Yellow Means Spring

On a gray Michigan day, it’s easy to wish for spring. Even when it’s cold, the sun makes it feel warmer… That was the inspiration to play with the handpicked lists on Bonanzle. It’s a fun tool to pull together 20 items that harmonize around a theme… Chickens, rabbits and daffodil motifs help, too. It’s […]

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Collecting a Valentine

If I was going to collect mugs, these charming glass coffee mugs could easily be it. These examples were made by Glasbake, a trade name of McKee/Jeanette glass company made in the 1970s and early 1980s. The Evening Prayer is pretty, and so retro… The Language of Flowers would be a fun series. We’ve heard […]

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Lemon Jell-O and a Sidekick

Easter is coming. The holidays at our house have gotten simpler over the years, but some old favorites still appear. Others may go, but there’s one dish we always ask for at special times. We call it Lemon Jell-O. This is Jell-O gone fancy. It has bananas, marshmallows and pineapple in it, and a creamy […]

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Saucy saucemaker by Corning Ware

Quite likely, everyone I know grew up with Corning Ware cookware and bakeware in the Cornflower Blue pattern. Cornflower Blue is so associated with the company that as soon as you see it, you think “Corning Ware.” The sauce maker, though, is less common. These were sold in the 1960s and 1970s, with and without […]

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Chocolate cake, remember when

It must be the change in weather. When things get cool, we get itchy to bake. We first paired this easy and moist chocolate cake with a simple cooked frosting about 40 years ago. Just learning to cook then, and prowling in mother’s cookbooks for ideas. The combination has become a family favorite. Cockeyed Cake […]

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Corning Ware Daisies, Vintage Centura 1960s

Springhill is the pattern name. This vintage dinnerware from Corning is decorated with charming daisies: white-on-white daisies, yellow centered, in turn adorned with green ribbons. Centura is the brand name of the dinnerware made by Corning, before it turned to Corelle. The substance is called “pyroceram,” which started life as a material to use for […]

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It’s Peach Cobbler Season

It’s that time of year. Peaches are on. And they’re soooo good from the farmer’s market. You can smell them as you walk the aisles… I have a special casserole dish that I love to use for cobbler – vintage Corning Pyrex, in the distinctive ribbed berries and twining vines of the Gooseberry pattern, in […]

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Restaurant ware, vintage and modern

Remember the days of swivel bar stools covered in red Naugahyde, Dixie cups and burgers in a basket? That’s where restaurant wares take us, whether modern or vintage. Back to Happy Days… Syracuse China has been known for many years, for restaurant ware china in the vintage market, and for its modern cousins. Many people […]

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