach. A couple of sandwiches, some fruit and a bottle of pop and you were set for the day. Finding them in good condition with the original paint and no rust is hard because they got used a lot. This one has what I would call a Pennsylvania Dutch design and it's been preserved with care. I don't know the book value but they market for $15-$30.00 depending on their condition and where you are buying it.
I'm hoping you can help me find some cups to a set that I have inherited from my mom. She got the dishes in the late 40's, early 50's when she would attend a movie show. The manufacturer is Cronin and the description is Colonial People in Center, with Gold Trim.
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.
Kitchen Cannisters and Jars
The first is a kitchen jar that sports a festive Mexican girl design. These jars were often used to store flour and sugar in the 1950s. A lot of them had themes such as Mexican, Dutch, Fruit or Vegetables. Many were made by Hazel Atlas or Owens Illinois. They are reproduced now and can be found in many discount retail stores such as Target. If you can find an original with the decal intact and a lid with no rust that fits, the value is somewhere between $30.00-$65.00. The one shown is a reproduction jar with a decal that has been reproduced and the lid has been painted. It's market value is around $20-$30.00. The second is a set of Owens Illinois Green Canister Jars. This color green was very popular in the 1940s and early 1950s. Finding these with the original tops and labels is very difficult. Not many survived the day to day use of the homemaker. A single jar has a value of anywhere from $30-$65.00. A whole set can go for close to $200.00. The price is coming down some since you can now buy replacemnt labels and lids. These were also made in a satin glass. This set has been refurbished with both new lids and decals.
The third Jar was also made by Owens Illinois and has an ovoid shape. They too were very popular and they were also made in clear, satin, and green glass. They market at about the same level of the green ones shown. This one has the original lid which has been repainted with a new replacement decal. It's priced at $65.00. The fourth is made of spun aluminum. It was manufactured in the late 1950s and early 1960s by Kromex. They were very popular and have become so again. They fit in well with the Stainless Steel look. They are easier to find but usually have a ding or too and are scratched. Luckily they can be shined up with a lot of elbow grease and steel wool. The lettering can also be touched up with some white paint and a small brush. They market for anywhere from $25-65.00 depending on condition.
6. Mama's Kitchen Stories
Smells and sounds can often trigger a flood of memories. I know cow manure often brings back a memory of my childhood. I find it comforting although my children and grandchildren laugh at me. One of my most vivid memories is the sound of the screen door slamming as someone would enter or leave my Mama's kitchen. There was always a little bit of a squeak as it opened no matter how many times the hinges got oiled. I could literally tell time by listening for the door. Different family members had different slams. Two slams meant my Uncle who was a very big man had come to visit. If I heard it open or close without slamming, I knew company had come. Scratches meant one of the dogs wanted in or out. I loved being able to hear the birds and feel breezes as we ate our noon meal. In fact, I still love having my windows open although it's hard to do in Alabama. Sometimes late at night I can still hear that screen door in my head. It always comforts me as if it was my Mama wrapping her arms around me.
Do you have a kitchen memory to share. Please send it to Mama at mamas@tias.com
7. Kitchen Tips
Susan from Arkansas wrote:
When you barbecue at home and are eating outside, use an old muffin tin to hold pickles, onions, tomatoes, relish, mustard, ketchup, etc. you can carry eight different items at once and you only have one pan to wash.
Richard from Oregon wrote:
Use an old coffee pot to store your sugar. You can pour it anytime you want and it doesn't spill.
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 some of older merchandise from Mama's Treasures. I add both new and vintage items each month. 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: American flag Throws, Key Keeper Racks, Christmas Postcards, Country Garlands and Table Centerpieces, Christmas Ornaments and Costume Jewelry will be arriving in the store this month. I've added over 100 new vintage collectibles from my sister store Mama's Treasures, and I'll be adding more every month. You'll be seeing recently added items such as Germany & Bavaria Fruit Plates, Noritake Soup Cups & Plates, American Flags, Hazel Atlas Glasses, Wade Figures, Pyrex Bowls & Casseroles, Spice Tins, Kitchen Utensils, Cosmetic Advertising, New Plastic Salt & Pepper Shakers, Spice Jars and Range Shakers, Embroidered Kitchen Towels, Primitive Accessories, and much more. Merchandise is being added daily so keep on the lookout for that perfect gift for yourself or someone special. 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 900 items have recently been reduced 15%-40%. New items added at Mama's Treasures include a Kromex Canister Set and Grease Can, a Sardine Server, a Doughnut Cutter, Aluminum Sieves with Pestles, Red Bakelite Utensils, Pyrex Yellow Stripe #401 Bowls, Vintage Cookbooks, Tipp City Red Poppy Salt and Pepper and Spice Set, a Pyrex Cookie Jar and Cracker Barrel Set NIP, an Androck Green Bakelite Eggbeater, Christmas Postcards, an Aqua Top Kromex Spice Set, an Ekcoline Aqua and White Utensil Set, an A&J Ekco 4400 Red Wood Utensil Set NIB, a Rare Federal Red Harlequin Bowl Set, Advertising Pie Pans, a Black Art Deco Line Range Set, Pyrex Autumn Harvest Canisters. Foley Aluminum Juicers, Tap Icer NIB, Green & Red Bakelite Cake Breakers, New Costume Jewelry, Christmas Nativity Figures, Foley Gravy Forks & Choppers, Duz and Lux Detergent Boxes NIB, DeVault Graters & Peelers in the Original Package, a Springerle Dough Board, an Artbeck Pyrex Baster in the Original Box, Maynard Pink Egg Beaters, Primitive Soap Savers, Plastic Refrigerator Dishes, Hazel Atlas Jelly Jars, Duncan Hines Baster , Vintage Apron Patterns, A&J Ten Piece Red Wood Handle Utensil Set NIB, Pyrex Flameware Teapots, Coffeepots, and Double Boilers, Pyrex Primary Color Bowl Set, Fire King Tulip Bowls, New Vintage Advertising, Libby Pink & Black Pitcher and Glasses, a Lux Timer NIB, Federal Sugar Shakers, Mirro Cookie Cutters NIP, Darners, Buttons, Star Thread Box, Pincushions, Button Covers, Tupperware Measuring Cups & Pin Holder and 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
To subscribe to From Mama's Kitchen, click here
To subscribe to other TIAS newsletters: http://tias.com/subscribe
Thank you for reading!
Thanks for reading! Feel free to forward this to a friend.
