And in the Kitchen

Well, here we are, finishing up week eight (or is it nine?) of this quarantine, and I'm thankful I'm still actually enjoying coming up with two meals a day (we're both on our own for lunch because we're never hungry at the same time).  Our food is holding out well, and we've made several trips to the store at low volume times.  

I've heard that before this is over, we'll all have added the Covid 19, meaning adding nineteen additional pounds.  I hope not!!  But I will say that desserts have come into play way more than usual around here. Homemade pudding, peach shortcake, cookies, pie. . . Yum!!

The other day I noticed my fruit bowl had some fruit that should have been used earlier.  A couple of lonely bananas reminded me of a recipe I got from my Aunt Betty Jane, back in my high school days.  I stopped by her house one day and she was making them and allowed me to copy the recipe with the comment that the handwriting was her younger son's when he was home one day and wanted to help in some way.  So, this is a recipe from sometime in the 1940s.  

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup mashed bananas

1 3/4 cups quick oats

1/2 cup nuts

Mis together flour, sugar, soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cut in shortening (I just use my Kitchenaid and it does the work).  Add egg, banana, oats and nuts. Beat until thoroughly blended.  Drop on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400° about 13-15 minutes.  Remove immediately.  Makes 3 1/2 dozen.  

I used to like to make these just before the kids came home from school and have them ready with a glass of milk for a tasty snack.  Memories. . .

And then yesterday, I took some less than stellar looking apples and turned them into a yummy apple pie.  I don't even remember the last time I made an apple pie.  Dan was in heaven.  

Today I have some blueberries that I need to turn into a coffee cake for tomorrow's breakfast.  And Sunday's, too!  Bon appetit!  ♥

A Little Pajama Party

Some time ago, I thought it would be fun to have a dolly pajama party and dress all my dolls in pj's.  Of course, this meant that the dolls had to have pj's to wear.  One thing about a quarantine, or "shelter in place", or whatever you want to call it--plenty of time at home to ponder things that have been put off for various reasons.  So, one day last week I decided to see just what I had in the way of jammies for my girls.  I dug through boxes and drawers of doll clothes and discovered I had more than I thought.  

I think I've mentioned in the past that long about twenty years ago when an internet doll company called iDolls went out of business, I bought a number of dolls and doll clothing in anticipation of gifting future granddaughters. Instead, I have four grandsons and no granddaughters so most of the dolls and clothing just went into storage. I did turn one doll into my version of Amelia Peabody, intrepid archeologist/sleuth from the book series by Elizabeth Peters, and one into Evie Tozer, a character in a favorite Tom Selleck movie, High Road to China. 

As I rooted through the doll clothes, I found perfect outfits for Amelia and Evie, and also a nightgown for another doll.  It also turned out that I had jammies for several other dolls.  That left three to sew for, and now motivated, I began.  

So here are my play dolls, all set for a slumber party. Clemmie is sporting her new jammies and is ready to read Tootle to the assembly.  A few bears have joined the party and everyone is ready for fun.

See little tiny 8" Betsy McCall?  I discovered I had a pattern that included clothes in her size as well as for the bigger 14" Betsy behind her.  With a little trepidation, I decided to give the shorty pj's a try.  Well. Let me just say that I think I could have made several pairs for myself in the time it took to make them.  It has a separate yoke, self fabric ruffle, and puffed sleeves. Oh my goodness.  So much detail in such a tiny little garment.  But I prevailed!!  As long as one doesn't look too closely.  (And the reason there's a bear laying in front of her?  She's still wearing her shoes and socks. Those little shoes are over sixty years old and I could see that the rubber "buttons" were hanging on by a thread and any attempt to unbutton them would surely lead to disaster.  So, what to do?  Hide the shoes.  So I did.) 

And here are Amelia and Evie in their time appropriate sleepwear.  

Amelia Peabody circa 1890

Evie Tozer, circa 1920's

Sweet dreams!!  ♥

Memories

Today would have been my dad's ninety-seventh birthday.  I woke up to a text from Bruder Bear with a picture from Dad's last birthday, four years ago at the restaurant where he had coffee with the guys every morning.  I won't lie.  It made me cry.  

So in memory of dad, here are a couple of my favorite pictures.

The gang at the swimming hole.  Red line points to Dad

Dad and me, Christmas 2007 at niece Jennifer's house

Happy birthday, Dad!  You were the best and we all miss you.  ♥

Stitchin'

Technically, knitting involves stitches, but this time I'm talking about sewing stitches.  Remember that Valentine table runner I started back in January or February? The one that got derailed as I knit little tiny complicated doll sweaters?  Yes, that one.  Two days ago I decided it was time to get back to it.  My sewing room is a mess, things have been stacked hither and thither, and then pieces of that runner were consuming the top of my cutting table. Time to get to work!

And so I did.  

Stitched together and layered with batting and backing

One end section, all stitched down.

Close-up 

Another

And another

Stitching away 

So thankful for a machine with a walking foot!

All quilted and trimmed, ready for binding

I think I mentioned that I ordered the kit from Shabby Fabrics.  The applique pieces were a dream to work with, already backed with Steam-a-Seam and laser cut!  I just popped them out, peeled the paper backing, placed them in position and ironed them in place.  They also were quite generous with their fabric so I didn't have to worry about running out as I cut (but never the less, I did check and recheck before I did actually cut).  

I have the binding all cut and joined and ready to add. It will make the perfect Sunday afternoon project for tomorrow.  ♥

Purses

These days, we must find our excitement where we can. I confess that I've never been much of a shopper,  at least in the sense of going to an actual store to browse and buy.  Even when I really needed something, I could usually find plenty of reasons to put off going in search of it.  When online shopping became a "thing", I loved it!  I didn't have to go anywhere.  When I was still teaching, I Christmas shopped on my lunch hour, sandwich in one hand, surfing and buying with the other, usually paying high shipping fees as I'd even put this type of shopping off until the last minute.  As I said, a shopper I am not.  

So, recently I noted that my trusty purse had a problem.  I've had the same one for I don't know how many years, six, seven?  It's black and before its most recent problem, I'd had to take a black sharpie to some worn spots on it.  Worked like a charm, until I noticed it was becoming unstitched in a crucial spot.  I am not a fan of carrying a purse in the first place, but they are a necessary evil for us ladies.  In order to make peace with the item, I have some specifications that must be met.

Here are pictures of my last two purses:

Trusty black purse

Adorable (but small) red purse

Notice that the fronts of both of them have additions. An easy-to-get-to area where I can have ready access to my driver's license, credit cards, etc.  

Alas, the black one became unstitched in the corner where I stowed my cell phone and I could see no way to fix it.  

I began to feel quite tacky, which would never do.  Since we're home all day and catalogs seem to fill our mailbox on a daily basis, I began to look for a replacement. About ten days ago, one arrived from The Vermont Country Store and as I glanced through it, a purse jumped out at me.  It had a front on it!  It came in black with dark brown accents.  I ordered!  And today it came.

It's bigger than I usually buy, but not so much so that I can't live with it.  And the front area is wonderful!

It even has an area for coins! And I discovered that the main purse will hold my iPad should I want to take it along for reading when Dan stops to look at trees (yes, he really does) when we're out.  Double win!!♥

Hmm... Hmm...

I feel like I should write a scintillating blog post, but what can you say about day after day of the same thing?  I am thankful that I'm continuing to enjoy outfoxing dinner for the 30th night in a row, so that's a good thing.  We are eating well.  

I have been doing a lot of reading on my iPad.  Ann introduced me to the Libby app and I'm happily downloading books from the library as well as getting the freebies from Amazon Prime.  I never thought I'd like reading on a mobile device, but I'm having to eat my words.  

Dan has gotten to go out in the woods several times this week, and he also taught a "class" using Zoom with the help of the U of I forestry extension department.  (He didn't enjoy it...) 

Our excitement tonight was peach shortcake featuring peaches I froze back in August of '18.  Still delicious! The cake part was a recipe I got many, many years ago and is an easy yellow cake.  According to my handwritten recipe card, I got it from the Family Weekly, which was, as I recall, the precursor to the Parade Magazine we get in the Sunday paper these days. Here's the recipe in case you've got some frozen peaches or strawberries in your freezer and don't want to head to the store for those cute little shortcakes in a package.

Shortcake (Yellow Cake)

2 cups unsifted flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 9 x 13" pan, or two 8 or 9" cake pans or two 8" square pans. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add butter and 2/3 cup of the milk.  Beat two minutes at low speed.  Add remaining 1/3 cup of milk, eggs and vanilla and beat two minutes longer at medium speed.  Turn into pans and bake 30-35 minutes or until done.  

I've made this dozens of times over the years and it always tastes so good.  Sturdy, sweet, and when split and topped with the juicy fruit, soaks it up beautifully and is very satisfying in an old-fashioned sense.  Didn't think to take a picture.  ♥

Another Day--With Sunshine!

It's true!  The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the windows are open. It's a glorious day for certain! It's amazing how a lovely day can boost the spirits.

We were excited to learn yesterday that the yard waste section of the recycling center was reopening and so my sweetheart is out mowing the lawn and gathering up the few remaining leaves from last fall. He's a happy man! Ann, Eric and boys have taken advantage of this beautiful day and loaded their kayaks and headed for the river to, as Ann termed it, "isolate on some water."  As Eric works, Ann teaches, and the boys do schoolwork from home using their computers and other devices, the time had come to go have some fun.  Good for them.

Dan and I went to the store the other day, my first outing in three weeks.  We found everything we were looking for and as we checked out, I thanked our outgoing and smiley clerk for her work. Before she let us put our purchases on the counter she had very thoroughly cleaned every inch of her stand as the previous customer left.  She looked at me and then said, "I'm marking you down as one of my angels," and proceeded to make a tally mark on her left forearm.  I looked at her and she said when customers were nice as I was, she marked them down and it helped her get through her day.  I still must have looked confused so she told me that many of her customers were angry and rude; some yelled and one even gave her the one-fingered salute, and not the good kind.  I was shocked! She nodded and then gave me a big smile and said, "Thank you."  If I could have hugged her, I would have.  

I'm continuing to knit on a new pair of socks although the color is not the greatest.  I've loved the other socks I've knit from Knit Picks Stroll Tweed sock yarn, but this brown isn't very appealing. They'll be warm and cozy though, and that's all that counts.  (I'm still loving that adorable yarn bowl!)

I also finally bought a cover for my iPad with help from Eric while we were on vacation.  I'm not really a pink girl, but this makes me smile every time I see it. 

I love that it turns off the iPad when it's closed, and when I open it, it quickly goes right back where I left it without punching any buttons.  That grooved top also folds to become a stand.  ♥