Clever Girl

I have a thing for old books. I love the old, worn covers, the retro illustrations and I love the language. I don't search them out. I don't really collect them either. But now and then I happen upon one at a flea market, garage sale or even a box of freebies by the side of the road. Our public library always has shelves full of books that are for sale for 50 cents each. I've purchased several books there. Sometimes there are notes in the margins from the original owner, or a script in the front cover.
When I get them home I usually just put them on a shelf where they look like they've been forever. But now and then I'll actually take one down and read it. Sometimes I grab an old novel and dive right in. Often they're boring, but that's good for me because that's the kind of novel I like; boring. Once in a while, I'll grab an old book and just read a few pages - just to get a glimpse back to a time when life moved more slowly.
One of my favorites is Heloise's Kitchen Hints, by Heloise. We have Martha Stewart; our mothers and grandmothers had Heloise. I love Heloise's books and reach for them frequently when I need some 'girl time' but there are no girls around. This particular book, printed in 1963, boasts right on the cover that it offers "tested ways to clean and brighten your kitchen and make it a palace instead of a prison." Obviously, these are tips we all need.
Some of the tips are downright smart and logical - like duh, why didn't I think of that? Others are almost unbelievable in their archaity.
Here are some I liked the last time I took a look...

"Ever use an egg slicer to slice mushrooms to saute? It's sure, quick and uniform."

When I read that one to AJ he said, "That's brilliant!" See? Duh, why didn't we think of that?

I love this next one. The woman who shared this tip with Heloise (sometimes Heloise allows for tips from other smart women in her books) was from Ohio. I'll bet she was absolutely beside herself when she got her first steam iron. And what did she do in the winter?...

"I dampen clothes on dewy nights! I take down all of the unironed clothing from my clothesline and leave those to be ironed on the line. I let them hang until just before I go to bed!"

And here's a real lovely thought...

"SPRUCE UP KITCHEN CHAIRS
You can cover kitchen or breakfast room chairs with looped, shag rugs that can be bought on sale. They are wonderful and so rich looking."

Oh yes, SO RICH LOOKING.

Oh, and this sounds delicious. YOU try it.

"Stale, dried-up cheese turns into a delicious spread when placed into the meat grinder with a few chunks of raw onion."

How sick is that?

I'm an iced coffee drinker so I liked this one a lot...

"Never throw away any leftover coffee. When it's cool put it in an ice tray and make coffee ice cubes out of it."

The unfortunate thing about this one is, who still has ice cube trays?

Oh Heloise...you are tho thuper thmart.