VTT - Valentine Girls and Hearts

These two Whitney Made Valentine postcards have pretty little girls and hearts. The small burnt wood (pyrography) plaque also has a pretty girl on a heart-shaped plaque. I don't know whether the plaque was originally intended for Valentine's Day, but it looks like a Valentine to me!

size 7-1/2" X 7-1/2"

I'm participating in Vintage Thingie Thursday

SS - Hilltop House, Omaha, Nebraska

This postcard has one of the most attractive views of restaurant interiors that I have in my collection. The lighting and composition are good, and the inclusion of restaurant workers adds to its interest. The whole scene looks very inviting with its vintage knotty pine, "colonial" furnishings, and flowers on the tables.

Hilltop House is one of the restaurants mentioned as being out of business in the article "Omaha Dining - A 50 Year Retrospective," and a couple of comments on that article mention favorite recipes from the Hilltop House.

PFF - The IQ Zoo Kissing Bunny

The "Kissing Bunny" was one of the trained animals at the IQ Zoo. The IQ Zoo was founded in 1955 and lasted until 1990. It was located at 380 Whittington Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

From the back of the postcard:

The performing animals at the I.Q. Zoo are the result of something new in animal training. They have been trained by animal psychologist Keller Breland of Hot Springs, Arkansas. These animals learn by the reward system. No punishment is used. Once trained, they will not forget and will perform automatically for any one. The I.Q. Zoo animals are nationally famous. They have been featured on television and in Life, Collier's, Popular Mechanics and other national magazines.

You can read more about the IQ Zoo at the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture.

VTT - Valentine, Pie, Cake, and Betty Crocker

The Valentine postcard above was published by Whitney about 1925. The Betty Crocker's Cookbook below is the ©1969 cookbook (Sixth Printing, 1970) which I bought when it was new. The picture of Betty Crocker on the back cover is the 1968 version. My cookbook looks like it has been used a lot, but it really hasn't. The wear and tear is mainly because the book doesn't have a very durable cover--it looks like the covering is cloth but it actually is thin paper.

I am showing a couple of snippets from this cookbook. First is a picture of cake testing in the Betty Crocker Kitchens.

In honor of Valentine's day, I am showing the recipe for Betty Crocker's Best Chocolate Cake including the Valentine Heart Cake variation.

Next are some snippets from a 1950s flour sack insert. The old pre-1955 picture of Betty Crocker is on this insert. I am including some recipes for Streusel Cream Peach Pie and pastry, an ad for Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, an order form for the cookbook and silverware, and a coupon. The silverware shown is the Queen Bess Pattern by Oneida. The coupon expired in 1957.

I'm participating in Vintage Thingie Thursday

The "Original" Smorgasbord Restaurant in Hot Springs

Calling this restaurant "The Original" sounds like hyperbole, though maybe they just meant that it was the original smorgasbord in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The sign on the building also says "Circle Inn." There is a Best Western Circle Inn in Hot Springs now--I don't know whether it is in the same place.

The yellow and blue color scheme is associated with smorgasbords, because those are the colors of the Swedish flag, and Sweden is associated with smorgasbords. Smörgåsbord is a Swedish word combining smörgås (an open-faced sandwich) and bord (table). The word now refers to any buffet with a variety of dishes that can be selected by the diners.

PFF - Old Port au Prince, Haiti Postcard

It's going to take a lot of money to improve conditions in Haiti. A good place to make a donation for Earthquake Relief in Haiti is the Salvation Army (USA) donation page.

VTT - Betty Crocker Kitchens & Cook Books

The two postcards at the top show the Betty Crocker Kitchens of the World. Over the years, the Betty Crocker kitchens underwent several remodelings and renamings. These kitchens appear to be from the period 1966-1977. The California Kitchen, New England Kitchen, and Mediterranean Kitchen are shown in the first postcard. The Japanese Kitchen, Wall Detail of Scandinavian Kitchen, Aztec Calendar or the Latin American Kitchen, and New Orleans Kitchen are shown in the second postcard. There used to be tours of the kitchens, but public tours were discontinued in 1985.

Betty Crocker's Guide to Easy Entertaining is copyright 1959. The Dinner for Two Cook Book is copyright 1958.

The Guide to Easy Entertaining has some recipes, but it is mainly composed of how-to information about entertaining (see the contents page below). There are also several two-page color photo spreads showing tables with dishes for various types of parties.

The Dinner for Two Cook Book has 425 recipes. The first spread below has a list of favorite American foods of the time. The second spread is an example of the illustrated recipe pages.

I'm participating in Vintage Thingie Thursday