In decades past, when everything was done by hand, we had the tools to do it right. Along the way, we’ve left behind many of these tools in favor of newer ones or pre-made foods that require very little work. But, back in the day, our mothers and grandmothers would have relied on these gadgets to make the tasty meals that we remember so well.
Back when dinner parties and decorum were important parts of social life, shaped pats and curly cues of butter were considered elegant. A little something special done to the butter, whether it was cut or shaved or molded into shapes and that effort made the meal all that much nicer.
Hand Egg Beaters
Who else remembers getting a sore arm from whipping egg whites or cream with a hand-crank egg beater? Almost universally replaced by electric mixers these days, there are those of us who miss using this one! It was kind of fun!
Cruet Servers
Not everyone had a set as fancy as this, but most people used to have something like this. Before a wide variety of sauces and salad dressings appeared at the supermarket, oil & vinegar on the table was often the dressing of the day. A set like this would surely have taken pride of place on the table!
Tea parties and even casual afternoon tea were once fairly common. If you served sugar cubes you needed tongs to serve them. Refined but also practical, the clean transfer of cubes reduces waste.
