Modern Retro Woman

Editorial note: When one person complained about the plaid background making it hard to read the text, after some trouble-shooting, we decided that it was her monitor preventing the white background in the text area from showing up.  But when another person recently complained, I wondered how many others were having the same trouble and just never said anything.  I don’t know how to change the settings to get rid of the plaid so I will either have to install a new template/background or figure out how to get rid of it.  In the meantime, I’ve installed an older background that has some issues but is easier to read.  I apologize to those of you who’ve suffered through the plaid!

Chapter 1: The Well-Fed Family~ General Discussion

At the start of Chapter 1, we are told to pretend that we are visiting a home economics class where the students are pretending that they have invited their friends over for a Sunday supper and are rating menu options.   The first and last menus are ranked equally high, Menu II comes next followed by Menu II and IV.

Questions from the book: Do you agree with the class’  rankings?  Which one of these menus would you serve on a winter Sunday evening?  A summer Sunday evening?

The girls in the home ec class set up certain standards which would apply to entertaining.  We’ll go over the standards they came up with in the next post but I am curious as to what you might set as standards in your own home.

Apparently, lettuce sandwiches–sandwiches made with bread, butter or mayonnaise, and lettuce, were served at fine luncheons and were a hit with young people.  I guess this is isn’t as outlandish as it sounds since cucumber sandwiches aren’t really that far removed from a lettuce sandwich.  Truthfully, I had never heard of such a thing but it makes absolute sense.  How many of us add lettuce to our meat-filled sandwiches?

From what I can gather, Banbury tarts are an old-English Christmas-time treat filled with raisins or currants.  If anyone has more information about them, please share!

The more I read about “mid-century food,”  the more I realize how we’ve been influenced by the food industry regarding what we think of as “regular food.”

I spent the majority of my undergraduate college years living at home.  One day, I was talking to my grandfather while he was working in his woodshop behind our house.  I’m sure I was whining and moaning and complaining about my homework to him when he just quietly said, “Do the hardest thing first and then everything else will be easier.”

I didn’t understand him (a little slow on the uptake…I wanted enabling with my whining and he was giving me wisdom!).  He then patiently explained that if I do the hardest task first and get it out of the way, everything else will seem easy in comparison.

I wish I could say that I always follow his advice.  But I can be the Queen of Procrastination if there is a task I don’t want to do.  In graduate school, my whole apartment would get cleaned–spotless–in an effort to avoid writing a major paper.  I would tell My Honey that I was letting the information percolate in my mind as I cleaned.

Psychologist David Premack developed the Premack Principle.  This principle can be summarized as “the Grandma rule:”  First you do what I want you to do and then you can do what you want to do.  I’m sure many lima beans (*shudder*) have been eaten because of the Premack Principle.  We can use this principle on ourselves, too.  I set my timer for 45 minutes.  The timer keeps me focused because I know that at the end of those 45 minutes, I will get to go online  or read or do something I enjoy for 15 minutes.  Of course, when all of my tasks are completed, I then basically have the rest of the day to do what I enjoy doing.

As homemakers, it is easy to put off cleaning that bathroom because of all of the other things with seemingly equal importance that need to be done.  But, we clean the bathroom because we prefer it to the alternative.  And, when we get that kind of stuff out of the way first, it makes the day go by a lot easier because we don’t have it hanging over our heads.

It takes self-discipline at the beginning but the outcome makes it completely worthwhile.  Do the hardest thing first, everything else will seem easy in comparison, and then do what we want to do as a reward for our hard work.

Years ago when one of the authors of this book took a course in psychology, the teacher said that no one ever did anything in this world that he did want to do and I challenged it.

“What,” said I, “you mean that I wash dishes because I want to do it?  You mean I get up at seven because I want to do so?  You mean I study late on a grand moonlight evening because I want to do that?  Oh no.”

We argued for a long time.  Almost, he made me see his side.  In the examination the question was asked, “How many times do we do the things we want to do?”  I wrote–you see I was beginning to be persuaded–”In ninety-nine cases out of one hundred.”  He drew the blue pencil through “ninety-nine cases out of” and let the sentence read “In one hundred cases.”

I agree with him now.  That does not mean I am siding with him because both he and I have been, or are, teachers.  But because I finally see his meaning.  We do everything because it, or something which follows in its train, gives us the result we want.  I wash dishes, not because I want to wash them, but because I want a clean kitchen.  To have that I must get the dishes out of the way.  I get up in the morning, not because I want to do so, but because I don’t want to be late to the office or school.  Not being late is something I really desire, so I do the things which will make me on time.  I study, not because I want to study, but because I want to pass in the examinations, or I want to graduate, or I want to show the boys that girls are good scholars.  I do the lesser things because I have a larger end in view.  And so I say, “In one hundred cases we do the things we want to do.”

You want to be a pleasing person, a delightful hostess, a jolly companion, a girl who can lead in athletics or games or what not.  To accomplish that big purpose you need ot know the lesser things you must do.

This book is devoted to ways and means of doing the lesser things so that you, yourself, make yourself the woman who is your ideal (emphasis added).  That’s a big task.  More power to you.

Pages 5-6, The Home Economics Omnibus

Instant gratification and having a good time is the name of the game in our culture.  Don’t have the money to buy that top in every color?  That’s okay, open a charge account today and you’ll save 10% on your entire purchase (because we know you probably won’t notice we charge 20% interest rate)!  Don’t want to wait until you are home to check your email?  That’s okay, sign up for this wireless plan and you can check your email and surf the web while having dinner with the in-laws!  Want to be turned on by your car?  Then buy this make and model.  And so it goes.

But the wise homemaker knows that sometimes getting to the desired outcome requires lots of little steps that aren’t so fun.  As I’ve mentioned previously, I decided to take a pattern making through draping class during the winter term (I do not recommend doing this).  Very, very late one night, as I was still sitting at my sewing machine and fighting back tears of frustration, my husband put his hand on my shoulder but knew better than to ask if I was still having fun in the class.  I looked up at him and said, “Not all parts are fun but the outcome makes it worth it.”

What are some things that we do that aren’t fun but the outcome makes it worthwhile?

The title comes from the line in the book right before the passage I quoted above.  What do you think it means?

In the next post, I will discuss the Premack Principle.

Washington circa 1920. "Home Economics Section." A test kitchen at the Department of Agriculture, Courtesy of Shorpy.com

“Isn’t being quite grown up exciting?”

And thus we are introduced to the magnificent world of home economics in 1935.  Over the holidays (that seem like an eternity ago, now!), I ordered a copy of The Home Economics Omnibus by Florence LaGanke Harris and Hazel H. Huston (printed in 1938, copyrighted in 1935, with illustrations, available at various online use book sellers for anywhere between $7  and $20).

In addition to writing about a bazillion cookbooks–including a wartime one–Florence LaGanke Harris, Director of Women’s Activities, Building Arts Exhibit, Inc., Cleveland, was also the author of the Nancy Page Club syndicated newspaper column that eventually introduced 27 quilt patterns to rural readers.

Dr. Hazel H. Huston, later Price, was a professor of home economics at Ohio State University.  She appears to have had a more traditional academic profession–teaching, conducting research, and publishing articles and books.

In the introduction to teachers, Mrs. Harris and Dr. Huston tell us that they wrote the omnibus as a two year curriculum as a means of saving schools money because only one textbook would be needed.  They continue by noting that

“all seven divisions of the standard home-economics set-up are included here–

1. foods and nutrition
2. clothing
3. houseplanning and furnishing
4. home management
5. child care and development
6. health, and
7. family and other social relationships

The text is geared to center on a girl’s life, so the boring names for the different phases have been changed to

Foods and Nutrition–” The Well Fed Family”

Clothing –”The Well-Dressed Girl”

Houseplanning and Furnishing–”The Well-Planned and Furnished Home”

Home Management–”The Well-Managed Home”

Child Care and Development–”The Well-Cared-For Child”

Health–”The Well-Being of the Individual”

Family and Social Relationships –”The Well-Bred Girl and Her Social Relationships”

If you are able to, I encourage you to get your hands on a copy of the Omnibus.  It is not stretching it to say that many mid-century homemakers probably used this textbook when they were studying home economics in high school.  Because so many readers have asked for books on how to be a “50’s housewife,” I thought we’d spend a good deal of time exploring this textbook.  In addition to the comments to the posts, we can also continue the conversation at the Modern Retro Woman’s Facebook discussion section.  (I apologize for the late announcement–my grandfather’s passing kind of threw things for a loop and I realized just now that I forgot to give you guys advanced warning of my plans).

Since the first section is on “The Well-Fed Family,” we will be able to continue our discussion of healthy meal planning from that era.

I was talking to one of my Preparing Future Faculty students, Holly, the other day before all of the other students arrived about my non-higher education life and the joy it brings me to “teach” about being a modern retro woman in a non-traditional format.  Holly is a grandmother and pointed out to me that so many of her granddaughters’ friends seem like they don’t even know how to boil water.  I know Ann has said on more than one occasion that she doesn’t feel confident in her cooking skills.

Well, you’ll be glad to know that this textbook starts us out at the very beginning.  The first recipes that students are allowed to try during “laboratory” are for beverages.  In a roundabout way, students gained confidence in boiling water but the boiled water also provides an enjoyable outcome.

One final note before I end today’s post is the recognition by the textbook that a homemaker was not a uni-dimensional servant to the family members.  Her actions, decisions, and attitudes had an impact on the well-being of the entire family.  Unlike famous “housewives” on television today, she was able to use her smarts and her creativity to create a welcoming and loving home.

I’m looking forward to exploring this textbook with you!

We live in a culture of over-stimulation.  Or, should I call it hyper-stimulation?  I began thinking about this while I was standing in line at the bank.  In addition to the usual late Friday afternoon busy-ness, there was a big screen television tuned to CNN mounted from the ceiling so that we could watch it while we waited the three minutes for our turn at the teller window, there was upbeat music playing in the background, and, of course, cell-phones ringing and people talking (shouting?) into them.

At the local Albertsons grocery store, televisions have been installed to “enhance the shopping experience for customers.” There are televisions in the produce section telling us what to do with the produce, there are televisions in the meat department telling us what to do with the franken-meat, there are televisions at every check-out aisle reminding us that we haven’t spent enough money and to get out of line and get more stuff!

I live in Los Angeles where there is an ongoing battle between City Hall (after intense nudging by citizen groups) and outdoor advertising companies.  There are illegal billboards all over the place…including ads that have “moving displays” and vinyl “super graphic” ads covering entire multi-story buildings.

I can’t just go out to a quiet dinner with my husband anymore.  No, my meal has to be fun and entertaining!

I can’t just drive down the street.  No.  Now my car is supposed to turn me on when I turn it on.

And the list goes on (including how my new range has to beep at me when I turn it on or off or set a temperature or…–how did I EVER cook before without all of that beeping?)

As modern retro women, we should be very concerned about this hyper-stimulation because it causes sensory overload which leads to increased levels of stress,  feelings of overwhelm and simply being burned out. Some even believe it leads to adrenal exhaustion (but there isn’t any convincing evidence of it, yet).   And when we are in this state, our ability to focus and interact with others is greatly reduced.   Ironically, many of us retreat into technology that provides over-stimulation–which produces the level of adrenaline we are used to having– while shutting out the outside world.

The first step is to be aware of how much stimulation is being shoved into our minds and bodies.  Because we become habituated to the stimulation, we stop recognizing it as a source of our stress and overwhelm.  Once we are aware, we can start taking control of our own minds again by reducing the stimulation.  For my husband and me, that meant deciding to unplug the television from the outside world.  It meant no longer participating in the “instant news cycle” of the internet and relying on the newspaper for most of our news instead (the instant news cycle has a tendency to make everything seem hyper-important…there’s a lot of non-news being thrown at us as being urgent).  It means we exercise by walking in parks instead of going to a “fitness center.”  It means that we try to disengage from what our culture says we have to do and be mindful of what we believe is right for us.

What are some other examples of over or hyper-stimulation that our grandmothers didn’t have to deal with?  What are other examples of how can counteract the negative impact of that overload?

I want to thank everyone for their kind words and support since the death of my grandfather.  Since he was in the process of moving to an assisted care facility, his apartment lease was up (and you know the waiting list for his retirement community apartment was rather long) and we spent the weekend clearing out the apartment and taking care of other arrangements.  His service is on Saturday.

Before my life was put on hold because of my winter term class, we were exploring meal planning from the mid-20th century.  During my research on the topic, I came across an article from Boston College’s Spring, 2007, issue of Elements written by Jessica J. Flinn. In World War II Cookbooks: Rationing, Nutrition, Patriotism, and the Citizen Consumer in the United States and Great Britain, Ms. Flinn points out that cookbooks produced during The War equated healthy eating with patriotism.  She continues by pointing out that the Office of Defense Health and Welfare Services encouraged citizens to follow “Uncle Sam’s Rules–Every day, eat this way.”  Joanne Lamb Hayes, in her book Grandma’s Wartime Kitchen: World War II and the Way We Cooked, notes that there were eight food groups at the start of the war–eggs being their own category–but it was pared down to the Basic Seven by 1943.

What was most interesting to me as I explored this topic was that, even though food was rationed, overall health improved because everyone had “their fare share” of nutritious foods.  Looking over the list, of rationed foods–sugar, coffee, processed foods, meats, canned fish, cheese, canned milk, and fats (such as bacon)–it is easy to see why overall health improved.  Sugar–now linked with all sorts of health issues including heart disease–was the first food to be rationed.  Victory Gardens provided anywhere from 30-40% of a family’s food.  Soy beans, peanut butter, and evaporated milk were used as protein and meal extenders.  White flour was replaced with whole grains.

In 2004, The Guardian reported on the results of a study led by nutritionist Amanda Ursell and home economist/food writer Marguerite Patten for a television show.  In the study, children were fed a diet similar to a ration diet that Ms. Patten had helped create when she was an adviser to the Ministry of Food during The War.  The results were amazing–children grew taller without gaining weight, they were less hungry, and they were able to concentrate on their schoolwork.  Although most people interviewed for the various iterations of the story said it was unlikely that we could go back to that kind of diet, they did note that we could probably learn a lesson or two from it–consume less sugar and processed foods and eat more homegrown produce.

Interesting (to me) tidbit: Since starting this series, I’ve reduced the amount of sugar and white flour that we(I) eat.  There was a time when “the whites” were like a drug to me and I’d go through about 5 pounds of sugar per month.  Since trying to eat The Basic Seven every day, my cravings for sugar and processed foods in general (alas…not chocolate, though) has gone way down.

Henry Lee Royer, 1913-2010

My maternal grandfather died a couple of hours ago. He was 96 years old and had escaped from death’s door many, many times (including the time he and a cobra stared each other down when he was in India during WWII). He lived a full life and literally danced like no one was looking (he was quite popular with the ladies because he loved dancing so much).

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that people are unsure of how to act around those in mourning.   My default is to send a copy of the How to Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies book by Therese Rando.  It helped me immensely when my father died and am always gratified to find out that it has helped others, too.

Being a researcher/academic/geek,  my method of processing my grandfather’s death is to explore what the etiquette books say about mourning.  Lillian Eicher Watson (1948) says that a close relative–not several relatives–should take charge and be given full responsibility to avoid confusion and pain.  This person is responsible for seeing that the family’s privacy is respected and to take care of all of the “unhappy details of arrangement.”  This person is also responsible for making sure relatives and friends are notified and “that the funeral ceremony is carried out in strict accordance with the family’s wishes.”

In 1948, intimate relatives and friends were notified by telephone or telegraph.  Although we don’t have telegrams any more, I somehow don’t think sending an email to those closest to the person who died is appropriate.  And, as we saw when Johnson and Johnson heiress Casey Johnson died in January, making an announcement via Twitter is really considered in bad taste by just about everyone.  For others, the news was to be made via a paid announcement in the paper.  Unfortunately, I doubt most people read the obituaries in printed papers anymore.  I think this may be where a discreet email announcement could be sent on behalf of the family.  The key, though, is that those closest to the family should know about the death before the email announcement is sent.  I was appalled, last week, when I read on MSNBC.com that they were withholding the name of the Olympic athlete who died in that terrible accident because his family hadn’t been notified.  Well, hello!  Every other detail about him had been given.  How would I feel if I found out about my family member’s death that way!?

Mrs. Watson goes on to describe that friends and neighbors should leave cards and fruit baskets at the door but should not expect to be invited into the home.  Indeed, she describes different colored crepe or ribbon streamers that should be hung on the door to indicate that there has been a death and that people should not intrude.  I’m not sure how I feel about this, to tell you the truth.  One thing that has always impressed me about church deaconesses is their ability to organize the church community to deliver casseroles, Jello salads, and hams when a member of the community is grieving.  I joke that I’d never seen so much green Jello as I did after each of the deaths of my paternal grandparents and my father.  But I’ll tell you what, I was grateful for the generosity of spirit each of those salads symbolized.  That food reassured me that there were others that understood the pain, they couldn’t make it go away, but at least I wouldn’t have to worry about how people were going to be fed.

Mrs. Watson ends the chapter describing how old traditions about mourning have been eliminated and that people should return to normal activities when they are comfortable.  I think it is a shame that a standard period of mourning has been lost and I think this may be why people are unsure about how to behave around someone grieving.  When we knew that the grieving period was for a year, we weren’t trying to “force” people back into “normal” activities before they were ready.  The grieving process often lasts longer than a year but the intensity of the grief starts to subside after all of the “firsts” have happened (first birthday, anniversary, holiday, etc.).

My grandfather was the Energizer Bunny.  Seven years ago, his doctor told my mother that my grandfather’s life would be ending within weeks.  Several times over the ensuing years, the doctors told my mother that his passing was imminent and then he would be up and about within a matter of days.  Truthfully, when he was hospitalized earlier this week, we all just assumed he would be out again by next week.

Rest in Peace, Granddaddy.

Henry Lee Royer, 1913-2010

Last Saturday I was feeling really, really, really, really blue and frustrated.  Did I mention I felt really, really, really blue and frustrated?  Really, I was. You see, I was feeling overwhelmed by my final project for my Patternmaking by Draping Winter Session course.  I knew the course would be intense, but I had absolutely no idea how intense and time consuming it was going to be.  It seemed like everything in my life was put on hold while I struggled to complete the course while holding onto some of my sanity.  A teeny-tiny bit of sanity would suffice.  Needless to say,  I was grateful for a well-stocked freezer because we took advantage of it almost every night.

Part of that time consumption was my own fault.  Being the over achiever that I am, I had to taken a simple final project and turn it into something much more complicated.  By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late to start over.

So there I was sewing my final project on Saturday, exhausted and wanting to sleep, and trying to stop the tears so that I could see what I was doing.  The bright spot in my day was that I knew I’d have two new loaves of homemade bread by the end of it.

And then it happened.  I went to check on how the bread was doing and discovered that it was flowing over the pan.  I had waited too long.  In that moment, I felt like the doughy goo oozing down the side and onto the counter was a metaphor for my life and I just crumbled into the nearest kitchen chair.

But I have the DNA of women who faced greater difficulties than exhaustion from taking a class and bread that had turned into a doughy mess.  And I called upon my pioneering ancestors and managed to pull myself together and salvage the bread before getting back to work on my project.

Over dinner, I was sharing the story of the overflowing bread dough with My Honey.  He had a different take on the metaphor.  He said that the overflowing bread showed that I was embracing life and stretching my boundaries beyond my comfort zone and that things don’t always go perfectly in the process.

Yet another example of why I love that man.

Oatmeal Bread (Adapted for bread machine kneading and rising from Your Share by Betty Crocker, 1943)

Combine the following ingredients:

Stir until smooth then cool until lukewarm (about 1 hour).

Combine in order directed by your bread machine the following ingredients:

I finished my “Ode to Dior” project Tuesday morning.  I presented it to the class after lunch on Tuesday. The final examination for the course this morning and I could hardly wait to write to you all again.  I’ve missed you!

I’ve started a new ritual: Finish-Up Friday. The intention is that I’ll finish projects and tasks that are languishing. Since I’ve got too much stuff on my plate, my goal was to remove some tasks from it by finishing them up.  I was able to get a lot of sewing done yesterday and was eagerly looking forward to another amazingly productive day.  Alas, it was not as productive.  I’m having some trouble with my homework.  I’ll write about it over on Grandma’s Sewing Cabinet when I get it worked out.

The bright spot in the day, however, was dinner.  I know…it is sad when that is my highlight.  And the reason it was my highlight was because of how easily it went together thanks to the meal planning guides from both Betty Crocker and Better Homes & Garden. I simply plugged in food using the Betty Crocker chart, used the Better Home & Gardens list to give me ideas and this is the outcome:

Appetizer or Soup: Skipped

Meat and Potatoes: Braised chicken breasts and mashed potatoes with gravy (Groups 3 and 5)

Green or Yellow Vegetables: Green beans with butter  (Groups 1 and 7)

Salad (Raw Vegetable):  Cabbage and Carrots lightly mixed with mayo and sour cream (this satisfied Group 2 because we are out of citrus)

Fruit: Tropical blend, thawed (designed for smoothies), mixed with cottage cheese (Groups 3 and 4)

Bread and Butter: Skipped bread (Group 6) but had the butter on the beans.

Dessert: The fruit and cottage cheese provided enough sweetness that dessert wasn’t needed.

So, we had six out of the seven groups with dinner.  Because of the variety, dinner felt special even though it was very easy to prepare and we noticed that we could cut down on the serving sizes (I had only given us about 2 oz. each of the chicken).

Well, I managed to do it.  It is hard to admit but I think everyone has figured it out, already.  I put too much on my plate.  I went to the super buffet and loaded it up because I forgot that I could take seconds.  Each item on my plate brings me tremendous joy (most of the time) but the stuff loaded on the plate is spilling off of it and I’m beginning to have a mess to clean up.  Thankfully, I know that the biggest item on my plate–my winter-term class–will be over in just four more weeks (and then I will be in class three nights a week but the learning is spread out over 16 weeks instead of 6 intensive weeks).  I’m just wishing I had some Saran Wrap to help me hold everything together in the remaining four weeks!

One huge way to reduce stress, waste, and save money is to be an efficient food manager.  Anne mentioned Once a Month Cooking and asked if it was okay to do as a modern retro woman.  I say, “Absolutely!”  I have long been an advocate of “freezer cooking” as a way of saving time.  The great thing about it is that there are very few rules about how to “feed the freezer.”  My method simply calls for “encore meals” to be put into the freezer.  Since there are only two of us and most recipes serve 4+ people, I wrap up the leftovers into two serving size packages and stick them in the freezer.  With that simple trick, I have created my own frozen dinners without all of the salt, high-fructose-corn-syrup, and unpronounceable chemicals that manufacturers have to put into their boxed frankenfood.  I use canning jars (straight up and down, not ones with shoulders) and Pyrex storage containers for food storage in both the fridge and freezer.  Just be wise and don’t try to put hot foods in glass containers into a freezer, leave head space for expansion, and don’t put the container directly from the freezer into a hot oven.  Glass doesn’t like the sudden temperature change.

As you will see from this film from the mid-1950’s, homemakers have been feeding their freezer for a very long time.  I have a cookbooklet from Sears from 1962, entitled “How to Prepare Foods for Freezing.”  I have even seen some vintage cookbooks with little “freezer friendly” notations next to recipes.

I found this video about how to use plastic wrap (I learned in my textiles class that Saran really is considered a textile–it just isn’t woven like other fabrics).  It is about 20 minutes long and provides a few helpful tips–including how to wrap food for the freezer.

Click here to watch video if player doesn’t work