My New Year's Resolutions!

Yes, I have been missing for a good long while my friends.  So thank you to all of you who have stayed around.

My New Years Resolutions are only two.  The first is to return to my once normal life and resume doing everything I did before I was debilitated by pain,  The second is to get on a program, probably of my own to loose more weight because that cannot but help my situation.

I may have told about a terrible fall I took a year ago the Day after Labor Day.  It was one of those "kick myself, how could I have been so stupid kind of falls!"

As I often do because our house is built into the side of a big hill,  I carried 2 large 30 gal. full trash bags down the full flight of stairs into the family room to the garage door.  Next I went down 3 more concrete steps into the garage floor and proceeded to open the doors and head out to the trash and recycle bins!  Upon heaving my big bags into the proper receptacles I saw one bag had leaked and left a trail across the blacktop of the driveway!

Generally I clean up my messes so I found the paper towels I keep there for just such occasions.  I wiped from the trash bins to the garage and all of the way back to the door to reenter the house. All cleaned up!  I turned to go up the steps into the house and "SLAM BAM THANK YOU MAME!"

I hit like a ton of bricks.

I had turned all of the way around and was now facing out of the garage doors instead of into the house and my legs were behind me instead of in front in a discombobulated and rumpled heap on the steps.  I just sat there.  Stunned and not knowing if I could get up.  After a bit I did slowly try to maneuver myself around and got up! 

Long story short I never got better.  I neglected to consider the soles of my shoes when cleaning up and that is where I went wrong.  As one not to run to the doctor very often I didn't go for maybe 6 months realizing I was not recovering.

Eventually it was discovered I have a major birth defect I had not known of and this fall merged the whole thing become painfully awful!

Recently my Dr. Ross Whitacre found a medication helping me a lot!  Like 80% improvement so I am ready to get back after the business of life!

So watch for me in the next weeks!  I am rejoining the living!

My Grandma's Hot Chocolate Recipe Made by the Cup, Delicious, Easy, Inexpensive, and Versitle

I will admit to getting old insomuch as it would be quite impossible to deny at this point with children in their mid 40;s!  But further I do not mind it.  No, not at all really.  I think it is because I had such wonderful Grandparents and thought them the most wonderful and amazing people in the whole world! So they were beautiful to me.  I loved the snow white hair and the big smiles on softly wrinkles faces.

One of my favorite memories of my Mother's Mother was the hot chocolate she made us.  It makes me wonder why today people are buying mixes? They just must not know about this? The other beauty of this is that it is actually "warm" chocolate and not all that hot which works quite well for little ones who really do not like "hot" anything, but generally have to wait for things to cool before they can enjoy them fully.  Here is her pure and simple recipe.  You may tweak it for flavor intensity and sweetness. Heat in the microwave to warm it more and just generally enjoy!

Ingredients for Grandma's Hot Chocolate:

1 t. unsweetened cocoa powder (Grandma used Hershey's Cocoa Powder)
1 T. sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 C. very hot tap water or boiling water (Grandma used hot tap water)
1 1/2 C. whole milk ( Grandma used right from the refrigerator but you can warm it if desired)
marshmallows, optional

Place the first 3 ingredients in a 2 cup glass measuring cup or other large mug. Stir together and add the very hot water and stir until the dry ingredients are dissolved.  Stir in the milk and serve.
Garnish with marshmallows if desired.  Yield 2 cups.  Yummy!  May you never buy mix again!

Hubby Home and All is Well

Brian at Deaconess Hospital.

This has been a busy and eventful period and I am happy to report things are looking up and life may once again be "normal"!  After a bout with AFIB  and a 5 day hospital stay my husband is back at home and at his place of business and life may get back to it's every day routine.

This I felt I needed to share as an explanation of my absence from posting anything.  Please stand-by as we get back into our grove.  Happy Spring and thanks.

Yes, I am struggling with the winter "BLAHS" and You?

My winter garden!

 

Gosh today I dawned my hooded coat, gloves, and heavy socks and shoes to head out to the mailbox at the end of the drive.  Not so far at all.......But, after carefully picking my way over the ice covered snow, grabbing onto Brian's truck just to be sure not to fall!  I turned around and came back at the edge of the lawn as I could see the street (on a good sized long hill) was a shining sheet of ice!  NO WAY am I stepping out there to gather our arm full of junk mail and catalogs! 

Especially after the horrors we have faced since the week before Thanksgiving!  Our beloved brother-in-law passed after a 4 month unexpected illness, Grandma fell and is now in the nursing home, and Mother fell and is still in a cast with a broken wrist.  Eek!

Now with long, cold, dreary days I find myself working hard, hard, hard not to fall into the trap of negative thinking.  It is a well laid trap meant to snare each and everyone of us.

My mind does not naturally find the gratitude in my attitude.  Rather it is a discipline I have been working on for at least the last 30 years! Yes, indeed a discipline I have found, learned, and endeavor to practice every day of my life.  Admittedly some periods are much more difficult than others!

When spring arrives it is oh so easy to be positive and grateful with the blossoming of the world!

But now, just before spring arrives the days seem such a struggle!  But then.....I look around and see I am so very blessed by God with home, family, friends, and country.  And I am jerked back to the awareness of the depth of the debt I owe for all I am and all I have.

I remember each morning with the reading of my devotions, and I remember each day as I see the depth of the strength of my sisters and brother, the kindness of my dearest friend, the love of my family and I remember each day the words of Psalm 37:8  Do not fret, it leads only to evil.

Then I start anew with a better out look.  I start the day with a renewed attitude of gratitude.

Jeff Sisson our beloved brother-in-law has passed to the next great adventure with our Lord Jesus.

I have no words. Only the Lord's Prayer,  the 23rd Psalm, and Amazing Grace give me solace.  We all mourn the passing a of an exceptionally good man man.

A Beautiful Day for Laying Low and Making up Easter Baskets and Eggs

Maundy Thursday 4/17/14 on the patio at home.

My saga began with forecast lows of 28 degrees F Tuesday night here in southern Indiana.  Of course I told Brian everyone could thank me for that one as I was sure it was because I'd jumped the gun and took all of my jungle of house plants outside to the patio on Saturday! And...he agreed!

Indoor plants blooming outdoors.

Not wishing to drag them all inside again or to lose them to freezing I hatched a plan.  Pulling them all back to the corner closest to the house and the most insulated by a brick wall I rigged up a trouble light and bulb.  The light was positioned down in the center of the plants and pulled back enough to insure that a sheet used to cover the entire debacle would not touch it in any way. (Avoiding the chance of starting a fire I hoped.)  Last of all I covered the entire lot with a king sized flannel sheet and anchored it's ends with logs.

Tropical plants outside.

Late that night, after midnight I would guess, (Brian was fast asleep.) I stumbled barefoot in pajamas, and in the dark down the back stairs to the landing with Molly faithful at my side.  I wanted to check to be sure she hadn't pulled my project apart or that the wind had not come up and blown it all a rye.  All was as I had left it but when I turned.  OUCH!  Somehow I had twisted my foot and a pain shot from my big toe through the arch of my foot.  So I hobbled back upstairs as quietly as I could as not to wake my sleeping husband.

These are Virginia Bluebells in bloom.

Even after reluctantly taking one of the pain pills prescribed for knee pain the pain did not leave me and I didn't sleep all night.  The next morning I found there was no swelling or discoloration and thought I must be a big wimp!  Surly it was not broken as there were no sign.  So.....I pulled out my big clunky walking shoes with the RX prosthetic inserts and there was no pain!  I could walk just fine.  Away I went!  The bank, gas station, grocery, and post office were all on my route.

 All was well until I removed the shoe then OUCH.

I just love these Virginia Bluebells!

Happily I had an easy soup supper planned and could just prop up my foot.  By this morning things are improved and I think if I take it easy today I might well have seen the worst of it.

The candy and baskets have already been gotten down and await me on the bed in the rear bedroom. A  quick visit to Harry Brown the egg man on Monday netted me an additional 5 dozen eggs.  I held back 3 dozen from my last purchase to hard cook for Easter as they will peel easier if the are not just laid.

Molly is checking out the fish pond.

But as I look out on such a lovely day I am certain I will enjoy sitting outside with Molly a good bit today.

The egg colors and a fresh bottle of white vinegar await me.  I am also contemplating an Easter Bunny cake.  More to follow on that one!  Happy Easter everyone.

Delicious, Easy, Mix & Pour Amish Cinnamon Bread

When I saw this recipe and shared it on Face book I knew I would make it and I have today!  My house smells delicious from it's baking and I think it just delightful.

There seems so many ways to serve this.  As a tea bread,  a sliced loaf cake topped with whipped cream or peaches? Maybe spread with a cream cheese and  apricot spread?  It seems a very handy bread to have in my freezer which is where one of the two loaves will go.  One thing I can attest too, I really do like this a lot.  It reminds me of a sour cream coffee cake but less dense and more tender.

Ingredients for Amish Cinnamon Bread:l

THE BATTER
2 sticks soft butter (1 cup)
2 C. sugar
2 large eggs
2 C. buttermilk
4 C. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 t. vanilla

THE TOPPING
2/3 C. sugar
2 t. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Generously butter 2 loaf pans and set them aside.  Stir together the topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Using a large mixing bowl combine the butter, sugar, and eggs beating with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Mix in the buttermilk, flour, salt, and soda.  Fold in the vanilla then spread each of the 2 pans half full of the batter.  Sprinkle the batter with 3/4's of the cinnamon and sugar.  Cover the cinnamon layer with the remaining batter and smooth topping with the remaining sugar and cinnamon.

Use a table knife to swirl through the batter.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until a bamboo skewer tests clean when placed in the center of the loaf.  Remove from the oven and cool 20 minutes then loosen the edges with a knife and invert to remove from the pans.  Place on racks and cool completely.  After cold wrap well in plastic wrap or bags until ready to slice and serve.  Double wrap to freeze.  Yield 2 loaves

Ramblings:  The aroma of cinnamon is said to be an aphrodisiac to men.  Just so you know!

Spring Cleaning Continues! From Drawers and Cabinets to Closets.

When last I posted about cleaning I was hard at work on all of the drawers and cabinets on the main floor of our home.   It is daunting because once you start you just see and find more and more.  I may plan to do this but am suddenly side tracked by that.  As I plod along I wonder at my enthusiasm and at how marvelous I feel after completing any little drawer or shelf!

I was sidetracked when Brian came down again with pneumonia a couple of weeks ago and I caught whatever he had that led him to contract it initially.  What a sight we both have been, curled up sick and coughing.  But this week we both seem to have recovered and I am stirring up the dust again.

Now I have completed two closets and today planned to start a third but was again sidetracked when I decided to move the kitchen table, then the canisters, and of course you find dust bunnies hiding in those places we seldom look!

I am excited to report I have lost count of the big trash bags I have filled and hauled out to both the good will truck and the trash.  My rule is stern but if we haven't used it in the past season or 6 months or so we must not need it!  This will really get tricky when I get to Brian's "stuff"!  For, he is much worse than I am and could win an award for being a champion pack rat.

There is a master plan.  I have always moved the summer cloths to the main bedroom closet in the spring and rotated them out and the winter things in as the seasons changed.  Now that everyone is grown with homes of their own I came to the realization it would be much more practical to move all my things together in another closet and then just go to the opposite end as the seasons change!  Then Brian can do the same with everything all in one place.  Less work for me in the long run and he shouldn't have to go banging around from closet to closet calling out, "where's my this or that?" as husbands are known to do!

All of this when really all I want to do is sew but I will not allow myself to until this house has had a good "going through" and then I must get everything ready for our tax man.  (A job I REALLY hate!)

So.....my sewing will have to wait!  And then there are the spring flowers I love to plant? 

Santa Claus!

Santa candy dish lid.

Yesterday I thought I would try to stay home and get through some more sorting, unpacking, and cleaning.  There were maybe a dozen or so boxes I had never opened in the garage from my visits with Grandma Powell.  I knew there was ribbon and other Christmas items and I also knew we need the room in the garage so I bundled up with warm cloths and headed down to clear a path.

Santa to the left of me!

Imagine my delight as I unpacked upon finding a box of Santa Clause figurines!  I have long loved Santa and have a few items.  Actually, I have secretly longed for a collection of Santa items and look with delight upon the collections of others!

Santa to the right!

So to join the two pieces painted for me by my best friend there are 9 others who have joined us and who delight me!  Plus our oldest son gave me a European Santa last week all dressed in green for the season!

These items join several Santa serving pieces, several Frosty the Snowman plates and a couple of Christmas tablecloths I treasure!  We all love our treasures and I am grateful for these vintage pieces.

This European Santa is over two feet tall and greets guests as he stands on the end of a church pew as you enter our home.  So...Merry Christmas one and all!  And Season's Greetings too. 

Strep throat strikes and we have a lot of puney people!

Today it seems a good time to pause a minute and and tell you my friends and followers of thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com why I am not busy posting away and in the midst of Christmas plans!  Well....we are about all down or at least puny with two totally down having strep throat! 

One of my grandchildren is on my sofa and another on antibiotics with strep!  I am pooped and achy all over with a terrible cough.  So the winter has found us and the Christmas preparations are on hold for now.  More later when things are improved.

You all take care too,  and stay well!

Thanksgiving Menu, Cleaning, & Pre-Holiday Preperations

Noodles rolled and left to dry before slicing.

It is past time to get into the spirit of things and begin the holiday preparations.   Even before the menu I start making the noodles.  It will take at least three batches for Thanksgiving and the same for Christmas.  I have batch one made and rolled out on the big white porcelain counter of the Hoosier Cabinet.  These are made ahead, rolled, cut and then frozen until time to drop them into the bubbling stock.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/11/make-egg-noodles-for-now-or-store-in.html    This is the link if you would like our family recipe and detailed instruction with pictures.

I will turn these and when they are no longer tacky slice.

Thanksgiving Menu:

Roast Turkey Breast
Baked Ham
Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
Dressing
Noodles
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potatoes
Crudites & Dip
Rolls
Cheesecake
Pumpkin & Pecan Pies
Iced Tea
 

Confession.  Today I have started what I have been thinking about for at least a year? What has possessed me to drag down the vacuum and a whole box of trash bags I cannot say.  First I have thought to start here but then I think no, maybe there......Finally I have decided to just start somewhere as no progress can be made just thinking about this task!

The task.  What needs to be done is to go through and reorganize every room, closet, bookshelf, tote, nook, cranny, box, and drawer in this whole house!  What has not been used in the past?  Say six months, well, maybe year needs to go away.  We are pack rats, collectors, appreciators of the vintage to a fault.  My husband even more so than I.  Would you believe he has a ceramic black panther about 10" long that some old lady who owned a jewelry store in the town where he was born gave him as a little boy?  It has moved with us at least a dozen times and sits on the shelf in his side of our bedroom closet?  I of course have an entire drawer devoted to every color style of ladies hose for the last 40 or so years. Doesn't everyone?  Nuts!  Just plain nuts!

My goal.  I would like to get everything shifted around so as to be able to decorate and use the downstairs family room  over the holidays.  Previously our Grandsons were to young to go downstairs so the door remained locked and we all stayed on the top floor.  Now at age 5 they are perfectly able to navigate if I am able to consolidate.  There stands the big if!

So today I start and we shall see how far I get before dismay overtakes me.   I shall keep you posted! 9 AM.,  11/19/13.

Well gang, it is 2:30 PM and I have torn into the down stairs closet and taken a SUV filled with coats, equipment, and decorations to the Good Will.  Next I gave the stove a good cleaning .  After that I was pooped so I made noodles and had a sandwich!  More fun tomorrow!

Drying Fesh Sage Leaves and Bringing the Plants Indoors for the Winter.

Dry Sage Leaves

Yes, Old man winter is just around the corner and it is time for me to get past this horrible upper respiratory infection and save the plants from freezing!  Nothing less than the threat of loosing something I love would probably pry my lump of a sickly miserable body out from under my cozy warm comforting blanket!  So here I go stomping, tromping with floppy shoes over dropping socks outdoors to drag in the big and heavy pots and find them lodgings for the winter season. 

There are also pots of herbs to move up by the house where they will winter for the season.  As the holiday season is near it is a good day to pluck the last of the lovely sage leaves and dry them for the making of delicious dressing or stuffing for the turkey I see in the future and with roasted pork if only to name a few things I love them in!

There are not too many left and I think I will just dry them in the oven instead of dragging out the dehydrator.  Last year the sisters at theiowahousewife.blogspot.com did them in the oven using the pilot light if I remember correctly.  Since it is "pizza" night here and Brian will bring home one for me to bake in our oven I think just turning off the oven after baking the pizza and placing in the leaves between layers of paper towels should do the trick.

I have left them in the unopened oven overnight after turning off the oven and they are lovely.  I did trim off the stems before I started and rinse the well with tap water.  After shaking off the water I placed them not touching between 2 layers of paper toweling and left them to dry.  Leaving them whole to store I plan to crumble them as I use them.  I love the look if the velvety leaves and their weathered hue.

I look to have the corner on the aloe plants and the Christmas cactus concessions in southern Indiana!







With six pots of cactus and four pots of aloe all brimming with new plants that need to be re-potted....all for another day!

 I have placed most of them downstairs where I work and where it stays cooler.

Then there is the other tropical dug from my parents Florida home and the ferns and herbs I bring indoors to winter.  I am thinking of trying to save a big begonia from the front to although I have not have much success in those attempts!





Many are in hanging pots which is another space savings!  These cacti will bear huge fuchsia blossoms about 3-4" in length in the dead of winter which brightens my days!

Note:  I do spray all of these plants well with a home and garden bug spray before bringing them inside.

So glad this chore is done.  Until tomorrow then.

Fall colds and sniffles here.....

we are both puney.  hubby went to dr. yesterday and i go tomorrow.  nothing sounds good, tastes good, or seems to be worth the energy to move upon.  just really icky colds or uri (upper respiratory infections.)

Hope to rejoin the living soon!

last night started juicing again to try to get well.  my go to juice is parsley, apples, celery, carrots, and beets and thankfully husband loves this.  i do not have the gumption to get it together in the morning so it is our evening cocktail before a very light dinner of raw salad and a little protein.

Sharing pictures that cheer me.  These are just outside my living room picture window.

Grant's Farm and the St.Louis Zoo are OUTSTANDING Family Attractions.

Left rear, Brian, Diane, Chris, Mike, Julie.  Front left, Jack, Sam, Emily, and Kate.  Inside Grant's log cabin at Grant's Farm.

We have had company, and we went on a family outing.  It was not what we had planned but it turned out beautifully!  That is my story as well as my excuse for not keeping up with postings!

The twins check out the artillery outside Grant's Cabin.

When out oldest son called to get last minute directions for a family trip long planned to Gatlinburgh, Tn. he had a bad feeling and as the conversation progressed it only got worse.  We have gone there and stayed several times and had a wonderful time.  However this was with a different outfit and red flags were flying up all over.  The trip was cancelled.  It seems it is not as well kept as the online photos implied nor is the pool up to good working condition (and who knows what else!)

Big Fred the buffalo.

Really Big Birds!

Instead we went to Grant's Farm and the St. Louis  Zoo.  We didn't drive but half as far and we had a terrific time.  There is a private tour you can arrange at Grant's Farm and I cannot say enough wonderful things about it!  There were buffalo, several varieties of elk, deer. foul of many colors and varieties.  There were many other animals, too many for me to remember and to name here.

This truck's equipped with benches and coolers of drinks and also held lots of food for us to feed many of the wonderful fish, foul, and animals.

We first walked down and visited the stables.  After some friendly petting of the critters and photos we boarded a touring truck and were off.  It is both a beautiful place and a very historically interesting place.  Our driver and tour guide were the best.....so much fun. 

They were both just wonderful with the children too.

Emily and Kate.

The next day we visited the Zoo which was also delightful.  A good time was had by all!  The motel was very very nice and located right across the street from the zoo too.

My only wrinkle was this.  I don't remember if I have shared my woes about both knees with you.  After working on furniture floors and wearing high heels for well over 30 years, there is not a speck of cartilage in either of my knees.  Before agreeing to go on this trip I checked out the Zoo online and saw there was a railroad circling the entire zoo.  My thought was that if my knees grew painful and the rest of me weary I could ride the train to meet the rest of the family any place they might head.

Lunch?

That was a good plan BUT,  there were so many people riding the train that we stood while 4 trains stopped and left again without enough people getting off for the crowds waiting to board to get on!  Meanwhile 7-9 trains sat idle behind the station.  Poor planning on somebody's part I would guess.  We still had a good time but I am not too sure I would try it again before having both knees replaced. 
(Which I am in no big hurry to do.)

Note: Our other son Joel and his wife Julie were not available to go with us this time as they have their home being built on to and couldn't get away just now.

Returning to finish the vintage comforter.....Plus My Favorite New Book and Sewing Blogs!

I am in love with this new book! There are big bold and beautiful illustrations for over 50 hand stitches of which I am greatly fascinated!  I can easily see them even without my glasses!

This week I have started back upon a project from last winter and I hope to get this one finished soon.  It is the vintage crazy quilt top pieced by Grandma Powell's mother and grandmother.  There were a few repairs to be made in the top.  Then, since it is dark as well as of heavier fabrics I choose to tuft or tie it after inserting a layer of warm batting and an underlining of soft flannel

Next I started folding the two layers under and lining them up to close with an almost invisible overcast stitch.  After which I plan to finish with a knotted blanket stitch.  Almost in an afterthought I decided to embroider the names of the three it took to conceive and finish what will be a family heirloom.   So yesterday I found my washable pen and a place for this to be done and started to embroider the names.  I had to remove some of the tufting to get to  both sides of the top.

Next time I will do this first before starting the assembly of the layers!

In the process of all of this I discovered a wonderful artisan in the UK.  She is Sarah Whittle and she composed "The Needlecraft Stitch Directory." An absolutely beautifully written and illustrated  book on hand stitching of many types. This is always fascinated me and I have other books on this subject. This is my new favorite!  Plus I was able to order it on Amazon for half of what it would have cost to purchase and ship from her blog site in the UK.

Here is her link if you would like to preview the beauty of her stitching.   sarahwhittle.blogspot.com/2011/02/raised-chain-stitch.html
I am planning to use her illustrated knotted blanket stitch to finish the edges instead of a binding to correspond with the yarn used in the tufting.  (Don't I get all wound up about these old things?)

There is also another blog I LOVE called Cambric-Cotton, Pins and Needles   posted by a wonderful woman in Australia.  Here is a link to her blog too:                                                                    cambric-cotton.blogspot.com

It is beautifully done and I enjoy it a lot so today I share these things with all of you.

More Vintage Finds, A Rainbow of Doilies.

This is a rainbow assortment of hand made doilies.

After returning home yesterday I found 2 sacks Grandma Powell tucked away on my bag yesterday when I stopped and said hello.  She was in good spirits and took me upstairs and had me pick another wooden trunk she will send home with our son Mike and Julie.

I will certainly save her for something very special!

I was down right tickled to find these vintage doilies in a rainbow of colors.  It will be fun to integrate them into new things. I especially LOVE the pink crotchet southern belle all dressed in her hoop skirts!

I took one of the coverlets along with me to show her and she seemed to be very happy with what I had dome.  She does not do computers.  She will be 93 the end of this month. 

Tiny X's ans French Knots abound on this vintage dresser scarf.

There was a very nice variety of colors and sizes and I was pleased to find a hand embroidered dresser scarf in the lot.

I always sit back and wonder about the hands that made each and every stitch or knot.  Were they young and filled with anticipation and excitement of life or old and full of wisdom and love?  Perhaps working to fill a Hope Chest, or perhaps in morning of a loss and filling lonely hours.   We will admire and wonder.