Domestic Goddess

This perpetual calendar was a great little carboot sale find.  It needed Milton bleach it was so dirty but cost only pennies and so appealing.  I had a black one too, gave it too Lula who set the date at Sun 35th Jan- just because she could!  No fabric finds this week but other treasures instead.

This is unbelievably good. My friend Kathy is from Michigan and this was her mom's cooking bible when she was growing up and she has her own later edition of this.  It has fabulous imagery and the recipes, especially the sweet stuff, are going to be good to dip into,  This Christmassy sweets pic is so vivid and complex, can't imagine making that ribbony stuff!

The importance of canning.   Always a priority, ha!   Have you seen the waist pleats this poor woman has to try and carry off?

Cookys (I'm just quoting Homes and Gardens spelling, new to me!)

And my favourite, the multi tasking Ganesh like domestic goddess proffering food for every occasion.  Get a good look at that wall clock, love it!

Reading through, the recipes contrast strongly to UK equivalents of the time.  They are much richer, more luxurious and there are ingredients reflecting a more diverse society that Britain had mid 1960s- I noticed the use of cardamon pods in something sweet and I have only noticed that in popular cookbooks here in the last 10 years. Good Housekeeping is the UK equivalent to Homes and Gardens and this is a funny little mid 1960s cook book, sponsored by Smiths crisps.

The presentation is mainly black and white and a bit stark.  Crisps feature heavily in the ingredients throughout, even in sweet things e.g. adding an extra texture to an Orange Crunch Gateau base! Yum potato creamy sweet citrus dessert...All the photos look fussy and unappetising

 Kathy and her partner James came round after the car boot sale and we had a good laugh at these books over cake, cookies and coffee.  The art of managing group dining is covered in both books.  The Good House keeping book has this handy flow chart- my fav pic in the book.  This is the plan for a 'relaxed' help yourself sort of affair.   Follow the arrows, only the hostess is allowed in the kitchen from an internal door, keep out guests!

Home and garden have a lighter touch on such rules, only one arrow to follow.

James, a scientist by profession, reminded us that it was part 'domestic science', hence such diagrams.  Kathy and I have a long way to go on the science route to domestic goddess status.  The Good House Keeping book also covers the dilemmas of what to wear and beauty routine for you and for your house.  If we could only follow this closely maybe we could be good housewives and hostesses?

These are the cool hip British types picnicking with their Smiths crisps.  Funny how they all look so middle aged but I guess they are early 20s.

More pics to come of other good vintage finds.

Have a happy Monday :)