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

Saturday – Baking Day

Saturday could mean any number of activities for the vintage housewife. From catching up on baking to completing even MORE laundry. Or maybe just giving the home a spiffy touch-up before Sunday’s day of rest.

“Saturday Mrs. Grundy devotes to providing
for the wants of the inner man. The heaviest part
of the day’s work is the preparation of food for
two or three days. Then the refrigerator must
have its second cleaning, and the pantry, too, prob-
ably requires renovating by this time. Entries
must be cleaned, a second tour of inspection of the
cellar made, and the house put in trim for the ” day
that comes betwixt a Saturday and Monday.”
~ The Complete Home

Saturday

This is the busiest day of the week. There is the
regular morning work ; then the baking ; then the
scrubbing and scouring. [It has been shown in a for-
mer part of this work that much scrubbing, which is
now thought necessary, may be avoided, but still there
are some things that must be scrubbed, only let there
be as little of it as possible.] And the latter part of
the day should be occupied in preparing everything for
the next day, so that Sunday shall be a day of rest for
all as far as practicable. The whole breakfast can be
so arranged as to occupy but veryfew minutes in cook-
ing, and, in winter, nearly everything for dinner can be
prepared ; and, in summer, most things will keep well
on ice, or in a cool cellar. The Sunday dessert can al-
ways be made on Saturday. But do not let the Satur-
day’s work run into the evening.

~A Manual of Home-Making

July 8, 2010 | | Tags: , | Comments Closed

Friday – General Cleaning Day

In this modern era many choose to clean their homes in one fell sweep on Saturday morning.  In many Vintage homekeeping schedules Friday was reserved as a day for cleaning up around the home…


Friday, sweeping, and window cleaning.
~ Progressive Housekeeping

Friday is devoted to sweeping and house-cleaning.
~American Woman’s Home

What tools do we need? A cleaning equipment is just as important in the house as a set of good tools in a carpenter’s shop, or as a box of colors and brushes to the artist. Have you ever thought of cleaning as artistic work ? Nothing can be beautiful unless it is clean, and you are adding to the beauty in your home as well as to its healthfulness in all the sweeping and dusting and washing that are so necessary.

We need a supply of stiff brushes and soft brushes, with long handles and short handles, and plenty of cleaning cloths and soft paper. Hang two bags or a bag with pockets on the inside of the broom-closet door, and use one for soft papers that come as wrapping and for pieces of cloth.
~The home and the family: an elementary textbook of home making

Special Work For Friday

See to the odds and ends in the larder; try out the week’s fat; make broth of bones; make stew or hash of odds and ends of meat.

If fine pastry is needed, make it for use next day.

Sweep the lower floor; give everything a thorough beating and dusting; clean all fine brasses.

Clean windows, mirrors, etc. Dust picture frames with feather duster and replace ornaments.

If weather permits, brush the outside blinds and window sills.

~Progressive Housekeeping

April 20, 2010 | | Tags: | Comments Closed

Thursday in the Vintage Home – To Market To Market…

Depending up on the era the Vintage Housekeeper’s Thursday was either a general catch all day for homekeeping chores or the day to head to town and do the marketing.

Very few housekeepers understand how to select meats wisely or how to buy economically. Most trust the butcher, or buy at hap-hazard, with no clear understanding of what they want, and no consideration at all for economy; and yet a little knowledge of facts, with a moderate amount of experience and observation, will enable any one to buy both intelligently and economically. It is best, when possible, to buy for cash. Ready money always commands the best in the market, at the lowest prices. It is also better to buy of the most respectable regular dealer in the neighborhood, than of transient and irresponsible parties. Apparent “bargains” frequently turn out the worst possible investments. If a dealer imposes on you, drop him at once.
~Practical Housekeeping


 Every housewife should do her own marketing; no matter what her position in life may be she should not be above this–and be proud of her knowledge and understanding in selecting and purchasing such stores as are needed in her family. Before marketing, pay a visit to the kitchen store-room, see what is needed and sometimes see more–see whether the pantry is kept as it should be. If there be a surplus of stale bread order it to be used up for puddings, toast, etc.

~AUNT BABETTE’S
COOK BOOK

March 30, 2010 | | Comments Closed

Wednesday’s Duties – Mending

We know that Monday was laundry day and Tuesday was ironing day but what took place in the vintage home on Wednedsay?

Although it seems that it was common advice for a homemaker in time’s past to have a set day for doing a particular household task. Just what task to do on what day most definitely depended upon the workings of the home in question.

For many Wednesday seemed to be an ideal time to mend the family’s clothing.

A great example is how Sara Corey Rippey, in her chapter of The Complete Home on The Machinery of Housekeeping imagined Mrs. Grundy (of the infamous children’s nursery rhyme) might have accomplished many household tasks on a Wednesday.

“On Wednesday Mrs. Grundy mends and puts away the clean clothes and picks up some of the household stitches which had to be dropped on the two preceding days. The kitchen must be put in order, the refrigerator must have its semiweekly cleaning, and the ashes which have accumulated in the stove removed, a new fire built, and the hearth washed. While the oven is heating for the mid-week baking there are vestibules and porches to wash, walks to sweep, the cellar to investigate, and a dozen little odds and ends to attend to which, with the baking, make a busy morning. The cleaning of silver dovetails nicely with the Wednesday work and during the canning season the preserving of fruit can be done at this time with the least interference with the other work of the house, though when it becomes a case of the fruit being ripe, other work must give way for the nonce. In short, Wednesday is the general weekly catch-all into which go all the odd jobs for which room cannot be found elsewhere. ”
~The Complete Home


Mending

Take a needleful of quite fine thread the right color, start at the extreme end of the opening, and holding the goods as flat and even as you can, take a short stitch through from one side, across the rent, and into the other side. Draw the thread close, without puckering, and come back the same way.

Do not get those stitches too close together the first time you go around, as you might unconsciously “full” one side more than the other, but when you have reached the other end, turn and come back the same way, now putting your stitches in between the first set. Also take them a little deeper, so they will catch more of the material and make the sewing hold better. The second time around, if you will notice, you will see you have left a little hole at the sharp corner (in the middle), so put in a few extra stitches there, spread out fan shape to strengthen that particular place.

~Sewing for Little Girls

February 13, 2010 | | Tags: , | Comments Closed
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