Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Amish Sugar Cookies

These tender cookies are simple and easy to make with ingredients on hand in your pantry. I used a melon ball scoop, and rolled the balls of chilled dough in granulated sugar, then flattened
them with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. I baked them on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
Amish Sugar Cookies Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Civil War Era Knitting


Here is a another knitting project I plan to start and never finish. It is a Civil War era sontag or bosom friend. The sontag was a common article of women's clothing. It was worn for warmth, and tied leaving the arms free.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Royal Wedding Hat


This is the vintage hat I will be wearing for the royal wedding.
It is made of black velvet with a satin bow, and has a black net veil.

Monday, April 11, 2011

More Tulips


Every Spring visitors flock to my yard
which looks a lot like the Atlanta botanical Gardens.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Thalia Daffodil

Thalia is a pure white daffodil. It is sweet-scented, and blooms later than
most daffodils. Thalia is deer and rodent resistant. It has multiple blooms per stem.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Teacups With Roses

I started collecting teacups with roses
and now it is hard to stop. These cups
and saucers are bone china made in England. Collecting china is addictive.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Meyer Lemons


Meyer Lemons are sweet lemons. They are very juicy and thin skinned.
I planted the seed from a Meyer
lemon after I squeezed some juice into my tea. The Meyer lemon seed sprouted into a tiny seedling with two leaves. Meyer lemons are available at Kroger.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

African Violets

I enjoy growing African Violets. They
do not take up much space, and will thrive on any windowsill. African Violets bloom year round, and are available at most garden centers.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

DAR Lap Robe Knitting Project


I finally finished this blue lap robe that I knit for a veteran as a DAR
project. I cast on 130 stitches on size 10 needles, and knit until I ran out of yarn. I used 3 (7 ounce) skeins of Red Heart Yarn. The lap robe measured 36 inches wide by 36 inches long.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Civil War Bride

My husband's great great grandmother married during the Civil War. She grew the cotton that she used for the quilt batting. There is a
lot of hand quilting on this old quilt.
The pattern seems to be a variation
of Drunkard's Path.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Apple Stack Cake

My grandmother, aunt, and mother-in-law all made the best apple stack cakes. They used real dried apples
for the cooked filling between the layers. I just use a jar of apple butter.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Civil War Knitting


2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil
War. Knitters in both the North and the South joined soldier's aid societies to knit much needed socks for soldiers. Knitting for the Blue and the Gray was considered a patriotic duty.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Cherry Winks Cookies

Cherry Winks cookies are an old Pillsbury Bake Off winner. I have been baking Cherry Winks for years.
They make a festive Christmas cookie
made with marashino cherries.
Cherry Winks from Pillsbury.com

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Little Golden Christmas Books


These old Little Golden Christmas books are fun to collect. I put them under the Christmas tree every year.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Holiday Raggedy Ann and Andy

Several years ago I found this holiday
edition of Raggedy Ann and Andy.
They are dressed in Christmas fabrics. More red theme posts here:

It's A Very Cherry World!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Merry Meerkats

The meerkats at the zoo are fun to watch. They enjoy watching people.
I want to knit sweaters for them.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Brandied Fruit

This is an old recipe clipping from Southern Living magazine for brandied fruit.
It is good over ice cream or pound
cake. I use peach brandy.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Home Front Knitting

Knitters were encouraged to knit warm garments for soldiers during times of war. The American Red Cross
furnished knitting patterns and yarn to volunteers.
The Red Cross Museum has some vintage knitting patterns posted at this link.

American Red Cross Museum

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Rednesday

This Sadler teapot reminds me of my favorite Red Rose Tea. See other red
theme posts over at this cute blog.




It's A Very Cherry World!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Fall Fishing Tellico River

One good thing about Fall fishing in
Tellico is no snakes. I did see quite
a few wild hog tracks in the wet sand.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Vintage Little Red Hen

This vintage version of The Little Red Hen has a copyright of 1939. The vintage quilt was made in the 1940's.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Pumpkin Baby Hat

This pumpkin baby hat was adapted from an Ann Norling knitting pattern. The roll brim will fit any baby's head.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Keep Your Sunny Side Up

Who knew frying eggs could be so much fun? Sunbeam fry pan owner's manual 1953 B.C. (before cholesterol)

Friday, October 8, 2010

The Little Red Hen

One of my favorite stories is The Little Red Hen. She is industrious
and self-reliant. The little red hen also wears an apron, and bakes her own bread.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Artisan Bread


Artisan bread made by hand is fun but messy. I used King Arthur flour.
No-Knead Crusty White Bread: King Arthur Flour

Friday, September 24, 2010

Knitting Slippers


On the needles is another pair of TV slippers in discontinued Chunky USA.
They are knit flat then sewn together
at the heel and toe. Size 10 needles.
Cuddlemocs.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Saturday, September 18, 2010

African Violet Fabric

African Violets are my favorite plants.
This African Violet fabric would make a cute apron.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

French Market Soup From Southern Living

There is no date on this old clipping from Southern Living magazine for French Market soup. It requires
2 cups of mixed beans. A pint jar of mixed beans along with the soup recipe card makes a welcome hostess gift.

Mixed Beans In A Jar

Buy several different kinds of beans
and put them in Ball Mason pint jars for gifts. Canning jars are on sale at my local Walmart. Years ago I cut out a recipe for French Market Bean
Soup from Southern Living magazine.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Crochet Granny Square

When you crochet a granny square
to about 36 inches, you have a lap robe ! Your crochet grows in your lap
and keeps you warm at the same time. Great TV watching project.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Quilting For Charity

This quilting book covers several organizations in need of quilts, and
includes a pattern for each charity.
From Civil War quilters to today's
quilts for veterans the need remains.
Other topics include kids, pets, cancer,
aids, and homeless needing quilts.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Elizabeth Zimmermann 100th Birthday

Knitter Elizabeth Zimmermann would be 100 years old today 8/09/10.
Her practical and down to earth style
of knitting has helped many knitters.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Martha White Cornbread


My grocery store had a special sale promotion on Martha White Corn Meal Mix. A discount on a cast iron
Martha White limited edition skillet
by Lodge was available to shoppers.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Cupcake Fabric

It is too hot to bake cupcakes, so I bought this cupcake fabric at Joanns.
It would make a cute apron.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Our Daily Bread


I bake bread almost every day. This recipe for Classic White Bread is on
the back of the Kroger Active Dry Yeast packet. I have used both bread flour and all purpose flour with good results. Use 1/4 cup of the warm water to dissolve the packet of dry yeast with one teaspoon of sugar.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Martha Washington Knitting For Liberty


Martha Washington was a knitter. She organized
the ladies to knit socks and caps for the soldiers.
You can read about her knitting in the book No Idle
Hands The Social History Of American Knitting by Anne Macdonald. Interesting facts about patriotic
knitting during wartime are covered in the book.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Twinings Cold Brewed Tea


With a forecast of 97 this week, I purchased some Twinings Cold Brewed Tea at Walmart. It is too hot to put the kettle on. Comes in English
Classic, Mixed Berries, and Green Mint. Brews in cold water 3-5 min.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Tellico River

I enjoy fishing on Tellico river before
the snakes, ticks, gnats, chiggers mosquitoes, poison ivy, and tourists
arrive.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Knit Baby Bib

This white cotton baby bib is knit from a pattern in the Mason Dixon
knitting book. I forgot to sew on the
button for the right side strap!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Apron Pattern

I need to pick out some fabric to sew an apron from this pattern I purchased from Indygo Junction.
The name of the pattern is Lucy & June (Ricardo & Cleaver? ) style looks vintage

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Knitting For Good


I am not just knitting, I am changing
the world stitch by stitch. Interesting book about charitable knitting for a greater good.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Strawberry Bread


Strawberry Nut Bread Recipe from Betty Crocker
I used 2 and 1/2 cups of fresh sliced
strawberries instead of frozen berries
in my strawberry bread. It freezes well.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Strawberry Apron

I stitched up a strawberry apron for my kitchen. It's strawberry season !

Friday, May 7, 2010

Bluebird Apron

Bluebirds are nesting in my bluebird house. I stitched up a bluebird apron for my kitchen. Fabric from Walmart.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Hummingbird Cake

It takes a lot of hummingbirds to make a hummingbird cake. Recipe is
from Southern Living magazine.
Hummingbird Cake Recipe - MyRecipes.com

Monday, April 26, 2010

Royal Tea


One never knows when Queen Elizabeth or her pal Phillip will pop in for tea. A teacup bearing their initials might come in handy.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Iris

Every year when my iris blooms
there is always a storm, rain , or hail. I quickly snapped a photo before
the blooms get all bruised and tattered from the approaching storm.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Dogwood Blooms

The dogwood trees are blooming. Time to get out my dogwood cookie cutter, and bake and decorate dogwood blossom sugar cookies.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Picking Violets

I enjoyed picking a bunch of wild violets from my yard this morning.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Backyard Blooms

I snapped a quick photo of these
Ice Follies daffodils before the rain.