Vintage Enamel Copco Nesting Cannisters

Thanks everyone for your well wishes in regards to our Baby News from my last post!

I was rifling through our hall closet the other day and remembered these vintage Copco enamel containers that I purchased last Spring at a church sale.

They were in perfect condition and in such a beautiful rich blue colour. I think the only reason they hadn't already been snapped up by the time I got there, was that they were tucked away in a box under the tables.  =)  I always say, at those rummage sales especially, you have to dig around to find the good stuff.

I paid $5 for the set of four cannisters and it looks like they had never been used. They have these solid wood lids but I am not sure what type of wood they are - perhaps teak?

I did a bit of research on the cannisters and found this advertisement in the Milwaukee Journal from 1972 that showed the Copco cannisters on sale for $9.99 from their original $15 price tag. How funny! Too bad I don't have those optional labels for flour, sugar, etc.!

Linking up to HLA's Flea Market Finds and ATG's Thrift Share Monday!

Copco Michael Lax Kettle Teak Restoration with Mineral Oil

You might remember that this summer, I scored a Copco Michael Lax designed Kettle for $5 at a church sale.

The kettle was in great shape on the interior, which was unusual because these pieces are often chipped and rusted. However, the teak knob on the lid and teak handle were faded and in rough shape.

The photo above shows the "before" shot.

The wood was very tired-looking and faded.

Using the methods outlined in my Tutorial on Refinishing Wood with Mineral Oil, I rubbed some food grade heavy mineral oil on the handle with a rag. The oil slowly soaked into the wood and I could see an immediate change.

I probably should have sanded the knob down to remove the dark spots, but the richer toned wood certainly helped improve the appearance.

Take a look at the new and improved finished product! Remember from the tutorial that a good cheap tip is to buy mineral oil from your drugstore rather than from a cookware shop where it can cost several times more... You'll get the same great results!

Linking up to Colorado Lady's Vintage Thingie Thursday!

Copco Michael Lax Kettle

I attended a popular Spring Church Sale recently, patiently waiting in a huge lineup to get inside to check out the goods. After waiting about 20 minutes, everyone surged in - it actually seemed borderline unsafe... I hate crowds, so I decided to have a quick look at housewares and be on my way.

One of the tables were lined with people and I craned over their heads to look, and found a simple looking kettle with a teak handle. It was in the style of the Michael Lax Copco kettles but there were many knockoffs made of this Mid Century Modern design. There have been many times when I turned similar kettles upside down to see "Japan" marked on the underside.

This time however, there was no mistaking it: "Copco Michael Lax Design - Spain" was written on the underside! Another beautiful sight was the little yellow sticker reading $5.00. I first came to know Copco pieces, some made in Denmark, when I discovered this lovely red Copco Skillet.

I should have known by its heavy weight that it was a quality made item. I have fawned over this piece in the beautiful blue colour, but this pale peachy colour has its charm too. The teak knob and handle are in fairly rough shape, however. I think I am going to try sanding it down and applying mineral oil to it, similar to how we refinished some pieces in the past.

I really love the simple look. In fact I am also loving kettles lately and seem to keep finding great ones. If you'd like to read more about refinishing teak and other wood kitchen items, read about using foodsafe mineral oil here.

Linking up to ATG's Thrift Share Monday and Her Library Adventures Flea Market Finds!

Leftover Turkey Salad Sandwiches

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! The turkey was delicious as usual, but there's always leftover turkey to deal with. When I was a kid, we loved Mom's turkey salad sandwiches - even after eating them for a full week's worth of lunches. I made use of my kitchen's vintage goodies to whip up a batch this afternoon.

I pulled out the large Corningware pot and my vintage Copco 109E cast iron enamelled skillet (I love the red colour and should probably share more pics of this beauty in the future). I've tried tearing the turkey meat using a couple of forks in the past, but with a large amount, you can't beat the dexterity of using your own bare hands.

After adding olive oil and salt to the skillet, I threw in three stalks of green onions, chopped, into the pan. Once they are wilted and coated with olive oil and salt, they are ready to be added to the big batch of shredded turkey meat along with a couple tablespoons of Miracle Whip.

Some liberal mixing ensues, and Voila! That was our delicious lunch today! It seems that we have enough for the rest of the week too. Some things never change.  =)