December 2nd, A Very Vintage December: Day 2! In making my lists yesterday, I made a to-do list for each day of December — because there was no way I was going to get this done without checklists! So, here are the daily projects and their results.
Finish the 1950s Daily Cleaning Routine Before 9 am
Well, I got this done, but only just. It is getting harder and harder to get my cleaning done. I also had to drop my daily walks because the paths are so icy right now. And I may have to modify the cleaning routine following the pregnancy advice “not to go beyond your strength” and the recommendations in my vintage homemaking pamphlet for disabled and chronically ill homemakers. Hopefully, it will be just this month and the next before I can get back to a full routine. But, like all vintage pregnant homemakers, I have to be prepared for the possibility of complications as well.
Make chocolate-covered cherries (Day 2, 1959 Betty Crocker Holiday Almanac)
I actually had some maraschino cherries on hand before Thanksiving (not after), but no glace cherries (I don’t even buy those for fruitcake!). I really wanted to try this with kirsch or brandy cherries, but I had none of those either. So, I candied some pumpkin! If you’ve never had candied pumpkin, you’re missing out. And yes, I used a vintage recipe. Around here, this sweet dates back to Spanish Colonial times, and I just happen to have a 1940s cookbook on New Mexican Cookery with a recipe for Candied pumpkin in it.
Candied pumpkin is one of my husband’s favorite treats. He grows me pumpkins for candying every year. I will also be making another batch for my fruitcake. The recipe I have calls for blanching in limewater, but I just blanch them like orange peels and cook them in syrup.
The project also calls for whipping up Betty Crocker’s Fudge Frosting Mix. I don’t do mixes. So, I made the Prize Fudge Frosting from Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook. It was good. I didn’t whip it, I just waited until it was almost cool and then poured it over the pieces of candied pumpkin.
It was really good with the candied pumpkin, but it would be AWESOME with cherries. Cherries are now on my next shopping list.
Buy Gift Wrap (Betty Crocker Holiday Countdown, Day 2)
I did not buy gift wrap. Our car has been stuck in the ice since Thanksgiving. And besides, I’m going shopping later this week. I did add it to my list, though.
Make “Stained Glass” (Joyful Christmas Crafts)
Oh. My. Goodness. This project calls for edging wax paper shapes in black marker, filling in the areas with wax crayon, and then melting it gently with a hot iron. This sounds like my own personal Pinterest fail — the fire and destruction kind. I didn’t even start. Of course, that was because I am out of wax paper, but I was really quite glad to have an excuse to skip this one. There are some other “stained glass” projects in the book; maybe I will try one of them!
And that’s it for today. Tomorrow’s list involves brownies! Yay!
