The Last of the Aprons

Brrrr! It's been cold here! But we are enjoying it! Yesterday, Tristan announced a temperature of 19 degrees! Wouldn't it be wonderful if WE actually got some snow? It would be so exciting because everything thing would close down; the grocery shelves would be stripped bare in anticipation of an extended stay indoors! But I'M prepared! I have enough food here to feed us for a month~ and probably half the neighbors as well!

I wanted to get these final pictures published before the new year. They are the last three aprons I found at the local thrift store. This one is my personal favorite. The print is very pretty.

The contrasting fabric is nice, as is the shaped pocket.



This apron is such a special find. I would guess it may be from the 30's or 40's. It just has that look about it.

The discoloration on the strap is where it was tied together, perhaps to keep them from falling off the shoulders.

Every stitch in the construction of this garment was done by hand! These yo-yo flowers are really neat. You usually see them done in calico fabrics, but I think the application in this design is unique.

This is a close up of the tie. You can see the little hand stitches that hold the edges down ~ just a running stitch.

I'm pretty sure it is made from flour sacks. the skirt panel is not cut; the selvages are intact along the edge. The color really throws me. The apricot pink color is soooo 30ish, but how it was achieved with the flour sacks is a mystery to me.

I hope the old aprons might have "inspired" some apron wearing out there among you, if you don't already wear one.

This is Trevor's truck. He struck a deer on the way home last week, and the deer got the worst of it! We'll see what the "truck fixer guy" says about the damage. You can see old Buck smelling the poor thing. He gets pretty excited over critters.

Saturday, late afternoon found us outside watching the puppies have a scamp about. They are just like little children.

I love the view of the big big sky. We were never able to see much of it for the 23 years we lived in the city, but now it seems so very natural to go out and watch the clouds roll across the sky.

I did want to share a receipt we recently tried (twice ~ it was soooo good!) and thought you might like to serve it for breakfast during this Christmas season.

MAPLE~NUT COFFEE TWIST
from the 1996 Southern Living annual

Use your favorite sweet roll receipt based on 3/4 C water. Mix and knead till smooth and elastic. Let rise till doubled.

Combine:
1/2C sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/3C chopped pecans

1 tsp. maple flavoring

Punch dough down, and divide three ways. Roll each portion out on a floured surface to a 12" circle. Place one circle on a greased pizza pan. Brush with 2T melted butter; sprinkle with 1/3 of the sugar mixture. Repeat with the other two circles of dough, stacking them atop one another with the sugar mixture between.
Place a 2" biscuit cutter in the center of the circle (do not cut through dough). Cut dough into 16 wedges, cutting from outside edge of circle just to the edge of the biscuit cutter.Gently lift each wedge, and twist 5 times to form a spiral pattern. Remove cutter. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes.

Drizzle:

1 1/2 C sifted powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. maple flavoring
2-3 T milk

Did you know that you do not have to allow your sweet rolls to rise and then bake right away? As soon as you get them formed, spray the tops with cooking spray then cover with plastic wrap. Put them in the refrigerator over night and they will rise and be ready to bake ~ first thing in the morning!!!!!!

You can also put them in the freezer (be sure to wrap well) and remove them later to thaw, then allow time to rise. Bake as usual.

I do this all the time will dinner rolls as well. Make up a great big batch, form, freeze on sheets just till they are hard enough to remove from the sheet. Then put all of them into zip-lock bags to store in the freezer. It will take about four hours for them to thaw and rise if you put them into a warm oven.

I hope all of you my friends have a Christ~filled Christmas. My desire is that each of us will become more aware of our need for Him. If we miss Him during this season, then we have simple jumped through hoops that have temporary purpose.
My husband and I, along with our little man, will be travelling North the day after Christmas. We will visit with some of his family, and also bring his Mother back south to spend some time with our family. So I hope you have a very good Christmas!

Three Aprons

I've often wondered what it would be like to have a sister. I find myself wistfully studying sisters together, and notice there is often something very special between them. My poor little daughter, is also sister less, as was my Mother. It seems to run in the family! Hopefully, this trend will be broken one day!



For a family of eight, you would expect there to be more aprons hanging in the pantry than just two ~ Ashley's and my own. Now since Thelma has been visiting, we have added another one!


Speaking of aprons, I found some old ones recently at the local thrift store. The creative designs of these utilitarian garments is a testament to the resourcefulness of the homemakers who made them.

This one is made just like the one above. There is a little pocket concealed here on the sides.

This is a long border printed fabric.

Don't you love the pocket?


A pretty tie. I suspect these aprons are from the 1960's, if not a bit later.

This is a fancy one! It is ruffled with cotton organdy.

It's pink bias binding adds a special touch.

Ah cotton organdy! Nothing stands out like it!
I have a couple more to show you when time permits.

I wanted to give you a little peek at Marmee's new calendar for 2009! It is full of sweet family images that are sure to cheer you.

There is usually a receipt for the month, and some sweet poem or verse. If you have room for a very large calendar, you will like this one!

Special touches.


Thank you for visiting!

Welcome Home!

The Lord always gives us what is best. It's not always what we would like, but it is what He wants ~ and it is always best.

I love old houses. I hope my mansion in heaven is an old farmhouse with a big wide porch that wraps itself all around the house. It should have a nice wide entry way with the not-too grand staircase emptying out into it. It really ought to have a butler's pantry!



How thankful I am for the home He has given me! It does not, in any way, resemble that old farmhouse I just described. Instead, it is just right! Full of quirks! One of the quirks is that the big entry way is at the BACK of the house!

Come right in! Make yourself at home. This is part of the new addition my men~folk built for me.



The pocket door goes into the laundry room.



Looking into the kitchen.



My dear Dad loved building and he was was a bit innovative when it came to making things. He made this "little kitchen" for Ashley when she was just a little thing. The boys have had as much fun with it as she did.



It's a wonder he didn't make the burners to light up!

Tristan's baby cup sit atop a sweet dresser scarf my sister-in-law gave me from her aunt's collection. It's one of my favorites.



Another of Tristan's baby cups with a little basket of tiny clothespins.



This was my mother's lingerie chest. She was an avid yard sale-er. About the only thing she ever bought new was her mattresses and sofa. The same holds true for us!



This is looking into the dining room. We planned to put french doors into the room.



I would now like to share a couple of wonderful receipts with you. I love trying new things!


Rose of Sharon

Now for you who were not raised in the North as I was, you may not have as great of an appreciation for this one. Rhubarb IS quite edible! You just have to be introduced to it an a young age!


Nasturtium

You can feel free to substitute other fruits for the rhubarb, if you really must! I happened to have some frozen rhubarb from Michigan.

RHUBARB CRUMBLE

from "FEAST" by Nigella Lawson


2 lbs. rhubarb, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1/4 C sugar
1 T butter,
1T vanilla extract.

Heat in a pan on med heat for about 5 minutes. Cook until the rhubarb is glossy and everything has melted together. Transfer to an 8 1/2" pie plate (glass if great) that is about 1 1/2" deep.

1 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 C unsalted butter.
3 T sugar
3 T brown sugar

Rub the butter into the dry until thoroughly combined. The texture should be that of soft crumbs. Spread evenly over the fruit, attempting to cover all of it. Exposed parts will bubble up.
Bake 35-45 minutes. Be sure to place a sheet under it to catch any drips that might occur.


I love the white and blue striped morning glorys that came up in this planting. These will be allowed to return!


My friend, Marmee, gave me a bunch of unripe pears and this following receipt. It is absolutely delicious! You must hoard it for Saturday morning biscuits or cornbread this winter! It almost tastes like honey!

This clematis was a surprise, coming up at the foundation of the addition. You don't know how many times I nearly pulled it up thinking it was a weed!


PEAR HONEY

8 C peeled, cored and chopped pears
(I ran mine through my Bosch berry press after slightly cooking them. It was a lot less work)
1 C unsweetened pineapple juice
8 C white sugar
(next time I'm trying raw sugar)

Place chopped pears into a large pot, and pour pineapple juice over them to prevent them from browning. Stir in sugar, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. When the pears are at a full boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is the color and texture of honey. The longer you cook it, the thicker it gets. Cooking time is usually 2-3 hours.

Ladle into hot sterile jars; fill to with 1/2 of top. Process for 10 minutes in hot water bath.

MMMM~MMMMMMMMM GOOD!


Morning clouds.

I'm so glad to be able to share a little bit of our home with you!

Glorious Days in Early October

NEW DAWN

We have been experiencing lovely breezy weather here in South Carolina. All the roses love the cool evenings and warm days. I think they are tired of the extream heat we had coupled with the dry conditions.

How wonderful to have all the windows open to let in the autumn breezes.

Would you like a little tour of the laundry room? It is part of the new addition my men~folk built for me. I'm just tickled pink to have this room! It's so nice to have a clean area to do laundry! This is a view from the sewing room. David, my husband, found this solid old door at a salvage place and stripped it. Collin refinished it. David hung it on a track, so it slides inside the wall and is a pocket door! It's so much fun closing it!




This is the folding table. David located some huge beams from a building and Trevor then affixed them atop the counter frame. We bought the legs new.
Do you like my little clothesline?




I love my sink! My Mother always had a set of laundry tubs to soak clothes in and do all sorts of things! She used twin tubs to rinse her clothes from the wringer washer.
My sink was salvaged years ago from a Mrs. MacBee's house. (You know your husband MUST love you when he lugs a cast iron sink home for you and THEN moves it to two more houses!) I have another sink "stored" down in the barn and it is bigger than this one! He's a really sweet man....

This is the little closet Trevor put in.





We call this Rainbow Row ~ after the historical street in Charlestown SC.




Here is a little garden spider I found working on her egg sac. She has attached it to the bottom petal of BLUE GIRL tea rose. Can you see the little strands of silk?

Today it is raining! We thank our God for this! I would like to give you a couple of receipts that we enjoyed on Monday evening. They would have been even better on this raining evening!
This gumbo receipt is really quick and easy (if you have access to a couple of boneless chicken breasts). It is one of those "Comfort Dishes".


EASY CHICKEN GUMBO
from Betty Crocker

3 T butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 small green pepper, chopped

Heat butter in 3 pt. saucepan until melted. Add onion and green pepper. Cook and stir until onion is tender.

4 C chicken broth
1 16 oz. can tomatoes
2 small bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
dash pepper
16 oz. okra

Stir these ingredients into the onion. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes.

2 C cut-up chicken
1 T nipped parsley

Stir into soup.

3 C hot cooked rice.

Serve gumbo over rice.! MMMMMM!



WHOLE WHEAT SNICKERDOODLES
from Taste of Home

1 C butter, softened
1 1/2 C sugar

1. Cream until fluffy.

1 egg + 1 egg white

2. Add egg and beat well.

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 salt

3.Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Beat well.
Shape into walnut sized balls and roll in cinnamon sugar. (2T sugar:2T cinnamon)
Place 2" apart on ungreased sheet. Bake8-10 minutes in 400 oven.



I hope you all have a blessed time with your families this evening. God is good. Even when "things" aren't good.
It's getting about time to get Hamlin up from his nappy. He likes to have a little dish of tiny animal crackers, "candy birthday", and "cold water".

Evenin!