Scotties – LILLIAN'S CUPBOARD

Five Good Vintage Finds

In the past week or so, I’ve had good luck in finding five vintage pieces to add to my ever-growing collections. The first was from eBay – a 1930s era paper fan with artwork by Fern Bisel Peat (1893-1971). I collect vintage scottie pieces and this one is in near-mint condition.

The back shows an advertisement for Triena children’s laxative (Allied Drug Products of Chattanooga) that was for sale by Farmers Mercantile in Nelagoney, Oklahoma.

I found three wonderful items in antique malls – a Homer Laughlin gravyboat ….

….a Jadeite bowl with lip ….

…. and a set of chubby pre-WWII made-in-Japan bird salt/pepper shakers. I’m particularly drawn to these birds which were sold in dime stores in the 1930s.

The last item, and the biggest bargain, was found in a Goodwill thrift store for less than $3.00. This Roseville child’s plate is well worn and faded, obviously used a lot, which I prefer in my pieces. There was one in almost identical condition selling on eBay for $25.

It’s unusual for me to buy this many pieces in a short period of time, even at good prices, but when I see them, I grab them.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Heart of Ohio Antique Mall – Springfield, Ohio

Because of back problems the past two years, I haven’t been able to travel too far and my daughter and I have taken one day a week during the month of September for a “staycation” day in an area that doesn’t require too much driving. We enjoyed our last day of this year’s staycation traveling about 1-1/2 hours to Springfield, Ohio. We pass through the charming town of Yellow Springs and love to have lunch at Young’s plus a stop on the way back home for one of their renowned Bull Shakes made with cream from their own Jersey cows.

It’s about 30 minutes from Yellow Springs to a huge antique mall called “Heart of Ohio” with 650 dealers. I found a treasure -a handmade book rack that I would date to the 1940s with my favorite Scottie theme. I imagine it was made from a kit and includes flaws like the very visible screws and holes drilled in the wrong place, but that made it more lovable to me.

When we got in the car, my daughter handed me something she had bought as a remembrance of our trip.

It’s Roseville and the chips (which I don’t mind) made it very affordable. I love the little dog lapping up the spilled milk.

On the way home, I was telling my daughter I had seen a small “Made in Japan” Dutch planter which I talked myself out of buying. Later that evening, she came out with another package that she was going to save as a Christmas gift – the planter I wished I had picked up.

This was a very successful day.

One week of our staycation we went to a favorite restaurant (Grand Finale in Glendale, Ohio) and our favorite local antique mall (Ohio Valley Antiques in Fairfield, Ohio). We’re at these two places so often, I didn’t think about taking pictures.

Last week we visited an Adams County, Ohio, store.

The first week we stayed local with lunch at our favorite barbecue restaurant (Eli’s in the East End of Cincinnati) ….

…Stopped off at Avoca Park in Terrace Park …

…and did some antique store browsing in Milford, Ohio.

I’m beginning to really love this staycation idea.

Collectibles of the Week–Memories of School Days

I have so many wonderful collectibles acquired over the last 80+ years. Some were gifts, some were part of my life growing up, some are inherited, some were purchased at antique malls and thrift stores – all are precious to me. Some items are kept up year-around while others are brought out seasonally and on holidays. Unfortunately, many priceless-to-me objects go undisplayed and unseen for years. Each wek, I’m going to pull out an item and post COLLECTIBLE OF THE WEEK.

The day after Labor Day will always mean the first day of school to me, even though my grandchildren and great-grandchildren have been in school since the third week of August. It just seems appropriate for school to begin again in September. I brought out my antique granite ware alphabet plate (pictured above), made in Austria. My daughter painted the old-fashioned school scene.

Birthday gifts one year were this 1930s era pencil box with the Scotties along with a little case that has a 1929 postage stamp affixed.

Inside the box are all the items needed to start out a successful school year, including a holder for a pen nib. We used these pen holders and dipped the pens in an ink hole on our desks for penmanship lessons and adding new spelling words to a thin pad of paper that was covered in oilcloth.

I’m lucky to have my father’s two arithmetic books which he would have been using in about 1918-19.…

…and four of my mother’s books with notations from her eighth grade class in 1929-30.

I loved school from the first day to the last day of the last year and enjoy seeing these old keepsakes.

Collectibles of the Week–Scottie Cookie Cutters

I have so many wonderful collectibles acquired over the last 80+ years. Some were gifts, some were part of my life growing up, some were inherited, some were purchased at antique malls, gift shops or thrift stores – all are precious to me. Some items are kept up year-around while others are brought out seasonally and on holidays. Unfortunately, many priceless-to-me objects go undisplayed and unseen for years, so each week, I’m going to pull out an item and post a COLLECTIBLE OF THE WEEK.

In line with my love of anything Scottie, I have a small assortment of cookie cutters.

The green-handled cutter at the top is one of my favorites, part of a larger collection of vintage cutters with depression-green handles.

I also like a red-handled Scottie and two plain vintage aluminum cutters plus a copper one from the 70s.

The card with the Scotty and recipes was a St. Nick gift one year and the red plastic along with the small aluminum cutter with an upturned tail give me a wide range of size and shape when I want to bake Scottie cookies.

Collectible of the Week – Stuffed Scottie Dogs

To begin my weekly collectibles posts, I’m going to start with the last one I received. My daughters and two grandchildren spent last week in Washington, DC, and brought back this wonderful little stuffed Scottie dog from the White House gift shop. It’s named Fala after the Scottie that President Roosevelt had in the 1930s-40s and one of the reasons I’ve always been attracted to Scottie dogs.

During my childhood, there were Scotties on everything – clothing, decorative items, toys, linens, etc. I’ve never owned a Scottie dog but love them as they’ve been represented through the years.

I already had a shelf full of stuffed Scotties from previous years and brought them down to dust off, photograph and feature.

Scottie in kilt (bought at a Celtic festival 15 years ago), Yomiko Classics large Scottie with shaggy hair and soulful eyes, (birthday gift ca 1990s)

Small Scottie with Mary Engelbreit tag (bought at the Mary Engelbreit store in St. Louis ca 1980s), large Scottie (a birthday gift ca 1990)

I feel happier whenever I look at one of these wee bonny pups.

A Bit of the Irish in my March Kitchen

I have a lot of green in my kitchen any time because I collect Jadeite and Depression Green items. Some things I bring out especially for St. Patrick’s Day.

Some pieces were bought on a trip to Ireland …

Many items were gifts….

Most of the pieces are handmade ….

I even have special potholders for the occasion…

I have a very thin line of Irish in my ancestry, but I raised four very Irish children, so St. Patrick’s Day is a major holiday in this house.

A Birthday Lunch with My Favorite Cousins

Buddy and Carol Ann, ca 1942

When I was growing up in the 1940s, my favorite aunt was my mother’s sister, Mabel. Her two children, 9 and 6 years younger than I, were my favorite cousins. They were the babies of the family and I loved watching them grow up.

Carol, Buddy and Mabel

Every year on Washington’s Birthday, February 22, we had a holiday from school and went to Mabel’s house to celebrate her little girl’s birthday which fell on February 23. Mabel would have a cake purchased at the grocery store and decorated with the little hard sugar flowers and letters to spell out Happy Birthday, Carol Ann.

Carol Ann, Third Grade

Yesterday, for the first time in over 60 years, I enjoyed a birthday lunch with my cousins. My daughter and I invited them to meet us at the Cracker Barrel where we lingered for a couple of hours reminiscing. As it turned out, it appeared to be a party for me because of all of the gifts Carol brought. She has been an antique dealer for years and chose some special items from her personal collection that she thought I would like….

A tiny nesting hen covered dish…

A Jadeite hobnail bowl with handles…

A Snowbabies ornament, a Bakelite Scottie button, and a notebook dated 1939, filled with handwritten recipes.

In addition, she brought a stack of greeting cards that my family had sent to them in the 1940s and 50s ….

All of the things I love the most.

After all these years, they’re still my favorite cousins. Happy Birthday, Carol.

Chocolate Drop Cookies – a 1940s Recipe

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a small 4-½ x 6 inch leather bound book engraved “Cooking Recipes”, purchased at an antique mall in Sugar Creek, Ohio. The pages are edged in gold and there are 10 index tabs for food categories.

The real gold in this book, though, is the collection of handwritten recipes. There aren’t a lot of recipes – just 25, 22 of which are desserts. The book itself could have been from the 1930s, but I believe the recipes are from the 1945-1950 era. This is based on a lot of recipes calling for shortening, for using the word “oleo” rather than margarine in most recipes and the attention given to oven temperatures. I believe it’s post-World War II because of all of the sugar-laden desserts.

The handwriting is clear and ingredients are listed correctly, although most of the recipes give no idea of how the item is to be prepared, what kind of pan to use or how long to bake. That’s why I’ve decided to make each of the recipes, using the products specified, and adding my own instructions. I like to think that the woman from the 1940s kitchen (who would have been about my mother’s age) would enjoy having someone fuss around with these recipes again and turn out some delicious food for the family.

These Chocolate Drop Cookies are a very simple little cookie, soft on the inside and slightly crunchy outside.

CHOCOLATE DROP COOKIES

Servings: Approx. 54 small cookies
Print

¼ cup butter or oleo (margarine)
1 egg
¼ cup shortening
¾ cup granulated sugar
Two one-oz squares of semi-sweet chocolate, melted
½ tsp. soda
½ tsp. salt
1-¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.

Cream together the butter/margarine, egg, shortening and sugar. Add the melted chocolate to the creamed mixture. Stir the soda, salt and flour into the creamed mixture. Add milk and vanilla.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies.

Bake @ 400 degrees F for approximately 8 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.

Makes about 54 small cookies.

What better way to serve these cookies than on a vintage EAPG dessert plate. I have a fair-sized collection of EAPG but recently found the 6-1/2 inch diameter dessert plates which I did not have yet. They were 50 cents each for 9 plates at the local Goodwill thrift shop.