[...] I thought maybe I'd tell a short version of the story.
"I got sunshine on a cloudy day..." These gentlemen are SMOOTH!! From their pure voices, stylish clothes, all the way down to their choreography. Motown hit the scene in the 1960s and was a new genre of music that was an immediate hit. This new sound combined incredible voices, lyrics, and rhythm which was unique
The cards I'm sharing today are alternates that I created with a set of card supplies from a past Paper Pumpkin kit, Bouquet of Hope. Now that's a blast from the past, right?! I had 17
It’s a blast from the past! My new favorite design blog von gestern has collected some of the most retro looking Swiss advertisements from the 1980′s...
This is my mum's very retro hair dryer. BrAun classic. I tried to find the model number etc but I can't so I have no idea how old it is but I think it's 1970s! It used to have loads of funny plastic attachments too but I think these have long gone. It still works but is not exactly salon standard! I love this dryer.
Spinach Salad is one of those dishes that has had an interesting history is the American culinary landscape. There are many manifestations and versions of this salad some with warm bacon dressings and some with cold tart or sweet dressings all designed to compliment the flavor of the base of the salad which is the spinach leaves themselves. Spinach salad as we know it has it's roots in the Pennsylvania Dutch country of western Pennsylvania's rolling farm country in Lancaster. The "Dutch" as we call them really came from the word "Deutsch" or German so we really are talking German food roots here when we look at their cuisine. And what a building block of American Midwestern cuisine it is. Pot roasts, noodles, potatoes , layer cakes, strudels, and even cabbages and casseroles are all part of the rich culinary heritage left us by the German settlers of this country. The Pennsylvania Dutch in particular had the emergence of the mushroom growing farming industry in their backyard which grew up and prospered in that area until today. Alton Brown speaks about the likely hood that spinach and mushrooms found themselves together in this part of the country easily and that the salad that grew out of it based was on a hot bacony vinegar dressing that was prevalent in German cooking. That this occurred is really no accident given that German cooks used this kind of dressing for a variety of dishes, and the flavors really help to make ordinary vegetables sing! Now I am familiar with this kind of dressing and this kind of spinach salad given that my Grandmother and Mom came from Chicago, another very heavily German influenced food town. But my real introduction and love of spinach salad came from my time spent working at the Magic Pan Restaurant in Tyson's Corner, Virginia back in the 80's as a student. Now if you have been reading my blog you will know that I have referenced the Magic Pan Restaurant before. But for those of you who have not been a brief story. The Magic Pan was a restaurant chain started by a Hungarian Couple , the Fono's in San Francisco in the 1970's. The original concept had been an Austrian style crepe restaurant mostly with recipes from Mrs Fono's family background. There were Ham crepes and Spinach crepes and chocolate and Strawberry crepes for dessert. The business expanded and was purchased by Quaker Oats in the 1980's. They took the concept expanded it to a french country kitchen concept and rolled it out across the nation. The center piece of each Magic Pan was the giant tile enclosed Crepe Wheel which spun around and cooked the crepes and other dishes while the customers looked on. I remember as a 12 year old being taken to the Pan and being just mesmorized by the giant cooking wheel of crepe goodness! It was one of the first "chain" restaurants in the country in a time when the US was just beginning to discover different foods. The Pan delivered that and at a decent price point. It was also a perfect time for a crepe restaurant as like fondue, crepes were all the rage in the 1970's. The thing that was interesting about the Pan looking back was that all of the food was cooked on site with real recipes. This required a staff of cooks to be behind the scenes at all the locations and was not a cheap way to do business. Amongst the many reasons for the demise of the chain was the rise of sit down restaurants like TGI Friday's and Applebee's that offered a full service bar and menu with a central commissary supplying the chain. This meant cost savings on site and guaranteed that that food was the same everywhere. Interestingly enough this concept was pioneered by Howard Johnson's, who with Jacque Pepin at the helm produced frozen entrees which could be uniformly served all over the US. Eventually through falling revenues and customer base the Pan collapsed. Interestingly enough the last Pan to close was the Mclean Store where I worked. A testament to Sue the manager and eventual owner I understand, who ran a tight ship and kept it afloat! Even as people turned away from the Magic Pan because of trends so today people are looking back and recognizing the value that the concept had not only as a novelty but as a place and a culinary experience. Whether the scene of many a boozy lunch by the ladies of Mclean or candle lit dinners for couples in love in the evenings, the quiet elegance and french country charm enveloped the diner in a world beyond the Mall and beyond their own. Upon entering the Tyson's Pan one was struck by the charm and sophistication of the surroundings. The excellent service and of course the tasty and interesting food. Food which for the time was new, foreign, and different. Before food TV, Media, food blogs and the internet., Americans were new to many of the foods the Magic Pan was serving. And many look back with fondness to the time and place they discovered those foods for the first time. The Magic Pan. Among of the super star dishes of all those boozy lunches by the "Ladies who Lunch" of Mclean Virginia was an assortment of salads. Two of the most popular where the "Orange Almond Salad" ( very Californian) and the Pan's version of this classic spinach salad. As with most of their dishes the Pan put their own twist on this dish. The Pan's take on this salad grew out of two factors I would guess. One was that the chain was a California based company. So the idea of salads as a meal was something very Californian. This also influenced the type of ingredients the salad had. I mean it's not complicated. Spinach, Mushrooms, Bacon, Eggs. But instead of doing a warm bacon and egg dressing like it's German forbearers the Pan took a more refined French/Californian approach to the salad dressing it with a really nice mustardy vinaigrette. Regardless the result was something easy to prepare in the kitchen at the Pan and easy to prepare in your kitchen now. So take a look at this version of an old American standby and give it a whirl, it's an oldie but goodie revisited but with an emphasis on a goodie! Enjoy Ya'll! SPINACH SALAD (Based on my recollection of the Magic Pan's recipe) Dressing: 1 cup vegetable oil 1⁄2 cup tarragon wine vinegar 1 tsp dry tarragon leaves 3⁄4 tsp salt 1⁄8 tsp pepper 1 tsp sugar 1⁄2 tsp Dijon mustard Combine all ingredients except oil. Slowly whisk in oil. Salad: Fresh spinach Fresh mushrooms, sliced Chopped bacon Chopped hard-boiled egg Wash and dry spinach leaves. Sprinkle mushrooms, chopped cooked bacon and chopped hard boiled eggs over spinach. Toss with dressing.
You know I was browsing around on Amazon when I ran into something that totally reminded me of the 80s and early 90s. I was born in 1980 so the toys I remember playing with, the fashion I remember seeing, and the music well I still listen to some of it. Anyway, I wanted to share some of these awesome items you'll remember if you were lucky enough to be around in the 80s! I agree that the fashion was a little crazy, but all in all it was a good times... I'm still not sure how we managed to make it.
Some of the first cards I made 15+ years ago!
I love this stamp set! Throwback Thursday with one of my favorite cards and favorite Masculine stamp sets! This stamp set is the "Nailed It" stamp set from Stampin' UP! Stampin' UP! has a shortage on Manly stamp sets and so when they come out with a great one, keep it!!! Do you have this set? If so, give this layout a try! #ThrowbackThursday Happy Stampin' Everyone!!!
Way back in 1969, It’s A Beautiful Day released their self-titled debut album via Columbia Records, featuring the song “White Bird.”
You may be thinking... WHAT blast from the past? This Stampin' Up! Jar of Haunts pumpkin is BRAND NEW!? Well, yes, you are right... but I got out my Prismacolor Pencils from my 1979 college art class to color them... now THAT'S a Blast from the Past, don't you think!? (contrary to popular belief, the world was not black and white back then... we did have color :) I found my Prismacolor pencil set recently and thought... hmmm I really want to use these on something.. so I looked for an outline image and whohoooo! This fun
Explore Bike Jerks' 20840 photos on Flickr!
So, what do you do with pictures that you find from a LONG time ago?? Scrapbook them and show them to the world! That’s exactly what I did today! I found these fun pictures of me and my bes…
Hello, crafty friends. I thought it would be fun to share a birthday card I made recently for a little someone's second birthday. I used the retired Birthday Delivery stamp set and matching dies. I heart this little girl image. Of course I had to pair it with new product. I love the Ornate Layers Dies and can't stop using this particular one that makes this simple lace border. I paired the Ornate Layers Dies with the Stitched Rectangle Dies and a piece of retired Pool Party DSP. I colored my images using Pool Party, Ivory, Bronze, Light Smoky Slate and retired Pink Pirouette Stampin' Blends. A coloring TIP: I used the Color Lifter to lighten the homemade shadow area. And here's the inside. So fun, right? lol June Host Code: H76TGTKE Place a $50 order (before shipping/tax) using my host code during the month of June, and receive the Greenery Embossing Folders as my thank you gift. PLUS, you will also earn additional PERKS when you shop with me: Earn 1 PERK POINT for every $50 order. Collect 10 PERK POINTS and receive $25 worth of additional product FREE! or Collect 16 PERK POINTS and receive $45 worth of additional product FREE! Download my PERK TRACKER form HERE. Happy Stamping! Earn an extra $25 in shopping rewards when you have a $250 order or host a $250 party during the month of June! Do you have a large wish list? Why not host an online party?! Contact me, and I will assign a personal Host Code to you so that you can share and shop anytime during the month of June to reach the extra shopping rewards! Here's the June 3-30th Promotional Details: Customer, demonstrator, workshop, and online order types qualify for this promotion; Starter Kit orders do not qualify for this promotion. Paper Pumpkin prepaid subscriptions count toward a qualifying purchase. Month-to-month subscriptions do not qualify for this promotion. The qualifying amount must be reached with commissionable merchandise prior to shipping and tax. Additional Stampin’ Rewards for this promotion will only be awarded once per order. Or better yet, why not join the fun and become a Stampin' UP! Demonstrator? Pick out a FREE bundle of your choice along with all the other items you get to choose in your starter kit! Check out all the details HERE.
I have been starting the very initial stages of Marie Kondo-ing the crap out of my life. While I have only seen one episode of her new Netflix Series, it has inspired me to begin in a logical place: my closet. And let me tell you this: I have only just begun to clean. That […]
Hello, crafty friends. I thought it would be fun to share a birthday card I made recently for a little someone's second birthday. I used the retired Birthday Delivery stamp set and matching dies. I heart this little girl image. Of course I had to pair it with new product. I love the Ornate Layers Dies and can't stop using this particular one that makes this simple lace border. I paired the Ornate Layers Dies with the Stitched Rectangle Dies and a piece of retired Pool Party DSP. I colored my images using Pool Party, Ivory, Bronze, Light Smoky Slate and retired Pink Pirouette Stampin' Blends. A coloring TIP: I used the Color Lifter to lighten the homemade shadow area. And here's the inside. So fun, right? lol June Host Code: H76TGTKE Place a $50 order (before shipping/tax) using my host code during the month of June, and receive the Greenery Embossing Folders as my thank you gift. PLUS, you will also earn additional PERKS when you shop with me: Earn 1 PERK POINT for every $50 order. Collect 10 PERK POINTS and receive $25 worth of additional product FREE! or Collect 16 PERK POINTS and receive $45 worth of additional product FREE! Download my PERK TRACKER form HERE. Happy Stamping! Earn an extra $25 in shopping rewards when you have a $250 order or host a $250 party during the month of June! Do you have a large wish list? Why not host an online party?! Contact me, and I will assign a personal Host Code to you so that you can share and shop anytime during the month of June to reach the extra shopping rewards! Here's the June 3-30th Promotional Details: Customer, demonstrator, workshop, and online order types qualify for this promotion; Starter Kit orders do not qualify for this promotion. Paper Pumpkin prepaid subscriptions count toward a qualifying purchase. Month-to-month subscriptions do not qualify for this promotion. The qualifying amount must be reached with commissionable merchandise prior to shipping and tax. Additional Stampin’ Rewards for this promotion will only be awarded once per order. Or better yet, why not join the fun and become a Stampin' UP! Demonstrator? Pick out a FREE bundle of your choice along with all the other items you get to choose in your starter kit! Check out all the details HERE.
Back in, oh probably 2003, I was knee deep in this newish hobby we call scrapbooking. Aidan was roughly 7 years old and I was making pages like a banshee. (Okay, not literally like a banshee. What IS a banshee anyway?) I made the layout I’m sharing today and it went into my first book, […]
You know I was browsing around on Amazon when I ran into something that totally reminded me of the 80s and early 90s. I was born in 1980 so the toys I remember playing with, the fashion I remember seeing, and the music well I still listen to some of it. Anyway, I wanted to share some of these awesome items you'll remember if you were lucky enough to be around in the 80s! I agree that the fashion was a little crazy, but all in all it was a good times... I'm still not sure how we managed to make it.
