Blogging Friends are the Best!

Good Hump Day!!  Mike, Mike, Mike... What day is it???  Hump Day!  LOL!

The other day I blogged about my Spoolie Swap partner not getting back with me on the swap and I was okay with that.  Life happens, you forget stuff.  No big deal, I made myself a spoolie and life is good.  However, Pam who blogs at Virginia Retro contacted me and said she would like to send me a tag.  I thought that was sooo sweet of her.  Little did I suspect that this box of goodies was headed my way!

Tag?  This is no tag, this is a treasure trove! 

Of my heavens, look at that sweet face on the spoolie that Pam sent to me!  It is so adorable

Lot of tags!

Lots of ribbon, lace and buttons for crafting

vintage playing cards, candlewicking yarn, cupcake liners, coasters, etc..

It just goes on and on.

I was like a kid at Christmas opening all this stuff!

And look at this Valentine!  So pretty, it's hanging in my dining room!

This vintage Fondue dish towel reminded me that I have a avocado green fondue pot in my pantry that I'm going to pull out for Valentines Day.  I'm thinking chocolate fondue and fruit!

What a thoughtful, generous blogger, and fellow Virginian!

Thank you so much Pam you have no idea how surprised and thrilled I was with your package!

 

We are hunkering down for the "Blizzard of 2014" The weather lady says 8-14" inches of snow today through tomorrow.  That's a lot here in Southtown!

 

Happy Humpday!

 

Linda

Vintage Recipe Monday- Broken Glass Salad

Good Monday morning!  Hope everyone had a great weekend.  I got a lot of cleaning done and quite a bit of sewing, some which I will share later in the week.

This weeks Vintage Recipe is one that was handwritten in an old photo album that someone stuffed recipes into.  Of course, I put it away without taking a photo of it, but they are my favorite kind.  I seek them out at estate sales.

Apparently, Broken Glass salad was very popular in the 1940's and 1950's.  It really is beautiful and very tasty.  It does take at least 24 hours to make, so plan ahead!

Broken Glass Salad

 

1 small package of four flavors of Jello.  I used cherry, lime, lemon and orange.

Dissolve each package of Jello with 1 cup of boiling water.  Put into 4 separate, somewhat flat containers and chill until firm.

 

1- 14 oz. Sweetened condensed milk

2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin.

 

Remove the 4 different Jello's from the fridge and cut each into 1" blocks.  Mix all of your colors of blocks and put into a 9x13 pan.

 

Sprinkle the 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin into a 1/2 cup of cold water and once the jello has started to bloom, add 1 1/2 cups of boiling water.  Stir and cool slightly.  Add your sweetened condensed milk and stir.  Pour this mixture over the colored Jello in the pan making sure you get it into all the nooks and crannies.

 

Put in the refrigerator and chill overnight.  Cut into square and serve in your nicest crystal bowl. 

 

I think this would be really cool using just red and blue Jello for the 4th of July.

 

We are looking at possibly getting some substantial snow on Wednesday.  I do not like snow and am doing my "Go Away" snow dance to try and ward it off!

 

Hope you have a great week!

 

Linda



What A Valentine!!!!

What Joy I had yesterday afternoon when the mailman brought me a lovely package in the mail.  When I saw the return address I was ecstatic because I knew my Valentine Box Swap had arrived! I was lucky to be paired with Linda Lou for 521 Lake Streets Valentine Box swap.  I frequently use by office's address for my mail because on the little peninsula I live on, mail delivery can be sketchy.  It's like the mail carrier decides she doesn't want to deliver to every house so she just stuffs all the mail into one box and that person spends their evening trying to get the mail to the right people.  Ahhh... the joys of living in the country!

Anyway!  I opened that box right there at work and my squeals of delight sent my office workers running into my office to see what the ruckus was all about.

Let me just say that Linda Lou totally outdid herself.  Oh My!  First there was this lovely box.

Look at that adorable ribbon flower....

and even before I opened the box I found wrapped in lovely heart tissue paper these treasures

The cutest Valentine clown ever

A new table and chairs for my doll house!

This tray with the cutest Peanuts fabric and Housewares fabric in it.

and then I opened the box!  Holy Cow!

 

Seeds, Flower stickers, heart buttons, a little cameo, vintage seals,

candy cups, ribbon, the cutest plastic clothes pin ever,

Lip gloss in a button shaped container, glitter, chipboard dress forms, millinery cherries, chocolate,

heart appliques, scissors brads,

Hearts cut of an old quilt

Of my goodness, look at this pattern with the hearts on the dress...

A Safeway stores needle book and the cutest little pen that you pin to yourself!

This little chenille skunk won my heart!

And this precious card with the little girl sewing is just perfect!

I am truly overwhelmed with the things she put into this swap.  How lucky can one girl get, right!

Thank you so much Linda Lou!!!!!  You have no idea how much this made my day!

 

And here is a peek at the box that I sent to her, though I won't show what's in it!

What a fun swap!

 

I plan on getting my pansy seeds planted this weekend and hopefully get my craft room cleaned.  It is a disaster area!  Hope everyone has a great weekend and stay warm!

 

Linda

Easter's On It's Way

Good Thursday Morning!  Cold again here in SW Virginia, but not bitterly so like last week.

Yesterday I had my second round of Botox injections for my migraines.  41 shots to the forehead, across my scalp, down my neck and shoulders.  This feels like bee stings and will certainly bring tears to your eyes, but they have been helping immensely with my migraines.  I am down to having only 1 migraine per week and it can be managed with 1/2 an Imitrex or sometimes even just extra strength aspirin.  The neurologist says with this second set of shots he hopes I will be down to only 2 or 3 migraines per month.  That would be amazing!  He is hoping by the third set, I will be down to only 1 per month, if that.  Miracles!

So, with these cold, dark evenings looming over me, I have been looking ahead to bright, sunny Spring days, particularly Easter!  I love Easter.  The pretty pastel colors of little girls dresses, bright colored eggs, daffodils and other spring flowers, and especially the arrival of the Easter Bunny! 

Do any of you remember the magazine that Reiman Publications used to put out called Crafting Traditions?  I sure miss that magazine.

 

I had been eyeing a wall hanging in this one for several years and decided to give it a go.

I love how the photos and instructions were very clear.

Here is my completed project.

I think he turned out pretty good!  I did the embroidery in a bright pink and used calico and gingham fabric scraps for the border and bright yellow rick rack to trim the edges.

different color buttons tied off in the back is what makes it look "quilted"

The back has a sleeve to put a dow rod through for hanging.

A wooden spoon works well too!  (Oops!  do you see what I see in the background?  Christmas tree plates!  How could I miss such as obvious thing when putting up my Christmas stuff???)

All in all, I am pleased with the result and can't wait to hang him this spring.

 

Up next is an apron that my niece had started making to give me for my birthday and something went wonky with the facing so I am trying to figure out what went wrong and fix it.  It's such a pretty apron and I hope to get pics up next week.

 

Stay warm my friends and have a lovely day!

 

Linda

Valentine Spoolie!

Good Tuesday morning everyone. 

I am really loving all the Valentine crafts I am seeing out in blogland!  I was very excited when Sue announced her Valentine Spoolie Swap.  I got in on an Easter Spoolie swap last spring and they are so fun to make.

Unfortunately, I never heard from my swap partner:(  Since they are supposed to be in the mail by tomorrow, I doubt I will.  I did go to her blog and leave her a message, she had no email, but she has only posted once since 2011, so I kind of doubt she remembers joining the swap.

Did I let that deter me from making my spoolie?  Not one bit!  I had a grand time making a spoolie that I would love.

I used some untraditional colors for Valentine's Day!  Bright,

primary colors, with the cutest pixie valentine as the center.

I used lace to cove the spool and set the spool on an old jello mold.  I them glued multi colored pom-poms around the base of the mold and use some shiny, tinsel to give it some bling.

Doesn't he have the sweetest face?

I had lots of fun making him.

 

I also made this little heart shaped valentine, also made from a vintage jello mold and included it in the Valentine Box Swap that I am participating in.  Linda Lou if you are looking, this is the only peek you are going to get!  LOL! 

Lots of Valentine crafting going on at my house and a bit of Easter crafting too.  Hopefully tonight I will be finishing a small wall hanging that I have been working on.  Pics coming soon!

 

Have a happy Tuesday!

 

Linda

Organized Cooking and Shopping!

Good Friday Morning!  It is still cold here is SW Virginia, 17 degrees this morning, but we are supposed to warm up into the 50's today and almost 60 tomorrow!  YAY!

I've had several people in my "real life" (as opposed to the ones here on the blog) ask me how I am able to work full time and then go home and fix dinner every night and not be stressed about it.  Well, it's very easy if you plan ahead and organize!

I have been using the following plan for over 30 years now, and haven't found anything better to replace it.

It takes planning ahead.

On Thursday or Friday night I usually block off an hour to plan my meals for the next week.

I grab a few of my cookbooks and glance through them to see what sounds good.  I also check out my Pinterest boards for some new recipes.  I always try and make one new thing each week.    Here are my boards in case you are interested lbpsews boards.

See that notebook with the Mickey Mouse figures on it?  That's where I keep all the recipes I have printed online.  I have two of these and I bought some tabs to organize the recipes into categories.

Makes life a lot easier!

Then I get out my menu planner

I printed these from Arsty Fartsys' website and I keep them in a notebook, that way I can look back at what I have already made, the notes that I made on a new recipe and decide if I want it again that week.

Then for each day I write down what we will be having:

and what cookbook it is in or if it's on Pinterest and the page number.

Now on to the grocery list.  I have made an Excel spreadsheet with the different categories of groceries.  Anal, I know, but it is very helpful!

Sorry for the fuzzy photo, but you get the idea.  Look through your recipes and write down what you need on the list.  Simple.  This also keeps me on track at the grocery store and I don't pick up things that I "think" I need for a recipe, but really don't.

Then I go online to the grocery stores in our area and see who has the best deals on the items I need. 

Oh let's not forget the coupons.

I will admit to not being the best couponer in the world.  I make most things from scratch and many of the coupons are for premade items.  However, I do usually have around $10.00 in coupons that I use each week.

Stick that grocery list in the back of your coupon holder and put it in your purse!  This is important!  I have totally left my list sitting on the counter and then have no idea what to buy.  I live 20-30 minutes from the grocery store so it's not like I can just run out and grab and item if I need it.

 

Once I get home with my groceries, I spend an hour or so on the weekend prepping items for the following week.  Like chopping a bunch of onions or slicing a couple of peppers, etc. 

 

Each morning I check my menu and put the non perishable items out of the counter.  That way when I get home I just grab the refrigerated items and start cooking.  There is no wondering what I am going to have for supper, no stopping at the grocery store on the way home (which can lead to buying things you don't need) and this creates a lot more peace of mind for me.

 

Now you know my system, hopefully this will help if you are getting stressed out during the day about what to make for dinner.  If you have any ideas too, I would love to hear them!

 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

 

Blessings

 

Linda



Vintage Recipe Monday! Dutch Apple Cake

Good Monday Morning!  It is bright and sunny and as sad as this is, 31 degrees feels warm! 

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I got a lot of laundry and cleaning done.  Fun stuff, right?

This weeks recipe comes to us from "Aunt Jenny's Favorite Recipes"  This little booklet was published by the Spry shortening company in what looks like the mid 1940's.  The Spry shortening company started in 1936 and was Crisco's largest competitor.  Unfortunately, Spry in no longer in business but their name lives on with these Aunt Jenny Booklets that were published.



I decided to make the Dutch Apple Cake.

2 cups sifted flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Spry

1 egg, well beaten

3 tablespoons Spry

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon milk

2 cups of apples, sliced

Of course since I couldn't get Spry I had to use Crisco, their competitor.  I felt like a traitor.

Sift flour with baking powder, sugar and salt.  Cut in 1/4 cup Spry until mixture is as fine as meal.

I suggest you use the prettiest sifter you have.

As for cutting in, if you don't have the pastry blender from Pampered Chef, find someone who is selling it and buy it pronto.  It is the best!

 

Combine beaten egg and milk and add to the flour mixture, mixing to a soft dough.  (I added a teaspoon of vanilla too)  Melt 3 tablespoons Spry and butter together; add brown sugar, cinnamon and milk and mix well.  Pour into an 8x8x2 pan greased with Spry.

(I don't have an 8x8x2 pan so I used my cast iron skillet!)

Press apple slices into mixture in circles.  Spread dough over apples.  Bake in a moderate over (350) for about 45 minutes

I made a mess putting the batter in, but in the end it didn't matter.

Turn upside down onto a platter.

I used this old one with a photo of the capital of Virginia on it.  I suggest you find one similar for your state.

Look at the deliciousness! 

This cake is more like a coffee cake.  It is very light and the butter and brown sugar make a caramel that makes this taste like a caramel apple, only easier.  This was certainly a hit at our house and I will use this recipe again.  Thanks Aunt Jenny for such a delicious recipe.

 

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

 

Blessings

 

Linda

 

Opps I did it again!

Isn't that a Brittany Spears song?  Good Frigid Morning!  T.G.I.F.!  It is a balmy 7 degrees with a wind chill of -13 here in SW Virginia this morning. It is 37 degrees in Fairbanks Alaska.  There is definitely something wrong with this picture!

So you are asking what did I do again?

 

 

Now technically these are not Pixes, but they are Kneehuggers.

I bought them from the most wonderful Etsy shop that happens to be owned by my Valentine Box Swap partner LindaLou who blogs at Lady Linda her Etsy button is on her blog and it has the most amazing items and very reasonable prices.  I just couldn't resist these Cowgirl Kneehuggers!

Look at those sweet faces.

 

So what is everyone doing this weekend?  I have some cabbage seedlings that need transplanting, (dreaming of Spring) and a lot of cleaning to do.  I will probably get outside some as we are supposed to have a heat wave tomorrow with temperature soaring into the 30's!  LOL!

 

Everyone have a great weekend!

 

Linda