From The Vintage Housewife Handbook
I used to have a second blog, The Vintage Housewife Handbook. It was fun researching tips and tricks from real vintage housewives but very difficult keeping up with two blogs. I closed The Vintage Housewife Handbook but will be posting the articles from that blog over here. Since I'm a vintage housewife, I use these tricks all the time and I thought it would be fun to share them with you!

                                       How a 50's Housewife Gets Out of a Sticky Situation
Did your meatloaf stick to the pan? Is gum stuck in your hair? Follow these tried and true tips for getting out of any sticky situation!

For cutting marshmallows or dates- dip your kitchen scissors in water and cut when the scissors are wet

Broiling meat-line the broiling pan with foil. A brown gravy will form in the pan and you won't have to scrub the pan.

For sticky foods at picnics- wet a washcloth and place in a plastic sandwich bag, stick it in your cooler. When eating sticky fruit or for kid's hands and faces, you'll have a clean, wet cloth to clean up the mess. It saves money from buying wet wipes too. (yep, they had sandwich bags in the late 50's)

Chewing gum on clothes or shoes-put the item in a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer for 2 hours. the gum will flick right off.


Pie Crust- Navy cooks rolled pie crust with one hand and a broom handle, using plenty of flour on the board. Roll the dough out, then roll it onto the broom handle, transfer to the pie pan and unroll. No sticks, no rips in the crust.

Salt and Pepper Shaker Lids that stick or are corroded- Soak in hot vinegar with a little salt.

nail polish or glue bottle lids that stick. Grease the threads of the lids, you can use a little cooking spray

Drawers that stick- Rub a candle along the runners of the drawer

Fix a pan that food always sticks to- Wash the pan and put on a low burner, just to warm it up, then wipe the inside with wax paper. May also be used for electric skillets

When milk sticks to a pan- rinse the pan with cold water just before pouring milk into it (such as when making cocoa).


For meatloaf- Put a slice of bacon under the meatloaf before you bake it, it won't stick to the pan and it makes the meatloaf taste wonderful.

If Pancakes stick to the pan, add a bit of shortening to the batter

Sticky noodles and rice- to prevent gummy noodles and rice, add a few drops of oil to the water when boiling.

Boiling Potatoes- A few drops of oil in a pot will also prevent the sticky ring that forms on the pot from the starches in the boiling potatoes.

Meatballs- When rolling meatballs, dip your fingers in a cup of water to prevent sticking to your fingers

Gum in hair- Rub some peanut butter through your hair to remove gum