tiltjlp
PN co-founder
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- Flying Trapeze 1934
Daily life has changed dramatically during the past half century. The greatest differences might have taken place in the kitchen, where modern appliances make it seem like Star Trek, compared to the typical kitchen of the early and mid-50's. Such changes can affect the way life is led, as well as what we eat and how it is prepared. Food processors, bread making machines, toaster ovens, microwaves, espresso machines, rice cookers, and smokeless grills are light years removed from the kitchen of the 50's.
For example, the freezer section of a 50's-era refrigerator would hold ice cream, frozen vegetables, meats from the local butcher shop, and metal ice cube trays. The mid-50's saw Swanson offer their TV Dinners, which while convenient, were not always a taste treat, what with their shriveled peas and pasty mashed potatoes. In time the quality did improve, and a wider choice of meals made Swanson a popular, respected brand.
The most important appliance in the fifties was the oven and it’s stove-top burners, which offered the only means of cooking meals, other than the outdoor grill. Meals were made from scratch in an average home, even after the appearance of the first frozen meals from Swanson. Those first frozen meals and vegetables might have offered quicker meal preparation, but most housewives felt that a meal cooked from scratch was both better tasting and much more of a nutritious offering for her family.
In time, with more women working, and with a better quality and a wider selection of frozen foods, family meal time became less of a chore. Now, even fathers and teens could prepare filling, hot meals, if mom was late getting home from work. Until the women’s work force increased, though, the life of a homemaker was labor intensive and time consuming.
Those first frozen vegetables, whose quick freezing was made pos- sible by a process perfected by Clarence Birdseye, were bought as a solid square. They were made ready for the table by placing them in a pot of boiling water. With salt and pepper, they did taste like the real thing, although I recall that the peas were hard and the string beans chewed like a sponge. In time, frozen vegetables improved, too. Nowadays, some of the designer meals actually are more nutritious and satisfying than something from the oven. And if you have more money than time, frozen and deli prepared meals can actually seem like a bargain.
During the 50's, though, there weren’t many choices. Meals were prepared either in the oven or on the stove top, and often both were used. The only other appliance most kitchens had in those early days of the 50's was a toaster, all shiny chrome, with two slots and a crumb tray. If you were newly married, someone might have splurged and surprised you with a four-slicer.
Our favorite meal when I was growing up was bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches. My brother and me used to argue over who got to toast the bread, with the loser getting to spread Miracle Whip on each slice. Dad fried up the bacon and mom put the sandwiches together, making for a true family project. I always looked forward to Wednesdays.
With the hands-off preparation of today’s frozen and deli meals, the next step just might be meals-in-a-pill. Surely, designer ordered meals from megastore food courts, which are beginning to be offered, will prove popular with frantic families. Nearly any facet of modern life can be purchased under one roof today. The only thing not for sale is the sense of belonging most families enjoyed during supper time around the kitchen table of the slower paced 50's. My favorite meals today each originated during my youth, in that old-fashioned kitchen in Fairmount.
For example, the freezer section of a 50's-era refrigerator would hold ice cream, frozen vegetables, meats from the local butcher shop, and metal ice cube trays. The mid-50's saw Swanson offer their TV Dinners, which while convenient, were not always a taste treat, what with their shriveled peas and pasty mashed potatoes. In time the quality did improve, and a wider choice of meals made Swanson a popular, respected brand.
The most important appliance in the fifties was the oven and it’s stove-top burners, which offered the only means of cooking meals, other than the outdoor grill. Meals were made from scratch in an average home, even after the appearance of the first frozen meals from Swanson. Those first frozen meals and vegetables might have offered quicker meal preparation, but most housewives felt that a meal cooked from scratch was both better tasting and much more of a nutritious offering for her family.
In time, with more women working, and with a better quality and a wider selection of frozen foods, family meal time became less of a chore. Now, even fathers and teens could prepare filling, hot meals, if mom was late getting home from work. Until the women’s work force increased, though, the life of a homemaker was labor intensive and time consuming.
Those first frozen vegetables, whose quick freezing was made pos- sible by a process perfected by Clarence Birdseye, were bought as a solid square. They were made ready for the table by placing them in a pot of boiling water. With salt and pepper, they did taste like the real thing, although I recall that the peas were hard and the string beans chewed like a sponge. In time, frozen vegetables improved, too. Nowadays, some of the designer meals actually are more nutritious and satisfying than something from the oven. And if you have more money than time, frozen and deli prepared meals can actually seem like a bargain.
During the 50's, though, there weren’t many choices. Meals were prepared either in the oven or on the stove top, and often both were used. The only other appliance most kitchens had in those early days of the 50's was a toaster, all shiny chrome, with two slots and a crumb tray. If you were newly married, someone might have splurged and surprised you with a four-slicer.
Our favorite meal when I was growing up was bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches. My brother and me used to argue over who got to toast the bread, with the loser getting to spread Miracle Whip on each slice. Dad fried up the bacon and mom put the sandwiches together, making for a true family project. I always looked forward to Wednesdays.
With the hands-off preparation of today’s frozen and deli meals, the next step just might be meals-in-a-pill. Surely, designer ordered meals from megastore food courts, which are beginning to be offered, will prove popular with frantic families. Nearly any facet of modern life can be purchased under one roof today. The only thing not for sale is the sense of belonging most families enjoyed during supper time around the kitchen table of the slower paced 50's. My favorite meals today each originated during my youth, in that old-fashioned kitchen in Fairmount.
