The New Year…The Old Way

ORANGE AND CLOVES: It appears to have been the custom formerly, in
England, to make new year’s presents with oranges stuck full with
cloves. We read in one of Ben Jonson’s pieces,–the “Christmas
Masque,”–”He has an orange and rosemary, but not a clove to stick in
it.”

MRS. WILSON’S COOK BOOK 1920
In English communities it is the custom to sit up and watch the departing year out and to welcome in the new. The farmers in the north country visit the orchards, while the folk in the highlands visit and return calls.

The custom of New Year’s calling is very old indeed, and in the years of long ago the Beau Brummels and dandies of the times enjoyed the New Year’s calling as a very rare sport.

The mummers who are abroad this day follow the ancient custom of dear old Scotland, where these rites have prevailed for many centuries.

Toast the old year out and new one in with a loving cup:

Ring out the old with all its hate,

Ring in the new with love and cheer,

Ring on, oh bells of time;

Ring with joy, ere ye be too late.

December 29, 2011 | | Tags: | Comments Closed

Cleanliness and When to Clean the Bird’s Cage

Bird’s need a clean home too. Here are some tasteful vintage tips for keeping our feathered friends happy.

 

Never forget that intense cleanliness is almost more of an absolute necessity to the happiness, nay very existence, of chamber birds than even seed and water. A person scrupulous in the purity of the details of the cage in which his pet’s life is passed, is not at the same time one to forget the supply of its occupant’s daily wants.

Do not rest content with merely scraping the tray and perches occasionally neglecting to cleanse the wires, roof, seed-stands, or any other part with water and “elbow grease,” for the trouble or time thus temporarily “saved” will inevitably be doubled when your poor suffering victim is thrown upon your tender mercies, to be nursed back into health lost through your failure in this duty. More time is uselessly “lost” repairing the damage caused by selfish neglect than can possibly be “wasted” in attending daily to Dick’s necessities cleanliness being chief amongst the number. Better to clean out a cage once thoroughly than to fiddle and scratch at it half a dozen times. Each bar, wire, seed stand, and every other portion should be rubbed inside and out until it shines, and that not with knife or scraper, which is destructive to wood and lacquer, but with sponge fresh water and a dry duster kept on purpose.

The perch ends and wooden parts require frequently to be plunged into boiling water, to prevent the creation of red mites, a pest once produced next to impossible to eradicate.Train oil or any external application within the hollows at the extremities is quite ineffectual; the very first creature to attack it is the bird itself, who of course suffers from eating the deleterious matter whereas the crafty, lurking, red mite runs over it and escapes scot free! For an ordinary sized square cage containing one bird, every four days is sufficiently often to wash the bars, tray, roof, &c.; if the cage be small and round, or more birds be kept together, this duty must be performed twice a week, and even each alternate day, according to the number and habits of the birds and the size of their home; fresh coarse sand should be given every time; clean perches, water fountains, and full measure of seed each morning.

 

~ Birds, their cages and their keep, 1874

December 15, 2011 | | Tags: , | Comments Closed

Vintage Breakfast Cakes Featuring Cottolene

Here are some old fashioned recipes using a brand named shortening called Cottolene. These recipes have not been tested but I think I might try the buckwheat cakes at the end.

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In preparing fritters beat egg whites separately and add just using. If intended for fruit, add a teaspoon of sugar, and if for or fish, a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. A thin batter is preferable to a thick one. In frying doughnuts, fritters, etc. use plenty of Cottolene. Let it heat gradually, and be sure that it is hot enough before you begin to cook. When the frying is done, the Cottolene remaining can be carefully strained to use again. Never mix the in which doughnuts, vegetables or fish have been fried. Keep a separate vessel for each.

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ONE EGG MUFFINS OR QUICK SALLY LUNN

Miss Willis One

One half tablespoons melted Cottolene; one tablespoon sugar; one and one half to one and three quarters cup of milk; one egg; three cups sifted flour; three teaspoons baking powder; one scant teaspoon salt. Use more or less milk according to quality of flour. Sift baking powder and flour together; add butter, sugar, egg, and milk.

 

POPOVERS

Mrs Armstrong

Beat two large or three eggs; well mix carefully two cups of flour, half teaspoon of salt two cups of milk with eggs.  Pour into hot greased irons and bake in rather hot oven half an hour or more, according to size. Serve promptly.

 

GRIDDLE CAKES

Mrs Lincoln

One cup of sifted flour,( one third of this cup may be entire wheat, or fine corn meal, or rye meal). Before mixing, sift on the flour one-half level teaspoon each of salt and soda, and one level teaspoon of baking powder. Mix and add one beaten egg and one tablespoon of melted Cottolene; if the milk is one-third cream omit the Cottolene. Beat well and cook on a griddle, greased slightly with Cottolene. Flours and meals vary, and if the first cake is not right, add more flour, or moisture, as needed.

 

BUCKWHEAT CAKES

Mrs Lincoln

At night mix one cup graham flour two cups buckwheat, one level teaspoon salt, and moisten with warm water to make thick batter. Add two tablespoons molasses and one half cake compressed yeast softened in a little water. Cover and let it rise. In the morning stir the batter down and thin it if needed with warm water, and if there be any sour odor add one fourth level teaspoon soda dissolved in a little water. When all is ready for breakfast fry the cakes as wanted on a griddle greased slightly with Cottolene. In all frying on a griddle use only fat enough to give a slight film of grease, any more than this makes extra work for you by burning on and filling the room with smoke. (I’m going to try these minus the Cottolene).

 

December 5, 2011 | | Tags: | Comments Closed