Giles' Room, with Cat

How do you know you're a good photographer? When you can make Hobbes look like he has some sort of meaning.

For any new readers, my son Giles is the photographer here.

More to Read

Several readers have already stumbled across my second blog, Neat and Dainty as a Flower, devoted to all things Grace Livingston Hill. I thought I would make a general announcement here that it is open for business, though still fairly small. Enjoy!

Cooking for Sunday

" . . . as for me, I like to do as mother always did. I always have the cake-box and bread-box full of nice fresh things, and make a pie, perhaps, and cook a piece of meat, or have some salad in the ice-box; and then it is the work of but a few minutes to get the nicest kind of meal on Sunday. It is easy to have a beefsteak to broil, or cold meat, or something to warm up in a minute if one cares enough to get it ready; and it really makes a lovely, restful time on Sunday to know all that work is done."

--Grace Livingston Hill, Cloudy Jewel

Phyllis' Eggs

I'm so fortunate in my neighbor Phyllis. A multi-talented powerhouse, she has taught classical ballet, yoga, and aerobics for years, and now she welcomes me over a couple of times a week for exercise sessions at her house. It's like having a personal trainer conveniently just across the road, only she swears it's good for her too!

And on top of that, she keeps a rowdy flock of Araucana hens who have begun laying again for spring in spite of the bitter weather. Last night I got to bring a dozen beautiful eggs home.

Green Apples in Early Light

Scenes from a Snow Day

Mad bird activity all day at the feeder--fat red cardinals, bossy bluejays, and an entire flock of red-winged blackbirds ascending into the maple tree then down on to the feeder for more . . .



Busy girls inside--Clara and a friend drawing, Daisy with a tiny tea set, and me, forced out of the sewing room by the icy weather . . .

A Second Smock for Daisy

I just couldn't help myself, and I had the skirt of a sundress the big girls had outgrown. The fabric looks just like a 30's feedsack reprint, but it came from Wal-Mart a few years ago.

Knitted Bear

Last night I finished sewing together this knitted bear from Debbie Bliss's Simply Baby book. The sad fact is, I finished Clara's cardigan and felt compelled to start another knitting project before I had any new yarn, so he is a product of my compulsion crossed with my leftovers.

Because generally, I don't make little animals, and the Composer was laughing at me!



He's wonderfully squishy, and is currently taking turns sleeping around in children's beds.

"The Dining Room"

"There should be an atmosphere of cheerfulness and hospitality about the simplest places in which we eat . . . Sunlight and air should be considered in locating the dining room. If it is not placed where the sunshine reaches it much of the day, the color of the walls and hangings should suggest sunlight--yellow, for example. If the room is sunny, softer tones in grays or greens may be a wise choice."

--Everyday Foods, Harris and Lacey, 1952

Schoolhouse Chicken Soup

Everyone should have a reliable chicken soup they can turn to when kids get sick, the neighbors need food, or it snows. This easy soup is an excellent one to fall back on because the ingredients can be kept on hand for making anytime--while not literally "pantry" staples, all the ingredients are easily stored for longer-term keeping. After all, it's easy to make a great dinner when the fridge is full of fresh meat, delicious cheese, and favorite crispy vegetables--the challenge is making something pleasing when it's been eight or nine days since your last trip to the store.

*Schoolhouse Chicken Soup*

In a large skillet, heat:
3 T. olive oil

Add:

8-10 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
lots of celery, thinly sliced (up to an entire head)
as much garlic as you can stand to mince, at least 4 cloves

Saute til sweaty and onion is transparent.

Transfer to a big stockpot.

Add:

2 boxes chicken stock (the large size)
6-8 frozen boneless chicken breasts
1 T. salt


Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover. When chicken is cooked through, turn off the flame and let cool slightly. Fish the chicken pieces out and shred or slice them. Taste the broth and maybe dress it up with the juice of half a lemon and a slug of tamari sauce.

Bring the broth back to a boil, and dump in a large bag of egg noodles. When cooked, add the chicken back, and serve with lots of pepper. I made this yesterday and fed fifteen people! This recipe works for *you*.

Last Week's Tulips

Still beautifully unfolding.

"Ready for Work in the Kitchen"

A brilliant find in Tiny Town this week: the 1954 gem Everyday Foods by Harris and Lacey. My copy is missing the first couple of pages (that explains the $1.50 price perhaps!) but it is full of most excellent passages:

"Ready for Work in the Kitchen"

"The efficient worker includes getting ready for her job as part of her work. Handling food requires absolute cleanliness. Everyone who is to prepare food must, therefore, meet the exacting requirements of cleanliness.

What one wears in the kitchen--inexpensive house dress, or smock, or apron--should be washable, attractive, and of course spick-and-span.

Shoes should be comfortable and neat.

Hair should be out of the way so that it will not be falling in the eyes or into the food. Such an arrangement can and should be becoming.

Handkerchief should be placed safely in a pocket.

Hands, especially the nails, should be thoroughly clean before handling food, and of course hands are never clean unless they have just been washed.

A hand towel should be conveniently placed so that hands may be washed frequently. Never fail to wash your hands after using a handerchief, going to the toilet, or soiling the hands in any way.

So true.

The Winner

Mrs. Callard is the winner of the hotpad giveaway! Congratulations! If you'll leave your e-mail I'll e-mail you and then delete your address from the comments.

Don't forget, Lacey, a package is going out for you too.

Hotpad Tutorial

Okay, ladies, this is really simple! Just cutting, pinning, and straight-line sewing. There are probably *better* ways to sew up a hotpad, but this has got to be the easiest.

You're going to need your hotpad fabric and some batting, nothing fancy:



Now, cut out your fabric squares, about 10 inches square. Then cut out batting about 1 1/2 inchessmaller on each side (maybe 8 1/2" square) . I used two layers of batting and simply cut a rectangle and folded it over double.



Now press your fabric nicely (don't press the batting!), then take each square and press under a seam allowance. Some steam in your iron or a water spray bottle will help it press nicely and hold its shape:



Now just sandwich your layers together. You're hoping that your fabric edges come out just a smidgen farther than the batting. If the batting's sticking out, just poke it in--it doesn't matter if it bunches up a little bit. Pin everything together securely. Maybe your corners will match up better than mine! I always end up tweaking mine right as they are going under the needle. In sewing, whatever works is fine, and a hotpad is no place for perfectionism!



Stich all the way around the four sides, as close to the edge as possible without going off. Now get brave and zip the hotpad through again a few times in some random lines--maybe a smaller concentric square, or an X, or three diagonals. The only thing I would caution you about is making more than two lines meet at any given point--the batting gets too compressed to give you good protection from a hot pan. Feel free to work an asymmetrical pattern--that's part of the "homespun charm" you're going for.



You may find that the top layer wants to bunch up a tiny bit as you run the hotpad through, making a tiny "bump" or gather as you meet up with a stitching line. My attitude is, who cares? Because it's a really cute hotpad and it's going to get used and stained, and a little bump is no big deal!

Have fun!

Delicious Mopping

For the last several years I loved using a squirt of Method Floor Cleaner in my mop bucket; I alternated between bottles of lavender and lemon-ginger. But I haven't seen it at Target in months, and out of necessity have come up with something I love far more.

Oh, this is so delicious.

In my mop bucket I do a tiny dab of dishwashing liquid, then three or four drops of peppermint essential oil. Cleaning heaven.

A Smock for Daisy

I've used this pattern before to make aprons for my big girls, but got the itch to make a tiny bright smock for Daisy on Saturday morning and pulled it out again.



I had some very retro-looking silky pink cotton (what a pink! shades of strawberry and mango), and bright yellow binding--great combination.



It's precious. She wore it to church Sunday over her pretty dress and has scarcely taken it off since then. The pocket is large, and perfect for holding tiny babies, socks, yarn, and snacks.

Hotpads and a Giveaway

For years I have loved a green and red vintage tablecloth. In its heyday it actually went on the table. Then it went out on yard picnics with the girls. After sustaining a few poorly-mended tears it became Albert's night cloth and covered his birdcage in style. Recently though it gave out badly and came apart in the center. But the margins! They were still good!

I got carried away cutting the good parts up into squares for a big batch of hotpads. It's a beautiful stack, but it's more than I need. So I've decided to celebrate the abundant Hotpad Harvest with a giveaway--I'll send out a little package with a hotpad, a delicious 1940's vintage housedress pattern, and some other goodies. If you're interested, say so in a comment. On Friday I'll pick a name out of a hat, and a little bit of the Schoolhouse will go out in the mail!

I love having readers!

Dress for a Sock Monkey

Clara sewed her sock monkey a new dress on her new sewing machine. I'd say her sock monkey looks pleased!

Schoolhouse Quick Sweet Rolls

This morning I intended to make a big batch of cinnamon rolls to carry over to friends who are painting their new house, but the morning got away from me (thanks a lot, cozy fire!). So instead of doing a yeast dough I quickly put together something I'd never made before. And I will be making them again!

I simply took a double batch of biscuit dough and rolled it into a large flat rectangle, spread it with softened butter, sprinkled it heavily with brown sugar and cinnamon, before rolling it up into a log and slicing it in half-inch slices (just like cinnamon rolls) to bake in a greased pan. The whole process took less than half an hour, and they were perfect for a cold wet work day.

These would also take kindly to the addition of raisins, dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, walnuts, or pecans, I think. Or all of the above. And in case you don't have a good biscuit recipe, here's the one I use from the back of the baking powder can:

*Dependable Biscuits*

Mix:

2 1/4 c. white flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Fluff together with pastry blender. Then cut in:

1/2 c. shortening

Pour:

1 .c milk (can use rice or soy to keep dairy-free)

over mixture. With hands or rubber spatula, gently mix until it holds together as a dough. I never roll mine out, just grab off chunks and roughly shape into biscuit shapes by hand. Lay on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450 for about 10 minutes.

Pillows

Details of pillows from around the house . . .

Last week I took two valances that were gifts from my friend Elyse and turned them into baby-sized pillowcases for Daisy's little pillow. They're both hand-embroidered "Dutch children" designs with plenty of juicy mango color to match her walls:



A couple of months ago I took vintage hankies in various pinks and appliqued them to plain white linen pillowcases I made to cover square throw pillows. This hankie was a gift from Clara--she knew I would *love* the pink tiger lily. These pillows live on my bed . . .



A hand-crocheted applique on a pillowcase I often use. It looks as though it is reaching the end of its lifespan, but a stray hole never bothers me. I would love to make a set of pillowcases with this kind of detail--hey, maybe from my "Television Scarfs" book!