.for those who savor the look and flavors of yesterday's kitchen.
October, 2009
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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.
At first, the company produced only plastic components to the specifications of other companies. Within a couple of years it was decided that they would develop, produce, and market their own line of plastic products. By 1946 the custom order business was phased out and the Columbus brand was changed in favor of Lustroware. Sales soared and by the late 1940s the company was recognized as having the most complete line of thermoplastic housewares. One reason for this is that they made development of new products a priority. They had developed their own design staff in 1939.
Columbus was responsible for many firsts in the industry. It pioneered blow molding of houseware items such as waste baskets and watering cans. It also engineered many innovative and cost effective technological developments in the plastics molding industry. They helped make better, less costly plastic products a reality. In 1966 Columbus Plastic was acquired by the Borden Company. At that time they had over three hundred items in their product line, employed seven hundred people, and sales were $14 million annually.
I grew up on plastic and I never thought of it being an amazing, innovative product. I was just happy it didn't shatter when I dropped it. Now it's one of the hottest collectibles in the vintage market. It began with the simple idea of making a product that was less expensive than glass. Today plastic can be found in every household. This product's history leaves me in awe. If you'd like to know more about the history of plastics, I recommend "The Housewares Story," Earl Lifshey, 1973, National Housewares Manufacturers Association.
Scald 4 cups milk with 2 Tablespoons grated onion and add slowly to 2 cups mashed potatoes (hot or leftover), blending well. Blend 1 ½ Tablespoons melted butter with 1 Tablespoon flour, 1½ teaspoons salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon celery salt and add to the hot milk and potatoes. Stir well.
Cook slowly over low heat until it reaches the boiling point. Add another 1½ Tablespoons butter or margarine.
Sprinkle parsley over the top and serve. Serves 6.
"Betty Furness Westinghouse Cook Book", Betty Furness and Julia Kiene, Simon and Schuster, 1954.
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?
Clothesline Reel
This is a red plastic retractable clothesline reel made for indoor or outdoor use by Lustroware. These were made to be used in homes because most people hung their clothes in the basement on rainy days. They were also marketed for apartment dwellers. With the arrival of the automatic dryer, the market started shrinking. Book Value on this reel is $22.00-$25.00 with the original box. Market value is about the same. However, depending on geographic area, the reel alone in good condition could sell for $25.00.
Blowing in the Wind - Laundry Aids
The first item is called a Baby Rapid Washer. This was used to do laundry in a tub or sink much like a washboard. I don't know the book value. This one is in the original box and unused. It markets for $35.00-$40.00. The second item is a Linit Starch Jar. It still has most of the original label and a bale handle. The bale handle increases the value of the jar because it's a good indicator of age. Vintage advertising is very collectible and widely used for decorating kitchens and laundry rooms. I don't know the book value but this would market for about $18.00-$22.00.
The third is an unused box of Tintex dye. In the midcentury you never through a garment away if you could recycle it with dye. Small boxes of dye market for about $4.00-$6.00 depending on condition. The last is a handcrafted clothespin bag made to look like a child's dress. It comes with 50 wood clothespins These are hard to find in really good condition. This one is on a wood hanger which would slide across the clothesline as you hung your wash. They can market for anywhere from $10.00 -$30.00 depending on the design and condition. This one markets for about $28.00.
6. Mama's Kitchen Stories
Come rain or shine every Monday my mama did the washing. The clothes were always hung out to dry. If it was raining, we strung rope in the basement. I often wondered how she could get away with only washing once a week with six active children. Of course, we didn't have many clothes and an outfit sometimes got worn for several days. One of my favorite memories is of her hanging sheets on the line outside. They would blow in the wind and always reminded me of angel's wings. Even after we got an automatic dryer, she would always hang out the sheets. I can still remember how fresh they smelled. When I was a teenager I asked her why she just didn't use the dryer. It was easier and faster. She told me it was calming and helped her think through problems. I laughed and told her she was crazy. Imagine my surprise years later when in Nursing school I found my instructor discussing similar chores as a way to handle stress. My mama was a woman way ahead of her time.
Mary Ann wrote in about the radish garnisher:
Yep, of course, I have one... they were handed out free at Tupperware parties 30-40 years ago, along with a whole raft of other small products that are now sold on the vintage tables; orange peelers, egg separators, egg lifters, lettuce knives, etc. The four little shapes around the center of the radish cutter were used to cut slices of radish/carrots for garnishing foods. I went to many of those parties in the late 60's and early 70's and really looked forward to those little free gifts that each attendee would receive (most of the time we had a choice from among a dozen or more items). Many are still in use in my own kitchen, although I do admit I don't often decorate the radishes.Even before those little radish gadgets, my mother often decorated radishes (cutting the radish rose leaves with a paring knife & then placing them in ice water in the fridge overnight so they'd open), made curled carrots (simply use a vegetable peeler to make thin strips, curl & pierce with a toothpick to hold) and green onions which had their green part slivered down to the white bulb (again, putting them in the ice water to open), for family parties, or even just for fun. We children were always amazed by them.
Yep, of course, I have one... they were handed out free at Tupperware parties 30-40 years ago, along with a whole raft of other small products that are now sold on the vintage tables; orange peelers, egg separators, egg lifters, lettuce knives, etc. The four little shapes around the center of the radish cutter were used to cut slices of radish/carrots for garnishing foods. I went to many of those parties in the late 60's and early 70's and really looked forward to those little free gifts that each attendee would receive (most of the time we had a choice from among a dozen or more items). Many are still in use in my own kitchen, although I do admit I don't often decorate the radishes.
Even before those little radish gadgets, my mother often decorated radishes (cutting the radish rose leaves with a paring knife & then placing them in ice water in the fridge overnight so they'd open), made curled carrots (simply use a vegetable peeler to make thin strips, curl & pierce with a toothpick to hold) and green onions which had their green part slivered down to the white bulb (again, putting them in the ice water to open), for family parties, or even just for fun. We children were always amazed by them.
Do you have a kitchen memory to share. Please send it to Mama at mamas@tias.com
7. Kitchen Tips
Got Pink Whites - Just throw in more laundry detergent (with laundry booster additive if you want) in a load with just the whites and 9 times out of 10 the red will come out anyway! Remember to do this before the drying process - once it's been put through the dryer, it's very hard to get the dye out.
Jacob wrote:
My mom taught me that if you keep a bottle of shampoo in the laundry, you can use it to remove oily food stains. Just pour some on the stain and gently rub then launder as usual. I have found that shampoo for oily hair works best.
Sheila wrote:
If you find a black mildew spot on something that was wet too long, maybe the beach towels in the trunk, pour a good amount of peroxide all over the stain, throw it in the washer and add some more peroxide and some baking soda. This will get rid of the smell and the stain.
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
Joining my mailing list at Mama's Treasures makes you eligible for promotional coupons and advance notice of sales. New items coming to Mama's Treasures include: Maid of Honor Aqua Flipper Lifter, Hazel Atlas Green Stripe Range Shakers, Frigee-Maid Cookie Molds, Chaney Thermometer, Wesson Oil Mayonnaise Beater Jar, Color Craft S&P in Original Package, Kromex Spice Set, Sears Kenmore & Meta Given Cookbooks, Apron Patterns, Ekco Aqua Kitchen Knife, Fire King Tulip and Red Dot Bowls, Advertising Pie Pans, Hazel Atlas Candy Tip Shaker Jars, Hazel Atlas Red Dutch Children Bowl, Tupperware, Aluminum Sieves, Pyrex Primary Color Bowl Sets, Pyrex Artbeck Baster, Pyrex Aqua Refrigerator Dish, Baby Brownie Cameras, Mirro Cookie Cutters NIP, Aprons, Cardinal Measuring Spoon Holder & Spoon Rest NIB, Texasware & Brookpark Bowls, Corona Choppers, Jewelbrite Plastic Ornaments NIB, Welch's Archie Glasses with Original Top, Bluffton Graters, Unopened Wearever Cleanser & Wards Soap Chips Boxes, Ekco forge Yellow Spatula, Kraft Bustling Betsy Swanky Swigs, Federal Aqua Sugar Shaker, A&J Can Opener & Spatula, and lots more Old Stuff. 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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