Thursday, March 26, 2009

Vintage Thursday Thingie: Karo Syrup Cook Booklet

This Karo Syrup Cook Booklet is from 1949. Karo Syrup was introduced to the market in 1902 and came in little tins. By 1910, Karo Syrup was heavily advertised in women's magazines and already two cookbooks had been published by the company.
In 1938, a new Karo syrup was introduced.. the green label, For Waffles syrup with maple flavor. I have to say that I never knew this syrup existed! Anyone out there remember using this? I like how it was called "For Waffles" rather than Pancake Syrup.
According to the Karo Syrup website, the 1930s also saw the introduction of, to me, the most famous and basic Karo Syrup recipe...Pecan Pie! Hmm! This booklet includes a Peanut Pie recipe...with a little note that Pecans or shredded coconut may be substituted for the peanuts!
This sticky-bun recipe looks really good...no yeast! I was going to make this yesterday but then my son got whiff of the fact that there was no chocolate involved. :)
This past week, I read an article in the New York Times about how sugar is making a "comeback" as a natural, healthful ingredient against high-fructose corn syrup. Pizza Hut has "the Natural" pizza, Pepsi has "Pepsi Natural" and there has been a bit of a run on Kosher for Passover Coca-Cola because it is made with sugar and not corn syrup. Even in these times, you can sometimes get a chuckle from a newspaper!


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Monday, March 23, 2009

Recipe: Blondies or Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

We had week-end guests (its wildflower viewing time here) and with all the cleaning and cooking (when I really wanted to be machine quilting :) I decided to make an easy and always good dessert: blondies-a family favorite.

I love self-rising flour-it gives all the ease of a mix and "from scratch" taste! With self-rising flour this recipe has only 5 ingredients! but I know alot of people don't share my enthusiasm so I'm including both ways to make these bar cookies.

Blondies-Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C

1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour or 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 teaspoon baking powder +
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix all of the above ingredients. When completely mixed add: 1 cup chocolate chips and
mix.

Spread in ungreased 8" square pan and bake 25 minutes. Cut while warm.

Mmmm...these are really good-chewy and chock full of chocolate chips. (Good thing I thought to take a picture because the double-batch I made on Friday (I used a 9" x 13" pan) are all gone!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Vintage Thursday Thingie: Photographs from a Vintage Girlhood

Three fashionable ladies! Check out Big Sis's purse!







Color was added to this black and white photo after the fact by the photographer. This allowed for...artistic freedom. I remember this same photo with different color dresses!



Kindergarten! That's me in the flannel shirt and pants sitting with the other girls...clearly I did not tell Mom when picture day was! Check out the saddle shoes and the boys' rolled hem pants.


I went through high school with most of these kids.





3rd grade! I'm on the right in the middle with my two BFs (Susan and Ellen) in front and in back of me...no need to worry about being "underdressed" for this photo! The four of us not in our Brownie uniforms...we must be in a different troop!






Early 1960s...a retro beatnik party!


Nobody puts Baby in a corner! (Ah, wish I'd kept the shoes!)

Happy Birthday to all fellow March birthdays and for more VTT treasures and to join in the fun-


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2009 Support Your Local Library Book Review 3: Me and Mr. Darcy

Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter

Its funny, its cute and it may just make you appreciate jet lag! If you know Pride and Prejudice well, you’ll catch on to the plot drift quickly…if not, don’t worry, there are plenty of quotes to help you along!

Emily Albright has so had it with modern men she foregoes a winter trip to a Mexican beach resort for an English literary Jane Austen tour with a busload of pension-age women, a young male journalist along to interview the women because a survey has shown that Mr. Darcy is the number one fictional hero women would like to date, and (for Emily only) Mr. Darcy.

This is a modern day fairy tale complete with fairy godmother but it just might end a little differently. Fun group of characters ( I particularly like Stella, Emily's friend from home), fun travelogue through the English countrside of Jane Austen's life, and generally a fun read.

With spring arriving any day now and summer not far behind (or now if you’re on that Mexican beach), this is a lighthearted chick-lit beach book.

My favorite part: definitely the first sentence!
My “grouse”: I’ve never thought of Mr. Darcy as moody!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Fast Fun Quilt top

WOW! Making this Disappearing 9-patch quilt top was so fast and fun too. I used lots of novelty fabrics-here are some of my favorites.

I just love this doggy fabric...first prize and a fire hydrant nearby! Also the horse fabric with lucky horse shoes (that's actually in three colorways -don't remember why I was so enchanted!but they are fun here).
Here there's a peak at one of the many chicken fabrics as well as the blackbird (crow?) fabric in the setting triangles and a cute teddy bear and hearts fabric that I just had a little piece of.


Here's a red cardinal fabric too.
I'm planning on quilting this up very soon...as soon as I finish the big quilt I'm working on!
This is lap size...so much easier to work with.



Thursday, March 12, 2009

Free Pattern: Elephant baby quilt block

After Micki asked about the elephant pattern I used in the baby quilt I posted earlier this week, I decided to work on my computer skills and share the pattern with everyone. You can download the pattern for the elephant block here.

When I first drafted the elephant block, I used it in this quilt-a stroller or carriage size baby quilt.





Here's the quilt from earlier this week
BTW, the goose is from Debbie Mumm's Quick Country Quilting.



Enjoy the pattern...I'd love to see pictures of any quilts using this elephant block.


Vintage Thursday Thingie: Needle Case

I got this wonderful needle case for my birthday from DS and DDIL. They actually gave it to me while we were in the US but with the understanding that it was for my birthday (and the implication that I wasn't to open it until March) 'Course that idea didn't work...I just had to look immediately! but I have waited to share.



It has this wonderful inked scene "View from the Suspencion Bridge". Here's the bottom half of the scene with the bridge in the foreground and three sightseerers or maybe a young family...click on the picture above to enlarge it and you can even see the sailboat on the river!


and the top half.



Here you can maybe make out the title"View from the Suspension Bridge". It must have been done by a local artist who just knew the owner would know which suspension bridge!





This is how the needle case opens-with the inked design on both pieces. I've no idea how old this is...it was purchased in Massachusetts so if anyone recognizes the bridge or view, please let me know!



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Sunday, March 8, 2009

Baby quilt finished-first for 2009

This is the first quilt finished in 2009 (and here it is March already) and only a baby quilt at that!
And I've started a new quilt project...


using alot of novelty fabrics! (Bet you guessed this is a disappearing 9-patch-a first for me and I'm having alot of fun with this.)





Thursday, March 5, 2009

Vintage Thursday Thingie: Silver Dish

This is a sillver-plated serving dish from my MIL. It has been used alot and so I always use it with a plain glass plate as you can see how scratched it is but you can also see how lovely and elegant it is.
These are simple embroidered napkins, also from my dear, dearly missed MIL. (Wish I could iron better! :)
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