Pictures from July

 July was a beautiful and busy month. I always enjoy July, as I feel that it is filled with summer's best. Trips to the lake, picking berries, stunning sunsets, garden produce, family picnics, beautiful flowers, well as you can see I could go on forever!

We were very blessed with an abundance of berries in our garden this year. I was able to make jam from our home grown strawberries, black raspberries and rhubarb, so far. I still plan to make red raspberry jam from our garden at some point. I also had enough berries to freeze for the winter months ahead.

There is nothing quite like a pie made with fresh berries from the garden! It gives us such a good feeling to see the hard work of planting and caring for our plants come to fruition.

Although we have planted blueberries they are very slow to grow. The picture of the plant above was taken at a beautiful blueberry farm we visit each summer. Our annual trip is one of my favorite summer traditions! This year I went with my mom and sister, with her children. It was fun to see the cousins enjoy their time together and competing to see who could pick the most blueberries!

 

One evening Jemimah brought in a basket of bell peppers she picked. She likes to pick flowers from her wild flower garden and then arrange them among the vegetables. She finds great delight in surprising me with beautiful bouquets and displays of her flowers.

I am grateful to have a nice supply of peppers in my freezer for the winter ahead.

We are thrilled to finally have some ripe tomatoes. They seemed to be a little slow to ripen this year. We have a few different heirloom varieties, which is a real treat. Above is another example of Jemimah's creative expression in vegetable/flower arranging. : )

The geese have grown so fast! They are such characters and seem to find ways to amuse us nearly every day. Axel is a little aggressive with people he doesn't know and becomes very vocal at his annoyance when unknown guests arrive, like the gas delivery man yesterday! He also finds great delight in chasing our poor little dog Darla Mae and chasing Jemimah while she rides her bike. He has gone so far as to bite her bike tire. I'm glad to be on his good side, so far!

 

Jemimah spent time this summer working on her embroidery and learning how to sew on the sewing machine. After completing a couple of hand sewn projects she was ready to try her hand at using a sewing machine. She sewed a patchwork quilt for her dolls and did a great job! I was so proud of her hard work, and blessed when she won best of fair at our county fair for her quilt.

Over the summer I hand embroidered a little runner/dresser scarf. I found the stamped embroidery kit at a little quilt shop in our area; they were selling a number of vintage stamped embroidery projects for 50cents- $1. I purchased several, some appear to be from the 1950's. 

I also added a couple of new (to me) vintage apron patterns to my collection. I am hoping to find time to sew them over the next few months, and maybe add them to my shop. I really like to button back closure of each design.

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful summer! 

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" Romans 11:33

Butternut Squash Soup and Bread Dressing Recipes

I found this turkey platter at a barn sale a few years back. I love the colors.

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week I thought I would share two recipes that we have enjoyed lately. I think both recipes would be a nice addition to a Thanksgiving meal.

We were blessed with a fine harvest of squash in our garden this year. Butternut squash soup is one of my favorite soups and up until this year I had yet to find a recipe that I really liked. Earlier this fall I found a recipe online that was very close to what I was looking for, but there were a few changes I made to make the recipe exactly what I thought butternut squash soup should taste like.

The recipe for the soup is fairly simple, but truly delicious!

Butternut Squash Soup

Cut one large butternut squash (about three pounds) in half. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil. Then bake in the oven at 425 degrees for about an hour or until tender. Once you have removed the squash from the oven allow it to cool, once cool remove the skin.

Saute one small onion in olive oil, once translucent add two cloves of minced garlic. After a minute add 2-4 cups of chicken broth. The amount of broth will depend upon the size of your squash and how thick you would like your soup to be. I typically add 4 cups. Allow the onions, garlic and broth to simmer until vegetables are tender.

Add squash in chunks to broth mixture. The next step is to puree the soup. For this step I use my blender, but you could you an immersion blender. If using a blender I recommend blending the soup in two batches so as not to over fill your blender.

Once your soup has reached the desired consistency return soup to sauce pan and add two tablespoons of maple syrup and two tablespoons of butter. You can add some salt and pepper to taste as well.

Miranda is my supper time companion every night. She loves to sit in the window beside me and patiently wait for a little treat. Surprisingly enough Miranda even likes butternut squash soup! She is a unique cat.

Adam's favorite Thanksgiving dish is bread dressing. I realize the picture of dressing doesn't look all that appetizing, but I snapped a picture before baking the dressing. I knew that once it was baked I wouldn't have time to take a picture. : )

 Bread Dressing

1/2 cup butter
3 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
14-16 cups bread cubes (I used sourdough and Italian bread that was slightly stale)
2-3 tsp. sage
1 tsp. salt*
1/2 tsp. pepper
3-4 cups broth (enough to moisten the bread)

Saute onions and celery in butter. Add broth, simmer until onions and celery are tender. Toss sage, salt and pepper with bread cubes. Add broth mixture to bread cubes. If necessary you can add additional broth if bread cubes are still too dry. At this point I usually have Adam taste test in case I need any extra salt or sage.
*I would recommend starting with 1/2 tsp. of salt and then adding more if needed. Sometimes the broth can be too salty and this can create a dressing that is too salty.

Bake in a well buttered 9x13" baking pan at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until crispy and golden.

Another recipe I make each Thanksgiving, and pretty much every holiday, is coleslaw. I shared this recipe a couple of years ago and thought I would add a link for those who may have missed that post.

****************************************************************************

Starting today I am offering 10% off all of the items in my Etsy shop. The sale runs through December 3rd. If you are looking for a Christmas present for a friend or family member please consider taking a look at the items I am offering.

*****************************************************************************

I hope you all enjoy a blessed and beautiful Thanksgiving! Is there a special family favorite recipe you plan to prepare this year?

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100

Springtime Aprons

 

Spring has finally arrived where I live. It is such a joy to see the first spring flowers bloom. Our crab apple tree is about ready to blossom, and our favorite springtime birds have returned after the long winter. Over the weekend Jemimah spotted our first Baltimore Oriole of the season, as well as the return of beef cows across the road. It is wonderful to see her delight in these signs of spring's return.

The past few weeks have been busy with spring cleaning and garden preparations. Adam has increased the size of our garden and has plans of planting sweet corn this year.

I have also found time to sew some aprons for my Etsy page, Lilacs in Spring.

Yesterday I listed eight aprons and a few kitchen towels. The first apron shown in this post is sewn from a fabric that truly reflects the season! While sewing the apron I seemed to spot a different flower with each step of the sewing process. There are irises, roses, lily of the valley, daisies and more.

If you are looking for a new spring apron be sure to visit my page and take a peek at my new listings. I have some other aprons cut-out so hopefully I will be adding some other aprons in the next few weeks.

Are you enjoying beautiful springtime blooms where you live? What is your favorite?

"Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight." Psalm119:35

McCall's 1104

A few years ago I began collecting vintage apron patterns. I enjoy the variety of styles and unique details found in older apron patterns. It is amazing to contemplate just how many different apron patterns were available in the 1930's through the 1960's. Women must have enjoyed sewing aprons during that time period and they must have enjoyed individualizing their aprons to reflect their own special sense of style.

 One of the first truly vintage apron patterns I purchased was McCall's 1104. Originally I found the pattern on Pinterest, and then began searching for a copy to purchase on Etsy and Ebay. Thankfully it is a fairly common pattern, and from what I have observed it appears that it was reprinted more than once.

One of my favorite features of this apron is the back button design. I dislike aprons that ties at the back of my neck, as they seem to pull and grow uncomfortable throughout the day. When I discovered this design I was immediately taken with the back button closure. Not only is it cute, it is comfortable! After making two aprons from this pattern for myself I can attest to the fact that this design is very wearable for a long day of working.

Besides being practical I think this apron is very flattering! The smooth front and slight gathering at the sides above the waist are a perfectly lovely detail.

Over the years I have had great fun selecting fabric and coordinating bias binding for these aprons. I think the fine bias binding adds the perfect vintage touch.

One fabric that has proven to be a favorite when paired with this apron design is this sweet chicken print. Last week I used the last of this fabric to sew one last golden/cream chicken apron.

I am hoping to share a little more about the vintage apron patterns I have collected and currently sew and sell in my Etsy shop. I have added a page at the top of my blog specifically for this type of post.

 
 

September/October

  This fall has been beautiful. The days have been remarkably warm and summer like. We have been enjoying spending as much time outside as we can, hence my absence from my blog. : ) 

The month of September was lovely! We enjoyed the bounty of our garden, which was our best harvest since living here. Adam's berry bushes really took off this year. In the picture above is just some of the elderberries he collected this fall! We have frozen the berries and look forward to making elderberry pies in the near future. Adam's blackberries, red raspberries and red currants did equally well. We have been enjoying delicious pies and jams with even greater pleasure since the fruit came from our own garden.

 This is just one day of my canning efforts. Like previous years I canned tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, soups, zucchini, pickles and several jams. If interested in any of the recipes I used, I included links in this post. In addition to canning I froze some baked goods this year. We had such an abundance of zucchini I decided to make a variety of zucchini breads and our favorite zucchini cookies to freeze. Already we have enjoyed baking a few cookies or a mini loaf of zucchini bread on a rainy weekend.

 Last month we celebrated Jemimah's fourth birthday! She is such a sweet little girl and a wonderful friend. We officially began homeschooling last month. Last year we did some Pre-K work with work books I picked up at the store. This year we are using a complete Pre-K curriculum. We are enjoying the curriculum and Jemimah looks forward to school time each morning.

 With the return of cooler weather I have resumed my habit of making a weekly batch of soup. Some may remember one of my favorite recipes that I shared quite a while back, stuffed pepper soup. Recently my mom had the brilliant idea of making cabbage roll soup, in much the same way we made our stuffed pepper soup. It is delicious, and I may like it even better than the stuffed pepper soup!

 For those who may like to try to make some themselves, here is the recipe.

Cabbage Roll Soup

• 1 cup rice (prepare with water amount recommended)* 
• 1 pound ground beef
• 4-5 cups of shredded cabbage
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained 
• 1 can (14 ounces) beef broth

Directions:
Prepare rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook the beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the shredded cabbage, spaghetti sauce, tomatoes and broth. Simmer until cabbage is fully cooked and tender. Add prepared rice; heat through.
*In my last batch I omitted the rice and added extra cabbage, it was still delicious! 

 Throughout the summer months I did very little knitting or crocheting due to the heat, but I did manage to finally complete my socks in time for the cooler weather. : ) I am so pleased with the finished results! I have begun to knit a pair of socks for Jemimah, and I suspect that they will take a lot less time, considering the size difference.

This week I have enjoyed collecting some of my scrap fabric to create a Dresden plate design for a pillow cover. I made a similar pillow cover last year, and I have wanted to make another for the other rocking chair in our living room.

 Here is a picture of the pillow I made last year, to give you an idea of how the pillow will look when finished. The design is fairly simple to sew together and I love to see so many beloved calico scraps being put to a good use.

 Speaking of fabric.... when we were out the other weekend I discovered that one of my favorite fabric shops was having a sale. I couldn't resist purchasing a couple of my favorites with aprons in mind.

Recently I added a few "autumnal themed" items to my Etsy shop.

 And of course a few new aprons!

 And to close this post I'd like to introduce our kitten Miranda. We adopted Miranda back in June and she is truly a joy! Jemimah loves her dearly, as do Adam and I. We named Miranda after one of my favorite Grace Livingston Hill characters, and she certainly is living up to her namesake's reputation for being mischievous but loving!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding; 

 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Clothes Pin Bags, Aprons and Laundry Day Inspiration

Once spring arrives I am always excited to hang laundry outside to dry on my clothesline again. There is something absolutely wonderful about wearing a garment that smells of fresh air and sunshine!

 I have found my clothes pin bag to be a very handy accessory. In the past I would sometimes be guilty of leaving clothes pins on the line. Over time the clothes pins would become discolored and the springs could become rusty. But with a clothes pins bag it is so easy to collect my clothes pins up at the end of the day.

Over the past two years I have enjoyed making my own homemade laundry detergent. I found this recipe on Pinterest and really like how quickly a batch can be made. I always add lavender essential oil to my detergent.

Homemade Laundry Detergent:

• An empty  1/2 gallon old detergent jug or 1/2 gallon canning jar
• 1/2 cup liquid castile soap
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 5 drops lavender essential oil

Combine ingredients in 1/2 gallon container, fill container with hot water. Shake to combine. Gently shake before each use. Use 1/4- 1/3 cup per load.

Another laundry favorite is this stain remover recipe.

Use 2 parts peroxide and 1 part blue Dawn and baking soda. I usually use 1/2 cup peroxide, 1/4 cup Dawn dish soap and 1/4 cup baking soda. Apply to stain remover prior to washing.

 

I shared this some time ago, but thought it would be a nice addition to this post....

Old Recipe

------------------------

Years ago a Kentucky grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe for washing clothes. It appears below just as it was written, and despite the spelling, has a bit of philosophy. This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrap book (with spelling errors and all).

1.Bilt a fir in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. 2.Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. 3.Shave one hole cake of lie soap in bilin water. 4.Sort things make 3 piles. 1 pile white, 1 pile colored, 1 pile work britches and rags. 5.To make startch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with bilin water. 6.Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and then bile. Rub colored don’t bile, just rinch and starch. 7. Take things out of kettle with broomstick handle, then rinch, and starch. 8.Hang old rags on fence. 9.Spread tea towels on the grass. 10. pore rinch water in the flower beds. 11. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. 12.Turn tubs upside down. 13.Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

***Paste this over our washer and dryer and next time when you think things are bleak, read it again and give thanks for your blessings!

 

The clothes pin bags featured in this post are for sale in my Etsy shop. I have also added some pretty new aprons too.

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." Colossians 3:23

New Items and A Sale

The weather is growing cooler, we have officially had our first snow fall and I am looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving next week. There is something about this time of year that feels so cozy. In the evening I enjoy drinking a hot cup of chamomile tea (recently my favorite) and knitting by the fire. This time of year I also feel more inclined to spend time cooking in the kitchen. Jemimah is already talking about baking Christmas cookies. : )

With these thoughts in mind I have made some new items for my Etsy shop. This afternoon I added three new aprons.

Two cozy white flannel nightgowns in size small and medium. Both gowns are delicately hand embroidered in white.

A jade wool bow scarf. This scarf style is my favorite! The design is so practical as it won't slip around like a standard scarf.

I also listed a few vintage finds. These two cookbooks and some apron patterns from the 1940's and 1950's.

I am offering a special sale of 10% off everything in my Etsy shop today through the weekend. To take advantage of the special offer use coupon code 10PERCENT when checking out.

Strawberry Jam and A Sale

This past Saturday Adam, Jemimah and I went to a local farm to pick strawberries. Our own strawberry patch is still quite small and most of the few berries we had were eaten by a mysterious critter. However Saturday proved to be the perfect day to pick strawberries! The sun was shining, there was a cool breeze and Jemimah was overwhelmed by the abundance of strawberries, her favorite fruit. All weekend long she referred to our time picking as the "strawberry party". There was quite a crowd picking and several children among them.

 Saturday afternoon I made a batch of jam, as well as strawberry shortcake. Making strawberry jam brings back many sweet memories of being a young woman at home. My two sisters and I first learned to make and preserve strawberry jam in our late teens. We were absolutely thrilled with the outcome and went on to make jam from every berry we found fresh in our area. We would generally put on some music, wear our calico aprons and make a real event out of making jam.

 You do need an apron when making jam. It has a tendency to splatter when boiling or when pouring the jam into the jars. I always wear an apron while canning. : ) With this thought in mind I am offering a discount of 15% on all of the items in my shop this week. A new apron is a great way to inaugurate the canning season! Strawberry jam also marks the beginning of the canning season for me and I am sure for many other ladies. Please be sure to stop by my shop and check out the different style aprons I have currently listed. To take advantage of the special offer use coupon code LILAC15 when checking out.

 I hope you all have a lovely week enjoying the beauty and bounty of springtime! Have you made strawberry jam yet this year? Do you have a favorite jam you make each year?