Get Okified

My great-grandparents Frank and Ethel Attaway (I am wild about her socks and shoes)

Me circa 1994, in my favorite socks and shoes, where I grew up in Woodlake California

You know that favorite dress you have practically worn out?  The one with the stain, tear or missing button?  Do not despair you can still wear it with an Okie flair.  Here are 10 ways to incorporate true depression era fashion into your vintage attire.

1. clothing doesn't fit just right-usually a little too big
2. overalls
3. socks-not mates if you dare
4. one button different from the rest
5. dresses made of feedsacks
6. mend and patch-get creative
7. worn oxfords shoes
8. clothing clean but worn
9. layers-sometimes they had to wear all they had
10. aprons- what dress you do have needs protecting

How awesome is this?!  Here is an informative feedsack post by Vintage Viviant.

I haven't seen it (because I heard it was scary) but Carnivale appears to have wonderful costumes.

Also I have heard rumors of a Ghetto Gatsby picnic held in Southern California.  Does anyone have any information about this event?  I am intrigued. 

Okie: Great American Style

"These are women of the American soil.  They are a hardy stock.  They are of the roots of our country...They are not our well advertised women of beauty and fashion...These women represent a different mode of life.  They are of themselves a very great American style."  Dorothea Lange speaking about the 1930's migrant workers in California, known as Okies. 

The three photos above are from our family album.  

The Dorothea Lange quote above is my absolute favorite.  It brings tears to my eyes, because my love for their fashion is as complex as it is.  I have always preferred cotton to silk, socks to stockings, and oxfords to heels.  I like to think  it is because of my Okie roots.  

If you want to know more about this subject read or watch the Grapes of Wrath.  I can't recommend it enough.

Okie Eye Candy

"Unemployed lumber worker goes with wife to the bean harvest. Note social security number tattooed on arm." photographer Dorothea Lange, August 1939/Oregon.

535-07-5248 belonged to Thomas Cave who would have been 27 years old at the time of photo.  He died in Portland, Oregon the year 1980.

I came across this picture in a book from the library today.  Dorothea Lange is a bit of an obsession with me at the moment. (hint of posts to come)  I have always appreciated her photographs, which more than slightly resemble the ones in my own family album.  This picture stands out to me as different though.  Maybe it is the wonderful good looks (man and woman) which gives it a bit of a Hollywood feel.   

I have a feeling if I looked up handsome rogue in the dictionary this guys photo would be there.  He has trouble written all over him.  I am in love.

Okie Girl Eats: Bug Pie

Sour cream and raisin pie-which I grew up calling "bug pie"- is my favorite.  

Here is the recipe:

• 1 cup raisins
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 egg yolks
• baked pie crust 
• 
  
  MERINGUE:
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons sugar; I half this with brown sugar

Directions

• In a small saucepan, place raisins and enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; set aside.
• In a large saucepan, the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cloves and cinnamon. Stir in sour cream and milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks;(otherwise your eggs will cook in the filling) return all to the pan, stirring constantly.Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Drain raisins, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Gently stir liquid into filling. Add raisins, and nuts if desired. Pour into pie shell.
• For meringue, in a small bowl, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Spread over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.
• Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour; refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. 

Okie Girl Eats: Buttermilk Pie

Buttermilk.  I wonder if the poor lil' Okies acquired a taste for buttermilk due to the fact they rarely had fresh milk.  It is not an easy taste to enjoy, but many of my Okie relatives would beg to differ.  I do enjoy buttermilk as an ingredient, especially in this buttermilk pie.  Think in terms of pancakes, we have regular pancakes and then we have buttermilk pancakes.  The same with pie, we have custard pie and we have buttermilk pie- very similar, yet the buttermilk adds a deeper and richer flavor.  It took me two tries to perfect this pie.  My first attempt was undercooked.  This was embarrassing as I made it to take to a luncheon and didn't realize until I was there and sliced it.  The next one was a little too sugary, and finally number three sliced like a dream and was just sweet enough.

Here is the recipe:

2 c. sugar (I liked 1.5)
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
5 lg. eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 unbaked 9" pastry shell

Combine sugar and flour in a large bowl, add eggs and buttermilk, stirring until blended. Stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into unbaked pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set. (give it a shake, if it wiggles give 5 more min.) 

Mav and I stumbled upon this little pie cart Saturday night.  We were full from dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant, but couldn't pass up pie!  I dream of having an airstream to bake and sell pies out of.  I would name it Sweetie Pies.

Okie Girl Eats: Homemade Maple Syrup

  I did a couple of different things with our pancakes this morning.  I added crumbled bacon to the batter and I made our syrup.  (I prefer Bisquick for making both pancakes and biscuits.)  I just can't bring myself to buy store bought syrup unless it is 100% pure maple syrup, and at the rate our family of goes through syrup that gets costly.  Then I was reminded by my mother of the syrup she made when I was a child.  Here is the recipe:

• 1 cup water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp maple flavoring

Boil water, add sugar and flavor.  Serve when smooth and combined. The syrup will be more the consistency of pure maple syrup. 

 It made more than enough for our family with enough leftover for us to have 2 or 3 more times.  

Okie Gals: Dorothy

This is my great Aunt Dorothy, that we named our little Dot after.  She lived only long enough to meet our firstborn, Ruth. (same name as her oldest sister)  As you can see, she was the most glamorous of all the Okies in my family, waitressing instead of working in the fields.  I have one dress of hers that hopefully someday, once again, will fit.

A story I love is the time one of her husbands came home after boozin' and cat'n around only to pass out cold.  She took a bottle of red nail polish and painted his schlong.  Waking up to a thick coat of lacquer to remove had to be pretty uncomfortable!  

She also had a Boston Terrier named King that I remember from when I was very young.  This Boston figurine was hers and given to me.

Aunt Ruth's Okie Photo's

My Great Aunt Ruth always wrote on her pictures.  Not simply a name or date, but often a little tidbit about the subject.  She also always wrote the name of the person who was to get the photo after her death.  A lot of times I find a name or two crossed out and another added because she has decided someone else should get it.  This has proved invaluable to preserving family history.  I wanted to show above that she didn't candy coat things, but rather told them as they were.   I once saw a photo with her sister and another man where she had written something about not knowing who the man was.  Her sister, my Aunt Dorothy wrote on that picture "What do you care?"  Letting her know it wasn't her business.  

Above are a few examples.  First one I thought was cute because she said "Okie Friend".  

The next one is her daughter, the back says "was 4 years old 1939, July 15, give to Barbara McDonald-crossed out, Wanda Ritchie-crossed out and again Barbara McDonald.  "Doris Lavenia Dawson age 4 years 1939, I lost her 2 months and 2 days ofter this was taken"  Heartbreaking to read in her mother's handwriting.

Of the picture of the little boy next to the car she writes "Rose little boy the one Lee Roy beat.  Give to Lois West"  Yes, my Uncle Lee Roy was dating this little boys mother Rose and obviously beat this poor little boy.  Most of us would not preserve such history but I think it should be.  (Just think of the things you might write if you were to be completely honest in your family album.) 

The last picture is my mother Barbara and her cousin Wanda.  My mother was very poor and Wanda in comparison wasn't.  Written on the back of this photo it says "I think Wanda is staring at the holes in Barbara's shoes."  My mother still takes it as a put down.  Looking back my mom is able to see being the poorest in her extended family brought hurtful humor.  My Great Grandfather liked to say "If you are going to invite Lois give her plenty of notice so she can wash Barbara's only dress."  

Ah, Family.

Taking Back Saddle Shoes

I love saddle shoes.  A perfect oxford in black and white.  Unfortunately I have shied away from them through out my vintage wearing life.  Why?  Well because of the bubble gum baggage they bring with them.  The poodle skirt, sock hop, Happy Days costume they happen to play a big part in.  The truth is though the saddle shoe has been worn since the early 1900's.  So if you are like me and hesitate to wear them even though they are one of the few vintage shoes constantly remade and often sold at very affordable prices, remember real people did wear them-even with out poodle skirts. : )  Here are a couple family pictures showing the side of the saddle shoe I love.

I took the above one of my mom off my niece's recent post, My Grandma in the 1940's and 1950's

Okie Girl Eats: Pie Crusts

Ruth wanted to make a chocolate meringue pie for Mav for Father's Day.  We were all out of crust and needed to make another batch-we usually make about 20 at a time and freeze them.  Ruth is a great pie baker.  She began making crusts at about age 8.  Her best friend would come over and they would bake once a week for "school".  I dream of one day having a little pie shop in an old airstream called Sweetie Pies.  Of course we have a family pie crust recipe that we always use.  Here is the recipe:

• 3lbs crisco
• 15 cups flour
• 3 eggs
• 3 TBSP vinegar
• 3 tsp salt

combine-shortening, flour and salt

combine eggs, vinegar with water to make three cups

mix all together-well require your hands

Like I said it will make a lot of pies!

Solanah came over and joined us and to add a few crusts to her freezer.  I found this picture of me and her when she was little rolling out pie crusts.  I am in my PJ's so I think it was probably early Thanksgiving morning.

I don't really eat like an Okie

Because you all know I am a weight watcher, I thought I should do a food post other than fried pies or chocolate and biscuits.   Those foods are yummy and I do eat them, but very rarely.  Most days look similar to this,

• breakfast: oatmeal with lite coconut milk and a sprinkle of coconut, coffee with nonfat half and half, and fresh fruit
• snack: bowl of cereal with lite soy milk
• lunch: bed of lettuce topped with turkey chili, salsa, olives, nonfat cheese, nonfat sour cream and a few tortilla chips crumbled on top
• snack: fiber plus peanut butter bar and fresh fruit or carrots
• dinner: a big pile of roasted veggies sprinkled with feta, small serving of mashed potatoes and a turkey loaf muffin

That would be the ideal.  As long as I have planned ahead it isn't a very hard plan to follow.  I do make poor choices more often than I'd like and then have to trade in dinner for something like a watermelon.  (I am so glad they are in season they save me!)  I do not count points for fresh fruits and veggies.  The exceptions are bananas, potatoes, and corn which I do count.  I drink a lot of water and coffee.  I might have a diet Coke occasionally even though I know they are horrible for me.  Sometimes when I am out or at some ones house a diet soda keeps me from eating things I shouldn't- you know that social feeling having something in your hand.  A couple great foods I am loving snacking on at the moment are Fruit Loops with fiber, reduced fat Cheezits and Kozy Shack lite puddings.

Next week I plan to do an update to my WW post.  I am nervous because I know the scale isn't showing very much loss.  I am putting my hope in the measurements reflecting change.  Mav and I have been running and just finished week 8 of couch to 5K.  It is s great program!  Here you can see how dedicated I am because I ran in the pouring down rain. (more than once)

Okie Girl Eats: Chocolate & Biscuits

 Chocolate and biscuits.  Sometimes they are called biscuits with chocolate gravy.  This recipe comes from the McClure side of my husbands family.  Mav remembers eating them as a child but hadn't had them since.  

His and my family come from similar backgrounds.  My dad is from New Jersey and his New York, my mom, as I explained here, was an Okie and his mom was born in Texas. 

 That's his grandpa JT in the first picture with the sailor.  Look at his outfit!  I love the leather jacket, open collar and striped shirt.  

JT left Texas and rode the rails out to So. California in the 40's where he met and married Mav's grandma Delight.  Judging by his clothes and the fact he was single without a family to provide for I have concluded life for him in California was much different than my Okie relatives.  

The people coming to California from Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas were all referred to as "Okies."  Only amongst themselves were the differences noted.  JT would tell of when Spade Cooley would start his show with "Let's have Okies on the left, Arkies on the right and Texans down the middle."  This was  a preventive measure for the fights that were sure to break out.  

So although our families are slightly different, there still are many similarities and one of them is food.  I don't know why I never had chocolate and biscuits before, but I am sure glad I have now.  

Here is the family recipe.  I hope you enjoy them.  I should say I hope you try them- because if you do, I know you will enjoy them. 

Oh, and according to Mav we ate the lowfat version.  We didn't put butter on our biscuits before pouring on the chocolate.  That is how they did it when he was little. 

• 1.5 cups of sugar
• .5 tsp salt
• 2.5 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 c. milk
• 3 squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped (3 oz.)
• 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1.5 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, salt, cornstarch and flour in saucepan.  Gradually stir in milk.  Add chocolate.  Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.  Boil 1 minute.   Remove from heat.  Slowly stir half the mixture into the beaten egg yolks.  Then blend the egg mixture into the hot mixture.  Boil 1 minute more, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and blend in butter and vanilla.  Cut hot biscuits in half.  Put a pat of butter on  hot biscuits and spoon hot chocolate gravy on top of biscuits.

Quick version: Cook large sized box of chocolate pudding (not instant) pour over hot canned biscuits.