Tie One On / Scrap Crafty~ Smock Apron

Here is my smock apron for this month's TOO. I was determined to make a smock that didn't look like a preggie top and had at least a bit of a figure flattering cut to it, I am soo not into frumpy! I made this smock from a vintage pillow case and lots of lavender bias tape. Here are a few pic's where I was trying to go for a 'spilt milk' theme.


Since my house doesn't have a porch I 'used' a house down the street that was for sale (hence the lock box that I didn't take note of!!)



here is a detail of the cool vine-ish stitch pattern my sewing machine can do. This was my first time using the special stitches and this one proved hard for me to keep it straight, as you can see. I do like the green thread contrast with the lavender bias tape, it has that going for it!

Frost n' Bake Fudge Cake

Household magazine April 1954

Wow! It's AMAZING! You frost it before you bake it?! Surely you jest, how can that be?

Believe it friends! Is this not the coolest idea? This cake is easy and fun to make. You can't go wrong flavor-wise with a chocolate frosted white cake. But I'll tell you what is even better! A chocolate frosted strawberry cake! Next time, my darlings, next time!

And btw, do photos of lady's sticking their heads in ovens freak you out as much as me...no? okay, forget I said anything. But to further my argument, think Sylvia Plath.

Ahhhhhhh....okay, let's have some cake, shall we?

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RECIPE

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What's Cookin' Apron + Recipe Swap Meme

:first apron (that you can remember):

i remember having a cute pink frilly sassy apron in my size when I was little but
after so many moves, it has been lost. :(
my mom still has the first apron she made in high school for home ec (it has gold rick rack)



I just got a cute red gingham deal for a buck a coupla weeks ago.

:dream apron:

my dream apron would be one that is figure flattering, dutiful and got some style to it.

like this(i don't own this apron.. some other apron lovin' hussey out bid me on ebay for it!)


or this

this apron is owned by mary ann

:favorite aprons:



I generally don't care for floral prints but I made an exception for this one just because of the lovely color combination.


I like the print and the style of this one. It is my favorite 'all purpose'.

I got both of these vintage aprons during that great hospice sale I am always raving about, just at different times.

:dream sewing machine:

easy! A Bernina, baby! I do own a Bernette, which is made by the Bernina company...but damn...I want me a Bernina fo' real!


:what do you put in your apron pockets? Or what strange thing have you ever found in them?:

hmmmm...pockets are great to put small toys in and give to the boy to keep him occupied while I am cooking. However, here recently he has started playing with the little 'kitchen' I set up for him in my kitchen. He has a thing for the fake fried egg and baking it in the toy oven ...and washing it and carrying it around with him.... I also put recipe cards in my pockets. Haven't found anything strange in them 'cept the occasional lint ball.


:condiment(s) you can't live without:

I love Tony's Creole seasoning. It can make just about any (non dessert) dish taste fab!
cholula hot sauce and sriracha hot chili sauce ,which I call rooster sauce, are two other fav's.


:do you favor showy aprons or dutiful ones?:

I own more showy aprons. But really wear my few dutiful ones for serious stuff.

:favorite cooking gadget:

I'm not much of a gadget gal. My mom is nuts over them. I did have a fondness for her automatic potato peeler for some reason. It had a set of blades that turned really fast and took twice as long to peel the potato as by hand and it made a huge mess of soggy micro peels. But it was fun to use. She has had many veggie mangling machines/gadgets.

I do have a rice cooker that I am very fond of.


:cooking gadget that promised the world but didn't deliver:

see all the above! I honestly hate gadgets....'cept my rice cooker, we're like this: (fingers crossed together)

:a recipe that you know by heart and any stories behind it:

I make a pretty good veggie lasagna the I know the recipe by heart. no real stories behind it 'cept for the fact that it's really one of the best things I make and since it involves no trickery in it's ingredients the fam feels safe eating it.

Let's make pie!

serving up swapatorium leftovers!

Ahhh... Prunes! They aren't just mother nature's secret helper anymore! Now they can be served up in a dessert as seen here in Prunes n' Cream Pie! Sounds appetizing, right? This recipe comes from the American Home magazine, February 1958. I can't recall the last time I have seen a recipe that involved prunes since they featured 'Hot Prune Toddy'* in Smooth Move Monthly, a Guide for Swinging Senior Living. Prunes really do get a bad rap don't they? Poor things are looked upon with such ill repute to the point that if you do buy them they get hidden under a box of Fruity Pebbles in the grocery cart. All they want to do is help you out. Enter this recipe, a combination of necessity with a bit of splendor. The dessert's presentation give prunes a touch of glamour that they normally aren't credited with while the ingredients contribute to a good colon cleansing. This recipe could very well be the solution in overcoming the country's prune stigma!

As you can see my pie didn't turn out quite as lovely looking as it's predecessor. It was fairly tasty though. I really do recommend giving prunes a chance, they want to make friends. If it helps just think of them as dried plums. Also, make sure to keep in mind that end results and outcome may vary....if you know what I mean.


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RECIPE:

(click to enlarge)

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*note: props to my mom for coming up with the term 'Hot Prune Toddy'. she is a nurse and when she presents prune juice to her patients she calls it this. funny, huh?

Prunerific!

Curious?

I'm over at the Swapatorium today!

Not one of dad's best ideas

Popular Mechanics Home Handyman Encyclopedia Vol.1 1962

This set of How-To books contain many a bad idea, like for instance.... an INDOOR SHOOTING GALLERY!!! Click on the image folks and try to tell me that dad and jr. don't have a deranged "this is gonna piss mom off" look on their faces! I see some couch time in dad's future for making this crazy thing and do I have to say it?...."You'll shot your eye out!"

And don't even ask me to post the instructions for making this...I'm not going to be responsible!

peek a boo!

Greetings! Meet my friend and hubby to Dixie Doll Heather , the Baron Von Doren of Nightmare Theatre. Don't let his glum look depress you, he is smiling on the inside.
This weekend I went to my first sci-fi convention called mobicon . Nightmare Theatre were guests and presented a few vintage horror gore movie trailers along with the 'big screen' public viewing of a film called "Frankenstein's Bloody Nightmare" which was written/directed/produced and acted by a local guy by the name of mr. john r. hand. The Nightmare Theatre duo had small acting roles in the film as well. I had a great time, so many strange tales to tell.... but let's get on to the tie.... Since the Baron's character is a minor demon and with his new red suit making a debut this weekend and all, I made a devilish inspired fashion accessory for him called a peek a boo tie. Peek a boo ties were primarily popular during the 40's and 50's. The front of the tie seems tame but when the underside is exposed an ohh la la show is revealed under the flaps.

front

HELLO!
underside

I designed and handpainted the art on the front of the tie. The peek a boo devil girl artwork is by Coop and is an iron on transfer I made on the computer. I don't feel that the tie is complete just yet, so I will have to borrow it back at some point to add some more details.

As far as interesting tales from this weekend go.....let's see...my girlfriends and I were approached to wear hand woven chain bras in very unprofessional pornish type pics that also involved a stuffed Wile. E. Coyote toy, saw a guy wearing a pink lady's slip with a design on the front that said "Sorry, I'm a lady" along with his 'package' fairly obvious, saw 2 of the hugest vats of ramen noodles ever, and had 2 guys let us call them our puppies (which we got to name them: Domino and little nicky) and they followed us around and fetched things for us. Since we had guest passes, Heather and I had people believing we were in a horror film where we were silly screamer type girls. I just thought of something...ha ha ha... we should have just screamed and asked if they recognized us from that...damn, next time.

Guest list complete!

Just letting everyone know that the What's Cookin'? apron swap is full! Wow! Sarah and I seriously thought it would just be she and I making aprons for each other. We had no idea we would fill before the end of the week of announcing it!

If you are a reserved guest make sure we have your name on the guest list on the left hand side! Don't forget to check in over at the home page for deets.

Dinner!

For a change, I present to you a few recipes that are not desserts!

On the menu:

Beef Pinwheels and Green Beans Supreme.

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Pinwheels

Household Magazine Sept 1952

(click on photo for larger image)

A bit of honesty here, my hands don't touch raw beef and i don't eat ketchup so I had to do a few substitutions. By doing so, I completely changed the way this recipe was meant to taste, I'm sure. I used ground turkey and a package of taco mix instead. Hey! It worked, don't laugh!

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Green Beans Supreme

Household Magazine January 1958

I didn't realize that this recipe had a photo until after I had made it. Now looking at the magazine image, there is nooo way anything in that photo came from a can...No way. And those onions on top? (I'm guessing that is what they are) look more like french fried onions, not those limp little things in the soup mix.

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I have to give it to the cooks of yesteryear. These recipes took much longer that I was expecting and wanting to be in the kitchen. Making and rolling out biscuit dough has now made it to the top of my list of ways to torture myself.
Both recipes did okay on the flavor scale but nothing I would ever make again...And damn those green bean bastards for not fessing up....canned? My ass!

cheap cheap cheap!!!

Viva Las Vintage, a small vintage and pop culture boutique in my town is packing up and getting the hell out of here...and I don't blame them. They have great stuff but the prices are just too rich for the Redneck Riviera. I am sad to see them go since I was hoping to have Dixie Doll Trinkets carried there . Dixie Doll Heather and I went by and snagged some deals that were actually cheap. Here's what I picked up:

What do I have in my cute and oh so regiftable leopard print bag?

Well, this very cool book for $7. It seems to have quite a few neat ideas. Oh, wait, I'm sorry..."AMAZING how-to projects". That's better.

21 bad ass postcards for .25 each, they were $1 originally.

I am soo loving this darling NOS vintage dress with the original belt and tags! Such a gorgeous color combo of yellow and grey. It needs to be taken in a bit but for 5 bucks, I'll take that challenge on. I may even do a little re-con and/or embriodery to it....... The tag said $35 originally.

Peoples! Is this not the cutest? A vintage, handmade darling of an apron and......
only $1!!!(originally $10)

I love me some vintage beaded sweaters. Most of mine I bought from this same boutique
and man are they expensive(like 50-60 bucks, yikes!). This one isn't in perfect condition but fits nicely and was just 5 bucks (originally $30).

Okay, shopping spree over. I really think I kept myself in control and only got stuff I am going to use and wear. There were some lovely jewels but even at 30% off they were still pricey and I held back. Be proud of me!

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ps... don't forget to check out the deets (aka details, i just made that word up!) on me and sarah's apron/recipe swap! The guestlist is about RSVP'ed out!

Hey Good Lookin'!

It's a new apron and recipe swap!

Sarah and I will be your hostesses for this fun new swap and we hope that you will join us!

go check out the details!

mother's day

the boy expressing his mother's day wishes to me.

i wore my MOM tattoo as planned! YAY!
(details)

Scrap Crafty~ T-shirt Corset

okay! I am really really proud of this t-shirt recon!!! I put waaay more work into it than the halter (which I now plan on going back and spiffing up a bit). This t-shirt is from my friends TV show, Nightmare Theatre and could be viewed as a collectors item since the shirt is out of print (you know who you are ...and don't laugh at that). Doesn't it make me look stacked too!

back view

close up of back
I used the same spider web fabric as Mrs. F's apron along the sides of the back closure and put those eyelets in myself
(those are fun to do!)

this is a better shot of the image on the front

Now for the how to....I made it all up as I went along. I can tell you that I patterned the basic shape after the same shirt that I made the halter from. I also put some elastic along the front edge to ensure it would not slip down. For the back I sewed on 2 panels of the spider web fabric and put 1 row of boning on each side. I hammered in the eyelets and then used red ribbon for the lacing.

I am soo loving this top! I plan on making Dixie Doll Heather one as well, since her hubby is The Baron on Nightmare Theatre. Then she and I are going to go to the events and wear them and be Nightmare Theatre whores! Ha ha ha!

"Always perfect" Cinnamon Twists

Made these lovely Cinnamon Twists for Sunday's dessert. I voted they were a bit dry but as I reread the ad, I realized my mistake... I didn't use Gold Medal flour! In the ad they claim near devastation if you use anything but! Apparently Gold Medal's baking qualities are so superb that using any other flour will not give you "deliciously perfect bakings, every time" and "You good cooks know that!". Don't I just feel silly? How could I have even thought to use some other flour. Gold Medal and Betty Crocker teamed up for this "always perfect" recipe. Of course Mrs. B. Crocker had to open her pie-hole to cause me to further doubt my kitchen and baking skills. She claimed the recipe was .."tested and tasted...checked and rechecked. We've tested the uncertainty right out of it!". Yeah!? I wish Betty would offer those same services to all aspects in my life. She could be my own personal future teller and risk taker in a devil's food cake box!

Be armed with Gold Medal flour and proceed!

Household magazine January 1950

RECIPE:

Don't forget to use Gold Medal Flour! You don't want to piss off Betty Crocker! She looks like a force to be reckoned with!

Scrap Crafty~T-shirt reconstruction

My newest sewing project is taking my old cool HUGE t-shirts and reconstructing them into more figure flattering tops. This Descendents 1997 tour shirt was like a tent for two.. I didn't take any before pics of it... sorry, just trust me. For the pattern I laid another top that I liked the style of over the large tee and went to cutting away. I am fairly happy with the results and it didn't take but a few hours to make . I have 2 other shirts that are on the cutting table, only not being made into halters. A girl needs choices, right? Here I am as casual gal! I can't wear my heels and pearls all the time!

Golden Treasure Upside-Down Cake

from The American Home magazine February 1958


I took it easy on the victims this week and made a 'normal' dessert. No jello, no marshmallows, no condensed soups, no hidden ingredients. It is a simple spice cake (from a mix) with the only twist being it is a peach upside down cake. I got the recipe from an ad peddling canned cling peaches:

My 'superb' upside-down cake
(at least the recipe in the magazine promised that)

Recipe:

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Golden Treasure Upside-Down Cake

1 spice cake mix
1 1/2- 2 cups sliced cling peaches
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Melt butter, mix in brown sugar and pour into bottom of greased ring mold. Arrange drained canned peach slices round bottom of the mold. Pour in spice cake mix (prepared as directed). Bake about 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

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The cake was very good and simple to make. The peaches along the top give it an "ohh la la" presentation, which I am completely into. Highly recommended for your next lady's bridge gathering or Mexican-wrestlers-are-dreamy fan club meeting.