I Dream of Jeannie in a Pink Retro Kitchen

   

(pink 1960s kitchen)

You can't tell me this retro kitchen don't take you back to "I Dream of Jeannie" wreaking havoc on Major Nelson.  That's if Major Nelson would let Jeannie blink a pink designer kitchen into his Coco Beach home?  

Charming Gidget Jones here, your iCafe Woman Moderne server extraordinaire at your service.  Kiki sends her miracles and blessings.

 You had to know we were heading in this direction after our last text-webisode was devoted to childhood comfort food.  Nobody asked me what mine was.  Okay, since you asked ... my favorite was liver and onions.  What's with the sour face, you've got yours ... I've got mine.

Since most of us had kitchens that didn't look like a House Beautiful magazine spread, the next one may crank up your memory juices.  Just add splattered spaghetti sauce on the cabinets and jelly stains on the counter.  There you go, it came back.  I knew it would.

Or maybe this one takes you back.

  

Don't you miss those lovely mustard and avocado appliances?  Some of you are still trying to get rid of them.  You're not alone.  

Everyday I sneer at my white GE 1950s stove.  Unfortunately, I live by the "if it ain't broke and it doesn't burn up the food ... don't buy another one ...  philosophy.  I was counting on it biting the dust years ago, just from my adventure cooking alone.  Fat chance.

 I grew up in a 1950s unfitted kitchen in a house that was a close kin to Sanford and Son.  That is still a 1950's unfitted kitchen today.  (It's now my oldest brother's bachelor pad.)  

My Dad worked the 3 to 11 shift for the Sanitation department, and by day ran his own candy vending business, which made me a hit with neighborhood kids.  He kept a gumball and peanut machine in front of our house until we closed the blinds for the night.

At dinnertime, the seven of us elbowed each other, squeezed around a table almost identical to the one below.  Ours was of the sunshine yellow and sky blue formica/vinyl design.  Lovely.  

It's a good thing we didn't have Swiss steak on a regular basis, somebody would've suffered an injury.  It was tight, but fun.  Us kids would wolf down our mashed potatoes and peas, so we'd have time to watch our favorite television shows before bedtime.

  (Classic Kitchens and More)

Since Women's Lib wasn't observed in my household, my sister and I were stuck washing the dishes in record time, that's if we didn't get into a shouting match over whose turn it was to wash.  Those fights usually cut our television viewing time by 75%.

Ah, hello old friends ... I remember scrubbing you with Brillo pads, but not in these cool colors.  That's right, they're the New Millennium retro cool versions.  But wait, is that a Corning ware frying pan in the ever popular wildflower design.  It is.  

Remember those aluminum tumblers in a rainbow of colors?

(Corning Ware and Punch Bowl Set)

 


If you went inside every row house on my block during the "Hawaii Five-O" and "All in the Family" era, you'd find a Corning ware with wildflowers for Shake 'n Bake chicken, a punch bowl set often swimming with Sherbet Punch for pantry parties or block meetings; and  of course, the standard TV trays stacked in homes across America.  

You'd have to keep from kicking over those aluminum cups filled with Coca Cola, found on more than a few front stoops on a hot summer night in the City.  And every screened window had a fan whirling away. 

Do you have a favorite retro style kitchen memory.  Do dish!












Oh, I almost forgot, here's a glimpse into my dream kitchen.  I'm a modern design kind of diva.

I'm digging those Aga ranges.


Toodles!

The Joys of Childhood Comfort Food

 Favorite Childhood Comfort Food 
and Today's Popular Culture Replacements


Ten more days until our Springtime awakening, but who's counting?  Who am I kidding, I'm counting down to the last chilly nano-second.  At least the east coast region hit a warm spell at last, but I'm sure Winter hasn't finished with us yet.  

Kiki, here ... the Lenten season is my favorite time of year.  It's a time of rebirth, a renewal where we start anew and examine our lives.  During the Lenten Spring, my spirit is so refreshed.  I always make a new personal discovery.

I was blessed with a wonderful childhood.  I grew up in an inner-city, working class neighborhood but raised in the middle class tradition.  

We had a dog, fish, parakeet, ant farm, rabbit and cat. (the latter two for a short period) We owned a Chevvy station wagon; spent Sunday afternoons (after church), in the summertime, playing soft ball and riding our bikes; then we'd drive to the country and go to an actual Dairy for ice cream.  If we didn't go to the Dairy, Sunday nights  were "Ice Cream Night."  We'd have our bowls right before the Sunday Night Movie. 

Easter Sunday celebration had it's own set of traditions.  Saturday was spent on the Avenue picking up my Easter fashion accessories:   hat, gloves, shoes and fulfilling any last minute shopping need in preparation for Easter Sunday.  

 (Woman in Pink Dress Hat)

Our Easter Sunday celebration began with our church service.  We'd get there early in anticipation of the huge crowds, then rush home with our Easter plants in hand excited to see the surprises our parents hid in the basement the Saturday before.  

Mom always added more candy and surprises after we went to bed.  She could have easily started a business making personalized Easter baskets for kids.  She made our wicker Easter baskets custom to each of her five kids' preferences and interests. 

My brothers, sister and I would return from church to a dining room filled with Easter baskets and a box of real baby chicks in the living room, joining our new Parakeet.  Yes, I did say I grew up in the inner-city, not a farm. 

Our long row house was filled with activity and delicious aromas of ham, fried chicken, collard greens and bread pudding.  My mother made fried chicken every Sunday, until a year before her passing.

Lenten season is when I'm reflective about the many features of my life.  I thank God for all of my blessings.  So, it's hard not to remember the comforts, specifically the food eaten that defined my childhood.

 iCafe Woman Moderne is the epitome of a comfort food cafe.  Our divas are inside making or just taking out the bag -- their favorite childhood comfort food.  They'll present them with today's popular culture replacements. 

(Granville Millinery Company)

Let's join Seraphina (43 - architect), Jocelyn (51 - consultant), Brielle (20 - web designer and student), Vanessa (37 - concert pianist) and Maya (24 - kindergarten teacher) inside iCafe Woman Moderne for their simple comfort food.

Simple Comfort Food

1.  Kiki's Lorna Doones and Sweet Tea with Condensed Milk   (Lorna Doone Cookies)

I loved curling up in bed with a plate of Lorna Doones and a mug of sweet tea with canned condensed milk watching an old movie:  "Georgie Girl," "Breakfast at Tiffany's" or "Bye Bye Birdie," surrounded by my Jackson Five posters and Seventeen covers taped to every inch of my wall, with my well-used stereo playing low in the background.

Fast Forward to Now ...

Today's Popular Culture Replacement:

(White Chocolate Latte)

A Starbucks White Chocolate Latte and a chocolate chip scone or muffin while chatting on My Space or watching "Gossip Girls."

Jocelyn pulls out chocolate chip scones from the oven in the open concept kitchen that also serves as iCafe Woman Moderne's coffee bar.  For all of you new visitors to the cafe, we're a retro style virtual cafe inside an Art Moderne home where women of all ages can just be.

Jocelyn sets a White Chocolate Latte on the the long island.

Quick Comfort Food and Seventies Television

2.  Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Fish Sticks

(fish sticks)

(grilled cheese sandwich)

Jocelyn

Friday nights in the Webster household was Fish Sticks, French Fries and Peas Night.  Grilled cheese sandwiches were our Saturday night fallback when we weren't out eating restaurant food.

"I'd watch the Brady Bunch munching on crunchy fish sticks, cottage fries and baby peas with onions.  Delicious!  We didn't use Mrs. Paul's or frozen fries, Mom made her own fish sticks from Cod or Whiting and her own cottage fries.  They were simple comfort food ... correction, cheap comfort food."

Grilled Cheese and Seventies Television 

"And we'd wash it all down with Dad's homemade root beer.  On grilled cheese night, Mom would make a sandwich assembly line with our choice of toppings (tomato, bacon and tuna) for us kids to make our own grilled cheese sandwiches."

"There's nothing better than eating comfort food while watching seventies television shows."

Today's Popular Culture Replacement:

 California Rolls (Sushi) and a Monte Cristo sandwich.   but the grilled cheese is still up there on the popularity scale.  What's a Monte Cristo Sandwich? (See recipe at the end of this post.)

 (California Rolls)

"Would you believe it, sushi?  I kid you not.  I took my tween daughter and her friends to the movies last Friday, afterwards I asked them what they wanted to eat.  They said sushi.  They wanted Sushi.  

I should have took those spoiled things home and made them eat a box of Gorton fish sticks I had in the freezer.  When I suggested it, to relive my Fish Stick, French Fry and Peas Night.  They looked at me as if I said run into traffic with your eyes closed.

Kiki
How was the Sushi? 

Of course, we went for Sushi.  And the whole time they were playing games on their cell phones or texting, so there were little conversation with me, which was probably a blessing."

3.  Shepherds Pie 

Maya

"Okay, it's my turn.  You may be a little surprised what I'm bringing to the table since my childhood was only a few years ago."  (giggling)

She  pulls out a Shepherd's Pie from the bottom oven.

Jocelyn
"That's yours?  I thought it was Seraphina's or Vanessa's."

Maya

It's my Gammy's recipe.  I used to spend the weekends and some nights at her house, when my mom, a doctor, had to work.  She started her residency when I entered kindergarten.  

Gammy taught me all the things my mom didn't have the time to each me like cooking, sewing, knitting.  We used to knit over a plate of Shepherd's pie and Lemonade.  Gammy was so cool."

Today's Popular Culture Replacement:
 Steak Fajitas, Nachos, Salsa and Guacamole

Maya
When I'm hanging out with my girls, we always end up at a Tex Mex restaurant and order a round of Steak Fajitas, Nachos, Salsa with extra Guacamole with Margaritas.  Usually before we go out clubbing.

4. Jack & Jill Ice Cream Sandwiches

Seraphina
In the Summertime, I stayed in our swimming pool hanging out with my friends.  Dad would fire up the grill to get us out of the pool. Afterwards we'd catch fireflies and have our Jack and Jill ice cream sandwiches."

Today's Popular Culture Replacement:

Coldstone's Wafffle Cone after jumping on a backyard trampoline and swimming.  Today, watching a DVD or playing a video game would take the place of catching fireflies.

5.  Milkshake (still popular today)

Vanessa

"When my aunt Tess and Uncle Joey visited us from New York, they always arrived late Friday night.  They'd wake us up and make vanilla milkshakes for us, ignoring our parents' protests.  They were so good."

Today's  Popular Culture Replacement:

Jamba Juice Smoothies

Vanessa blends a Mango Banana Smoothie 

 6. Spaghetti and Meat Balls

Brielle

I've got one that was popular yesterday and is still the number one childhood comfort food.  She drains the spaghetti.

All (unison)

"Spaghetti." 

Brielle

"Spaghetti is what everyone grew up on, but now you'll also find angel hair pasta with garlic sauce, shrimp and vegetables, along with spinach, tomato basil and organic pasta at the dinner table.  And don't forget Udon noodles, they're popular too.   Healthy pasta is the name of the game today.  And, there's nothing better than Italian comfort food.


Today's Popular Culture Replacement:
Angel hair pasta with shrimp, spinach, tomato basil and organic pasta and Udon noodles.

Kiki

One thing our parents and grandparents all had in common, they wanted to provide us with simple healthy recipes that happen to give us a lot of comfort.  They were cheap recipes too.

Comfort Food Ideas

Monte Cristo Sandwich (Recipe from:  The World According to Sylvia Garza)

Ingredients:
2 slices bread
mustard to taste
3 slices deli ham (or turkey)
1 slice gruyere cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
a touch cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon icing sugar
1 tablespoon strawberry jam

Directions:

1. Spread mustard on a slice of bread and construct the sandwich with the ham and cheese.
2. Mix the egg, milk, cinnamon and vanilla in a shallow pan.
3. Dip the sandwich into the egg mixture and cover both sides with it.
4. Melt the butter in a pan.
5. Fry both sides of the sandwich in the pan until golden brown and the cheese has melted.
6. Sprinkle the icing sugar onto the sandwich by placing it in a fine sieve and banging it over the sandwich.

From Cooks.com - Shepherds Pie

REAL ENGLISH SHEPHERDS PIE!

1 onion, diced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 lb. lamb, minced 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 large carrot, diced 1 beef stock cube 1 lb. chopped tomatoes 1 tablespoon corn flour 3 tablespoons tomato puree pinch of salt and pepper 2 lb. potatoes 1 stick butter This is how to make a real English shepherds pie, made with lamb. If made with beef, it would be known as cottage pie.Firstly, heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic and carrot and cook until soft. Add minced lamb and stock cube, then cook until the mince is brown and shows a crumbly texture. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato puree, and add the corn flour. Leave to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about fifteen minutes, or until thickened. Meanwhile, peel and chop potatoes and boil until soft, then mash them with the butter and salt and pepper to taste. Put the filling into a deep dish, then top with the mashed potatoes and put under a warm grill (broiler) until the top is brown and crisp. Delicious topped with melted cheese. Enjoy! Submitted by: cass

 
Today's Popular Culture Replacement

White Chocolate Latte

Ingredients

• 2  cups  milk
• 1  cup  half-and-half
• 2/3  cup  white chocolate morsels
• 2  tablespoons  instant coffee granules
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1/4  teaspoon  almond extract
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Garnish: cinnamon sticks

Preparation

Stir first 4 ingredients together in a small saucepan over low heat until white chocolate morsels are melted. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts; pour evenly into 4 mugs. Top with whipped cream, if desired. Garnish, if desired, and serve immediately.

Karyn Dardar, Montegut, Louisiana, Southern Living, OCTOBER 2004

   

 

A Fashionista's Staple: The Spring Trench Coat

(Jessica Simpson Satin Trench)

It's Official, Spring is Almost Here!  
Three Weeks and Counting ... 
Made You Smile.

Kiki here, welcome to iCafe Woman Moderne's
A Fashionista's Staple:  The Spring Trench Coat
Text Webisode

 

(Jessica Simpson Fit & Flair Travel Trench)

Nothing says Spring more than a Spring trench coat. 

 

Like the little black dress, the trench coat has stayed in the fashion epicenter since the early 20th century.  Of course, the hemline has shortened over the decades, adding a gender and glam.  

(Sateen Belted Trench)

Colors have brightened, shined, muted and glossed while hemlines shortened and lengthened to meet the latest trend.

(Lauren by Ralph Lauren) 

A standard for men, it morphed into the feminine, sophisticated trench coat today's fashionistas love to wear.

 
The Trench Coat:  A Brief Fashionography.

The first trench coats were waterproof and usually calf-length. They were used by several countries' armies during the First and Second World Wars.

A typical trench coat was a ten-buttoned, double-breasted long coat made with tan, khaki, beige, or black fabric with cuff straps on the raglan sleeves, shoulder straps and a belt. It was typically worn as a windbreaker or as a rain jacket, and not for protection from the cold in winter or snowy conditions.
  
 My first trench coat at 17 signaled my entry into womanhood.  A persimmon colored trench, my parents bought it for my trip to Ireland with my high school choir.  My sister, Diane, added a matching beret and stylish Mary Janes.  It stopped mid-calf and had a zippered lining for those chilly Celtic days. 

 

(Nicole Miller Crinkled Metallic - Nordstrom)

I sprung for a neon blue, patent leather trench in my sophmore year of college to my sister's delight.  It gave me a nice hourglass look when buckled.  

I splurged on an olive London Fog (from graduation money) for my first New York City reporting job at a financial newspaper, ironically in the fashion district.   No cinched waist or glamour, it was all business and bland.  But it lasted for years, serving me well.  It still hangs in my closet.

 

(IZ Byer California Zebra)

Snagging a book publishing job, I busted out again in the Spring in a silver above-the-knee trench that reeled in suitors.  Followed by a bright red, a shiny bronze, a metallic gray, a Big Bird yellow and a patent leather black that reeled in my husband.  

Newly married, I had my eye on a white trench the Spring before my life changed forever.  But I was too busy in my corporate writing job and didn't take my annual shopping sojourn.

That Spring, my sister bought a new trench, a unique deep green with subtle dark flowers that blended into the background.  Women  would stop and ask her,  "where did you get that trench?"
 
By next November, I was wearing Diane's beloved trench, inheriting it after her sudden passing.  Women now stopped and asked me "where did you get that coat?"  I'd answer, "from my sister, Diane -- blinking away tears.

 

(Heart & Soul Snakeskin Trench - Kohl's)

 Once I put on her coat, the light to the door of my annual Spring coat shopping trips went dark.  Her coat felt like a reliable friend during my darkest hours.

It's been fifteen years since I purchased a Spring trench coat.  I haven't had the heart to part with my sister's and have lost the spark to shop for one.  
 
Diane, our family's fashionista, helped me give birth to my own fashion sense.  I consulted with her for style that often involved snagging her clothes when she wasn't looking.  But hey, you get your style any way you can.

Even when the trench coat is patent leather, snakeskin and metallic, if you give it a few years the material will come back into fashion.  The trench design never goes out of style. 

 

(Lux & Mie Boutique)

What would she say about all of this?  "Girl, get yourself a decent Spring trench and make sure it's sharp.  So this Spring I'll honor my sister's memory and do what I know she would want, even though it still get compliments.  I'll no longer wear it.
   
I thought I could do it at Y2K, then again for the tenth anniversary in 2005.  But the coat stayed on my back.  I can see her shaking her head and saying, "What's wrong with you?  I love you, but it's time to let it go."  And that's exactly what I plan to do.
 

"Divas, are you crying?  It's okay, I'm in a good place.  Wipe your faces and fix your makeup, so you can share your favorite trench coats for Spring 2010.
 
Are they ready?  Great ... here's Nina, Tammy and Jocelyn modeling their Trench Coat picks for Spring 2010.

Tightwad Tammy
I wasn't crying.  It's my allergies.  Anyway, here's my pick.

 

Vivienne Westwood Red Label

 A Vivienne Westwood striped trench is my design favorite.   

(Merona)

This is my pick for the real woman's budget.  A happy alternative for $39.99 by Merona at Target.  They don't call me Tightwad Tammy for nothing.

If you want more wow, get this satin Jessica Simpson and add about $80 more. 
 

(Jessica Simpson Ombre Satin Trench)

 

(Marc Jacobs)

This coat from Marc Jacobs says, you have arrived. Here's another look-for-less alternative from Old Navy, a linen blend for $49.50.

 (Old Navy - Linen Blend)

Jocelyn

I like this classic trench with matching sheath.  Perfect for celebrating Easter. 

(Newport News)

 

  (Military Trench by Merona - Target)

Nina
Give m a nice military trench.  And if money wasn't an issue, this eye-catching Dolce Gabana leopard trench for $2,850 would be in my closet, right now.

 (Dolce Gabana Leopard Nylon Print)

"Feed the Hungry! Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day." Isaiah 58:10