Merry Christmas Mondays - Holiday Gift Ideas

M E R R Y  C H R I S T M A S  M O N D A Y S 

Years Ago ...

A very special baby in a very plain manger was visited by three reverent wise men.  In deference to the child's significance, the men bestowed upon him the well-known gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Each of these items were important in their own ways and made up, in essence, the very first Christmas presents.

Today, people all over mirror this long ago event by giving gifts to their loved ones to mark the holiday season.  To celebrate the first Christmas of this blog, I have compiled a list of gifts that my readers and other like-minded people would love to receive.

We lovers of history and all things vintage may or may not be interested in the newest headphones, the most expensive handbag, or the latest video game, but that does not mean that we are hard to shop for!  Rather, our interest is peaked by things a little more different than ordinary.

Before we begin, please note that the items contained in the title picture were all purchased at my local Marshalls store (link).  You could expect to find similar things at TJ Maxx (link) or Home Goods (link).  I love these stores to hunt for things I have never found before any where else!

The items which are linked to different websites (etsy, amazon, World Market, etc.) are from vendors that I have found online.  I have not ordered from any of these vendors and I do not own these items.  Therefore please note that I cannot guarantee any quality or service on the vendors' part.  It is also important to note that ship dates will vary, so be sure to confirm with the vendor if your purchases will arrive by Christmas!  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at fourscorerebecca@gmail.com!

• Candles ... but make sure there is something unique about them!  

I love this one because not only are silhouettes a very popular art form from years ago, but the little girl on the ladder is adorable!  The candle smells wonderful and once burned, the recipient gets to keep the pretty vessel!  

Bonus if you can get hand poured/hand crafted ones:

LINK

• Picture frames ... another great gift idea which is available in a huge range of styles and price ranges.  For those lovers of history who are lucky enough to travel to our favorite places, we can never have enough frames in which to display our memories!  

This frame reminds me of Italy, with its decoration that looks like weathered stone:

Do you know someone who can't go a day without her tea?  She might love a handmade frame made from feminine china:

LINK

Bonus points if you get frames like these, which are upcycled from old barn wood.  Rustic looking with an incredible history to match:

LINK

LINK

• For the person who loves to spend time in the kitchen, I have two choices of cutting boards ... It may sound like a strange idea, but most young people I know tend to skimp on this cooking implement, important as it is.  A good quality cutting board can last for years and years (if it is taken care of).  

Especially during the holiday season, handcrafted cutting boards can be found from many local artisans.  Surprise someone you know with one this year!

First up, the decorative one (I would probably hang this in my kitchen, however it could also be used):

Here's another lovely piece, which can be personalized for the recipient:

LINK

Finally, the useful one.  Made of bamboo, a sustainable resource, it is extremely functional:

Moving from the kitchen to the dining room, who wouldn't love the following items for their tea?  

• An intricately/delicately/uniquely decorated tea pot.  I wish you could see it better but this one looks like beautiful lace has been printed on the pot:

Bonus points (of course!) for a lovely hand crafted one:

LINK

• Mugs/tea cups are always on my Christmas list, since I purposely bought a dish set without them, just so I could make my own collection.  Some of my favorite ones are the following ...

For the lover of literature, the Great First Lines of Literature mug:

LINK

For the lover of American presidential history, the Presidential Slogans mug:

LINK

For the romance/Shakespeare lover, the Shakespearean Love mug:

LINK

• And finally, I end with an oldie but goodie ... soaps.  Soap making, like candle making, is a lost art.  For the best such gifts look for hand crafted items which smell lovely, are filled with moisturizing ingredients, and have something extra packaging-wise.  Bonus points for Made in America! 

It is my sincere hope that this blog post helps you as you continue (or start!) your Christmas shopping season.  Like our ancestors would have done, I recommend that you shop as small as you can to encourage the small business all around.  As well, don't be afraid to try out some new craft(s) to show your loved one how much you care!

For any questions, comments, or suggestions please feel free to contact me either in the comments below or by email at fourscorerebecca@gmail.com.

Wishing you a very happy Christmas Season!

Until next time,

Rebecca

Cinema Sundays - To Catch a Thief

C I N E M A  S U N D A Y S - Celebrating my favorite films in the history of motion pictures.

Years Ago ...

I saw my first Grace Kelly film, Dial M for Murder.  It was also my first Alfred Hitchcock directed film ... and I absolutely loved it.  Dial M for Murder remains to this day one of my favorite movies, and I look forward to reviewing it on this blog in the future.  

But for the inaugural Cinema Sundays post, I wanted to present a film a bit more ... fantastic.  Lucky for us all, there happens to be another Grace Kelly/Alfred Hitchcock partnership which just screams grandeur, and it is called To Catch a Thief (link).

To Catch a Thief tells the story of a former cat burglar, played by Cary Grant, who lives out his retirement in the sunny, beautiful south of France.  Released in 1955, the film was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and also stars Grace Kelly as Francie Stevens, a well-bred but exciting American on vacation with her mother.

• Parlez-Vous Francais?

Here's a secret, my dear readers.  I love France.  I love its culture, its history, and its language.  I also have a Master's degree in French, and will search high and low for the best French or Francophone films.  

Having studied the language at such depth and for so long, it makes me cringe when I hear poor pronunciation by "French" characters of other films, who are actually not native speakers of the language.  

This movie is unlike most that I have seen; an American made film which employed a large number of French actors and actresses for supporting parts.  I imagine that the timing of the film, the 1950's - back when wealthy people were more enamored with French and the language was more prevalent in the United States - helped a lot with this.  As well, the passing of time has probably changed things so that we do not get as authentic an experience as Hitchcock gave is in To Catch a Thief.  In any case, any speaker or general lover of French should thoroughly enjoy all the of the French in the movie, much of which is not subtitled or translated in English - another thing which greatly surprised me!

You Can Say That Again!

Not only does the film offer the French speaker dialogue to enjoy, but the there are gems of speech which are astoundingly excellent and thoroughly enjoyable!  Bravo indeed to the screenwriter, John Michael Hayes!

Grace Kelly as Francie gives us the following gems:

"Are you sure you were talking about water skis?  From where I sat it looked as though you were conjugating irregular verbs."

"Give me a woman who knows her own mind" (Robie)

--> "No one gives you a woman like that.  You have to capture her."

"Palaces are for royalty.  We're just common people with a bank account."

But my favorites come from her mother, Jessie Stevens, played by Jessie Royce Landis:

"My nerves could stand a drink" (Francie)
--> "Your nerves and your mother!"

"You ought to be spanked with a hairbrush and set back to school.  Public school - where they could pound some sense into you during recess."

These are just quotes from two of the several smart characters in To Catch a Thief.  When next you watch the movie, keep a pen and paper handy!

Technicolor

This favorite aspect of the film may be silly on my part, however as this is my blog I would be remiss to forget it.  Have you ever noticed how wonderfully toasted (color-wise, that is) Cary Grant looks in this filmed?  I am convinced that a month or so (at least) before the filming of this movie, Grant was sent off to the French riviera, Greece, or Miami ... somewhere sunny and warm ... with the direction to get as suntanned as was physically possible!

It almost makes me uncomfortable to see him so dark, but that is because I ascribe to the belief that one should never tan more than a teeny bit, due to the fear I have of skin cancer, but also because many of my favorite actresses come from a time where sun tans were not as popular as they are today.  Interesting to note, Grace Kelly does appear slightly sun-kissed in this film, and it is very beautiful on her (of course).  See this picture of the two of them:

Why do I so enjoy Cary Grant's tan?  Because it is so wonderfully authentic!  As a retired, wealthy man living in the south of France, of course he would enjoy the out doors ... and of course he would be so darkened by the sun!  

Don't believe me?  Just look at these photos of Princess Stephanie of Monaco (Grace Kelly's daughter).  Rich, famous, princess of a Mediterranean country, sun-worshiper (indeed):

• And the Oscar Goes to ...

A film is a mixture of many different parts, and one of those important parts is, of course, the actor.  Like another of my favorite Hitchcock movies, Dial M for Murder, I absolutely adore the acting and the actors/actresses To Catch a Thief!  Cary Grant and Grace Kelly will always remembered by history for their acting abilities, both having been awarded Academy Awards (Grant - an honorary award in 1970, Kelly for The Country Girl).  They perform the complex characters of Robie and Francie with expertise, leaving the viewer unsure of their true nature until the very end.

To support to these two screen gods, we have Francie's mother, played by Jessie Royce Landis, and insurance employee Mr. Hughson, played by John Williams.  These two are a hoot and perform their roles wonderfully!  And they both act in different Hitchcock films, again with their starring man and lady! 

• Time to Go Shopping

One more thing before I go ... if for nothing else, this film deserves to be viewed and belongs in your collection for the fashion alone.  Edith Head, winner of eight Academy Awards for Best Costume design, as well as the creator of Grace Kelly's icon of a wedding gown, was the fashion designer of this film.  And through her work in To Catch a Thief, she lays out every wardrobe piece we would need for a luxurious Mediterranean vacation (oh, if only!) ...

For a day at the beach ...

For a formal dinner ...

For an afternoon at the pool ...

For a drive around the south of France ...

For a second formal dinner ...

For a masquerade ball ...

The best of fashion plus the one and only Grace Kelly ... it's something that can never be beat.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this film, as well as any requests for future Cinema Sundays.  Feel free to leave a comment below or email me at fourscorerebecca@gmail.com.

More pictures from this film can be found on my Cinema Sundays pinterest page, found here: link.  Enjoy!

Until next time,

Rebecca

Easy-Peasy Pomegranate Syrup

E A T  R E A L  F O O D - Because the latest craze of eating *all natural* is actually how our ancestors lived all along!

Years Ago ...


Your mother, my mother, and their mothers first poured sweet maple syrup onto our pancakes, scones, ice cream, and anything else they could imagine.  

In the years which have passed, perhaps the familiar taste has grown common, a treat no longer unexpected.  

Well, have I got just the thing for you today!

This recipe for homemade pomegranate syrup is not only an exciting and vibrant change for your taste buds, but it is also ridiculously simple to make!  Wait for a sale on pomegranate juice (or juice a bunch of fruits yourself) and you'll be surprised at just how inexpensive it can be!

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the recipe!

• To begin, gather your ingredients.  Forgotten in the picture is a lemon - we need 1 tablespoon of juice, or approximately one half lemon, squeezed.  The pomegranate fruit is also just for show, although you could juice enough of them to get your 3 cups of juice (if you wanted to):

• Add all the ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Up first - 3 cups pomegranate juice and 1 cup water:

• 1/2 cup sugar:

• 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice (approximately 1/2 lemon):

• Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved and small bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the liquid:

• Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the liquid until it has reduced from 4 cups (to start) to approximately 1 1/2 cups.  This should take about 30 minutes:

• It will reduce:

• And reduce some more:

• After 30 minutes of cooking, I poured the liquid into a glass measuring cup (a little worse for the wear - sorry!).  It measured a little more than 1 1/2 cups:

• Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes.  Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the fridge for up to 6 months (!)  Here you can see I chose a jar with fluid ounce markings.  This measures at a little above 10 ounces:

• Remember, this will stay fresh up to 6 months!  Here is the measurement after 24 hours in the fridge - it will not thicken any further once you remove it from the heat/cool it down:

Natural pomegranate juice has an natural tartness, however I find that the 1/2 cup of sugar is just enough to sweeten the syrup without being too much.  Since the original mixture reduces so much, the concentrated fruit flavor is delicious.  It does not taste at all like pomegranate juice diluted by  water. 

And there you have it!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

Please let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments below.  You can also eel reach me by email at fourscorerebecca@gmail.com.

Until next time,

Rebecca

Eat Real Food - Today's Produce Picks

E A T  R E A L  F O O D - Because the latest craze of eating *all natural* is actually how our ancestors lived all along!

Years Ago ...

Source: Better Homes and Gardens (link)

To feed their families, women (and men) hunted game in their forests and gathered fruits and vegetables from their fields.  Much time, in both planning and preparation, was necessary just to feed their families and communities.  Thus, it was a main occupation of nearly every man and woman. 

Today, we have jobs like accountant, professor, police officer, etc ... and farmers are much less prevalent and far different from years past.  Most of us just don't have the time to cultivate food like our ancestors used to.  As well, many of us do not have the desire to do so.

What this has created is today's reality of over-processed, under-nutritious foods.  You know, the stuff that comes in boxes, bags, or plastic wrap with lists of ingredients too long and too foreign to study for long.

I live in an apartment.  And although I would LOVE to have my own fruit and vegetable garden and would sell a kidney to have my own chicken coop (!), that's just not possible for me and my current situation.  However, that does not mean that I cannot eat REAL food.  Delicious food.  Fruits and vegetables that are ripe with flavor and nutrients, while still NOT being a terrible burden to my wallet.

So here's where my Today's Produce Picks segment comes in.  As a habit, when I get home from the grocery store/farmer's market, I wash all of my fruit and veggies and leave them on the counter to air dry.  Once they are dry, I put them away in the fridge or elsewhere until they are ready to be eaten.

From now on, I will take a picture of the bounty and share it as a blog post, along with a breakdown of food costs for that shopping trip.  I should note that I try to buy organic when I can, however I would rather consistently eat wide varieties and great volumes of real food (non-organic as it may be) than drive myself nuts over price and availability of the really good stuff.  It's something I hope to remedy in the future, when I will be able to supplement my own garden with organic produce.

So here's what I picked up from the grocery store on November 3rd (sorry for the delay - again!) as well as how much I paid:

Lemons -                         2 pounds for $1.49 = $1.49

Bananas -                        $0.44/lb x 2 lbs (exactly!) = $0.88

Granny Smith apples -     3 pounds for $2.99 = $2.99
Blackberries -                   6 oz. for $0.99 = $0.99
Cranberries -                    12 oz. for $1.99 = $1.99
Avocado -                         $0.69/ea = $0.69

Onions -                           $1.49 for 3 pounds = $1.49

Seedless cucumber -        $0.99 ea = $0.99 

Zucchini -                         1 pound for $1.29 = $1.29

Total for all of the above = $12.80!

I hope you enjoy this and the posts to come on this subject.  Stay tuned for a new recipe using the fresh cranberries - the second installment in my Thanksgiving Thursdays series!


Until next time, 

Rebecca 

Thanksgiving Thursday - All About the FIRST Thanksgiving!

T H A N K S G I V I N G  T H U R S D A Y S - For 150 years, Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving as a federal holiday.  Let us never forget the sentiments of the Pilgrims and their first blessed feast nearly four centuries past.

Years Ago ...

President Abraham Lincoln declared a national holiday to commemorate the first Thanksgiving celebration, feted by the Pilgrims in 1621.  

This group of English emigrants had survived a treacherous Atlantic crossing and were starting a new life in a strange, new world.  

They had much to celebrate on this first holiday, and partook in three days of feasts with a group of Native Americans in the Plymouth area, the Wampanoag.

Source: Smithsonian.com (link)

Like most things or events nearly 400 years old, this holiday has greatly evolved over the years.  Even though I knew it must be different today from back then, I was greatly surprised to see just how different the menu has become!

Source: About.com (link)

So I pored through internet pages to try to paint an accurate picture of what would have made up this very special meal.  Unfortunately, nothing can be pegged down for sure, and it seems like we know more about what was not served than what was.  

But what's a little challenge to investigators such like us?  Here's what I have found ...


GIVE ME THE FACTS ~

• Dear Diary

What we know today about the first Thanksgiving is based on the memoirs written by two colonists.

• The first – Edward Winslow’s letter to a friend, dated December 1621.
• The second – Governor William Bradford's descriptions about the first autumn of the Pilgrims, written several years after the fact.

• When in Rome

Like every school-aged child has been taught, the first Thanksgiving was the reaction to the hard times the Pilgrims felt on their trip across the Atlantic, their adjustment to their new home, and a celebration of a successful harvest.  However, for the Wampanoag Indians, with whom the pilgrims shared this three-day feast, a sincere thanksgiving for one’s blessings was an every day occurrence.

"We as native people [traditionally] have thanksgivings as a daily, ongoing thing," says Linda Coombs, associate director of the Wampanoag program at Plimoth Plantation. "Every time anybody went hunting or fishing or picked a plant, they would offer a prayer or acknowledgment."

(direct quote from Christian Science Monitor (link) )

ERASE FROM YOUR IMAGINATION ~

Potatoes of any kind, prepared in any fashion - Although potatoes are native to the Americas, the colonists would not have had a crop of white or sweet potatoes available to them.  Seriously, mind blowing!

Pumpkin pie - While our ancestors might have eaten pumpkins and other squashes native to New England, they might not have had the other ingredients needed for today’s staple – butter (from a cow – where would Bessie have come from) and wheat flour (would have required a mill).  The final nail in the pumpkin pie’s coffin – they would have need an oven to bake it in. Again, not happening.

IT'S POSSIBLE THEY ATE THE FOLLOWING ... BUT IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE THEY DID NOT ~

Turkey - Believe it or not, we do not know if the pilgrims and Native Americans ate the “traditional” bird in 1621!  The earlier account mentions that hunters brought back “fowl,” however that could have meant simply duck or geese.

Stuffing – Not mentioned specifically, however both the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims were known to have occasionally stuffed other food, like herbs, onions, or oats (a tradition from the English) into their birds and fish.

Tubers - The Native Americans did commonly eat such tubers as Jerusalem artichokes and Indian turnips.  At least they had something close(ish) to potatoes.

THE STARS OF THE FEAST ~

Source: National Geographic (link)

Lobster

Mussels

Clams

Eels

Fowl – mostlikely ducks and geese, perhaps swan and turrkey

Venison

Source: National Geographic (link)

SUMPTUOUS SIDE DISHES ~

Cranberries - Forget sweet cranberry sauce!  The berries would have been served without the added sugar that we are used to today.  How many puckered faces can you imagine lining that table – cranberries sure are tart!

Grapes – both white and red

Plums – both black and red

Flint corn

Pumpkin 

Source: Almanac.com (link)

For old time's sake, CLICK HERE for a great video for making roasted pumpkin from the Hostess with the Mostest, Martha Stewart :)



Feel free to share anything you wish to share in the comments below!  You can always reach me at fourscorerebecca@gmail.com.

Until next time,

Rebecca

Resources:  Christian Science Monitor, NPR.org, Smithsonian Mag, Plimoth.org  

EAT REAL FOOD - Today's Produce Picks

E A T  R E A L  F O O D - Because the latest craze of eating *all natural* is actually how our ancestors lived all along!

Years Ago ...

 

Source: Better Homes and Gardens (link)

 
To feed their families, women (and men) hunted game in their forests and gathered fruits and vegetables from their fields.  Much time, in both planning and preparation, was necessary just to feed their families and communities.  Thus, it was a main occupation of nearly every man and woman. 

Today, we have jobs like accountant, professor, police officer, etc ... and farmers are much less prevalent and far different from years past.  Most of us just don't have the time to cultivate food like our ancestors used to.  As well, many of us do not have the desire to do so.

What this has created is today's reality of over-processed, under-nutritious foods.  You know, the stuff that comes in boxes, bags, or plastic wrap with lists of ingredients too long and too foreign to study for long.

I live in an apartment.  And although I would LOVE to have my own fruit and vegetable garden and would sell a kidney to have my own chicken coop (!), that's just not possible for me and my current situation.  However, that does not mean that I cannot eat REAL food.  Delicious food.  Fruits and vegetables that are ripe with flavor and nutrients, while still NOT being a terrible burden to my wallet.

So here's where my Today's Produce Picks segment comes in.  As a habit, when I get home from the grocery store/farmer's market, I wash all of my fruit and veggies and leave them on the counter to air dry.  Once they are dry, I put them away in the fridge or elsewhere until they are ready to be eaten.

From now on, I will take a picture of the bounty and share it as a blog post, along with a breakdown of food costs for that shopping trip.  I should note that I try to buy organic when I can, however I would rather consistently eat wide varieties and great volumes of real food (non-organic as it may be) than drive myself nuts over price and availability of the really good stuff.  It's something I hope to remedy in the future, when I will be able to supplement my own garden with organic produce.

So here's what I picked up from the grocery store on October 28th (even though this blog post will go up about a week afterward - sorry!) as well as how much I paid:

Garlic -                                  $3.49/lb x 0.23 lbs = $0.80

Orange bell pepper -             $1.50 ea = $1.50

Red bell peppers -               $1.25/2 = $1.25 (marked down due to blemishes)

Grape tomatoes -                  $1.50/pint - $1.50

Gala apples -                        $0.98/lb x 2.42 lbs = $2.37

Golden Delicious apples -  $0.98/lb x 1.49 lbs = $1.46

Pears -                                  $0.98/lb x 2.33 lbs = $2.28

Spaghetti squash -                $0.69/lb x 2.27 lbs = $1.57

Total for all of the above = $12.73.  (FYI - This shopping trip was from the grocery store, so I have indicated sale prices in bold.)  Not bad, I'd say!!

I hope you enjoy this and the posts to come on this subject.  I love real food ... and am off to eat my spaghetti squash right now!

Until next time, 

Rebecca