Gas was .18 per gallon.
You could buy a new car for $1500.
A new house cost $8500.
The annual median wage was $3200.
The credit card was invented.
After WWII some women stopped working and returned to full time homemaking, but some didn’t. The media ideal of the time, though, was wholesome homemaker mom with dinner on the table for father when he came home from the office. More and more households were buying televisions—black and white in those days, of course. Music consisted of flowing lyrics and lovely tunes. The top song was Goodnight Irene. It has always been a favorite of mine, because my mother’s name was Irene and so is my middle name. In 1950 fresh milk was still delivered to the front door stoop, but prepackaged convenience food was gaining in popularity. Home cooks looked for ways to organize and simplify. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were lunchbox staples, but mothers were also adding other interesting ingredients to the peanut butter—such as pineapple chunks. Homemade cookies were still a treasured after school treat. Just for those of you who love all things vintage as much as I do, here is a yummy recipe for one of the top cookies of 1950.
SALTED PEANUT CRISPS
Ingredients:
½ cup butter, ½ cup shortening, 2 eggs, 1 ½ cup tightly packed brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 3 cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 cups salted peanuts.
Directions:
Mix butter, shortening, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time until blended. Mix in the peanuts. Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls about 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten each one with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. This recipe makes 6 dozen cookies.
If I had to pick, I’d say my favorite cookie was some type of ginger cookie. What is your favorite type of homemade cookie?
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Fantasy Romance
1950 is the year I was born. Not so much to remember of the period, then. TVs were a rarity. Our family got one in the 1960s and many neighbors came in the evening to watch a movie or theater play, Of course it was black and white image. The much desired color TV arrived in our house only after ’89. Only high rank officials of the communist party had a color one.
My favorite homemade cookies are cheese pies and crackers.
Happy 4th July, Flossie!
Carmen, I treasure the perspective you bring to our conversations. Maybe you’d like to do Vintage Friday guest post sometime–pick a certain vintage year and share a cheese pie recipe?
Absolutely! Thanks for the invitation!
Carmen, send me your vintage post with cheese pie anytime you wish, and I’ll get it scheduled.
Loved this trip back in time! My mother’s name was Thelma Irene. I remember the milkman and catching fireflies in Ohio and when I came to Florida in 1960 they became lightning bugs!
Remember the cream floating on top of the milk in the bottle? I always liked the terminology of fireflies, Linda. We used to catch lightning bugs in jars with holes in the top to have in our room after dark.
Although I wasn’t born until the 60s, even then I remember many of the things you mentioned, especially playing outside until dark. A few homes in my neighborhood still got milk delivered to their doorstep. As kids, we sometimes used the milkbox as a stool when we hung on someone’s porch.
My favorite homemade cookie is something that usually was only made for Christmas. It’s an Italian cookie called a filled horn. Always love your vintage posts, Flossie!
I don’t think we’re totally looking through rose colored glasses, Mae. They really were simpler times. Children felt safer playing outside and parents knew to watch over each other’s brood. You should guest post sometime and share that Italian filled horn cookie. Yum.
I grew up in the 50’s. We’d play until dark so we could catch lightning bugs and put them in a jar to watch them glow. We climbed trees and practiced our best Tarzan yells, and we didn’t have to be afraid to keep our windows open and the doors unlocked. We didn’t own a TV, so n Saturday nights we’d sit around and listen to my uncles play their guitars.
My favorite cookie is the ginger snap, second favorite oatmeal peanut butter raisin. It’s nice recalling memories.
We did the same with lightning bugs– what fun. A neighbor child had a tree house we used to play in. Out back of my house were orange trees. I would sit in them and imagine fairies. You grew up with music–better than tv. Love gingersnaps!
I’m glad I got here to read this post. I grew up in the 60’s but where I lived was very similar to what you describe. I didn’t taste convenience food until I was about eight. Fish fingers they were an adventure. Cookies and biscuits which I grew up with are not quite the same but my favourite biscuit as a child was chocolate fingers.
Daisy, I remember as a kid in the 60’s traveling to Jacksonville and going into a 7-11 convenience store for the first time. Chocolate fingers sound yummy.