My kind of Christmas shopping

Biscoff on Pfaltzgraff. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 In the midst of Christmas shopping this week, I decided to pop into my favorite thrift store. It couldn't hurt to just pop in and see what's new on the used housewares shelves, right? I walked past the worn '90s starter china sets, the discount Christmas decor, the once-lovely silver-rimmed Mikasa bone china obviously washed repeatedly in the dishwasher (there ought to be a law...) and did a double-take when I saw a stack of eight rounded, rectangular dishes. Flipped the top one over and realized what I held in my hand...

Pfaltzgraff for Delta. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 SkyChina from Delta Airlines, crafted by Pfaltzgraff! Eight dishes, 69 cents apiece, now used for snacks and breakfast, the perfect size for a muffn and  a piece of fruit, or Biscoff and peanut butter.

Below are more finds, note the consistent theme of summer-y colors. These glasses were $3.99 for all four.

Ice Cream Glasses. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 Three separate plates, and they looked so pretty stacked. The top is from Pier One.The middle is white with a bright green band. The bottom is celadon with periwinkle polka dots.

Green and blue plates. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 A small ironstone plate. I love this little lady - it's my favorite pie plate now.

Ironstone plate. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 All told, I spent a little less than $15 in the store. Some girls goes for shoes and Choos. I'm thrilled with hand-me-down Delta Airlines plates.Go figure.

What about you - can you resist the siren song of a good thrift store? What are your best finds?


Text and images copyright 2011. Lucy Mercer.

How to clean glassware

Clean stemware. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

As we prepare for holiday entertaining, I thought it might be useful to share the method that I use for cleaning my stemware and crystal. I know there are many who use their lovely things everyday, but with granite counters, hardwood floors, young children and a knack for breaking things, I keep the good stuff shelved and bring it out only for special occasions. As a result, these bright red water glasses get used only around Christmas each year, and when I bring them down from the top shelf, they need a gentle bath to dislodge the layer of dust that's settled on them. Some may use the dishwasher, and goodness knows, I love my dishwasher, but I take no chances.

Here's my method:

Step 1. Place two large kitchen towels, or one folded bathroom towel, in bottom of sink. Gently place glassware on towel, a few at a time, do not stack.

Step 2. Fill sink with barely warm water. Not cold, definitely not hot, but room temperature or cooler.

Glasses in sink. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Step 3. Add 1 cup white vinegar and continue running the water until the glasses are covered with water.

Vinegar. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Step 4: Swish each glass individually in the water and use lint-free towel to dry. (Clean cloth baby diapers are perfect for this job, you can also find lint-free towels in the housewares section of discount stores.) Repeat until all glasses are clean.

Red glassware. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

What method do you use to clean good stemware? Please tell me in the comments below.

Text and images copyright 2011, Lucy Mercer.