Nancy Drew And The Clue Of The Tapping Heels Griddle Cakes.....

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but my favourite recipe source out of all of my many vintage cookbooks is my copy of 'The Nancy Drew Cookbook: Clues To Good Cooking' by Carolyn Keene.

It was originally published in 1973...my edition is from 1977.  There are loads, LOADS I tell ya, of good, simple, old fashioned recipes in this bad boy.  There are some I use more often than others and the' Tapping Heels Griddle Cakes' are one of those.  I made them this morning...with my usual apple cinnamon variation...and they were fabulous if I do say so myself!

NANCY DREW'S 'TAPPING HEELS GRIDDLE CAKES ':

1/2 Cup Milk
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
1 Egg
1 Cup Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

**Dolly note #1....I find that the cakes are fluffier if I use self rising flour instead of all purpose.  Just sub the same amount of flour, but you then need to leave off the baking powder and salt!

Beat the milk, butter and egg lightly in a large bowl.
Sift the other ingredients together and add them to the liquid mixture.  Stir just enough to dampen the flour.  If necessary, add more milk to make the batter as thick as heavy cream. 
Lightly grease griddle or skillet.  Heat.  Sprinkle a few drops of water onto it.  When the drops "dance" around, pan is hot enough.  Spoon the batter onto the pan.  When bubbles start to form on a cake, flip it over with a pancake turner.
Makes 8 Cakes.

**Dolly note #2....Add about 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and sub a tablespoon of applesauce for one of the tablespoons of butter and voila!  Apple Cinnamon Pancakes!

CLUE TO EXTRA GOODNESS
Pour honey or maple syrup 1/2-inch deep into a skillet and let it simmer.  As the cakes are baked, ease them into the skillet.  Cook 15 seconds on each side.  Serve with a tablespoon melted butter or margarine poured on top.

Try these sweeties tomorrow morning!  You'll be glad you did!

Still Kickin'! Here's a 'Haul' Post To Prove It!.....

Hi, poppits!
Since last we spoke, I've had LOADS on my plate!  Beginning to get DollyBird sussed so I can get some loverly things on Etsy for you lot to see (I was hoping for an early October launch, but it's looking like it may be November before I can get things started).  Also the worsening health and passing of my sweet Pappy and a lovely celebration of life for him.  The closing of the shop where I work.  A job interview that I'm super excited about (keep your little digits crossed for me, pleeeeeezzzz!).  The start of a collaboration with a local photographer in which I'll be doing a spot of styling and creating.  It's been a whirlwind of a month, but I've done a bit of scrounging in between all the 'chicken with its head cut off' running.

The 'Creepy-Culty-Jesus-Thrifty' where I got my Mersman table has been good to the Doll once again with some great little items, some of which I'm keeping, one of which is a prezzy, and a couple of smalls for the future Etsy shop!
As per my last 'haul' post, the following are photos I've found that are similar or identical to what I've bought.  The camera chip/usb the doggies killed has yet to be replaced!

First off...what I'm likely keeping....

A great lamp, identical to this beauty.  I can't wait to find just the right fabric for just the right shade so that I can use it!  A steal at $2!

In the same trip to the 'CCJT', I got the best Christmas present for my mother.  It was sitting in a corner with no price on it and when I asked the guy working how much, I could have died when he quoted $3!....

It's in perfect condition.  No chips or cracks and all the little bulbs are intact!  The only thing this one has that mine doesn't is the star on top...there's yet another bulb in its place.  I just had to get it for Mom because, after my grandmother (my dad's mom) died, the only Christmas decor of hers that Mom wanted was her big ceramic Christmas Tree like this.  It presided over every Christmas brunch my mom (and I!) remembered at 'Mama D's' house.  But whene we began going through things, my cousin remarked that she'd like to have it, so my Mom let her take it.  It broke her heart.  I think she'll just die when she opens this!  I'll probably give it to her on Thanksgiving though, so she can use it this year!

On the same trip, I got a couple of smalls that will end up in the 'Gilded Cage' section of the DB shop....

A pair of the above swanky golden rain textured late '60s tumblers

And a great Pfaltzgraff owl mug from the 1970's

I know, I know....how can I not keep that mug for myself and my 1970's owl and mushroom laundry?  Well, I need to put some cool smalls in the shop and not keep them all in my grubby little hands!

Besides, I got another set of mugs for myself...that I need like a hole in the head.  But hey, they're Siesta Ware.  And I LOVE Siesta Ware.  Plus I don't have any Siesta coffee mugs.  Sooo, you know.
How fab are these?

They were a 'shop closing' gift from my boss on my last day.  I'd been eyeing them for ages.  I adore them!

Another small that will be in the shop...although it's so darn lovely I've been debating the benefits of keeping it in my collection...is this great early '70s Disney World dish.  Soooo very lovely with the blues and golds!

I've also been helping the owner of another local shop with vintage clothing.  He's wanting to carry some, but doesn't know the first thing about it, so needed my help.  The other day, he rang to say he'd gotten in a truckload of vintage clothes from a theatre department and could I come round asap to sort them for him as he had no idea where to begin.  I made fast work of the piles, found a few good pieces....he had a 1970's Lanvin shift dress hiding in one pile and a couple of fantastic Pendleton suits as well as many other things that are super mod fun, made a pile of  'mine' as I sorted (which included the oldest garment in the lot, a 1950's Penny's Brentwood dress that looked too far gone, but that I've brought back from the dead with a little creative seaming and dart manipulation!...the leaf pattern on it will be fantastic for fall!), and traded him some great 1970's pieces that just won't fit in with the final DB image but will do great in his shop.
You'll see the dresses asap, along with some lovely hats I've scored...I now have a total of 46 vintage hats in my collection!  Crazy, right?  I need to get a 'collection' post together sometime!  I've also been gifted a couple of beautiful parasols and some vintage costume jewelry by one of our vendors at the shop as she was moving out!
I've also scored another Christmas gift, this one for my best friend's wife.  I'd post it, but they read this blog and that would spoil the surprise, so you'll have to wait until December for that one!