Childhood Memories of my Grandmother

I spent a lot of time with my Grandmother; when Fridays would come I would say I wanted to spend the weekend with her and my parents would take me Friday after school and pick me up on Sunday. When I was a little older, I was allowed to go on my bike after school or on Saturday, stay some Sunday evenings and ride my bike to school on Monday morning. It was clear across town, but I didn't mind because I'd had another weekend with her.


Of course, I don't remember how I spent the whole weekend, but some things stand out in my memory.

When I was 5 or 6, it was mud pies. I would line her back step and the wooden walk with all my deliscious, fancy creations. I was allowed to pick berries, flowers, leaves, anything I thought I needed to make my cakes. Getting out her door must have been quite a challenge. To say nothing about the lost spoons that I'm sure would have happened and the cleanup she probably had to do.

Her front yard was filled with lilac bushes, placed so that there was little 'rooms' to play hide and seek in or set up a play house. Many hours were spent with my 'pretend' friends.

It was always a special lunch she would send me if I stayed till Monday morning. She would ask me what I'd like, full well knowing that if it was the season, I would always say lettuce sandwiches. So she would pick her leaf lettuce fresh from the garden, and lay lots and lots of leaves on buttered homemade bread, a little salt and pepper and I had the best lunch in the whole world.

Of course, Sunday meant church. She loved her church and there was no getting away from going. You went early for Sunday school and then the church service. We would generally walk and she would always wear a hat and gloves and hold my hand. I never quite knew if it was to keep me from running away or just to keep me safe. Of course, now I know that for her generation, that's just what you did. For safety, kind control and to walk properly with respect.

There was a beautiful park behind the church, only about two blocks away and on the way home; sometimes we might walk through there and sit on a bench for a little while.

I think of her often; she was such a wonderful Grandma, a kind and gentle lady.

Mile High Meat Loaf

This is very good, quick and inexpensive.

Ingredients:

2 tbs Parsley leaves

2 Basil leaves or 1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 Small onion

1/2 Green pepper

1/2 Red pepper

1-3 Garlic cloves

1/2 Celery stalk

2 Eggs

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup Bread crumbs

1 -10 oz can French onion soup

1/4 cup ketchup

Salt & pepper to taste

2 lbs lean ground beef



Directions:

Finely chop first 10 ingred. Turn mixture into large bowl. Add soup, ketchup, salt & pepper & meat. Mix gently.

Pack into 9x5 loaf pan and bake for 50 min. at 350 degrees.



Number Of Servings:4-6 servings

Wood-Graining a Floor

I have an older home, built in 1910. I started renovating 20 years ago and haven't made a great deal of headway with it. It's a 1 1/2 story with the bedrooms and bath upstairs and living, dining room and kitchen on the main floor.

I was able to take out all the plaster and lath walls upstairs and replace that with gyprock, put in new windows and completely redo the bathroom. Only some of the baseboards are on, but the doors and door frames are all redone in mahogany.

That leaves the floors, which are fir which has been painted over the years and very shabby looking. As the paint has worn, there is bare wood, some mustard yellow paint and wine-colored paint; quite a disaster.

I definitely don't like carpeting anymore, don't want the lino look, laminate is expensive and I don't want to spend too extravagantly.

So I got the idea of doing the floor painting and thought the natural look would be the best.

So I have spent a week and, so far, 4 coats of paint. But it has turned out beautifully and I am so happy with it. I have at least 2 more coats of varathane to brush on, but it's a lovely looking floor now.

First coat is a special adherrent primer, then you put down the base coat. On top of that you do the top coat, which is a small amount of paint mixed in with the glaze. the glaze extends the open or wet time, so you can work with it. As you put that down you do the woodgraining with a rocker paint tool and then you go on to 3 or 4 coats of varathane.

I did each length of board, one at a time, and I was surprised how easy it was. I really had a lot of misgivings about what I was getting myself into, but it is so easy; the tool does the work.

I would highly recommend this faux finish to anyone wanting to refurbish a floor or any piece of furniture that's become a little shabby or if you just want a change.

Footnote: One floor had old linoleum glued down with a terrible black glue of some kind...that part of the job just about did me in! But, if nothing else, I'm stubborn and finally got it all off;  but it took three weeks just getting that cleaned up ready for the paint.  And I've painted the old register cover since this photo was taken, so it looks much better now, too.

 So altogether, I did 3 bedrooms and a short hallway in about 6 weeks. Lots of work but very inexpensive.

Mennonite Sour Cream Cookies

Mennonite Sour Cream Cookies


These are a deliscious cake-texture cookie; I hope you enjoy them.

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. marg.

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 c. sour cream or plain yogurt

4 1/2 c. flour to make a soft dough.



Refrigerate if necessary. Roll to just over 1/4" thick and cut

in rounds.

Bake at 325* for 8 - 10 minutes.

DO NOT let the bottoms brown.  Watch them very closely.



Ice these with a butter icing and a little Cool whip added to

the icing is very nice.

Footnote: Don't roll these too thin...at least 3/8" thick, they're like little cakes. My grandaughter loves these and puts an order in every couple of months.  She likes sprinkles on them.

SPRING...

Spring is just around the corner...


Strange how your thoughts start turning to planting, which seeds you should try this year, where should you plant this or that.

We have 2 months to go before we can start planting with any surety that anything will survive the cool temps., but it's fun planning, anyway.

Last year, when I was visiting in Manitoba, I found a new plant I wasn't familiar with and acquired some seed pods. So I am going to be trying a few of them and see what they do in this area.

I'm sure a lot of you know them, but they're new to me. Angel Trumpets are a huge plant and grow as perrenials in some areas, but, of course, they'll be annuals here, unless taken in for the winter. However, with the size they reach, 6 feet or more, I don't think that would be a very easy job. And besides, they'd take up half a room, so they won't be coming in to my house.

And, then, there's the matter of hidden little bugs that come in with the plant and before you know it, all your plants are infested.

Footnote: This was written in March and I couldn't get my Angel Trumpets started. But I haven't given up on them, just have to get new seed.
I've been lurking in the Walmart plant dept. and picked up quite a few perennials and they're doing very well.  With the way perennials multiply I'm sure I'll be enlarging my beds in no time. Maybe a good thing, maybe not.  But one does get bored with mowing the lawn constantly and ending up  with just boring 'green'!

I did this piece of ceramics 10 years ago. It looks quite difficult, but using a paint technique that is so simple, it takes no time at all. A piece like this can be done in about 2 days of leisurely painting.

PRETTY CRAFTY

This is a new venture for me and I hope that I can make it interesting and fun for everyone.
You'll find a little craft chatter, maybe a pattern or two from time to time, recipes, kitchen tips, a little gardening info. here and there, and just about anything that pops into my space.

I've been doing crafts just about all my life. And the list is too long to enter here. I've done them for my own home, given them as gifts and for many years sold my creations, mostly on a consignment basis and occasionally at craft sales.

For several years I enjoyed ceramics and then that led to creating porcelain dolls and then, of course, I had to go one step further, and taught that craft until I decided I needed a little break.

So please join me, have some fun, feel free to comment and give me new ideas. Have a question? Please ask and I'll answer if I can.

Migrating an Old Blog to a New Home

Years ago I started a blog on another site; while I liked the ease and appearance, I have lost my password and they have been less than helpful in helping to re-establish my presence there.
Sooo...I'm going to try to move all my posts here but that could pose some problems; but I like the content so here goes.
I'll add as I get the time and hopefully get everything right.
First of all I'd better fix my pics here, as they are not up to par.