My Housework Schedule (Part II)

Cream Puffs are a real treat!

Hello, everyone! Hope you all are enjoying the springy weather like I am! I intended on posting yesterday about my "revised" housekeeping schedule.  However, yesterday was my dad's birthday, and I made him his favorite dessert, Cream Puffs, instead of the standard birthday cake.  (He's not too fond of cakes.) So, much of my time yesterday was consumed by daily housework, Cream Puff-making and visiting with family.  If you are interested in the Cream Puff recipe, you can view it as well as some pictures of the process here. If you've never had them, they are simply delectable!  As my dad would say, "they're so good, you can't hardly sit still and eat them."

I am so excited about my new treasure, America's Housekeeping Book, that I hardly know where to begin talking about it! As I mentioned in several previous posts, I am trying very diligently to develop a housework schedule that is effective, efficient and user-firendly.  So, after receiving my new housekeeping "bible," it inspired me to re-work my original housework schedule.  Today is the first day of implementation, but so far, so good.  In fact I am presently using my "leisure" time to type this post!  This is my new schedule: 

My Housework Schedule

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Morning	*Breakfast *Check email, etc. *Tidy kitchen	*Breakfast *Check email, etc. *Tidy kitchen	*Breakfast *Check email, etc. *Tidy kitchen	*Breakfast *Check email, etc. *Tidy kitchen	*Breakfast *Check email, etc. *Tidy kitchen
Forenoon	*Light Cleaning & General Pick-up *Start laundry	*Light Cleaning and General Pick-up *Thorough room cleaning (Bathroom)	*Light Cleaning and General Pick-up *Thorough room cleaning (Living and Family Rooms)	*Light Cleaning and General Pick-up *Thorough room cleaning (Bedrooms and halls)	*Light Cleaning and General Pick-up *Menu planning for next week
Noon	*Lunch *Short rest	*Lunch *Short rest	*Lunch *Short rest	*Lunch *Short rest	*Lunch *Short rest
Early Afternoon	*Finish laundry *Put away laundry *Thorough room cleaning  (Kitchen and Dining Rooms) *Make preparations for supper *Leisure time	*Do ironing *Put away ironing *Make preparations for supper *Leisure time	*Special weekly task (vacuum  & mop floors) *Make preparations for supper *Leisure time	*Special monthly tasks (varies) *Make preparations for supper *Leisure time	*Marketing *Put away groceries *Make preparations for supper *Leisure time
Late Afternoon	*Prepare supper	*Prepare supper	*Prepare supper	*Prepare supper	*Prepare supper
Evening	*Wash dishes and tidy kitchen	*Wash dishes and tidy kitchen	*Wash dishes and tidy kitchen	*Wash dishes and tidy kitchen	*Wash dishes and tidy kitchen

As I work through the schedule, and read through my book, I plan on being more specific with my tasks.  I'm sure that I will probably adjust a few things as time goes by, but I think this is a good "skeleton" schedule.  One thing that I'm also going to do, suggested by the book, is to monitor how long it takes me to complete a certain task.  For example, I was surprised to find that my ironing yesterday only took about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  (I was in somewhat of a hurry, though, and didn't iron any sheets or clothes of my own--only Hubby's work clothes.) Today, I talked on the phone during much of my cleaning, (today was living room, family room and floors day), and therefore neglected to monitor my time.  Although, after thinking about it, it probably wouldn't have done me any good to watch the time anyway as I'm sure I could have completed my tasks much quicker if I hadn't talked and worked simultaneously!  One thing the book recommends is working toward effecient housekeeping; completing a task effectively in the shortest amount of time possible. The idea is to monitor your time, and then reflect on how to do things more efficiently.

In my last post, I showed you my new cleaning basket which keeps all necessary cleaning supplies in one place and conveniently travels with you room-to-room.  I got tickeled at myself today because even though I had my basket (and thus, supplies) in tow, I walked out of the room twice to go after supplies that were already in my basket! That's when I realized just what a good idea the cleaning basket is because it saves needless trips through the house to retrieve necessary supplies. Isn't that so much better than making 3 or 4 trips back and forth for various items as you need them? Why didn't I think of this before?! 

I'm so excited to share some of the book's helpful suggestions with you all...I just don't have enough time to write everything up that I want! However, it is now time to make preparations for dinner, so I'm off to do that! (On a side note, today during "lunch" I watched  I Love Lucy Episode #33, "Lucy's Schedule," in which Ricky puts Lucy on a housekeeping schedule...How appropriate!) =)

My Cleaning Basket

Happy spring, everyone!  I'm so glad that it's officially here...finally!!  This will be a short post, but I just wanted to share that I received my America's Housekeeping Book in the mail today, and instead of doing my housework, spent much of the day leafing through my new treasure. Thanks, again, to Viv for suggesting it.  (I will be posting more about it in the next few days as I have so much to say about it already!)

My new housekeeping "bible"

One thing I accomplished today from the book was to put together a cleaning basket to hold all the necessary supplies when cleaning room-to-room.  I have to say I'm now amazed that this idea had never occurred to me before, but then again, that is why I wanted a book on the subject...I actually didn't have a plastic utility basket, which is what I had initially pictured in my mind. So after hunting around the house in search of something more attractive than a cardboard box (at least to use temporarily), I found a cute lil' basket that once held a Valentine's Day arrangement from my husband. (How a basket of Valentine's flowers evolved over 6 years into a basket of cleaning supplies, I'm not sure...) I don't know that I will be able to use it permanently, because it won't hold anything else other than what I already have in it, but I'm happy with it and at least it'll make housework a little more attractive...haha!

Here's my newly assembled cleaning basket which I will now be using to accomplish many of my cleaning chores:



I've already thought about tying a ribbon or something onto it. It just looks so plain...I'm  thinking a splash of pink would do wonders for my cleaning spirits! 

Right now, my basket includes: paper towels, long-cuff rubber gloves, Bar Keeper's Friend (a magical, abrasive cleaner), glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, an ostrich feather duster, a Swiffer duster, furniture polish, a cotton rag and a large sponge.  Can I also just say that I was actually excited to clean the bathroom this afternoon--yes, you read that correctly--just so I could use my cute lil' basket and try out my new Mr.Clean Febreez "Hawaiian Aloha" all-purpose cleaner (which I love, by the way).

So, until tomorrow! (And, hopefully, then I will have my new, weekly schedule re-mapped.)

Happy Homemaking!

How to Make Perfect Coffee



Image courtesy of
 www.freeretroclipart.com



Today's recipe on my recipe blog was for Cafe Mexicain,  a whipping cream-topped coffee recipe which came from one of my new-found treasures, Betty Crocker's Guide To Easy Entertaining. (Click here to view the recipe.) This got me thinking about coffee in general, and what an important part it played in home entertaining in the 1950s. Any cookbook from that time period will have instructions for making coffee, as well as instruction on appropriate methods of serving it. When I first got my  Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, I was surprised to find two entire pages devoted to coffee. It explains how to make coffee according to the kind of coffee maker you have, although most people nowadays only use drip coffee makers.  (I, too, normally use a drip coffee maker, but will occasionally pull out one of my shiny, stainless-steel percolators for something a little different.)  It also gives six essentials for making good coffee, which I will paraphrase below:

Six Essentials for a Cup of Good Coffee:

1) Fresh Coffee: Coffee looses freshness quickly when exposed to air. Keep it tightly covered and buy it often.

2) Use the Right Grind for the Right Maker:  If you grind your coffee at home, your grinder will tell you which setting to use depending on your maker.

3) Use a Clean Coffee Maker:  Wash your coffee maker with soap and water after each use. Use boiling water with soda to remove stains.  Follow cleaning instructions on your coffee maker.

4) Use Fresh, Cold Water:  Always start with cold water; do not use hot water from tap or kettle. Bring to a full, rolling boil before putting the coffee container itself into the coffee maker.

5) Use Enough Coffee for Desired Strength: 

    For weak coffee: 1 T. to 3/4 c. water

    For medium coffee: 2 T. to 3/4 c. water

    For strong coffee: 3-4 T. to 3/4 c. water

6) Serve Coffee as Soon as Possible:  If you must let coffee stand, be sure to remove the grounds (i.e. percolated coffee). Keep very hot until serving; cold coffee loses flavor if it is reheated.



Coffee advertisement from
New York Tribune, 1919



Upon reading this, one of the first things I noticed was the coffee proportions according to the desired strength.  Today, instructions on coffee cans usually read "use 1 tablespoon of coffee for each 6 oz (3/4 c.) of water and adjust amount according to taste."  I was shocked to read that coffee from 1950 was prepared much stronger compared to our standards today.  My! Like so many other things, it seems that even our coffee standards have lowered over the years! (However, I definitely fall into the strong coffee-lover category, and may therefore, be somewhat biased about this conclusion...)

Serving guests with "after dinner coffee," which is a very strong, black coffee served, you guessed it...after dinner, was a staple of good hospitality. Any decent hostess would never serve a meal, formal or informal, without offering the required after dinner coffee.  While people of that time period also had their own preferences for coffee strength and preparation, the "after dinner coffee" largely remained unchanged.  After dinner coffee was served in small, "after-dinner" cups, or demitasse cups, which is a French word for "half cup."  (Because of the unique cups, after dinner coffee was also sometimes known by that name-- Demitasse Coffee.)  It is coffee that is made stronger than usual; for instance, my trusty, vintage Betty Crocker cookbook actually recommends using 3-4 T. coffee to 3/4 c. water for each serving (the same proportions prescribed for their strong coffee recipe).    



One of my two beloved percolators

So, those of you who are coffee drinkers:  How does this 1950s coffee methodology compare to your own, and would your after dinner coffee make you the hostess with the most-est?

New (old) Dishes

My little sister came home for spring break, and I went on an impromptu trip with her; thus my lack of blogging for the last couple of days.  My mom, who is a flea market/yard sale/junk store-loving lady  introduced me to a quaint little antique store about 1 1/2 hrs. from my house.  I think the little place also serves as a bed and breakfast, and is owned by a lady who has an enormous collection of various vintage items.  Some of them seem somewhat out of place (i.e. a purple Dolly Parton-ish dress from the 80s, a Jonas Brothers tote), but she also has a huge variety of just old, well, stuff:  books, costume jewelry, glassware, tablecloths, luggage, ceramics, dishes, cast iron, etc., etc... The whole place is kind of eclectic. (She also makes the best coleslaw & chili hot dog I ever ate! The next time I go back, I'm going to have to ask her about what she does to make them soo good!)  

Oven Fork Mercantile
(I took this picture last summer)

I was particularly in the mood to scavenge through the dishes and bake ware, in search of some serving dishes that I've been wanting (not any specific pieces, but of a certain style), and I came away with a couple finds that I am really happy about, so I thought I'd share them with you guys. =)  (On a side note, I did find some others that I'm not posting about, including a very heavy cast-iron, corn stick muffin pan, which I can't wait to try out!)

I really don't know anything about cookware, fine china, dishes and such...I just know what I like.  I don't know what you call this particular kind of material that these dishes are made of, but I think it's pretty much just white, tanslucent-ish glass.  (I'm sure they must have a name...) I just love them! I particularly like these pieces because they could be used as casserole dishes and/or as serving dishes.  Even though I wouldn't know what to guess in terms of their vintage (anywhere from the 50s to the 70s??), I know they're not new, and I know I like them.



Dish 1
With a pretty, green floral design on both sides



Dish 2
Love those cute lil' blue flowers...and I can already smell the meatloaf baking in this one...

Then, I came across a real treasure.  Do you recognize this dish? (I will actually be shocked if you already know its significance before reading my explanation...)

My new-found treasure

This is a bowl that is exactly like the set owned by the Ricardo's in the I Love Lucy show. Technically, the dishes were also used as props in restaurant scenes and such, but these were the Ricardo's household dishes. (I know...I'm a fanatic; but at least I'm not ashamed to admit it anymore! Besides, they say acknowledging the problem is the first step to recovery...haha!)  I do know that the only dishes issued for use on the show were made by Franciscan, which was a company based out of Glendale, CA. 

My particular dish is the Ivy II pattern and was made in England in 2000--or at least, that's the copyright date on the bottom of the bowl.  I'm going to have to do some research to figure out what the difference, if any, there is between the (American) Ivy pattern and the (British) Ivy II patterns.  From what little bit I've read so far, I'm guessing that the Ivy II is essentially a reproduction of the original Ivy, but since the company apparently now only manufactures in England, the Ivy pattern is American and the Ivy II is British--the country of origin being the only difference between the two. But, once again...I am no dish expert.  So, if you are more knowledgeable on such matters, please enlighten me!

Nifty Betty Crocker Books

A short while ago, I shared my favorite vintage beauty manual as well as my favorite vintage cookbooks.  So, today I thought I would pass along some other great new (old) finds to you as well. My friend, Jess, told me about a neat, old cookbook she came across and recommended it to me: Betty Crocker's Party Book.  I immediately looked for one on eBay and found a neat duo up for auction:

Two of my recent discoveries!

Can you believe I only paid $.99 (plus about $4 shipping) for both!?  Also, they are first editions, and are in excellent condition.  I can't imagine why anyone would want to sell such treasures--and for so cheap!--unless they had multiple copies or something.  Needless to say, I'm glad there is someone out there who likes to practically give away great cookbooks--you know what they say: one man's trash is another man's treasure. (And am I glad this was somebody's trash! Haha!)  After my books finally arrived, (you know how slow that media mail can move sometimes!)  I sat down, immediately delved into them, and quickly discovered that I was not to be disappointed with my find!

Betty Crocker's Party Book is very interesting as it has lots of recipes (I believe over 500!) and it gives great advice on giving parties.  It has suggestions for children's parties, all with different themes and suggested menus according to age group, as well as holiday party menu suggestions and tips.  When I say holiday, I'm not just talking about the to-be-expected, typical Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter party (sure, those are all in there, too!), but it also includes suggestions for St. Patrick's Day, Independence Day, President's Day as well as some other less-celebrated holidays.  I don't have any children, nor do we give any parties, but I was thinking how nice it would be to have a special holiday-themed meal each month--just for fun! (I kept intending to go out to the grocery sometime this week in order to purchase corned beef as it is the suggested main course for the St. Patrick's Day party. However, I have--yet again--managed to effectively postpone this necessary but tedius task.)  Who knows--maybe we'll celebrate St. Patrick's Day a little late... 

Betty Crocker's Guide To Easy Entertaining was also a delightful read.  As I mentioned, I never really do any entertaining (if we do have a crowd here, it's always our family for a cookout or very informal gathering, and if I tried to turn that into a semi-formal affair, it would be just flat-out facetious).  Because of this, I knew when ordering that I probably wouldn't be using this book to the extent of its potential.  However, it too, has many good recipes (some of which are for coffee that I plan to post about at a later time...) and would truly be a very helpful resource in helping one in the planning of a successful gathering.  It contains many pertinent suggestions which could be of great use when trying to determine things such as: what to serve at a party, how to properly extend invitations, the best way to serve food according to the occasion and the space you have, etc.  I know that, sometimes, these vintage guides are somewhat out-dated when it comes to being practical for us "modern," sophisticated people nowdays, but much of the information from this guide is still very applicable.  (Now if only I could find a Betty Crocker's Guide to Housekeeping! Haha!!) Happy homemaking, ya'll!

Should Housekeeping be this Difficult?

I've been thinking today about my housekeeping schedule, or as I posted earlier, about my lack thereof. (Haha!) I did actually plan out a weekly schedule for myself, but have already found it difficult to maintain.  Not because I'm not putting forth the effort, but I'm finding that I'm having to do things on days which they aren't scheduled...in turn, messing up the schedule for the remainder of the week, and therefore defeating the purpose of my having a schedule in the first place.  Ughh.  Why do I feel like such a failure?  (OK, I'm exaggerating a little bit; I don't feel like a failure--exactly--but, I am frustrated and confused as to why it is so difficult to put one together that works!)

It's not that I don't clean or anything, because I do. It's just that I would like to organize my cleaning.  I have even looked online and found some helpful resources, (thank you, Jess!) such as FlyLady, but haven't come across anything that I feel I will be able to stick with.  Viv left me a comment about a book which she has posted about several times on her blog--and highly recommends--called America's Housekeeping Book, which I just ordered from Amazon.  I saw some excerpts from this book on Viv's blog, was instantly intrigued, and am now eagerly awaiting its arrival!  I guess I'll have to let you know how that goes after it comes in and I have a chance to implement any acquired information.  (I have a really good feeling about this one...!)

Just wondering, though: am I the only one who feels like an inadequate housekeeper?  Have any of you struggled with this? (I mean, geez! We don't even have kids--just Pippy, our Chihuahua!) Why is it so difficult to make an effective, successful schedule? (I'm beginning to think it's because housekeeping isn't the easy task so many believe it to be...hmm...) I'm tired of feeling really incompetent that I have a Master's degree, and speak two languages, but can't even make my own housework schedule work! All I want is some June Cleaver-inspired guidance that will assist me in achieving my goal of the Leave it to Beaver house...is that really too much to ask?

Easy at-home facials!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and got to enjoy the sunshine like I did.  I'm so eager for spring and summer, I can hardly wait!

We women do almost anything for the sake of beauty!

We women for centuries have been known to do and try almost anything for the sake of beauty.  Fortunately, there are some very effective treatments that we can do at home, and chances are you already have these "special" ingredients on-hand! Today, I am sharing with you some of the information concerning at-home facials from my favorite vintage beauty book, Westmore Beauty Book -- A Complete 1950s Guide to Vintage Makeup, Hairstyling and Beauty Techniques. I have tried several of them myself, and been very pleased with the results, so I thought I would share them with you.  I am paraphrasing the information contained on "complexion beautifiers" and "face packs for stimulating, tightening, beautifying" from chapter nine.

Egg pack for refining coarse skin:  Beat one egg white and apply it to skin, patting in well. Now apply cleansing over the pack and massage.  Remove, and apply a nourishing cream in an upward and outward rotating motion. After removing this, swipe the face with witch hazel.  Now apply the beaten egg yolk onto face and allow to dry.  Remove with towel soaked in tepid water.  Follow with a freshener.  Do this at least once a week--more often if desired.

*When I do this, I set the egg out in advance to warm to room temperature, just so the application is more comfortable.  Also, I like to apply the egg with a pastry brush as it seems to work more efficiently than by fingers alone.  When the egg yolk dries on your face, it will really turn into a hardened mask.  You may need to splash warm water onto your face in order to soften this up a bit before removing with a towel.

Honey facial:  This facial will have a stimulating, tightening, refining and possibly bleaching effect. It may be used on any skin type. Massage a cleanser on skin, then remove. Apply one tablespoon of honey to skin, taking care around the delicate eye area. Then place fingers onto skin, and pull away briskly, using the stickiness of the honey to stimulate facial circulation. Continue this for three to five minutes.  Allow honey to remain on face for 15-20 minutes more.  Skin should feel taut. Press a hot, moist towel over face to remove honey.  Follow with a towel dipped in ice water, then use a skin freshener.  Do this as often as you like.

Buttermilk (on right) is thicker and
richer than "sweet" milk.

Buttermilk facial: This facial may be used on all skin types. Use a powdered buttermilk and mix with enough water or milk to form a smooth paste.  Cleanse the skin, then apply buttermilk emulsion.  Do two applications, but do not apply too thickly.  Apply extra quantities to oily or sagging regions of the face.  Do not get into eyes, but protect and relax them with cotton pads saturated in witch hazel.  Relax for about 10-15 minutes, (leaving on longer for very oily skin) and then remove by using a soft towel dipped in tepid water.  After removing emollient, apply a lubricating cream, massage into face and remove.  Then apply a skin freshener.  If facial is done at night, leave lubricating cream on overnight. 

*I never keep powdered buttermilk, but I always have buttermilk on-hand for baking.  I have used this and feel that it is very effective.  I like being efficient, and using things I already have, so I doubt I'll be purchasing powdered milk for the sole purpose of using it for this facial treatment.  It is thinner than the would-be paste, but perhaps with some experimenting, you could turn the buttermilk into a paste (i.e. add flour, cornstarch, etc.).

Enjoy! (If you try them, let me know how they turn out for you!)