Pudding Packaging Pleasure

Once again a perfectly retro design on a pudding box has caught my eye in the grocery store. What was I to do? A few boxes of lemon and chocolate flavored My*T*Fine pudding leaped into my cart as I told myself that they would make a lovely dessert tonight.

This is not the first time something like this has happened, I will admit. (Click here for evidence.)
Do any of you find that most of the food packaging these days is either ho-hum boring or downright unsightly? I am unabashed about demanding a good product and pretty packaging, although given a choice between the two I'll always pick the former.

What, if any influence do product appearances have on you when you're grocery shopping? Do you splurge or impulse buy when faced with a pretty product?

Home Sweet Home

When I first set foot in my new apartment, it instantly felt like home. Considering my husband picked out the place for us without my ever having seen it, I count myself exceedingly lucky! He chose a spacious yet cozy apartment that fills an entire floor of an early twentieth-century house.

And the best part?

Both the kitchen and bath were renovated in the 1950s and still include many details from this period! My husband had not said a word of this to me ahead of time, so discovering this for myself felt like winning the lottery, or at least a game of bingo.

Yes, home is where the heart is, but for me home is also where my treasured belongings surround me. As we unpacked the boxes that had languished in storage for so long, I greeted my collections of antiques, vintage decorations, books and records like old friends.

Speaking of old friends, have I mentioned that we share our space with a bevy of tiny, colorful parrots? Family had been taking care of my small flock for a couple years during our stay in Europe, but now that we're back in North America (at least for the time being), they're living with us again.

The wild birds and monarch butterflies around me are in the midst of their long journey to find winter quarters. As I hear the formations of geese pass by with their distinctive honking and watch the groups of hawks slowly winding up into the sky on a warm pocket of air, I cannot help but draw a parallel with my own migration over such a great distance. Unlike the wild creatures, however, I hope not to make such moves a regular occurrence!

Did you know that the Hausfrau Journal has also migrated to a new home? From now on you can find my many musings at http://www.hausfraujournal.com/. If you have not yet seen my new home(page), come right on over and take a look around!

♥ Hausfrau

On the move

Source: Sweet Mama Jane

The Hausfrau is busy these days packing her things for a transatlantic move. Mercy, have I ever collected a boatload of vintage in recent months! My husband has made the smart tactical move of refraining from any comments on this topic, but I can tell he is not looking forward to lifting my suitcases....

And you can be sure I wept few tears when I had to entrust "die deutsche Post" with several carefully-packed boxes of one-of-a-kind dresses, linens, and kitchen gadgets. Will I ever see them again?

Source: Happy Postcards

Inspired by my real-life change, I have decided to move my blog as well, away from the "blogspot" subdomain and to a dedicated URL, hausfraujournal.com. Since this entails updating a few posts and troubleshooting over a period of time, I'm expecting the transfer to be complete by the beginning of September.


Back to the boxes...






(By the way, many thanks to rockin' Susan at Susan's Diary—Vintage style meets heavy music for nominating the Hausfrau Journal for a "one lovely blog" award! If you're into mid-century with a twist of heavy metal, check out her not-so-ordinary blog.)

Recipe: Strawberry Chutney

Strawberry season has come and (largely) passed, and while you can still spot some of those heavenly red berries in the supermarket, the ubiquitous stands offering crates of them at discount prices have long disappeared.

One day in recent weeks I came home with more strawberries than I could put in my morning müsli, make into jam, or mash up for dessert, so I decided to adapt a chutney recipe I had lying around.

Hausfrau's Strawberry Chutney

• 2 cups of strawberries
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 chopped apple
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• a spritz of lemon juice

Mix ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about an hour or until the mixture becomes thick. Stir occasionally to prevent the chutney from burning to the bottom of the pan. Break up larger chunks by mashing the mixture ever so slightly, but do not make a homogenous pulp!

In the end you will be rewarded with a condiment that infuses your mouth with a bevvy of flavors: sweet, sour, spicy, tangy...

Mmmmmmmmm!

As I was titillating my mouth with a spoonful of this red ambrosia, I looked out the window and spied a Long-Tailed Tit feasting on the little insects that sit on the undersides of the leaves in our cherry tree.

Aegithalos caudatus, or "Schwanzmeise"

"Mahlzeit!"

Grocery shopping in 1967

Pictures of everyday life from previous decades are utterly fascinating! Recently I ran across this cover from a 1967 issue of the Hamburger Kurs on display at the City Archive (Staatsarchiv) of Hamburg. Despite the slightly posed look of the woman, it captures the look and feel of an old-fashioned grocery store quite well, wouldn't you agree?

1950s Children's Fashions from East Germany Part 2

Ready for another installment of darling children's clothing sketches from the 1950s? In April I posted some scans of a pattern booklet for kids' fashions produced in Erfurt, Germany around 60 years ago. Here are three more pages, front and back, for you to enjoy.

Case study of a 1950s apron

Recently I snatched up this sweet half apron at a thrift store to add to my collection of vintage and retro aprons. In my opinion, if you're standing in a kitchen or doing chores around the house, nothing is more practical wearing an apron. Draped over your skirt or pants it protects them from splashes and spills. An apron is a handy towel strapped to your waist, an impromptu basket, and the perfect garment for a retro homemaker!

Yes, I could rave about aprons for ages, but instead how about I "pick apart" my newest garment so you can see how it was constructed?

DIY flavored water: a no-calorie summer delight

 

Treasured readers, don't you feel that sometimes that you need a breather, a break from the usual? The last month I took a little respite from some of my hobbies, just for a change, just to recharge my batteries...hence the lack of posts since May 24th!

Speaking of feeling refreshed, here are some ideas for calorie-free flavored water I concocted this last week. Each one of these is best enjoyed sipped from a tall glass on a warm summer day.

Elderberry Flower Mint Water

The elderberry flowers give this beverage a pleasant floral note, while the mint leaves a most refreshing taste in your mouth.

Start by washing your elderberry flowers and sprigs of mint lightly in some cold water. Combine these with some fresh, non-carbonated water in a bowl, jar, or pitcher. In the picture above I have about a liter/quart of water. Let sit a few hours or (preferably) overnight in the refrigerator for optimal flavor.

Since four types of mint grow in my garden, I like to experiment with different combinations since each variety has its own flavor. If elderberry flowers are out of season, try experimenting with adding rose petals or even rose water for an unusual taste combination.

Ginger Mint Water

This variation heats the tongue with the zing of freshly-pressed ginger root while simultaneously cooling it off with a blast of fresh mint. Wash the mint sprigs and combine with water. Cut of a slice of ginger root and crush it with the side of a knife or in a garlic press. Add to the water and stir. Let sit for at least a few hours so the water is imbued with the mint flavor.

Cucumber Water

Cucumber water has a surprisingly calming and cooling effect. For a beverage with a mild hint of cucumber, place a few slices in the water and let sit for at least an hour.

For a variation that delivers a strong punch of cucumber flavor, grate the cucumber and press out the juices. Add them to the water and stir thoroughly.

The possibilities for homemade flavored water are limited only by your imagination!

Doily Day No. 1

Source: Dum Spiro Spero

Are you as in love with doilies as I am? My dream home would have one under every object, but since my husband does not share my fanaticism for all things doily, I have learned to repress my enthusiasm for these little masterpieces when I'm around him...

...but that doesn't mean I can't gush to you about my doily devotion!

Since doilies cost dime a dozen at antique and thrift shops, I've not really developed my own doily-making skills beyond the basics. I'm saving that for when I'm nine months pregnant/sick with the flu/incapacitated with two broken legs.

In the meantime, how about we admire two of my vintage doilies together?

The amount of work that goes into each one of these treasures never ceases to amaze me. The example above demonstrates some meticulous tatting.

Another example of dozens of hours of effort put into a small decorative object. Whoever crocheted this doily must have had a practiced hand and infinite patience. The roses that adorn the edge are actually three-dimensional!

What side of the Doily Debate do you fall on?

What is your attitude toward decorating with doilies?
	I'm a doily devotee!
	I don't do doilies.
	Depends...

Or click here for poll.