VINTAGE BAKING WITH VINTAGE COOKIE PRESS

[@HJKelley47]

Aren't you glad you're a millennial? With todays gadgets you don't have to work too hard in trying to turn a handle. My mother and grandmother made cookies with the Sears cookie press. They did not complain about applying a bit of pressure to the handle at all, and the cookies came out nice. They were women of a different era and were made of tougher stuff than most of us today. Can you imagine living for the next 30 days as a woman did 75-85 yrs ago??? You would have to get rid of your high price makeup and jazzy nail jobs; learning how to wash and hang clothes on the outside clothes line; handwashing your dishes instead of a dishwasher; cooking all the meals for the family. Those women did not spend half the time primping in the mirror that is done today. Not a lot of make-it-easy-for-me kitchen gadgets where we just push a button; no cell phone; no ipad; learning to make your own butter and syrup, etc, etc. Those who have gone before us did those things and more in making a home for their families. Yes, we have access to more knowledge, but we do not appear to possess the wisdom these women hand, for they knew how to take a little and make a real meal for their family out of it. Just think they moped the floor instead of having a Bissel. Those women also dealt with the issue that led to WW2, and the rationing required to assure that our service men had what they needed to assist Britain in the battle against Hitler and Germany. If we had to live in those times for real (not just a vibe), I wonder how today's woman would have handled that situation???

[@VintageVibesJamie]

Well this actually makes me feel really good since nothing you mentioned is anywhere even close to a representation of how I live my life. I don’t have to imagine or learn much 😂😂😂 I don’t have a dishwasher so I wash my dishes by hand everyday. I hang my clothes on the line to dry in the winter I use a folding rack (I didn’t grow up with a dryer so it seems normal to me we used to dry our clothes by laying them over the radiators since they were on anyway) and used a spin washer you hook up to your sink for years. I’ve never had a nail job in my life (let alone whatever a “jazzy” one is) and my makeup comes from the drugstore and is not expensive. My mother and grandmother made cookies from scratch by hand so that’s how I learned. A cookie press was the farthest thing from what would have been wanted or needed in our family. I didn’t grow up with kitchen gadgets and still don’t have them I learned how to make everything from scratch at a very young age so I didn’t feel the need to get them although I did just get a microwave in 2020 does that count? I use it sometimes to heat up my coffee if it gets cold. I make it in a Pyrex percolator from the 1950s on the stove it takes about 15 minutes to make a pot but I like it. It won’t keep the coffee hot like those electric ones. I clean my house with cleaners I make myself with cloths I wash and reuse for years & I’ve always mopped my floor with a mop or on my hands and knees because it does a better job. My first cell phone was in 2012 when I was 30 years old so I made out fine without one (decades after they were released) and would still make out fine without one now, my rotary phone still working just fine. So yeah I wouldn’t be too worried since I seem to already be living pretty close to that except for me don’t view it as novelty or a hardship (the way you seem to look at it) it’s just the way I’ve been living my life for a long time and I actually enjoy it. Seems like you might have a harder time with it especially when you add in your judgemental attitude, but back then people had less time to worry about how others were living and just lived their own life. So maybe you could actually benefit from a 30 day trial run.

[@HJKelley47]

@@VintageVibesJamie : My dear I am 75 yrs old, and doing things the way those who came before me is no big thing. I've benefitted from a 54 yr trial run. Keep at it, and you will one day catch up. Interesting that you took it so personal, when it was just meant to be an observation. Be blessed!

[@VintageVibesJamie]

@@HJKelley47 I’m not taking it personal I’m responding to a very lengthy comment you left about me on my video 🤷🏻‍♀️ Since you didn’t actually “observe” any of those things in the video. Thank you for spending your time summarizing your judgements & assumptions about me, my life and apparently all millennials I guess 😂 I’m going to hope you don’t have any millennial grand children given the way you feel about them.

[@HJKelley47]

@@VintageVibesJamie : Actually my comments were not about you! How can they be when I don't even know you. Sorry you took it that way. Yes I have millennial grandchildren, and I love them dearly. Do challenge them to not always take the easy route in their growing into adulthood. You take care of yourself young lady.

[@provincialhomemaker]

I feel like I was made for a different era.. Make my own butter, grow my own veggies, can my own food, homemade meals from scratch using every bit of a whole chicken to stretch out our meals, make my own soap, keep my own bees, etc.. It's not easy, but I wouldn't have it any other way (and I'm a millennial)! 🙏❤️

[@izabelasilo1698]

My grandmother has the same cookie press. After 51 years, we finally used it hahaha

[@livingintheforest3963]

Thanks so much for this wonderful demonstration!! I have an ALL vintage kitchen wi the the Mirro press!!

[@ashledashnaw2575]

It's a 50's tool. You have a great find there.

[@kawaiikowai08]

I just picked up the same book and spritz cookie press! My grandpa worked for mirro for many years. Super excited to make these cookies :)

[@VintageVibesJamie]

Oh that’s so cool 😊

[@CleverEwe]

I read it is easier if the cookie sheet is bare and chilled, thus enabling the dough to stick in place.

[@VintageVibesJamie]

I could definitely see that working better 😊

[@KatherineMcG]

My mother had the same cookie press. I have a modern one and still haven't mastered it yet. Maybe it's my recipe. I veganised a spritz recipe and the consistency was probably wrong :/. This inspires me to try it again :) Merry Christmas!

[@VintageVibesJamie]

Katherine McGarry They make it look so easy but it’s tricky lol There was another recipe in there for lemon spritz with cream cheese in it which sounds really good but I’m not sure I want to go through all that work again 😊

[@katavas79]

I rembered this when small, my grandmother had one, but I dont remenbered her cookies 😪

[@jonteske4267]

The press was made in my home town of Manitowoc, WI where Mirro had a huge factory. which occupied two city blocks in just the main plant plus several other factories in the area and abutting town. Sadly when the original family which owned and started the business died out, it was taken over by conglomerates and ran it into the ground or shipped it to Mexico. The factory complex stood idle and finally had to be razed by the city.

[@VintageVibesJamie]

Oh that’s so interesting info but yes also sad, thank you for sharing 😊

[@solecitobl.9574]

I bought the same cookie press at my thrift store for .99 I cant wait to use it

[@VintageVibesJamie]

What a great find for .99!!!!!

[@audreyholmes9751]

My Nana just gave me hers a few days ago, exact same model, but a different box...so now I wanna go ham with making cookies, but I'm missing one pattern plate...so I wanna see if there are any plates that can be used with mine...

[@corashell7116]

In many cookie press recipes you have to chill the dough for several hours before using. That might help in using the cookie press. The cookies still looked good- I hope they tasted good.🙂 try it again.🌹

[@corashell7116]

Also- I can’t use real butter either (cholesterol) but I have to use a harder margarine that does not have that much water. I don’t know how vegan butter is made. But your cookies look good!🙂

[@VintageVibesJamie]

Oh that might be why I had such a hard time. I did chill the dough and it made it extremely hard. Like my wrist was killing me from the amount of force I was using to turn it haha I never thought about the possibility of a difference in the “butter” composition and how that might affect things 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@suzannerhinehart5845]

Some people suggest to place your pans in the freezer before you put the cookies on.

[@VintageVibesJamie]

I think that is a good idea 😊

[@livingintheforest3963]

OK just watched your video and I was worried about this too that they were going to be really hard and time-consuming and exhausting lol but I bought the press and wanted to use it I think in this case the modern would be better but I rarely make cookies it’s only a Christmas event sometimes unfortunately some cookies can be done without the press so maybe I would only use the press for three or four recipes. It’s a shame they made it so hard back then you would think that you could just push it down and be done.

[@VintageVibesJamie]

Someone mentioned that part of why it might have been harder for me was because the vegan butter I used may have made the dough more firm, so it’s definitely possible I inadvertently made it more difficult lol I always make cookies from scratch by hand so I don’t mind that but I don’t know I feel like the press was really time consuming and not something I would be super excited to do again. I feel like you can make cuter cookies with a rolling pin and some cookie cutters 😂 I might give them another try this Christmas though 😊

[@SandyKH]

You did well, really, but it press the cookie on a clean cookie sheet. I find it hard to figure out which side goes down in the cookie press, and there are ridges on the mirro plates (dies) that will hold it in place. When you turn the knob and the cookie drops, turn the knob backwards, about 1/4 turn, and the cookie will release. Yes, modern, quality presses go quickly. Or, if you want to stick with vintage, try a SAWA 2000 from Sweden. That will go very quickly.