Dinner Club gone Retro

Recently I hosted our dinner club group for a super fun meal.  The couple that hosts gets to pick the theme and is responsible for assigning the remaining couples a dish to bring.  Usually we are given a category like salad, vegetable or dessert and we may pick any recipe we like.  I thought I would shake things up a bit and have a throw-back soiree!

Daddy-o and I elected the theme "Kitschtastic Awesomeness" with the main course being Thai Tiki Turkey Meatloaf.  The 4 other couples were each assigned one of the following: appetizer, gelatin, vegetable and dessert.  They were then instructed to visit Mid Century Menu or The Charles Phoenix Test Kitchen and pick a recipe from one of the sites that fell into their respective categories.  Of course, all of the guests were made aware that any dish could be a gelatin dish even if they were not expressly assigned gelatin.  The more Jello the merrier, right?!

When all was said and done we ended up with BBQ meatballs, celery with pimento cheese spread, an astro-weenie pineapple, meatloaf, potato salad jello, pineapple carrot jello ring, green bean casserole and pistachio pudding crisp dessert.  It was, well...kitschtastic awesomeness at it's best!  Even if it felt a bit like a church social.

 

Guests were also instructed to dress in vintage, tropical or Bradyesque attire.  I'm so happy to report that everyone complied and looked great! We had a fantastic evening that included tiki drinks mixed by Daddy-o.  I love my friends and am eternally thankful to them for humoring me!


Thai Turkey Tiki Meatloaf 

(adapted from Weight Watchers Hawaiian Turkey Loaf)

3 Tbsp Orange Juice

5 Tbsp Fish Sauce

2 tsp Red Curry Paste

1 tsp chopped Garlic

1 Red Pepper, chopped

1/2 Onion, chopped

6 slices fresh Ginger (quarter sized)

38 ounces ground Turkey

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs

Pineapple Chutney

8 ounces crushed Pineapple

2 Tbsp Sugar

2 Tbsp White Vinegar

2 Tbsp chopped Onions

2 Tbsp Red Pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp minced Ginger

1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tbsp Cilantro 

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350F.  In a food processor or blender, combine juice, fish sauce, curry paste, garlic, red pepper, onions and ginger.  Process until it is a fine puree.  Pour puree into a large bowl and add turkey, breadcrumbs and egg.  Blend everything well with your hands, put into a loaf pan that has been coated with non-stick spray.  Now get creative and make the finest looking tiki head you can.  Br sure to make spaces for cherry eyes!  Bake for 45-60 min using a meat thermometer until the center reaches 164F.  Remove from oven and don't panic...there will be a collection of oogoo in the eye sockets and mouth of your tiki.  Simply use a spoon to skim this off.  Let the meatloaf stand for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.  After placing on platter, add cherries and pineapple to give your tiki some pizazz.

For the pineapple topping:  (while meatloaf is cooking)

In a microwave safe bowl, combine pineapple, sugar, vinegar, onions, red pepper, ginger and pepper flakes.  Microwave on high 3-5 minutes.  Let stand in microwave for another minute or two.  Add cilantro and serve over top or alongside the meatloaf.

 

 

 

 

Wouldn't it be awesome if your guests showed up to a turkey dinner like this on Thanksgiving?  I know I would LOVE it!

 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

 

'Til we meet again,

Ms Adventure

Tidbit Redo

So...I have a serious obsession with tidbit trays.  I don't know why.  Perhaps it's because I don't ever remember having one when I was growing up, or because they always seem to be such an elegant addition to a cocktail party, or maybe because they utilize vertical space thus preserving precious table space on your buffet.  Whenever I see a tidbit tray (TBT) at a thrift shop I have a hard time passing them up but, really, how many of these marvels of snack service does a gal need?

As fate would have it, I was cruising one of my local haunts and spotted a new-in-box TBT setting upon the shelf.  At only $1, I had zero chance of resisting.  As I pick it up I had a thought...why not change it up a bit?  Records!  Since I have boxes of albums (33's and 78's) this would be easy.  I knew that I wanted to have graduated sizes for each level so I went on the hunt for a 45 to be the smallest top tier.  I'm sure it's been done before but it was quick, easy and oh so cute!

 

 

My original plan was to use a 33 for the bottom level, a 78 for the middle and a 45 for the top.  Unfortunately this tidbit did not come with a base and I felt that just having an album in the bottom with no foot to sit upon would just be too unfinished for my taste.  Maybe, just maybe, I would be able to use another 78 for the base and set it inside the lip of the actual tray.

 

Shazam!  That worked brilliantly!

 The next issue to conquer was that of the large center hole in the 45.  How would I fill that?  Just then I spotted a compact 33 in the vinyl bin.  It's the same outer diameter of a 45 but with the same center post size as the other albums.

Now with all of the kinks worked out, it's just a matter of assembling it all..  The bottom screw connected to the lower rod, the lower rod connected to the center rod...Sing it with me...center rod connected to the top loop....

 

I think the finished tray is super adorable.  It will be a great addition to my ever growing collection!

 

'Til we meet again,
Ms Adventure

DIY Tropical Curtains

My favorite picture of my Auntie Hilda was taken during a Christmas celebration sometime in the 1950's.  My Auntie looks beautiful and Uncle Earl is quite dapper but the star of the scene are those amazing curtains in the background.  I really wanted to recreate that same feeling in my living room and dining area.  After much searching, I was unable to find just the right curtains which meant I was going to have to make them myself.

Let me start by saying I am NOT a seamstress.  That being said, I was super excitied to find a detailed online tuorial on Textile Love.  So detailed in fact, that it was broken down into three seperate entries. They can be found starting here.

After determining the amount of fabric I needed I placed an order with Barkcloth Hawaii.  Nyna is great to work with and made sure I was happy with my order.

Trimming the panels to proper length.

 

My dining room table proved to be the perfect work surface.  With both of the extensions in place it was nearly long enough to accomodate my unhemmed panels.

All ironed and ready for the lining.

 

For the curtain lining I cheated and used off-white flat sheets that I purchased from a local retailer.  They were really affordable and already hemmed so that saved me a few steps.

 

Just like the picture on the tutorial!

 

The instructions called for a blind hem down the sides of the curtain panels.  I've never even switched out the foot on my sewing machine so this seemed like a daunting request.  I was sure I would severly mess this up and ruin my fabric.  I resorted to a strategy I almost never use...I read the instructions for my sewing machine.  Let me tell you it was like some sort of voodoo.  Everything worked like a charm and looked fantastic!   



Wow!  That actually worked!

My curtains are designed to soften the room.  They don't close over the windows but hang at the edges of the windows.  Privacy isn't an issue and the view is far too nice to obscure.
 

 

I'm so excited with the final result! The pinch pleats were much easier to do than I had anticipated. All in all, it was a lot of work but totally worth it.

 

 

 

'Til we meet again,

Ms Adventure

 

Feeling Lampish

Well, this weekend has turned very lampish and it's only Saturday!  As you may have gathered by now I have a severe lamp problem.  Is it really a problem?  I guess that depends on who you ask.  Most folk would say "yes, it's time for an intervention".  So, without further hesitation here is the haul from the last two days....

 

 

The first find is the gold TV lamp.  This little gem was filthy when I found it yesterday at a garage sale.  I LOVE that it has a built-in planter!  I paid $1 for it and giggled when I saw that it is stamped '24K Gold' on the bottom.  It cleaned up well, shining so bright now.  I can't wait to get some fake greenery in it!  I rewired the lamp but will need to tweak it a bit as the shade doesn't want to sit straight.  I'm thinking a cardboard washer may do the trick.

 

 

 

Lamp #2 was purchased this morning at the local American Legion Hall.  They were having a rummage sale fundraiser for the veterans programs.  I spotted it right when I walked in the door just sitting on the floor. I wasn't super in love with it, more of a strong like.  It has jewels embedded in the porcelain base and I don't have any jeweled lamps yet.  At $9 it was a little bit more then what I wanted to spend on it.  However, it was raising funds for a good cause and this is where the problem comes in...I needed to 'save' it.  Do I have room for it in my house?  No.  Did I already have a shade for it?  Yes (I have a small pile of lamp shades laying around the house).  So off I went with it.

 

The base was in poor shape with corrosion and rust.  After some quality time with some #0000 steel wool and a can of gold spray paint it was looking pretty good.  The black jeweled base sparkles after a good scrubbing.  I rewired the lamp and added a vintage shade. 

 

The final lamp I actually picked up a few weeks ago at an estate sale in Minnesota.  A beautiful little black cat lamp with a planter!  I paid $5, which I thought was a steal.  I added it to my little lamp rejuvenation party today giving it a good cleaning and new wiring.  The shade was in my lonely shade collection.  I've been looking for the perfect base for the pale pink venetian lamp shade.  I think they look fantastic together! 



 

We all have our "things".  For some folks its jewelry or purses.  For me it's lamps, lots and lots of lamps.  What's your weakness?  Do you have any collections?

 

'Til we meet again,

Ms Adventure

 

 

Ready, SET, go!

Last weekend Daddy-O and I hit a couple garage sales.  The weather is still cool here so there have typically only been three or four garage sales going on each weekend.  Most weekends we have been coming home empty handed.  But not last Saturday!

Check out this beauty...

A little cleaning, as well as some super glue to the area at the rear of the hood and she's good as new.  It works like a charm!  I think it was completely worth the $3 I shelled out for it.

Simon was checking out some newly acquired lampshades.  He's just so darn cute which is a good thing due to the fact that he is so ill behaved.

'Till we meet again,
Ms. Adventure

From Drab to Fab!

While thrifting with my friend Sam last week, I picked up a poor lonely lamp.  It was sadly neglected after being painted entirely black years ago.  It had been sitting in a local antique shop for quite a while.  The owner was anxious to get rid of it and offered it to me for a song.

You'll have to excuse my pictures.  I am having a difficult time with finding a new photo editor!

First, I cleaned the lamp really well and boy was it dirty!  Next I applied spackle the chiped areas and sanded smooth after it had dried.  A few quick coats of paint followed by some new wiring and voila!

'Til we meet again,

Ms. Adventure

Wild Wednesday adventure!

So I decided to take the day off of work.  I have been desperately trying to cut down on the amount of time I spend at my job.  My plan for today was to get my oil changed, clean my car, get equipment ready for a beekeeping class I am doing tomorrow, go to the bank, etc, etc... 

Well, while waiting to get my oil changed I realized it was indeed Wednesday, a fact I knew but had not had the "Aha!  It's Wednesday!"  moment yet.  What's so special about Wednesday you ask?  My friend Samantha (read her blog here) and I have been trying to go to this antique store in the middle of nowhere all winter.  Their winter hours are Wednesday 11a-1p.  Hello, two hours in the middle of the week??  Needless to say, when I realized it was Wednesday it was 10:40am and I just had to start my trek.  The store is about 40 minutes from where I was.  I immediately texted Samantha.  She texted back something about working.  What?!  So I did what any good friend would do.  I went without her.

The store is not heated and actually occupies two buildings, the old bank and an old 7-Up distributor.  The town it is in most likely has a population somewhere around 400-700 people.  I didn't find too much in the old bank so I headed next door to the soda garage. 

I spotted what would become Daddy-O's birthday gift.  Even though his birthday isn't until June, I just had to buy it.

Daddy -O has always wanted a floor globe.  This one is fantastic with its smart mid century design.  It lights up too!  Bonus!  Because as I will fully admit, I have a lamp addiction.  The only major flaw is a crack that runs through Africa.  My plan is to try to glue it from the inside to stabilize it.  I may try to apply some touch up paint to the exterior to minimize the crack.  It's really only noticeable when the light is on.

   The soda garage is two floors, so after careful inspection of the items on the lower level, I headed upstairs.  There were no lights in the garage but many windows including a large (6ftX5ft) opening in the side wall that has no glass.  It is literally open to the elements!  The upper floor is somewhat "L" shaped.  When I came around the corner and nearly fell over.  This is what I saw...

The proprietor of the store was right behind me and I think I did a very good job of containing my enthusiasm.  I said flatly, "Wow.  Those are big AND purple".  He immediately dropped the price by 30%.  He said he was told by the dealer he got them from that they would be "hot" in Chicago.  Well, the upper peninsula of Michigan is a long way from Chicago and they have been sitting there for what sounds like several years.  In an unheated garage, unprotected, 20 feet from the  outside world.

The lamps were made by Reglor in 1953.

I just brought them home and plugged them in.  I haven't cleaned them yet.  Boy are they dusty!  They are very large measuring 35" from base to finial.  The shades measure 22.5" at their widest point.

There is a small chip in the bottom of the male lamp and two small areas of paint loss.  The female lamp has a small hole under her left arm.  The dark purple paint on the faces is cracking and needs repainting.  The shades have some small spots on the underside but otherwise are in fantastic condition. 

I hope I can do as nice a job as Hepcat.  He has restored some fabulous finds and is kind enough to detail his work in his blog.  Thanks Hepcat!