Maurice's Salad Bowl

We had some unexpected rain this morning... and of course it started just after I had put the laundry on the line.. I rushed outside to get it in.. and just as I got inside it stopped!

I waited a few minutes and the sun came out... so out I went again.. but just as I put in the last peg.. down it came again.!  I swear the rain clouds were playing with me because just as I brought the washing in... the rain stopped again. This time I made myself a cup of tea finished cleaning the bedroom and then put it all back on the line. This time the rain stayed away... and to be quite honest it had come and gone in a blink of an eye.. but leaving us hot and sticky

The garden isn't all about veggies.. and the flowers appreciated the rain.. 

even if it didn't last too long

With the weather being so hot and humid... a cold dinner was on the cards. I had leftover chicken and some ham.. and with fresh eggs and cucumber and tomatoes from the garden.. it just made sense to have a salad. So I found this intriguing recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, July 1942. And the only changes I made to the recipe was to use some freshly picked cherry tomatoes from the garden

Well... I'm not sure who Maurice is... or was... but he has weird taste buds. In theory it all sounded pretty good.. Chicken, ham, lettuce, tomatoes..eggs... even the chopped pickle... nothing wrong there. But for us where it fell apart was the dressing. It can only be described as... odd! Don't get me wrong.. it wasn't terrible and both me and MrD ate it... but it was indescribably weird! 

So dear Maurice... I'm very sorry.. but next time I think we will stick with Ranch!

1 small head lettuce, broken
½ cup cooked chicken, julienne cut

1 cup baked ham, julienne cut

1 tablespoon chopped pickle
3 tomatoes, cut in wedges
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

• Rub salad bowl with cut clove of garlic. 
• Arrange lettuce in bowl. 
• Add meats and pickle. 
• Add Maurice's Dressing and toss lightly but thoroly. 
• Garnish with tomatoes and eggs. 
• Serve on chilled plates. 

Original Magazine Clipping

Maurice's Dressing
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons olive oil or salad oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced chives
1 chopped hard-cooked egg

• Combine mayonnaise, oil, and vinegar; beat well. 
• Add remaining ingredients; blend. 
• Chill thoroly.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
July 1942

Porch Breakfast

Even though its Saturday MrD and I were still up before 6am. We were expecting really high temperatures again and we were determined to beat the heat. MrD said he'd had a six hour lie in anyway!

After a quick coffee and blueberry muffin.. MrD got straight outside and started running a new irrigation line to the avocado tree as it wasn't getting enough water in this heat. He is so clever. We just have to turn on one tap  (we have a few) and one part of the garden gets watered... and we can get on with other things. This water line is on the same circuit as the side flower beds... which are always thirsty

So for brunch we tried a recipe from Marie Holmes at the Toronto Star on 21 May 1941. Porch Breakfast is actually just bacon sandwiches.... with marmalade

And who knew that adding marmalade to a toasted bun and back bacon would be so tasty!! And of course we ate it outside

Marie states, “if you have a verandah suitably placed, why not serve breakfast there?”... “there is quite a difference between a breakfast that is rushed, and one eaten leaisurely”

And of course... she was quite right.

Sizzling Hot Franks

I had company on my shopping trip this morning. MrD got home from his early Friday shift ( he goes in at midnight and works til five then he’s done his 50 hours) and decided he’d like to come with me. Seeing as we are having July 4th at home again this year.. he wanted to see what goodies he could find for our  barbeque

 

First we stopped for coffee and then had fun choosing a few foods that we wouldn't normally buy... potato chips aren't usually a staple MrD but yum! I already had a menu in mind.. and funnily enough he suggested some things that were already on my list. Great minds think alike… right!

So seeing as it's the start of the 4th of July weekend...is there anything more American than Hot Dogs... but these were Dogs with bling!

Taken from a clipping from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine July 1942.. these stuffed hotdogs were very filling... and very tasty, The recipe said to cookin the oven but they were just as easy on the grill . The recipe says to cook for 20 minutes but as long as they are cooked through.. it depends how crispy you like your bacon..

Original Magazine Illustration

• Slit hot dogs, 
• Tuck in long slips of cheese and dill pickle
• Spiral-wrap with a bacon slice
• Toothpick fast 
• Bake in a 400° oven for 20 minutes. 
• Place in Coney Island Buns and serve

Original Magazine Clipping

New Dresses...

After a very long and stressful week at work MrD needed to relax… so after a leisurely breakfast, hubby jumped on his bike and headed for the mountain trails to let off some steam

After he left I spent a little time in the garden.. watering, dead heading a few plants and just checking everything was ok in the victory garden

I’m not sure from where a dozen little cucumbers had just miraculously appeared from

because I’m sure they weren’t there yesterday!!

I then spent the next couple of hours in my sewing room

finishing the dresses  Ive been making for the Red Cross...

before starting a new project

The stash of fabric I inherited when my dear Mother in Law 

passed away September will last me for years

The Whistler " Notes in the Night"

27 June 1942

MrD got home late afternoon... having had a great time up the mountain. So I made a simple supper of cheeseburgers and fried potato wedges.. and we ended the day listening to the lastest episode of "the Whistler" on the radio.