When I tell people about my homemaking, they always say I'm so 'old timey'. I don't mind.
I make most of my food from scratch, I bake all of my own bread, I rarely eat out, I soak all my whites at least 24 hrs before laundering them,
I use borax to clean, I use dish rags to wipe and clean everything, I hand wash and hang to dry all my lady things,
and I've recently prefected my from scratch vegan lemon squares. Delish.
So when I saw this picture of Lynn Massman from Shorpy a few months ago, the kitchen shelf behind her reminded me of my own.
Granted mine is more modern, but like hers, mine houses all my most used pots and my fruit, when I have it. I even place my soaking buckets for my whites there when I have laundry due. Keeping organized like that helps me save time.
Even finished reorganizing my fabric closet in the hallway of my apartment. I categorized all the fabrics by size then by fiber content.
Before and after.
Now I can actually see what I have and not over buy or be surprised at what I find when I dig in there. I don't have a family living with me. Well, a human family. But I still like keeping the place ship shape and doing what needs to be done without a lot of super modern convinces.
I love the ingenuity and cleverness of the Golden Era. Sure some people had more than others, but even so, there was always a way to stretch something a bit more. Always tips to make something last or make something out of nothing. That's what I like so much about this book.
The book has 18 sections filled with tips on how to save on everything from clothing to home ownership to plumbing to you name it! So here go a few kitchen related ones that I thought we can still use today. Enjoy!
I love household hints!
ReplyDeleteWe don't have the problem here of brown sugar drying out here because it's so humid, but we do put rice grains in the saltshaker to keep the salt from clumping. Also, shampoo is great for pre-treating to remove grease spots and ring-around-the-collar in shirts (since shampoo is intended to remove oils, anyway, right?).
I loved this post. I am working on simplifying my life. We are in the process of a move and I am doing my darndest to get rid or give away all non-essential items. I am very sentimental so this is a challenge for me. Thanks for all the tips.
ReplyDeleteYou are my hero(ine)! I would love to be more like this! I actually am, in my head, anyway. We try to cook more than eat out, and have started growing some of our own food and may actually move so we can do more of it. I like the idea of being self-sufficient and doing a bit of work rather than just having it handed to me. Love the old timey tips! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool post!! Thanks so much for sharing all this and all the lovely pictures :)
ReplyDeleteI love this post. Why and how do you soak your whites? I can't use bleach, my skin is sensitive, and whites just don't stay white. I have stopped purchasing white garments and under clothes.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone! :)
ReplyDeleteI soak my whites in hot tap water and 2 heaping scoops of oxi clean for 24-48 hours prior to laundering. I dont use bleach as it can shorten the life of a fabric. Its the best thing Ive ever done for my laundry. Gets everything so nice and white!
If you really want pretty cucumbers, peel them with an orange zester (the kind that has a single wide spaced row of teeth or grater holes, and kind of looks like a fork) Leave thin strips of alternating green and white, then slice as usual.
ReplyDeleteYou are a woman after my own heart!
ReplyDeleteVegan lemon squares?! I would love it if you would be so kind as to share the recipe. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, tip 85 (running a fork down the cucumber) is something my family's always done. Good to know simple things like that are still done!
Sure thing dotted lines! Ill do a baking post this month :)
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