Five for Friday: January 29, 2010

...Sunshine, delicate as spun sugar encircles the air, yet its presence is a mask for the bitingly cold temperature that accompanies the light outside, pale as home churned butter. Still, so long as one is indoors, it’s nearly impossible not to feel invigorated by the much needed dose of vitamin D that the sun delivers – and certainly, sweet little Stella, loves the having a spot of light to nap in peacefully. As the weekend approaches my mind shifts to thoughts of tranquility levels equaling that of a sleeping cat. We’re still in the thick of winter and there’s no reason why a spot of good old fashioned hibernation can’t be on the agenda. Curl up with your favourite warm drink, a snugly blanket and some thick, comfy socks to fend off the chill, and settle back for a few minutes of fun with this week’s edition of Five for Friday...


♥ ♥ ♥


{Delicate petals of burgundy vintage satin and velvet swirl together with tiny rhinestones in this charming handmade fascinator style headband. Can’t you just picture this pretty piece paired with a cream hued wool coat or a faux fur stole during the winter, then as an accompaniment to your favourite flirty summer dresses and skirts. “Penelope” vintage millinery blossom headband, $25.00 (US) from etsy seller Katrina Pinka.}

♥ ♥ ♥


{Writing letters is one of my favourite activities no matter the season, but I find that the natural fact winter tends to equate to spending more time indoors means I’m able to zip off even more quick notes and long correspondence alike. I’m continually on the prowl for beautiful and/or adorable stationery, and this charming set of two notepads (50 pages each) of lined paper and delightfully cute plastic quill pen fit the bill perfectly! “Lines Birdie Note Pads and Plume Pen Set”, $22.00 (US) from Plasticland.}

♥ ♥ ♥


{If ever there was a scent that was aptly named to appeal to fans of the past like us, “Vintage Soul” from Liz Clairborne is it! Not only does this eau de parfum have a lovely moniker, it comes in an immensely beautiful bottle (and box) that calls to minds thoughts of the Moulin Rouge in its heyday, and is packed with a garden full of floral notes such as lilies, freesia, cactus flower, jasmine, gardenia, and tuberose. 3.4oz bottle of Vintage Soul, $22.61 (Cnd) from overstock.com}

♥ ♥ ♥


{Put the kettle on and pair your favourite cuppa with these fantastically cute Tiny Cherry and Almond Tea Cakes (which look both rustically playful and deeply sophisticated at the same time) made with sweet binge cherries and kirsch for oodles of appealing fruit and flavour. Image from, and recipe on, marthastewart.com.}

♥ ♥ ♥


{Rich, regally elegant jewel tones always seem to go hand-in-hand with the colder months (in my mind at least) and work so well to bolster one’s spirits. What better way to infuse a royal hit of passionately deep eggplant into your wardrobe then with this stunning 1940s reproduction frock? “Lula” wiggle dress with fish tail hem, available in sixes small-XL, £100.00 (UK) from The Pin-up Emporium.}

♥ ♥ ♥


Bundles of thanks, everyone, for your wonderfully lovely comments this week! At the risk of sounding like a broken record (but for the sake of Chronically Vintage’s newest followers), I will do my best over the course of the next couple of days to catch up on my visits to your own splendid sites. I love hearing from you so, so much and appreciate every one of your shared thoughts.

Wishing you all an amazing, warm and relaxing weekend – and last two days of the first month of 2010!

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Spiced Apple Cinnamon Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Yesterday, brushing my ever-present shyness aside, I posted a few fairly recent photographs of myself here on Chronically Vintage, and in response was met with an outpouring of the most thoughtfully kind comments imaginable.

I mean it with the utmost sincerity when I say that you, my amazing readers, have the ability to undo a lifetime of self-esteem and negative body image issues with your heartfelt, caring, supportive words. I read through all of your comments, trying to keep my tears at bay, this morning and honestly wished I could reach out and hug every one of you.

I know that there are many out there who haven’t the slightest qualm about sharing their photos publicly, but for those of us who struggle for whatever reason with showing our faces (in photographic form) to the world, positive, caring feedback can truly make an astronomical difference in terms of how our ability to develop better self-confidence, but also to help our self-esteem levels on a day-to-day basis.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who left a comment on yesterday’s post, this recipe – a little something sweet for some of the sweetest people on earth - is dedicated to all of you.



~ Spiced Apple Cinnamon Butterscotch Chip Cookies ~

Bursting with the heady, soothing scent of warm spices, these cookies are just the thing to have on hand for lunch boxes, desserts and serving to company with mugs of hot tea, warm milk or even eggnog during the holiday season.



{Making cookies is such a fun (and deliciously rewarding!) activity that usually requires less time than many other forms of baking, making it the perfect for those days when you want a homemade treat but aren’t able to devote ages to hanging out with your oven. Vintage photo of a woman dropping spoonfuls of cookie batter onto a baking tray from the Life Magazine archives.}


Cinnamon is my favourite of all the spices and I constant try to track down, or create my own, recipes that include this aromatic, zingy flavour. This particular cookie recipe is one I whipped up a few years back – during the fall, naturally (no other season calls to mind the pairing of apples and cinnamon quite like autumn) – and continue to make each year when the mercury starts dropping and you’re suddenly hit with the feeling that you want every morsel of food you eat to be wholly comforting in terms both of taste and aroma.


Ingredients

• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening or butter (or a 50/50 ratio of the two combined, which is a favourite cookie baking approach of mine as I find it helps to yield a really nice crumb), softened (room temperature, not melted)

• ½ cup homemade or store bought sweetened applesauce (you want a fine textured apple sauce, so if yours is on the chunky side, you may want to run it through a food mill or food processor before including in the cookie batter)

• 1 extra large egg (or equal amounts of egg whites, I’ve made these cookies with egg white many times and they turns out just as well)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 ¼ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup white sugar

• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)

• 1 cup butterscotch baking chips (such as Hershey’s “Chipits”)



Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/gas mark 4).

In a large mixing bowl thoroughly cream the white and brown sugars and butter (or shortening) together with a mixing spoon or electric beater. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat until well combined with the sugar and butter; once those ingredients have mixed together well, stir in the apple sauce and beat until amalgamated with the other moist ingredients.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir well, ensuring that the spices are evenly distributed through the dry ingredients.

Next stir one third of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients at a time, stirring (or beating, if using an electric mixer) well after each addition. If the mixture seems slightly dry to you (it should be pretty moist thanks to the apple sauce), add a tablespoon or two of lukewarm water, milk or more apple sauce, if you have extra on hand. Now pour in the butterscotch chips and blend well to ensure even distribution throughout the batter.

Grease or line two baking trays (cookie sheets) with parchment paper (or a non-slip silicon baking liners) and drop cookie mixture onto the trays in rounded teaspoon portions, leaving a bit of space between each cookie (I usually put about 12 cookies per tray). (Note, if – like mine – your oven tends to cook things unevenly based on what height the tray is placed at, you can either bake one try of cookies at time or rotate the racks that the trays are placed on half way through baking.)

Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are firm and the tops are lightly golden brown. Allow warm cookies to rest on their baking trays for a couple of minutes and then transfer them to wire cooling racks.

Serve warm or at room temperature, storing leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days (these cookies can also be frozen for at least two months in a freezer safe container).

For an extra special treat, serve the cookies while they’re still toasty from the oven with bowls of French vanilla or caramel ice cream, or with dishes of sweetened whipped or clotted cream for dipping.

Makes approximately two dozen cookies

Bon appétit!

Five for Friday {November 6, 2009}

...Wild hail like a barrage of BB gun pellets hurled itself, intermixed with a peppering of snowflakes at our building for a few minutes yesterday afternoon, which means that I was entirely spot on when my husband and I placed our "when would it snow first this year bets"! He guessed October 25th, I pondered for a while and settled on November 5th, which, just happened to be yesterday. There’s no prize to be won, other than a huge smile, but that’s still more than enough to jump start my weekend on a cheerful note. With the coming of temps swinging below zero now and the looming prospect of more snow any time, I find myself thinking about mugs of cocoa, like pint sized hot springs for the taste buds, as well as all manner of snugly blankets, sweaters and scarves – anything that serves to warm the heart, mind and soul...


♥ ♥ ♥


{To keep your fingers and imagination busy all winter long}


{Whether you churn out a groundbreaking novel, write correspondence to friends near and far, or just enjoy it for the stunning piece of art it is, this alluring, sleek, gorgeous typewriter is sure to take pride of place in any office. Turquoise “Royal” vintage typewriter in good working order, $390.00 (US), from etsy seller Poetic Home.}


{To add a delightful touch of rustic, vintage charm to even the most modern of kitchens}


{Dyed so as to take on the look of something that could have been unearthed from your great grandmother’s hope chest in the attic, these three piece sets of French linen tea towels are just the ticket instantly increase the vintage vibe in your kitchen, laundry room, utility room, or anywhere else hands – or dishes – may need to be dried. Three towel set available in red or blue, $19.99 (US) each from Touch of Europe.}


{To help you survive that low period of sucrose activity between Halloween candy and holiday cookies}


{A modern melding of ancient flavours comes together in this lusciously rich dessert that is sure to become a classic the moment it reaches the table. Pomegranate chocolate mousse cake recipe on, and beautiful photo from, Dessert First.}


{To help make the ever-increasingly longer nights a little brighter}


{I adore a well lit room, whether the luminosity stems from the sun, candles or bulbs, I find my mind often feels sharper when I have a solid supply of light at hand, and what more gorgeous way to ensure you too are never short of light than with one of these stunningly pretty flower shaped clip on lamps. Available in thee hues (pink, green and ivory white), these darling lights use a 40 watt chandelier bulb and can clipped to a variety of surfaces, from chair backs to headboards. Aside from being practical, they just happen to be immensely gorgeous, too! “Bloom Clip Light”, $29.00 (US) per light, from Urban Materials + Accessories (UMA).}


{To inspire a season’s worth of kitchen remodeling and design projects}


{Did your heart skip a beat when you gazed upon this understatedly incredible kitchen, its pallet of mint-married-with-turquoise, fire engine red, and crisp white, just as mine did? Ripe with vintage styling and original 50s pieces (like the Formica table), this room is a joy to behold and no doubt even more fun to try and duplicate – or pull decor inspiration from – yourself. Image via Country Living.}


Wishing you each a delightfully wonderful, serenely lovely weekend bursting with fun and relaxation!

Five for Friday {September 25, 2009}

...The nights begin to stretch on longer, the days beckon you to slip a cardigan over your shoulder. After the week in which the seasons change hands from summer to autumn, it’s time put away the beach towels and dig out the extra blankets. Moments of simple comforts and cozy happinesses are just begging to be enjoyed, and after months of trying to escape the heat we suddenly find ourselves turning to those familiar things which warm our soul once more...


♥ ♥ ♥

{To wash away every last trace of summer’s sweltering heat}

{The packaging on this Italian bar of all natural, almond and olive oil based pumpkin soap is a work of art in and of itself. I don’t know if I could bring myself to tear into its antique inspired wrapping, and would no doubt, need to purchase at least two bars - one to use and another to keep on display in my powder room all autumn long. 250g bar of Horto Botanico pumpkin soap, $9.00 (US) from Emporio Italiano.}


{To usher in autumn (beautifully dressed) head on}


{Equal parts classic style and whimsy collide in this charming acorn bedecked vintage hat from the 1950s. $15.99 (US) from etsy seller Art Deco Dame.}


{To adorn all manner of festive gifts this season}


{Simple paper cutting skills are all that’s really needed to transform cardstock into elegantly serene gift tag featuring the familiar bare branched trees of fall. To learn how to create these tags – which seem to channel an art deco vibe, to me – click here for a handy video tutorial from (crafting blog) A Little Hut.}


{Would it be too obvious to say...“To ensure you keep calm and sew stuff”?}


{Inspired by a commonplace British WW2 poster that instructed civilians to “Keep calm and carry on” in the face of the brutal war that was taking place all around them, modern iterations of the “Keep calm” message have sprung up on a multitude of items over the past couple of years. This particular version, which I’m sure will appeal to sewing and crafting fans everywhere, comes in the form of an embroidered patch that could easily be added to anything you fancy, from a tote bag to a throw pillows. 3.26"w x 6.48"h embroidered patch, $5.00 (US) from Urban Threads.}


{To help you "practise" for all the Halloween candy you’ll "need" to consume in a few weeks ;D}


{Darling little squares of wonderfully autumnal hued cheesecake, laced with dulce de leche (a South American type of caramel), beg to be popped in the mouth and savoured with a huge smile on your lips. Image from, and recipe on, Annie’s Eats.}


Wishing you each a gloriously beautiful, perfectly relaxing first weekend of fall!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for vintage ice cream!

The weather simmered down a minuscule amount today, but scarcely enough to warrant mentioning. As such, my thoughts have turned to the topic of all manner of ways to help beat the heat if you’d don’t have AC (or improve the situation further even if you do!). From daydreaming about Alpine ski resorts to imaging a picturesque Christmas morning, snow falling as gracefully as fluttering angels, my mind has been on chilly, refreshing ideas this week.

One of the tastiest and most time honoured methods to help you – if only for a few minutes – cool off a bit, is to cozy up with a frozen treat. While prior to the widespread availability of ice, and more recently refrigerators and freezers, frozen desserts where generally only consumed by the fabulously well-to-do (or perhaps those who lived in chilly climates, too), for several decades now nearly everyone has had quick access to frozen desserts.

Just as the availability of such treats has become immensely widespread, so too has the number of ice cream and frozen snacks options sky-rocketed. From a virtually endless array of ice cream flavours (including some that most of us would rather pass up, such as the 101 flavours on this list) to frozen novelty treats on sticks, sherbets to ices, gelatos to dairy-free “ice cream” options for anyone who opts (or needs) to milk products (tons of lovely options exist in the dairy-free and vegan ice cream category, such as recipes and store bought brands made from soy, coconut or almond milk). So many incredible frozen treats exist in fact that we’re almost spoiled for choice by them! (Note, I said "almost"! :D)

Based on the comments Monday’s post about the surface-of-the-sun hot temps generated from readers who are similarly melting, I thought we could all imagine that we're getting together at the local malt shop, gathering in someone’s kitchen or around the backyard swimming pool. From there we’ll partake of some respite from the sizzling temperatures by looking at a scrumptious slew of vintage ice cream images – while lapping away at a cone, bar or treat on a stick of our own!




{Getting stranded on a dessert island with a heaping bowl of coconut fudge ice cream does sounds infinitely more fun than just having a volley ball to pal around with, don’t you think? :D}



{A pair of immensely cute youngsters take a break from painting their white picket fence to enjoy an ice cold Popsicle in the lovely, colourful early 60s ad.}



{Anyone else think this strawberry ice cream loving child could pass for Beaver Cleaver’s cousin? On a different note, I love the rather clever idea of keeping a dish or container of ice cream cold in a bucket of ice – so logical!}



{Peanut butter + chocolate + ice cream = super-duper yummy! These sound fantastic, like a frozen Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.}



{The idea of individual little cubes of ice cream is really quite adorable, I’m surprised they didn’t stick around – yet what I especially like about this 1949 advert is how deeply stylish and beautiful the lady tumbling the ice cream out into the little glass dish is.}



{I just had to post this vintage magazine page, it has a recipe for maple nut, my mom’s favourite flavour of ice cream (and one of mine, too!) – though I’m not sure either one of us has ever had a version such as this, which calls for rennet and corn syrup.}



{Surely I can’t be the only who’s a little intrigued by the idea of creating ice cream with three everyday pantry items: Kool-Aid, sugar and evaporated milk.}



{Blizzards are undeniably fantastic, but I must admit, it’s always been Dairy Queen’s sundaes and ice cream cakes that make me go weak in the knees.}



{I swear I was just thinking of little cups of ice cream like this a couple of weeks ago, and here today I chanced upon this Dixie ad for them. While I can’t recall for certain whether they were Dixie brand or not, individual servings of ice cream like this always make me think of the annual Sports Day at my elementary school because mid-way through the day the teachers always gave each of the students a little ice cream in a clear plastic cup with a flat wooden spoon.}



{Cherry nugget ice cream? Yes please! I think this flavour sounds absolutely delicious, perpetual candied cherry fan that I am ;D}



{This 1958 ad for Big Dip low calorie ice cream looks appealing...perhaps a little too appealing, just how low cal was it? :D}



{This deeply charming ice shop photo is wonderful, yet I can’t help feeling sorry for the poor chap, as it seems the young lady is more into her float than her beau!}



{Adorable mascots and a mouth-wateringly delicious soft serve ice cream and soda hybrid, what more could one ask for from a frozen treat?}



{Ice cream is generally fantastic all on its own, but who doesn’t love adding toping such as these Kraft sauces that were available circa 1959?}



{Frozen custard and chocolate ice cream, I can see why the gal spinning the records looks so excited!}



{Whether homemade or store bought, I have such a fondness for ice cream sandwiches. It’s so neat to know their design hasn’t changed much at all in the past fifty or more years.}



{A delectable assortment of ice cream flavours and tasty desserts to whet your appetite, from a vintage RCW freezer advert.}



{Anything – especially no-bake freezer desserts – that conjures up thoughts of snowmen is A-Ok with me when the mercury starts staring 100° in the face!.}



{During weeks as hot as this one had been, it really does seem like you need a larger-than-life sized 7-Up float to dive head (or perhaps more aptly "mouth") first into!}



{And what summer trip down memory lane would be complete without an image of children gathered round the ice cream man’s truck? Fascinating I found part of this exact same illustration used in another ice cream ad – certainly not an occurrence you chance upon every day in the vintage world!}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


Few amongst us aren’t keen on a frozen treat of one kind or another. While I don’t eat sweets all that often, if I am going to indulge in an frozen goodie, I especially love sundaes, Creamsicles, soft serve, sorbets, and Italian gelatos. Thinking back to my childhood I was crazy for raspberry, tiger tail, cotton candy, rocky road, and black cherry ice cream as well as my mom’s homemade popsicles. What are your all-time favourite frozen desserts, the ones that make you scream with delight just thinking about them?

Five for Friday {July 31, 2009}

...The weekend rolls in, a respite for some from the grind of the week, a start of a new round for others. Mid-summer air hangs heavy and warm, the world like rich cocoa, our nerves often a little frazzled, and yet we know that summer is gift too precious to truly bewail. Embrace this season while it’s still smiling on us with celebrations of gentle beauty and glistening light...





{To keep your skin soft as a summer cloud}


{The toasty months can zap moisture from your skin in a flash, which means that lotion is just as important now as it in the colder season. Stay dewy, and adorn your vanity, with an adorable bottle of Surfer Girl Mango Tangerine Shea Butter Lotion. 12oz container, $22.95 (US) from Dolce Mia.}


{To dance the warm nights away}


{Old school shoe lovers rejoice! This site sells a plethora of modern recreation saddle shoes in numerous colours and styles for both women and men. Pink and white ladies saddle shoes, $79.00 (US) from Muffy’s.}


{To capture the brilliant essence of perfect summer light and just-picked peaches}


{An incredibly lovely, serene, sun-kissed photo from the pages of wedding photography blog, Simply Bloom.}


{To relive a treasured childhood – and retro – favourite}


{Scrumptious looking cast iron skillet pineapple upside down cake, the perfect dessert to bring to a family barbeque or Sunday afternoon picnic. Recipe on, and photo from, Inn Cuisine.}


{To lay down in and spend a carefree afternoon daydreaming}


{Resplendently beautiful, old world romance is taken to such fashionable heights in this stunning, shabby chic bedroom. Photo from Dwellings and Decor.}





I must thank you everyone who wished my husband and I well over the past week. I’m very happy to report that darling husband is doing a bit better. My health has its good moments and it’s not so wonderful ones, as I have a number of serious chronic illnesses, but I am doing somewhat better than I was last Friday, too, which is terrific – summer weekends are so precious, I don’t want to miss out on more of them than absolutely necessary.

I truly hope that you’re all doing splendidly, and wish you a deeply wonderful, relaxing, sunshine filled weekend!