Modern Retro Woman » Things That Were

College Football Season!

Dr. Julie-Ann — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:01:21 +0000

My dad~ Dr. Ivan Mears in his early coaching years

My father played football for UCLA. Never in a game. He wasn’t quick and agile enough to actually make the intercollegiate team but he was on the practice team. His love of football was so profound that he was willing to go out every day and be pummelled so that the players could practice competing. There was no glory in what he did but they were some of his best memories. He then went on to be a coach for a bazillion years at a couple of small colleges and then at the high school where he was one of the founding faculty. After he retired, he could be found “reffing” for the local Pop Warner league.

Needless to say, football was really big in our house when I was growing up. I had the UCLA “Sons of Westwood” fight song ingrained in my head even before I started working there and would hear the marching band rehearse on the quad down the hill from my office (sadly, I have USC’s “Fight On” song ingrained in there, too, but my father did earn his doctorate from there, so I guess it’s okay…in fact, one of my fondest memories was when I went to the UCLA-USC game with my father when he was a student at USC and we were sitting in the USC student section secretly cheering for UCLA). In fact, I think I knew all football rules before the boys in my class understood them!

Since our small Christian high school didn’t have field lights, our home games were played on Saturdays. We attended every game that was logistically possible. My paternal grandparents did, too. My grandfather would stand on the sidelines with my father as he coached while my grandmother watched the game from their camper that was parked on a street that overlooked the field. Whenever we got hungry, or needed to get out of the hot sun, we would join her in the camper where she always had goodies for us–usually in the form of chili, hot dogs, chips, and dessert of some sort. It was her form of providing a tailgate meal for us.

Photo courtesy of Picnics & Tailgate Parties cookbook by Sunset Books (1982)

“Tailgating” has become big business and, unfortunately, has morphed in many instances into a license for drunken debauchery. But, it also provides a perfect venue for some retro pre-game fun. Chili, dogs, chips, dessert and beverages–like my grandmother fed us–provides a low-stress simple meal.

As with everything that is retro, living a technicolor life is all in the details. Don’t settle for the plastic geegaws masquerading as party supplies being sold at the local Target or Walmart. Use a real vintage stadium blanket for your tablecloth. Find some old school pennants to hang from the car’s antenna. Go to the NCAA College Football Fight Songs website and download all of your favorite fight songs to play in the background. To really put the final touch on your party, use real dishes and utensils instead of paper and plastic. I’ve seen melamine dinnerware at Target, KMart and online for reasonable prices. Use these in the colors of your favorite team and you’ve immediately become classier than everybody else without worrying about breakage.

Ken over at Shorpy.com has created a wonderful video showing what football looked like before the forward pass was allowed (they could do a lateral/sideways pass or toss it to someone behind them but they couldn’t use the pass that so dominates modern football). The photos and the videos also showed how closely football resembled rugby in its early days (note the leather helmets and limited padding). I also loved seeing the refs in suits rather than the striped uniforms. Those really were the “gridiron” days!

Click here to watch video on You Tube

(Hint: For full effect, click play and then enlarge the video to full screen by clicking the arrows icon in the corner of the player)

What are some of your retro-tailgating ideas or favorite football memories?

Oh, and go Bruins! Beat Kansas State!

Book Review: A Touch of Grace

Dr. Julie-Ann — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:04:45 +0000

Like many women, one of my all-time favorite actresses and style icons is Grace Kelly. Growing up, I only knew her as Princess Grace but I became interested in her pre-princess life when I moved to New Jersey and started teaching in Philadelphia.

A Touch of Grace: How to be a Princess, the Grace Kelly Way by Cindy De La Hoz is not really a biography about Princess Grace nor is it really a “how to” book on how to be a princess. It is, however, a photo album filled with favorite pictures (and some I hadn’t seen before) and words of wisdom taken from her life and generous use of quotes. The short passages provide a nice reminder of how a proper lady is expected to behave (using mid-century values and sensibilities).

It is a perfect book for those evenings when your brain doesn’t want to do any heavy lifting but you don’t want to zone out in front of the television. You will probably read it through in a couple of hours.

I give it a “thumbs up.”

Theatrical Thursday: Jack Paar Tries To Do a Polaroid Commercial

Dr. Julie-Ann — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:42:01 +0000

On July 29, 1957 Jack Paar began his stint as the host of the Tonight Show–changed to The Jack Paar Show–on NBC-TV. He was the host for five years. Mr. Paar’s version of The Tonight Show was very different than today’s. He preferred literary types over Hollywood stars trying to promote their latest movies. A factoid to toss out at your next cocktail party: While Paar did not originate the phrase “I kid you not,” his frequent use of it made it an American catchphrase.

In this clip, Jack Paar is trying to do a live commercial for Poloroid camera (click here for Pam’s recent blog posting about the new Poloroid camera on Go Retro!). A problem arises when Jerry Lewis decides to get into the act…

As always, click here if the player doesn’t work for you

View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

I loved Poloroid cameras and was excited when I read that they were coming out with the Pic 300. I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of the photo only being the size of a business card but after seeing a video review of it on Amazon, I might just add it to my wish list!

I Just Want an Old Fashioned Plum!

Dr. Julie-Ann — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:37:31 +0000

I had a heck of a time finding an old fashioned plum at the farmer’s market today. I didn’t want a pluot (75%plum/25%apricot)…nor a plum that tastes like an apple (I don’t remember what it was called but it had yellow-green mottled skin).

I finally found them: Santa Rosa plums. This breed of plums has been around for a little over 100 years. The ones I chose were small and juicy. Perfect!

Call me crazy but to my way of thinking, if I want a fruit that tastes like an apple, I’ll eat an apple. The same for an apricot.

Theatrical Thursday: Disneyland Dream Vacation (1956)

Dr. Julie-Ann — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:47:33 +0000

It is summertime and that means family vacations! During my childhood, that meant loading up the family station wagon and going camping. Later, after my grandparents bought a camper, we would use that instead. For my husband, he says they went on one family vacation that didn’t turn out so well with four young boys in the back seat of a Plymouth whining and fighting the entire time.

Fortunately for us, the Robbins Barstow family of Connecticut loved to camp and take home movies, too, from the early 1950s through the 1961 when they made it their quest to visit “all 48 states” (obviously, their adventure began before Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union). When Mr. Barstow was in his eighties, he decided to edit and narrate their adventures. The movies are too long to post here, but you can find them here and here if you are interested.

But their dream vacation happened in 1956 when they won a nationwide contest sponsored by 3M Corporation: A trip for a family of four to Disneyland, which had just opened the year before. They had a family of five, so the movie also shares how they made arrangements so that no one was left behind.

What I love about this old home movie is that there is no embarrassment in Mr. Barstow’s voice as he describes how they managed to stretch the $300 vacation budget so that they could ensure that they were having a good time.

Modern chuckle at myself: As I was watching the Barstow’s visit my “back yard,” I was amazed that they stayed in Pasadena instead of Anaheim. And then I remembered that at that time, Disneyland was out in the middle of nowhere. Even well into the 1960′s, the Matterhorn was the tallest structure around (aside from Anaheim stadium). They could have stayed at the Disneyland Hotel but it didn’t officially open until late summer in 1956–too late for the Barstow’s visit.

My husband and I also got a kick out of the matching jackets that Mrs. Barstow made for each family member. Maybe I’m a bit cynical, but I just can’t imagine a modern family doing it these days. Finally, I remember when entire neighborhoods would get together to send a family off on a “big vacation” like this. Shoot, my parents threw a graduation/bon voyage party for me when I graduated from high school and took a four-week student trip to Europe. Back then, it was a really big deal. Now my students and classmates talk about flying off to Europe for a long weekend!

This film is a little over 30 minutes long and worth the time simply for the nostalgic effect. An added bonus for this film is that in December 2008, “Disneyland Dream” was named to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Click here if the player does not work for you

Look What I Found: Hand Crank Breadmaster

Dr. Julie-Ann — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 03:40:35 +0000

About two months ago, my bread maker died. I’m not surprised. The poor motor couldn’t handle the heavy duty bread dough I was asking it to knead for me (notice I wasn’t going to knead it!). Since then, we’ve been making do with store-bought bread but it just isn’t the same. I know Wonder Bread was supposed to be a Really Big Deal because the bread was light and fluffy but we prefer whole wheat bread that has substance and is quite dense.

Today’s “Friday Find” truly IS a Friday find because I bought it this very morning at an estate/yard sale.

The Double H Breadmaster

The box for this had been half-kicked under a table and someone had dumped several thermoses on top of it (some people are so disrespectful when they go to these things–they just paw and toss stuff around). At first, I thought it was a pressure cooker and I almost didn’t look further because I already have one. Fortunately, the directions were within view so I took a look and just about died with excitement. Who ever heard of a hand-cranked bread machine??? And it is in near-mint condition! In its original box! But I walked away and looked at other stuff.

When My Honey and I were talking to one of the sons of the woman whose estate was for sale, we started talking about bread. He mentioned that his mother had six children and made a lot of bread. Okay, he had me right then and there. I knew I had to honor this woman by buying the gizmo that was still out in the yard. The son and I went out and inspected it and I told him he had a sale.

Essentially, it has a hook like you’d attach to a KitchenAid for kneading dough. Only it uses man-power instead of horsepower. According to the directions, you turn the crank for five minutes, let the dough rise, crank it some more and then divide it into fourths for the second rise and baking.

I looked online to see if I could find anything about The Breadmaster Corporation (Home of the Double HH Breadmaster) but I couldn’t find anything at all about it. If you know about it, please let me know!

At least with this bread machine, I know the motor won’t give out on me again!

Friday Find: Mid-Century Menu

Betty Crocker and Me — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 03:53:18 +0000

Retro Ruth's Mid-Century Menu experiment: Ham Banana Casserole; Photo courtesy of NoPatternRequired.com

As you know, I’m trying to encourage people to eat wholesome mid-century foods because I believe it is a healthier option all around.

But not all mid-century food is edible…and it might even be considered chemical warfare. Fortunately, we have a guide who will show us the way…

I first encountered Retro Ruth’s wonderful sense of humor on Twitter. And then I had a “duh!” moment and realized that the “No Pattern Required” blog that I had been enjoying was written by the very same Retro Ruth from Twitter!

While I’ve been running around collecting vintage cookbooks for serious cooking, Ruth has managed to unearth the quirkiest cookbooks that cause us to ponder “What WERE they thinking???” Luckily for us, Ruth has a long suffering husband who is willing to be the guinea pig for Ruth’s weekly Mid-Century Menu experiment where she tries out some of the more questionable recipes. This week’s experiment was a ham-banana casserole (smothered in mustard).

There was a dark side to mid-century cooking and Retro Ruth does a fabulous job of bringing it to light so that the rest of us can cook safely.

Go! Look! Read!

Friday Find: Milk Men

Dr. Julie-Ann — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:39:39 +0000

I discovered the TV show Mad Men last fall when my sister’s BFF was astounded that I’d never seen it. She thought for sure that I would be a Mad Men junkie. I dutifully ordered it on DVD and do enjoy the show. I’m not a junkie but the set designs and the costuming keep me hooked. I sometimes get annoyed with the slow-moving stories, though.

Sara, over at No Pattern Required shared a link to a Mad Men parody called “Milk Men.“ It might even be better than the actual show! Thanks, Sara!

Milk Men – A Mad Men Parody

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Thank You, Mr. Linkletter

Dr. Julie-Ann — Thu, 27 May 2010 17:45:40 +0000

I was saddened to learn that Art Linkletter has passed away. He was so full of vitality that I guess I assumed he would live forever. Mr. Linkletter is most famous for interviewing children under 10 years old. You might say his shows were among the first reality shows…but they really were reality in its finest! You never knew what those kids were going to say. He collected the children’s responses into several books. Although his House Party show was off the air by the time I was able to read, I do remember sitting at my grandparents’ house reading his books and finding them funny.

Thank you, Mr. Linkletter, for your gentle humor.

WWII Food Rationing = Better Health

Dr. Julie-Ann — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:07:44 +0000

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.