A snowy day

I've been busy thrifting and stocking my Etsy store, so those of you starting the hunt for Viva, head on over and check it out! If you see something you like, enter coupon code PIT20OFF for 20% off your purchase!

I have a whole bunch of neat purchases to show you, but I'll save those for Thursday.

In the meantime, enjoy these photos of my daughter, aka "Mini-me", walking in the snow. We just got a dusting yesterday, but she wanted to go outside and play in it. She was enjoying making tracks through the yard. I think this sequence of photos captures that perfectly:

Make-it-from-scratch Monday: Party Chicken (A Retro Casserole)

Hi all, I know I haven't done a recipe Monday in a while, so here goes! And this is probably not the best one to try if you're one of those people with a New Year's resolution to lose weight or reduce your cholesterol. On the other hand, it is easy and delicious, and good for serving at a potluck or covered dish dinner (hence the name). It's a nice warm casserole for a snowy day at home, as well. The prep time is minimal, and it cooks in a slow oven, so there's very little work involved (my favorite!)

This recipe has been in my family for some time; it was always a favorite of ours when we went to visit my grandmother. (And my grandmother lived until she was 89, so eating this regularly didn't appear to have any ill effects on her!) 

Party Chicken

8 pcs boneless chicken breast- tenders work well

4 slices bacon, uncooked and cut in half

4 oz. dried beef (chipped)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 pt sour cream

Cover bottom of large greased baking dish with the dried beef.

I'm not sure how easy it is to find dried beef outside of Pennsylvania, so you could substitute some very dry ham, like proscuitto, or even dry-cured salami. We make our own dried "beef" from a leg of venison.

I'm using my very favorite enamel ware pan- nothing sticks to it, ever. (I tried to fit it all in a Pyrex 2 qt baker, but it was too tight.)

Lay pieces of chicken on top. I used two whole breasts, and cut them in half lengthwise (butterflied). You could cut them up even more to get smaller portions, too.

Place 1 piece of bacon on each piece of chicken. I didn't have any uncooked bacon, so I used ham. My husband is an old-fashioned butcher and makes all our ham, so I chose a nice marbled piece for this.

Mix together soup and sour cream, spoon over chicken. Try not to think about your arteries.

Bake for 2 hours at 275, uncovered. Serve with a spinach salad and brown rice to absorb all that cholesterol! Enjoy!

2012 Resolutions

Have I mentioned before how much I dislike the idea of making resolutions? Nothing like starting a brand new year by setting yourself up for failure! That said, I am a big believer in self-improvement, and I do have some lifestyle changes I try to implement throughout the year (every year). I suppose this is like a New Year's resolution in the fact that I reflect on things I can do better, but I specifically refrain from setting objectives to be reached. After all, if I resolve to lose 20 pounds and only lose 5, I have failed to reach my objective. Let's call it a goal to make healthier choices and perhaps that will be easier to stick to.

And I always seem to make the same "resolutions": to dress better, and to get rid of clutter, year after year. Well, I am happy to report that I have made great strides toward the latter, mainly by opening my Etsy store. I have sold some things I don't need, and at least the rest of it is inventoried and packed safely away, waiting for its buyer to come along. I am also thinking about opening a stall in a local antiques mall, which would allow me to unload some of the larger items I've accumulated.

After all, even if I couldn't resist these MCM lamps for $3 at an estate sale this summer, I can call it inventory, not hoarding!

As far as dressing better, I think my occasional Sunday outfit posts helped, and I do wear a lot of vintage dresses in warm weather, but during the colder months there is a lot of room for improvement! And for someone who claims to be a dealer in vintage clothing, that's an area I desperately need to improve!

I also checked a couple of items off my long-term "to-do" list. I finally acquired my vintage stove, a 1950 Westinghouse double oven range. As I write this, my husband is downstairs re-wiring the burners. I had started that job, but he soon took it over after watching my slow progress for a couple of weeks- it's great of him to take it on! I hope to have it up and running again in the next few months. (A new post on that to come soon!)

Obviously this is not my kitchen....

I also finished some wood working projects which had been waiting for years. I finally re-finished my dad's old coffee table and gave it an MCM makeover with hairpin legs. 

And I finished my TV-quarium (TM), a project I had been thinking of for at least 7 years. I was very pleased with how these projects turned out and it helped me get back in touch with my "handy" side, something I had all but given over to my husband years ago.

I also started a sister site, the1930sproject, as a serious study in living a Depression-era lifestyle. Hop on over and check it out!

So here's to 2012, may it bring us happiness!

The 1930s Project

I've been kicking around an idea here for a couple of years, and perhaps by making an official announcement  on this blog I can jump start it. Please join me for the adventure!

I have always been fascinated by the 1930s. Ever since I discovered big band swing in 7th grade I have been enthralled by the Art Deco era. All of it- the history, politics, and economics as well as the lighter side of entertainment, fashion and culture. Seriously studying the 1930s has been my avocation since I was in college. Even as an undergrad music major, I spent far more time with Paul Hindemith and Weimar Germany than I did with many of my friends. As a graduate student, I focused on early 20th Century material culture- the artifacts of technology, transportation and manufacturing from the period. And while I may know a lot of facts, I have always felt that I was missing the experience portion of the equation.

I have always wanted to know what it would have been like to truly live during the 1930s. I would like to do an  experiment in which I put aside most of our modern conveniences and live as a Depression-era housewife. Of course, I do have a family and their needs will have to be accounted for, but I will try to do my best to accomplish all of this in as authentic a way as possible.

Perhaps some of you have had similar thoughts. For some reason I haven't talked about it a whole lot on this blog, partly because most of my readers are into the 1950s. And while I like that time period, I have never really felt the pull to live it like I have with the 1930s-early 40s era. I am also aware that there are other people who do this as a lifestyle (some of whom are my good friends) and have been doing so for years. I admire that and I am by no means considering myself an expert on this- I just want to see if I can do it for myself!

So I am announcing the start of this project in which I live as a 1930s housewife for two weeks in August of 2012. The adventure will start with background posts leading up to it at my other blog:

http://the1930sproject.wordpress.com/

Or you can join me facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The1930sproject/


See you later, gator!

Thrifted Thursday: Pyrex and FireKing

I hope all of you have had a very happy Holiday season and wish everyone a happy New Year!  I got some much needed items, and of course, the kids had quite a haul.

Presents are great, but as you know, nothing makes me happier than thrifting, and getting a deal on something I collect!

Since the kids are off of school this week, I can relax my schedule a bit and get to those places I don't normally frequent because of time or distance. Today I went to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, ostensibly to look for new bathroom sconces for our cabin. Of course, none of those there were right; it was two big shelves of hideous brass and glass fixtures, just like the ones I want to get rid of! But I did browse through the household goods and came back with a couple scores:

I found this Butterprint 442 (1.5 qt.) Cinderella bowl in great condition, for my set for $3. I now have 3 of the 4 - just need the 443 to finish it!

I also couldn't resist these FireKing beauties. I don't collect this pattern (yet!) and don't even know its name, but I adore it! The handpainted flowers are lovely, and the whole set was only $5. It's a big 2 qt. baker, one cereal bowl, two handled ramekins and three tiny custard cups. They don't appear to ever have been used; I wonder what happened to their mates? I can definitely see collecting this one becoming my next obsession!

Thrifty finds

I've been doing a bit of thrifting lately, buying a bunch of stuff for my Etsy store. Of course, one of the hidden costs of having a vintage store is that you inevitably come across stuff you can't bear to part with and end up keeping. I don't know the technical term for that, but it eats into the profit margin for sure! These are the things I'm keeping as a Christmas present to myself, and who doesn't need a little of that? :)

Perhaps it's a backlash from the recent trend, but I am finding a lot of Pyrex here lately. There have been some really great pieces out there at bargain prices. I snagged this 1.5 qt covered dish for $4.50, and the price tag said "as is"! I am still trying to figure out what was supposedly wrong with it- there are no chips anywhere and it is pristine. I am being pretty good and only allowing myself to collect Butterprint or Primary, or else I would have a houseful! I even left a couple Butterprint round casseroles behind, because they looked like they had been through the dishwasher. I may even use this dish tonight for a recipe I will be posting next Monday; bringing back "Make-it-from-scratch Monday". Stay tuned!

Longtime readers may remember that my 7 yr old son collects these souvenir wooden wall plaques from state parks. I haven't found any in ages, and he has been getting a little down about ever finding any (like kids can be, LOL) but did find this one last week. This is not as vintage as some of the ones we already have- it's metallic foil- but he will love it. (We saw some bald eagles this summer while fishing on the Susquehanna River.) I am going to let my daughter wrap it up for him for Christmas. I was a bit shocked at the price- $8.50, WTF?- but what the hey, 'tis the season to overspend!

Speaking of which, you can see some of the rest of his collection below:

I found a better vintage lampshade for his atomic starburst lamp. Still not 100% sure this is right, but it's a lot better than what we had before! 

That shade actually came off of this lamp, which I bought for my daughter's nightstand at our cabin. I'm trying to get a little shabby cottage-y thing going for her up there (the polar opposite of my MIL's style who also lives there, hehe) and this will be so much more appropriate than the fussy super-traditional brass stuff she has now. I want to find a frilly shade for this- I know exactly what I want, just got to find it!

The best find of the last couple of weeks, however, was this: 

It's a 1930s 2 piece skirt and top set. Made of taffeta with ruffled detail and cute little brass buttons. I was originally planning to put it in the shop, but after I measured it, it was close enough that I could conceivably wear it.                   

After I lose about 10 pounds.                         

It will happen. I just needed the motivation and this is it!

'Tis the Season of Giving- and we have a Giveaway Winner!!!!

Let's not forget the spirit of the holidays and remember to give a little back to our community. My cousin lives out in LA and is involved in a church program to send Recovery Bibles to inmates in prison. If you are looking for a way to give this season, why not look into this program and donate (PayPal accepted) if you can:
http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Unintended-Mission?a=338770

And since we all love to get as well as give, we have a winner in the Pyrex giveaway! According to random.org, which drew #3 (I'm sorry, I tried to do a screen grab and failed miserably...), our winner is Miss Dollie DeVille! Dollie, send your address to practiceintime (at) gmail (dot) com and I will carefully pack and ship your prize! Three cheers for our winner!