Memories in the Milk Shake Machine
Written by Ann Pietrangelo on December 10th, 2008 in Conversations, Set the Mood, Strange but True.
From our “strange but true” files…
This mint condition Hamilton Beach milk shake machine, circa 1950, resides in a place of honor in my sister’s home. I like to think of it as a family heirloom. So much so that on my last visit there, I requested that it be removed from its perch so I could photograph it.
Sis thought I’d come unglued, but she humored me anyway. It’s something big sisters instinctively do.
A little online sleuthing leaves me wondering whether it is vintage 40’s or 50’s, but I did discover that they’re quite the little collector’s item. It’s more than that to me, though. The very sight of it — the funky jadeite color, the smooth lines, the gleaming metal, instantly transports me to another era.
When we were kids, the good old Hamilton Beach was stashed away in a kitchen cupboard until called into duty. It rarely made an appearance outside of Christmas when Dad — who wasn’t exactly known for his kitchen abilities — would offer up a strange concoction of eggs, sugar, and… I’m not sure I want to know what else… and called it egg nog. We had a ball watching him work what we thought was magic, highlighted by the whirrrrrrr of the Hamilton Beach mixer. It was a comforting sound. Actually drinking the stuff was secondary.
The only other “recipe” of Dad’s was a weird salad dressing that he called “slop,” something that made Mom wince. It’s funny, the memories that coming flooding back at the sight of a kitchen appliance. I suppose it’s because the kitchen truly is the heart of the home, and the memories made there are the most comforting.
Thanks for the memories, Hamilton Beach.
