Home Ec Text Books

In my last installment of Back to School, Mid Century Style, I am featuring my collection of  vintage Home Ec books.  I have picked most of these up from thrift stores over the years. Here's a brief rundown of each one: 

First up is the stunningly beautiful front covered 'How You Plan and Prepare Meals" from 1962.  The very first chapter is "Let's Have a Party"!  What a fun way to start off a class!  This book in general focuses on meals, manners, table settings, nutrition, the basic food groups, cooking terms, safety, and recipes.

Here are a few other images within the book:

Apron clad gals in an amazing Home Ec classroom kitchen....could those possibly be Youngstown Kitchen Cabinets?!

There are recipes and special considerations for the bed ridden sick person, being offered by a rather homely gal.

There are many pages dedicated to the right way to eat foods.  Such as how to use your spoon properly when eating soup.  Hint:  Don't put your face in it like a dog.

My next book is "Food and Family Living" from 1947.  The original copyright date is from 1931. This copy belonged to a great grand mother I never met but it was passed down to me since the family knew of my interest on the subject. It's primary topics include: planning and preparing meals, canning, food management, health and nutrition, and recipes. 

There are not many fun photos, most of them are very utilitarian, just showing cuts of meat.  But here are two of interest.

This husband and wife are canning their food in actual metal cans at a community center.  I had never heard of this before.  Kinda neat!  I would have to design my own can labels if I did this.  Something like: Mary's Marvelous Kernels of Corn, with a picture of my face smiling with corn for teeth.

These ladies are painting fake produce to be used as examples for grading foods for the Bureau of Agricultural Economics.   That display would make for great kitchen decor!

"Food For Better Living" registered to the Home Ec Lab in 1954.  This book's contents focus on the vitamin C family (1st chapter), food groups, budget meals, freezing foods, manners, safety, kitchen design, recipes, equipment, and parties.  In the index is a list of audio visual filmstrips to be played for each chapter, some even being silent.  One of these days, I'll have to try to locate some of those films on youtube. 

Here are a few images:

I love this perfectly arranged table for a Tea Party, makes me want to throw one myself!  Only I wouldn't want anyone to touch anything and mess it up.  The guests could view the lovely table, even have a few photos taken by it.  Then I would scurry them off to the kitchen for dixie cups of Kool-Aid and Dollar tree cookies to be eaten over the sink.

"This 4H Club member is a state winner in bread-making."  And she has awesome hair!

"Neat clothing and attractive tables are important in good homemaking."  These gals and their table sure look splendid!

Danish Apple dessert, made with bread crumbs, butter and topped with meringue.
This book is my most favorite I think.  It has lots of neat photos and great sounding recipes. 

There's also a desert called Praline Christmas Cake that sounds super yummy.  It seems like a combination of a coffee cake and an upside down cake with butter, brown sugar, and nuts.

"Family Living" 1950
I have this book right now on loan from the university, however it is a high school text book.  It's not focused on food as the others have been.  It centers on being in a family, looking forward to marriage some day, personality, getting along with people, and caring for children.

There are no photos just comic sketches in this book, none of which were very funny.  I found it interesting that even with this book being from 1950 the idea of dividing household tasks was highly recommended.  The chart above was for the student to see how progressive their thoughts on the subject were, with more answers of  'either' and 'both' being most modern.

"Exploring Home and Family Living" 1959
This book is perfect in that it covers many broad topics: family, food groups, meals, managing money and time, small children, personal grooming, sewing, parties, home safety, making gifts, cleaning and tiding, and being a good friend.

I love this breakfast of crisscrossed sausage links, mint leaf edged grapefruit halves, and butter balls.  The tabasco has a cozie on.

What makes a happy home?  Giant sacks of money in your front yard!

image courtesy of The Popcorn Institute.  Home style popcorn in a skillet.  Most people nowadays think it can only be made in the microwave.

Lots of great subjects that are immensely needed in today's world. I am sure I could do with a refresher myself even.  There is bound to be tons of stuff I don't know at all.

I'll have to get busy reading these books so I can catch up on Home Ec skills I never learned since I was cut short of my class in 7th grade!