The Recipe Book- Part Two

by Lori Dwyer on April 2, 2010 · 5 comments

Namas day,

And welcome back to Part Two of my great-grandmother’s recipe book. More interesting than it sounds. Here’s Part One, in case you missed it..

As I mentioned last time, the most interesting part of this book was not the recipes themselves, but the articles and ads inadvertently collected at the same time. Like this one, the cover of a Women’s Weekly, that was kept because of the ‘Recipe of the month” club on the back.

Sadie also kept “How-To’s”, like this one on how to make not just a hat, but the stand for it as well. Crafty!

Kinkara Tea ran a whole series of tiny cards with recipes- just small enough to fit in the tea packets, I’m guessing.

There were ads for things we know and love (the Aussies, that is. For the ‘Mericans- what’s a Milo?)

And articles that show how much things have changed, like this with a question from a women who wanted to know why she was not able to purchase a stove with a glass door?

Some of the other ads show a positively alarming side to life in the late 1940′s. Like this one for wringers. I don’t care how automatic it was, it was still a wringer!

Or this one, encouraging women to contribute to the planning of their new homes, so they could choose where they needed power points, and how many. Too right, electricity makes your house easier to run!

But I think the ones that really made my eyes pop were these…

One for ford Pills (that’s laxatives, people) claiming it to be a cure-all for everything including headaches and backaches. Bloody addictive too, from what I’ve heard. But even that is not as disturbing as this one.

“It destroys all desire for alcohol.. can be given secretly or voluntarily..” OK, then!

Incidental history at it’s absolute best. (On a side note, from what I’ve heard, Sadie herself possibly could have done with a good dose of Eucrasy, secretly or voluntarily.).

Oh, and a very happy Good Friday to y’all. It’s the second most-shops-closed day of the year. Enjoy!!

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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

Lori April 3, 2010 at 7:29 am

Heathens.

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kbxmas April 3, 2010 at 1:51 am

That's funny, none of the shops close here for Good Friday (considering we're practically a theocracy, we're still a consumerocracy at heart); which means that we can all run out and buy our Eucrasy today. Yay us.

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Kakka April 2, 2010 at 7:45 pm

I had a wringer when I first got married, popped a few plastic pants (they were what you put over cotton nappies disposable weren't around then). Was always scared I would get my fingers caught. Like the ad for Ford Pills – and the other on was for have a cuppa and a Bex Powder and then lie down. Bex (asprin) caused a lot of deaths as people ended up with bleeding ulcers.

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Lucy April 2, 2010 at 1:14 pm

Oh goddess of blogging how I love this post and and all the snippets. Off to scourge my granny stash now, in search of some 40's stuff. And I need to know if Eucrasy is still available and if it works……

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ezymay April 2, 2010 at 8:40 pm

it is so special you have these things Lori!! Thanks for sharing. Your blog is the best!

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