Thursday's Unique Picks - Looks Can Be Deceiving

Close your eyes and picture a domestic goddess.

Illustration of "The Goddess of Cooking", from a vintage cook book, found in Arcanium Antiques etsy shop. She is painfully absent from my kitchen.

Did you see me?

I knew you wouldn’t.

What inspired today’s picks from great etsy sellers? Let’s just say that looks can be deceiving, so it would behoove you to keep things organized.

This lovely little vintage recipe box, from CoopDeVilla on etsy, will keep all of your well loved recipes tidy.

Here is a glimpse at what happens when a self-proclaimed “domestically disabled” girly tries her hand at baking some cookies. Not one of my favorite things to make (I would much rather put together a killer casserole), but when mother asks…

So I decided on a recipe that is fairly simple, no crazy ingredients, and it yields quite a few cookies.

mmmmm.
 Chocolate Chip Mexican Wedding Cakes!
(A.K.A. delicious bite sized balls of goodness) 

• 1 cup (2 sticks butter) softened
• ¼” cup powdered sugar sifted
•  1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-2 ½” teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 6 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels

Preheat oven: 350

Beat butter and sugar together until creamy + beat in vanilla + gradually beat in flour and cinnamon + Stir in chocolate chips = cookie dough (consistency should be like wet sand).
Roll dough into 1” balls and place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake for about 12-14 min. (Bottoms of cookies should be slightly tanned). Cool on cookie sheet for 2 min. then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Should yield about 3 ½ - 4 dozen cookies

This is what the finished cookies should look like sans the chocolate drizzle, because for me that would be taking things just a little too far. This picture is from my c.2003 cook book Simple Mexican Meals from Ortega.  

Could it be any easier? I have made these many times before so by now they should be a snap to whip up. Last Saturday afternoon, while dancing around in my kitchen, I proceeded to assemble the dough.

What's Cooking? Great vintage photo from Romance Writer's etsy shop.

The dough seemed to be an odd consistency. It was sort of sticky and slimy. Did I let the butter soften too much? I went over the list of ingredients again and again, yes, I had included everything on the list. Never mind, the cookies are sure to right themselves when baked. Into the oven they went and the smell of chocolate chips filled the room. About five minutes into baking, I decided to sneak a peek to see how they were coming along. Gasp! Expletive! I had a tray of caramel colored bubbly goo and melted chocolate. I called my hubby to the scene to inspect my disaster and possibly help me figure out where I went astray. I dredged out all of the ingredients again…The powdered sugar…

It seems that I had just a little bit of powdered sugar in a bag.

I don't usually store baking stuff like this. When ever I get a bag of flour or sugar, I try to transfer them to a plastic storage container or canisters. This keeps things fresher and makes them easier to store. Mine are not really cool and stylish looking but they get the job done.

The flour...

Hubby asked, "Which container did you use?". Hmmm. Why would that matter? They are both flour. Why would I have an entire container and a little baggie of powdered sugar? Turns out I did have an entire container of powdered sugar and that was what I put into the cookies. 1/4" cup sifted powdered sugar and 2 cups powdered sugar. Looks like my space saving/organization system had a few holes.

 At a glance can you tell the difference? Humor me. Tell me they look the same to you too.

Today's Unique picks are fantastic finds to keep your kitchen organized and avoid mistaken identities when cooking and baking.

What could be better than see through storage on a lazy susan? Ease your way into organization with this great 1970's canister set is from Vintage Eye's etsy shop.

Spice up your spice jars! These sweet glass vintage spice jars from filed away's etsy shop sure do beat those plastic ones from the grocery store.

A place for everything, and everything in its place. This beautiful vintage french spice rack is from Benefit Jewels on etsy.

The possibilities are endless with this cottage chic metal rack from CareyLeigh007 etsy shop. What do you want to be today, a napkin holder, a plate holder, a mail sorter? This could even store your pot lids in style!

If you need the counter space or even drawer space might I suggest using some organized vertical storage solutions. 

Check out this vintage wall mounted paper towel, wax paper, and aluminum foil dispenser from Sixty to Seventy's etsy shop. That is what I call easy access.

There will be no need to fumble around in a drawer for your pot holder when you keep them within arms reach, using these upcycled vintage silverware hooks from Legacies For You on etsy.

 I fear that I have neglected to address the most obvious need in my kitchen to get organized and avoid future mishaps.

Proper labels! These fantastic primitive looking craft labels can be found in Twine's etsy shop.

These great finds from etsy seller may not earn you a the golden oven mit for cooking...

This lovely pewter oven mit charm necklace found in Michelle Hartney's recycledrings etsy shop, goes to the cook with the most organized kitchen!

but you will surely earn silver for having your kitchen in ship shape order for your next baking extravaganza. Anyway, if you can't deliver the baked goods you can always go to the bakery...that is what they are there for, the domestically disabled.

Thursday's Unique Pick- What's Cookin'

Afternoon all!

For today's "Thursday's Unique Pick" Post I am going to fill you in on What's Cookin'...
Framed vintage embroidered kitchen towel. "Fork Ran Away with the Spoon" from The Unique Bird.

I love vintage kitchen kitsch. I am not sure if it's the bright colors or great illustrations, but I am always drawn in.

I am especially in love with vintage cookbooks!

This cook book is part of Garage Sale Girly's personal stash of vintage treasures.
The Salad Book was a gift from my mother last year for my birthday.

Isn't the wood cover fantastic!

Image from the cover page of my cook book, "500 delicious Salads" published by Consolidated Book Publishers in 1941.

I am all about the science of Better Cookery, especially when it is someone else doing the cooking.

I am a big fan of looking at the lovely pictures and fun illustrations in the cook books than attempting to cook up these vintage inspired vittles.

This cook book "Betty Crocker's Guide to Easy Entertaining" from 1959, was recently listed in my etsy shop.

The Hubby, like myself, enjoys looking at pictures of food too. He also likes to point out the recipes to me in hopes that I will attempt to execute them.

(p.s. I tend to try out the recipes that don't have an end photo of what it is supposed to look like because my adoring hubby typically points out to me that my end result from the recipe doesn't look like the one in the photo. Thanks.)

But I digress...

So the hubby was leafing through the pages of the above cook book and came across these delicious pages.

Dear Betty, why do you tempt me so? I was so tempted by these beautiful cakes I contemplated a trip to the bakery.

He the pointed out this spread for afternoon tea.

Yet another lovely display of tempting...wait "why are there cucumbers on top of that cake in the lower right corner?"

Take a closer look...

Elegant Sandwich loaf?!?

Be my guest. Take an even closer look at how this is made in the below recipe.

Ponder how the delicate mixtures of, "Shrimp Salad Filling, Cheese Pecan Filling and Chicken Bacon Filling" will excite your taste buds.

Maybe I am not sophisticated enough to understand the elegance of all of these flavors and fillings, frosted with cream cheese and green food coloring.
Don't get me wrong, the cook book is adorable. I love the pictures and tips on entertaining 1959 style, but I may not try out any of the recipes.

Knox On-Camera Recipes - c. 1963

This is "A completely new guide to Gel-Cookery" from the Garage Sale Girly's personal stash.
Yummy! I love Gel desserts! This cook book takes a fruity favorite to another level. Dinner.

This stuff is so gross it is funny.

Was this all the rage in 1963?

Were families really sitting down to eat this for dinner?

Really?

Maybe I would have been into this cool new Gel cuisine if I lived in the 1960's, or maybe I would have been really thin from not eating these molded masterpieces.

But if cooking up some vintage creations does entice you, here are a few blogs that I stumbled across that may be right up your alley...

Image from the blog Vintage Recipe.

Vintage Recipe has...you guessed it, vintage recipes.

Image from the blog Cooking Vintage.

The Cooking Vintage: Cookin' it Old School, blog not only gives you great vintage recipes but vintage menu plans.

I hate to tear you away from the food but I have some more Unique Picks this week that I want to share...

These recipe cards say it all! They are from Not Moira on etsy.

I want this! "The I Hate to Cook Book" .

This cook book is available for purchase from Retrogressive on etsy.

This pick is not a cook book. It is a print made from an original collage by shelbyhealy. This print is found in her etsy shop and has a contemporary yet vintage look.

(take a peek at some of her other prints too. They are very cool!)

This is another vintage-y looking print I really love from Kitchen Wizard.

My last pick this week is this little necklace with a mixer and cupcake-tin charm from Freshy Fig. Wear it and say to the world "I love to bake" or "I love to eat cupcakes".

Ether way it's quite charming.

My final thought for this week:

This is a Hallmark greeting card that my friend Dawn gave me many years ago. I always keep it on my refrigerator as an important reminder.

Have a super Easter Weekend!