I Almost Used This on My Food
What I thought it was…
I love to bake but am by no means an expert baker. So when I found this beauty at the antique store, I thought it was for pastries or something cool like that. I’d seen recipes floating around the internet of designs imprinted into dough, so why not ridges?
I initially pegged it as hailing from the Art Deco era (1920s-1930s) due to the shade of green and the heavy plastic handles. A small label also reflected a 1930s font.
While cleaning the roller, I found raised lettering on the green rubber: “Hollywood Vita-Rol, 125 volts, 76 watts.” What? Only then did I notice at the end of one handle the remnant of a plug.
What it really is…
I hopped on Google and discovered that I almost used a body massager on my future pie crusts! Apparently, the electric part was intended to warm the roller which would then be rolled along the body (like our modern foam rollers) to soothe muscles and promote weight loss. Oh, and I also learned it dates to the late 1940’s/early 1950’s, which I admit was a blow to my pride. Sigh…I’ve much to learn.
I’m still deciding what to do with this thing. It may end up as a decoration in my future kitchen.
Any suggestions?
If there are any crackerjack bakers reading this, I’d love to know if crimped dough is a real thing!
