Monday, May 13, 2013

Vintage Advice on Lunch Breaks for Homemakers

When there's a great stack of ironing to do, or you've promised yourself to clean out the closets, do you sometimes just open the refrigerator door at noon, grab the first thing you see, and gulp it down so you can go on with what you're doing?

You're making a big mistake if you do.  With your full and busy schedule, it's important for you to take time off in the middle of the day to relax and simmer down.  Those few minutes will mean a lot to you after the baby wakes up from his nap, or the children come whooping in from school, or it's time to start dinner.

So have a good lunch, even if it's only a sandwich and a glass of milk or cup of tea.  And don't have that every day!  Sometimes try a salad, or a quickly made omelet, or soup with crackers and fruit.  Then, don't eat it sitting on a kitchen stool and thinking about all the other things you must do today.  Put it on a tray and carry it into the living room, or out on the porch or terrace.  Sit down in the most comfortable spot you can find, and relax - with a new magazine, with soft music from radio or phonograph, or with television - whichever carries you farthest away from routine.  And when you go back to your job, you'll find yourself miraculously refreshed, and ready to tackle the rest of the day's assignments.

-- from The General Foods Kitchens Cookbook (1959)

4 comments:

Lori in Texas said...

I love this, Julie. This is the sort of books I really enjoy reading. I choose to have the "reality" of my daily life to be as closely related to the "nostalgia" of the past as I can possibly make it! And boy, do I ever have the "reality" of a stack of ironing to do one day this week!
I'll look up the book you quoted to see if it is one in my collection or one I need to keep an eye out for!
Have a beautiful Spring week...

Vicki said...

I love this quote! So few women take this advice these days, myself included.

La Tea Dah said...

Such good advice!

Julie said...

Glad you enjoyed the advice, ladies!