Polar Office Chair

1917 Polar Office Supply

I really want an old office chair like this.  I've seen them come across the local Craigslist from time to time but never in good condition.  I suppose ergonomics has come a long way since 1917.  The surprising thing is that these chairs are really comfortable, besides being built like a tank.  No they don't have the pneumatic bells and whistles that modern office chairs do but who needs all that?  The best part is you have to screw the whole chair down to adjust the height.  Really deflates the wind out of the stupid jerk that likes to lower all the office chairs to the floor.

A Uniform Nurse

My my, how nurses uniforms have changed over the years.  In years past they were crisp, snappy and form fitting, not at all practicable for the chores associated with your nursing duties.  My mother would tell me stories about having to wear uniforms such as this when she was in nursing school.  I rather get the impression she hated it, but today we have a much more efficient alternative... scrubs.  Scrubs are baggy rather than form fitting, not flattering to the figure but certainly easier to move around in than the old starched uniforms.  With all things there is progress, sometimes this progress is a bad thing, eliminating what was old and useful in favor of the new fad.  In the case of nurses uniforms though, progress was a good thing.

Also it's like the changes in health insurance, you need a good agent for health coverage to find the best insurance... if that's even possible anymore.

A 1920's Breakfast

As you may know, the 1920's was a time of unprecedented wealth in the United States.  It was truly the pinnacle of success for the Middle Class, a success they would not enjoy again until the 1950's.  In my study of everything food related in the vintage era I've been particularly interested in what constituted breakfast back then.  The best information at my disposal dates from the 1920's because by the 1930's breakfast would have been cold leftovers from dinner except Sundays when a more traditional fare would have been served.

Pickled Eggs and Beets

I love making pickled eggs for Easter and Christmas, their red color is reminiscent of the red dyed eggs used at Easter in Ukrainian traditions.  They are extremely easy to make just requiring a few days to sit in the brine and get well flavored.

I have tried to trace the history of adding beets to pickled eggs but I have been stumped every step of the way.  Here in the USA we tend to call them "Amish Style" pickled eggs however variations of the same recipe exist in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Low Countries.  Pickling eggs in a vinegar brine has been around forever and I think the beet variation isn't that much younger.  This recipe is good for 14 eggs.  You'll need 2 quart size mason jars along with lids and rings.  Keep them in the refrigerator after they cool.

Note: This was a recipe I had posted about before Easter but I tried them again except omitting the shortcuts such as using canned beets.  The end result was far beyond my expectations and made me embarrassed that I had ever put the original recipe on this blog.  Here is the modified recipe using fresh ingredients.

Guide To Good Nutrition (1942)

Since the dawn of the 1900's the Government has been subjecting us to "guides to good nutrition" highlighting what what we should be eating in our daily meals.  It's interesting how health modes have changed so much since the 1940's to today.  When I first grabbed this ad it was the meat at the top that caught my eye.  Wonderfully marbled meat with a nice bit of fat to give the meat flavor and to make the consumer full.  Yes, you didn't need to eat as much meat back in the old days because the meat was more filling owing to the fat content.