#anAWWyear - February 1948: Food

For a recipe to catch my eye in this process, I either think it sounds tasty or I'm thinking "WTF, 1940s?" I make mostly the former, and share information about the latter, as making recipes which I don't think will be nice strikes me as a waste of food.

This month, however, I present you with one of three "Ways with Carrots" which I did make, despite some serious doubts.  This is basically diced cooked carrots in the most bland "satay sauce" ever - peanut butter added to a white sauce.

"Creamed With Peanut Butter: Cut cooked carrots into dice. Add 1 tablespoon peanut butter to ½ pint white sauce, and pour over carrots. Top with crumbs, brown lightly in hot oven. Serve as an entree or supper dish."

It looked more appealing in person. Honest.
Australian Women's Weekly, Feb 7 1948, p 34.

 I didn't hate this, and the four-year old even ate a few pieces once told it was in peanut butter. My husband was not a fan. While this will never be repeated, it has inspired us make our satay stir fry this week, after a long hiatus, and gives us hope the boy will like it.

I'm trying to make at least one savoury and one sweet recipe, and the illustrated dessert from the 'Stay for Supper' feature in the same issue tempted me to try it - prunes and peach halves on a coconut meringue base.

The dessert I considered, top right.
The whole menu is " frankfurts with tomato-mustard sauce, potato cakes, shredded cabbage,
tomato wedges" and the dessert named "black-eyed susans".
Australian Women's Weekly, Feb 7 1948, p 33

But I decided to make something from what I already had in the cupboard, as an activity on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and made the Fruited Scone-Ring  - which isn't even a full recipe, just a partial one with illustrations top and bottom of the reader recipe page of February 28th.

As in the magazine...
Australian Women's Weekly, Feb 28 1948, p 34. 

And as made by me and a helpful preschooler., Feb 2018. 

"FRUITED SCONE-RING is simple to make. First step: Roll 8oz. scone dough thinly, spread over 1½ cups mixed dried fruit simmered 2 or 3 minutes with squeeze of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon marmalade, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and cooled. Moisten edges, roll to long, thin roll, press ends together to form a ring. Place on greased tray. Using floured scissors, snip nearly through at 1 in. intervals. Turn sections sideways, as illustrated. Bake in hot oven (475deg. F.) 12 to 15 minutes. When cold, top with lemon-flavored icing."

Now I suspect my scone dough (the basic simple scone recipe I've got written in my recipe book and I turn to on many an occasion) wasn't 8oz as there is no way, even had I been able to roll it to my desired thickness and not just to 'preschooler hasn't gotten bored yet' thickness, that my ring would have been as large as the illustrated one. But the basic premise is good. I've usually seen these rolled and then cut completely through, and the rolled sections baked flat, but I liked this better - it came out more scone-like still. The boy helped measure out sultanas and sugar, helped roll the scone dough, helped spread the fruit, and very much enjoyed moistening the dough with the pastry brush, so this gets the child-helper friendly recipe tick of approval. 

This page of reader recipes had a few interesting options actually - I may yet try the Boston Veal with Pineapple - so I think February is a definite win for reader recipes over the magazine's own features, which were largely uninspiring.

#anAWWyear - February 1948: Fashion

Firstly, an apology for the break in posting. I had a struggle getting ready for Christmas, so there went December. After Christmas I had a large work contract to squeeze in before mid-January, the computer was having major issues (and we have since bought a new one, a decision we should have made months ago), and I having a down patch with my health related to my chronic illness. So there went January.  

Jumping back into my #anAWWyear with February, I'm starting as usual with a look over the fashion shown this month.

I was having a conversation just this week with my sister about tartans and plaids and how much we liked them yet didn't have them in our wardrobes, so these two looks - one from an advertisement, one from a feature on film stars - naturally caught my eye. The pairing of the solid top with large-scale plaid skirt works very well, and I also like the slightly more muted brown/greens of these outfits than the stronger blues/blacks/reds of many such prints I see in reproduction vintage skirts.

An Australian Wool Board advertisement.
Australian Women's Weekly, Feb 14 1948, p 14. 

The lovely Rita Hayworth.
Australian Women's Weekly, Feb 21 1948, p 25.

I don't know who was doing the Vicars Wool fashion sketches in this era - they are signed with what appears to be the initials 'R H' -  but this is yet another one of their drawings which is making me sigh wistfully for the sort of life where I wear such chic outfits. 

That colour!
Australian Women's Weekly, Feb 14 1948, p 6.

I don't usually include an entire page from the magazine, but this feature on the 'Versatile Skirt' was worth it. While I've read plenty of advice about combining pieces to make different outfits in vintage papers, they are rarely illustrated in this way. I particularly like that it isn't an obvious 'basic' skirt either, made up on this slightly green yellow colour - I feel that is more effective a display than a navy or black skirt would have been. 

One skirt in many different outfits.
Australian Women's Weekly, Feb 21 1948, p 11. 

 The final two selections I've chosen this month are embellishments.  A dress from the Fashion Pattern service has lace trimming its off-the-shoulder neckline, and while neither are ideas I usually like something about this is appealing to me right now. Possibly the squared off ends pinned in front?

This ballerina dress takes 7 yds of fabric for the full-length option.
Australian Women's Weekly, Feb 28 1948, p 39.

This feature on beaded embroidery as decoration on clothes has some very nice examples - the embellished over-sized cuffs on the green blouse in the background are striking.

Australian Women's Weekly, Feb 7 1948, p 11. 

A good leap back in, and I'm definitely adding a plaid or tartan skirt to my winter wardrobe wish list!