The Recipes Have Left the Blog

Announcing the New Prairie Quilts and Kolaches Recipe Blog... you can find it HERE.  I wanted the freedom to edit and customize each entry individually.  The page here would not let me do that.  I'm revamping that page to list the books I've read and enjoyed. 

I hope this makes it easier for both you and me to find my recipes. 

Happy Cooking!
Kay

Can you Can-Can?

Susan at The T-Cozy asked in a recent post, if anyone canned fruits and vegetables anymore?  Do We??!! 

I canned 18 half-pints of sweet pickle relish last evening from too-big cucumbers my dear neighbor gave me.  I juiced a flat of her tomatoes and have that freezing in some retangle-shaped pyrex dishes to use in chili this winter. 

I'm watching the pear trees around here and hope to can Farmer-dear some pear halves or else I'll dry some slices. 

And then this fall I need to make some apple pie filling and can it and also make some apple butter and applesauce. 
These fruits usually come to me for free also and I hate to waste anything like this. 

I haven't done much drying this summer simply because there hasn't been much to dry.  And my jars of dried foodstuffs are pretty full right now.  I'm watching my basil and thyme plants and will be sure to harvest them before the first frost.  I love the dried basil I did the last 2 years.  It smells so fresh whenever I open the jar.
I'll probably be drying onions when we pull those from the weedy garden. 

Not a huge amount of preserving going on here but enough.  It's another of my Simple Pleasures.  :)

What about you dear Puffins?  Do you "can" or is that for old women back in the 40s?  Would you like to learn how to can/preserve?  Is there a need, still, for these skills in this day?  

I'm interested in your thoughts.

And to firmly establish my identity with the Old-fashioned Ladies.... I'm off to sew on my quilt blocks. 

Hugs!
Kay~

** "I got the blues thinking of the future, so I left off and made some marmalade.  It's amazing how it cheers one up to shred oranges and scrub the floor."  ~D.H. Lawrence

New motto and a new drool-worthy vintage blog

I found a new motto....

"...I learned that no matter how bad a day I was having at the office, I was not working on the evisceration line at a poultry plant..."

Run, don't doddle, over to Oodles and Oodles and join me in drooling over her lovelies...

Vintage Pyrex.... √;

Jadite bowls..... √;

Green McCoy flower pots.... √;

White wicker and painted vintage AND home-sewn pillows on her front porch.... √;

30's fabrics on the back of a vintage doll quilt... √;

a Hoosier cabinet!! (she has a Hoosier too!) .... √;

Aprons, Vintage Cmas ornaments and Red/White kitchenware ... √.

I'm not done looking myself, but after reading that line about the eviscerating turkeys, I knew I had to pop on over and tell you all about her blog.
(It was either that and take a breather or hyperventilate and faint over the Czech/Slovak/American Lutheran Church Cookbook! I'm feeling faint again just thinking about it... )

Between finding new blogs on vintage finds and watching the latest episode of American Pickers, I'm having thrift/vintage withdrawals. My BFF (& partner-in-crime) is AWOL after Saturday, so I'm going to have to round up another innocent victim.... I mean, unsuspecting pawn... no, no... I mean, a fellow thrill-seeker, that's it and head out for some thrifty/dusty/crusty fun.

Why are you still here.... go read "Oodles and Oodles"... Go! Go! ....

Hugs!
K~

** "When you buy a piece of vintage clothing you're not just buying the fabric and thread - you're buying a piece of someone's past."
— Isabel Wolff (A Vintage Affair)

A little homeschool memory trip

Back in our homeschooling days, there were days like this:

"...this is why i could never in a million years home school. because i would teach things like be kind, because karma can really mess with your stomach. and support other women...because if she's doing well, we're all doing well. don't be judgy, especially about tattoos. capital letters are unfriendly. too many ellipses are like bad wine...you'll feel it the next day. and sequins were made for sunshine. as for states? they're awesome. you should visit some. ugh."

(from this website)


Just like correct spelling... I'm all for it, if it comes naturally. At least some of the time. And there is nothing wrong with phonetically spelling. That's why computers come with spell-check.

But now we're done homeschooling by many years and both the boys are grown men, living productive lives and being useful members of society. I'm proud of them. They can even converse with other people and have never been socially-backwards.

But there are still days when I miss the thrill of learning about the times of moonrise or the calm hour of a read-aloud book or the frustration of multiplication drills. They were some of the best days.


Hugs
K
(I'm blog crawling today and enjoying lots of new blogs. In case you were wondering....)

Random Thoughts Again

This is not the post I hinted at yesterday... that one is still incubating or maybe it's hybernating or possibly postulating? Or maybe my brain is just too full of all this fun that I'm holding it over until later.

Randomness becomes me...

1.

"Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers and are famous preservers of youthful looks." — Charles Dickens

There's hope for me yet, for I try to be cheerful and content in my life.




2. The Tractor Widow rocks my world! Pioneer Woman is so 2008. (and I have not really enjoyed her blog since she's become so much more "commercial." All the give-aways and now the cookbook. She's lost some of her 'rural-ness', IMHO)

Go HERE for The Tractor Widow's blog. It's fresh and new. Become one of her followers. It's lonely there, just the few of us.



3. I'm swooning over these: Nebraska made Batik fabrics! Mollie is the little sister of a quiltie/doll-making/fitness guru friend of mine. **waving to Anne** I want the whole line!

4. I did a little shopping this week. **big grin** Stacy & Clinton are right... you have to try stuff on!

Victoria's Secret
(sorry-- some articles of clothing just shouldn't be in public view, but this is the color. **wink**)CJ Banks

CJ Banks

Coldwater Creek (how I love that store!)

5. If you are shopping and are impatient; maybe if you give me the chance, I might say, "Please, go ahead of me. I'm not in a hurry." But if you assert yourself over me and are rather rude, I am going to give you a baleful* look and think unkind thoughts about you. And maybe write about you on my blog. Just saying....

*(baleful |ˈbālfəl|
adjective
threatening harm; menacing )



And lastly....

6. I want to wish my wonderful bosses, Richard & Carol, a Happy 25 years of The Green Magazine!!

They sent out the very first issue in November, 1984. We honored them today, as the 2009 November issue was being mailed. Congratulations Green Magazine!!



These are just a few of my random thoughts tonight.

Hugs,
K~

** "The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory."
~Paul Fix

Stalking the Wild Yeasties

Traditional Bread

Ok, maybe I should just say "Sour Dough", although "sour" bread just doesn't do it for me.

I love the internet! I love Bloggers! Today Miss Marielle from Maricucu was featured in the blog "A Year in Bread." Her post was all about her weekly homemade bread made with her home-grown starter. Wild Yeastie starter.

Here is her blog posting on the recipe. (part one)

I'm so intrigued.... wild yeastie starter made of white whole wheat flour and unsweetened pineapple juice?! The technique and recipe for this is here, on BreadTopia . There is a video for you visual people.

Reading through the comments, I saw that someone used fresh apple juice instead of the pineapple juice. I have a juicer! I have Apples!! I'm going to try that version first. I have white whole wheat flour too.

Tomorrow I will start the 5 day process of catching Wild Yeasties. Stay tuned....

Hugs!
Kay~

** "Bread deals with living things, with giving life,
with growth, with the seed, the grain that nurtures.
Its not coincidence that we say bread is the staff of life."
Lionel Poilne

Zombie Chicken Award

My dear cyber-friend and fellow-quilter kindly gifted me with the Zombie Chicken award.

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken-- excellence, grace, and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all."

I am humbled and honored that she would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens to read my ramblings. Sending HUGS to Linda! (sewnut)

The other blogs I am awarding & that I check out on a regular basis are:

1. Kristen @ Going Country (http://going-country.blogspot.com/)

2. Linda @ Just Another Day on the Prairie (http://prairierunner.wordpress.com/)

3. Terri @ The Blue House (http://bluehouseonthehill.blogspot.com/)

4. Zoomie @ Zoomie Station (http://zoomiestation.blogspot.com/)

5. Ms Dine Alone @ I Dine Alone (http://idinealone.blogspot.com/)

6. Manuela @ The Pleasures of Homemaking (http://thepleasuresofhomemaking.blogspot.com/)

Take a moment or 2 (or 3) and hop over to their blogs for a look-see. And tell them I sent you. Let's hug one another in the blog-community. It's a big world out there, filled with special talented people.

Hugs
Kay

** "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, "What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"
~C.S. Lewis

Making Excuses .... I mean, a Menu

Banking a Prairie Farm with Sod for the Winter in Dakota Territory, 1880s

Today it looks like this.

I know... I said I was taking a break from blogging and I am... but I've been procrastinating* ... catching up on favorite blogs while eating lunch.

Tammy, my fellow Neb. blogger, and my dear PennyAnne Poundwise, both posted their menus for the week.

(Gee thanks Tammy, for reminding me about the change in the weather. I think I'd rather dodge the stray tornado & hail stones if the temps would stay in the 60s-70s. I'm not liking this 40s and cloudy and cold and rain, snow in the forecast and lows in the 20s! [Hellooooo... we just moved back to our UNHEATED bedroom! I don't want to move back down to the HEATED basement guest room. My back just got used to the change in mattresses.])

Anyway.... they posted their menus and ok, I wanted to keep procrastinating *.... participate in menu-sharing too.

Here's my menu for the Week of March 23-28th

Monday: Sloppy Joes on whole wheat buns, Cole slaw, Chips, various found things for dessert - Farmer-Dear; Leftover Spicy Catfish fingers, Jalapeno Mac & Cheese, Corn muffin from Sunday's dinner at Famous Dave's®, no dessert - me.

Tuesday: Breakfast for Dinner (B4D) Night- Ham and Cheese or Tomato and Avocado Omelets, Hash browns, Whole wheat toast, Cinnamon Apples - both of us (and should be that way most of the rest of the week, unless "someone" decides He doesn't want what I'm having.)

Wednesday: ("warm" day of the week) Chef or Chopped Salad with variety of cheeses, smoked turkey breast &/or ham, Butter sticks (quick bread), Almond pound cake with berries

Thursday: Dining Alone Night** Eggplant Parmesan, chopped salad and pesto ww angel hair pasta for me; Schwan's battered Fish, fries and canned veggies for F-d

Friday: (We're babysitting in the evening for a super-cute little neighbor boy, so it'll be an easy,make-ahead supper.) Soup and sandwiches. Haven't decided on the soup yet. I've found some new recipes but F-d may want to stay with the TnT (chili, baked potato or tomato). Sandwiches will be either tuna, egg salad, grilled cheese or just corn bread.

Saturday: (I'd like a Date Night, but not sure of the weekend schedule yet.)
Individual meat loaves, Baked regular & sweet potatoes, Roasted broccoli for me & something canned for F-d (hey! He likes canned veggies.), Homemade dinner rolls, a yet-to-be-decided Cake or Dessert from scratch.
(PS Found my Cake recipe! Lemon Ricotta Cake with Strawberry Sauce ala Storybook Woods )

Sunday is Cook's Day Off, unless she wants to cook. Next week will be a little nutty with our church's Easter Pageant 4 days. I'll be eating at church this day (Sunday) I think, because of full dress rehearsal and then every day of the performances. So next week might be alot of "find what you can" meals for Farmer-dear. Good thing the Schawn truck comes this week.

I continued to procrastinate *... puttered in the kitchen and cleaned off my prep/coffee area. (I have a very small amount of countertop, so this corner does it all.) Slowly starting some Spring Cleaning.

While I was wiping down and de-crumbing (and killing awakening Lady Bugs Grrrrr!); I nuked what was left of the 99¢ package of turkey bacon and it is now jarred & in the freezer to use as Bakon Bits on salads.

I also processed 4 slices of Buffalo Jerky into "gravel." (it's not "dust" and too big for "crumbs", so "gravel" it is.) But what do I do with it? The flavor doesn't impress me. It's not a strong smoked or spicy jerky, just a bland-kind of beefiness. And obviously, being jerky, it will need to be used in something with moisture or cooked in liquid. Or not?? I'd appreciate any suggestions on uses for this. It's in a jar in the freezer too.


I hope to have photos of the newest calves soon. We had a new one, yesterday in the midst of the storms, but he and Mama are doing fine. We let the twins & their mama out of the barn. It was a bit of a muddle, all these new black babies and 2 black mamas. Plus the black/white face Aunties have "certain body parts" that look the same as Mom's to the calves. The Aunties were not amused at the extra attention. (giggle)

OK, I guess that's enough procrastinating *.... Blogging for now.

I'll be back when I as soon as I can.

Hugs!
Kay~

* I should be making a diaper cover for a goat right now. I'll let you mull on that one for a while. lol

** Click on the link for her blog. I have to cook & dine alone alot too. Farmer-dear is not very adventurous in the food area, as you know.

Swiss Banana Cake

Swiss Banana Cake

"This old-fashioned banana cake is based on a recipe that was given to Mrs. Bolander many years ago. Brown-sugar sea-foam frosting is perfect for this moist, light-layer cake."

by Mrs. Elizabeth Bolander, Indianapolis, Indiana
(1950- 100 Prize Winning Recipes: From Pillsbury's 2nd Grand National $100,000 Recipe and Baking Contest)

Bake at 350° for 35-40 mins. (check after 20-25 mins)

Sift together:
2 cups flour (they call for Pillsbury of course)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Set dry ingredients aside.

Cream together:
1/2 cup shortening (I used half butter & half shortening)
1 1/2 cups sugar.

Blend in:
2 eggs, one at a time
1 cup mashed banana
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat for one minute.
Measure 1/3 cup butter milk or soured milk (1 tsp. lemon juice and rest milk. Let stand few minutes.).

Add milk, alternately with the dry ingredients; beginning and ending with the dry. Blend thoroughly after each addition.

Blend in:
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans.)

Pour into 2 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.
Bake until tests done in center. Cool for a few minutes in pan and then turn out onto cooling rack to finish cooling completely before frosting.

Sea-Foam Frosting (I did not make this.)

Combien 2 egg whites, 3/4 c. firmly-packed brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cream of tarter, 1 Tb water and 1/4 tsp. salt in the top of a double-boiler. Cook over rapidly boiling water, beating with rotary beater or electric mixer until the mixture stands in peaks. Remove from heat. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and continue beating until thick enough to spread.



If Pie is more to your liking, you'll like this site: Warm Pie, Happy Home.

Vintage is where it's at! Photos and new blog recommendation.

Someone thinks my front porch is still her domain. Even after 14 months of it being solely mine.

A week ago my BFF & I went to the local Flea Market & Antique Show in the city. Just a fun afternoon together. I really didn't think I'd come home with very much. Ha! Was I wrong!

Would you like to see what I found?

Ok, you saw this pretty in my last post. It's hanging on my banister to welcome in Spring. It was my second find of the day and I paid $5.


This was my first find. (sorry the lighting is a bit off) A child's ironing board for the girlies' room upstairs. $17

The following were all at the same booth (except for one piece that I haven't take a photo of yet. It's up in the garage.)




A child's card table. It has a bit of damage on one corner & the top needs to be glued on the stand. Farmer-dear said I could take it to some friends who own an upholstery business and have it redone. We'll use some adhesive to join the two parts. Again, for the girlies. (Need to find matching folding chairs now.) $5




This is what stopped us in our tracks on the outside of this large booth. These cute vintage grocery boxes. I went for the red ones and my BFF went for the greens. I should have had my camera to take photos of hers. She found the cutest egg carton and cracker tin. $8 total


Isnt' this the cutest little stool? Repainted of course, but I love red, so it was love at first sight. Very sturdy and just the thing to add a punch of color in my vintage back porch. $10


Yes! That corner cupboard! It won't stay in this corner but it works there for now.

I love that serpentine detail.

And it has it's original hardware. Since I was getting so much from the seller, I talked him down from $75 to $50. It was $90 originally.

And the final item is a vintage tin garden cart, painted green & yellow. $20.

While talking to the seller & his associates we found he has 2 booths at area antique malls and has garage sales throughout the summer. There were 4 metal picnic baskets I would have loved to get but I spent the last of my money (except for $1) buying the above. He said the items that did not sell would go on the garage sales. There was a vintage red electric clock (small damage) and more tins/grocery boxes and some aprons & table clothes I wanted.
And I found out his associate is a shirt-tail cousin to my Farmer-dear. How fun!

I can't wait to go antiquing again, but I doubt I'll find bargains like this. I'm sure my Farmer hopes I don't. He has to help me get them all in the house. lol

---------------------

And now for that new blog recommendation. OMG! Girls (& guys), if you love vintage and the 1950s, you have to subscribe to 1955sGal's blog!
(My Year 1955)


This 30s-something lady is living in 1955 for a year. Wearing the styles, make-up, reading & watching only those books, magazines and tv shows. Listening to the radio of that era. (Thank goodness for ebay, dvds, cds.) She is using vintage appliances and recipes. And she is commenting on the "current" events of the day.
You know I love the 1930s and 1940s vintage farm house style, but there is no way I could go back to no electricity, heating & cooking with cobs, wearing a girdle everyday!
I've washed our clothes with a wringer washing machine and I still use my clothes line. I've made butter and I make bread. I've helped with butchering (ok, it was a deer) and I still have a vegetable garden. I could wear simple housedresses. I may need to find a pattern for those and work on that this summer. It would have to be cooler than demin.

I've enjoyed reading our Mrs1955's cooking adventures. She has been making desserts for her dh to take in his lunch and bacon & eggs for breakfast. While I am not a good wife and make my DFarmer breakfast before he heads off to his off-the-farm job; I am inspired to do more vintage style baking & cooking.
Matter of fact, I made a cake, from scratch, yesterday since I had the oven going, baking bread. It is a Swiss Banana Cake from one of the Pillsbury Grand National Contest recipe books. I didn't make the frosting it recommended as we're not big frosting people. I think I'll make up a sauce from yogurt & Cool Whip and slice a banana on top of that. Farmer-dear is not impressed with it so it may go untopped to work with him tomorrow.

Go take a look at the 1955 blog and encourage her in her journey. Maybe some of my readers have memories of those years.

Have a wonderful Sunday. Remember if everyone else is an hour ahead of you, you forgot to "Spring Ahead"! (not that I would know anything about that-- it's Farmer-dear's responsibility to change the alarm clock. lol)

I'm off to sew some quilt blocks.
Hugs!
Kay~

** "Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends."
~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

GREAT Dining Out Deal (and Flowers!)

In this era of economic woes and PORKulus spending, we are all looking for ways to conserve and yet no one wants to feel deprived, right?
In my on-going blog reading I found this great deal. (go HERE)

Save 60% on a restaurant.com certificate and get 15% off at FTD.com (The FTD certificate must be used by 3/31/09. I just happen to have someone's bday coming in March, I can use it on.)

I just found a $25 certificate to Skeeter Barnes (regional [?] BBQ place) for $10, applied the coupon code and paid $4 !!! That's right, a $25 gift certificate for $4!! We have 3 different "dates" with 3 different couples coming up in the next few weeks. I plan to look for more restaurants we want to try. Between this and the gift cards we already have, I can see lots of "date nights" for very little money.



So a BIG Thank You to Iva at Horizontal Yo-Yo for linking me to The Bargain Shopper Lady at bargainshopperlady.com which shared Esscie's blog, Coupon by Coupon, where I found this deal.

It just started SNOWING and "they" are predicting 4-8 inches or more for our area. Soon it will look like this out there:


I have to go to the mailbox this morning and then I'm snuggling in for the duration.

I'll be making either Chili or Baked Potato Soup, trying out that No-Knead Bread recipe (finally! It has to ferment for 8-18 hours and I have to figure out how to schedule that into my life.), putting those pineapple pieces in the dryer (Farmer-dear is not eating it fast enough) and finding something sweet & warm to make for my Valentine.



I stopped at the library yesterday and brought home 3 audio books and 3 other regular books to add to my stack. And I have several projects in the sewing room calling to me.

The house is pretty clean, the laundry almost caught up and the dishes too. I will have a snuggly day. I hope you can have one too. Local-Yokels, stay safe!

Hugs!
Kay~

** "Come now the wild dark days of February when the house seems a
lovely warm little island with winter billowing outside."
~Gladys Taber