Retro Crafting Friday: Sock Dolls

Today is the first full day of summer for my older son. He has a list of recipes to try and crafts to do - along with Wii games, library programs, swimming, day camp, etc. I hope I have the energy to keep up! One of my friends had 14 boys over yesterday and fed them all, then made homemade tortillas and chicken salad for all of us. Clearly I need to start eating power bars.

I've acquired a number of retro crafting booklets lately as I'm preparing for a new retro holiday craft program for later this year. This McCall's Soft Toys pattern booklet from 1967 has really cute things , even if they are kind of elaborate. Look at the chick and duck version of the sock dolls shown below. Here's the description:

Mother duck and her two ducklings proudly go across their pond.  Bodies are made from wool or orion stretch socks (so glad orion is not as prevalent...), then plumply stuffed with absorbent cotton - mother is about 8: long; babies, 6".  Fabric and felt details are sewn on for durability.

It looks like the tops are tucked in, then sewn. The heads are tied off with thread, then ribbon is added. Very cute.

More Recipes From Marie: Tips for Sunburn and Broth for the Sick

These are, I think, pretty readable. I love the plantain leaves tip but am not sure it works to help tetanus as described in the second paragraph. Also I don't know where plantain leaves are in Illinois, but I'm no plant expert.

I think also you could buy some chicken soup rather than boil 'a whole chicken' when you are sick.

These are fabulous - I owe my librarian friend Marie for sending these along.

Do you have old tips and home remedies from your family?

Show Schedule for June

Saturday, June 4:  Printers Row, Chicago I'll be moderating a panel on adoption and another on tween fiction.
Sunday, June 5:  Retro Summer Crafting, Forest Park Public Library
Thursday, June 16:  Crazy About Cakes, Morris Public Library
June 24 - June 26:  ALA, New Orleans I'll be helping with the YALSA Precon, moderating a panel of fabulous mystery authors, and doing a cookbook talk
Tuesday, June 28:  Retro Summer Crafting, Homer Twp. Library

Handwritten Recipe Wednesday: Mock Date Nut Delight

Another mock pie from the same recipe box as last week's selection. But Mock Dates? Why? Clara - the person who possibly wrote the recipe, has an unusual recipe here for sure!

Mock Date Nut Delight
3 egg whites beaten stiff.
3/4 C. sugar - beat until very stiff.
Crumble 22 crackers.
1 C. chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
Grease pie plate very well.
Bake for 30 min - 330F.

Interesting. Sparse directions, but should be interesting. I'm tempted to try this one but I wonder if graham crackers would work...

More Recipes from Marie: Cornbread for Young Poultry and Cottage Cheese

Continuing from last week, these are from my librarian friend Marie's family recipe book. Enjoy!

Cornbread for Young Poultry
Take three pints of sour milk or buttermilk, two large teaspoonfuls of soda dissolved in 1/2 cup of hot water and 1 tablespoonful of salt.  Stir well, then add 1 1/2 pints of wheat bran, three pints of fine cornmeal and four tablespoonfuls of melted lard.  Mix and pour into a dripping pan, bake one hour in a moderate oven.  When fed, moisten with hot sweet milk or water, and sprinkle with black pepper.

Cottage Cheese
Take good thick milk, place it on the stove.  When it begins to draw whey around the outer edge pour it into a colander or thin sack made of cheese cloth.  Care should be taken not to allow the cheese to scald too hard, as it will not then work up smooth.  When well drained, put it into a vessel, work it smooth with a spoon or a cheese mixer.  Salt to taste and stir in sweet cream to make as thin as desired.

I love these descriptions. Dripping pan, whey, work up smooth. Very visual!

We are all dragging after a wonderful weekend - finishing up yesterday with a pool party at my brother's. All went well until the end when  - well, let's just say I can't wait for the little one to be potty trained. He didn't go in the pool at least, though.