Don't even get me started on toasters!

I have no idea where my obsession with vintage appliances began. It is possibly the time I stayed home from school for several weeks when I was around 9. I had a sore throat that wouldn't quit and spent my time watching old movies on channel 56 all day. I became obsessed with shoulder pads. Later, as a teen, I spent a lot of time in St. Paul's thrift shop where I even found a 1940s woman's suit, once, the jacket of which I wore for years.

During "big trash" week in Newport, I would scour the huge piles for old stuff. Once, I brought home a perfect, working, 1920s vacuum cleaner. It had a huge aluminum head and a big black bag that you had to empty. I loved that vacuum.

So, toasters.

In my first apartment I had an old broil king that I used to toast stuff. Then, in my second one, I got a toaster at the Earthen Vessel thrift shop that I finally had to throw away because a mouse got electrocuted in it. Ick.

At one point I made the transition to toaster ovens.... starting with a great one from Black and Decker that lasted 10 years, but ending up with pieces of crap that would practically break on start up. They were horribly designed. One after another, I desparately tried to find one that worked. Even the Black and Deckers had gone to the dark side.

Then, one day, I was in Ocean State Job Lot and found a reconditioned Cuisinart toaster. I brought it home and plugged it in, wondering if I could live without the tiny broiler on my counter. It lasted a few months bofore it died. Then I bought a brand new one from Linens and Things, which has lasted a couple of years.

Is it any wonder I love the vintage ones?

About a year ago I became obsessed with the Sunbeam Radiant Control toaster. I scoured ebay looking for just the right one. Finally, I made a bid on a t-35 and won. 2 weeks later, a completely trashed toaster arrived on my doorstep. It was smashed on one side, didn't work, the bakelite base was broken. Of course the seller blamed the post office. I was out $20 bucks, but worse, crushed! LOL.

My friend Kelly from the mixer forum said he had a spare Sunbeam Toaster and offered to send it to me. Days later, it arrived.... all shiny and beautiful. He had packed it within and inch of it's life. When we placed a piece of toast in the slot, it lowered automatically, clicked on the element and toasted that baby beautifully. Then, gently, raised the toast when it was finished. It was "Automatic Beyond Belief". The toaster is proudly displayed with my Sunbeam percolator.

Here are a couple of links I found from my mixer forum: (Thanks to Jon, my major enabler!)

The Toaster Museum

Sunbeam Radiant Control Toasters

Toaster Central

Toast anyone?

Simple French Vanilla Ice Cream

I didn't have all the ingredients that were called for in the ice cream recipe I had... so I started to just throw stuff together and it turned out to be a delicious and simple ice cream recipe.

Here's the recipe:

3 cups light cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan, over medium heat. Stir constantly as the mixture warms up. Do not allow it to boil, or the eggs will curdle. Just as the liquid begins to steam, lower the heat. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens slightly and can coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Take the custard off the heat and allow it to cool completely. I poured it into a 1 quart mason jar and refridgerated it.... then threw it in the freezer to speed up the cooling process. It took about an hour to get good and cold. Place the custard in an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's directions.

Mine came out perfectly custardy, vanilla-ish and amazingly creamy. After I took it out of the ice cream machine, I froze it in a plastic tub for another 45 minutes or so to make it more solid. It was simply incredible!

Next time I am going to try adding fruit... berries or peaches, perhaps. Summer is here!