Krispy Kan

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Life Magazine May 22, 1950

I picked up this Krispy Kan metal canister at an estate sale for 2 bucks.

I am in love with the cracker-pretzel-chip-popcorn-peanut floral arrangements!

side view

another side view

It's called a Krispy Kan because of the patented Blue Magic crystals within it's Dri-nob topper that "keeps crackers, chips, popcorn, pretzels, peanuts, dry cereal and many other foods crisp and tasty."
You see, the exterior graphics are a visual serving suggestion!

The Dri-Nob keeps the interior of the can and its contents free from moisture by absorbing it within the blue magic crystals.  When they turn pink just remove the glass knob and place it in a 400 degree oven to remove the moisture and reactivate the blue crystals.  A-maze-ing!!!  I started thinking that it sounds too good to be true and maybe it's made of asbestos or something.  I decided to track down the patent so I would feel safe about storing my Chicken in a Biscuit crackers under it's care.  Patent 2548168 "Food Receptacle with desiccate 1949" is a bit vague of what the magic crystals are but hints to them being aluminum oxide or silica gel.  Aluminum oxide is toxic if inhaled.  So don't go breathing around the can.  Silica gel is nontoxic but is sometimes "doped with cobalt chloride which is a deep blue when dry and pink when moist. Cobalt Chloride is a carcinogenic."  Well that sounds familiar.  So I don't know if I ought to go sailing down no hill with nothing between the canister and my crackers but some cancer causing magic crystals.

Peanut Pup

Peanut Pup is one of my favorite little decor doodads I have in my house.  I picked him up many years ago at a thrift store for $1.25.  I know this for certain because the sharpie scribbled price is still on his under belly.  I have been buying lots of stuff from this same thrift store for well over 25 years.  I like leaving the markered price on because it's fun for me to turn stuff over and be reminded of what I paid for it.

I came across this vintage (unsure of date though) ad for Peanut Pup's pappy dog, Snack Hound.



"Holds 7 varieties of imported cheese spreads from Europe.  Re-usable at parties with pretzels on his tail and his body filled with chips and crackers.  Made of Buna wood; about 17 inches long.  Ship wt. 1 lb. 6 oz......4.99"



Peanut Pup is much smaller, about 11 inches nose to tail.
Perfect to hold a small stash of Nutter Butter Peanut Cookies!

Blogiversary Tupperware Party!

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Today My House Is Cuter Than Yours turns 13 years old and to celebrate we are having a vintage virtual Tupperware party along with games and refreshments! I heard that thousands of women are discovering the pleasure -and income- from demonstrating Tupperware at home parties, along with earning great prizes and free hostess gifts!

So ladies, go put on some nylon stockings, your best day dress, and grab some monopoly money cause we're having a plastic party!

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Feel free to check out the merchandise beforehand.
There's Bernice, and geez, as always she has to be "burping" the Tupperware.  I only invited her because she knows a discount house 30 percent off bankrupt stock, washers, freezers....so what could I do? Bernie the burper...that girl needs to get out more.

So ladies, let's all take a seat and  I'll introduce you to some amazing Tupperware products of yesteryear! Soon you'll discover the many food saving and money saving features of Tupperware!

 I only recently started collecting vintage Tupperware in the last 2 years.  I am pretty selective of which pieces I will buy.  They can't have that gooey, greasy film on them that so many older pieces have, they can't be in hideous shades of the late 1960s-now, and of course they have to be thrift store cheap! Here are a few featured favorite items of fine Tupperware quality.


Pin Kaddy by TupperCraft

This adorable Pin Kaddy (circa 1964) by TupperCraft is a fun and safe little gadget to hold and open diaper pins.  Mr. Husband Sir got it for me as a birthday gift last year.  The little plastic doily under the Pin Kaddy I happened to discover is also a vintage Tupperware item.  I dug it out of a big bin from a thrift store at a pound sale.

Zoo-It-Yourself Funny Animal Set

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I bought this Zoo It Yourself set off of eBay for PB when he was a toddler.  Hours of fun and laughter! Welllll...I don't know about that.

They are adorable enough to just be toddler room decor if anything else!



Tuppercraft Floralier
"An excitingly new and versatile flower arranger.  It's three sections can be used separately, or as a unit...to fit any decor."  

Here is mine naked:

The main reason to own one of these Floraliers is they happen to be Crow T. Robot's Torso!

Here is mine all dolled up with Tupperware entranced ladies on picks, vintage plastic flowers, and greenery I clipped from my yard.


Jel-Ring
"3 piece mold with 6 cup capacity.  Designed as a gelatin mold, it may also be used to shape potato, macaroni, shrimp, and chicken salad as a ring."

The center piece is removable leaving a plastic green rim.   I haven't figured out the purpose of this feature yet.  Maybe the center piece could be used as a bowl within the unmolded ring of food?
The possibilities are endless with the wonder of Tupperware!

For example, let me demonstrate the food serving capabilities of this particular model.  Use it as a serving dish with an elevated center!

For Brownie Wise brownies!
And let the salt and pepper shakers become fanciful flower vases!

Mold your favorite Jolly Rancher Green Apple flavored gelatin dessert with pineapple garnishments... And serve it on the plastic lid!


While you all ponder the vast assortment of  ways Tupperware could improve your life, I'll set up a game for us.

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I call this activity Tupperhead.
Who ever can pile their head up with the most Tupperware gets to keep what they stack.



Well, I guess that would explain Eunice's new hairdo...lots of places to shove wonderliers, servaliers, a Crisp-It bowl, and even a "Bye Fly" Tupperswatter or two!
This ain't Eunice's first Tupperware rodeo!

Well ladies, let's all pull a lid off of our heads and load it up with some snacks while Eunice hauls her Tupperhoard out to her Uhaul.  Or better yet why not purchase some fine Tupperware products and take that Jello to go? Hmmmm?


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Yes ladies, Tupperware has a wonderful plan for your life...sealing out moisture, locking in flavor, protecting and organizing every aspect of living.  Tupperware has put a smile on all of your downtrodden faces.   Why continue to use embarrassing "I can't believe it's not Butter" tubs for storing your leftovers or foot fungus ointments in? There are more than 100 items of Tupperware all designed with you in mind-each made with the highest quality blended plastic resins! You want Tupperware...You need Tupperware...Shall I put you all down for three of each item?


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What a great hostess gift I got, and after just one party!
 Only 2 more parties and I'll be a Gold Key Hostess.
I've now got my eye on a Lady Schick Crown Jewel Shaver as my next hostess gift.  It plugs into my cigarette lighter in my new car for shaving on the go!   Tupperware bowls even help hold the clippings!

Thanks for coming to my Tupperware party and I hope you all enjoy the thrills of the patented air tight Tupper Seal with it's spill-proof and leak-proof qualities!

If you would like a new car or hair shaver send this coupon in for more information on becoming a Tupperware Home Party Planner and Dealer 1960 style:

Brownie Wise Brownies

I thought I would share the  recipe I used for my Tupperware Party "Brownie Wise Brownies".  I like recipes that call for things that I generally have on hand for impromptu dessert making, which happens quite a bit around my house.  I don't ever have melting chocolate just hanging around because it seems to get nasty tasting and not melt properly over time.  I do have a tub of cocoa powder that pretty must lasts indefinitely, in my opinion.  Pfffttt to expiration dates! I also like that the butter is melted for this recipe which is an easy turn in the microwave rather than the more tedious time constraining softened butter route.  I did a little bit of tweaking to the recipe but not too much.  I don't care for vanilla extract and will always sub in almond or coconut.  I also had a bit of crushed peanuts and a smidgen of shredded coconut laying around that I tossed in for funzies.  The best part of this recipe is it is gooood!

 Cocoa Powder Brownies

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

1 tbsp oil

1 1/8 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp extract

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

optional add ins: nuts, coconut, dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line and spray cooking spray in an 8x8 inch baking dish.  In a bowl combine melted butter, oil, and sugar and beat for 1 minute.  Add eggs and extract. Beat for 1 minute.  Sift in flour, cocoa, and salt. Gently fold until just combined.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Be sure to not over-bake to maintain moist fudgy texture.

After baking if you have any brownies left that haven't been devoured, store them in your Tupperware!

Tupperware Museum

Sealed in freshness!
The Tupperware Museum in Orlando, Fl.

We were able to make it to the Tupperware Museum a couple of years back which is located at the main headquarters of Tupperware.  On display are items from the early days of Tupperware in the 1940s such as Mr. Tupper's door to door travel sample case and an early version of machinery for molding the products.  There is a space dedicated to Brownie Wise who revolutionized the Home Party way of selling Tupperware, which is still popular today.

Under clear plastic space domes are examples of  many Tupper products of yesteryear and current.

Peruse the vintage best:

Jadite Green shaker with lid, food grater and storage, colander with grid lid
(the info card was covered up so I am just guessing on these)

12 oz tumbler set with spoons in metal carrier, featuring "Tuppy" the Tupperware Seal (look at the center of the black metal carrier and you can see an abstract seal with a ball on his nose),
9 oz tumbler, coaster set

Big Shake 1947, Butter Dish 1 pound capacity,
Bell Funnel in red also used for ketchup,
Salt and Pepper Set 1950's

Green Salad Tong 1954
Crisp-It Bowl:  2 Quart Bowl with domed seal introduced in 1966

"Millionaire Line" in pastel colors;
Party Bowl, Cup and Saucer, Sugar and Creamer set 1954,
40 oz. Pitcher 1947

Jel-N-Serve Mold
With 4 special designs (however they seem to be missing the heart)
introduced in 1964

Personal Items:
Blue Safety Pin Caddy, Pink Bobby Pin-Up, Shampoo Brush, Soap Case, Toothbrush Case 1962,
Tupperware Home Parties Cosmetic Puff

Getting to the Tupperware Museum was quite a feat for us.  It happens to be about 8 hours away and we were trying to squeeze it in while in town for a work conference for Mr. Husband.  The first time we tried to go it was on a Sunday and closed.  The grounds are not fenced off so we parked and were walking around looking at the Tupper Seal Tuppy water fountain and other water features when we were rudely escorted off by a rent-a-cop.  PB thought we were going to go to jail.  He was really freaked out.  About a month later we happened to be kinda near the Orlando area again and were determined to go to the museum.  Mr. Husband called several times to make sure it was going to be open. We drove about a hour out of our way as a side trip before having a 8 hour drive to get back home.  When we went in we found out that the entire staff were in a big corporate meeting for the next hour.  Still determined we drove down the highway and browsed some shops for a bit.  On the way back to Tupperware the sky fell out with torrential rain, I mean like hurricane fury.  Still we were going to see some Tupperware! We ran in the building getting soaked up to the knees.  I couldn't bring in my decent camera because I didn't want it to get wet and went with using our dinky pocket camera, which explains the horrible photos.  The museum is actually just part of a corridor and really small.  There is suppose to be a photobooth there with a digital background but it wasn't working.  The mini Tupperware keychain vending machine was out of the decent selections.  The rain was so bad we had to hang out at the Tupperware place for waay longer than it took to view the displays.  But damn it, we went, we saw, we experienced some Tupperware!

Wear-Ever Kettle

A college educated coffee pot!
I love when I can find old ads for items I own!

I picked up this 1953 Wear-Ever percolator coffee pot for 6 bucks a couple of years back.  Only we don't drink coffee, so I use it to make tea in!  Since it doesn't whistle I do have to keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil over.

Baby Vulture Decor

Which room is Pugsley's....(or PB's)?  The door with the baby vultures painted on it of course!

One of our local thrift stores has a pound sale every month that Mr. Husband and I like to hit up.  A pound sale is when you and a bunch of other cheapskates-bargain shoppers-rummagers get to dig around in unsorted "gaylord" boxes dodging broken glass and 500 pound microwaves for treasures costing only 50 cents a pound! At that price, it's easy to find all sorts of diamonds in the rough.

One of these such diamonds was this badly beat up paperback alphabet picture book called "The Big Golden Animal ABC" by Garth Williams 1957.  All of the pages have been colored, scribbled, and torn, but ''Vv for Vulture"  had some crafting potential! It screamed The Addams Family and Pugley's bedroom door to me immediately when I saw it.  I erased the pencil marks, glued the page onto a stiff piece of cardboard, x-acto blade cut it out, then hung it on PB's door.
I considered nerding out and making a reverse image photocopy of the vulture and include it on his door too so it would be more representative of the original door in the series, but Cleopatra needs feeding now.

Surprise!

"Jesus Christ, Earl, what is that?"

"I don't know, but... Check Please!"

That's all I know.  It's a surprise...which means it could contain minced brains but I am leaning toward a potted meat product...which could also be minced brains, Surprise!

I liked the plucky look of these nibbles even without knowing their true identity, so I decided to make up a recipe of my own what I thought they could be constructed from: Deviled Ham, cheese, and biscuits.

  Although potted meat is usually seen as hobo chow, when I was a kid it was a special occasion delicacy...one I hadn't had in probably 20 years.  Time to get back to my hobo roots!

To make/construct these Surprise Potted Meat Cheese Biscuits gather up:

1 tin Deviled Ham

1 tbsp mayo

2 tbsp diced onion

dash of seasoning (Tony's)

sliced cheese

Biscuits

Bake biscuits ahead of time. 

Mix together Deviled ham, mayo, onion, and Tony's in a small bowl.

Cut sliced cheese into decorative shapes and set aside. 

Spread potted meat mixture on top of biscuits.

Decorate tops with cheese Chinese stars.

Place biscuits on a baking sheet and put in toaster oven until cheese melts and potted meat perks up to a pretty shade of pink.

I secretly (secret's out) like Deviled Ham so I loved these!  I made them for a luncheon treat for a friend but she passed on them.  She's more of a minced pig snout kinda gal anyway! 

Peach 'N Prune Upside Down Cake

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Recipe by Sugaripe Fruit 1953

Easy and elegant!  

Hmmm... Not if you follow Sugaripe's instructions.

Look at my sad little cake.

As you can see my version is certainly not as elegant as the one in the original.  I studied the photo before starting and thought those prunes looked a little too perfect, floating on the top of the cake.  Even the peaches seem un-engulfed by the heavy cake batter that was sitting on their heads in a 350 degree oven.  But I proceeded anyway trying to push my skepticism aside.  When I plated this cake, I was bummed (but not surprised) to see that all of the prunes had stuck to the bottom of the baking dish (along with about 30% of the brown sugar/butter mixture).   I then had to pry and scrape, piecing the top of the cake back together into something presentable.   There is just no way the original cake was baked with the fruits in place on the bottom.  What to do? I would recommend not placing the prunes on the cake until after it is baked.  As for the peaches, I wonder if the original baker did a switcharoo on us.  I think they baked the cake with surrogate peaches in place to have their curved divots made.  Then they replaced the pre-made divots with new pretty peaches (these may have even been slightly baked with some brown sugar)  along with placing those perfect looking prunes along side.  Those cake misrepresenting bastards.

That may be just a little bit too much work though for upside down cake picture perfection.  On the taste side, this cake is really dense and delicious in the peachy parts!  I wasn't digging the prune bits.

Recipe

I have made several recipes, mostly mishaps, involving upside down dishes. Things are always sticking to the bottom of the pan or falling apart completely.  But when it turns out (literally turns out) looking picture perfect it's very gratifying!

Check out these past upside-downers:
Spam Upside Down Pie
Super Goober Cake

and uppers:
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Golden Treasure Upside Down Cake