Long time ago I was given a 1950s Hardcover Betty Crocker cookbook as a gift and I have found it extremely interesting. Not only is it a cookbook with pictures of food it also is a history book, manners book, time management book and how to take care of your husband and kids book. It was really a one stop shop for a 1950s housewife to learn a high level overview of not only how to be the perfect wife but also the perfect host.

June 15th 2024 UPDATE: I found the exact same Betty Crocker 1950s Cookbook on Etsy (3 for sale at time of update).

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

So with that said I thought as recent newlywed that I would jump back into this book and see what I might learn on how to make my household the perfect harmony of food and love in a world where I cannot cook very well.

Take a look inside a 1950s Betty Crocker Cookbook

The Vintage Cooking Tips:

“Dress up your food for eye appeal for its the finish that counts”: Well that sure is a relief because I’m not the greatest cook so if I can make a tomato flower and put it on top of my not so well cooked casserole and that is all that counts..I’m golden in the eyes of my husband!

How to prepare food with a kick as seen in a 1950s Betty Crocker Cookbook. Vintage food tips.

“Measure exactly as a druggist follows a doctor’s prescription!”: Apparently two minutes measuring carefully may save you hours of grief.

Really?? No pinch here and pinch there as my mom always said? But my mom’s foods always turned out to be amazing, how can that be? I must remember this rule and stop listening to what my mom said because Betty knows better ;).

“Meal Planning has 5 steps”:

A) Appropriateness-Make sure you meal fits “the situation”, “the occasion” and “the family needs”.

One of the comments was that the wife cooks dinner for her young son and his needs and without cooking a separate meal she dresses up the meal for grownup tastes. And this is when kraft dinner and hotdogs was born my friends!

B) Appearance-Prepare, Serve & Present each food attractively for greater appetite appeal.

So basically cover up the burnt spots with the pretty tomato flowers I recently made….on it!

C) Satisfaction-Good cooking & seasoning; Right combination of food; Follow tested recipes carefully: And here is the poem that goes with it:

****”Something soft and something crisp should always go together, And something hot with something cold No matter what the weather; Something bland needs the complement Of something with tang and nip. Follow these rules and all your meals Will have taste appeal and zip.”****

D) Nutrition-Serve a wide variety of foods; Balance meals by including foods from the 7 basic groups; Breakfast should give about 1/3 of the day’s food supply.

I got this! 7 basic groups and a wide variety of foods easily go into my blender and become my breakfast for the day. I don’t think Betty meant all at once but I’m an overachiever at times.

E) Cost-A food budget will help you; Buy the basic food needs for the family first; Buy less of the more expensive foods and more of the less expensive foods; Grow your own fruits & Veggies if possible.

Wise words and words that easily apply to today’s world. My husband and I have a balcony and have grown our own veggies. Now maybe it was only enough for one salad but we saved $3 that week just enough to be put towards one Starbucks coffee.

Answers to questions on types of service (really there are TYPES??): Yes there are types!

1950's table service as seen in a 1950s Betty Crocker Cookbook. Vintage food tips.

A) English or Family Service-Food is served by the host or hostess from trays on the table (like many of us still eat today).

B) Russian Service–Formal service by the staff of the house. The host and hostess have no part in the serving.

C) Compromise or Mixed Service-Mains are served at the table while the rest of the dinner (soup, salad etc.) are brought from the kitchen by the help.

WAIT! Where is “Sit at the TV and eat”? Oh yes it is there under “Be flexible with mealtime locations”. Ahhhh…that is more my husband and I right now in our busy lives.

So what have I learned from this short lesson? I have learned that I love many things about the 50s but some of its ways of doing things in the kitchen don’t exactly work for me in my modern iPhone living world. I love my microwave and my husband being the cook and not worrying about what side my fork goes when I sit down to eat. I will tell you though, that I 100% LOVE the idea of garnishing everything I make and will be taking that lesson into the kitchen with me.

Last note, I did enjoy reading this cookbook and there were so many more fun tips and trick that I would love to share with you lovely readers in another post sometime soon. So stay tuned for some more helpful tips from Miss Betty Crocker.

FURTHER READING:

Liz

Looking for a present for that special person in your life (or maybe yourself)?

Then Bakelite could be the way to go and if you have started to read my blog recently then you might of seen the word “Bakelite” mentioned a few times on here and could be wondering exactly what I’m talking about? Is this Bakelite something I have recently baked? Did my husband baked it (because I certainly don’t bake lol)? If those thoughts passed thru your head you would be incorrect, Bakelite is actually a plastic or its more technical name: “polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride” Say that 3 times fast..or say it at all 🙂

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Note: If you click on an item and it is no longer available, don’t fret! The websites I have provided are updated daily with 1000’s of new & vintage items. Just do a quick search and see what you find.

Bakelite! The Must Have Vintage Fashion Accessory

Brief History of Bakelite

Bakelite was created by accident by Leo Baekeland (a scientist and a millionaire from selling his photographic paper patent to Kodak), in 1907 when he was trying to find a replacement for shellac and ended up creating one of the first plastics made from synthetic materials (discovered it would never melt). The plastics were used from everything from radio and telephone casings to kitchenware, jewelry (very popular due to its low cost to purchase especially during the depression) and even children’s toys (Wikipedia-Bakelite).

Collection of Bakelite products in a museum.

-Picture from the Bakelite Museum in the UK-

World War 2 though brought the end of Bakelite production by the main producers of the plastic “Catalin Corp” due to the need to focus on the War effort and this saw new plastics like fiberglass, vinyl and lucite take its place in popularity.

Bakelite is now highly converted for its retro appeal by the mid-century vintage loving crowd. The jewelry more than anything and if you we’re to go on Etsy or eBay right this second you will see many pieces of Bakelite for sale at insane prices. As example…the 1940s Bakelite cherry necklace below.

Source: Etsy

Don’t fear though, you can find Bakelite at lower prices than what I have shown here (especially if the vendor is not aware they are selling Bakelite or you win it on eBay or you get a nice seller who sells it under value or the piece is not as fancy, etc.).

Fake Bakelite: The vintage world has been taken over by “Fakelite” aka “looks like Bakelite but is not and very inexpensive to purchase”. I personally own a few pieces myself from Luxulite and I love them (especially on my low budget). They are a SUPER way to get the look of Bakelite without the cost.

1940s vintage style bracelet 1940s style bangle bakelite like fakelite

Here are some vendors on Etsy that you can buy from today:

Luxulite (my personal fav)
The Pink Bungaloo (pictured above)
Mrs Polly Lucite
Loretta Lou Jewels

****CAUTION: REAL Bakelite is hard to spot unless you know some tricks to test the plastic or know trusted vendors online or in stores. Decolish has as a great blog post on Bakelite testing that is a must read if you wish to venture into purchasing a piece or two of your own. People will try to sell you fake Bakelite at high prices so proceed with caution.******

In the Rockabilly & mid-century vintage crowd the women love their Bakelite and there is many a blog and online pictures with these beautiful women wearing gorgeous Bakelite bracelets (the plastic comes in the most beautiful colours and can be carved, inlaid or laminated with decorative designs thus making them the most popular). I have started my own collection myself and currently own a bracelet, brooch and earrings (like the collection of bracelets below).

These Bakelite yellow bracelets were being sold as set on Etsy

Source: Etsy

So with all that said, I will leave you with a some Bakelite jewelry images to get you dreaming of beautiful bangles and brooches to put under the Christmas tree (or even before that!). Happy Shopping!

Vintage marbled amber Burnt orange Bakelite, thick hoop earrings 1940s / 1950s.(avail as of March 17th, 2022 HERE).

Source: Etsy

1940s Vintage Bakelite Brown and Orange Dress Clip (Tested). Dress Clips can be worn at the neck of a blouse or dress as they just clip onto the fabric. Very fun fashion accessory! (August 2020 Update)

1940s Vintage Bakelite Brown and Orange Dress Clip (Tested). Dress Clips can be worn at the neck of a blouse, dress as they just clip onto the fabric. Very fun fashion accessory!

Source: Etsy

Vintage Butterscotch Bakelite Charm Bracelet (Tested). Such a stunny piece of Mid Century Jewelry. (August 2020 Update)

Source: Etsy

Bakelite Brooch/ Signed Shultz Jewelry/ Vintage Bakelite Buttons and Butterscotch Ball Dangle Brooch.

Source: Etsy

Fantastic 1940s Bakelite Grape Cluster Brooch via Etsy.

Source: Etsy

Deeply Carved Floral Leaf Motif Heavy Butterscotch Yellow Bakelite Bangle 1930s.

Source: Etsy

Vintage Bakelite Bracelet Transparent Apple Juice Marbled.

Source: Etsy

Do you love Bakelite as much as me? Share any thoughts you have on this topic in the comments section below.

Shopping for Bakelite: I have recently created a regularly updated, Etsy collection page of ‘Vintage Bakelite‘ jewelry that you can find HERE.

Further Reading:

Collection of vintage fashion blog posts from the 1920s-1960s

Thanks for dropping by!

Liz