Don't Miss A Thing!Good Old Fashioned Advice
There’s so much we can learn from the homemakers of yesteryear. Some of the most practical tips and advice I’ve ever received are nothing but good, ol’ fashioned advice that’s been around forever! Here are a few favorites…some serious and some just for fun!
Lightening
I have a collection of antique cookbooks. In addition to unique recipes (fistfuls, pinches, and sprinkles abound) most of them have remedies for various health problems. This is my favorite…
“To Restore From Stroke Of Lightening: Sow with cold water for two hours; If the patient does not show signs of life, put salt in the water, and continue to sow an hour longer. “
The Golden Rule Bazaar Family Cookery Book
Sold by Davis Brothers Department Store in San Francisco in 1905
Trouble Sleeping?
Lettuce was used as a freckle remover in ancient times. This member of the sunflower (Compossitae) family was also used as a sedative for toothaches and for insomnia. Try a salad some night if you can’t fall asleep. And, if you are suffering from hypochondria, you might follow the trend set by the Emperor Augustus. Eat lettuce and get over your silly imaginings of illness.
From: A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition, by LuLu G. Graves and Clarence Wilbur Taber, F. A. David Company, Publishers, Philadelphia, 1942.
Afternoon Duties for the Homekeeper
The afternoon of a homekeeper can be the most profitable time of the day if it is not suandered in frivolous activities. Many household duties can be seen to during this time, but you must take care not to neglect the children. Give them the attention they require.
From: Treasury of Vintage Homekeeping Skills: Collections of the Homekeeper by Mrs. Martha Greene. Published by Greene Acres Publications, 2005.
Ezine Exclusive alert! This wonderful reminder about keeping our priorities in line comes from a book chuck-full of great ideas, tips, recipes and instructions for (as the subtitle indicates) the homekeeper. This book practical book, which gives you wisdom from yesteryear on everything from natural home remedies to quilting to canning, lies flat so that you can easily read from it and –a wonderful bonus—allows for plenty of room to record your own recipes, notes and thoughts. It’s a wonderful book that you’ll use and want to turn into an heirloom for your daughter. This week, you can get this book for ONLY $5.00 when you purchase $50.00* from the TEACH Bookstore. Simply add the Treasury of Vintage Homekeeping Skills to your order and then enter the coupon code “VINTAGE” at checkout to receive the special price!
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Fragments
“The true economy of housekeeping is simply the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost. I mean fragments of time, as well as materials.”
TEACH Note: She is so right ladies! Time and materials should be savored and used wisely and completely without waste. She goes on to encourage us to realize what “can be done in the odd minutes of time, which would not be otherwise employed.”
Where’s the Beef
“If people wish to be economical, they should take some pains to ascertain what are the cheapest pieces of meat to buy; not merely those which are cheapest in price, but those which go farthest when cooked.”
From: The American Frugal Housewife, by Mrs. Child. Published by Carter, Hendee, and Co. in 1833.
Gather Ferns
“During your walks through the woods when on your vacation, gather all the ferns you can carry. Select perfect ones, lay smoothly between newspapers and put to press under a trunk. These may remain without change of papers until returning to the city. Fill rosebowls half full of sand and stick these preserved ferns in them. Place these about your rooms, and you will have woodsy spots all winter. If the ferns become dusty, wash them gently. The smallest ferns may be used with fresh flowers for decorating the table.”
The front page of the July 1904 issue of The Woman’s Magazine boasted that this popular magazine had “The Largest PAID SUBSCRIPTION of any Publication in the World.”
My mom so drilled into us this household safety tip that I still continue it to this day: ALWAYS keep a flashlight at your bedside, even when traveling. You never know when you’ll need it.
And beside her bed even in her assisted living apartment, there sits her flashlight.
The tip I got through my life was “do not spend all that money on stain removers, all you need is a little dishwashing liquid”. I have been amazed at what dishwashing liquid (Dawn) can remove!!!!! Also, mix it with vinegar and you have a solution that works on skunk smell way, way better than tomato juice ever did.
Lauri P.
Cleveland, Ohio
If your pan has stuck on food, fill it with water and put it back on the stove to boil. Food will soften and scrape right off! No more scratching and scraping in the dishwater.
My mom always told me that when company’s coming unexpectedly and you only have a few minutes to pick up, using your spray cleaner on the bathroom mirror, sink, and toilet takes five minutes and makes you feel like your whole house is cleaner (plus, your guests smell how fresh it is when they go in and that translates to the feeling of a cleaner house!). Then she always said to just relax and enjoy your company instead of worrying about everything else. The people who took their time to visit you are more important than everything being perfect. After all, they came to see you, not your house.
My mom always said that classy people make their bed every day. I always cringe on those days I rush downstairs and neglect this simple task. It’s certainly delightful to walk into a room that has a made bed and plump pillows waiting!
My mom taught me to always keep a candle burning in the main area of your house. Your house will always smell like you either just finished baking something or cleaning somewhere.
Also….when you bake cookies or bars…place a small container of them in your freezer. You will then always have something that you can take out of the freezer on quick notice when you have “drop in” guests.
I did more watching than I did listening to my mother and grandmother, shame on me. But what they didn’t know was how much I did learn. I learned that your husband and children always come first and to be very devoted to them, and put yourself last. This is part of the Proverbs 31 woman. I also remember the devotion time at night when my sisters and I would crawl up in the middle of my mothers bed. What wonderful memories and lessons they provided and didnt even know it.
Something that my grandma told me and my dr backed up, sometimes when kids are itchy, about 1 or 2 tablespoons of bleach to bath water might do the trick.
One of my kids is always itchy so this was one that I have actually heard a LOT.
My Mom told me that if you haven’t had time to make dinner and it is that time of the day, then eggs might be the best dinner for that night!! It sure has pulled me through several evenings when I wasn’t sure what I’d serve for dinner.
Oh, the lightening one made me laugh! thnx for sharing.
Company coming and you don’t have time to mop the floors or dust? Turn down the lights, spritz your favorite room spray, light a few candles and they will be none the wiser!