Fresh Eggs...Laid Daily!

Farm Fresh Kitchen Table Décor!

 

Two-tiered Thingy from "Pick Your Plum"

 

I am still working on ideas for decorating my house for summer around a Farm/Country Fair theme.  I bought the two-tiered galvanized display thingy a few months ago, but it was hard to think of something fun to put in it.  I didn't want to do fruit.  Looking around my kitchen I found I had more than a few chickens and roosters...so I filled the bottom with some of my salt and pepper shakers.  I didn't have the foresight to buy white Easter eggs on after-holiday clearance, so I painted some paper mache eggs with off-white gloss craft paint.  I printed a Fresh Eggs sign and Wah-La!



Vintage Pot Holder Runner...

 

Closer View...

 

I've seen runners on Pinterest made from doilies and thought it would be fun to use vintage pot holders.  But I didn't want to use my whole stash on one project...and I was getting lazy...so I sewed two red Wal-Mart place mats together and folded the ends to points.  I laid out my pot holders to get a good balance and just basted them onto the runner.

Arrangement so far...kind of a work in progress.

I got the idea for putting flowers in some of my tins from Holly of Cutie Pie Cottage 

That girl makes the cutest things for her darling home!!

 

This has been just a quickie post...I'm trying to get my blogging mojo back!

I am so thankful for all my Blogging Friends!

P.S. to Tammy...I think WWII Victory Garden banner pennants would be fun...and also fit in a  country farm/fair theme...am I right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provident Living...Freezable Foods!

Freezable Foods...
Are you emulating the little squirrels, busily storing nuts for winter?  We've been bottling food this fall, but I know a lot of you like to fill your freezers with the fruits of your labors.  I came across a website called Simple Organized Living.  Andrea, the author, has a list of freezable foods. She says, "While I don't claim to be a "Freezable Foods Expert", I have frozen more than my share of foods over the last few years; and I've taught classes on freezing, drying and canning.  So with that said..."

Andrea's List...
She's personally had success freezing everything listed below:

1.  Baked Goods.

• Brownies and Cookies...resealable bags or storage containers.
• Breads, Buns, Muffins and Rolls...double bag to prevent freezer burn and they should be fine for several months.
• Cupcakes and Cakes...You can frost cakes before or after freezing, but if you use store-bought frosting, wait until you defrost the cake.
• Granola...freeze in mason jars or zip-top bags.
• Pies...freeze before baking.

2.  Baking Supplies
"I freeze many of my baking supplies in shoe boxes in our freezer."

• Chocolate..."I store all my baking chocolates in the freezer because I think they keep for much longer this way and taste fresher."
• Nuts...Store nuts in the freezer to keep the oils from going rancid.  She got this tip from Rachel Ray..."so it must be true!"
• Flour and Sugar...I've frozen whole wheat flour, but never considered freezing sugar.

3.  Dairy
Most dairy products should keep at least 6 months.

• Butter/Margerine...just stick the whole package in the freezer.  I date my butter so I can rotate it better.
• Block Cheese...Remember to slice or shred before freezing or it may crumble.
• Cream Cheese...it may be a bit "lumpy" after defrosting, but it stll tastes the same.
• Milk...a good idea if you're leaving on vacation.  Just remember to remove a cup of milk first, because it expands.
• Yogurt...yogurt can be frozen for a delicious, healthy treat.

4.  Fruits and Vegetables
Most of the following tips pertain to fruits.  Andrea has put together a list of 20 vegetables and how to freeze them.  Vegetable Freezing Chart  Herbs can be frozen in ice-cube trays.  Fruit: wash, dry and divide fruit into small portions...this makes it easy to grab what you need.  Fruit should keep for up to a year if properly sealed.

• All Fruits...You can pretty much freeze any fruit you plan to use in smoothies. It will probably be too soggy to just eat when defrosted.
• Berries...Freeze all kinds of berries for pancakes and smoothies.  Keep 2-cup containers of crushed berries for making jam, ice-cream toppings or for berry shortcake.
• Bananas...peel your over-ripe bananas and put 4 in a bag or freezer container.  Most recipes call for 3-5 bananas...so you're probably good with 4.
• Jams and Jellies...the quickest and easiest way to make jam.

5.  Meals
If you make double batches of your favorite foods, you'll always have something ready to defrost for busy days.

• Soups, Stews and Broths...Divide these into 1 or 2 cup portions to defrost quicker.
• Casseroles...you can freeze everything from lasagna, fajitas, enchiladas, chicken dishes and more.  Just make sure the dishes are fully cooked before freezing.
• Pasta Sauce...Freeze leftover pasta sauce and save for the next meal.
• Meat...Freeze any meat, fresh or cooked.  Just make sure it's properly sealed to prevent freezer burn.  Andrea had a well-wrapped turkey in the freezer for 18 months and it was "delicious!"

A Blast of Cold Air From the Past!
Remember when the freezer would get so choked with frost that it looked like the picture on the left?  Whenever I had to "defrost" the "Fridgidaire" the air would be blue with naughty cuss words.  You had to pry everything out...if you could...and turn the knob to "defrost."  What an exercise in misery!  We tried to hurry the process with bowls of hot water...and a hammer and chisel! 

I was still defrosting in the 80's.  Do you mean to tell me I could have had a frost-free Westinghouse?  Grandma Zetta's "Fridgidaire" (her term for all refrigerators) had only a tiny freezer compartment, about the size of a cereal box.  She never froze her left-overs...she gave them to us!

Have a Frosty Freezy Day!

If you know any more tips for freezing food, please tell us in the Comments section!

Life is a Fiesta!

We all have a little collector bug living inside us.  What do you collect?  My sister Patti, collects vintage tablecloths, "Crap I've Made" blogger Char, collects Pyrex bowls and casseroles http://crapi'vemade.com/, and my daughter Sascha collects "Alice in Wonderland" themed dolls.  I collect too many things, but my all- time favorite is Fiesta dinnerware.

Fun, colorful Fiesta has been charming homemakers since 1936 when it was introduced by Homer Laughlin Pottery at the Pottery and Glass Show in Pittsburg.   It was cheerful, inexpensive and came with almost unlimited accessories and "go alongs" like glassware, flatware, and serving pieces.  Just the thing to help brighten the gloom of the Great Depression. One of the things that makes me extremely loyal to the brand is that they are now, and have always been, "Made in the U.S.A!" I started collecting Fiesta more than a decade ago.  I love how they come out with a new color a couple of times a year.  My favorite color...of course...is Scarlet! =D

These are my everyday dishes.  Most of what you see is Fiesta.

This hutch features vintage Fiesta pieces, with a few modern plates.

Some of the cream, patterned china was designed by other companies to "go along" with Fiesta

Fiesta is available at Macys, Kohls, and other major department stores. If you are interested in collecting vintage Fiesta, The Collector's Encyclopedia of Fiesta can be found on Amazon.com.  Maybe your library will have a copy.  O-Lay!



                                               

Collecting Vintage Potholders is Fun!

A fun way to add color to any kitchen is a display of vintage potholders.  Back in Grandma Zetta's day they were a staple in every girl's hope chest.  Cute and colorful and easy to crochet, Grandma could whip one out watching Lawrence Welk, her favorite show.  Mostly she preferred practical patterns.  Because potholders were so popular, they can still be found at yard sales, thrift stores and antique malls.  And best of all...they are inexpensive!

The colors and shapes of vintage potholder are almost endless:  flowers, fruits & vegetables, baskets, frilly little dresses and even...his & hers underpants. =D There were countless instruction books with lots of kitschy patterns.  Some may still be available at thrift stores like Deseret Industries or Savers.  I came across a collectors book that gives a lot of information on collecting and valuing your finds.  I found it on Amazon.com.

Don't you love the title? =D I prefer red and white designs, but yellow is fun and so is turquoise.  Red was a rare color because the red was not colorfast.  You can imagine the rejoicing when colorfast red cotton became available!   One more pic before I call it a morning...These potholders hang in my laundry room.

             

                 Shirley