Rescuing cast iron

Here are a couple of cast iron pieces I picked up at a thrift store for a grand total of $5.98. I cleaned the top pan using this tutorial at first, but then moved on to rubbing the surface with a halved potato and baking soda. Worked so much better! It was still a teeny bit rusty, but I went ahead and seasoned it a few times anyway, and now it's completely usable. 
The skillet was much easier, all I did was clean it and season it. Looks perfect now! 
To season a cast iron item, use a clean cloth to wipe on cooking oil, just a light coating. I actually used a paintbrush to get in all the nooks and crannies, then used a cloth to dab away excess oil. Then place in the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes. Just make sure the pan is dry before oiling it. If you click on the above tutorial there are much more detailed instructions, and visit this site for lots of info. But basically, don't pass on those cheap cast iron skillets just because they're a bit sad looking! 
 

{Ladies Home Journal Cookbook Kitchens} 1960

There's a little section in the back of The Ladies Home Journal Cookbook about kitchens. I haven't even read the text yet, I'm a little distracted by the photos. 
I'm completely obsessed with vintage kitchens. My appliances are a 1950s aqua color, and gosh darn it I want a kitchen to match. So when we one day buy a house, if it's not already as original as it was in the 50s (it won't be, people keep remodeling these beauties), the kitchen will be the first to be "de-modeled". Is that a word? 
For me the kitchen is the most important room of the house. It's where everything happens. And mid century kitchens reflect that. They're warm and bright, and full of personality. So here's some inspiration from 1960. 

{Cream of mushroom soup} 1960

This morning I went to a very book heavy estate sale. Estate sales are the best places to find vintage cook books, and I found a 1960 Ladies Home Journal Cookbook for $1. It has everything. Like my mother I sit down and read cookbooks like a magazine, and so far I'm only through the soup section. It has some pictures, a dinner party section (complete with a time table of what you should be doing the day of the party) and menu plans.

I've been wanting to try out a creamed soup all winter, and we had lots of mushrooms, so that's perfect! I liked the soup, but I think next time I'll add more mushrooms, and saute the mushrooms and garlic in some butter before adding the broth. I also garnished with dill as we're out of fresh parsley and it worked pretty well! So with those minor alterations it will become a winter go to soup. And it was so easy!
  

{Cream of Mushroom Soup}

1/2 pound mushrooms chopped fine
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups cream or milk
Dash white pepper
Pinch marjoram
Pinch thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed garlic
Minced parsley (garnish)

Combine the chopped mushrooms in a saucepan with chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Buzz half of the mushrooms with cream or milk, pepper, marjoram, thyme, salt and garlic in an electric blender. Add mixture to the remaining mushrooms and broth, and heat well. Serve from a tureen or in individual soup cups with a sprinkling of parsley. Yield: 1 quart. 

This soup may be made with non-fat skim milk and will then have only 30 calories per serving.

{Pink vegan cupcakes} Without food coloring!

As mentioned before, my brother is vegan, which means he eats no animal products, such as dairy. For Thanksgiving (which I am missing because I'm sick!) I was asked to make a dessert. I searched for a good vegan dessert recipe but most of what I found called for so many substitutions, such as soy cheese, or egg replacer. And while my brother is vegan, I'm the type of person who will take "real" food over anything fake.
So I adapted a recipe to fit his vegan-ness, and my snobbyness: Pink cupcakes of course! 
I found this eggless cake recipe (which were popular during WWII) and replaced dairy based butter with Earth Balance vegan butter, and replaced the milk/orange juice with beet juice! 
I kept seeing beet juice in recipes for red velvet cakes, but never for white cakes. So I experimented, and the cupcakes came out pink as can be, with not a drop of food coloring, and vegan to top it off. 
Now, the batter itself will be a vibrant, deep pink, and a some of the color will bake out inside the cupcake, but outside will stay pretty. And when making the frosting I didn't add a lot of beet juice because I was afraid of the taste coming through, but that wasn't a problem, so next time I'll be adding more for more pink. 
If you're making these for someone vegan, ask first about their sugar preference. There's a certain way some sugars are refined that don't make them vegan, so it's best to use the right stuff if they prefer that.  
Cupcakes:
8 Tablespoon Vegan butter1 Cup sugar1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/2 Cups flour 1/2 Teaspoon salt 5 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 Cup beet juice (one can) Preheat oven to 375°
Cream room temp butter. Gradually add sugar, whisking. Mix in vanilla. Combine flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add flour mixture, and beet juice alternately into sugar mixture.
Pour into greased cupcake tins, or use liners. 
Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

Frosting:
Cream 4 tablespoons room temp butter, add confectioners sugar until desired consistency, add beet juice teaspoons at a time, depending on how dark you want it.     
Yields 12 cupcakes

{Pumpkin muffins} 1940s

Ok, so I first made this as a cake, and while it tasted fantastic, it looked horrid. The "Frosting" turned out like a glaze, so I had to use store bought (and I really don't like any frosting except cream cheese). I blame it on me being an inexperienced baker, so maybe you can fare better :)

However, I later made them as muffins, and glazed the tops with the frosting, and they turned out fantastic. So this will be made quite a bit this year as pumpkin muffins, perfect in the morning with tea!

 ~Cake~

* 3 Cups sifted all purpose flour
* 5 teaspoons baking powder
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon cinnamon
*1/4 teaspoon cardamon
*1 1/4 Cups canned pumpkin
*1/2 Cups milk
*1/2 Cup shortening
*1 1/2 Cups sugar
*3 Eggs
*1 teaspoon vanilla



Sift together dry ingredients. Combine pumpkin and milk. 
Whisk shortening, add sugar gradually and whisk until light and fluffy. 
Add beaten eggs one at a time, and vanilla. 
Add dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin-milk mixture, small amounts at a time. Beat until smooth after each addition. 
Pour into greased muffin tins.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Glaze with maple frosting.

~Frosting~

*1/4 Cup butter
*2 Cups sifted confectioners sugar
*3 Tablespoons hot water
*1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring



Melt butter. Add sugar and blend thoroughly. Gradually stir in hot water and beat. Add maple flavor and blend. Pour over warm muffins.

{Quick Coffee Cake} 1944

This coffee cake was pretty good, but not my favorite. I think it needs butter. Lots and lots of butter

~Cake~ 

* 3 Tablespoons Shortening 

* 1/3 Cup Sugar 

* 1 Egg 

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

* 1 teaspoon Salt 

* 1 1/2 Cups flour 

* 3 teaspoons baking powder 

* 2/3 Cup milk

 ~Topping~ 

* 1 Tablespoon shortening

* 1/4 Cup Sugar 

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

* 1 Tablespoon flour

* 1/8 teaspoon salt

 Pre-heat oven to 400° F 

 Beat egg, then add shortening, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix well, then add milk. 

Whisk together flour and baking powder, and combine with egg mixture.

Pour into greased 9X9 oven proof glass dish.

For topping, combine all topping ingredients using a fork into a crumbly mixture, and pour on top of cake batter.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

{Mint tea} 1931

I made this with a few sprigs of mint, a mortar and pestle, and let them steep in a small teapot with hot water. Fantastically fresh.

*1/4 pint green spearmint leaves

*1/2 pint water

Bruise mint leaves, put them into a bowl or teapot, and pour boiling water over them. Cover closely and allow to steep for ten minutes. Strain and drink either hot or cold. 

Ready your casserole dishes and jello molds

My family loves food. Any get together has food involved, and pretty much revolves around food. Holidays require a green jello salad, and family recipes are abundant. 

My great grandmother Lois was a Oakie, so southern food is a normal part of anyone's diet at grandmas house. Cornbread, fried okra, and anything in bacon fat. 

Bacon fat needs to make a comeback. 

My mother is the best baker ever, yes she's my mother, but still. I have yet to taste a chocolate chip cookie, lemon bar, or cheesecake to even come close to the deliciousness she makes. 

My father is Hispanic, so I love spicy food. If it doesn't make me cry, it's not hot enough. 

My husband makes the best soup, with no recipe, which is a weekly staple. I've tried to recreate it, to no avail. 

My brother is vegan, so I'm always on the lookout for a good vegan recipe. But I add cheese to everything, so I rarely find one I'm satisfied with. 

My Aunt and her four daughters make pies. It's adorable. Their key lime is fantastic. 

And me? I am a recovering picky eater, with a major salt tooth and love of cheese. And pasta. And sushi. And breakfast food. And bacon fat. 

I also have a love of the past, which is why I've started this blog. After years of collecting vintage cookbooks and loose leaflets from old magazines, it's time to do something with them. So here I will share vintage recipes that I'll be "testing", as well as some of my own (ok, like three), vintage kitchen tips and tricks, and lets not forget the fantastic cookbook images! 

Because a good recipe has no expiration date.